17 Ways to Savor the Wealth Around You Psychology Today
17 Ways to Savor the Wealth Around You *
Carolyn Rubenstein is the author of Perseverance, a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student at Harvard, and the Founder/President of a non-profit organization for young adult cancer survivors. See full bio Blogs *
Now is Everything *
Helping readers overcome obstacles and achieve great things by turning knowledge into action and action into change. **
by Carolyn Rubenstein *
What treasures do your ordinary moments hold? *
It's easy to worry about the future. We can sometimes spend so much time thinking about what we want, we forget to treasure what we already have. I'm a big believer in ordinary moments and in the beauty of now. When we take the time to stop thinking about the future and start appreciating the now, we are usually rewarded with instant peace of mind. *
I like to appreciate the now by taking in the world through my senses--by treasuring what I can see, feel, hear, smell, and touch. Here are 17 ordinary moments I like to treasure: *
- The sound of crickets at night
- The sensation of a cool breeze blowing through my hair or on my skin
- The scent of a just turned over garden or of freshly cut grass
- The softness of a dog's ear or a child's arm
- The warmth of a pet or a child on my lap
- The sound of rain on a roof - The smell of fresh laundry
- The warmth of my fiancé's embrace
- The sound of pine cones crunching under my feet
- The sensation of a warm shower
- Yellow streaks of sunlight late in the day
- A puffy white cloud as it moves slowly across the sky
- The smell of coffee brewing in the morning
- A blur of wildflowers, blowing in the wind
- The sound of birds early in the morning
- Butterflies on a butterfly bush
- The laughter of children What ordinary moments do you love to treasure? *
For more ways to appreciate ordinary moments, download a free copy of my e-book 10 Ways to Discover and Treasure the Beauty of Now.
Access Original Post: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/now-is-everything/200912/17-ways-savor-the-wealth-around-you
***********************************************************************
http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Does Anyone Write Letters Anymore? | Psychology Today
Does Anyone Write Letters Anymore? Psychology Today
Blogs - The Good Life **
Positive psychology and what makes life worth living.
by Christopher Peterson
Christopher Peterson is professor of psychology at the University of Michigan. See full bio
Does Anyone Write Letters Anymore? *
What makes a good letter? *
One of the staples of positive psychology is the gratitude letter: a written and specific expression of thanks to someone who has been especially kind or important to you who has never heard you express your gratitude — parents, siblings, other relatives, friends, teachers, coaches, teammates, employers, and so on. Over the years, I have asked students in my positive psychology classes to write such letters. If they cannot deliver it by hand, they should mail it. As a positive psychology intervention, gratitude letters “work” 99+% of the time, by which I mean that the recipients are touched, usually profoundly, and so too are the letter-writers, despite misgivings they may have had in the first place about doing something that seemed so corny. *
In the last few years, though, I have encountered shocking questions after making the assignment: “How much does a postage stamp cost, and where can I get one?” *
I realize that postage stamp prices keep increasing, and I realize that neighborhood post offices are closing down. I also realize that many people now pay their bills on-line or through automatic bank account deductions. Nonethless, my reaction to such questions is always WOW!*
This blog entry is not about postage stamps but about letters. Does anyone write them anymore? I am quite sure that the answer is fewer and fewer people. With the holiday season upon us, I have seen more than a few stories about the decline in post office business, not just the catalogues that used to clog our mailboxes but also the cards and letters that used to brighten the season. *
I think this is a shame, and I am guilty as anyone. I cannot remember the last time I wrote a letter to anyone. However, I do remember the last few letters I received, vividly and fondly. Two were from colleagues of mine at the University of Michigan who wrote to me about recent events in my life, and one was from a student for whom I provided a recommendation. Mind you, many other people communicate with me, by phone or by e-mail, but these three letters are what I remember. I have read each one many times, savoring them. I keep them on my desk, midst flashdrives and paperclips, and I will continue to reread them any time I want to feel good or until they become too faded to be legible. *
What makes a good letter? For me, a good letter is personal and personalized. A good letter takes time to write. The thing about writing a letter is that no one can multitask while doing so, unlike e-mails or telephone calls. A letter represents undivided attention and is precious as a consequence. Oh yes, a good letter is handwritten, not a cut-and-pasted, global searched-and-replaced bit of faux intimacy. It need not be written on fancy stationery or an expensive card — the three letters I have been cherishing were written on plain notebook paper! And a good letter is one that required the writer to find a stamp and an envelope and a postbox! *
I gave a media interview last week in which I was asked how people might approach the upcoming holiday season if they were on a tight budget. My answer was simple: Write letters. *
By the way, right now (December 2009), a stamp costs 44 cents (see http://www.usps.com/prices/). *
Acccess Original Post: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-good-life/200912/does-anyone-write-letters-anymore
***********************************************************************
http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.
Blogs - The Good Life **
Positive psychology and what makes life worth living.
by Christopher Peterson
Christopher Peterson is professor of psychology at the University of Michigan. See full bio
Does Anyone Write Letters Anymore? *
What makes a good letter? *
One of the staples of positive psychology is the gratitude letter: a written and specific expression of thanks to someone who has been especially kind or important to you who has never heard you express your gratitude — parents, siblings, other relatives, friends, teachers, coaches, teammates, employers, and so on. Over the years, I have asked students in my positive psychology classes to write such letters. If they cannot deliver it by hand, they should mail it. As a positive psychology intervention, gratitude letters “work” 99+% of the time, by which I mean that the recipients are touched, usually profoundly, and so too are the letter-writers, despite misgivings they may have had in the first place about doing something that seemed so corny. *
In the last few years, though, I have encountered shocking questions after making the assignment: “How much does a postage stamp cost, and where can I get one?” *
I realize that postage stamp prices keep increasing, and I realize that neighborhood post offices are closing down. I also realize that many people now pay their bills on-line or through automatic bank account deductions. Nonethless, my reaction to such questions is always WOW!*
This blog entry is not about postage stamps but about letters. Does anyone write them anymore? I am quite sure that the answer is fewer and fewer people. With the holiday season upon us, I have seen more than a few stories about the decline in post office business, not just the catalogues that used to clog our mailboxes but also the cards and letters that used to brighten the season. *
I think this is a shame, and I am guilty as anyone. I cannot remember the last time I wrote a letter to anyone. However, I do remember the last few letters I received, vividly and fondly. Two were from colleagues of mine at the University of Michigan who wrote to me about recent events in my life, and one was from a student for whom I provided a recommendation. Mind you, many other people communicate with me, by phone or by e-mail, but these three letters are what I remember. I have read each one many times, savoring them. I keep them on my desk, midst flashdrives and paperclips, and I will continue to reread them any time I want to feel good or until they become too faded to be legible. *
What makes a good letter? For me, a good letter is personal and personalized. A good letter takes time to write. The thing about writing a letter is that no one can multitask while doing so, unlike e-mails or telephone calls. A letter represents undivided attention and is precious as a consequence. Oh yes, a good letter is handwritten, not a cut-and-pasted, global searched-and-replaced bit of faux intimacy. It need not be written on fancy stationery or an expensive card — the three letters I have been cherishing were written on plain notebook paper! And a good letter is one that required the writer to find a stamp and an envelope and a postbox! *
I gave a media interview last week in which I was asked how people might approach the upcoming holiday season if they were on a tight budget. My answer was simple: Write letters. *
By the way, right now (December 2009), a stamp costs 44 cents (see http://www.usps.com/prices/). *
Acccess Original Post: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-good-life/200912/does-anyone-write-letters-anymore
***********************************************************************
http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.
Friday, December 18, 2009
How to Turn Around a Demoralized, Underperforming Group | The Corner Office | BNET
How to Turn Around a Demoralized, Underperforming Group The Corner Office BNET
How to Turn Around a Demoralized, Underperforming Group *
By Steve Tobak *
December 15th, 2009 @ 1:24 pm *
Tags: Team, Group, Workplace Morale, Improving Morale, HR..., Marketing, Team Management, Leadership, Turnaround, CEO *
For every highly motivated and high-performing workplace group, you’ll find one that’s demoralized and demotivated. No, I don’t have data to support that statement, but it’s a reasonable hypothesis based on decades of experience. And during these tough economic times, it’s probably an understatement. *
Regardless of the shape of our economy, sometimes entire departments, divisions, or groups can become demoralized, unproductive, and ineffective. In my experience, it comes down to this: in every company, there are unloved groups that, for a variety of reasons, get the shaft. This phenomenon is usually the result of some combination of five factors: *
1. The group is not a key revenue or profit center, has been devalued due to a merger or change in strategy, or is an expense or administrative support function *
2. The company’s specific type of business or its DNA The CEO “just doesn’t get” what the group does or, perhaps, why it exists at all *
3. Incompetent management incapable of managing up: educating, promoting, and politicking for the function; or worse: overpromising and under-delivering *
4. The group actually performs poorly, resulting in a justified bad reputation *
For example, in the high tech industry, engineering and even IT groups can be revered while perceived “soft” functions like marketing and HR can be left out in the cold. Sales is a tossup, mostly depending on factors 2 and 3.*
Sometimes one or two factors lead to others. Factor 4 can lead to 5 via the Peter Principle. Incompetent group management can influence CEO behavior, and vice versa. And poor performance, unchecked, can lead to a bad reputation, reinforcing poor group morale. *
Maybe it’s Karma or because I like to fix things, but for whatever reason, I’ve taken over quite a few demoralized groups. Each time I learned a bit more, resulting in a methodology that actually works: *
5 Step Process For Turning Around a Demoralized, Underperforming Group ***
1. Understand how it got that way. Take the time to meet one-on-one with key executives, stakeholders, and of course, your staff. Ask the tough, leading questions and make sure you get honest, non-sugarcoated answers by assuring confidentiality. *
2. Pick your team. Not only the “keepers,” but who needs to go once you’ve determined you can’t turn them around. Round out your team with key new hires. “Feed” your lieutenants with encouragement, team building, and most importantly, showing your confidence in them by making them responsible and holding them accountable. *
3. Begin the process of rebuilding the group’s reputation within the company. Once you know executive management’s and key stakeholder’s “hot buttons” and have your team ready to go, you can begin a sort of turnaround process that includes the following. *
4. Set challenging but achievable goals and expectations with specific metrics and rally your team to meet them. This is critical to gaining credibility and beginning to turn around perception and morale. At the same time, educate executive management and key stakeholders on the group’s value proposition. *
5. Once you begin to gain some credibility traction by meeting expectations and showing the group’s value to the company, you can begin to manage up, promote the group, and vie for resources more aggressively. The entire 5-step process, if well executed start to finish, takes a year or two. *
That’s my experience. Now tell us your demoralized or underperforming group story.
Access Original Post: http://blogs.bnet.com/ceo/?p=3457
***********************************************************************
http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.
How to Turn Around a Demoralized, Underperforming Group *
By Steve Tobak *
December 15th, 2009 @ 1:24 pm *
Tags: Team, Group, Workplace Morale, Improving Morale, HR..., Marketing, Team Management, Leadership, Turnaround, CEO *
For every highly motivated and high-performing workplace group, you’ll find one that’s demoralized and demotivated. No, I don’t have data to support that statement, but it’s a reasonable hypothesis based on decades of experience. And during these tough economic times, it’s probably an understatement. *
Regardless of the shape of our economy, sometimes entire departments, divisions, or groups can become demoralized, unproductive, and ineffective. In my experience, it comes down to this: in every company, there are unloved groups that, for a variety of reasons, get the shaft. This phenomenon is usually the result of some combination of five factors: *
1. The group is not a key revenue or profit center, has been devalued due to a merger or change in strategy, or is an expense or administrative support function *
2. The company’s specific type of business or its DNA The CEO “just doesn’t get” what the group does or, perhaps, why it exists at all *
3. Incompetent management incapable of managing up: educating, promoting, and politicking for the function; or worse: overpromising and under-delivering *
4. The group actually performs poorly, resulting in a justified bad reputation *
For example, in the high tech industry, engineering and even IT groups can be revered while perceived “soft” functions like marketing and HR can be left out in the cold. Sales is a tossup, mostly depending on factors 2 and 3.*
Sometimes one or two factors lead to others. Factor 4 can lead to 5 via the Peter Principle. Incompetent group management can influence CEO behavior, and vice versa. And poor performance, unchecked, can lead to a bad reputation, reinforcing poor group morale. *
Maybe it’s Karma or because I like to fix things, but for whatever reason, I’ve taken over quite a few demoralized groups. Each time I learned a bit more, resulting in a methodology that actually works: *
5 Step Process For Turning Around a Demoralized, Underperforming Group ***
1. Understand how it got that way. Take the time to meet one-on-one with key executives, stakeholders, and of course, your staff. Ask the tough, leading questions and make sure you get honest, non-sugarcoated answers by assuring confidentiality. *
2. Pick your team. Not only the “keepers,” but who needs to go once you’ve determined you can’t turn them around. Round out your team with key new hires. “Feed” your lieutenants with encouragement, team building, and most importantly, showing your confidence in them by making them responsible and holding them accountable. *
3. Begin the process of rebuilding the group’s reputation within the company. Once you know executive management’s and key stakeholder’s “hot buttons” and have your team ready to go, you can begin a sort of turnaround process that includes the following. *
4. Set challenging but achievable goals and expectations with specific metrics and rally your team to meet them. This is critical to gaining credibility and beginning to turn around perception and morale. At the same time, educate executive management and key stakeholders on the group’s value proposition. *
5. Once you begin to gain some credibility traction by meeting expectations and showing the group’s value to the company, you can begin to manage up, promote the group, and vie for resources more aggressively. The entire 5-step process, if well executed start to finish, takes a year or two. *
That’s my experience. Now tell us your demoralized or underperforming group story.
Access Original Post: http://blogs.bnet.com/ceo/?p=3457
***********************************************************************
http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.
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