Clever app encourages you call your friends Source: Fast Company, February 4, 2021. Link. . . . one of the biggest regrets among people on their deathbeds was that they hadn’t kept in touch with their friends.” Data backup 101 for veterinary practice owners – Sponsored Content Source: Lucca Veterinary Data Services, February 1, 2021. Link. Data backups are important … [Read more...]
6 ways diversity and inclusion will change in 2021
Get ready for uncomfortable conversations. From the squeeze chute to the C-suite, knowledge about diversity, equity and inclusion will take place this year, according to Amber Cabral, author and diversity and inclusion consultant. She predicts six trends that, at last, indicate true change will take place. Remote work will be more common Workforce diversity will … [Read more...]
What to do when your boss favors a colleague over you
Today, the leading reason people quit their companies is feeling a lack of appreciation. A recent study showed more than half of executives admit to having a favorite when deciding on internal promotions. Once you catch your breath from being kicked in the gut, the authors share four strategies to protect your career and sustain your motivation to succeed: Test your … [Read more...]
Covid fatigue is winning at the worst possible moment
Covid-19 fatigue is manifesting in an alarming number of people shrugging off safety measures and consuming less news about the pandemic, according to a new Harris Poll conducted exclusively for Fast Company. 27 percent of Americans say they’re less likely to engage in certain safety precautions than they were six months ago, curtailing things like frequent handwashing, … [Read more...]
New, empathic website helps you think and talk about death
Facing our own mortality and the mortality of ones we care about remains a tough topic. Mark Wilson reviews a new website, Life Support that lets you explore topics about death and dying from the perspectives of experts, such as palliative care doctors and social workers. Source: Fast Company, December 14, 2020. Link. … [Read more...]
Apathy or pandemic burnout?
Nearly everyone is suffering from mental fatigue right now, says psychologist Yvonne Thomas. She shares some of the key signs of mental fatigue: You’re inefficient You don’t feel compassion for others You’re procrastinating more than ever You’re struggling with sleep and appetite Thomas also shares some coping methods: Create countdown strategies … [Read more...]
The secret struggles of introverts in a remote workforce
Commentary Covid-19 has upset nearly every routine at work and at home. Introverts are perceived to be enjoying the privacy, but research tells a different story. Between our kids on hybrid schedules, swing schedules at work and aging parents isolated in retirement facilities, Mitchell Demeter has provided each of us something to consider, introvert or not. Source: Fast … [Read more...]
Managing performance issues in a remote environment
Our culture of annual reviews, employee performance metrics and staffing decisions is palpable this time of year in animal health companies. This year has challenged every performance monitoring system. Employees may have developed performance issues amid the stress of the current work environment. Delivering proper feedback remotely is challenging for managers accustomed to … [Read more...]
Carriers driving early Black Friday offers
Commentary The pandemic has changed Black Friday forever. Surcharges announced in August by the largest shippers are the penalty for not selling out early. The pandemic has caused shippers to fully reassess their supply chain strategy and their carrier mix. One way that delivery services hope to deal with the holiday crush is to push retailers to ship more packages early … [Read more...]
Break room, hallway interactions missing in today’s workplaces
Diana Shi discusses the value of serendipitous moments and interactions from daily encounters in the workplace. Whether at the water cooler, in the break room or hallway the work from home and distanced worker is less likely to experience the happy coincidence benefits of healthy teamwork and collaboration. There’s opportunity to plan for unplanned moments she says. Source: … [Read more...]
Why you’re always late, but it is not your fault
Research shows that 20 percent of the population finds it hard to be punctual. Time seems to work differently for us. We bend time; sometimes it stretches and sometimes it shrinks,” shares Grace Pacie, author and time bender. She writes about how time benders think, fit-in and offers ideas to mitigate the behaviors. Source: Fast Company, October 5, 2020. Link. … [Read more...]
Some perspective on drive-through or curbside services
COMMENTARY Louis Sullivan (1856-1924) helped pioneer and change the face of architecture. This quote is attributed to him, “form follows function.” In this context, writer Mark Wilson reviews fast food chains’ $290 billion race for the perfect drive-through. What does this have to do with animal health? Drive-throughs have been a staple of fast-food revenue for decades, … [Read more...]
Work-life balance gives way to work-life integration
Companies all over the world are realizing that working from home is not only more efficient, but more suitable for the wants and needs of today’s workers, writes Matt Klassen. He shares two big changes we can expect to see in the future: Businesses will embrace flexibility Automation will be increasingly essential Source: Fast Company, August 16, 2020. Link. Company … [Read more...]
Vulnerability can be a leadership asset
It is a given that no one is invincible. Even Achilles had a weakness. Business today is less of a war and more of a competition for minds and hearts. So, revealing what we already know – that you are vulnerable – can be an asset. Source: Fast Company, June 29, 2020. Link. Leaders gain invaluable respect and trust by asking more questions (and valuing the input) rather than … [Read more...]
Facing the heat in a face mask
Come on man! A face mask in this heat? Really?!?! Sound familiar? This common objection is not new territory per se’, but ideas for making mask wearing more bearable are timely. Molly Longman shares ideas learned from doctors to make wearing a mask on a 100-degree day worth it. . . . the fact is, face masks work. They reduce transmission, helping to curb the spread of … [Read more...]
Email and chat etiquette for 2020 and beyond
Defining etiquette as a customary code of polite behavior, Myka Meier shares six guidelines for communicating via email and chat. It is a primer for virtual communications that is applicable now and in post-pandemic work habits. Know your audience Don’t leave colleagues hanging Minimize your multi-messaging Keep most communications concise Sign on and off with … [Read more...]
Build a ‘rest ethic’ as strong as your work one
Co-authors John Fitch and Max Frenzel offer creative and thoughtful ways to best use time off to gift you with inspiration, ideas and recovery. They want us to unlearn workaholism by learning “noble leisure” of the past and developing a quality rest ethic. Source: Fast Company, June 19, 2020. Link. Aristotle said rest is not just relaxation. He warned relaxation is often … [Read more...]
Posture, movement, variety matter working from home
Before you buy the new office chair, desk or start remodeling, consider what Arianne Cohen shares about managing your office responsibilities from home. Source: Fast Company, March 23, 2020. Link. Cue the stabbing back pain and weird neck spasms. . . . the same desk habits that suited you at the office will not work at home, where you move much less. Also see: How working … [Read more...]
Tips that make working from home awesome
Doug Aamoth has been working from home nearly 20 years. He offers some tips to improve the experience. If you’re being forced to work remotely amid the coronavirus pandemic, take heart: You might find that you love it.” – Doug Aamoth Source: Fast Company, March 17, 2020. Link. One of the best things about not being in an office all day is that if you’ve set yourself up … [Read more...]
Recycling is broken
Waste is an enormous problem. But, recycling is the wrong solution, writes Don Norman. The real culprit in the story of recycling is failure to identify the core, underlying problem. Recycling is the symptom, he says. The underlying problem is the design and manufacturing of so much stuff that must be discarded. Recycling is a poor attempt to solve this problem. Source: Fast … [Read more...]
Needle technology advancing quickly
Alternatives to traditional hypodermic needles are improving rapidly, says Mark Wilson. He shares some of the advancements being developed for the human marketplace. These will interest some animal health pros. Now if the world of science could just do something about people’s irrational fear of vaccines, we’d really have something.” – Mark Wilson Source: Fast Company, … [Read more...]
Super Bowl Ads: 5 best, 5 worst
How ‘bout those C H I E F S! It has been a wild week in the KC Animal Health Corridor. Even veterinarians were celebrated in the Super Bowl ad from WeatherTech <link>. Jeff Beer says the $6 million to run a Super Bowl ad thanking the veterinarians that saved Scout, WeatherTech’s CEO’s dog, is either genius or a waste. Source: Fast Company, February 2, 2020. Link. The … [Read more...]
The best way to make a new habit stick
We’re three weeks into 2020. Holiday memories are quickly fading, replaced by all the stuff of the new year, including resolutions to make changes. Doug Moore and Spender Greenberg researched making these well-intentioned habits stick and developed a Daily Ritual Tool < link > to help. Out of 23 techniques designed to support a behavior change, one method outperformed the … [Read more...]
What 20 years of work can do to your body (includes slide show)
A lifelike, full-size model named Emma demonstrate ailments that show the dark side of where we’re headed if work comforts continue to go unchecked. While aimed at computer use and seating, its no secret that smartphone use puts a strain on our stature, as does poor driving posture. Source: Fast Company, January 6, 2020. Link. Unless we make radical changes to our working … [Read more...]
Train your brain to perform better under pressure
When we’re under pressure, there are predictable consequences, shares Art Markman: The tendency to focus on all the things that could go wrong, ignoring the positive Our desire to perform at a high level limits the amount of information you can hold in mind at one time, which can limit the complexity of what you can accomplish mentally. Source: Fast Company, December … [Read more...]
5 trick interview questions, be prepared
Experienced recruiters use questions like the ones below to trick you into divulging details you hadn’t planned on sharing during interviews. Prepare to answer these five questions in the context of what the employer is seeking to learn during the interview: Tell me about yourself. Translation: Why are you a good fit? What do you know about us? Translation: Are you … [Read more...]
The advice half of working women need to hear
Ursula Mead’s company, InHerSight, recently polled website users about whether they had ever negotiated their salary < link >. Almost half of the 1,041 respondents said no. Self-advocacy is difficult for many people, but for women in the workplace, it’s particularly complicated. That’s why more women need support from their peers. Source: Fast Company, October 4, 2019. … [Read more...]
Hate distractions? Good. Your perception of reality is at stake
If you’re trying to pay attention to multiple things, you’re not going to be as good at it versus if it were one at a time. It’s not just being slowed down . . . it might affect what you’re perceiving in the moment.” We are constantly inundated with push notices, texts, flashing signs, banners or the next tab. All this distraction may come at a massive cost. It’s not only to … [Read more...]
From “suits” to Luddites – the demise of office attire
Most any attire goes in some offices. This author attributes this to the rise of young founders commandeering successful tech companies, an increase in both remote work and flexible hours and the freelance economy. A recent study found that nearly half of managers said they were concerned employees dressed too casually, while 32% of supervisors named “too much skin” as one of … [Read more...]
National park data helps determine best times to visit
Some animal health pros may make plans to cross national park locations off their bucket lists of places to visit before year-end. Jordan Vincent’s new infographic uses visitor data from 54 national parks between 2013 and 2019 to show the peak visiting times for people using different types of lodging < link >. Source: Fast Company, August 12, 2019. Link. One way to … [Read more...]