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Most Creative in the Workplace
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Being a nurse
can be fun! A group of very talented singers who are all Certified Registered Nurse Anaesthetists in
Minnesota can really sing! The Laryngospasms create and perform medical parodies for audiences throughout the
U.S. Since the group’s inception at a 1991 Christmas party, they have recorded three albums, three videos,
and has been featured in numerous publication, radio and TV shows.
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At Work Silence is Still Golden
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Do you know people at work who sit snuggly at their computer and listens to the radio all day long? They
might perk up from time to time to giddily remark, “I love this song.” They are the ones who gasp
dramatically and say they would die if they couldn’t listen to music at work as if it’s supplying the oxygen
to their cubicle. I am not one of those people.
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YW Profile: Steam Whistle Brewing
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Steam Whistle Brewing is nearing a decade in business but still enjoys the same family atmosphere from its
early days thanks to very deliberate decisions by brewery co-founders, Cam Heaps and Greg Taylor.
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Apology Accepted
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Despite what you might think, it might
actually be better to apologize for that mistake you made in the business report, or the wrong way in which
you handled a project. Contrary to the belief that leaders who apologize are seen as weak or incompetent, a
study out of the Queen’s University School of Business in Kingston, Ont. found quite the opposite. Victims of
mistakes made by leaders who apologized consistently perceived them to be more “transformational”, i.e.,
ethical, influential, trustworthy, caring and considerate.
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Harmony at Work
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Some of the latest books of 2009 cover a wide range of topics. But all point to the importance of
listening to our human side to be successful in the workplace. These books cover topics from great leaders to
detrimental, bad behaviour at work, creating a harmony between earth and economy and listening to your
intuition in an uncertain world.
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People Power
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Employing good TALENT is a company’s best line of
defense against the competition, a recent survey of chief financial officers (CFOs) suggests. Nearly
two-thirds of executives interviewed said that having solid leadership and hiring outstanding talent are the
best ways to protect against threats from rival firms. State-of-the-art technology is also viewed as a
significant advantage, cited by 12% of respondents.
The survey was developed by Robert Half Finance & Accounting, a financial recruitment service. It was
conducted by an independent research firm and was based on interviews with more than 270 CFOs across
Canada.
Strong leadership is important in any economy, but it is even more essential for companies during challenging
economic times. “Firms must maintain high service levels and be able to capitalize on new business
opportunities, which requires talented staff,” says Kathryn Bolt, President for Robert Half International’s
Canadian operations.
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Email – “the killer app”
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E-mail has become the substitute for creating and
maintaining interpersonal relationships. We’ve become lazy. How many of you have sent an e-mail to someone
sitting next door to you or a few steps away within the past hour?
A recent study by Pew Internet & American Life Project, Washington, D.C. claims that more than 60% of
employers rate high-school graduates’ skills in basic English as fair or poor. This poor use of the English
language is smattered throughout e-mails–a prevalent way for workers to communicate. The study cites that,
“E-mail continues to be the ‘killer app’ of the internet. More people use e-mail than do any other activity
online.”
When choosing e-mail as your communication medium, the success of your message will depend on the following
components.
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Your Workplace Conference 2009 Review
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Paul Houle’s dynamic and energizing session gave a unique perspective on how we can create a culture of
inclusion in our workplace and realize extraordinary outcomes. He is a charismatic performer, entrepreneur,
keynote speaker and facilitator.
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You're Fired!
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You have recently been dismissed from your job. You are still getting over the shock. Before you start
your search for a new job, or a new career, you’ll want to know whether you were treated properly and
lawfully by your ex-employer. The questions and answers that follow assume that you were working in a
non-union job.
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Your Workplace Conference 2009 Review
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Dr. Peter Senge, a world renowned strategist on organizational change and leadership, spoke about the
changes in the world economy challenging businesses directly, and the reflexive response that is all too
often a hyper-focus on the bottom line. Companies that recognize the power of mobilizing their people’s
aspiration, creativity and talent, and have the know-how to do so effectively, hold an important advantage.
They are more likely to thrive in harmony with the constantly changing environment.
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Peter Jensen
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Peter Jensen, founder of Performance Coaching Inc. and instructor at Queen’s School of Business in
Kingston, Ontario met with Your Workplace to discuss his new book, Igniting the Third
Factor. Jensen has worked with Fortune 500 companies in eight countries, teaching top executives to
become leaders who inspire others to reach their full potential. Jensen encourages managers to use
developmental bias—the desire to help themselves and others excel—for personal and professional growth while
building enthusiasm and commitment in their workers to reach their personal best. Jensen’s approach to
leadership is informed by his experience as a coach for six of Canada’s Olympic teams.
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Living Well in Canada
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It's one of the things we give consideration before we take that job in another province, before we leave our
small town for the big city, before we trade in security for the great unknown. We have to ask ourselves, am
I moving somewhere better? Everyone wants to live where the environment is clean, where health care is
comprehensive and responsive, and where jobs are plentiful. So, YW went on a fact-finding mission to compare
our provinces and territories, using Health Indicators 2008, compiled by Statistics Canada and The Canadian
Institute for Health Information, and National Health Expenditure Trends 1975-2008, published by the Canadian
Institute for Health Information.
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Your Workplace Conference 2009 Review
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We spend more waking hours
at work than we do anywhere else. Increased stress and mental health, motivation concerns, more effective
communication, the demands created by technology, managing people, positive organizational culture and
leadership are all important issues that need to be considered in today’s world of work. Imagine, though,
working at a place where you and everyone around you enjoys going to work, a place where you make a
meaningful contribution and are valued and recognized, the team is productive and energized, learning is
valued, management cares for employees, and relationships are positive. Sound great?
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Keep Calm and Carry On
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In 1939, with war inevitable, the British government commissioned a series of morale-boosting posters. One
included the slogan: Keep Calm and Carry On.
Now a British company has reprinted the slogan on posters, t-shirts, etc., to match the tone for our
challenging times. And the slogan is resonating globally.
Yes, Keep Calm and Carry On.
It says it all, really.
We see events that are outside our control. We can’t change the big things. But we can change our own lives
and not buy into the big chill. Why worry? It will all work out. Every recession comes to an end. We know
that. So rather than buying into this doom and gloom, how about reflecting on the positives in our lives?
Most of us have our health. Most have jobs. We all have friends, family. The important things haven’t
changed. We have roofs over our heads. We are not starving. We live in a marvelous country. If you’re in
doubt, compare our lot with those living in Africa and the Middle East.
Compared to many, we drink safe water, eat safe food. We have freedom of expression. Tolerance.
Diversity.
And we are all in this together. We will all come out of this together. In the meantime, you can remain
optimistic about the future. Sure, it may get rough. But we can all live our lives.
How about remaining optimistic through the following:
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Environics Communications Inc.
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At Environics Communications, Inc. (ECI), the company credo is kindness. Staff at this award-winning
public relations and public affairs agency base their success on treating each other and their clients with
respect and goodwill.
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Back After Baby: Return-to-work Rights for Moms
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In my practice as a lawyer, I have seen a number of recent cases where a woman planning to return to her
job after taking maternity leave, is informed by her employer that her job no longer exists and that her
employment must therefore be terminated. What many women do not realize is that they have a legal right to be
reinstated back into their jobs when they return from maternity leave.
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Brave Cool World
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Doodle for your
Noodle
The worker who doodles during your presentations may remember more than you think. According to an
article published in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology, doodling while listening has been shown to
improve memory. In a study conducted by the Medical Research Council’s Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in
Cambridge, test subjects asked to doodle while listening to a boring phone message experienced an improvement
in recall by 29% compared to the non-doodling control group. According to Jackie Andrade, Ph.D., one of the
study’s researchers, doodling is a simple task that prevents daydreaming, a behaviour that does interfere
with the memory process.
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Toll Free: 1-877-668-1945