That Loving Feeling Takes a Lot of Work - NY Times

Note From Jim:


In recent years I have taken a keen interest in research from the field of "Positive Psychology", a segment of Psychology that has been championed by a former president of the American Psychological Association, Martin Seligman. Serious work in the disciple of Positive Psychology and the Psychology of Happiness has determined that we all have the power to make ourselves happier, more optimistic, more grateful, and more fulfilled. This applies to our relationships at home and at work. With regard to our personal relationships, the article below shares best practices recommended by top researchers and academics in this field.  Make a difference starting now!

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Excerpts:
That Loving Feeling Takes a Lot of Work
By JANE E. BRODY

Studies by Richard E. Lucas and colleagues at Michigan State University... Research reported by Sonja Lyubomirsky, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside.... Studies by Barbara L. Fredrickson, a social psychologist and professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.


[Apply important] effort to keep the embers of love alive... Infatuation and passion have even shorter life spans, and must evolve into "companionate love, composed more of deep affection, connection and liking,"

Building Companionship

... strategies include making time to be together and talk, truly listening to each other, and expressing admiration and affection.


"the importance of appreciation" [and expressions of gratefulness]: count your blessings and resist taking a spouse for granted. Routinely remind yourself and your partner of what you appreciate about the person and the marriage.

Also important is variety, which is innately stimulating and rewarding and "critical if we want to stave off adaptation," ... Mix things up, be spontaneous, change how you do things with your partner to keep your relationship "fresh, meaningful and positive."...Novelty is a powerful aphrodisiac that can also enhance the pleasures of marital sex.   Variety goes hand in hand with another tip: surprise. With time, partners tend to get to know each other all too well, and they can fall into routines that become stultifying. Shake it up. Try new activities, new places, new friends. Learn new skills together.  
"A pat on the back, a squeeze of the hand, a hug, an arm around the shoulder - the science of touch suggests that it can save a so-so marriage," Dr. Lyubomirsky writes. "Introducing more (nonsexual) touching and affection on a daily basis will go a long way in rekindling the warmth and tenderness."


Support your partner's values, goals and dreams, and greet his or her good news with interest and delight.

Positive Energy


Even a marriage that has been marred by negative, angry or hurtful remarks can often be rescued by filling the home with words and actions that elicit positive emotions, psychology research has shown.


... cultivating positive energy everyday "motivates us to reach out for a hug more often or share and inspiring or silly idea or image."... happily married couples average five positive verbal and emotional expressions toward one another for every negative expression, but "very unhappy couples display ratios of less than one to one."

[Work towards] striving to increase the ratio of positive to negative [to 5:1].


[Work towards] asking yourself each morning, "What can I do for five minutes today to make my partner's life better?" The simplest acts, like sharing an amusing event, smiling, or being playful, can enhance marital happiness.
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Access Article and Other Great Content: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/14/that-loving-feeling-takes-a-lot-of-work/?emc=eta1

Human Capital Metrics can Predict Stock Price Changes - Human Capital Management Institute

Note From Jim:


I've previously spoken with Jeff Higgens, CEO Human Capital Management Institute. I’ve found his research to be both insightful and powerful. HCMI's Human Capital Financial Statements, and its Human Capital Metrics provide organizations with a new tool to directly measure and transform organizational performance.

I encourage you to obtain a copy of HCMI's new whitepaper. From HCMI, Discover how the metrics of "cost-per-hire" and "time-to-fill" compromise financial performance.  And among other concepts, also learn how to calculate and measure the "Quality-Of-hire Multiplier" or the "Talent Managment Index".

For a preview of HCMI's upcoming white paper, see the news release below.

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HCMI has Evidence that Human Capital Metrics can Predict Stock Price Changes


HCMI’s new white paper shows the impact human capital metrics have in predicting a company’s future stock price movement.

Marina del Rey, California (PRWEB) January 14, 2013

A preview of a new white paper by Human Capital Management Institute (HCMI) discusses the contribution of human capital metrics to a company’s stock price and continues to challenge the exclusion of human capital data in traditional public company reporting. For this paper, over 22,000 companies were analyzed and six human capital metrics were tested using 16 years of public company data from 1996 to 2011. Results include findings such as the following: a 10% increase in selected human capital metrics is associated with stock price gains ranging from 3% - 19% and the Total Cost of Workforce metric is superior to the standard headcount metric.

While Finance and Human Resources are separate business functions, the white paper’s findings provide common ground on which the two areas can collaborate. Per HCMI’s previous white papers, workforce metrics don’t stop at “headcount”. Rather, intangible assets (a.k.a “human capital”) play a major role in a company’s financial performance.

Jeff Higgins, CEO of HCMI says: “We can now answer the question not of ‘if’ effectively managing human capital using the right metrics impacts stock price, but how much it impacts stock price. HCMI believes these metrics from Human Capital Financial Statements (HCF$™) are the most definitive means to quantify workforce productivity in existence.”

According to Dr. Don Atwater of Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management, Department of Economics, “The old news is that ‘people are our greatest assets (and costs)’, but what our research is showing is that there is a connection between companies that actually show that with their actions and those that do not in terms of shareholder value. There really are leaders and laggards.”

“HCMI’s Human Capital Financial Statements (HCFS ™) represent the endpoint HR has been searching for to standardize measurement and enable comparison of human capital performance across industry, and geography,” states Dr. Jac Fitz-enz, CEO, Human Capital Source and also known as the “father” of workforce analytics.

Look for the entire white paper (due out in January 2013), which contains a more detailed breakdown of the analysis and findings. For previous white papers on related topics, please visit http://www.hcminst.com.


About HCMI

The Human Capital Management Institute was founded on the belief that organizations can, and must, find better ways of measuring their investments in human capital. We strive to fundamentally change the way organizations make decisions about their workforce, and our vision of the future is one in which human capital measurement and information is as integral to business decision making as financial information is today. Serving global clients, HCMI delivers workforce analytics and planning training, risk assessments, consulting, and analytics and workforce planning technology tools including SOLVE Workforce Intelligence Software

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/1/prweb10309469.htm

http://www.hcminst.com.

Authentic Power! - Happiness Newsletter

Note From Jim:

What can you do to flourish?  Lionel Ketchian always inspires.  I recommend that you subscribe to his free newsletter. In his most recent issue, Lionel comments that personal happiness is a duty, one that requires practice and discipline.   And when practice and discipline are applied to the state of happiness, the state of happiness will surely makes us authentically powerful. What does authentic power deliver? Find the answer below:

Excerpts:

Authentic power is the power that comes from Being Happy. Being happy means realizing that you cannot be happy unless you are in control of yourself.


This power allows you to experience being stronger, smarter, freer and more comfortable and fully yourself. It allows you to take action. It is the power TO DO IT! It is A CAN DO attitude even if you think you can't. It lets you decide what is good for you. It means doing what you can, when you can, rather than waiting for someone or something to change on it's own. It is a method of taking charge of your life and being responsible for yourself. It means finding the solutions to a problem, and making the best choice now.

Authentic power means never volunteering to make yourself a victim. It means that you do not try to control other people. It means that you do not allow yourself to be forced into acting the way that others think you should act. It allows you to feel like you can change the world because you are taking control of yourself. It allows you to deal with difficult people and anger when it arises. It gives you the ability to cope with fear and anxiety, forgive people and stop labeling them. Free yourself from self-doubt and despair, stop feeling guilty, and let go of the past so you don't react to the moment from your past conditioning. It means you become proactive to allow your wisdom and common sense to make the change you want to see in the next moment.

Authentic power is a mechanism to access new habits to self-empowerment. This power must always include wisdom because without wisdom power is unwieldy and hard to handle. Wisdom is nothing more than having the discipline to do the right thing at the right time.



January 15, 2013 Happiness Newsletter


Celebrate Your Independence. Experience your freedom from external circumstances. Declare Your Freedom with the Happiness Decision. Life's complicated, happiness isn't

Be Happy Zone

Authentic Power!

By Lionel Ketchian

Access The Happiness Zone And Its Great Content: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=svx5mvcab&v=001rxOp_4aBK0prxjqTfv3vzev3vb7ov2q_i_bVEge6kytNKTM-xknm5_R-8Osm1SNBnGVtxH5MbYfSmzmUKxJiF6XBSDHIE9woWUtcKLrwg5b_PM4ZrtnVrw%3D%3D

Selected Issues for Boards of Directors in 2013 - Conference Board Governance Center Blog

Note From Jim:
To Board Director, CEO, and GC subscribers: About emerging governance issues for 2013, get ahead of the curve. Follow the link below and carefully read a thoughtful piece authored by Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, an alert which was subsequently republished by the Conference Board Governance Center Blog. Are you ready to address these issues?

Conference Board Governance Center Blog

http://tcbblogs.org/governance/2013/01/12/selected-issues-for-boards-of-directors-in-2013/



Selected Issues for Boards of Directors in 2013

Excerpts:

1. Board Composition

2. Executive Compensation Design

3. Selling the Company and “Standstill” Agreements

4. Selection of Board Advisors and Conflicts

5. Litigation Against Officers and Directors

6. Dual Fiduciaries

7. Developments of Interest to Audit Committees


Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP



Access Article And Other Great Content: http://tcbblogs.org/governance/2013/01/12/selected-issues-for-boards-of-directors-in-2013/

Americans Relocate More Amid Torpid Recovery - WSJ.com

Note From Jim:
Hiring Trends. In seeking out best-in-class talent, are you finding candidates to be more reticent about relocation? If so, why? This very interesting WSJ article contains trend data which provides great insights for employers. Reading the entire article is a must. For enticement purposes, here are some of its key points:

Excerpts:

About 3.9% of the population, or 11.8 million people, moved to a different county in 2011, new Census figures show. That was the highest level since before the recession, and up from 3.5% in 2010 and 2009—the lowest level since the government began the tally in 1948.
Movement between counties largely reflects people moving because of jobs, demographers said. Overall, the increase signals both a healthier economy and future growth because it means more workers are being matched with jobs that suit their skills.

However, the 3.9% rate remains low historically

Among those moving more were 25-to-29-year-olds, indicating that many young people who were stymied by the weak labor market of recent years were finding jobs and moving on with their lives,...

Retirees also began to move more in 2011... Among the states that gained population in 2011 from domestic moves—rather than from immigration or births—were Florida and Nevada...

The U.S. rate of movement between counties peaked at 7.1% in 1950 and stayed above 6% through 1991.

The U.S. rate drifted lower in the 1990s and fell steeply through the 2000s. The 2011 increase in inter-county moves was the first in a decade

The U.S. mobility rate—a broader measure that includes movement of any distance—also declined during the 2000s

The U.S. is almost alone among developed countries in experiencing this decline

Several factors could be contributing to the long-term decline in U.S. movement between counties. It could be partly due to the aging of the population, with middle-aged workers and retirees less likely to move than people in their 20s, some economists say. In addition, the increase in two-earner households has made it harder for some families to relocate.... the long-term trend appears to be linked to a decline in pay increases that workers receive when they switch employers. Smaller raises give workers less incentive to switch jobs and move house.... "It suggests that people have fewer choices," Ms. Wozniak said, which also leads to employers having fewer job candidates. "You're constrained in some way and that may mean you're not reaching your full potential as a worker, as a firm or as an economy."

[Demographics:] people ages 18 through 24 move around more than people in other age groups. People born in the U.S. move at a slightly higher rate than foreign-born residents. The rate is lower for households with two earners than one, and for those with children than those without. And the rate rises with the level of a person's education, with college graduates moving to a different state at roughly twice the rate of high school graduates.

Access Full Article: Americans Relocate More Amid Torpid Recovery - WSJ.com

Who’s Feedback Should Count (or NOT) in 360-Degree Feedback by Sandra Mashihi - Envisia

Note From Jim:


Trying to process advice about your performance? So whose feedback matters most, especially when it's conflicting? Sandra Mashini will help you reconcile this question. Follow the link below.

by Sandra Mashihi

Excerpts:

Self-ratings are typically weakly to moderately correlated with other rater perspectives with greater convergence between peer and supervisor ratings (Nowack, 1992). It seems intuitive to expect that some differences in perspectives will occur across rater groups. According to Ken Nowack, Ph.D. in his 2002 and 2009 publications, the following patterns of perceptions exist between raters:

Direct reports tend to emphasize and filter interpersonal and relationship behaviors
Superiors tend to focus more on performance-oriented behaviors
Peers tend to be most accurate at predicting future leadership potential

These rater group differences cause confusion in the interpretation of 360-degree feedback
Discussing the differences between rater group perceptions led to the revelation of an underlying issue

So, as a lesson, all variations of feedback results can provide meaningful insights and lessons. In fact, a core learning message may be revealed regardless of whether there are differences or similarities between perceptions of different raters.

“Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted.”- Albert Einstein

Access Article And Other Great Stuff: http://results.envisialearning.com/whos-feedback-should-count-or-not-in-360-degree-feedback/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ResultsVsActivities+%28Results+vs.+Activities%29

The Happiness Connection

Note From Jim:


Discover how powerful you will become by making the conscious choice, despite circumstance, to be happy. It's a decision and commitment that only you can make. Read Lionel Ketchien's Happiness Column. I look forward to his weekly newsletter, "The Happiness Zone." It always inspires me. Does it do the same for you?

Excepts:

There is another way to live your life. Decide to be happy no matter what. Wake up in the morning and decide to be happy. You go through the day and experience people and events that would make most people unhappy, but not you! You're too smart for that. You know that only you are in charge of your happiness. You would not want anyone else to be in charge of your happiness.


Access The Happiness Zone:  http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=svx5mvcab&v=001QYDB14zrJ48K4eXTPl4-LY86Q575ae7CuGQs0kN5S3KDlN4RqFzh3-VNt_pzPZbM6PF3USQCs7yfwVk1XmjuBWLW0_7GcHUQADdppMwkKtuUMMnIt7ERHA%3D%3D

Nine Ways Successful People Defeat Stress

Note From Jim: I’m a follower and fan of Heidi Grant Halverson’s work. Want to enhance the success of your own goal achievement or that of your teams? Embrace Nancy's advice, all of which is drawn from research.  Click on the link below.


Excerpts – Nine Ways:

1. Have self-compassion

2. Think about the “Big Picture”

3. Rely on routines

4. Take five (or ten) minutes to do something you find interesting

5. Add where and when to your To Do List

6. Use if-thens for positive self-talk

7. See your work in terms of progress, not perfection

8. Think about the progress that you’ve already made

9. Know whether optimism or defensive pessimism works for you

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Access Article And Other Great Stuff At Nancy's Website: http://www.heidigranthalvorson.com/
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Heidi Grant Halvorson is a rising star in the field of motivational science. She is a an expert blogger for Fast Company, WSJ.com, Forbes, The Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, as well as a regular contributor to the BBC World Service's Business Daily, the Harvard Business Review, and SmartBrief's SmartBlog on Leadership. Her writing has also been featured on CNN Living and Mamapedia.



Heidi is also Associate Director of the Motivation Science Center at the Columbia University Business School.