Smiles release serotonin and dopamine in your brain, and that helps improve your mood
Whenever I give a presentation on the impact of body language in the workplace, I always include a section on the power of a smile. That’s because research shows that facial expressions send feedback from your face to your left frontal cortex, which in turn triggers the release of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine into…
Artifacts dating back 50,000 years help us better understand human connections
It’s one of the most enduring craft traditions in human history, stretching back 50,000 years: tiny donut-shaped beads made from ostrich eggshells. They reveal the oldest social network ever identified, according to a study by Jennifer Miller. The beads probably originated in eastern Africa and spread west and south through the continent as people traded them…
U of A criminology program has highest rate of Indigenous enrolment among all arts programs
Growing up near Lac La Biche, Alta., Shaylee Lyne Desjarlais-Whitford couldn’t help noticing how Indigenous people were treated differently by the justice system. She saw how many close to her on the Kikino Métis Settlement didn’t get fair representation when charged with an offence. “Prosecutors were throwing cases away just to get them done,” she…
The whole employee rating process is a recipe for disaster
I was 23 when I got my first promotion to Acting Assistant Labour Relations Manager in the UK’s Health Service. My boss’s gift to me was my one and only report, Megan, 20 years old, grumpy, difficult and the department’s secretary. My first task in my new position was to deliver her end-of-year review. My…
The most effective communicators come across as both confident and caring
A few years ago, I conducted research in the United States, Europe and Canada to see how gender differences in communication were displayed in the workplace. The first thing I found was that both men and women identified the same sets of strengths and weaknesses in themselves and each other. Top three communication strengths for…
6 changes you can make to your body language that can turn that networking experience from frightening to fun
Imagine that you are at a networking event with the intent of doing business with some of the other attendees. In your mind, how’s that going for you? Do you see yourself socializing with ease and grace, or – if you are anything like me – has the very word “networking” increased your stress level…
To quote a noted sage: “Do or do not. There is no try”
In modern society, we’ve wandered away from the thought of winning. It has become taboo. All focus has been put on ensuring that those who don’t place feel just as special for having contributed. However, this flattening of drive seems to have had some unintended consequences – diminishing confidence and persistence. And if you want…
Live with integrity and gratitude, work hard, be kind to others and focus on your potential
The Chinese bamboo tree shows little or no apparent signs of growth for four years. Then suddenly, it can grow as much as 25 metres in weeks. That’s a powerful metaphor for the growth of successful people. Over those apparently-dormant four years, the tree actually is growing; we just can’t see it. It’s developing an…
Our tips to make the most out of what you have to offer
I once gave a seminar on leadership presence for the executive team of a high-tech company in northern California. The next day, the president of the company phoned and said: “I have an administrative assistant who is the brightest, most creative person I’ve worked with. The problem is, we’re relocating and she can’t move her…
It’s a dangerous myth to believe there is a trade-off between safety and profitability
It was a small terraced house in a northern English city. The young couple did not look old enough to have a son in our apprentice programme. They gave me a cup of tea and I sat down on their sofa. There was no TV, just some chairs, a picture of their son and the…