Jason's Blog
Management Needs an Upgrade: The Cultivation Mindset
The past year forced a lot of changes in the way work happens. When, where, and how we work was disrupted in a way that we’ve never seen before. Organizations have adapted in some pretty compelling ways. Safety was made a top priority through changes to the physical...
A Great Tool for Creating Clear Expectations
In my last post, I shared a story of the consequences that can occur when we aren’t clear on expectations within our work relationships. Having clarity within any relationship is vital, and it’s something that we all too often leave to chance. I also encouraged you...
I Broke My Own Golden Rule—Here’s What Happened
Recently, I collaborated with a friend on a project. It wasn’t a big project, and we weren’t doing it for money. It was more of an exploratory effort that we were both interested in doing, so we decided to do it together. The two of us have been friends for years but...
The Other Side of Burnout – What’s Working for Me
If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you were likely along for the ride last summer as I wrote about facing burnout for the first time and working my way through it. Your responses to those posts reminded me how important it is to “show our work” as humans....
My Birthday Wish for 2021
Last year, I published a post on my birthday where I shared a birthday wish (actually a couple) for 2020. This year, I make it a tradition. There’s something magical about wishes. Wishing gives you the freedom to ask for anything, no matter how improbable. There are...
Top 5 Virtual Meetings WORST Practices (and How to Fix Them)
At the end of last year, I created a fun survey to invite people to share their biggest frustrations with virtual meetings at work. It was an invitation to vent, complain, and let it all out. Eighty of you took the opportunity to share your biggest gripes. And thanks...
The #1 Management Imperative for 2021
Well, we made it. We’ve turned the page from 2020. After last year, surviving the year feels like a milestone to celebrate. We certainly toasted the end of the year at our house. Now a new year begins with at least the promise that the end of this pandemic-fueled era...
Reflections and Learnings from 2020
While this has felt like the longest year in recorded history, the end of the year sort of snuck up on me. Thankfully, it’s because I’ve been busy with work. But that means I’m behind on my end-of-year planning efforts. One of the things I try to do each year is...
The Right Way to Support Employee Productivity
Given where we find ourselves at the end of 2020, it’s not surprising that one of the biggest concerns being discussed by managers and leaders everywhere is employee productivity. Whether your work requires you to be face-to-face with customers or patients or it...
Winter is Coming
For those of you who aren’t Game of Thrones fans, this title probably seems silly to you. An observation like this certainly isn’t going to earn me a job as a meteorologist any time soon. But, if you are a GoT fan, you know these three words represent a warning. When...
3 Simple Tips for Managing Remote Employees
Regardless of when this pandemic ends (which feels like never to me right now), the way we work will never go back to how it was before. Sure, offices will open and some people will return to their cubicles, but many won’t. If there’s one thing we’ve learned about...
Employee Engagement for You: September 2020 Edition
The honeymoon is over. That’s actually both a terrible and perfect way to describe where we are right now. The past six months haven’t felt anything like a honeymoon, but they may end up feeling that way in hindsight someday. When everything changed in the spring, we...
Please Don’t Fake It (The Authentic You is Worth the Work)
Last week, I opened the weekly email from a thought leader I really admire, Marc Effron. Marc is probably best known for writing the genius book, One Page Talent Management. I first crossed paths with Marc in 2006 when we were both speaking at the same event. We were...
Burnout and Putting Me Back Together Again
About two weeks ago, I wrote about my realization that I was suffering from burnout. The response to the post was both affirming and concerning. Affirmation came in the form of messages and comments signifying I wasn’t alone. Others saw themselves in my situation....
Employee Engagement Essentials Post-COVID
I originally wrote this post for my friends at Workhuman. I asked their permission to share it here as well because I thought you might find it valuable. If you'd like to view the original post, you can find it...
Sending My Kids Back to School Broke Me
I thought I was doing pretty well. When our lives (and my business) got turned upside down in March, I hunkered down. I’ve been through some tough times before, so I knew that I could survive whatever was to come. My wife and I figured out the “school from home” mess...
No. The Future of Work is NOT Work From Home
A lot has changed over the past several months at work. This virus showed up and lit the status quo on fire. A majority of office workers now work from home. And we’ve been scrambling ever since. The most intense disruption has been felt in jobs and work that once...
Employee Engagement for You: July 2020 Edition
When I feel overwhelmed or stressed, my go-to strategy to find my way back to feeling calm and centered is gratitude. That allure of comfort is powerful. But that path leads nowhere. The old normal is gone. And good riddance. We can do better. As I write this today,...
Embrace the Suck
Embrace the suck. This is a familiar phrase for those who have served in the military. It's a way to remind yourself or others that what you are doing is hard but important and that you need to keep going. The difficulty and discomfort of the experience are a...
What Does Employee Engagement Mean? Everything You Need to Know
“Employee engagement” has become such a common term that it’s easy to assume everyone knows exactly what it means. The words have a positive ring, for sure. (Most of us associate engagement with marriage and that’s a pretty happy time.) But what exactly does...
Employee Engagement For You: The Latest News June 2020
Do you feel like you are standing at a fork in the road? On one path, we attempt to circle back to return things to normal. We seek the comfort of how things used to be before COVID. Before George Floyd. Before everything changed. That allure of comfort is powerful. ...
Keeping Employees Connected (Without the Terrible Virtual Happy Hours)
Whether it's because your workforce is newly remote or because you can't hold in-person meetings right now, you are probably worrying about how to keep your employees connected. This has been a common refrain in the conversations I've been having lately. I'm excited...
Our Crisis of Trust at Work
As I've talked to leaders and managers over the past weeks, the two biggest issues on their minds have been supporting remote work and the "return to the office" plan. The general feeling I get from most I talk to is that they believe remote working is temporary, and...
How to Shape the Future of Work NOW
I've been struggling the past couple of weeks to write. Every time I sit down in front of my keyboard, I feel conflicted. The range of issues facing people leaders and organizations varies so widely. On one end of the spectrum are those employers whose primary...
Employee Engagement for You: The Latest News April 2020
It feels like the world has been turned upside down in the last few months. As we try to adjust to our new realities, riding the daily emotional rollercoaster that is life right now, it can be hard to stay grounded. In the midst of all of this, there are two things I...
How (and Why) to Check in With Your Employees Now More Than Ever
If you are like most people, you are concerned about how the current situation is going to affect those closest to you. My two youngest are out of school and are trying to make sense of everything that's happening. It must feel strange and out of balance to them. My...
What Your Employees Need From You Right Now
For the amount of talk and training and coaching we've deployed over the years about change, you'd think we would be better equipped when big changes show up. Maybe nothing would have prepared us for the collective gut punch that we are all experiencing right now. I...