Blog by Tracy Stock, CSP

Sometimes people come into your life in unexpected ways. Last week I met a young girl while walking my dogs. Stephanie, who is in first grade, had just hopped off the school bus and decided to chat me up during her short walk home. In ½ of a block from the bus stop to her house, I learned her name, age, that she has two sisters in high school, and one is 17 and will be going away to college soon (and she doesn’t want her sister to leave). All of this information she openly and willingly shared with me, without me initiating any question besides asking her name. It’s like the flood gates opened after one question. What came next, though, really surprised me.

Stephanie said, “You know what? I want to be a teacher someday! A first-grade teacher—just like mine.” Then she asked me, “What do you do? As a speaker and an author, I thought it may be easier for her to understand if I just kept it simple and I replied, “I’m a writer.” She asked, “What do you write?” I said, “I write books. I’m currently writing my sixth one.” Stephanie then turned directly toward me, her face lit up with her eyes wide open as she excitedly exclaimed with animated arm gestures, “I have to say, your first book was your absolute BEST one! It’s AMAZING!”

I told her how appreciative I was of her kind comments as she said goodbye and stepped into her house. I chuckled all the way home, replaying in my mind what had just happened. Stephanie has never read any of my books; however, her imagination clearly led her to believe she had, and she definitely had a very strong opinion about the first one.

Imagination. It’s a powerful force. It enables us to envision possibilities beyond our current reality, helping to shape our future and overcome challenges. It also helps two specific skills: creativity and problem-solving.

Imagination is at the heart of creativity. It allows us to think outside the box, generate new ideas, and innovate in ways that can solve problems or bring about progress. Many groundbreaking inventions, from the lightbulb to the internet, started as imaginative concepts in someone’s mind. And when facing tough problems, imagination helps us visualize different solutions and explore potential outcomes. It can also allow us to picture alternate scenarios, helping us decide the best course of action. Instead of being limited by current circumstances, imagination empowers us to think beyond them.

Imagination is a limitless resource that allows you to explore your creativity—opening up endless possibilities that allow you to shape ideas, solve problems and even fuel your passions. Ignite your imagination and create something new. And as you reflect on accomplishing that new thing, hopefully you can mirror Stephanie’s level of excitement and say, “It’s amazing!”

Blog by Tracy Stock, CSP

There’s something universally cherished about raising a glass to celebrate, reflect, or simply unwind. From quiet nights with a cup of warm tea to gatherings where glasses clink in a shared moment of joy, sipping to remember is more than just a phrase – it’s a ritual, a practice steeped in history, culture, and personal significance.

This past Monday was, of course, Veteran’s Day—a national holiday observed to recognize the sacrifices and service of millions who have worn the military uniform, many of whom faced grave dangers and challenges while protecting our nation. During a morning news program, a compelling and touching story of Four Branches Bourbon kept me fully engaged. The founders are four veterans who share a deep appreciation for bourbon and an unbreakable bond forged in service. They believe in the power of gathering together, sharing stories, and raising a glass to honor the sacrifices of their brothers and sisters in arms and those who have supported them. Now, is likely a fair time to mention that I’m not even a bourbon connoisseur; yet, the story touched me in a unique way and I felt obliged to share it.

One of the most important points I heard one of the four founders say was, “Don’t drink to forget. Sip to remember.” What I interpreted from their message and applied to my life, was rather than drinking to cope with stress, problems or trauma, we should instead focus on acknowledging, remembering or celebrating our stories [with a commemorative toast] in a way that creates a special memory. Sipping to remember isn’t just about the drink itself; it’s about intention. Choosing to be present in the moment as you hear an inspiring or heartfelt story, engaging all of your senses, and then honoring the sacrifice, hardship, triumph or significance. I have found that one of the best ways to honor someone in moments like these is to simply, listen. Listen with your whole heart; listen with the intent of understanding, not responding.

With more holidays quickly approaching, there will likely be many more opportune times to pause, reflect and share a story with friends, colleagues and loved ones. And not every toast or sip that becomes a memorable moment needs to be because of a grand story. Some of the most touching memories come from a shared, intimate moment. Whether it’s over a mug of rich hot cocoa, a smooth and creamy cup of decadent coffee, a light-bodied mouthwatering glass of wine, or a sip of award-winning crafted 4-grain bourbon—that is smooth upfront with a little bit of a bite on the back to give you that “Kentucky Kiss”—remember to pause and be present. Listen intentionally, let the flavors and feelings soak in, and cherish that very instant—as that story will likely fuel a magical and memorable moment.    

In honor of Veteran’s Day, (if you haven’t already done this) reach out to someone this week who served in the shadows so bravely. Thank them for their service and remind them of how great America is because of the extraordinary commitment they made. I heard my Dad smile proudly as he said, “You’re welcome.”

Cheers to the moments that matter. Sip slowly to remember.

Blog by Tracy Stock, CSP

1. Set a purposeful foundation. Align employee recognition to what matters most—your organization’s purpose, values, and objectives. Be sure to recognize a variety of accomplishments: personal victories, big wins, extra effort, career achievements, healthy habits, and company milestones. Reinforce the “why”: what are you trying to achieve through recognition, and why is recognition important?
2. Encourage both manager and peer-to-peer recognition. Recognition is meaningful when it comes from both your leader and your peers. Have both types of recognition available in your solutions. Allow leaders to create their own recognition campaigns that are specific to their teams and objectives and give peers the opportunity to recognize one another when they see someone helping out or catch a colleague doing exceptional work.
3. Match awards to accomplishments. Ecards are great for saying thanks, bonuses may be perfect for a phenomenal idea, gift cards may work well for putting in a weekend of work—but there is no one-size-fits-all award. Provide a variety of meaningful awards, appropriate for the level of accomplishment. Both your awards and recognition experiences should be relevant and delivered in meaningful ways—certainly not every time someone does a little more than expected. Encourage leaders and teams to recognize in a timely, specific way, that includes what the individual accomplished, and how their great work contributed to your organization’s purpose.
4. Leverage the what, why, and how. In order to have recognition become a defining characteristic of your workplace culture, you’ll need to have a communication and training plan for your solution. It’s more than about just bringing awareness; it’s focus should be on deepening your employees’ understanding of the what, why, and how of recognition. Share best practices, highlight stories of great work and make career anniversaries an opportunity to celebrate and connect as a team. Keep recognition top of mind with employees via contests, email campaigns and talking points for team gatherings.
5. Demonstrate success through ROI. Utilize three levels of measurement: usage metrics (who and how often employees are giving and receiving recognition); culture measures (how recognition is impacting engagement, perceptions about leadership, and company culture); and business results (how recognition is improving retention, customer satisfaction, sales, quality metrics, etc.). Determine solid baselines before implementing a solution and re-assessing the impact on a regular basis.

By making recognition a priority and having a program with meaningful experiences and awards, you can build a recognition solution that increases the quality and quantity of peak employee experiences, builds connections and a sense of belonging, and acts as a primary catalyst for your workplace culture.

Blog by Tracy Stock, CSP

In today’s fast-paced world, where digital communication often takes precedence over face-to-face interaction, the art of cultivating meaningful connections can seem like a lost art. Take dating today—it often includes sites like Bumble, Tinder, Eharmony, Plenty of Fish, EliteSingles, Match, Facebook Dating, SilverSingles, and Hinge—which happens to have an appealing tagline that touts, “The dating app designed to be deleted.” When crafting a profile for one or more of these sites, the well-intentioned often design a profile that portrays what they think others are looking for, like hiking—which shouldn’t equate to walking up your backyard hill, or golfing—which shouldn’t actually mean the “miniature” kind. Prospective matches are envisioning a completely different person. Then when they finally connect, things don’t work out because they have little to nothing in common (and then we wonder why dating is so hard!?!).

Whether you’re aiming to expand your social circle, build a professional network, or deepen existing friendships, fostering genuine relationships is essential for professional and personal growth. Here are seven strategies to help you more successfully connect with others:

1. Be genuine and authentic. Authenticity is the cornerstone of meaningful connections. Be genuine in your interactions and true to yourself. People are drawn to individuals who are sincere and transparent. Share your passions, interests, and vulnerabilities openly, and encourage others to do the same.
2. Listen actively. Effective communication is a two-way street, and listening is equally important to speaking. Practice active listening by giving your full attention to the person you’re talking with. Ask open-ended questions, show empathy, and validate their feelings. Demonstrating genuine interest in others helps foster trust and strengthens relationships.
3. Display empathy and understanding. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Try to understand another person’s perspective by putting yourself in his/her shoes. Show compassion and support, especially during challenging times. By demonstrating empathy, you can build deeper connections based on mutual respect and understanding.
4. Find common ground. Shared interests and experiences form the foundation of many meaningful connections. Look for common ground with others, whether it’s a hobby, passion, or life experience. Shared experiences create a sense of camaraderie and belonging, fostering a stronger bond between individuals.
5. Be trustworthy and reliable. Trust is essential in any relationship, whether personal or professional. Establish a solid foundation of trust built on mutual respect and reliability. Follow through on commitments, respect others’ time and boundaries, and demonstrate integrity in your actions.
6. Maintain open communication. Communication is imperative to maintaining healthy relationships. Communicate candidly, expressing your thoughts and feelings openly and respectfully. Address any conflicts or misunderstandings promptly, and strive to find mutually satisfying resolutions.
7. Invest time and effort. Building meaningful connections requires time and effort. Invest in nurturing relationships by spending quality time together, whether it’s through regular meetups, phone calls, or virtual chats. Show appreciation for others and celebrate milestones and achievements together.

Whether seeking your true soulmate or aspiring to collaborate better with a colleague, ditch the endless [dating] games and instead cultivate meaningful connections with authenticity, patience and genuine effort. Don’t display untrue traits; instead, honestly put forth your best self, apply the strategies shared above, and add connections versus delete them.  

Blog by Tracy Stock, CSP

It’s almost impossible to remove a tightened screw with your bare hands, but it’s relatively easy if you use a screwdriver. Why? Because the handle of the screwdriver might only add a little torque, but it’s more than enough.

If others are succeeding at something you find difficult, it might be because they have realized what leverage they bring to the table and you haven’t. Maybe you need to find the screwdriver—or apply it in the correct manner—in order to grow and flourish.

Leverage is the art and science of getting much more done with the same, or less, effort. It involves using what you and others have or know to your advantage, and sometimes influencing situations or people to better control the outcomes. As with many things, leverage can be used in a negative and manipulative manner; however, I want to focus on positive levers you can apply to your career or specific goals to enhance your level of success.

For example, let’s say you want to find ways to leverage your knowledge and experience in your career to achieve more while working less hours. Four primary levers to help you accomplish this goal are time (yours and others), resources, knowledge and education, and technology.

1. Time Leverage. Time leverage is an excellent strategy for success. There are only so many hours in a day you can work. If you only use your time, you can achieve only so much. But if you leverage other people’s time, you can increase productivity exponentially.

When leveraging your own time:

• Practice effective time management. Eliminate unnecessary activities, and focus your effort on the things that really matter.
• Prioritize and focus your energy on the activities that give the greatest return on your time invested.
• Set appropriate S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound) goals.

When leveraging other people’s time:

• Effectively delegate work to others.
• Train others who have the desire to learn and grow and then empower them to achieve success without hovering.
• Seek external assistance for skill and/or experience gaps.

2. Resource Leverage. Apply leverage by getting the most from your assets, and taking full advantage of your personal strengths. You have a wide range of skills, talents, experiences, thoughts and ideas. What relevant skills and strengths do you have that others don’t? How can you best utilize these skills and even enhance them to further your degree of leverage?

3. Knowledge and Education Leverage. Combined with education and action, knowledge can generate tremendous leverage.

Learning by experience can be slow. If possible, identify more formal ways of learning to progress faster. In addition to your current foundation of knowledge:

• Acknowledge what you need to learn.
• Realize what level you need to learn those new skills at.
• Select your choices and focus your time and attention on learning them.
• Take additional time and focus to earn appropriate qualifications you may need.

4. Technology Leverage. Finding technology leverage is about identifying how you work and then using technology to automate as much of it as you can.

At a simple level, you might find that all you need to keep you in touch with home and work is a laptop or smartphone with easy-to-use apps.

At a more sophisticated level, businesses can choose from a wide array of software solutions. Some of these can automate or simplify tasks that are otherwise very time consuming—like customer-relationship management (CRM) databases for sales/customer service organizations or point-of-sale (PoS) inventory systems for organizations that need to track and manage inventory.

What is your secret weapon that gives you a competitive edge? What screwdriver—or other useful tool—do you need to apply differently to tip the scales and achieve the success you desire? Identify your key levels of influence to best position you to excel faster and more effectively than you ever imagined possible!

Blog by Tracy Stock, CSP

According to a recent global report, 45 percent of people have not felt true happiness for more than two years and 25 percent don’t know—or have forgotten—what it means to feel truly happy. This statistic is both sad and alarming.

Interestingly, though, roughly 40 percent of an individual’s happiness has been identified as being up to that person. Yes, it is somewhat of an oversimplification to say that every person has this much control of it, but scientists have determined that your happiness level is a result of a complex interaction of genes, behaviors, and life circumstances—meaning the way you spend your time and the thoughts that you allow to live rent free in your mind can really impact your mood and your long-term happiness.

Happiness is not as much a trait as it is a skill, meaning it requires focus and practice to keep it a constant in life. Like golf, if you want to be a great player, you can’t just pick up a driver. You have to practice and continue that discipline to maintain and enhance that skill. If you’re looking for greater joy and happiness in your life, embark on new habits with disciplined practice that can lead to an enhanced prescription for pleasure:

1. Avoid “if only” thoughts. If only I get a better job … find a mate … lose weight … life will be perfect. Happy people don’t buy into this kind of thinking. Instead, practice simple acts of joy often and focus on the good in your life. Being happy is more about feeling content, satisfied, fulfilled, grateful and appreciative over having this or getting that.
2. Teach your lips to say no.  Understand that you are free to say yes or no—or perhaps “not now.” And, when appropriate, you should do so without feelings of guilt, anger or fear.
3. Workout your worry…often. We know that working out is good for our bodies, but research has consistently shown that exercise leads to a release of endorphins which affect mood, and lead to a sense of success and to an improved self-confidence. Try dancing with someone special to experience the positive effects a little exercise offers.
4. Make a joy list. Create a list of activities that bring you joy and commit to doing one of those activities every day. By having a dedicated list of things that make you happy (like going for a walk or visiting your favorite coffee shop), you will always have something to begin each day with to elicit a more positive outlook.
5. Stretch yourself. Choose to tackle a goal today that challenges you. Choose one that is fun and interesting, as opposed to something where you may seek external validation or reward.
6. Have a daily plan. Making a plan each day will help with understanding what you are doing and why you are doing it. It feels good to check off items for the day that you’ve successfully completed and then creates a sense of pride and accomplishment.
7. Engage in mindfulness. Do something “present-minded with complete focus and no distractions.” It can be something simple, and ideally something you do every day—like making coffee, taking your dog for a walk, or making your bed. It’s all about being present, in the moment, and savoring it for exactly what that moment is. This type of mindfulness can help you take on the rest of your day with a calm, positive headspace.
8. Connect with others. The relationships we have with others have an extreme impact on our emotional health and happiness. In fact, making connecting with friends and loved ones are a top priority. A cup of coffee with an old friend, a catch-up session over video, or putting yourself out there by making new friends in your community are all ways to reap those social benefits.
9. Embrace alone time. Connecting with others is crucial, but connecting with ourselves is another important aspect of social wellness. Solitude is a biological need. It supports identity development, intimacy with others, and even promotes happiness. So feel free to take the time you need to recharge your social battery and reconnect with yourself as one.
10. Find a new hobby. Learning something new and discovering that you want to integrate it in your life more often—and perhaps view it as an exciting new hobby—can exude feelings of excitement and joy and it also often helps to enhance relaxation.
11. Volunteer. Rather than donating money (or in addition to), try offering your time and energy with volunteering. The positive emotions felt from helping someone in need is rich and enduring, and the social interaction involved is a strong contributor to happiness.
12. Practice gratitude. While it might seem like happiness feeds gratitude, it actually works the other way too. Practicing gratitude by feeling thankful and demonstrating appreciation for the amazing people and things in our life can lead to feeling more positive emotions and an increase in motivation to make healthier choices.

To have happiness, we need to say ‘yes’ to things that strengthen our relationships, help us contribute to the world, or allow us to master new skills—and learn to resist things that just satisfy our impulses—such as liking a post that we just saw on social media.

Remember, happiness is not about the absence of negative emotion and the abundance of positive ones; it is about pursuing a life of meaning and purpose and living in accordance with your values and what matters most to you.