Legacy Bowes Group Articles

Finally, those lazy, hazy days of summer have arrived. University students have found their summer jobs and elementary and high school students are getting increasingly excited as they begin the countdown to summer vacation. Summer season also affects our workplaces in at least two ways. First, employees quickly line up with their vacation requests, causing scheduling challenges for management. Second, people typically find it hard to concentrate in the summer, so employee productivity often lags behind.

I recently spent a long weekend in the Lake Louise and Banff area.  Although I’m an avid skier, I decided to forego skiing and participate in other activities the area has to offer – as the area does offer an abundance.

One such activity was Dog Sledding.  My initial attraction was simply seeing a poster in the Lake Louise Tourism shop and thought if for no other reason, then when I travel to a southern, warm destination and was asked by locals if I have ever experienced dog sledding being Canadian, I could honestly then say – “Yes! I have and it was very cool!”  Little did I know that I would gain more than simply, a fun excursion amongst a beautiful snowy backdrop and the thrill of trying something new, but see evidence of typical organizational dynamics in a unique setting!

There is a great deal of interest at the present time in understanding what motivates Millennials and why they behave the way they do within the workplace.  In fact, the interest is on the rise as it would appear that they are behaving very differently than past generations.  Employers have been known to consider them one homogeneous group, thus placing them all in the same stereo typical box with mis-construed labels – such as “Entitled, Lazy, Impatient, Demanding and Unreliable as Team Members.”

Effective communication starts with hearing what someone means when they speak

There’s an assumption in our society that everyone is born to listen effectively. After all, that’s what our ears are for. Yet, we know there’s a great deal of miscommunication and disrupted relationships at home and at work simply because people don’t listen well.

Taking time to assess your attitude can lead to positive thinking

You’ve seen it, I know you have. I’m referring to the bad behaviour and negative attitude some employees exhibit in the workplace. In fact, you may have engaged in this behaviour yourself.

Tips to help you develop positive behaviours in the workplace

In case you haven’t noticed, there’s been a move behind the scenes by groups of professionals and industry associations to ensure professional work standards in their industry sectors.