Tag: msu

Campus in the spring

August Events Round-Up

Published on by Abigail MillerLeave a comment

If you and your family are looking for activities in August,  you’ve come to the right place! Check out upcoming events for you and your family to savor the summer season! Visit the links below to explore upcoming events and register if required. 

Campus Events

August 2 – Family Day: UNDO: First Saturday means Family Day at the MSU Broad Art Museum. This month, we are making art in reverse – playing with materials and the ways things can come together after being apart. 

August 6 – MSU Summer Carillon Concert Series: Bring a picnic, chair, or blanket to Beaumont Tower to experience musical talent in one of the most beautiful locations on MSU’s campus. Don’t miss the last show of the season!

August 10 – Garden Edition: Deep-Rooted with Beal Botanical Garden: Join Applied Ethnobotanist and Education Director of the Beal Botanical Gardens, Maeve Bassett, to learn about the social, historical, and political narratives within plants in the garden and artwork in the MSU Broad Art Collection.

August 29 – First Michigan State Home Football Game: Visit Spartan Stadium to cheer on the Spartans for the first game of the year against the Western Michigan Broncos! 

Learning Opportunities

August 5 – Free Webinar – Unlock the Power of a Multigenerational Workforce: Professor Eileen Wilson from the Broad College of Business is leading a webinar where you will gain insights into the cultures of generations in the workplace and leave with five strategies to connect bridges and boost collaboration within your team. 

August 14 – TIAA Webinar – Your Guide to Living Well in Retirement: Reserve your spot now to learn more about retirement and the human factors that can help you add excitement to the next chapter of your life. 

August 21 – Maximizing the Spartan Experience:  In this interactive session, learn how you, as an MSU employee, can strengthen colleague relationships and strengthen customer service. This training is ground in real MSU scenarios, team examples, and self-reflection. 

August 21 and 22 – 2025 Fall Educator Seminars: Join MSU IT Educational Technology, MSU Libraries, the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation (CTLI), the Enhanced Digital Learning Initiative (EDLI), and MSU IT Training at the virtual 2025 Fall Educator Seminars. These free courses are offered  to help prepare educators for the upcoming school year.

August 21- Identify and Maximize Your Strengths: Part 2 Unlock the Full 34: In this series, you have the opportunity to learn identify personal talents through the CliftonStrengths Full 34 Report, evaluate how these talents impact work relationships and performance, and determine how to develop further natural talents through the given tools.

August 27 – Introduction to Process Mapping: Learn how to define key processes improvement technology, create a process map, and reduce barriers in process mapping.

August 28 – Bystander Intervention Training: This course is designed to provide participants with strategies to prevent and help in problematic behavior associated with workplace harassment or discrimination. 

August 28 – TIAA Webinar – Your Guide to Understanding Longevity:  During this webinar, learn about challenges and opportunities that come with increased longevity, how it affects retirement and financial planning, and how to maintain wealth and happiness. 

Family-Friendly Events 

August 4 and 11 – Sensory Friendly Hour at Bath Township Library: On the third and fourth Mondays of each month, visit the Bath Township Library for sensory-friendly hours. Staff will dim lights, provide sensory-friendly toys, fidgets, and noise-canceling headphones for those seeking a calming environment to explore books. 

August 21 – Disney Trivia: If you can quote Disney movies by heart, know every song by memory, or are a casual fan of Mickey Mouse, now is the perfect opportunity to test your Disney knowledge at High Caliber Karting Disney Trivia Night!  

August 24 – Picnic with Princess: Elsa, Rapunzel, Ariel, Moana, and Belle invite you to join them for a fairytale celebration! Families can bring their own blankets and lunches and enjoy interactive performance, activities, and photo opportunities with the princesses.

Greater Lansing Area Events 

Select dates in August – Lansing Lugnuts Home Games: “Go Nuts” and cheer on your local Lansing Lugnuts baseball team at Jackson Field this month! Check out their website for themes, promotions, tickets, and dates for August games.

July 30 – August 3 – 2025 JazzFest Michigan: Visit Old Town Lansing for JazzFest Michigan – a music festival that has been going on over 30 years! Between four venues and five days, the music possibilities are endless for you and your family to see live. 

August 1 and 15 – Glow Paddle Night Kayaking: Come and watch the Lansing Lugnuts post-game fireworks show from the river at Glow Paddle Night! Kayaks are available for rent, or you can bring your own! 

August 5, 12, 19 and 26 – Sunset and Chill:  Bring yourself and the family to Charlotte to enjoy free live music on the brand new music wagon stage, take a ride on the Whiskey Wagon and watch the sunset!  

August 23 – A Night For Nature: Bring a comfy chair, a beverage of choice, and your friends for a night of music under the stars at the Harris Nature! All proceeds from the event will support Harris Nature Center’s educational programs and facilities.  

August 20 – Tomato Festival: Celebrate tomato season at the Lansing Tomato Festival! From cooking demos to entertainment and tasting, this is an experience you won’t want to miss.

Farmers Markets

Beginning August 3 – The East Lansing Farmers Market: Visit Valley Court Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday in August for some shopping and fresh air at the East Lansing Farmers Market (ELFM). Here you can purchase a variety of fresh goods, farm-grown here in Michigan, including vegetables, fruits, bread, cheese, honey, flowers, and so much more. No registration needed. 

Beginning August 6 – Downtown Dewitt Farmers Market: Come to the Downtown Dewitt Farmers Market for an evening of exploring small businesses, home-grown foods, treats, and more! Every Tuesday in August, join us from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. for some shopping, food trucks and fun in Downtown Dewitt on a warm summer night. 

Beginning August 7 – South Lansing Farmers Market: The South Lansing Farmers Market is open Thursdays, and is located at the corner of Jolly and S. MLK in Lansing! Stop by for farm fresh fruits and veggies, fresh cut flowers, arts and crafts, natural body and household products, and a food court featuring Mexican, Chinese, Lebanese, and Southern Soul food – a little something for everyone! 

Beginning August 7 – Dimondale Farmers Market: The Dimondale Farmers Market will run every Thursday in August in the Village Square. The Market is celebrating their 18th season and hosts over 15 vendors providing locally produced products including fruits, vegetables, chicken, fish, jams, honey, flowers, and more!

Two people collaborating

Performance Excellence Strategic Goal Setting: Tips for Supervisors

Published on by Abigail MillerLeave a comment

With everything you juggle as a supervisor, it’s easy to fall into a rut of viewing the performance management of your team as completing an annual review form and a once-yearly review of upcoming goals. However, taking the time to examine the potential opportunities within the Performance Excellence process can lead to significantly higher yields, both in the short and long term — for you, your team, and the university.

A primary goal of Performance Excellence should be to connect individuals to the organization’s greater purpose and help develop employees to better achieve the university’s goals. Although perhaps requiring a more significant investment of time upfront, creating a unifying vision for your team and establishing regular, ongoing check-in sessions to align goals will then serve as a touchstone for all performance evaluation and planning sessions.

Here are some tips and best practices to better align the goals and priorities of your team with the strategic objectives of your unit and MSU’s strategic plan.

1. Create a unit vision statement.

If your unit doesn’t already have a shared vision, now is a great time to formalize this and bring your team on board. Consider creating a one-page plan to outline your unit’s initiatives and the alignment of resources (i.e., time, people, funding) to achieve results and align with this vision.

Ask yourself:

  • Why does our unit exist?
  • What do we do that helps the university achieve the overarching strategic priorities?
  • How do we know we are successful?

2. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

As a supervisor, you should regularly communicate your unit’s vision to your team, both one-on-one and as a whole team. Ensure that everyone is fully aware of the vision, its meaning, and why it matters to them.

3. Help employees understand how their work impacts the vision.

When we can clearly connect our daily work with a larger picture of the unit’s and the university’s goals and objectives, job satisfaction and productivity almost always improve. Employees should be able to see how their individual contributions are critical to the university’s continued growth and success.

4. Have your employees consider goals and priorities for themselves that align with the unit’s vision.

Allow your team to take ownership of their goals, prioritizing what’s important to them about their work, while understanding that some employees may require more guidance and support with this process than others. Goals should be clear and measurable — think SMART and HARD goals â€” with a clear connection to your unit’s vision statement.

5. Ensure an ongoing feedback loop is maintained.

Aligning the goals and efforts of an individual with the larger team and organization cannot be a “one and done” activity. Regular, ongoing communication via one-on-one check-ins provides brief but powerful opportunities to touch base on objectives, realign priorities, and clarify expectations. Strive to provide prompt, actionable feedback to your team, tying everything back to your unit’s vision and ensuring each person understands how their work contributes to the bigger picture.

Additional resources to support you through this process can be found below, and HR’s Organization and Professional Development department is available at avphr.hrdmail@msu.edu if you would like further information or guidance.

Related Resources

MSU Performance Excellence: Supervisor Tips and Tools (Collection of resources including sample goals for different roles, goal-setting tips, and conversation starters for high performance)

Instructor-led OPD Workshops

HR SourceLive Blog Posts

Sources

https://www.rhythmsystems.com/blog/how-the-best-ceos-align-employees-with-company-goals

https://www.hrfuture.net/strategy/staff-planning/five-best-practices-for-aligning-employees-with-corporate-goals/

People in a meeting across a desk

Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

Published on by Abigail MillerLeave a comment

When you think of upskilling — learning new skills — at work, what comes to mind? Perhaps learning new software or working toward a certification or degree. There’s no question that many in-demand skills are technical in nature, but there’s also a critical need for what are sometimes described as “soft” skills, particularly strong emotional intelligence (EI).

EI allows us to build and maintain relationships and influence others — important skills no matter your position and area of work — and research has found people with greater EI tend to be more innovative and have higher job satisfaction than those with lower EI. Utilizing emotional intelligence in the workplace can enhance decision-making and social interactions, and improve your ability to cope with change and stress.

The good news is that, like technical skills, soft skills such as EI can also be learned and improved.

Emotional Intelligence: What It Is

To strengthen your emotional intelligence, it’s important to know what it entails. Most definitions of EI include the following components:

  1. Perception and expression of emotion â€” Noticing your own emotions and picking up on the emotions of others, as well as the ability to distinguish between discrete emotions.
  2. Using emotion to facilitate thought â€” How you incorporate emotions into your thinking processes and understand when and how emotions can be helpful for reasoning processes.
  3. Understanding and analyzing emotions â€”The capacity to decode emotions, make sense of their meaning, and understand how they relate to each other and change over time.
  4. Reflective regulation of emotion â€”An openness to all emotions and the ability to regulate your own emotions and the emotions of others to facilitate growth and insight.

Measuring Your Emotional Intelligence Skills

Do you find you relate to either of these statements?

“I want to improve my EI skills, but don’t know where to start.”

“I already have strong emotional intelligence skills. This isn’t an area I need to work on.”

As with any skill, we all have varying levels of aptitude for EI and may feel overwhelmed about where to begin.

One interesting study found that 95% of participants gave themselves high marks in self-awareness. However, using more empirical measures of self-awareness, the study found that only 10-15% of the cohort demonstrated true self-awareness. Consider the following characteristics typical of people with higher and lower EI skillsets as one way to better gauge your skillset:

Potential indicators of higher EI:

  • Understanding the links between your emotions and how you behave
  • Remaining calm and composed during stressful situations
  • Ability to influence others toward a common goal
  • Handling difficult people with tact and diplomacy

Potential indicators of lower EI:

  • Often feeling misunderstood
  • Getting upset easily
  • Becoming overwhelmed by emotions
  • Having problems being assertive

It’s important to note that these potential indicators can also stem from other causes and vary significantly depending on the day and situation.

Learning and Developing Emotional Intelligence

Research indicates that as little as ten hours of EI training (i.e., lectures, role-playing, group discussions, and readings) can significantly improve people’s ability to identify and manage their emotions, and these benefits are sustained six months later.

No matter your current EI skillset, it may be helpful to try the following exercises:

  1. Notice how you respond to people â€” Are you judgmental or biased in your assessments of others?
  2. Practice humility â€” Being humble about your achievements means you can acknowledge your successes without needing to shout about them.
  3. Be honest with yourself about your strengths and vulnerabilities, and consider opportunities for development. Even though it might make you cringe, it’s helpful to get others’ viewpoints on your emotional intelligence. Ask people how they think you handle tricky situations and respond to the emotions of others.
  4. Think about how you deal with stressful events â€” Do you seek to blame others? Can you keep your emotions in check?
  5. Take responsibility for your actions and apologize when necessary.
  6. Consider how your choices can affect others â€” Try to imagine how they might feel before you do something that could affect them.

Interested in further increasing your EI skills? Check out the resources below to get you started.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

elevateU Featured Topic: Emotional Intelligence | Short videos, self-paced online courses, and more

Identify and Maximize Your Strengths Part 2 | Instructor-led offering from HR Organization and Professional Development | August 21

Sources

https://www.ottawa.edu/online-and-evening/blog/october-2020/the-importance-of-emotional-intelligence-in-the-wo

https://positivepsychology.com/emotional-intelligence-eq/

https://professional.dce.harvard.edu/blog/how-to-improve-your-emotional-intelligence/

Reading a book

Unplugged: Swap your Laptop for Sunscreen and Enjoy your Summer Vacation!

Published on by Abigail MillerLeave a comment

As summer heats up, there is no better time to take a vacation or staycation. Taking time away from work has many health benefits including improving your connection to yourself and loved ones and resetting from or avoiding burnout.

The Benefits of Taking a Vacation

Vacationing and taking time away from your job promotes a long, healthy life and has tremendous benefits to your mind. Taking a break from routine in fun and different ways can have the same benefits as consistent meditation exercises and help you build connections with not only your loved ones but yourself, too. In addition, taking a vacation has been scientifically proven to boost brain power. Taking time off from learning, working and gaining new information every day allows your brain to consolidate existing knowledge, resulting in improved learning after vacation.

The benefits go beyond just your mind — they affect your body too. Through reduced stress, vacations can improve heart health and decrease the chances of metabolic diseases or conditions. Vacation time also improves sleep as poor sleep habits can be broken when sleeping in a new place. Coming home after vacation feels like sleeping in another new place, allowing those improved habits to continue.

Using vacation time is one of the best ways to reset from or avoid burnout. Learning the signs and how to work toward health is a positive way to promote workplace well-being.

Before Going on Vacation

To take full advantage of these benefits, you should consider fully unplugging from work — those emails and phone calls won’t go anywhere.

Before you head to the airport or hit the road, set up automatic email replies with your out-of-office details including when you will be back, who to contact in the meantime, and how to contact you in case of an emergency. If you use a shared calendar with your team, add your out-of-office dates as early as possible and notify your team verbally and/or by email. If you have ongoing projects, consider asking a coworker, supervisor, or team member to check up on them while you are away and plan to share updates when you return. If possible, leave work-related things at home or at the office to prevent the temptation to focus on work. Finally, prepare for the day you return from work before you leave by keeping your schedule as clear as you reasonably can on your first day back.

Returning from Vacation

Returning to work can often be stressful and sometimes undo the rest you achieved on vacation. To avoid getting immediately burned out, take time to ease back into your work routine. Try to avoid scheduling several meetings on your first day back and try not to set or meet big deadlines during your first week back in the office. The more time you spend away, the more time you should give yourself to get back to your normal work pace and routine.

In addition to easing into your normal work routine, it’s important to unplug from work at the end of each day. It’s easy to get burned out if you are mentally on the clock 24/7, answering emails and catching up during nights and weekends. You can use Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Google Calendar and other work team services to set out-of-office messages at the end of your workday. Finally, avoid stress by taking the necessary steps to be productive and engaged as shared in this earlier post about avoiding and reducing burnout.

All these tips and more are available through these links:

Flowers on campus

July Events Round-Up

Published on by Abigail MillerLeave a comment

If you and your family are looking for activities in July,  you’ve come to the right place! Check out upcoming events for you and your family to soak up the summer! Visit the links below to explore upcoming events and register if required. 

Campus Events

Wednesdays in July – MSU Summer Carillon Concert Series: Bring a picnic, chair, or blanket to Beaumont Tower to experience musical talent in one of the most beautiful locations on MSU’s campus! This series is open to the public and will run through the first week of August.

Beginning July 5 – Abrams Planetarium: Supermassive Black Holes: This planetarium exhibition dives into the world of black holes, their formation, and galaxy evolution. Visit the Abrams Planetarium website to see dates and times for you to visit the exhibit this July! 

July 13 – Garden Edition Deep Rooted with Beal Botanical Garden:  Join Applied Ethnobotanist and Education Director of the Beal Botanical Gardens, Maeve Bassett, to learn about the social, historical, and political narratives within plants in the garden and artwork in the MSU Broad Art Collection.

Family-Friendly Events 

July 6 – All American 4 & 8 Mile: You and the whole family can come to Downtown Lansing and participate in a 1, 4, or 8-mile Firecracker run this July! This event includes a shirt and custom medal, live time results, free photos, treats at the finish line, ice cream, and more. 

July 17 – Bubble Day: Visit the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens to celebrate summer vacation and explore the wonderful world of bubbles! 

July 19 – Chill Out with Art: If you are looking for a fun and relaxing summer event, come to the MSU Broad Art Museum for our “Chill Out with Art” event. Come explore exhibitions, explore your artistic side, and enjoy cool summer treats. 

July 24 – Bug Day:  Join our friends from the MSU Bug House to collect, observe, and even make bugs at the annual tribute for insects in the garden! 

Greater Lansing Area Events 

Select dates in July – Lansing Lugnuts Home Games: “Go Nuts” and cheer on your local Lansing Lugnuts baseball team at Jackson Field this month! Check out their website for themes, promotions, tickets, and dates for July games.

July 3 – Mason Independence Day Parade: Celebrate the Fourth of July in the Mason, MI parade! The parade will feature local businesses, groups, and organizations and will begin at Mason High School at 4:30 pm.

July 19 – A Full Day of Free Play for Our Heroes: First responders show up for us every day, so now it is our turn to give back. Firefighters, police officers, EMTs, and other professionals can bring a valid ID to High Caliber for a complimentary day of go-karting, axe throwing, archery, soccer, and more.

July 20 – Mega Mall Outdoor Flea Market: Stop by the Mega Mall for the outdoor summer Flea Market! There will be tons of vendors, antiques, food, and a live DJ. 

Learning Opportunities

July 10 and 24– Deepening Your Essential Skills:  If you have completed any course offered previously by Spartan Resilience Education, you are eligible to continue learning at this webinar. Here you will have the opportunity to ask questions, raise topics, and build community with your peers.

July 15 – Everything DiSC: Agile EQ: This Everything DiSC virtual course teaches participants to read the emotional and interpersonal needs of a situation and how to respond accordingly.

July 15 – Lean Basics: Throughout this course, you will explore tactics and how to apply a structured and standardized framework to improve your organization’s change efforts, as well as problem-solving methods and more.  

Farmers Markets

Beginning July 6 – The East Lansing Farmers Market: Visit Valley Court Park from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. every Sunday in July for some shopping and fresh air at the East Lansing Farmers Market (ELFM). Here you can purchase a variety of fresh goods, farm-grown here in Michigan, including vegetables, fruits, bread, cheese, honey, flowers, and so much more. No registration needed. 

Beginning July 1 – Downtown Dewitt Farmers Market: Come to the Downtown Dewitt Farmers Market for an evening of exploring small businesses, home-grown foods, treats, and more! Every Tuesday in July, join us from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for some shopping, food trucks, and fun in Downtown Dewitt on a warm summer night.

Beginning July 3 – South Lansing Farmers Market: The South Lansing Farmers Market is open Thursdays, and is located at the corner of Jolly and S. MLK in Lansing! Stop by for farm fresh fruits and veggies, fresh cut flowers, arts and crafts, natural body and household products, and a food court featuring Mexican, Chinese, Lebanese, and Southern Soul food – a little something for everyone! 

Beginning July 5 – Dimondale Farmers Market: The Dimondale Farmers Market will run every Thursday in July in the Village Square. The Market is celebrating their 18th season and hosts over 15 vendors providing locally produced products, including fruits, vegetables, chicken, fish, jams, honey, flowers, and more!

Stethoscope next to a laptop in use

Your Mid-Year Benefits Wellness Check-Up

Published on by Abigail MillerLeave a comment

National Insurance Awareness Day (June 28) encourages us to review our insurance options to make sure we’re enrolled in the best plans for our families. As an MSU employee, you have a variety of benefit options available to you beyond just health care and dental plans. While many of these benefits allow you to enroll in or make changes at any time, several require you to sign up, change, or cancel enrollment during the Open Enrollment period in October. If you’re interested in a benefit but unable to sign up right away, review the plan options and make a list of changes you’d like to make so you’re prepared for the upcoming Open Enrollment period in October.

Benefits without an Enrollment Period

The following benefits are available to enroll in, change, or cancel at any time. You’ll find a brief description of each benefit below, and you can click on the benefit name for more details and information on how to enroll/register.

  • Auto: Find special pricing on insurance for your vehicle through Farmers GroupSelect (formerly MetLife) or Liberty Mutual Insurance.
  • Educational Assistance: Support staff have access to educational assistance funds to help cover the costs of credit and non-credit professional development opportunities.
  • Home: Find special pricing on insurance for your home through Farmers GroupSelect (formerly MetLife) or Liberty Mutual Insurance.
  • Livongo by Teladoc Health: Employees and their dependents enrolled in an MSU health plan can receive diabetes management supplies and coaching at no cost.
  • Pet: Find special pricing on pet insurance through Nationwide.
  • Teladoc Health Telemedicine: An online medical care service that gives you 24/7 access to a healthcare professional via web, phone, or mobile app. Use Teladoc to get help for a range of conditions, including cold/flu, bronchitis, allergies, pink eye, dermatology, and more.
  • Teladoc Medical Experts: Get medical advice from leading medical experts. Whether you need medical questions answered, a diagnosis double-checked, help deciding on a treatment plan, or guidance about a surgery, Teladoc Medical Experts can help.
  • TruHearing: Some benefit providers offer discounts on hearing aids. Please contact the providers directly to learn more about the discounts they offer.

Benefits with an Enrollment Period

The following benefit options have an enrollment period. This means you can only enroll in, change, or cancel the benefit during Open Enrollment in October each year. We encourage you to review the plans you’re currently enrolled in, along with the options available, and make a plan to make any necessary changes this October. Please note that updates for the 2026 plan year will be shared this September before Open Enrollment in October:

  • Critical Illness: MetLife gives you extra cash in the event you or a covered family member experiences a covered illness.
  • Dental: Various plans are available based on your employee type. We encourage you to check which dentists are available in your area before enrolling in a new plan.
  • Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA): There are two FSA options available for employees – Dependent Care FSA and Health Care FSA. Be sure you know the difference before you enroll.
  • Health Care (including prescription): Various plans are available based on your employee type and work location.
  • Legal: ARAG currently offers plan options to help cover a wide range of legal needs.
  • Life/Accident Insurance: Several types of life insurance are available for you to enroll in, along with voluntary Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance.
  • Vision: Two plan options are available through VSP for vision care.

Please visit the HR website to learn more about all the benefit options available to you. For questions about enrollment and eligibility, please contact the HR Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.

Beach ball in a pool

Make More Time for Fun with These Summer Health Tips

Published on by Abigail MillerLeave a comment

Whether you’re planning a road trip, family picnic, or trip to the lake, there is so much to do in Michigan during the summer months. While these events can provide a ton of fun for your family, there are ways to make summer safer.

Tips for a Healthy Summer

Here are some tips to help keep you safe, stay informed, and keep the fun times rolling:

  • Sun Protection: Stay in the shade when you can, wear a hat, and don’t forget about the sunscreen (at least SPF 15 is recommended for sun protection).
  • Stay Hydrated: Beat the summer heat and drink plenty of water.
  • Insect Protection: The best way to prevent mosquito bites and ticks is to wear insect repellent and long sleeves or pants. Check your clothing, body, and pets when you go inside!
  • Keep Cool: Take breaks from direct sunlight and use fans or air conditioning when needed. Take note of weather forecasts and plan events accordingly.

In addition to these tips, if you participate in a flexible spending account (FSA) you can use your funds to help pay for common summer necessities and camps for your kids.

Tips for Health Care FSA Funds

Save an average of 30% by using your Health Care FSA funds on the following eligible expenses that double as travel necessities:

  • Allergy medications
  • Blister care kits
  • Bug bite treatments
  • Orthotics/insoles
  • Sun reader eyeglasses
  • Sunscreen
  • SPF lip balm
  • Travel first-aid kits
  • Traveling neck pillows
  • UV detection stickers
  • And more!

Are you worried about buying something that isn’t considered an eligible expense? Consider shopping at the online FSA Store for worry-free purchases since everything on the FSA Store website is a guaranteed eligible expense. Check out their monthly coupons and promo codes for additional savings.

If you don’t have an FSA and are wondering if you should participate in one, learn more about the two types of FSAs available to benefit-eligible MSU employees on the HR website and consider enrolling in one or both types during the benefits Open Enrollment period in October this year.

Sources:

Student using a laptop

Reframe Failure to Increase Success

Published on by Abigail MillerLeave a comment

When was the last time you celebrated failure? We are taught from a young age that failure is bad and something to fear. Because failures may bring negative repercussions, they are often hidden, ignored and downplayed. In reality, failure can be a powerful learning experience and is essential to success. When we embrace the idea of “failing forward”, we develop perseverance, confidence and a new perspective on what it takes to succeed.

Types of Failure

Not all failures are the same, but each has important lessons to teach us.

  • Preventable failure happens in automated processes when a piece of equipment fails, a step is neglected or there is some other kind of malfunction. For this category, it’s important to determine how to best troubleshoot preventable failures. What safeguards are in place regarding people, equipment and environment? Make sure that all precautions have been taken to keep preventable failures from happening in the first place.
  • Complex failure happens when events or situations come together in unexpected ways that cannot be foreseen.
  • Intelligent failure is common in innovative projects and processes, where trial and error are simply part of the experiment.

Organizations and individuals best learn from all types of failures by having procedures in place, along with the willingness and readiness to actively detect, analyze and experiment within the workplace to catch errors quickly, learn from them, and embrace the growth and improvement that can be generated as a result.

Ideas for Action

  • Depending on the type of work you do, one of the three types of failure is probably more common than the others. Consider which is most likely to happen at your workplace and think about how you might handle that type of mistake or failure should it occur.
  • Come up with an example from your life for each type of failure: preventable, complex, and intelligent. Why did they happen, and how were they handled? Were the situations resolved? How did they affect you and others? Take some time to reflect on what you learned from these particular failures.

The Blame Game

If failure is essential to success, why does it feel so terrible when it’s happening? Failure and fault are virtually inseparable in most cultures and organizations. Every child learns at some point that admitting failure means taking the blame, and that pattern may then be reinforced in the workplace. One tremendous benefit of creating and encouraging a culture of psychological safety, in which the rewards of learning from failure can be fully realized, is that greater innovation and individual and organizational growth can occur.

The added challenge when it comes to reframing our ideas of failure is that the experience of failing is more than emotional — it’s also cognitive. We all favor evidence that supports our existing beliefs rather than alternative explanations. We also tend to downplay our responsibility and place undue blame on external or situational factors when we fail, only to do the reverse when assessing the failures of others—a psychological trap known as fundamental attribution error. The courage to confront our own and others’ imperfections with honest reflection and a focus on improvement and learning is crucial.

Ideas for Action

  • List a small number of failures you’ve experienced over recent months. Can you recall how you felt and what thoughts occurred? Make a note of these feelings and thoughts. Can you identify a pattern? Is there a repetitive loop that you repeat every time you fail at something?
  • Take one of the failures from above, which initiated the repetitive loop you have identified. Write an alternative account of what happened.

The Importance of Leaders in Building a Learning Culture

Learning is inherently about failing. Leaders can create and reinforce a culture that counteracts the blame game and makes people feel both comfortable with and responsible for surfacing and learning from failures. They should insist on developing a clear understanding of what happened — not of “who did it” — when things go wrong. This requires consistently reporting failures, small and large, systematically analyzing them and proactively searching for opportunities to experiment. A work culture that recognizes the inevitability of failure in today’s complex organizations and is willing to catch, correct and learn from failure leads to success, employee satisfaction and loyalty. A work culture that wallows in the blame game will not.

It’s imperative for leaders to move beyond the false notion that if people aren’t blamed for failures, they’ll become “lazy” and stop putting in the effort to do their best work. In actuality, a culture that makes it safe to admit and report on failure can coexist with high standards for performance. Not all failures are created equal. Taking the time to analyze the reasons behind why a failure occurred before determining appropriate action will do far more for a team than assuming that assigning blame will lead to improvement in the long run.

One interesting study asked executives to estimate how many of the failures in their organizations were truly blameworthy; their answers were usually in single digits — around 2% to 5%. They were then asked how many failures were treated as blameworthy; they admitted that was closer to 70% to 90%. One unfortunate consequence of this scenario is that many failures go unreported, and their lessons are lost.

Ideas for Action

  • Assess whether your teams offer a sense of psychological safety. Do the members of the team have confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject or punish them for speaking up with ideas? Questions? Concerns? Mistakes? Are each person’s contributions valued? If you answered yes on each measure, that team possesses a strong sense of psychological safety.
  • Leaders and supervisors need to actively create psychological safety because their position of power or status naturally suppresses people’s ability to speak up. This can be done by publicly acknowledging their own fallibility and emphasizing the need for each person’s contributions. They can also respond positively when people do bring things forward. From the results of the preceding exercise, choose a team with a low or mid-level of psychological safety. Develop an action plan for how the team leader or manager can improve the level of psychological safety.

Like everything in life, reframing failure becomes easier with practice. When failures inevitably occur, remind yourself and others that failure is temporary, and failure is good even if, undeniably, it feels really bad when it happens. When something goes wrong, practice saying, “Something good is happening here.” Look for the greater message of the experience and expect it to, eventually, turn out for the good.

Sources

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/18/a-psychologist-says-the-most-successful-people-reframe-failure-by-doing-4-things.html

https://elevateu.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/VIDEOS/12581

https://elevateu.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/VIDEOS/146739

https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2015/05/14/why-failure-is-essential-to-success/?sh=11e953df7923

https://hbr.org/2011/04/strategies-for-learning-from-failure

Marketing Communications Manager I: Basic details of the Job of the Week article posting, noted in the article

Job of The Week: Marketing Communications Manager I

Published on by Abigail MillerLeave a comment

This week, we are featuring a job posting as a Marketing Communications Manager I for MSU Health Care (job posting 1047090). If you are interested in leading a digital-first marketing communications strategy, managing projects and vendors, and supporting clinics in meeting their communication goals, this may be the position for you. 

From joint ventures and partnerships to leveraging expansive clinical research and expert educational strengths for patients, MSU Health Care focuses on providing healing and caring to all. MSU Health Care spans 46 adult and pediatric specialties committed to high-quality patient care. Their mission is to deliver a personalized experience and a safe environment for all, train the next generation of clinicians, ensure equitable access, and provide the highest quality of care. MSU Health Care remains dedicated to providing an exceptional experience and enhancing life. 

In this role, you will create compelling content to add value to multi-channel marketing communication plans, including brand-journalism style articles, MSU website content, advertising materials, social media posts, infographics, and more. You will review content, implement brand identity, assist in project management with outside vendors, and help drive engagement through coordinated events and promotions. Find a complete list of job responsibilities on the MSU Careers website. 

This position requires a degree in journalism, telecommunications, public relations, or similar, and one to three years of work experience in public and media relations, composing, editing, and publication production, news, broadcasting, or marketing/advertising. You should also be well-versed in word processing, internal and external communications, social media, content management, and digital communication strategy development. 

To learn more about MSU Health Care, visit the MSU Health Care website. To learn more or apply for this position, please visit the MSU Careers website. Applications require a resume, cover letter, a sample of a detailed marketing communication plan, at least three writing/other work samples, three professional references, and should be submitted by June 3.

violet flowers on campus

June Events Round-Up

Published on by Abigail MillerLeave a comment

Summer is here, and there are many in-person and virtual events on campus and in the Greater Lansing area this June. Check out upcoming events for you and your family to celebrate and embrace the start of summer! Visit the links below to explore upcoming events and register if required. 

Campus Events

June 7 – Family Day: SUSTAIN: The first Saturday of the month means Family Day at the MSU Broad Art Museum, and this month we are exploring how we are connected to the land. You and your family can stop by the museum to make prints using local nature materials in connection with  Farmland: Food, Justice, and Sovereignty. 

June 8 and 29 – Music and the Garden: The MSU College of Music and Beal Botanical Garden invite you to a celebration of nature, music, and imagination, and explore this year’s theme of “Understanding Our World.” Take this opportunity to see plant collections in new ways and see how MSU gardens are being reimagined for the future. 

June 12 – MSU Juneteenth Celebration: Attend the 5th annual MSU Juneteenth Commemorative Celebration on Thursday, June 12, from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Multicultural Center. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. This year’s theme is A Juneteenth Renaissance: Bridging Freedom’s Legacy and Tomorrow’s Vision. 

June 15 –  Museum Tour: Deep-Rooted with Beal Botanical Garden  Join Applied Ethnobotanist and Education Director of the Beal Botanical Gardens, Maeve Bassett, to learn about the social, historical, and political narratives within plants in the garden and artwork in the MSU Broad Art Collection.

June 21 – Growing Queer Care: Join Morgan Doherty (Ph.D. Candidate, Community Sustainability, Michigan State University) and Taylor Hartson (Ph.D. Candidate, Sociology, University of Notre Dame) to learn more about the work of queer farmers in the midwest for a Talk + Listen session. 

Family-Friendly Events

June 4 – Motivated by Nature 2.25-mile Trail Run/Walk:  Celebrate Global Runners Day and immerse yourself in a 2.25-mile trail loop through the 100-acre Harris Nature Center and Eastgate Park. Proceeds go to the Harris Nature Center Foundation to help fund the Nature Exploration Area expansion and for bus scholarship programs that help get students in the Greater Lansing area to attend education programs at the center. 

June 7 – Old Town Chalk of the Town: Visit Old Town Lansing to watch live as chalk art is created on the sidewalks by artists, visit unique boutiques, try a new restaurant, and more. 

June 16 and 23 – Sensory Friendly Hour at Bath Township Library: On the third and fourth Mondays of each month, visit the Bath Township Library for sensory-friendly hours. Staff will dim lights, provide sensory-friendly toys, fidgets, and noise-canceling headphones for those seeking a calming environment to explore books. 

June 18 – Family Night Cruise-In: Bring the kids to the cruise-in at the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum! There will be a bounce house, games, and goodies for kids, plus popcorn and popsicles for all ages!

Greater Lansing Area Events

Select dates in June – Lansing Lugnuts Home Games: “Go Nuts” and cheer on your local Lansing Lugnuts baseball team at Jackson Field this month! Check out their website for themes, promotions, tickets, and dates for June games.

June 14 – East Lansing PRIDE: Come celebrate the fourth annual East Lansing PRIDE! The event will feature an open floor drag show, live music, art activities, vendors, giveaways and more. Be sure to follow Downtown East Lansing on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date on this event!

June 19 –  Lansing Fiesta & Carnival: Visit Adado Riverfront Park in Downtown Lansing for a celebration of music, culture and community with a carnival, food trucks, and live entertainment!

June 5, 12, 19 and 26 – Summer Concerts on the Square: Summer is almost here, which means Summer Concerts on the Square in Charlotte! New bands will play recurring weekly on Thursdays until the end of August. 

June 20, 21, 27 and 28 – Pride and Prejudice On Stage: Whether you are a lifelong fan of Jane Austen or are new to the world of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, don’t miss experiencing one of the most beloved romantic comedies live on stage this June!  

Learning Opportunities

June 4 – Crucial Influence: Leaders must be able to influence behavior to achieve team goals and organizational objectives, and the Crucial Influence Model reveals why people do what they do and how leaders at every level can influence behavior for lasting results. If you are a mid to high-level leader who is responsible for directing change and improving efforts, this is a great course for you! 

June 17 – Cultural Competency II: Building Respect in the Workplace: Participants will engage in deep dialogue around power and privilege, positionality, intersectionality, and how these dynamics impact relationships in the workplace. 

June 19 – Identify and Maximize Your Strengths:  Tap into your unique talents and complete the CliftonStrengths Assessment. Learn more about your natural patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving, and how they apply to your role in the workplace. Use your research to express what you do best and grow your overall confidence.

June 26 – Mandatory Reporting Obligations for RVSM: MSU’s Prevention Outreach and Education (POE) presenters will review the University’s Mandatory Reporting for Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct and Title IX policy and employees’ expectations under the policy. This training will also provide attendees with practices and support for those affected by RVSM. 

Farmer’s Markets

Beginning June 1 – The East Lansing Farmers Market: Visit Valley Court Park from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. every Sunday in June for some shopping and fresh air at the East Lansing Farmers Market (ELFM). Here you can purchase a variety of fresh goods, farm-grown here in Michigan, including vegetables, fruits, bread, cheese, honey, flowers, and so much more. No registration needed. 

Beginning June 3 – Downtown Dewitt Farmers Market: Come to the Downtown Dewitt Farmers Market for an evening of exploring small businesses, home-grown foods, treats, and more! Every Tuesday in July, join us from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for some shopping, food trucks and fun in Downtown Dewitt on a warm summer night.

Beginning June 5 – South Lansing Farmers Market: The South Lansing Farmers Market is open Thursdays, and is located at the corner of Jolly and S. MLK in Lansing! Stop by for farm fresh fruits and veggies, fresh cut flowers, arts and crafts, natural body and household products, and a food court featuring Mexican, Chinese, Lebanese, and Southern Soul food – a little something for everyone!