Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Day 1: VACEOs 2015 Retreat Highlights

Want more 2015 information? View Day 2 highlights.

2015 VACEOs ANNUAL RETREAT DAY ONE HIGHLIGHTS

Opening Keynote Speaker: Shawn Achor, “The Happiness Advantage”

Shawn Achor, New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Advantage and Before Happiness, guided us through his research and showed us how we can increase productivity and decrease the incidence of health problems by changing our mindset.

Here’s what we know:
1. Happiness is a choice
2. You can easily cultivate happiness in the workplace
3. Happiness spreads
4. Happiness = an advantage

Greatest predictors of success:
1. Optimism
2. Strong social connection
3. Perceiving stress as a challenge

>> YOUR ASSIGNMENT<<
A. Ask yourself: How do I perceive my work? As a career? A job? A calling? Remember, the view you see through your lens profoundly shapes the reality of your company.
B. Do these 5 things to create sustainable, positive change in your culture:
1) Three Gratitudes: Write down three NEW things you’re grateful for each day. Rewire your brain for greater optimism.
2) The Doubler: Spend two minutes describing a meaningful experience from the past 24 hours. Double the meaning in your life.
3) Fun 15: Add 15 minutes of fun, active cardio to your routine. Create a cascade of success.
4) Meditation: Invest two minutes to train your brain to just notice your breath. Undo the negative effects of multitasking.
5) Conscious Act of Kindness: Take two minutes to write an email thanking one person in your social support network. Increase the greatest happiness predictor.

Learning Labs: You Choose!

The second half of Day One was full of well-attended one-hour Learning Labs – on topics ranging from leadership to law to speaking candidly. Here’s a lesson and a few comments we heard from those in attendance.

Learning Lab: Uncommon Candor, A Leader’s Guide to Straight Talk,
by Nancy Eberhardt, Pathwise Partners

5 Ways to Lead a Culture of Candor:
1) Be vulnerable.
2) Tell people what the real deal is.
3) Go for the facts … like Colin Powell.
4) Get feedback and listen.
5) It’s okay to say you don’t know and to get more brains in the game.

>> YOUR ASSIGNMENT<<
Read The Lost Art of Candor.