Let Your Workers Try Different Tools

                                                          
thoughtblazers’ take
LET YOUR WORKERS TRY DIFFERENT TOOLS
Let your employees try different tools and resources. Don’t assume you know what will work for them and what won’t. A lot of successful change management comes from trial and error.

Source: explosm.net

Baylor Study: Employees of Small, Locally Owned Businesses Have More Company Loyalty

thoughtblazers' commentary
In November of 2014, Baylor University announced research findings, employees who work at small, locally owned businesses have the highest level of loyalty to their employers.

What can employers and bosses learn from these findings? Is the loyalty driver the culture that might be present in many small towns? Or is it that workers have fewer options in these towns, so loyalty is more of a necessity? While the study doesn't pinpoint causality, it's can be a useful tool to help begin or advance a meaningful dialogue in your workplace.
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Employees of Small, Locally Owned Businesses Have More Company Loyalty | Read the release from Baylor University

Hi-Tech and Vintage Coworkers Can Flourish Together

thoughtblazers' take:
This amazing high-tech vintage amplifier from Heartless Machine is the perfect image of the ideal multigenerational workplace. Seriously!? Yes! And here’s why: 1) The smartphone represents the Millenials and Gen Xers with their extreme tech savviness, knowledge of pop culture and younger buyers, along with flexibility; 2) The horn - that actually becomes an external speaker for the smartphone - is a visual for the rich, full experience that Baby Boomers and Traditionals bring to their work; 3) The solid base is the innovative leadership that holds it all together.

At first glance, it’s somewhat odd looking. But then you begin to see the genius of it, and wonder if this would fit in your office or living room. 

Those companies who can bring their vintage and high-tech workers together will flourish.
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source: heartlessmachine

The Geography of Marriage
thoughtblazers' take:
Job-seeking Gen X and Gen Y folks might find the following Pew Research study to be of particular interest. This might be another parameter to include in your "Pro vs Con" chart when considering employment opportunities.
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Mapping the Marriage Market for Young Adults

from www.pewsocialtrends.org

The share of American adults who have never been married is at a record high (20%), and young adults are at the leading edge of this national trend.

Anxiety In the Workplace
thoughtblazers' take:

This piece from the Guardian UK gives some great insights into the relationship between Social Anxiety Disorder, phobias, and procrastination regarding certain tasks.

While the article doesn't have all that much on solutions, it will give you a better understanding of the dynamics of Social Anxiety, which may be impacting you or a fellow coworker.

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Social Anxiety: Why the Mundane Can be Terrifying 
from The Guardian UK  

Article Photograph: Blend Images/Alamy

Planting Seeds of Wellness
thoughtblazers' take: 

The findings in this article from the Association for Psychological Science should come as no surprise that work spaces with plants can increase employee productivity and satisfaction. We're even willing to bet that pictures, mini water fountains, and other knick-knacks can make for a more efficient work environment. But it's great to have a bit of research to back it up.

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Offices That Have Plants May Provide a Boost to Employee Engagement and Work Performance from www.psychologicalscience.org