Hi,

It’s not you. It’s very challenging to be a human right now, even harder to be a consciously good one, and harder still to lead others with compassion when you are on overload. With that as our backdrop, let’s try to lighten your load with a few stories to expand your perspectives and help you recharge. Grab a cup of whatever makes you happy, and let’s go:

• What are your key character strengths and are you aware of strategies for best leveraging them? This from Laurie Santos gives you a few insights and two ways to explore further: one is old school and quick, the other is a digital assessment that goes deeper. I’m team surface level for this one, but hey, that’s just me, you do you.
• Chief conducted a study on how, where, and why women in business network. Interesting segment insights include, for example, women of color tend to be very satisfied with their networking while those who identify as other than heterosexual are 2x as likely to say they are dissatisfied with their ability to build network connections as heterosexual women. There’s a lot to tease out in this study, and I’m sharing because it may be helpful to you to see some of the challenges—and opportunities—women are facing when they network for success.
• Etiquette classes for the workplace? Yep. According to Entrepreneur, businesses are providing soft skills training (think boundaries, email protocols, etc.) especially for those newer to the workplace. Comments to this post are interesting POVs too.
• Are you leveraging the value of older workers? This international research from Bain & Company suggests strengths and options for keeping older talent working for you. (Thanks to Lynne Goldman for sharing.)
• Do you use the shortcuts app on your phone or tablet? There are multiple time-saving mini apps there to save you time, with everything from ordering a coffee at your nearest Starbucks to letting someone know you’re running late to creating a meme quickly. Check the app store for your device and prepare to be wowed at the productivity hacks that await you.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 ASPCA 🌟

We’ve all seen their heart-string-pulling commercials. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA®) was the first humane society in North America. They’ve earned themselves a strong, caring name. Learn how you can help here: ASPCA

That’s it for this week. Stay strong, stay focused, and stay human despite the challenges. You’ve got this!

Niki