While you can't personally transform the corporate culture, you can influence the workplace climate and create meaningful and lasting change. Supported by the latest research, this eye-opening book argues that our best work is the product of a positive environment. When it comes to work these days, we're expected to do more with less--but is this nose-to-the-grindstone philosophy the best way to run a business? Alarmingly low employee engagement numbers indicate otherwise. So, if pushing everyone harder isn't the path to productivity, what is? Advocating a steward model of management, The Optimistic Workplace reveals how to: Explore personal and organizational purpose--and align them for astonishing results Overcome resistance and skepticism Build camaraderie and deepen loyalty Increase intrinsic motivation Help your team find meaning in their work Identify goals collaboratively and track progress Examples from companies large and small demonstrate how this people-centric focus ignites employee potential, increases innovation, and catapults the organization to new levels of performance. The Optimistic Workplace presents an array of surprisingly simple strategies as well as practical 30-, 60-, and 90-day plans designed to focus your actions and make employee optimism not just a worthy goal--but a real and measurable result.

Are you building a typical team… or a high-performance tribe? The motivational power of the desire to belong is the key element for ensuring employee satisfaction and retention, as well as your company’s long-term success. With millions of exhausted employees “living for Friday,” the place we spend most of our time--our workplace--is drudgery. But what happens when leaders revive the workplace by tapping into a hardwired human need? That need, a sense of belonging, can resuscitate employee satisfaction and retention, while also contributing to a company’s long-term success. Employees want more than a job. They want an opportunity to solve essential problems and receive fair pay and benefits. While some companies use slick culture tricks to attract and retain employees, a more meaningful experience can be created by fostering a sense of belonging. How can businesses achieve this? In his new book Work Tribes, Shawn Murphy, CEO of WorqIQ and a sought-after leadership speaker, shows readers how to tap into the motivational pull of belonging. Based on findings from his interviews with leaders and employees at companies such as LinkedIn, The Container Store, Canlis Restaurant, and Barry-Wehmiller, Work Tribes reveals why a human-centered approach is more aligned with the way we work in the twenty-first century. Astonishing outcomes result from making your employees feel welcomed, wanted, and valued--and this book will show you how to transform your team into a unified tribe.

Psychologists have long been aware that most people maintain an irrationally positive outlook on life—but why? Turns out, we might be hardwired that way. In this absorbing exploration, Tali Sharot—one of the most innovative neuroscientists at work today—demonstrates that optimism may be crucial to human existence. The Optimism Bias explores how the brain generates hope and what happens when it fails; how the brains of optimists and pessimists differ; why we are terrible at predicting what will make us happy; how emotions strengthen our ability to recollect; how anticipation and dread affect us; how our optimistic illusions affect our financial, professional, and emotional decisions; and more. Drawing on cutting-edge science, The Optimism Bias provides us with startling new insight into the workings of the brain and the major role that optimism plays in determining how we live our lives.

Tap Into the Power of Human Connection Creating a thriving organization where employees feel valued, the environment is energized, and high productivity and innovation are the norm requires a new kind of leader who fosters a culture of connection within the organization. Connection Culture, 2nd Edition, is your game-changing opportunity to become that leader and to begin fostering a connection culture in your organization. Stop undermining performance and take the first step toward change that will give your organization, your team, and everyone you lead a true competitive advantage. Inspiring and practical, this book challenges you to set the performance bar high and keep reaching. Learn how to: Foster a connection culture Emulate best practices of connected teams—from Mayo Clinic physicians and scientists to the creators of the award-winning Broadway musical Hamilton. Boost vision, value, and voice within your organization. Published in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, the book messages the authors’ hope for post-traumatic growth; provides updated, research-supported theories about the relationship of stress and loneliness; and includes new examples and profiles of great leaders communicating during crisis.

A compelling and practical guide, tailored to help you achieve balance, fulfillment, and joy in your professional life. The Secrets to Happiness at Work book brings together proven strategies from positive psychology, mindfulness, and personal growth to transform your work experience. Dr. Tracy Brower, PhD, MM, MCRw is a sociologist and an award-winning speaker and has over 25 years of experience working with global clients to achieve business results. Her work has been featured in TEDx, The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, and Fortune.com. Within the pages of this transformative guide, you will discover: Key principles of positive psychology to help you improve job satisfaction Practical mindfulness techniques to reduce stress and improve focus Personal growth strategies to unlock your potential and improve performance Tips on achieving work-life balance to enhance overall well-being Insights on fostering a positive work culture and nurturing professional relationships This guide is not just for those feeling dissatisfied in their current position, but for anyone seeking to boost their happiness at work. From managers aiming to improve workplace morale, to individuals seeking personal growth and satisfaction, The Secrets to Happiness at Work is an invaluable tool for creating a more positive and productive professional life. An ideal read for career coaches, HR professionals, corporate trainers, or anyone looking to improve their work life.

Life's too short to be unhappy at work "I'm working harder than I ever have, and I don't know if it's worth it anymore." If you're a manager or leader, these words have probably run through your mind. So many of us are feeling fed up, burned out, and unhappy at work: the constant pressure and stress, the unending changes, the politics--people feel as though they can't give much more, and performance is suffering. But it's work, after all, right? Should we even expect to be fulfilled and happy at work? Yes, we should, says Annie McKee, coauthor of the bestselling Primal Leadership. In her new transformative book, she makes the most compelling case yet that happiness--and the full engagement that comes with it--is more important than ever in today's workplace, and she sheds new light on the powerful relationship of happiness to individual, team, and organizational success. Based on extensive research and decades of experience with leaders, this book reveals that people must have three essential elements in order to be happy at work: A sense of purpose and the chance to contribute to something bigger than themselves A vision that is powerful and personal, creating a real sense of hope Resonant, friendly relationships With vivid and moving real-life stories, the book shows how leaders can use these powerful pillars to create and sustain happiness even when they're under pressure. By emphasizing purpose, hope, and friendships they can also ensure a healthy, positive climate for their teams and throughout the organization. How to Be Happy at Work deepens our understanding of what it means to be truly fulfilled and effective at work and provides clear, practical advice and instruction for how to get there--no matter what job you have.

Thirty years ago, the bestselling "letter to the government" Work in America published to national acclaim, including front-page coverage in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. It sounded an alarm about worker dissatisfaction and the effects on the nation as a whole. Now, based on thirty years of research, this new book sheds light on what has changed - and what hasn't. This groundbreaking work will illuminate the new critical issues - from worker demands to the new ethical rules to the revolution in culture at work.

In this book, the author builds on decades of complex research to examine the gender pay gap and the unequal distribution of labor between couples in the home. The author argues that although public and private discourse has brought these concerns to light, the actions taken - such as a single company slapped on the wrist or a few progressive leaders going on paternity leave - are the economic equivalent of tossing a band-aid to someone with cancer. These solutions, the author writes, treat the symptoms and not the disease of gender inequality in the workplace and economy. Here, the author points to data that reveals how the pay gap widens further down the line in women's careers, about 10 to 15 years out, as opposed to those beginning careers after college. She examines five distinct groups of women over the course of the twentieth century: cohorts of women who differ in terms of career, job, marriage, and children, in approximated years of graduation - 1900s, 1920s, 1950s, 1970s, and 1990s - based on various demographic, labor force, and occupational outcomes. The book argues that our entire economy is trapped in an old way of doing business; work structures have not adapted as more women enter the workforce. Gender equality in pay and equity in home and childcare labor are flip sides of the same issue, and the author frames both in the context of a serious empirical exploration that has not yet been put in a long-run historical context. This book offers a deep look into census data, rich information about individual college graduates over their lifetimes, and various records and sources of material to offer a new model to restructure the home and school systems that contribute to the gender pay gap and the quest for both family and career. --

Learn how to improve the well-being of your employees that will ultimately boost your company’s bottom line. Studies show that unhealthy work habits, like staring at computer screens and rushing through fast-food lunches, are taking a toll in the form of increased absenteeism, lost productivity, and higher insurance costs. But should companies intervene with these individual problems? And if so, how? The Healthy Workplace says yes! Companies that learn how to incorporate healthy habits and practices into the workday for their employees will see such an impressive ROI that they’ll kick themselves for not starting these practices sooner. Packed with real-life examples and the latest research, this all-important resource reveals how to: Create a healthier, more energizing environment Reduce stress to enhance concentration Inspire movement at work Support better sleep Heighten productivity without adding hours to the workday Filled with tips for immediate improvement and guidelines for building a long-term plan, The Healthy Workplace proves that a company cannot afford to miss out on the ROI of investing in their employees’ well-being.