Guiding principles are important to those who work at Microsoft or Nike because they communicate pride and enthusiasm. Employees know their companies represent excellence, the best companies in their industry. Finding meaning, spirit, and the soul of the workplace is not pure altruism. It’s largely a reaction to toxic workplaces, lack of job security, and the …
Understand the culture of the new company (with which you are joining or negotiating) and its standards of what is reasonable. James Nunan, Business person I spend a lot of time talking about ‘getting it.’ ‘Getting it’ often means understanding your organization’s or customer’s culture and work rules. I’m an engineer, who often simply …
Meaningful work emerges from the relationship you have with the work you do. If you go to work just to make money, chances are that you will reach saturation point relatively quickly and then you will need to find other rewards from the work you do. Meaningful work is a mutual benefit to you and …
Principles: A basic truth, law, or assumption; a basic source. American Heritage Dictionary Work should be meaningful for us. Many of my friends want to work on sustainability and green issues. Only a few years ago, I would have said that a lot of companies had principles that were mainly motherhoods and meaningless slogans. …
Knowing what value you add to your employer or customer is probably the most important thing you can know about your work and career. In an operational sense, adding value means having the appropriate abilities and aptitude to develop and deliver cost-effective products or services. But, the value-added concept also includes principles, values, and attitudes.
‘Touchy and feely’ are in as companies promote inspiration and creativity. Companies can’t cut employees anymore since many cut to the bone. Many people feel cynical, dispirited and demoralized. What can be done? Why not have Chicken Soup consultants read uplifting stories about people overcoming adversity in life and at work. One story explains how …
The problem is that work is consuming more time. Family, social, and community activities eventually suffer. The ‘work until you drop’ mentality has lost much of its allure. A balanced life, especially to those of us who must juggle career and family has become a status symbol. More Brand U’s are hearing the refrain, ‘get …
Companies are simultaneously transforming and want to be ‘family friendly.’ These two trends sometimes seem incompatible. Each year, more companies are competing to be a poster company for Working Mother Magazine’s ‘Best Companies for Working Mothers.’ Brand U’s want more flexibility to balance work and family. However, companies want the banner that lists them in …
Technology is also blurring the lines among work, family, and leisure. Work and technology are portable, transparent, and mixable. And as more of us see technology as fun, Brand U’s are using it to improve their lives both at work and at home. But, work and life seem to be a zero-sum game – if …
Practice what you preach. Plautus, Roman Playwright