Empowered or Entitled? guest blog by Paul Schoening

Increasingly we are seeing data that engaged employees drive business success.   As the economy recovers at the current snail’s pace, companies are also looking at their employee engagement scores deciding they’d better do something about it now before wholesale exodus occurs by their greatest resource.

Proactive talent managers planned for this factor 3 years ago.

Where are your engagement planning efforts at currently?

Emotional Engagement

Just this week, another study was released by The Brand Union, a brand strategy and design consultancy. This recent study surveyed 680 U.S. professionals revealing emotional engagement outweighs other forms of employee interaction, offering critical insights for executives who want to improve employee engagement health and create business efficiencies during lean times. 

Today I Am Grateful For: A Crying Baby

I am thankful for my crying baby at 4:30 AM.

Really…

I had gotten up to let the meowing cat out at 3:30 AM – again.  Needless to say I wasn’t too happy.  Then I couldn’t fall back asleep – now I’m even less happy.  I end up tossing and turning thinking about what I have to do today and how I need my sleep and I’m getting more and more frustrated.   And then to top it off, our 11-month old baby starts to cry…

I go down to her room and pick her up out of the crib and she immediately starts to calm down – the crying subsides.  I hold her and rock her for 10 minutes and she is fast asleep on my chest, her hand outstretched over my heart.  She is breathing in and out peacefully as we sway back and forth in the rocking chair.

All the frustration and bitterness that I had earlier is gone.  I am looking down at her face as she is sleeping and a wave of peaceful joy passes through me.  Finally, after a long time, I place her gently back in her crib sleeping soundly.

Thank you, thank you, thank you….

What are you grateful for?  Let us know by clicking on “leave a comment” below.

Today I Am Grateful For: Electricity

We have been without power for approximately 24 hours…it is now back on!!  When the power is out for that long one realizes how much we depend on it.  Candles are nice for atmosphere, but for actually providing good light to see or do anything by…well, they leave a lot to be desired.   We had to keep the refrigerator shut.  The gas furnace needs electricity to ignite the pilot and for the thermostat.  Our gas stove still worked, but we had to light the burners with a match.  No T.V..  No radio.  And worst yet, no internet…

Very grateful to have our electricity back and hoping that everybody has there’s back soon.

What are you grateful for?  Let us know, click on “leave a comment”

PS – what do people do in the middle of winter when the power is off?  How do you prevent the pipes in your house from bursting?

Today I Am Grateful For: Imagination

How boring would this world be if we did not have imagination?  How limited would our opportunities be if we couldn’t dream?  I am grateful for the fact that we have an imagination – one that can inspire us or grant us a few moments of escape.  I am grateful that others can share there imagination with me and I’m better for that sharing.

Dream big…

What are you grateful for today?  Click on “Leave a comment” below and tell us.

What lies beneath the pretty package?

View this commercial that was produced by Dove back in 2006.

http://www.digital-karma.org/society-and-culture/no-wonder-our-perception-beauty-distorted

Watching this got me to thinking about some of what we do with our communication campaigns for incentives.  Are we indulging ourselves in a similar process where we “pretty up” what would be a pretty bland plan?  Do we in effect create a false sense of reality if we do this?  Do we “photoshop” our way to making something look different than what it really is?

I hope not.

But I wonder…if someone where to look at how we promote some plans, would they say, “wait a minute – that’s not what it really looks like.”

Today I Am Grateful For: Sunshine

It is mid October and we are having fantastic weather here in Minnesota.  I am very grateful for that as it appears that it is about to end.  This gratefulness reminds me that I need to get outside and enjoy today as much as I can…see you later, I’m going for a walk.

Let us know what you are thankful for in the “leave a comment” section below…

Today I Am Grateful For: Opportunity

The real motivator for me has always been the opportunity that exists out “there.”  In other words, the possibility of what could be.  Regardless of where or what or who, I am always intrigued and moved by what might be.  I know that today can always be better than yesterday.

Share what your thankful for – click on “leave a comment” below – we’d love to hear from you.