Gratitude is good for you

You saw this one coming, didn’t you? We couldn’t resist the urge to pause and express thanks to you, our associates, friends, customers and partners in this grand adventure. We are big believers in spreading good things, like thankfulness, around. (Some of you may argue that we spread some other stuff around, too, but you’re probably too polite to mention it.)

Gratefulness is not just for Thanksgiving and is more powerful than you might imagine. Expressing gratitude has been shown to decrease stress, elevate mood for months and lower blood pressure. To begin receiving the benefits of gratitude today:

Pay attention. You’ll need to attend to more than your to-do list in order to notice and appreciate all that you have to be grateful for.

Experience wonder. Remember what it was like when you were a kid and so many new experiences and things enthralled and amazed you? They still can. Nature, for one, puts on spectacular displays regularly. And people can be glorious in their wisdom, humor or kindness, to name a few traits. Allow yourself to see your little part of the universe as something awe-inspiring.

Express it. Whether in person, in a note or even just in your head, put your gratitude into words. You don’t have to use many words, and they don’t have to be fancy. Sincerity is all that’s required. Hugs are optional, but often appreciated.

We at Humanergy are going to practice some gratitude right now. Here are but a few of the qualities we most appreciate in our team and others:

Honesty. When there’s a problem, you don’t hide it. If you are at fault, you own up. Then you do your best to fix it, with great thoroughness and integrity. If we goof up, you give us feedback that helps us grow stronger.

Humor. You help us keep perspective on what’s really important, and what isn’t. Most of all, you prevent us from taking ourselves too seriously. We appreciate the jokes you email us, impromptu witty remarks and, most of all, the fact that you laugh at our jokes, whether they’re funny or not!

Generosity. So many people have helped us along the way – with kindness, cautionary words, bravos, brilliant ideas and good old fashioned common sense. You are generous with your time, even when every minute is precious. Thanks for that gift, most of all.

Yes, it’s true that the economy is still tanked, people work too hard and we often treat each other shabbily. It’s also true that we have much to be thankful for, including you. Thanks a million.

Have a question or want some input from Humanergy about this topic? Contact us and we’ll get right back to you!


Humanergy: Ten years of laughter

pig-laughingTen years ago, Humanergy was created. The funny name (who can pronounce it right the first time?) was just the foundation for 10 years of guffaws. It’s possible that we aren’t as funny as we think we are. But we doubt it. Here are a few excerpts from CrazyLand:

First office. Don’t want to dis the first digs, which came with very low rent, courtesy of the Battle Creek Chamber of Commerce. But it was so small that when one person pushed back a chair, others had to be alerted. “I’m standing up now.”

First bathroom. We thought we were pretty cool because we had an adjoining bathroom. However, it had to be re-purposed as a storage room when we discovered that people on the other end of the phone could hear the toilet flush.

Moving on up. Although we’ve settled into a beautiful historic home, complete with two out buildings (no, not outhouses), we contemplated some zany office moves. One was a building in the middle of a cemetery. Another was situated very close to a(n eroding) dam. Our third option – four stories and about 20,000 square feet – represented either a wealth of opportunities or a giant money pit, depending upon your perspective. When we dream, we go for it.

Team fun. Whether it’s bronco kicks while team bowling, singing our own lyrics to “Centerfield” by John Fogerty or good-natured laughter over our many foibles,  we know how to have a good time. And we know how to give some gentle grief to our teammates, like the time one of them got “fired” (complete with commemorative “You’re Fired” coffee mug) for creating what turned out to be an amazing teambuilding event. (Let’s just say that it was initially greeted with groans and more than one expletive.)

John’s multiple run-ins with conference room furniture. He’s not a klutz. He’s just a deep thinker. Really.

David’s love of brown sweaters. If you’ve visited our website, perhaps you’ve seen our pictures in those fetching matching brown sweaters. Let it be known that David HATES those sweaters, the fact that we all had to wear them and the chest hair allegedly sported by some in their photo. Our next round of team photos is scheduled for 2050, when David might be over the whole brown sweater thing.

Jeopardy domination. We excel at Jeopardy, at least the kind that we play on our Jeopardy calendar. Some of us are random thought generators, others zero in (perhaps prematurely) on the “right” answer. The bottom line is that we netted over $5,000,000 in faux money in 2009. Wow, we know a lot of useless stuff.

If you are looking for buttoned up, suit-wearing, stuffy consultants, don’t call us. If you want creativity, intelligence, passion and authenticity, we’re the folks for you.

Many heartfelt thanks to all of you who have made our 10 years possible.

P.S. In lieu of throwing ourselves a party or spending dough on collectible Humanergy 1oth anniversary coffee mugs, we’re celebrating by making a difference. Find out more

Have a question or want some input from Humanergy about this topic? Contact us and we’ll get right back to you!


Can we be your hero?

displayHumanergy is in the process of transitioning to new software to manage data about our clients and friends and all the information we need at our fingertips. We’re moving to BatchBlue, and so far we’ve been impressed with how easy it is to use and their customer service.

BatchBlue has another quality that we find attractive. They have personality. They take their jobs seriously, but they exude energy and playfulness at the same time.

Case in point – they’re holding their second annual Small Business Super Hero contest. And yes, we’ve entered. In the spirit of promoting fun and not taking ourselves too seriously, here is our contest entry (thankfully for you, it was limited to 200 words):

While the city sleeps, an overworked executive nods off at her desk, after struggling for weeks to figure out how to lead her company through the latest wave of change.

A small town board of education member lies awake, worrying about the ongoing labor dispute and the implications on kids in the district.

The night shift at the plant drones on, but the supervisor knows that tomorrow will bring another wave of layoffs, as the factory fights to remain productive.

Isn’t this where the super hero rushes in, armed with weapons needed to fix the problem? In reality, this is where Humanergy comes in, to unleash the power of your people – working with you to find the superheroes within!

Got a nagging villian keeping you up at night?

Some consultants can waltz in and act like heroes with all the answers. Humanergy knows that you know more about the problems and solutions than we do. We bring whiz bang tools and structures and help you see things more clearly. We coach you, train your team and facilitate the important work sessions that will enable you to vanquish any foe.

Okay, maybe we won’t win Small Business Super Hero of the year. But it was amusing to try on the cape – and to think creatively about what Humanergy brings to the table that is so unique.

What super powers does your organization possess or bring out in others?

Have a question or want some input from Humanergy about this topic? Contact us and we’ll get right back to you!


Humanergy…developing a leadership mindset, skillset and resultset

Humanergy logoWelcome to Humanergy’s weblog. We hope that you find this a regular source for innovative, practical tools that expand your leadership. Our company was founded in 2000 by John Barrett and David Wheatley, an Australian and a Brit, respectively.

We do whatever it takes to help you, your team and your organization thrive. First, we listen. Then we work with you to craft strategies that are realistic AND produce lasting changes in thinking, skills and results.

While we can’t give you the full benefit of our coaching, training and facilitation via the internet, this blog will contain tips and tools that you can implement today to be a better leader and enjoy life more.

Have a question or want some input from Humanergy about this topic? Contact us and we’ll get right back to you!