What ill cannot find relief in the wet nose of a Labrador? What question cannot be answered by the irrefutable weight of a lap-curled Tabby? What problem cannot be solved with the undulating song of a budgie? Pets have much to offer the flesh-covered companions with whom they share their lives, all of it gloriously intangible. In their company, we can transcend the surly bonds of our earthly existence and somehow...
“In our daily lives,” said celebrated author Arthur Clarke, “we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but the gratefulness that makes us happy.” It’s a lesson the world could stand to learn, given the stark absence of gratitude that characterizes the professional landscape most of us occupy. According to a recent Gallup poll, a full 65% of people say they don’t feel appreciated at work. For the...
The world right now seems shrouded in such incredible murk it’s a wonder any of us can put a foot in front of the other. Every new day, every new Anderson Cooper utterance, every new splash of 72-point newsprint ink brings fresh reason for despair. The aftershocks of a devastating earthquake on a pristine strip of humanity in the South Pacific. The ravings of a despot in northern Africa intent on taking a country...
It’s a win-win-win. The consumer gets a new toy, its manufacturer gets a sale, an affiliated charity gets a shot to the arm. And those are just the tangibles. Cause-related marketing (CRM) isn’t a new idea. The first notable initiative on this front was likely an American Express campaign from the early 1980s that dedicated a portion of each purchase toward a program to restore the Statue of Liberty. Even earlier,...
Sometimes, there is boundless wisdom in apparent contradiction. Such is the case with the complicated, clever concept of servant leadership. Servant leadership is a practical, altruistic philosophy finding increasing play in the modern workplace as leadership styles overall shift to those that emphasize compassion, encouragement, empathy and service. Inside the servant-leadership belief system, the best parts of...