“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” -Paul McCartney

If the commonly held belief that we get what we give holds true, there are an abundance of reasons to give of ourselves to our communities. However, a recent article in The Huffington Post reveals that volunteer rates have currently hit an all-time low in the U.S. The Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that 2013 saw the lowest percentage of people volunteering since 2002, the year in which the Bureau began tracking such information. Statistics have not yet been published for 2014.

Now is the perfect time to begin a tradition of compassion and service. Although there has been a decrease in the amount of people who volunteer, there is not likely a correlated decrease in the needs of others who would benefit from such help. As individuals, volunteer service provides social (and some studies have suggested health) benefits to those who give their time and skills to help better their communities. 

As we approach the holiday season and the new year, perhaps we can all aim to find new ways to pay it forward. As individuals and as workplaces, we could affect real change in the lives of others and ourselves if we each make a commitment to give back. 

Will you be engaging in volunteer service in the new year?

Do you believe in giving back? If so, how?

Adopting an Attitude of Gratitude

During the holiday season, many of us find ourselves focusing on the idea of gratitude. However, many experts have found that cultivating an attitude of gratitude all year is much more beneficial in the long run.  Said quite simply, “Gratitude is the best attitude!”

According to psychologist and social scientist Dr. Robert Emmons, people who make gratitude a part of their daily lives report physical, social, and psychological benefits, including stronger immune systems; better sleep; lower blood pressure; higher levels of positive emotions; and being more helpful, generous, and compassionate.

Emmons believes that frequently focusing on what we are grateful for keeps us in touch with the good aspects of our lives, leading us to more positivity and resilience even in times of difficulty. Additionally, gratitude helps us to celebrate the present and helps positive emotions last longer.

The University of Pennsylvania has developed a gratitude survey that quantifies a person’s capabilities to experience gratitude. Whether journaling or meditating about gratitude, or just keeping it at the forefront of our minds, being grateful adds benefits to our everyday existence.

What can you do to adopt an attitude of gratitude?

What are you thankful for? 

How can you express your gratitude so that you can pay forward the benefits you have received?

Do We "Like" to Communicate Honestly?

At CEC Associates, we focus much of our efforts on human ways to make the new technologies work, which often involves examining the ways in which these new technologies don’t work. A recent article in CounselingToday by Jennifer L. Cline explores the ways that Facebook actually disconnects us socially, despite its self-proclaimed mission statement to “give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.”

In her efforts to understand the “plugged in” generation, Cline met with 55 college students, a demographic which makes up the bulk of Facebook’s users.  Through her conversations, she learned that the students preferred open, face-to-face communication experiences.  However, the students also noted that they felt pressured by the spontaneity associated with embodied conversation and felt socially vulnerable when engaging with someone face-to-face.  Using social media is a convenient way to bypass these everyday challenges while still having their interpersonal needs met.  Cline noted that some of the subjects would use social media to “appear occupied” and unavailable for live conversation.  Additionally, even though the majority of members of the group claimed that they preferred live, open dialogue, many people admitted that they would still use social media to resolve conflict, even if the other person was in the same room as them.

It is no surprise that many of the students interviewed acknowledged that they wished they were more adept at relating to others face to face.  The reluctance to engage in open, authentic communication seems to drive people to rely on using social media instead, which in turn causes them to feel less able to converse using face-to-face conversation.  This cycle impacts our ability to truly understand each other on a daily basis.

How do you use Facebook to communicate?

Do you feel that you use Facebook to communicate effectively or does it provide a roadblock for authentic communication?

How can we communicate better with each other while remaining in touch with social media?

The Value of Distraction

It is well known that the success of any business is contingent upon employee production. The amount of focus and attention employees “put in” to work assignments directly affect the quality of and the efficiency in which work products are “put out” from the business. In light of this, the question every employer might ask is, “How can I maximize production from my employees?”

A recent study led by University of Illinois psychology professor Alejandro Lleras suggests that increasing attention and focus is not merely a matter of simply trying harder or not allowing oneself to become distracted. Instead, his team found that the ability to focus is not a voluntary action but a biological mechanism. Over time, the brain begins to associate the constancy of any single task with that task becoming unimportant and consequently, erases it from awareness. When this happens, it is not that you stop paying attention; it is that you start paying attention to something else, according to Lleras.

So how can you counter a phenomenon that is ingrained in your natural, biological makeup? The answer: Distract yourself. Lleras’ research reveals that "even brief diversions from a task can dramatically improve one's ability to focus on that task for prolonged periods."

What do you do to stay on task?

How do you handle interruptions?

Can you find value in "created distractions?"

Good News for the Humanities

Choosing a college major is an important decision for any student. The selection of a college major dictates not only what a student will study for at least four years, but will also affect future levels of income and potentially future job satisfaction. Students interested in the humanities have long been faced with the decision of choosing between majors that will land them a good job (i.e., finance) or feed their intrinsic passion (English, philosophy, and history are the top three choices). Until recently, the two paths have been considered mutually exclusive. Many humanities graduates can recall being asked the question, “What do you do with a degree in…?”

A recent article in The Huffington Post calls this dichotomy into question. Research from the American Association of Colleges and Universities suggests instead that over the course of a lifetime, graduates with degrees in the humanities earn similar amounts of money compared to students with pre-professional degrees. Furthermore, it has been shown that there is fulfillment in focusing your career on what you are passionate about. Students are more motivated to learn what they enjoy and excel in. If a course of study is not enjoyed, it becomes tedious or frustrating and may lead students to take extra time completing a degree, which is an expensive prospect these days.

Many people point out that graduating humanities students lack skills needed to enter the workforce, but these so-called missing skills are commonly taught on the job. However, the critical thinking skills most humanities majors hone in college are invaluable. Moreover, when you are able to become immersed in what you do every day, it ceases to be just a “job” that you do from 9 to 5 and ventures into the idea of a career and perhaps a calling, allowing for a much greater sense of personal fulfillment and greater job satisfaction over the course of your life.

At CEC Associates, we meet many people who have yet to find their niche in the world of work. Please see our Career Assessment page for assistance on finding your calling.   

How Did We Get So Busy?

People work in order to earn enough money to buy what they need (food, shelter, and clothing).  But what is left over is disposable, to be used to pursue and purchase one's individual interests.  Of course, this disposable aspect of income and its importance varies dramatically from country to country.

Americans lead all nations in the percentage of disposable income.  While countries like England, France, and Italy put in as many regular work hours as those in the U.S. do, Europeans do not work as many hours for discretionary income as Americans choose to.  Instead of quitting while they are ahead, Americans find new things to need. 

Most types of material consumption (i.e., anything beyond subsistence) are strongly habit-forming.  That is, the consumer grows accustomed to what he has purchased, and is ready to continue buying.  For example, the more technological pieces we buy, the more we need, etc. 

Joseph Stiglitz, of Columbia University, argues that people’s choices are molded by society and become self-reinforcing over time.  We “learn how to consume by consuming,” he wrote, and how to “enjoy leisure by enjoying leisure.”

The average employed American now works roughly 140 hours more per year than the average Englishman and 300 hours more than the average Frenchman.  Current French law mandates that workers get 30 paid vacation days per year; British law enforces 28; and the U.S. requires zero paid vacation days for their workers.  As a result, Europeans are predicted to reduce their work hours and become more skilled at taking time off for leisure, while Americans, who have become master consumers, will continue to work long hours to buy more things.

This brief summary comes from a recent article, “No Time,” by Elizabeth Kolbert, which appeared in The New Yorker of May 26, 2014. Her article offers a new way to look at what American workers do with their earnings.

How do you side on the question of more free time for the important things of life versus more income for non-essentials? Are the French happier than Americans because they are not as addicted to material goods as we are?

Circles of Safety

As most of our readers are undoubtedly aware, strong leadership in any business is essential for the company to thrive and evolve. What is often less discussed, however, is what makes an effective leader. How do strong leaders think, act, and communicate?

Simon Sinek, author of Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, believes that one leads by implementing a sense of trust, cooperation, and perhaps most importantly, care. Using the example of U.S. Army Captain William D. Swenson, whose column was ambushed in Afghanistan in 2009, Sinek reveals that a great concern for any leader should be for those below him/her to feel safe, as it is only when they feel safe that they will fully trust and cooperate. In the midst of a changing economy and inevitable competition from other companies, the only variable that can truly be controlled “are the conditions inside the organization. There’s where leadership matters, because it’s the leader who sets the tone. When leaders make a choice to put the people first, remarkable things happen.”

Of course, one doesn’t have to be an army lieutenant or CEO to lead. Each member of a company, regardless of rank, has the volition to make sacrifices that lessen the burden on other employees, while simultaneously benefitting the company as a whole. The “natural response,” as Sinek articulates, is for others to make sacrifices in return.

As an example, imagining walking into your office early one morning and witnessing your boss standing on a stepstool replacing light bulbs, as a large circuit had blown the night before. When asked what he is doing, your boss informs you that he is replacing all 28 light bulbs in the lobby area and has replaced five thus far. He does not ask you for help or suggest that you take over, but simply continues the task. It is likely that you will offer to help him and perhaps even more likely that you will insist on taking over the job. Your recognition, whether conscious or unconscious, of your superior’s sacrifice will lead you to want to remove some of his burden. Without even knowing it, you have followed the leader.

Consider:

How do you demonstrate leadership within your company?

What do you believe makes someone a strong leader?

For information on leadership and Sinek’s “circles of safety,” view his TED Talk, How great leaders inspire action.

Full STEAM Ahead

"...Leadership tomorrow depends on how we educate our students today – especially in science, technology, engineering and math." 
– Barack Obama

In November 2009, President Obama launched “Educate to Innovate,” a program designed to move American students from the middle tier to the top tier in global math and science achievement. One of the main components of the initiative was an emphasis on “STEM” (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses in school curriculums.

Recently, we have become aware of a related movement championed by the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), “STEAM,” which advocates for adding art to the national STEM agenda. At a briefing on Capitol Hill earlier this month, RISD interim president Rosanne Somerson stressed that the U.S. needs “an educational system that prepares students to manage change and uncertainty, and to thrive in ever-changing conditions. To meet the needs of industry and ensure that this country leads in knowledge creation and innovation, we need the kind of education that encourages fresh thinking, bold ideas and the ability to communicate and collaborate across disciplines.”

When it comes to the workplace, creativity should be welcomed rather than suppressed. In a constantly changing global economy, the ability to adapt and think critically are essential qualities for new hires. While the perception might still exist, to some degree, that large corporations seek robot-like personnel that can be “plugged-in” to their company scheme, the presence of representatives from Intel, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin at this month’s STEAM briefing suggests otherwise.

Undoubtedly, all employers interested in prevailing into the future will have to, at some time or another, embrace divergent thinking skills and creative expression as part of their company culture. While the importance of STEAM courses may not seem relevant to every business, their value will prove surprisingly essential and applicable in the long run.

Does your company value new ways of thinking and bold ideas? Do you believe innovative thinking to be critical in order to compete in a changing global economy?

Who Says Climate Change Is Real?

Who Says Climate Change Is Real?

The most authoritative word on climate change and its consequences is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an international body established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme.  Under the advocacy of the United Nations, the IPCC strives to inform policymakers about the impacts of climate change, future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation.

The IPCC recently published its Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. With contributions from a total of 837 coordinating lead authors and 1,729 reviews by experts and government officials, the latest report indicates that when it comes to climate change, the worst is yet to come. According to the AR5, “Throughout the 21^st century, climate-change impacts are projected to slow down economic growth, make poverty reduction more difficult, further erode food security, and prolong existing and create new poverty traps, the latter particularly in urban areas and emerging hot spots of hunger.”

Still, while greenhouse gas emissions are rising faster than ever, there is time, albeit little, to prevent the worst from arriving. With sustained global efforts to utilize renewable energy, which is becoming more and more affordable, and a continued pattern of countries prioritizing the effects of climate change, perhaps we can avert a potential crisis.

However, there cannot be any passengers. Gas emissions in rising economic countries such as China have been counterproductive to efforts by other nations to decrease their own gas emissions. A new White House report released this month confirms that the rapid warming of the past half-century is due primarily to human activities. We aren’t simply passengers when we harm our planet; so how can we be as we attempt to heal it? Are we being melodramatic, or are climate change and the human contribution to global warming alarming enough for us to act?  

EHR Manners

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and How Doctors Use Them:

“Human Ways to Make the New Technologies Work”

In a recent email, we addressed the need to be cognizant of how technology can ride roughshod over the “human ways” of relating to one another.  A recent article we became aware of was addressed to physicians as they apply a relatively new technology, i.e., Electronic Health Records (EHRs), to patient sessions.  The article is entitled, “Do Your EHR Manners Turn Patients Off?”

The article speaks to an AMA policy to “make physicians aware of tips and resources for effectively using computers and…EHRs in patient-physician interactions.”  The issue is that physicians are so engaged with the computer that they don’t make eye contact with the patient, which leaves patients feeling disconnected.  In fact, the original AMA report specifically urges physicians to set up the examination room so that one can make eye contact with patients while working on the computer.  The article goes so far as to encourage physicians “to put questions about EHRs into patient satisfaction surveys.”

When CEC Associates Incorporated began more than 30 years ago, we were determined from the outset to create our professional services within a strict framework of concern for our injured worker clients, and we have demanded that same level of concern from all of our associates in their work.  We have worked hard to subordinate all of our uses of technology (i.e., computer applications) with our primary responsibility of developing injured worker assessments and forensic testimony in a manner that assured our understanding of the, almost always, difficult realities of our examinee’s lives.

We are heartened to find the AMA validating our insistence on care and understanding for clients by urging the same care and understanding on their professionals. Human Ways to Make the New Technologies Work!

• What is your perspective on how electronic record taking/keeping has affected your relationship with clients?
• How do you ensure that your clients receive the personal service they were accustomed to before the new technologies evolved? 
• How would you rate the effectiveness of your communication when simultaneously taking electronic notes and conversing with your client?

The “Culture” that Defines Your Company

Essentially any group that has been cohesive and active for some time, say more that two years, has developed a uniqueness, which can be identified as a “culture” – a company culture.  Even by doing nothing overtly to create and nurture a company culture, it evolves on its own.  The foremost values of the dominant personalities prevail.  And in doing so, these values define that specific culture.

The culture assumes the composite values of the people who make up the company.  In the long-run, everything in a given culture boils down to the values the group believes in, sometimes referred to as “shared values.”  These can include:

• interest in the work-life balance of the employees,
• commitment to the health and wellness of the employees,
• active, ongoing interest in community betterment (especially ecology),
• firm commitment to employee involvement in the functioning of the group, and
• consistent fostering of trust and autonomy.

It is possible to shape the behaviors of individuals in a company, thereby changing the culture.  Some practices employers and employees can engage in to add to the existing culture include:

• fostering individual resilience,
• practicing participation in the ongoing shaping of the culture,
• encouraging self-expression,
• having the passion for staying engaged, and
• contributing something.

What else should be considered in terms of creating an effective work culture?  Has your company articulated or documented what it understands to be its unique culture?  If so, would you consider sharing that document?