We’re getting out of that rut, throwing some green flags, and mastering civility this week in Planners’ Picks. Summer chugs on; remember to visit our Summer of Celebrations page for inspiration and add your comments on things YOU’RE celebrating this season.
*Note: Don’t fret if you can’t get to all of these resources! You can choose one or two that interest you if you’re short on time.
:: Image of the Week
:: Work Culture & Team Development
New knowledges and skills hub supports employee development
UW–Madison created a knowledges and skills hub for employees who want to grow and explore learning opportunities related to their job title. These resources can be found in the Title and Standard Job Description (SJD) Library, where most job titles are matched to a set of knowledges and skills. To access these resources, employees can browse the full list of knowledges and skills, refine their search on the hub home page, or explore the Title and SJD Library to find knowledges and skills matched to specific job titles.
“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” –William Faulkner
Here’s the Upside to a Diminishing Need to Have a Friend at Work
What comes to mind when you hear office best friend? Lunch buddy? Trusted collaborator? A confidant when you need to vent? All of the above? This friend may be the best part of your job—the extra oomph so everything else is doable. These relationships are a staple of corporate life and are a perennial barometer for job satisfaction and performance.
For years, office friendships have made better employees, and they still do. But now, companies might see more value in investing their resources elsewhere. It turns out the current workforce isn’t particularly interested in office friendships.
A recent Capterra survey asked nearly 1,000 U.S. employees to rank the impact of a set of factors on their job satisfaction. Of the 14 variables tested, “relationships with coworkers” finished last. Gen Z participants ranked this factor the highest of any age bracket, but even half of that demographic said workplace friendships were “not at all important” or “minimally important.” What changed?
:: Mental Health and Self-Care
Stuck in a rut? How to appreciate your life again, according to science
A new job, apartment or relationship can all come with a sheen of excitement. But that luster fades after a while. And everything seems a bit duller.
There’s a term for that phenomenon, says Tali Sharot, a cognitive neuroscientist at University College London and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: habituation. It’s “our tendency to respond less and less to things that are repeated or constant.”
Its evolutionary purpose is to help us adapt to our surroundings so we can be on high alert for new threats. But it can also impair our creativity and affect our levels of stress and happiness.
So how do we add that sparkle back into our lives? Listen in on this LifeKit audio recording for the answer.
:: Self-Leadership Development
The Leadership Spectrum: Red Flags to Green Flags
Leadership traits can be seen as a spectrum, much like the colors of a rainbow. Each level represents a shift in behaviors, moving from detrimental to beneficial qualities. Look at this short post from Adam Danyal on finding where you land on the spectrum.
“What looks like skill is often consistent discipline.” – Shane Parrish
Coaching Services from the Office of Strategic Consulting
The Office of Strategic Consulting is a campus resource dedicated to helping you steer through the organizational challenges that impact your operations and mission delivery. They are offering two new pathways to make it even easier for campus change-makers to access their services.
Organizational Office Hours offer a no-cost, personalized opportunity for one-on-one conversations with organizational effectiveness consultants. Whether you have a general question, find yourself “stuck” in your current work, or seek guidance on a specific organizational issue, these one-hour conversations are open to all UW Madison faculty and staff. They provide a space for you to explore ideas and gain valuable insights to propel your work forward.
Individual Leadership Coaching is available for both experienced and emerging campus academic and administrative leaders. Certified professional coaches offer confidential guidance and support to leaders at all levels, helping you enhance your effectiveness, drive performance, and achieve your professional goals. They provide a complimentary sample coaching session along with a six-session introductory package. Leadership coaching is also an excellent way for supervisors to invest in the growth and development of promising leaders within your unit or team.
To learn more about our full list of services, visit the Strategic Consulting website, send an email to strategicconsulting@osc.wisc.edu, or contact Alyson Pohlman, Assistant Director of Consulting Operations.
https://strategicconsulting.wisc.edu/
:: Training
The Trainer’s Nightmare — When Mistakes Happen
When mistakes occur during our class or presentation, how do we recover with our dignity intact? Read this short story from Steve Klubertanz about a mishap before a training session, and how he handled the situation with grace. These things happen; “The important part is how we respond to them.”
:: CSN’s Book of the Week Recommendation
Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace
Incivility is silently chipping away at people, organizations, and our economy. Slights, insensitivities, and rude behaviors can cut deeply. Moreover, incivility hijacks focus. Even if people want to perform well, they can’t. Customers too are less likely to buy from a company with an employee who is perceived as rude. Ultimately, incivility cuts the bottom line.
In Mastering Civility, Christine Porath shows how people can enhance their influence and effectiveness with civility. Combining scientific research with fascinating evidence from popular culture and fields such as neuroscience, medicine, and psychology, this book provides managers and employers with a much-needed wake-up call, while also reminding them of what they can do right now to improve the quality of their workplaces.
https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Civility-Manifesto-Christine-Porath/dp/1478947896/
:: Change Management
Lead Through Change: How to Guide Your Team to Success
“Hey Karin, I need some help leading through change. My team LOVES doing things the way they’ve always done them. And I’m trying to get them to embrace some new technology. To do things just a little bit differently. But they are comfortable where they are. What should I do?” See Karin Hurt’s answer to this question on her blog post about Strategies For Leading Through Change with Confidence, on the Let’s Grow Leaders website.
https://letsgrowleaders.com/2024/04/26/lead-through-change/
“Change is disturbing when it is done to us, exhilarating when it is done by us.” – Rosabeth Moss Kanter
:: Trust, Psychological Safety & Belonging
The Importance of Trust by Patrick Lencioni
Out of Patrick Lencioni’s 5 Dysfunctions of a Team, the absence of trust is displayed as the most fundamental inhibitor for progress and team building. Identifying exactly what trust stands for can help leaders start building a culture that attracts top talent, prevents high staff turnover and creates high performers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMVGmfmPQHE&t=2s
“To gain the confidence of others, you must know what you are doing (demonstrating competence) and do what you say you are going to do (displaying character). There is no way around it.” – Doug Conant
:: Take Five*
*Note: CSN occasionally adds “Take Five” articles to take you off the beaten path. Articles are about local or regional areas of interest, but not necessarily focused on leadership development. The intent is for you to take a break from being a leader and relax for a moment!
The Terrace by Dane Jensen
Hey University of Wisconsin-Madison Memorial Union Terrace, you have your own song!! Thank UW student, Dane Jensen, for this cool new tune! Dane graduated this year and reflects on his time in Madison, WI in this song.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9Spu0I4ZCQ
:: Upcoming Events
Reframing Recruitment Through a Racial Equity Lens
Reframing Recruitment Through a Racial Equity Lens is a four-part learning series where participants engage in conversation around why and how to center racial equity in recruitment and hiring practices. Participants learn new strategies to remove unintentional barriers and improve access for candidates by reframing current recruiting and hiring practices through a racial equity lens.
This learning series is offered twice/year – one virtual series in the winter and one in-person series in the summer. The next series will kick off in August with sessions held on August 6, 13, 20, and 27. There are still seats available for the August learning series. The design and facilitation team invites and welcomes anyone who actively engages in recruitment and hiring processes, particularly HR professionals and hiring supervisors/managers to register and attend. Given that each session builds off the other, it is recommended that you participate if you can attend all four sessions.
CSN Presents: Retirement planning as part of your whole work/life cycle – small steps, big rewards
“Retirement planning as part of your whole work/life cycle” explores how proactively embracing retirement planning – from onboarding through retirement – contributes to resilience, financial wellness, and enduring lifelong wellness. We’ll share best practices, resources, tips and tricks, and best practices. This session is designed to provide time for interactive discussion.
Presenter: Carol Hulland of the Retirement Issues Committee (and a CSN planner)
Date: August 7, 2024
Time: 12:00-1:00 pm
Online via Zoom
Register Here: https://go.wisc.edu/g2g7a7
CSN’s ‘Summer of Celebrations’ Networking Events
>> Allen Centennial Gardens Walking Tour
Celebrate nature and the outdoors! CSN members will meet at the Allen Centennial Gardens front entrance to enjoy a walking tour of some of the gardens, do some optional art projects and thank you note writing, and network. Note: dogs are welcome on a leash! Bring your furry workmate along.
Date: July 31, 2024
Time: 1:30-3:00 pm
Registration Deadline: July 30
Register Here: https://go.wisc.edu/3mr39m
More information about Allen Centennial Gardens can be found at https://allencentennialgarden.wisc.edu/plan-your-visit/
>> Babcock Dairy Tour and Tasting
Celebrate industry and discover dairy delights. Observe, indulge, and learn at Babcock Dairy! CSN members will meet at the Dairy Store for an observation experience to learn more about Babcock Dairy behind the scenes. We’ll visit the store for a treat* and head outside to enjoy it while we network and celebrate.
*A complimentary scoop of Babcock ice cream is included in this session!
Date: August 15, 2024
Time: 10:30-11:30 am
Registration Deadline: August 8
Register Here: https://go.wisc.edu/dw1ly6
More information about Babcock Dairy can be found at https://babcockdairystore.wisc.edu/observation-deck-tours/