May 16, 2018

The Significance of Stress At Work And Some Ways to Circumvent It

by Cindy Crean     


Proof That Positive Work Cultures are More Productive 

This succinct article by Harvard Business Review provides some very telling information about the impact of stress on work life. One of the most striking among the facts revealed is a study done by The American Psychological Association estimates that more than $500 billion is siphoned off from the U.S. economy because of workplace stress, and 550 million workdays are lost each year due to stress on the job. The article recommends the following strategies to avoid stress: foster social connections, go out of your way to help, show empathy and encourage others to talk to you. True North Team Building offers plenty of programs to combat stress and to reinforce your company’s values. Further, any of our Play team events do a great job of loosening the stress-causing psychological grip of technology over your employees.

 

stress at work

May 16, 2018

How to Leave Your Comfort Zone And Why It’s Important To

by Cindy Crean     


LifeHacker “Breaking Out of Your Comfort Zone”

In this lifehacker blog post, author Alan Henry discusses the importance of pushing yourself beyond the limits of your ‘comfort zone’. He admonishes the complacency of neglecting to try new things and falling back on old habits. In his guide to how to leave your comfort zone and why you should, Henry brings up “Optimal Anxiety”. Optimal anxiety is the idea that you need a small amount of stress to perform at your best. Optimal anxiety can be exploited in a work environment to help create a more productive space. Research cited in the article suggests that without enough risk or unfamiliarity involved in a task, workers can easily fall into a steady and sluggish pace or even apathy. True North Team Building offers programs (like Chain Reaction) that will allow you to see how your employees flourish when confronted with new and semi-stressful challenges. These programs are designed to give your company ideas about how a more dynamic workplace is more conducive to success.

May 15, 2018

The Chalk Art by Peter Han & The Surprisingly Valuable Work Ethic Behind It

by Cindy Crean     


Peter Han Chalk Art

SnowGlobe Studios’ short film, “Pardon My Dust: The Chalk Art of Peter Han” speaks volumes on the creative potential behind two things: not being afraid to let go and taking the ‘biggest strokes’ first. Han teaches students to practice drawing on the impermanent medium of the chalkboard to avoid attachment/excessive self-praise. He also says that it can be limiting to fixate on the details initially; you should instead get the biggest concepts down first and work backwards from there. These ideas are easily applicable to the workplace and are endlessly fruitful for self-improvement. True North Team Building offers many programs that help instill these values.