Mental Habits to Reduce Stress and Burnout

On January 26, 2022   /   Pandemic Resolutions, Personal Accountability, Post Pandemic Return to Work   /   Leave a comment
Mental Habits to Reduce Stress and Burnout

As the pandemic and its effects drag on, many people are moving from feeling stressed to being completely burned out in their professional and personal lives.  Stress and burnout can impact employees—despite their position/title—and can carry over to home life.  

Here are a few habits to consider implementing to help reduce stress:

1) Get a Good Night’s Sleep!  According to Dr. Michael Twery, Director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (NCSDR), sleep affects almost every tissue in our bodies including:

  • Growth and stress hormones
  • The immune system 
  • Appetite
  • Breathing
  • Blood pressure
  • Cardiovascular health

Doctors have long attributed a lack of sleep to the increased risk for obesity, heart disease, and a number of infections.

2) The Gift of Life!  The moment you wake up, try to focus on the gift you’ve received for a brand new day.  Embrace the idea that today is filled with opportunity and your productivity will benefit yourself, your employer, co-workers, family, and the community.  Make a conscious effort to create joy the very moment you awake.   Avoid mentally drifting into the difficult moments of the past—you’ll introduce yourself to a “worry” mindset.  

Worry has a physical impact on the body:

  • Muscle tension
  • Digestive disorders
  • Attack on the immune system
  • Headaches
  • Fatigue

3) Focus! Practice centering your attention on the matter(s) at hand; it is a great way to ignore distractions.  Think strategically, avoid multi-tasking, and take on the day with a positive frame of reference.

4) Make Space! Distance yourself from problems or situations.  Distancing doesn’t mean you don’t care, it means you and your mind are unavailable to worry—about anything.

5) Let Go! Release negative emotions surrounding situations, people, or issues.  A fatalistic mental loop replay can keep you trapped in bleak emotions and entangle you in an uncomfortable web of negativity.

Peak performance in the workplace depends on good mental health.  Stress and burnout will stifle your creativity and ability to make excellent decisions.  Great mental health habits are key to remaining calm and relaxed. 

If your struggle with life is beyond self-help, many resources are available to assist you.  We encourage you to reach out to professionals who care about your well-being.

In the comments below share your tips for reducing stress and remember…make it a great day!

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Keeping Unconscious Bias Out of the Workplace

On January 11, 2022   /   Emotional Intelligence, Empathy, Leadership, Post Pandemic Return to Work   /   Leave a comment
Keeping Unconscious Bias Out of the Workplace

Unconscious bias, also known as implicit bias, essentially is subconscious prejudices based on stereotypes or attitudes developed through upbringing, environment, and experiences.  Several types of unconscious bias exist in the workplace and in society such as affinity bias, beauty bias, racial bias, and gender bias.

A common prejudice, affinity bias, causes a person to closely identify with others who possess attributes similar to themselves.  For example, perhaps you have developed a friendship with a colleague who graduated from the same college as you.  Because of this relationship, they are the only person you consider to head up a new project instead of contemplating the qualifications of other candidates who may have equal qualifications.   This is a sign of what could be considered affinity bias.  

Beauty bias is when you subconsciously form certain beliefs or attitudes about people based on their physical attractiveness.  Let’s say a coworker:

  • Doesn’t have the “right color hair” or hairstyle
  • Doesn’t wear “the right makeup”
  • Doesn’t wear the “right designer clothing labels”
  • Wears casual attire everyday
  • Has a “different type of smile”
  • Doesn’t get professional manicures “on a regular basis”

In the instances listed above, subconsciously, one may think the coworker is unqualified to lead an important project because the results of their work might be unprofessional, unrefined, incomplete, and delayed.

Unconscious bias can lead to micro-aggressions in the workplace and mutate into harassment and/or racism.  It occurs during the hiring process as well as promotion reviews.  That said, employers can actively work to eliminate implicit bias.

Educating employees on the topic is an excellent start.  According to the Harvard Business Review, employee training should include the following practices:

  1. Empower employees to change.  Provide employees with tools/best practices to reframe their thinking in order to break stereotypes.
  2. Create empathy by providing opportunities to see and respect different perspectives.
  3. Encourage diverse interaction by nurturing curiosity in team projects.

Training should be accompanied by policies, procedures, and a corporate philosophy that talk about its harmful effects on clients, employees, vendors, visitors, and the company as a whole.  

Let us know your thoughts on reducing implicit bias in the workplace in the comments below.  

Go out there and make it a great day!

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Breaking Down Customer Service: The Greeting

On December 29, 2021   /   Business Etiquette, Customer Service, Empathy, How to Communicate With Customers   /   Leave a comment
Breaking Down Customer Service: The Greeting

A memorable experience!  As a consumer, who among us doesn’t want that on a consistent basis?

Customers form opinions about your service based on many things—beginning with the way you talk to them.

Great customer service begins from the first point of contact…over the phone, virtually, online, face-to-face.  Regardless of the method, your greeting should impact customers such that they have a longing to do business with you indefinitely.

A genuine embrace with your body language, facial expression, other non-verbal acknowledgement tells them you affirm their presence…it is the first step in building a relationship.  Now, that’s only the beginning.  The following are basic principles to consider as you protect one of your most precious assets…your client:

  • Ask how he/she/they want to be addressed…”Mr. Smith”, “Mrs. Johnson”, “Dr. Matthews”.  Do not use their first name unless they’ve given permission to do so.  
  • Your greeting should be professional and not rehearsed.  Avoid too much banter and being loquacious.
  • The ability to read body language, tone of voice (written or verbal) can offer great insight as to the level and frequency of interaction a customer prefers.  For example, an introvert may prefer a quick greeting void of small talk.  Remember to offer a sincere smile while speaking on the phone, texting, online, and face-to-face…your client can hear it in your voice.

Your greeting provides an opportunity to deepen the relationship, create community roots, and increase customer loyalty. 

In the comments below let us know what makes your customer greeting special.  Make it a great day!

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Psychological Safety at Work

On December 15, 2021   /   Back to Work, Cancel Culture, Emotional Intelligence   /   Leave a comment
Psychological Safety at Work

Do your employees feel comfortable to share their ideas and concerns, or raise questions?  If you’re unable to answer that question with a confident and resounding “Yes!”, you may want to take a look at the level of psychological safety your workplace offers. 

According to Forbes, psychological safety at work is “a shared belief held by members of a company, department or team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.”  Simply said, if employees feel psychologically safe at work, they feel free to express their genuine thoughts and opinions without fear of rejection, embarrassment, or reprisal.

Psychologically safe workplaces are important because they foster innovation, increase productivity and improve retention. Employees are more likely to share unique ideas if they feel safe to do so. If mistakes occur, they can be treated as a learning opportunity; unlike employees in psychologically unsafe workspaces where mistakes may be hidden due to job security concerns.  Not surprising, turnover is reduced because great teams flourish in psychologically safe work environments.  Employees want to work where they’re valued. Ultimately, being part of a great work environment is beneficial to the company, its consumers, and the community.

Improving psychological safety in the workplace requires dedication and must be a priority to management.  Begin by observing your team’s communication style. How are differing opinions handled? Ensure all ideas are heard by reassuring the team that honest feedback is welcomed.  Be sure to thank team members for their contributions.

Celebrate diverse thinking and show respect for all opinions.  Model how to provide constructive criticism without belittling others.

What steps are you taking to improve psychological safety in your workplace? Let us know in the comments below and remember…make it a great day!

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Healthy Obsession: The Client Experience

On October 20, 2021   /   Getting on Track to Meet Goals, How to Increase Customer Loyalty, Increasing Profits, Leadership   /   Leave a comment
Healthy Obsession: The Client Experience

In previous discussions we’ve touched on measuring customer satisfaction.  Let’s also explore how to close the gap between customer expectations and customer experiences.  The customer experience has several components ranging from packaging to logistics to employees performance. 

As an oversimplification, the customer experience can be described as how consumers view and receive a company’s brand.  Consistent positive experiences are the springboard to establising loyalty and creating a competitive advantage over competition.

Consumers want efficient service and quality products but they also want to do business with companies who share their values on topics such as diversity, ethics, and the environment.  Using data collected from customers through surveys and other means, companies can determine where they fall short.  Your approach to improve the situation must be holistic.  For example, data may show that customers think your marketing doesn’t influence them.  The fix will require re-examining your product/service as well as intangible systems such as empathy, etc.

Implementing a holistic approach to improve the customer experience also includes re-shaping your company’s principles regarding your:

  • Customer Service Philosophy
  • Vision Statement
  • Mission Statement
  • Core Values
  • Corporate Culture
  • Customer Experience Vision Statement

The customer experience vision statement will serve as the guiding light for every employee and will drive business decisions. Every employee plays a role in shaping the customer experience, therefore, all of these principles should be embedded in training and development…they must be at the core of every behavior and interaction.

Be obsessed with your customers’ experiences and make it a great day!

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