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🧠I’ve Been Thinking…
…how I wish every adult would read the book “The Body Keeps Score” by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk. It was originally published in 2014 and is mind blowing. Warning: it is very hard to hear the stories of the patients whose trauma he showcases. But, it is so worth the read for anyone who wants to better understand trauma and how minds and bodies are impacted by traumatic events.
🚀 Stories to Help You Drive Change
SPECIAL NOTE: If you hit a paywall on any of the stories I share, go to Google Search, enter the name of the publication and something about the story (author, title, subject) to get a natural search link that usually by-passes the pay wall.
- Coming in hot—May 29, 3 PM (ET): a free, one-hour webinar, hosted by the Center for Compassionate Leadership, designed for people who want to put compassion in their work culture. Learn more and register here. Don’t wait, May 29 is next Wednesday!
- How do we help combat loneliness? I’ve heard several great examples lately of organizations recognizing and attempting to remedy the rise of loneliness. Here’s one example: Mark Scattene told me how his gym assigns members to a small squad and encourages them to achieve goals as a team. Getting to know each other leads to activities outside the gym, like grabbing burgers together. This is especially helpful for people new to living in NYC. I’ve heard many people are going into the office only to find no one else there because the rest of their team works far away. If you see them, invite them to hang with your office mates. Be the one to make the bold move—it can go a long way…
- …yet making the bold move can make you feel a bit vulnerable. That’s okay, we’re finding sharing your vulnerability with confidence is a strength. Check out this story about a software company leader whose employees are extremely loyal to her because she is very real with them.
- How is your company balancing at work/remote/hybrid decisions? One complaint I hear often is how hard it is to build culture while working remotely. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution because businesses vary so much. This article from Inc. shares POVs on how to determine if job candidates are a fit for remote work and keep everyone productive.
- On the culture question, my team has evolved something we call Zoomraderie. It’s time we set aside weekly to meet virtually on Zoom or Kumospace. The activities vary week to week. Sometimes it’s a trivia contest, often there’s a quiz to guess who is who based on how our avatars show up to answer certain questions. We get to know each other as individuals, have fun, and build our trust along the way.
🦉 You Never Know…
We have a lot of mental illness in our country in part because we have millions of people suffering from trauma. Here’s a sampling of trauma statistics:
- 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime; and about 3% of American men have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. (Source: Rainn.org)
- More than 600,000 children in the U.S. are victims of abuse and neglect each year. (Source: National Children’s Alliance)
- 6.8% of American adults have had PTSD in their lifetime. (Source: National Institute of Mental Health)
When we talk about creating compassionate work cultures, a key ingredient is raising our own sensitivity. We need to be cognizant of what others may be dealing with and make it easier for them to get the help they need.
Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Charity Navigator 🌟
Ever wonder if a charity is making the best use of their resources? Or have you been asked to donate to a not-for-profit you’ve never heard of? You want to make sure your support is going to the right place. Charity Navigator helps you find reputable charities you’re passionate about. Let’s give them a hand and support them, too: Charity Navigator.
Noteworthy đź–‹
Water Tech Corp
I’ve long admired my digital agency’s client, Water Tech Corporation, category-creator for cordless robotic and handheld pool cleaners. With summer upon us, I wanted to shout out their dedication to producing the safest pool cleaners available anywhere. With US-based manufacturing and customer service, top ratings, and relentless attention to detail, if I had a pool, theirs are the only pool cleaners I’d consider to keep my pool clean and refreshing.
🎵 On a Personal Note
- I absolutely love how younger people are bringing about change that previous generations couldn’t pull off, though of course many of us tried. This piece talks about climate change. What can you do, regardless of your role in your organization, to challenge practices that are outdated and not serving the collective good?
⏳Until Next Time…
Enjoy the long weekend. Please pause on Monday to remember the people we are honoring on Memorial Day and those grieving for them. Let’s make this a great summer by staying strong, staying focused, and bringing our best selves to everything we do.
Niki