Tag: MSU Benefits Plus

Online Tools and Resources to Support Your Career Development and Wellbeing

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

In honor of Online Learning Day on September 15, we’d like to share the tools and resources available to support the career development and wellbeing of staff and faculty at MSU. The following resources and departments offer virtual learning opportunities, allowing you to learn new skills at a time, place, or pace convenient to you. Your continued dedication to lifelong learning will help MSU achieve its strategic priorities and create “a best-in-class workplace culture and a welcoming environment in which excellence and opportunity thrive.”

Online Learning Opportunities

HR’s Organization and Professional Development (OPD): Find a variety of instructor-led classes on communication, customer service, leadership, personal development, and much more! Many OPD courses are offered in a virtual format and led by our friendly and knowledgeable OPD instructors.

elevateU Online Training Platform: Are you curious about artificial intelligence? Would you like to improve your project management skills or become a more effective communicator? Whether you learn best by reading books, watching videos, engaging with interactive exercises, or participating in a live virtual learning environment, the topics available are extensive. Even if you only have a few minutes to spare, we can’t recommend this free resource highly enough as a convenient way to support your growth and development.

SpartansLearn: The MSU community’s go-to resource for technology training! Want to learn how to remove duplicates in Excel, coordinate a meeting time in Outlook for multiple participants, or make your PowerPoint presentations stand out? MSU IT offers microlearning videos, recorded courses, and more to help you learn at your own pace, along with instructor-led virtual classes.  

MSU University Health and Wellbeing: Find services, programs, and initiatives designed to support your professional success, health, and wellbeing. Be sure to check out their virtual events and webinars, such as Desk Decompress, Mindfulness and Meditation, and Spartan Resilience programs.

Office of Faculty and Academic Staff Development (OFASD): OFASD works with all faculty, academic staff, and academic administrators as they join the university, establish professional trajectories, and grow in their careers at MSU. Find information and resources for orientations, leadership development, teaching and learning events, and more.

While many of the above resources are free for the Spartan community, as a reminder, educational assistance funds are available to help cover any course fees. Did we miss any resources? Let us know in the comments below, and Happy Online Learning Day!

September Events Round-Up

Published on by Abigail MillerLeave a comment

If you and your family are looking for activities in September,  you’ve come to the right place! Check out upcoming events to celebrate the start of fall! Visit the links below to explore upcoming events and register if required. 

Campus Events

September 3, 10 and 17 – Move in the Garden:  Need a midday recharge? Stop by under the gingko tree at the Beal Botanical Garden with a yoga mat or towel, and refresh your body and mind through this stretching and strengthening class. This free session is designed for all ability levels. 

September 7 – Curator Tour: Unbecoming: Join Assistant Curator Dr. Rachel Winter at the MSU Broad Art Museum to learn more about what an artist’s process teaches us about transformation in our personal lives. 

Opening September 14 – Mekong Voices: Transnational River Justice in Mainland Southeast Asia: Open until February at the MSU Broad Art Museum, the Mekong Voices exhibit displays the Mekong River, which is revered as the “Mother River” across Mainland Southeast Asia. Mekong Voices celebrates the necessary and innovative work of traditional craft and art in translating the river’s voices, both human and more-than-human, across national and linguistic boundaries.

September 16-21 – A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical: Coming to the Wharton Center, A Beautiful Noise is the uplifting true story of the life of Neil Diamond shining on Broadway. 

September 28 – Shape Shift: The Art of Coming Undone: This three-part studio series at the MSU Broad Art Museum invites you to explore transformation through art. No previous art experience required – just a willingness to explore, reflect, and reimagine! 

Learning Opportunities

September 2 and 9 – Desk Decompress: This virtual 15-minute class offers the perfect mid-day reset. Stretch and strengthen your wrists, neck, spine, and shoulders, all from the comfort of your own desk. 

September 9, 10, and 11 – Getting Things Done: This course teaches skills to manage the constant flow of requests, tasks, and interruptions that face employees at all levels of an organization. Learn how to organize incoming requests, manage stress in the workplace, prevent missed deadlines, and enhance your personal development at work. 

September 10 – Promapp, Interactive Process Creation: Continue your process improvement journey and build upon the knowledge and skills learned in Introduction to Process Mapping. 

September 10 – Hunger Free and Basic Needs: MSU Meets the Food and Nutrition Needs of Students and Staff:  Join MSU Nutrition Services and MSU Food Bank and Basic Needs Program staff to explore the resources available to support food and nutrition needs on campus. Learn how you can access help and help others. Register for Hunger Free and Basic Needs via Learning Stream.  

September 10 – Women Talk Money: How to balance saving and tackling debt: Join this webinar with MSU retirement vendor, Fidelity, for a step-by-step guide that will help you learn how to organize your financial priorities. 

September 10 – Fidelity Front Row 2025: Join Fidelity to listen to the Active Trader Pro beta team, a live Q&A, a special giveaway, and timely insights. 

September 11 – Tips for working with a financial professional: Having a financial professional supporting you on every step of your journey is key to creating a secure financial future. In this webinar, learn about how a financial professional can help you and how to find a financial professional and prepare for your first meeting.

September 17 – Women Talk Money: What you should know about investing: Investing may help you reach your short- and long-term goals, but sometimes it’s hard to know where to start, what questions to ask, or what step to take next. Join Fidelity to learn more about different investment options and management styles that can help you decide how to keep your goals on track.

September 17 – Maximize Your Concur and Travel Skills: Recommended for new employees, learn how to understand the Concur system, create a travel request, book travel, reconcile travel expenses, and more. 

September 18 – The Power of Habit: Learn how habits are created and how to replace undesirable habits with productive ones. You will learn how to spot your habit loop, turn bad days into good data, and create habits that get the results you want.

September 25 – How to get the most from your employee retirement plan: Your workplace retirement plan is one of your most important employee benefits. In this webinar we’ll show you how to take advantage of all your plan has to offer so you can save and invest with confidence and get the most from your money.     

Family-Friendly Events

September 12-14 – 2025 MSU Family Weekend: Visit Michigan State University’s campus this weekend in September to enjoy a football game, visit your Spartans and the beautiful campus, and explore the Greater Lansing area! Check out the Choose Lansing website for help with lodging, tickets for the game, and parking information. 

September 11 – Chipmunk Story Time: Storytime comes alive at the Harris Nature Center Chipmunk Story Time event. Meet Chicory Chipmunk and his animal friends. 

Recurring Fridays and Saturdays – Toddler Time at Launch Lansing: Visit Launch Lansing Trampoline Park during select times to enjoy children’s music, visits from Joey the kangaroo, and a special toddler section with your little ones. 

September 20 and 21 – Capital City River Run: This year marks the 32nd anniversary of the Capital City River Run, a two-day event that includes a half-marathon, 5k walk/run, and the Sohn Kid’s Race. All proceeds will support the Impression 5 Science Center and its mission to provide families with hands-on science exhibits and learning opportunities. 

Greater Lansing Area Events 

Wednesdays in September – Meridian Township Summer Concert Series: Savor the last bit of summer weather and visit Marketplace on the Green for the Meridian Township Summer Concert Series! Visit the website to see who is playing and when, every Wednesday in September.

September 17-20 – 2025 Michigan BluesFest: Michigan BluesFest is an annual event held in Old Town Lansing, bringing people of all ages together through the shared love of Blues Music. 

September 19-21 – Lansing LIT:  Join the city of Lansing for the second annual Lansing LIT book festival! Explore local bookstores, author events, a bookstore crawl, and more at Michigan’s capital city. 

Farmers Markets

Beginning September 7 – The East Lansing Farmers Market: Visit Valley Court Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday in September for some shopping and fresh air at the East Lansing Farmers Market (ELFM). Here, you can purchase a variety of fresh goods, farm-grown in Michigan, including vegetables, fruits, bread, cheese, honey, flowers, and more. 

Beginning September 2 – 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 September, join from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. for some shopping, food trucks, and fun in Downtown Dewitt on a warm summer night. 

Beginning September 4 – South Lansing Farmers Market: The South Lansing Farmers Market is open on Thursdays and 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 September 4 – Dimondale Farmers Market: The Dimondale Farmers Market will run every Thursday in September 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!

New Academic Year, New Professional Development Opportunities

Published on by Abigail MillerLeave a comment

Fall is almost here, and HR’s Organization and Professional Development (OPD) team has spots open in the following courses to support your learning and development. Class enrollment is completed within the EBS Portal, and employees may use available educational assistance funds towards course fees (if any).

Personal Development

Bystander Intervention Training | August 28 | In-Person  
Learn strategies to prevent and interrupt problematic behavior associated with workplace harassment or discrimination. 

Getting Things Done | September 9, 10, and 11 | Virtual 
By learning how to capture, clarify, and organize incoming requests, participants are more likely to make strategic decisions about where to invest their time and energy in ways that improve results and decrease missed deadlines, mistakes, and stress. 

The Power of Habit | September 18 | Virtual
Discover how habits are created and how to replace undesirable habits with productive ones.

Breaking Free from Stress | October 1, 8, 15, and 22 | In-Person 
Learn how to be less reactive to people and events in your life and form a deeper perspective of common sense and wisdom.

Roadmap To Retirement| October 9 | In-Person 
If you are an MSU faculty or staff member and you have decided to retire within a year or two, this half-day workshop covers a range of topics critical to your successful retirement.

Everything DiSC: Productive Conflict | December 18 | In-Person
Learn techniques to improve self-awareness and handle conflict. You will take an assessment to better understand your personal responses to conflict. Pre-work must be completed before taking this course.

Leadership

Crucial Influence | October 7, 8, and 9 | Virtual
Targeting mid to high-level leaders responsible for leading change and improving efforts in the workplace, learn about the Crucial Influence Model, which explains why people do what they do and how you can influence results.

Strengths Based Leadership | October 16 | In-Person   
Understand manager-specific strengths using the newly released CliftonStrengths for Managers Report. Your top strengths — the things you naturally do best — can help you manage more effectively, meet your goals, and improve your team’s success.

Resilient Leadership Series | November 3 and 4 | In-person
Explore with other campus leaders some essential resilience skills required for effective leadership for the common good, including: emotional intelligence, emotional resilience, psychological flexibility, mindfulness, effective stress mitigation practices, and practices of compassionate accountability for self and others. 

Operational

Introduction to Process Mapping | Various Dates | In-Person  
Learn how to define key processes improvement terminology, reduce barriers to success, and create a process map.

Promapp Interactive Process Creation | Various Dates | In-Person  
Learners will continue their process improvement journey and build upon the knowledge and skills learned in Introduction to Process Mapping.

You can find all current Organization and Professional Development courses on the HR website.

Educational Assistance: Fall Reminders 

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

 The Educational Assistance, or “Ed Assist,” support staff benefit resets with the start of the fall semester. Now is the perfect time to refresh your Ed Assist knowledge and take advantage of this opportunity for your learning and development. Here are a few important reminders regarding this benefit. 

Credit and Non-Credit Options 

You may receive financial assistance for credit and non-credit courses, including training, seminars, workshops, conferences, or other educational opportunities. Use this benefit to enhance your professional skill set or help you reach Performance Excellence goals. 

For non-credit courses, such as professional development courses offered through HR’s Organization and Professional Development, support staff employees may have up to $900 per year to use toward course registration fees, depending on their union contract. The course must be considered job-related and from an approved institution/program to receive assistance. 

You may receive up to 14 credits per academic year for credit courses. Your level of financial assistance is determined by your union group, whether you’re taking a graduate or undergraduate course, and where you’re taking the course (MSU or another university). The course must be considered job-related, degree-related, or career/professional development-related. 

Taxation Information for Graduate-Level, Degree-Related Coursework 

When using Educational Assistance funds toward graduate-level, degree-related classes for credit, it’s important to remember and plan for IRS tax exemption rules. The Internal Revenue Code (IRC) provides up to $5,250 in exemption per tax (calendar) year for graduate-level, degree-related courses reimbursed/waived through employer educational assistance programs, like the one at MSU. Any amount of the benefit over $5,250 for degree-related, graduate-level courses is considered taxable income by the IRS. 

If you use Ed Assist benefits for graduate-level, degree-related courses for credit over the $5,250 exemption amount, appropriate tax withholding will be made, and the amount will be added to your gross wages. If there is a tax liability, the deductions must be completed within the same calendar year. If this tax situation applies to your Ed Assist usage, you will receive a notification via email in the fall, typically around September. This notification will indicate the amount of Educational Assistance received in the calendar year, the taxable amount, and which paycheck withdrawals will occur to cover the outstanding tax liability. 

Note: This tax liability, dictated by the IRS, applies ONLY to any Ed Assist benefit usage over the $5,250 limit when applied to graduate-level, degree-related courses for credit. For example, if you received $6,250 in eligible Ed Assist benefits in a year, you would only be taxed on the $1,000 over the exemption limit and owe a percentage of that $1,000 as your tax liability. 

Find detailed information about Educational Assistance – including how to apply – on the HR website. Contact Organization and Professional Development at avphr.hrdmail@msu.edu with questions. 

Start the School Year Off Right With These Exclusive Discounts

Published on by Josh WorleyLeave a comment

Whether your family loves shopping for back-to-school or dreads it every year, MSU Benefits Plus has you covered. All benefit-eligible MSU employees have access to tons of exclusive discounts by clicking the MSU Benefits Plus tile on the EBS Portal. Send the family back to school in style without breaking the bank. 

Tech & Electronics

Technology is an essential part of the school supply list, so enjoy extra savings on those investments through a variety of retailers.

  • Amazon: Enjoy up to 40% off Amazon devices
  • Apple: Receive preferred pricing on iPhones, iMacs, and more
  • Dell: Get the best pricing available on all Dell PCs, electronics, and accessories
  • HP: Save up to 50% off the full portfolio of HP products
  • Microsoft: Save over 70% on Microsoft Office Home and Business

Beauty and Apparel

Everyone wants to look great for their first day of school, whether you’re a student or an educator.

  • Bombas: 20% off with code CORESTREAM20 (plus a pair is donated with every pair purchased!) 
  • Crocs: Save $20 off a purchase of $100 or more using the code CROCS20
  • Geologie: Use code BESTSKIN20 to take 20% off skincare, haircare, or body care products
  • Snow Teeth Whitening: Save 15% on teeth whitening kits, toothbrushes, and more

Education 

Learn a new skill, stock up on textbooks for those fall courses, and show your Spartan spirit, all at a discount through these local organizations. 

Other Savings 

  • BetterHelp: 50% off your first month of online therapy using code corestream50
  • Budget Truck Rentals: 15% off local and one-way moves using code ACT#56000131121
  • Nectar: Save 33% off mattresses, bedframes, bedding, and furniture

For all of these discounts and more, visit the HR Website or click the MSU Benefits Plus tile on the EBS Portal. Employees can also call Benefits Plus at 888-758-7575 with any questions.

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/

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.

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:

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

Are You Procrastinating? Increase Motivation and Become More Productive with These Simple Steps.

Published on by Abigail MillerLeave a comment

There are countless reasons to put off working on a project. Maybe you’re daunted by the size of it, or the deadline is far off, so you don’t feel the urgency to get moving. Whether your procrastination is the result of perfectionism, negative thought patterns, or even boredom, there are easy changes you can make to increase your motivation and complete high-quality work without missing deadlines.

Take charge of your day

It’s easy to find excuses to not take action. I don’t have time. I’m too busy. I’ll do it later when things calm down. To move beyond procrastination, you need to take charge of your time.

  • Don’t let external demands control your time. Deadlines and mundane tasks are likely a part of your days. Take charge of your schedule.
  • Minimize interruptions. Turn off your Teams, Outlook, and text notifications if you can. Block off time on your calendar. Prioritize your tasks. Ask yourself: What needs to be done now? What can wait until later?
  • Figure out and respect your preferred working methods and energy levels. Consider when you’re most productive and schedule your day accordingly.

Set small deadlines

If you sometimes feel like you’re accomplishing nothing, it may be because your idea of getting something done is too big.

  • Focus on the wins, no matter how small. Set small goals and interim deadlines throughout the day.
  • As you hit each small target, you’ll build momentum and feel motivated to strive toward the next goal.

Achieve an optimal level of positive stress

We all face stress at work — deadlines to meet, unexpected problems to solve. It may sound counterintuitive, but a little stress can be a good thing. Positive stress can give you the energy you need to stay motivated. The key is to achieve an optimal level of healthy stress.

  • Know your limits. Find a challenge you can realistically take on.
  • Don’t be complacent. Push yourself to achieve great things, one step at a time. Remember that a challenge should stretch you without breaking you.

Collaborate to stay engaged

When we pool our resources and expertise to work on a task with others, we share ideas, discuss options, and develop ideas as a team. One person’s enthusiasm might inspire you. New eyes bring new perspectives, which may help you look at a task in a new way.

  • To ensure your collaboration is effective, be sure you have a diverse group to offer different perspectives.
  • Allow some quiet space to build on the ideas that emerge.
  • Effective collaboration can be structured or informal.

Try these techniques to help you take action and leave procrastination behind, and look into self-paced, online elevateU resources for further motivation and guidance.