In 2007, genomics researcher Steve Cole from UCLA School of Medicine released a study that showed very lonely people have blood cells in a high state of alert which mirrored how cells would react to a bacterial infection. That study prompted extended work in the field of loneliness. According to Louise Hawkley, a senior research scientist at the University of Chicago, the absence of a social network has very real consequences in terms of mental and physical health. Not only is there a physical and mental cost to individuals who feel isolated, but according to a study conducted at the AARP Public Policy Institute and at Stanford and Harvard universities, people living in social isolation add almost $7 billion to the cost of Medicare. But loneliness haunts not just seniors receiving Medicare. Last year this time, I spoke to student leaders and professional staff at a highly respected college of engineering. The theme was “Navigating the Valleys”. The concern was how do student leaders and staff develop interventions and programs to reduce a rise in student suicides and a rise in reports of disconnection, rejection, and isolation. The rise of student suicides and isolation are not singular to this university but are seen across the United States. In short, loneliness short-circuits any ability to grow through challenge or opportunity. Loneliness weakens an ability to be resilient as surely as it weakens one’s immune system. What can be done about this? While there is talk about a national commitment to explore approaches to reduce isolation and loneliness among elders, we as individuals can also take matters into our own hands to either chip away at our personal loneliness or to help those in our immediate circle. Helping yourself: The quickest way out of a sense of loneliness is to help yourself by helping others. Moving from self-absorption to other-absorption, requires you to realize that others can benefit from your skills and wisdom. The website VolunteerMatch.org offers helping opportunities that match your skills with others’ needs. But you don’t need anything formal. Take time to help a neighbor bring in the trash can. Carry groceries for someone who seems to be struggling with the load. I heard of a man who had lost his sight but loved reading. I called and offered to read once a week to him. Take a class. Whether exercise class, writing class, how to code—anything that interests you. It will put you with people who share a similar interest. Keep a journal. Might sound silly but Rosemary Blieszner, a professor at Virginia Tech, believes that writing an autobiographical works helps lonely people deal with feelings that they don’t matter. Another article I've written that you may enjoy is " A Resiliency Killer: Loneliness " you can read it here.

Decades ago when I started my consulting practice, colleagues looked at me with envy, expressing a desire to leave corporate life and “work from home”. They thought it would be easier, more fun, and less stressful. Sounded good in theory but the truth is there are upsides and downsides to that decision. Today, a compromise appears in the form of a rising trend in telecommuting. According to Global Workplace Analytics, as of January 2016, these are the most current statistics: Regular work-at-home, among the non-self-employed population, has grown by 103% since 2005 3.7 million employees (2.8% of the workforce) now work from home at least half the time. The employee population as a whole grew by 1.9% from 2013 to 2014, while employees who telecommuter population grew 5.6%. Before you make a move, consider the pros and cons as outlined by Jenny Holt. What Does It Take To Succeed When Working from Home? The workforce is changing. As real estate prices skyrocket, more companies are allowing their employees to work from home. In fact, over 24 percent of workers either worked from home entirely or did some of their work from the comfort of their own living quarters in 2015. It’s anticipated that this number will only increase over the next few years. Working from home is incredibly rewarding to both employees and employers, but it has its challenges as well. To be successful as a remote employee, many people find that they exhibit some of the following traits: Flexibility Home-based employees might need to be flexible in the duties they perform, the times they work, and the changing demands of the industry. While some employees are required to keep strict work schedules, a flexible attitude helps remote workers succeed in the long-run. Determination At home, pets demand attention, children provide distractions, and televisions are just a button away from playing the latest morning talk show. Remote workers must be determined and focused when it comes to successfully completing their tasks at home. Instead of getting distracted by technology, they must treat their job the same as they would in an office environment. Decisiveness Without supervisors located on the other side of the room, remote employees must be confident in their decision-making skills. For many remote workers, guidance is minimal and finding someone to answer their questions promptly may prove difficult. Successful remote workers must be able to make a decision on their own without having to consult with others. What You Can Do to Succeed as a Remote Worker Working remotely is not without its challenges, but many people are just as successful working from home as they are in an office. A study conducted by Chinese travel site Ctrip found that productivity soared when working in a home environment and the company was able to get the equivalent of an extra workday per week out of each remote employee. Here are a few ways you can set yourself up for success: Find a quiet area to work where distractions will be minimal. Make a schedule and stick to it; consistency will help you get into a routine that works for you. Set goals for yourself each day and work to accomplish them by the end of your work period. Stay organized! No matter how messy your bedroom may be, keep your desk area clean to streamline your productivity. Don’t let the relative newness of remote opportunities and home-based employment intimidate you. As long as you’re driven and passionate about what you do, you’ll be able to succeed as a home-based worker.

I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night, finding my heart incredibly sad and my head spinning. What’s going on with me? Something is very disconcerting and anxiety producing. It took an article written by my colleague and soul sister, Marilyn Semonick, to pinpoint the issue. As I read her weekly post, Wednesday Wisdom , I understood what was horribly wrong. My Universe has been altered. The nation that gave birth to a unique form of government, to the rule of law, to civil discourse, to a statue that welcomed the “poor, tired, and huddled masses” is rapidly vanishing before my eyes. With Marilyn’s permission, I offer her thoughts. Wednesday Wisdom This week, seething with disgust, frustration, befuddlement, and anger watching non-stop tortuous political rhetoric, I was reminded of Maya Angelou’s words: Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world but has not solved one yet. Our national culture is in trouble, big trouble. We’ve moved beyond division into plans to kidnap, try, and execute Governors and yelling “lock her up” at rallies. We’ve moved beneath dignity by reckless and dangerous attacks of our generals, department heads, departments, and services of our once honored US government. We’ve moved to new lows, calling the free press “the enemy of the people.” We’ve moved away from facts and science and criticize our world respected scientists like Dr. Fauci despite their lifetime commitment to public health and their work to keep us alive through a pandemic. When our leaders cannot use behaviors that represent our culture as decent, noble, and collaborative, we must, with specific intent, treat each other with decency, honor and respect, demonstrating the true nature of the character of our nation. Please, be kind and respectful. Be thoughtful and articulate about differences. Debate with civility and be open to listening and learning.  Please, for the sake of our nation, be the change, NOW! Thanks, Marilyn. Short. Strong. And to the point. We must be the change! Now. Please help right this Universe. You can contact Marilyn at https://www.marilynsemonick.com .

The simple truth is burnout makes it difficult to lead others through challenging times. As leaders, we tend to push through it. We work endless hours, always accessible via meetings on demand, phone, email, and text messaging. Burnout has been around for a while. But the long-term pandemic, high employee turnover, and roller coaster economic conditions has made leading while exhausted a reality for many leaders today. “Toughing it out” may seem heroic, it has its serious implications. Outcomes of leading while exhausted includes lost focus, missed judgement calls, overlooking important details that can lead to disastrous results. Further, studies on healthcare workers during the pandemic have findings that are alarming. Unaddressed burnout can advance to peritraumatic distress, substance abuse, PSTD. Recognizing and treating exhaustion as important as those “to-do” items on the endless work list should become a priority. This shouldn’t be seen as a “one and done” checklist item but built as a normal routine. Techniques such as scheduling meeting-free days, turning off digital devices or at least the constant alerts, and stepping away from the virtual or on-site office should become a normal part of the day. Another good move is to intentionally adopt a balanced perspective on all the “crisis’s” that come in. Put a simple mechanism in place that will help separate issues as a “paper clip” item versus an “all hands-on deck” crisis response . Finally, leading effectively includes modeling ideal behaviors authentically and consistently. By taking these steps to reign in exhaustion, can also encourage employees to do the same. Ultimately this is how leaders shape a healthy and resilient organizational culture regardless of whatever the crisis. Author’s Bio Tresha Moreland is a 30-year experienced HR leader that has worked in retail, hospitality, manufacturing, and healthcare industries. She is leadership consultant and founder of HR C-Suite, LLC who helps leaders improve their ability to execute on business strategy through creative and forward-thinking workforce solutions. Tresha has authored books such as, “Navigating the Healthcare Workforce Shortage: How to Safeguard Your Organization’s Most Important Asset”, “PHR/SPHR Professional in Human Resources Certification Practice Exams”, “aPHR Associate Professional Human Resources Certification Practice Exams”, and “Insider’s Guide to Shared Services.” Her education includes dual master’s degrees in Human Resources Management and Business Administration from Golden Gate University, San Francisco, CA. She also possesses a Senior Professional Human Resources and Six Sigma Black Belt

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced businesses all over the world to adjust to strict lockdown guidelines, causing a massive shift in how companies conduct their day-to-day operations. It’s also led to thousands of businesses closing down and millions of employees being laid off. Budgets have been slashed or frozen, and it’s unlikely that things will get any better until the virus is gone. Despite all these complications, it falls to executives to plan for the coming year. Here are five things you can do to keep moving forward in 2021: 1. Remember Your “Why” Your “why” is the reason you started your business and your primary source of motivation. Put your “why” into words. Write it down on a post-it note and stick it to your bedroom mirror or jot it down in your journal. That way, you can remind yourself of it every day. When things get difficult, and you’re teetering on the edge of burnout, remember the reason why you chose to do all this in the first place. Often, taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture gives you more perspective. 2. Set Realistic Goals But, of course, purpose and motivation aren’t enough to push a business forward. You also need to set goals. Yes, you’ve probably already done that, but they might still be pre-pandemic goals. Now that the world has turned upside down, you’ll have to revisit those goals to see if they’re realistic. Based on one of the principles of SMART goal setting, they need to be relevant — meaning achievable based on the current realities of society. The global health crisis has forced companies to make huge adjustments, so 2021’s goals need to consider that. 3. Don’t Stop Learning You are never too old to learn, especially if you’re running a business in this ever-changing world. And in today’s digital world online learning is not only becoming more accessible, but just as valid as traditional classes. Scour the internet for free webinars relevant to your line of work, and invite your employees to join in. It’s an excellent opportunity to learn new things and check in with your employees. Moreover, if you have the funds and want a qualification at the end of your learning, online masters programs will help you build your skills in a variety of industries, all from the safety of your home. This is done through school partnerships with industry leaders like Boeing and Edward Jones, dedicated tech and academic support, and an asynchronous learning environment that connects you with professors and peers conveniently and regularly. Be sure to look up different options for you and make a point to look for schools with certifications in online learning, like the Apple Distinguished Schools distinction. This way, you can make sure you will get the most out of your time and investment. The bottom line is that the pandemic has opened up thousands of online learning opportunities, and your business is sure to benefit from their utilization. 4. Build an e-Network Networking has and always will be important, global health crisis or not. And despite the pandemic, it’s still possible to build connections with other professionals . All it takes is some emails, a couple of virtual meetings, and being proactive. Admittedly, networking is much harder in the digital sphere, but it’s worth the awkwardness — especially now, in these uncertain times. The right connections can help you boost your business, protecting it from closure even in the worst economic downturn. 5. Be Resilient, But Don’t Overwork Yourself Finally, and most importantly, don’t forget to check in with yourself. Charging forward at full speed isn’t a good idea if you’re going to get burned out by the end of it. Don’t try to plan and fix everything immediately. Instead, incorporate rest time into your daily schedule and keep an eye on your mental health. Work smart, not hard. You’ll get there. These five tips are sure to set you up for 2021. But remember that you aren’t the only one who needs to be motivated. Your team needs to be too — now more than ever. So, make sure your presence is felt (albeit only digitally for the time being) and encourage your employees to suggest changes that can improve the current system. That way, they’ll feel more involved, making them more focused and engaged. Good luck! Article written by Romina Jameson Exclusively for eileenmcdargh.com

I have the privilege of hosting the January 2022 Leadership Development Carnival! We’re excited to share posts from leadership experts from around the globe on the topics of communication, development, engagement, motivation, productivity, team building, and more. Communication Elevate Any Conversation with These 2 Words by Julie Winkle Giulioni | @Julie_WG In today’s fast-paced, intake-overloaded, noise-filled world, people crave the opportunity and welcome the invitation to think more deeply and share more of what’s on their mind. And it's as easy as speaking two simple words, 'say more'. Holiday Communication Woes: Whose Responsibility is it Anyway? by Diana Peterson-More | @DianaPMAuthor “The most wonderful time of the year,” can also be filled with stress. For me, this year, the so-called “great communicator,” encountered miscommunications that led to hurt feelings, misunderstandings, and three less for a family holiday dinner. What happened and whose responsibility is it anyway? Creativity / Inspiration How to Find Your Purpose at Work by Dana Theus | @DanaTheus Work is hard work. How to find purpose in your work is a hard question. Even when you know you are doing important things, showing up to do the hard work can start to feel like a grind. Pointless. Meaningless. Joyless. When you and others around you are struggling, lost in grind of it all, finding purpose at work acts like a lighthouse in the fog. Taking the next step to purposefully craft your work in ways that help you stay connected to this purpose is like having a compass and a map. Are You Burning Your Life Brightly? by Lisa Kohn Lisa Kohn of Thoughtful Leaders Blog presents Are you burning your life brightly?, where she shares that when we make a choice to make our lives – and relationships – burn intensely… when we can pay attention, and be Thoughtful and extraordinary, we make our relationships burn with connection, closeness and understanding, and we make our endeavors burn with purpose and power. Development Love is the Next Leadership Skill by Marcella Bremer | @MarcellaBremer Love is the next leadership skill, says Robin Anselmi. Love makes us smarter together. In a business context, love means an authentic connection, compassion, and forgiveness. How’s your love of people, connection, and collaboration? The Courage Zone by Bill Treasurer | @btreasurer Love is the next leadership skill, says Robin Anselmi. Love makes us smarter together. In a business context, love means an authentic connection, compassion, and forgiveness. How’s your love of people, connection, and collaboration? If I Empower You, You are Still Within my Power by Jim Taggart | @jlctaggart The role of senior corporate leadership is to set the context, to create the environment where collaboration is fostered, creativity nurtured, mutual respect ingrained, vision created, leadership shared, and innovation valued. The 10 Important Questions to Ask in Your New Position by Priscilla A Archangel | @prisarchangel As you develop your plan for entry into your new role or organization, think about these 10 important topics that you need to focus on. More than simple questions, they are issues you need to understand deeply as a foundation for how you will lead, how you will add value, how you will develop your strategies and accomplish your goals. Learning from the Dogs by Wally Bock | @WallyBock I love my dogs and I’ve learned a lot from them. Culture Leadership Charge: A Leader's 2022 Call to Action by S. Chris Edmonds | @schrisedmonds Twenty-eight years ago this month I had a heart attack. It was not how I planned to spend the day. Like many others who have experienced a significant health issue, my heart attack caused me to reflect on my life. I knew my job at the time was not a great fit for me. I was not using my talents to proactively serve others. Planning for a Successful Year by Jon Verbeck | @jonverbeck1 Pandemic or not, it’s the time of year to block out some time for next year’s planning and get your forecasts done. Here's a process that can help. How to Reset Performance Expectations for Better Results by Karin Hurt / David Dye | @letsgrowleaders Outstanding performance starts with clear performance expectations—a shared understanding of what success looks like. But what do you do when a critical player on your team is doing “okay,” but not great? Are You There, Yet? by Angela Hummel | @AngelaJHummel Many people aspire to earn a promotion or establish a career path leading to the highest level in an organization. While a career pinnacle might be reached, the arrival also could be filled with disappointment or disenchantment. When you build a scaffolding, you can move over to the side, jump down for a while, rely on your network or tap into other opportunities. Beyond Strategic Planning by Bill Donahue | @drbilldonahue It’s time to move beyond passion casting on the one hand, and rigid planning on the other. It is time for fresh, flexible thinking guided by core convictions and clear, collaborative action so that we all can move in the same direction together. Leading Beyond Boundaries by Ken Byler Boundaries are something most of us are good at creating. From childhood to adulthood we spend much of our time and energy deciding what and who to include or exclude. I must confess the latter behavior seems hardest for me to resist. Acceptance in Life and the Workplace by Brenda Yoho | @BrendaYoho Acceptance is a word with more depth in its meaning and width in its reach. As an individual and a leader, we have to provide support, guidance, understanding, and accountability in acceptance. In our world of wanting to be accepted, we set high expectations and often unreasonable assumptions about the work we do. As leaders, we must recognize this in ourselves, in others and help guide everyone through the steps of acceptance of self. Reflecting Back on the Year Ahead - 11 Ways to Make Your Reflection Session Pay Off by Ken Downer | @RapidStartLdr The arrival of a new year signals a time of reflecting on the old, but there’s no owner’s manual on how; here are 11 ways to make the most of it. Engagement Four Tips to Snuff Out Burnout by Jon Lokhorst | @jonlokhorst An increasing rate of employee burnout is among the far-reaching consequences of the global pandemic we’ve been weathering. It’s your responsibility as a leader to address the risk of burnout, first for yourself and then for your team. Here are four tips to guide you. Energize Your Employees by Bev Kaye | @BeverlyLKaye Did your “job EKG” ever go flat? Did the feeling of challenge change to a feeling of routine? your most valued employees are the also the ones most likely to suffer this sense of job discontent. They are savvy, creative, self-propelled, and energetic. They need stimulating work, opportunities for personal challenge and growth, and a contributing stake in the organizational action. If good workers find the job with your company no longer provides these necessities, they may decide they have outgrown the place and will consider leaving. The Top 10 Things Every Employee Wants From Their Boss by David Grossman | @ThoughtPartner What do employees really want from their managers? While the answer varies from person to person, our research and experience gained from decades of work in this area reveal some common themes, so we’re pulling back the curtain on a collective “wish list” – and come up most often as unmet – that every boss should know. Leadership Are You a Serving or a Self-Serving Leader? by Randy Conley | @RandyConley The most persistent barrier to becoming a trusted servant leader is a heart guided by self-interest that looks at the world as a “give a little, take lot” proposition. In this post, Randy Conley shares what distinguishes Servant Leaders from others and offers a free eBook excerpt from his upcoming book, The Simple Truths of Leadership--52 Ways to Be a Servant Leader and Build Trust. Productivity Men Work Hard by Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE | @macdarling According to Ricky Gervais "Men work hard but women work miracles". How many women I know who perform incredible deeds of courage, tenacity, and caring while—often—hiding behind the scenes. This New Year, Accelerate Innovative Ideas by Neal Burgis, Ph.D. | @exec_solutions As 2022 is just getting started, you need to expand and go further than before with your thinking and creating of innovative ideas. This year you need to generate ideas that will not just "WoW", but also be successful with customers wanting what you offer.

“A stitch in time saves nine." That was an old adage about sewing up clothes before the hole became too big. However, I have been fascinated lately by that expression because I think there is a more critical addition to the old saying:  “A stitch in time saves nine, b ut not if you have outgrown the pants.”  Just as foolish as it would be to try to fix and stitch up an article of clothing that no longer fits, we also encounter times in our lives when we try to “stitch” something that no longer “fits”. It could be a relationship that needs to end or an idea that no longer fits the current reality. It could be a product that has outlived its marketability.  I know I have hung on to people for too long or to projects that need to be trashed. It’s a great question to ask yourself as we close off 2025.  Look carefully at where you put your time and attention. What have you outgrown?

When Bill announced that the first two destinations on our road trip would be Flagstaff, AZ, and Moab, UT, I was thrilled. These two sites are among the few Dark Sky International has certified as having the highest-quality night sky.  I made sure that my phone app, Sky View, was up to date. The notion that ancient people could find images such as Orion’s Belt, Ursa Major, and Aquarius has always intrigued me. Alas, clouds covered the sky.  Bummer.  But Bill reminded me that we would be heading to Wyoming, Montana, and Oregon. All would not be lost. However, it was not to be. Although the days were mostly lovely with magnificent sunsets and sunrises, clouds covered the skies at nightfall. Bummer.  Once again, my pragmatic Bill pronounced, “Just because you can’t see the stars, you know they are there.” Hmmm. That’s a good lesson, particularly for these divided times. Just because what dominates news cycles are bitter words of division and hatred, there are still MANY good people eager to redeem our country and care for all people, regardless of race, creed, or gender. I’ll hold that hope and do what I can to promote a brighter tomorrow.

For many of us, the advice to “set goals”  can feel impossible—we simply don’t know what we want. That’s why I use reverse goal setting . Instead of starting with what you want, begin with what you don’t  want. Sit down with paper and write a list of the things you never want to experience in your career, health, relationships, finances, or spiritual life.  When I tried this, my list looked like this:  Physical : I did not want to be overweight, out of shape, or too tired to travel. Emotional:  After a failed marriage, I knew I didn’t want to be an unequal partner, forced to hide my true feelings, or feel unattractive. Material : I didn’t want a life stingy with fear, haunted by my relatives’ Depression-era mentality of scarcity. Spiritual : I didn’t want to feel estranged from God or alienated by rigid religious ideas. Something remarkable happens when you create such a list: clarity. You begin to see what you actually do  want.  Read the rest of the post here at LinkedIn

While vacation time should signal a slowdown in our lives, the opposite is true.  I’ve talked to many colleagues who feel battered by increasing demands from work and home. They complain of getting little sleep, of being irritable, and feeling overwhelmed.  When we talk via Zoom, I can see into their environment. What I see on camera is a working space that is disorganized, cluttered, and piled high with “stuff”. They talk of shuffling papers into different piles, of an inability to find files, and other related issues.  If this sounds like you, it’s time to get physical and can the clutter! Our physical bodies and our physical surroundings are the two areas where we can quickly make changes and begin to get a sense of order and direction.  Read the rest of the post at LinkedIn here.

“Looks like a fuchsia blossom to me.” That’s what I said to Bonnie as she left my house after our monthly breakfast meeting. “Looks like a ballerina to me,” laughed Bonnie I looked again. She was right!   That lovely blossom could easily become a graceful dancer with a flowing skirt and stretched out arms.  And here, all along, I only saw a flower.  I realized that only witnessing an object in one way deprived me of the joy found in being creative and in seeing more. How often do I look at people in the same limited way—fitting them into a neat box of my own assumptions—without pausing to consider that they might hold more stories, talents, or dreams than I realize?

This coming Labor Day, I’ll join hundreds of voices that will be raised in celebration of workers… workers like my gardener who plants flowers, like the construction worker building a house, like fellow teachers getting ready for the return of students, like my office manager who keeps me pointed in the right direction, like the nurses on a midnight shift and more. Labor Day isn’t just a three-day weekend—it’s a celebration of the dignity, creativity, and purpose that work brings to our lives. Work is more than a paycheck; it’s a chance to contribute, to build, to shape, and to serve. Whether we use our hands, our minds, or our hearts, each of us can make a difference.  Work is a four-letter word…a gift. It challenges us, connects us, and helps us grow. It allows us to discover our strengths, share our talents, and create something lasting. On Labor Day, we honor not only the labor of others but also the joy and privilege of being able to put our energy into something meaningful. So today, let’s pause in gratitude—for the jobs we have, the opportunities ahead, and the chance to do work that matters.