Category: News

At a time when worker burnout and turnover is a major problem, companies can reduce both by redesigning work in ways that promote employee well-being and health. A review of research on the specific work conditions that affect employee well-being and how to improve them generated seven practical approaches that employers can apply to redesigning jobs.

New research suggests that the highest-performing teams have found subtle ways of leveraging social connections during the pandemic to fuel their success. The findings offer important clues on ways any organization can foster greater connectedness — even within a remote or hybrid work setting — to engineer higher-performing teams. Doing so takes more than simply hiring the right people and arming them with the right tools to do their work. It requires creating opportunities for genuine, authentic relationships to develop. The authors present five key characteristics of high-performing teams, all of which highlight the vital role of close connection among colleagues as a driver of team performance.

Don’t be afraid to laugh out loud in the office. A series of studies shows the positive impact humor can have in the workplace. For one, it can reduce stress. “When you start to laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body,” the Mayo Clinic explains. It enhances your intake of “oxygen-rich air,” increasing your brain’s release of endorphins. Laughter has also been shown to boost productivity. A group of researchers found that after watching a comedy clip, employees were 10% more productive than their counterparts. And another group of researchers found that cracking jokes at work can even make people seem more competent. So, within the bounds of decency, laughter on the whole is a good thing, and the benefits far outweigh the risks.

Whether it was during a career aptitude test or in a heart-to-heart chat after getting laid off, chances are someone has talked to you about how to “find your calling.” It’s one of those phrases people toss about. But StoryCorps founder Dave Isay takes issue with it … specifically, the verb.

“Finding your calling — it’s not passive,” he says. “When people have found their calling, they’ve made tough decisions and sacrifices in order to do the work they were meant to do.”

In other words, you don’t just “find” your calling — you have to fight for it. And it’s worth the fight. “People who’ve found their calling have a fire about them,” says Isay, the winner of the 2015 TED Prize. “They’re the people who are dying to get up in the morning and go do their work.”

Optimistic thinking empowers us during uncertain times, prompting us to take positive action steps. The reason for this is that optimists generally expect good things to happen in the face of challenges and, most importantly, believe that their behavior matters for creating positive change.

Optimism is also helpful during the interview process, making candidates appear more likeable and capable. When a hiring manager asks about a recent challenge and how you solved it, the way you frame your response is telling for future performance.

The most hopeful aspect coming out of optimism research is that our mindset is malleable — just like a muscle at the gym, we can work on it to strengthen it. Our mindset is not merely a result of genes and upbringing. By refocusing attention on the positive, meaningful parts of life and our personal strengths, we can scientifically retrain the brain to default to that way of thinking.