Hot Topic Friday: Black Friday Edition

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Happy Black Friday! Here are my Nov. 29 Hot Topics and how they relate to advancing culture or leadership.

Hot Topic 1: Gratitude Leads to Happiness 

Source: Harvard Medical School. 

What It’s About: Today is Black Friday, and it’s mostly about great retail deals for consumers. However the entire weekend in the U.S. revolves around giving thanks. And it is always helpful to remind ourselves that gratitude contributes to our personal happiness and well-being. According to the Harvard Medical School, positive psychology research confirms that gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Being grateful also helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.

[Ed. Note: Please see this much newer, and comprehensive article from OutwitTrade.com on gratitude that is backed by a ton of time and research.]

Why It’s Important: Being grateful at work is a huge contributor to our overall sense of well-being. The easiest way to do this is by thanking others in genuine ways. At a previous organization, we did the research and found a positive correlation between our highest regarded leaders and the amount of recognition given. So if you want to be happier at work, and a better leader, give more recognition. Happy Thanksgiving! 

One Millennial Response: Unfortunately, many people sat at the Thanksgiving table this year, happy to have a day away the bosses that struggle to give any gratitude at all. Fortunately, there are a whole lot of leaders who received thanks from grateful employees who do receive deserved recognition, and as this information spreads, maybe next year there will be even more.

Hot Topic 2: Self-Compassion, Kindness and Well-Being 

Source: self-compassion.org, Dr. Kristin Neff. 

What It’s About: Kristin Neff is renowned for her research and writing on self-compassion. Her extensive work notes the following: “People who are compassionate to themselves are much less likely to be depressed, anxious, and stressed, and are much more likely to be happy, resilient, and optimistic about their future. In short, they have better mental health… The power of self-compassion is not just an idea – it’s very real and actually manifests in our bodies.”

Why It’s Important: We hear a lot about recognizing and appreciating others and sometimes forget about ourselves. The first Hot Topic article is an example. Dr. Neff encourages us to treat ourselves with kindness, a sense of common humanity, and mindfulness when considering our perceived inadequacies. She states: “I like to call it ‘self-appreciation.’ When we can enjoy what’s good about ourselves, acknowledging that all people have strengths as well as weaknesses, we allow ourselves to revel in our goodness without evoking feelings of arrogance or overconfidence… We don’t have to speak this praise aloud, making ourselves and others uncomfortable in the process. But we can quietly give ourselves the inner acknowledgement we deserve.” So this Thanksgiving season, let’s generously apply kindness to ourselves personally. You and I are worth it and self-compassion is every bit as important as appreciating and being compassionate towards others.

One Millennial Response: Let’s just keep with the Thanksgiving theme. While it would be quite pretentious to thank yourself outloud for the dish you brought to the holiday feast, if you notice it was well-received and devoured, then a pat on your own back is deserved. Apply the same thought process to your accomplishments at work.

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And finally! Here’s Cecil’s Bleat of the Week!

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“When you prohibit failure, you kill innovation.” - Dan Pallotta

Bye for now!

— Lorne Rubis

Incase you Missed It:

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