Planners’ Picks
A collection of resources from CSN planning committee members worth mentioning
This week we venture deeper into self-care with finance and assistance advice, we connect remotely yet more effectively, and we boost our happiness and gratitude as we inch closer to Thanksgiving.
||| Resources on Mental Health and Self-Care |||
Employee Assistance Office Adds New Way to Connect
The Employee Assistance Office (EAO) at UW–Madison has added a new service that enables employees to connect with a counselor virtually in their offices at the Lowell Center, 610 Langdon Street. Using a video phone, employees can meet with a counselor in a comfortable and confidential space. The service is ideal for employees who are concerned about confidentiality if they were to meet virtually or by phone in their workspace or their home, as well as employees who do not wish to use virtual meeting apps. To schedule an appointment for a confidential session with an EAO counselor, send an email to eao@mailplus.wisc.edu or phone 608-263-2987. For more information about EAO services, visit hr.wisc.edu/employee-assistance-office.
More information » https://hr.wisc.edu/employee-assistance-office/
Small Spending Tips That Can Help You Save Money and Reduce Stress
To set ourselves up for greater financial stability and less stress, it’s important that we have open conversations about money and saving. When we share the tips that have helped us feel more secure and stable, we help each other build habits that support our well-being — mental, physical, and financial — in the long run. We asked our Thrive community to share with us the little spending tips that have helped them save. Which of these ideas will you try?
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/small-spending-tips-that-can-help-you-save-money-and-reduce-stress
||| Resources on Hybrid and Remote Work |||
Connecting Employees to Purpose & Culture in the Age of Remote Work
A lot of energy has been devoted to ways leaders can keep remote employees engaged. Don’t get us wrong – that’s important and worthy of attention. However, it’s also important to be thinking about those employees who are working remotely and aren’t engaged. They may be masquerading – smiling at you on Zoom, and doing their assigned tasks. But unbeknownst to you, they aren’t the focused, present, energetic person they once were. How do you spot an employee in disguise?
https://www.engagementmultiplier.com/resources/connecting-employees-to-company-purpose-culture/
“A good teacher does not teach facts, he or she teaches enthusiasm, open-mindedness and values.” – Mathematician and philosopher Gian-Carlo Rota
Do I really look like that?
The proliferation of video calls during the pandemic is causing us to scrutinize our own faces more than ever before — leading to a phenomenon known as ‘Zoom dysmorphia’. Do I really look like that, we wonder?
https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/do-i-really-look-like-that-4569361/
What Your Employees Wish You Knew About Having Better Meetings
Prolonged meetings are a productivity and mood killer. Like most business owners, you start your day by checking your calendar for upcoming meetings. Every day, dozens arrive, many of them urgent. David Finkel shares some tips for having better, more productive meetings:
- Always plan your meetings in advance – if you don’t have an agenda, don’t hold the meeting. The chances of you going off the rails and wasting time on things that don’t create value are very high.
- Start strong – start on time and start strong. Jump right into your agenda, and get to the point.
- Stay focused – it’s easy to get sidetracked. It’s more difficult to stay on task but well worth the effort.
- Give everyone a chance to speak – beware of one or two strong personalities hijacking your meeting.
- Clarify action items as you go – flag all-important action items as you go
- Recap after the meeting – after the meeting is over, send out a meeting recap email outlining the action items and discussion points that were covered in the meeting. If needed, put the recap into your project management software as well.
https://www.inc.com/david-finkel/what-your-employees-wish-you-knew-about-having-better-meetings.html
||| Resources on Self-Leadership Development |||
Want to Boost Your Happiness? Learn Something New.
In her study of happiness, Gretchen Rubin has labored to identify its fundamental principles, and when she started, she asked over and over, “I want to make my life happier, but how do I even think about that aim?” After a lot of work and revision, she figured out a framework: To be happier, we need to think about feeling good, feeling bad, and feeling right, in an atmosphere of growth.
- Feeling good: do more of what brings us joy, love, fun, connection, awe, interest
- Feeling bad: do less of what brings us anger, resentment, guilt, boredom, irritation
- Feeling right: ensure that our lives reflect our values
- In an atmosphere of growth: this one took me much longer to identify!
To feel happy, we need to feel growth—a sense of learning, of betterment, of advancement, of mastery, of contributing to the growth of others, of fixing things, improving things, making things better, assuming responsibilities.
https://gretchenrubin.com/2021/10/boost-happiness-learn-something
“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love…” – Marcus Aurelius
Do You Have an Abundance Mindset?
A mindset is defined as a “mental attitude or inclination” and like so many things in life, it is a binary choice. We can either choose to be positive or negative but, we can’t be both at the same time.
Dr. Ryan Gottfredson, a world-renowned researcher in this discipline, refers to mindsets as “the mental lenses we wear that shape our view of the world.” He further shares that, “mindsets are akin to having a good ‘attitude’ (what people think) but, in reality, they are much deeper”.
It is much the same with respect to scarcity and abundance. Binary choices that we can use to lead others by. One positive and full of hope the other negative and full of worry.
||| Resources on Work Culture & Team Development |||
10 Ways Gratitude Supercharges Your Company’s Culture
Kevin Monroe is a specialist online in leading gratitude discussions and providing materials. His latest work is a guide on 10 ways gratitude supercharges your company’s culture. In this guide, he states: “This list is based on observation and insights. I believe every item on this list stands up to the scrutiny of research.” Are you ready to change your company culture? You can visit Kevin’s website at his website (email entry required) at https://www.kevindmonroe.com/free-download or we have it on BOX with no login needed below.
https://uwmadison.box.com/s/v3thj194tvlhpz0ifwu7396az0noib7j
“Individual commitment to a group effort—that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” — Vince Lombardi
7 Easy Ways To Connect Better With Your Professional Colleagues
We’ve all had leaders we admire who made us feel like we knew them and that they “got” us. And that’s not an accident. No matter their industry or age, those business leaders all share one thing: the ability to connect with others. While cultivating connection has always been a coveted leadership soft skill, the pandemic-induced isolation and remote working conditions have made it even more valuable. When you can effectively connect with others, you immediately increase your ability to communicate, foster deeper relationships and build trust.
||| Upcoming Events |||
Reminder: Campus Supervisors Network Holiday Gathering Dec 1
It’s time to show our gratitude for your hard work and dedication as a supervisor during this challenging year. Please join us at the CSN Holiday Gathering – a chance to catch up and socialize with some of your peers, including members of the CSN planning committee. No speaker; just fun networking and mingling with other supervisors from campus.
Meet us in the upper balcony of The Sett Pub @ Union South on December 1 from 3-6 pm. Appetizers and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided; other drinks are available for purchase from the bar. We hope to see you there and encourage you to invite a friend to register as well!
Please register so we can gauge how many people to cater to.
Details:
Wednesday, December 1 – 3:00-6:00 pm
The Sett Pub Upper Balcony Area @ Union South
Non-alcoholic drinks and appetizers provided; other drinks available for purchase
December LifeMatters Consultation for Managers Dec 7
Come ask your burning supervisor questions, and hear what others are asking. Each discussion will be different, based on the questions brought to the session. Maybe you have questions about managing interpersonal conflict, addressing performance, supporting emotional well-being of employees, how to support yourself while you are managing others’ needs or other topics. Even if you don’t have specific questions, come and gain information from the conversation. Join one or many sessions; the next session is December 7 at 1:00 pm. Register below: