Want to return from vacation sharper and more energized?  It’s not just about the downtime — recharge by learning something new.

Enter the Skill-cation: a getaway built around learning a skill, mastering a challenge, or diving into a creative pursuit. Research shows these kinds of vacations don’t just refresh your body — they reset your mind.

Here’s why skill-cations are gaining serious momentum:
​

• They break the burnout loop: Learning something new forces your brain to shift focus, helping you escape work stress and mental fatigue.
• They make rest more rewarding: Physical and mental effort during a skill-cation leads to deeper sleep and a stronger sense of relaxation.
• They boost confidence: You return home with a new skill — and a renewed sense of accomplishment that fuels motivation long after the trip ends.
• They redefine leisure: Experts say “productive leisure” (like learning, painting, hiking, or volunteering) delivers longer-lasting satisfaction than passive downtime.

Want to feel sharper, more fulfilled, and ready to tackle life when you return? Take a skill-cation — and come back better than ever.

​Loneliness at work isn’t just a wellness issue. It’s a business threat — and it’s costing companies up to $300 billion a year!

On a national survey of 2,000 employed Americans, Inc.com uncovered some startling statistics:

• 1 in 4 workers say they have no friends at work.
• 64% feel lonely on the job.
• 46% wish they could be closer to their coworkers — and among Gen Z, that number jumps to 60%.

But here’s what really matters to employers:

• 63% say friendships at work strongly influence whether they stay with their employer.
• 71% would turn down a higher-paying job if the company culture felt cold or isolating.

This isn’t just about feelings. It’s about retention, productivity, and the health of
your workforce.
​
What Can Employers Do?
Here are 3 strategies companies are using to fight back:
​

1. Measure It: Use tools like the Work Loneliness Scale to identify disconnected employees before it affects performance.
2. Build Real Culture: Host team-building events, encourage casual conversations, and create space for authentic connection.
3. Lead with Empathy: Train managers to check in regularly, assign peer mentors, and help isolated employees feel supported.

Loneliness is no longer a silent struggle. It’s a loud signal that your culture needs
attention — and the smartest companies are already listening!

Have you felt lonely at work, and if so, what effect did it have on you? What do
you think could be done to improve your situation? To join the conversation, click on "Comments" below.

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Learning of 2022.

​Kindness isn’t just a feel - good option. It’s a strategic advantage. According to the Harvard Business Review, when leaders treat kindness as a daily responsibility — not a personality trait — teams perform better, trust faster, and stay longer.

 
Here’s how to make kindness concrete:

1. Make Kindness a Job Requirement: Don’t leave it to chance. Build kindness into leadership expectations, onboarding, and team rituals. It should show up in how meetings are run, how feedback is given, and how decisions are made.
2. Spell Out What Kindness Looks Like: Vague intentions don’t change behavior. Define specific actions — like listening without interrupting, sharing credit, or checking in after tough conversations. Make it observable and coachable.
3. Track It Like You Mean It: If you measure engagement, performance, and retention, measure kindness too. Use pulse surveys, peer feedback, and manager reviews to surface patterns and blind spots.
4. Celebrate It Loudly and Often: Kindness thrives when it’s seen and rewarded. Highlight it in team huddles, shout-outs, and performance reviews. Make it part of your culture’s daily language.

 
Do you consider yourself actively kind in the workplace? Can you offer an example? What effect did it have on you? To join the conversation, click on "comments" below.
 
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When leaders become the go-to fixer, they break something bigger: Team trust, ownership, and momentum...

Being supportive is great — but trying to fix everything yourself? That’s a fast track to burnout. When you jump in to solve your team’s problems, you end up clogging decision-making, taking ownership away from your team, and wearing yourself out.

But there’s a better way. Leaders who involve their teams in solving problems together build stronger, more engaged teams — and they don’t have to carry the whole load alone.

In the Harvard Business Review, Elizabeth Lotardo, a leadership coach and author, suggests five simple questions leaders can ask to stay supportive without becoming the go-to fixer:

1. What have you tried?  
   This encourages team members to take the first step before asking for help. After a while, your team will come to anticipate this question.
2. What’s getting in your way?  
   Helps identify blockers and patterns that might need attention. Perhaps you, as leader, can remove the obstacle without taking ownership of the entire problem.
3. What support do you need?
   Do not add “from me.”  Support can come from another leader, a teammate, an adjacent department, or an outside source.
4. What would you do if you were in my place?
   When you solve every problem your team often does not see the effort involved. Asking this question prompts employees to take some responsibility. 
5. What’s your next step?
   Keeps momentum going and reinforces ownership.

These questions aren’t just conversation starters — they’re tools to build confidence, clarity, and collaboration.

Are you a reflexive problem-solver, and how can you see the value in giving people the space to work things out themselves? To join the conversation, click "comments" below.

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Have you ever noticed that some connections just click — no effort, no awkwardness, just instant ease? Here's how to make that happen more often...

When we meet someone and feel an instant connection, we often attribute it to
our similarities. But according to behavioral scientists, Dr. Maya Rossignac-
Milon and Dr. Erica Boothby, research shows that many of the strongest bonds come less from existing similarity and more from riffing playfully. In these moments, people create a little world that belongs just to them, a process we call “building a shared reality.”

Collaborative riffs are surprisingly central to our mental well-being, say the
authors. They’re the glue that binds us, adds pizazz to our lives and gives us a
sense of feeling understood. Sadly, our culture’s conversational rituals revolve
not around playful co-creation but around exchanging formalities. For example,
the small talk classic: “How was your weekend?” mandates you reply succinctly
and volley the question back. The conversation proceeds predictably, and
although both parties walk away with some trivial information, they remain worlds apart.

Although we think having such conversations is playing it safe, they result in
disconnection. Instead, if these people strayed from the script and riffed off each other, they might begin to feel that buzz of being in sync. “How was your
weekend?” “Good, but I spent way too much time watching parakeets dancing on TikTok.” “Whoa, like … in rhythm?” “Yes! This one guy was the Fred Astaire of
parakeets.”

The authors’ research shows that this sort of riffing pays off. But don’t worry,
riffing doesn’t require being naturally witty. It just means embracing spontaneity and, like any conversational skill, it takes practice.

Can you recall an initial conversation that sparked a deep friendship? What effect did it have on you? To join the conversation, click on "comments" below.

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Hybrid work isn’t just a location shift — it’s a mindset shift. The most successful leaders are the ones who set clear expectations, build connection intentionally, and make communication a daily habit.

Hybrid work is becoming more and more of a norm. And the old playbook of managing employees may not work anymore. The Harvard Business Review offers a series of tips to address the new paradigm.

1. Start with the facts, not feelings: Check the numbers: Are meetings dragging on? Are emails piling up unanswered? Let the data show you what’s really happening.
2. Set rules everyone can live by: Decide when people need to be “on” and what counts as urgent — then stick to it so no one’s guessing!
3. Rethink what “good performance” means: It’s not just about output. Reward quick responses, teamwork, and helping others grow.
4. Make the path to promotion crystal clear: Use 360‑degree feedback to spot leadership potential and show people how to get there.
5. Create “all‑in” days: Pick regular days when everyone’s in the office together to build energy and connection.
6. Build relationships on purpose: Onboard in groups, match people with mentors, and make introductions across teams.
7. Treat communication like a core job: Managers should actively connect people, share updates, and keep the information flowing.

Are you working in hybrid mode, and what tips can you offer? To join the conversation, click on "comments" below.

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Curious why some leaders inspire loyalty while others struggle to connect? Discover the subtle power that turns teams into communities — and why your next conversation could change everything!
 
In January 2025, Gallup found employee engagement hit its lowest point in a decade. One data point says only 39% of employees strongly agreed that someone at work cares for them as a person. And findings from the human capital management firm Workhuman show 30% feel “invisible.” Feeling unnoticed is antithetical to engagement and satisfaction at work. 
 
Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Zach Mercurio, author of The Power of Mattering, offers advice for leaders who need to be better noticers:

• Rushing is a barrier to seeing others. Slow down. Noticing others takes time, but when leaders always hurry, it becomes too easy to cancel a one-on-one meeting, forget to check in on an employee who’s struggling, or connect  with a team member.
• Check in…in person: Make space for discussing how people are doing, not just what they are doing, in your real-time interactions.
• Leverage in-between moments: Connections are built incrementally. Use the few minutes before a virtual meeting starts, time on the elevator, or the couple of seconds after wrapping up a phone call.
• Observe, remember, repeat: When you learn something significant about an employee, jot it down to help your recall. They’ll feel seen when you bring it up in conversation, and you’ll develop a productive habit. 

Do you feel noticed at work, and do you make an effort to make those around you feel acknowledged? To join the conversation, click on "comments" below.
 
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