On August 13, 2020, CSN sent the first Planners’ Picks e-newsletter! This was during the height of COVID-19 when we had shifted from in-person events on campus to online meetings and email communication as our main ways of connecting with the CSN network. Since then, our network has grown exponentially and we’ve been able to share thousands of resources through this vehicle, and more recently added the ‘Image of the Week’ for you.
Did you know that ALL previous PP newsletters are archived on our website? Go to the Newsletters tab on the menu bar to access over 200 installments!
The very first PP news: https://campussupervisorsnetwork.wisc.edu/2020/08/13/planners-pick-newsletter/
:: Image of the Week
This week’s image vividly brings to life the timeless parable of “The Blind Men and the Elephant.” Three blindfolded individuals each touch a different part of an elephant, resulting in wildly different conclusions: one feels the trunk and thinks it’s a snake, another touches the side and believes it’s a wall, while the third grasps the tail and insists it’s a rope.
Captioned with “Our own experience is rarely the whole truth,” the image challenges us to recognize the limitations of our personal perspectives. It underscores the importance of looking beyond our immediate experiences and embracing a broader view.
In a world filled with diverse opinions and experiences, this parable reminds us that understanding and truth often lie in the synthesis of multiple perspectives. It’s a call to move beyond our limited touchpoints and seek a fuller, more integrated understanding of the complexities around us.
:: Gratitude
The Ultimate Performance-Enhancing Drug: Gratitude
When was the last time you were thanked for your contributions at work? When was the last time you expressed gratitude to another coworker? A recent survey by the John Templeton Foundation revealed that people are less likely to show gratitude at work than anywhere else:
- 60% said they never or rarely express gratitude to co-workers;
- 74% never or rarely express gratitude upstream to their boss.
As further confirmation of these findings, a 2017 survey by WorkHuman revealed that:
- 45% had not received recognition or appreciation for their contributions to the company in at least six months;
- 16% reported they had never been recognized at all.
Okay, so we know gratitude is good for our health and happiness. It’s a natural anti-depressant. It strengthens relationships and deepens joyful moments of life. But what about gratitude makes it a complete GAME-CHANGER in the workplace?
Download this free e-book from Dr. Melissa Hughes to unleash the power of gratitude in your organization:
http://info.melissahughes.rocks/neuronugget/the-ultimate-performance-enhancing-substance-drug
“The good you do today will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.” – Mother Teresa
The Thrive Guide to Creating a Gratitude-focused Workplace
When we strengthen our gratitude muscles at work, everyone benefits.
Be honest: When was the last time you expressed thanks for something or someone at work? While showing appreciation may not be a priority in your busy, time-strapped days, the truth is that gratitude may be one of the most overlooked tools that we have access to in the workplace. When we embrace and practice gratitude regularly, it has the power to measurably improve our overall happiness and well-being all while benefiting those on the receiving end.
Read on…
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/create-gratitude-workplace/
:: CSN’s Book of the Week Recommendation
The Adventures of Johnny Bunko
From Daniel H. Pink, the #1 bestselling author of Drive and To Sell Is Human, comes an illustrated guide to landing your first job in The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need.
There’s never been a career guide like The Adventures of Johnny Bunko. Told in manga—the Japanese comic book format that’s an international sensation—it’s the fully illustrated story of a young Everyman just out of college who lands his first job.
Johnny Bunko is new to the Boggs Corp., and he stumbles through his early months as a working stiff until a crisis prompts him to rethink his approach. Step by step he builds a career, illustrating as he does the six core lessons of finding, keeping, and flourishing in satisfying work. A groundbreaking guide to surviving and flourishing in any career, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko is smart, engaging and insightful, and offers practical advice for anyone looking for a life of rewarding work.
:: Remote and Hybrid Work
How to Reignite Workplace Culture After Return to Work Orders
UW-Madison is still in flux with many units dealing with changing hybrid and remote work policies in their groups. Navigating return-to-work orders can be challenging, as exemplified by companies like Amazon, Zoom, Nike, Disney, Apple, and so many more.
In 2023, Amazon mandated office return at least three days a week, with potential job loss for noncompliance. Zoom shifted to a structured hybrid model but faced criticism for its in-office requirements despite being a remote collaboration tool. Nike escalated from 3 to 4 days in-office, Disney faced backlash over a 4-day office mandate, leading to layoffs, and Apple reverted to 3 in-office days post-experiment. And the UW-Madison has had various different implementations of hybrid, remote, or in-office work arrangements since COVID. There is no “one size fits all” approach on how to do this.
Amidst these shifts in workplace policies, fostering a resilient and inclusive workplace culture demands empathy and strategic adaptation.
Heather Younger knew this is a pressing issue for many companies; she made a video on the topic, where she shares three key strategies for successfully navigating the return-to-work transition. These three key strategies are not a “one size fits all” approach but guidelines for finding the right balance for your unit.
Check out her video, and see if there are hints on how to navigate your current situation with regards to hybrid or RTW.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MggtDcFgBY
“If there is no wind, row.” – Virgil
:: Communication
Why Your ‘open-door’ Policy Isn’t Enough
At the end of a workshop about cultural preferences in the workplace, a team leader in a global pharmaceutical company told me: “I operate with an open-door policy,” and confessed that he sought to keep an open, democratic approach for everyone on his team. However, he was disappointed that some team members rarely took the initiative to speak with him about an idea or provide an innovative point of view.
When we’re trying to attract, motivate, and retain a diverse workforce with varying styles of conflict or decision-making, is it the leader’s or the employee’s job to meet the other person in the middle? Jane Hyun tells us in the Fast Company article.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91130631/why-your-open-door-policy-isnt-enough
:: Interviewing
Gen Z Struggles with Interviewing – Here’s Why
Gen Z is rapidly entering the workforce, making them a significant focus for employers and recruiters. This group of hires brings fresh perspectives on work-life balance, company culture, and job satisfaction. Companies need to recruit and hire members of Gen Z to remain relevant.
Here’s the problem – they aren’t great at interviewing. Emily Levine, executive vice president of Career Group Companies, recently shared with Business Insider what she thinks could improve Gen Z’s chances of landing a job. Among them – dress to impress, or at least to show that you take yourself seriously and leave the entitlement and high demands behind.
Read more: Squarespace’s CMO explains why she thinks Gen Zers must be willing to leave their comfort zone to land a job.
https://fortune.com/2024/07/20/squarespaces-cmo-cold-called-yellow-page-firms-land-jobs
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” –E.E. Cummings
:: Self-Leadership Development
10-lesson Course on Power Intelligence
Julie Diamond is an executive coach, leadership consultant, and author. She has worked in the field of human and organizational change for 30 years, at the forefront of creating transformational learning and development opportunities across a range of sectors and disciplines, from graduate degree programs to leader development programs for business, government, NGOs and not-for-profit organizations.
She’s excited to share with you some of what she’s discovered in her 10-lesson course on Power Intelligence.
If you’ve ever wished you could have a playbook for facing the challenges of power, leadership, and rank dynamics, this course will teach you how to:
- See through the ‘lens of power’ to navigate rank dynamics.
- Develop your sense of Personal Power.
- Develop your role of power
- Use power as a verb and feel powerful in all facets of your life
- And so much more!
The course is conveniently offered on YouTube, so no sign-up is required.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0m7HKBoRakGAnbhfYMk7nvu4TcLA1sxK
Embrace the Chaos: From Breakdown to Breakthrough in Leadership
Ever feel like your role involves less leading and more herding cats through a hurricane? In leadership, letting things fall apart isn’t a sign of failure; it’s an art form. This is the action-packed world of ‘constructive destruction,’ where breakdowns aren’t just minor hiccups–they’re the secret sauce to spectacular breakthroughs. It’s like being the director of a blockbuster where every plot twist is a chance to innovate.
- Are you ready to stop being the duct tape that holds everything together?
- What outdated practices are you prepared to watch hit the ground?
- What limiting beliefs are ready for a controlled demolition to clear the way for innovation?
Here are three steps to constructive destruction by author Moshe Engelberg.
https://www.inc.com/moshe-engelberg/embrace-chaos-from-breakdown-to-breakthrough-in-leadership.html
“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” – Michael Jordan
:: Work Culture & Team Development
How to Fix Your Company’s Culture of Overwork
Does flexible work really mean more freedom? Surprisingly, it often leads to a culture of overwork that harms mental health.
In this excerpt from her new (and smartly titled) book “Never Not Working,” Malissa Clark outlines a three-step process for addressing this issue: First, assess the baseline of your company’s level of overwork and what it stems from; next, strategically implement incremental changes in spots where it will be most feasible and most effective; and finally, learn from these initial efforts, iterate, and implement again.
I love the way Malissa ends the article: “More and more organizations see the value of changing their workaholic culture. You can, too. No more excuses.” Indeed.
https://hbr.org/2024/03/how-to-fix-your-companys-culture-of-overwork
:: Mental Health and Self-Care
4160 weeks by Dani Saveker
I was catching up with a friend of mine recently. He’s also a colleague of sorts, and works in financial planning. We talked about wealth and moved on to discussing the quality of time versus the quantity of it. He and I have previously discussed the fact that the average life expectancy in the UK and US is roughly 80 years. I commented that this equates to about 30,000 days. This continues to be a real ‘learn’ and ‘relearn’ for me, especially when I get caught in wasting time worrying or on insignificant things.
As we continued chatting, my friend then pointed out that 80 years is about 4160 weeks. That REALLY startled me. No one ever knows what the future holds, but to look at a future in terms of weeks or days, it suddenly brings into perspective that we need to take stock and almost step back from the nonsense we accumulate.
Every bit of time we spend, is spent – it’s gone for good and nothing can bring it back, so spend wisely. I’d say that both Richard and I would also agree that investing in the right things is also imperative:
- Learning: be curious and work the mind
- People: deep and meaningful connections
- Health: along with time, the most valuable thing we have
- Joy: what’s the point if we don’t have fun and laugh?
- Space: giving ourself time and space to recover and reflect
This post was in Dani Saveker’s weekly LEAPS newsletter. You can find her at https://glasmethod.com/danis-weekly-leaps
There’s also a book on this very topic: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. Rejecting the futile modern obsession with “getting everything done,” Four Thousand Weeks introduces readers to tools for constructing a meaningful life by embracing finitude, showing that many of the unhelpful ways we’ve come to think about time aren’t inescapable, unchanging truths, but choices we’ve made as individuals and as a society—and that we could do things differently. Find more on that book at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54785515-four-thousand-weeks
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” — Mary Oliver
:: Training & Certification
New Suicide Prevention Training for UW-Madison Faculty and Staff
UHS offers Suicide Prevention Training: Recognize, Respond, Refer: a multi-part, online program that helps participants build skills to intervene, prevent suicide, and support student mental health on campus. New this summer, UHS introduced a version of the training for faculty and staff. The training takes one hour, and you can complete it from home, on your own time.
Fac/Staff: https://canvas.wisc.edu/enroll/P9P89H
September is the start of another school year, as well as Suicide Prevention Month. This training is one concrete action you can take to better support those you teach, serve, or supervise. UHS also offers versions of the training for undergraduate and graduate/professional students on Canvas.
Undergrad: https://canvas.wisc.edu/enroll/393FJ7
Grad/Prof: https://canvas.wisc.edu/enroll/8834GX