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10 Ways to Say Thank You in Honor of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a special day to express thanks, gratitude and appreciation…but what about the other 364 days of the year?

As ON Point leaders, it’s critical to recognize and reward your team on a regular basis. Yet, so many leaders struggle with this simple skill, because they often don’t understand why someone should be rewarded for just doing their job.

If this is your mindset, maybe these staggering statistics about the power of positivity can change your mind…

Showing gratitude and appreciate decreases turnover by 22%, reduces frustration by 29%, lowers stress and depression by 28%, 81% of employees say that appreciation motivates them the most and 70% would work harder with more appreciation.

Here are 10 Ways to Say Thank You in Honor of Thanksgiving.

  1. Simply Say Thank You – never underestimate the power of those two little words, and never miss an opportunity to say thank you, especially when it’s said in a hand-written note.
  2. Optimize Occasions – birthdays, work anniversaries, kids’ graduations or a new certification are all reasons to take a beat and not just gloss over and get back to work.
  3. Celebrate Wins – start your daily huddle or team meeting with wins, both personally and professionally, to set a positive tone and encourage high-fives and congratulations.
  4. Cheers from Peers – encourage brag buddies to share successes, good news, extra efforts and gratitude between peers.
  5. Gift of Giving – find out their favorite coffee shop, retail store or spa service and show your appreciation with a personalized and thoughtful gift card.
  6. Time Out – time is our most valuable commodity and a great way to show gratitude with extra PTO, a customized flex-time schedule or a spontaneous invitation to leave work early.
  7. Invest in Development – reward your top performers with an opportunity to get even better by sending them to a leadership development summit like Women ON Point.
  8. Build & Bond – arrange a special offsite team building and bonding event to have fun, play hooky from work and show your team how much they mean to you.
  9. Ask Don’t Assume – appreciate and gratitude is not a one-size fits all so if you don’t know, then simply ask so you can honor them in a way that’s meaningful to them.
  10. Awards & Trophies – public displays of awards, certificates, ribbons, trophies and funny trinkets can lift your teams’ spirits, keep them motivated and recognize their accomplishments and hard word.

Thanksgiving is a special day to reflect on all the wonderful things you are grateful for…friends, family, good food, good health, a fulfilling career, a home, lots of love and more. To take your leadership skills to the Next Level, and to become an ON Point leader, it’s about turning that special day into an everyday practice.

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7 Ways to Fall in Love with Work

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow and love is in the air.

But what happens when you have lost that loving feeling for your job? Yes, I said “job”. We spend more time at work than we do anywhere else, and it can be miserable when we want to “break up” with work.

Just like in a personal relationship, losing the love for your job can lead to disengagement, dissatisfaction, disconnection, depression, and overall despair. Before you think about breaking up with your job, consider the fact that there are plenty of ways to rekindle the flame.

Here are 7 Ways to Fall in Love with Work:

  1. Look for a Little Love

It’s unrealistic to think or expect you’ll love 100% of your job, but it doesn’t need to be an all or nothing situation. Identify the parts of your job that you really enjoy, that you’re really good at, and that energize you, and find ways to do those more often. What you focus on will grow.

 

  1. Be Adventurous

Trying new things can be the spice of life, and the same holds true in the workplace. Seek out new opportunities, bust out of that comfort zone, and try something you’ve never done before. A new challenge is thrilling and can reignite your passion.

 

  1. Pop the Champagne

Regardless of whether or not you’re formally recognized for your contributions, value, and accomplishments, you need to celebrate on your own. Keep that bottle of bubbly on ice at all times, and remember to congratulate yourself on a job well done.

 

  1. Change Positions

If your current position isn’t floating your boat any longer, then look around and see if there’s an opportunity in another department, with another team, or under another manager. Sometimes a change of scenery or a change in responsibilities can bring back the love.

 

  1. Play Mind Games

Never underestimate the power of a positive attitude and mindset. Whether it’s through daily affirmations and mantras, meditation, or inspirational quotes, surrounding yourself with an abundance of positive energy helps to drown out the negative noise.

 

  1. Join the Group

Isolation leads to loneliness and lethargy. Get motivated by getting involved…join a club, a group, activity at work or Women ON Point. Step away from your desk and invite a co-worker to lunch. Accept an invitation to happy hour and start having some fun.

 

  1. Embrace a Mentor

Seeking the guidance and advice of a more seasoned or experienced professional can provide some much needed perspective to get back on track and fall back in love with your job.

 

There is a lot of love at Women ON Point, and we LOVE to shine a big, bright light on our alumni.

 

Check out this month’s Success Spotlight and please help us congratulate these amazing women!!

Brittany Barber – Women ON Point Alumni, Chicago 2017

Brittany works at the University of Minnesota in the College of Education and Human Development and was recently promoted from Associate Development Officer to Development Officer!!

Brittany says, “Thank you for the role all three of you played in my development as a professional, a mom, and a woman in general. I hope to pay forward that life changing impact some day!”

 

Brittany Glenn – Women ON Point Alumni, Minneapolis 2018

Brittany accepted a new role as Office Manager with United Forest Products!!

Brittany says, “I am grateful for the opportunity to attend Women ON Point. It empowered me be teaching me my strengths and how to empower others, and I created a network of amazing women who empower each other. This is the greatest support system and are led by amazing coaches and mentors!”

 

Laslie Boyer – Women ON Point Alumni, Denver 2018

Based on what Laslie experienced at the summit, she decided to pay it forward by giving her entire team the DiSC assessment and training.

Laslie says, “I had the opportunity to learn about my leadership style using the DiSC, and it gave me another data point about myself and how I show up as a leader. I wanted to provide other with a similar opportunity to learn about each other and provide common language in describing themselves.”

10 Ways to Celebrate International Women’s Day Every Day

March is Women’s History Month and we’re celebrating by hosting our Women ON Point leadership summit in Minneapolis on March 28-30. We also recognize that March 8 is International Women’s Day…a global day dedicated to celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women throughout the world. It’s also a day that encourages action to accelerate gender parity.

It’s hard to believe that in 2018 women are still lagging behind in almost every category…leadership, pay, and overall gender equality. The World Economic Forum predicted that we wouldn’t achieve global gender parity until 2095, and the gender gap wouldn’t close completely until 2133.

Staggering statistics in a Harvard Business Review article reveal the rapid decline of women as they move up in an organization. More than half of all employees are women at the lowest levels, but that number drops off significantly at each successively higher level: women make up 53% of new hires, 37% of supervisors, 30% of managers, 26% of vice presidents, 14% of senior executives, and 3% of CEOs.

Not only does this defy basic common sense, it defies good business sense. Statistics don’t lie! It has been proven many times over that the companies that perform best financially have the greatest number of women in leadership positions, according to a new study and worldwide survey conducted by the HR consulting firm DDI and the nonprofit business research group The Conference Board. The companies that produce financially at the top 20% report that 27% of their leaders are women. In contrast, the bottom 20% of financial performers report only 19% of women in leadership roles.

Across industries, countries, and companies, men and women alike agree that more female leadership leads to stronger, healthier, and more profitable organizations. Women have a positive impact on culture, productivity, results, relationships, collaboration, teamwork, motivating and developing others, spearheading change and innovation, taking initiative, establishing stretch goals, and practicing self-development and personal growth.

Here are 10 Ways to Celebrate International Women’s Day Every Day:

  1. Be a mentor to a female colleague or young woman
  2. Join a professional women’s group or chamber of commerce that supports gender parity
  3. Nominate a female colleague (or yourself) for an award
  4. Recommend a female colleague on LinkedIn
  5. Encourage a co-worker (or yourself) to go for that promotion or plumb assignment
  6. Invest in your own development and growth, build your confidence, and take a risk
  7. Remember to write your successes in your Brag Book and practice your elevator pitch
  8. Choose to be a champion and cheerleader, not a competitor, of other women
  9. Don’t be afraid to be the only woman in the room, and grab that seat at the table
  10. Attend Women ON Point: Next Level Leadership… womenonpointleadership.com

Women ON Point is strategically designed to help women take their leadership skills to the Next Level, and make a positive impact on their organizations. The next leadership summit will be held at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis on March 28-30. Feel free to visit our website at www.womenonpointleadership.com to learn more, see video testimonials, and read success stories.

In honor of this special month, and to celebrate women everywhere, we are excited to announce a special 20% discount in the month of March to any woman who wants to invest in herself and her leadership skills by attending our next Women ON Point. Contact us directly ([email protected]) for this special offer and we will help you celebrate Women’s History Month in a big way!!

 

 

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Women ON Point “Attitude of Gratitude”

No sooner are we wrapping up our last leadership summit in breath-taking Beaver Creek, Colorado, we are already in full swing for more exciting summits in 2017. But before we get ahead of ourselves, and as we approach our upcoming holiday of “thanks”, we wanted to take a moment and reinforce our message of gratitude.

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