My Secret Weapon Question That Instantly Diffuses Anger

Whether on the highway, when the driver in front of you won’t get out of your way, or during a conversation when the other person won’t listen to your point, or when a co-worker takes up your valuable time talking about his problems, at times, we all could use a little help deflating our anger.

In cases like this, I have a secret weapon. It’s a question I ask myself that instantly defuses the ticking time bomb in my brain. It soothes me and allows me to consciously choose a reaction that won’t escalate the situation. That question is: “In what way is this behavior true about me, too?”

Similar to walking in another’s shoes, asking myself this question allows me access to information that heightened emotion blinds me to, and it helps me put the situation into perspective. Almost instantly, a wave of acceptance comes over me. I’m able to respond constructively.

The Case For Banning Weekend & Nighttime Work Emails

Amidst a great deal of controversy, France recently passed a bill that makes it illegal for employees to send and receive emails at night, over the weekend and on holidays. The French Labor reform bill affects companies of 50 employees or more, and was in response to research that says email outside of office hours increase stress and have a negative impact on work-family balance.

Here in the U.S., a new study conducted by a team from Lehigh University, Virginia Tech and Colorado State University concluded that email’s constant pull also leads to burnout. They site previous research that says employees must be able to detach to restore the resources they use at work during the day. Continuous emailing impedes the recovery process.

The researchers warn that companies that perpetuate an “always on” culture may be leading their employees down a path of emotional exhaustion and chronic stress that will affect their health and well-being.

What Millennials Want From Their Employers

Are you a leader who is scratching her head trying to understand the millennials who work for you? Gallup has done some research that might shed light on this emerging workplace generation.

At the top of the list of what Millennials want from an employer is development. 87 percent say that learning and growing on the job is an expectation and a priority. They want formal and informal opportunities to improve their skills and knowledge.

But here’s the rub: they won’t ask for those opportunities for fear of appearing disloyal. Millennials want their boss to proactively connect them to on-the-job learning opportunities.

And one final distinction. Millennials are often viewed as entitled and impatient – that they’re not willing to pay their dues. But they view themselves as empowered and eager to be useful now. They don’t want to wait for seniority or tenure to make their impact felt.