Connect and Reflect
May 2020 with Be Well UC
Topic: The Importance of Human Connection
Writer and entrepreneur Margaret Heffernan claims the more we rely on
technology to make us efficient, the fewer skills we have to confront the
unexpected. During this TED Talk, The Human Skills We Need in an Unpredictable World,
https://bit.ly/ted-talk-human-connection, Heffernan shares why we need less tech and
more messy human skills such as imagination, humanity, bravery- to solve problems in
business, government and life is an unpredictable age.
Efficiency works really well when you can predict what you’re going to need, but when the
unexpected comes along, efficiency may no longer be your friend. The unexpected is
becoming the norm. How can you adjust or how have you adjusted when the unexpected
comes along?
Remote Work/School
I will create some kind of space within my home
where I can set up my workstation.
Try not to get distracted by all the home to-do lists
Heffernan asks “If efficiency is no longer our guiding principle, how should we address the
future? What kind of thinking is really going to help us? What sort of talents must we be
sure to defend?What are your thoughts?
The example given in the video about a company’s experiment “Love Week”, which is a
whole week where each employee has to look for a clever, helpful imaginative things a
counterpart does, call it out and celebrate it. How have you have celebrated a colleague
or something he or she has done? How have you been celebrated? How did you and your
co-workers respond to it?
Connect and Reflect
The less we know about the future, the more we’re going to need tremendous
sources of resilience and strength. Within the past few unpredictable weeks,
with remote work and school, what skills have you utilized and developed in
yourself?
Imagination
With the
kids at
home now,
what can I
do to keep
them
entertained
while I get
my work
done?
Experiment
Brainstorm
multiple
solutions on
a project
with a
colleague.
Schedule a
call with
friends to
virtually 'get
together'.
Heffer
nan reminds us that every time we use technology to nudge us through a decision
or a choice or use it to interpret how somebody’s feeling or to guide us through a
conversation, we outsource to a machine what we can do ourselves. Do you notice
yourself relying on technology? How can you make the use of technology more purposeful
and lessen your dependency on it?
Additional resources to consider this month:
Cleveland Clinic’s article How to Stay Connected to Loved Ones Despite Social Distancing:
https://bit.ly/cleveland-clinic-stay-connected
Greater Good Magazine’s Guide to Well-Bring During Coronavirus
https://bit.ly/greater-good-well-being-covid-19
Healthy UC Well-being Wednesday https://bit.ly/healthy-uc-events
Visit Impact Solutions, UC’s Employee Assistance Plan, for various resources, like
Resilience Journeys and additional happiness webinars, at http://bit.ly/ImpactEAP
.
Connect & Reflect | Virtual Session
May 2020 with Staff Success Center
Topic: Amazing Teams at Work: How to Be a Great Team Player
Connect & Reflect sessions are informal get-togethers, where we discuss the provided resource that will
lead to some beneficial takeaways. Join us every third Thursday of the month! For this months session,
Patrick Lencioni thinks it is time to change the way we prepare people for success. Drawing from his
book, The Ideal Team Player, Lencioni makes the compelling case that the key to success in an
increasingly team-oriented world is being humble, hungry, and smart.
Note: The April session is held virtually via Microsoft Teams.
I really believe that the world would be a better place, that our companies would
be better places, our families would be better, and the individuals in society
would be better if more of us were humble, hungry, and smart.
~ Patrick Lencioni
Session Outline
1. Watch the Are you an ideal team player? TED Talk from minute 4:54 to 11:08.
2. Discuss the questions below.
Discussion Questions
How do you cultivate humility in yourself?
How can you gain humility without becoming a pushover?
How do you “keep yourself hungry” without getting burnt out?
When someone pretends that they are humble, hungry, or smart what impact does that have on those
around them?
How can you approach someone with humility who needs development in one of these virtues?
What might change about your team if each person assessed their weakest virtue, shared with the
team, and everyone shared strategies for becoming better in each area?
What virtue do you need the most growth in?
Reminders
Join the Teams Meeting through the link or call-in number provided in the
calendar invite sent to you.
Don’t forget to add this event in the Be Well UC portal to get points.
Spread the word! If you enjoyed today’s session, please share
http://bit.ly/UC-CR with a co-worker and bring them along next time!