Whether you had a chance to take time off this summer or are planning a fall getaway, this issue is all about taking a break. We highlight the many benefits of vacation, how to prepare for it, and how to ease your way back into work.

Team gatherings, sometimes referred to as team retreats, extend beyond the day-to-day work tasks and team check-ins often utilized by supervisors. Now is an especially important time for leaders to emphasize the human aspects of work and offer options for team members to connect with each other.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we work, whether in the office or at home, and faculty and staff face increased interruptions. This can contribute to lower productivity, lower quality of work, decreased focus, and heightened stress levels. 

As important as compensation and job titles are for attracting, retaining, and rewarding faculty and staff, they are only part of the things that matter when it comes to keeping employees motivated, engaged, and satisfied with their career. Furthermore, opportunities for raises and promotions are limited and often outside of a supervisor’s control, so focusing on other career development strategies may be more effective.

Employee wellbeing was important well before COVID-19, but the pandemic has accelerated the need to build the skills and resources to tolerate workplace stress and burnout.  

Supervisors have been asked to solve once unimaginable problems using skills they’ve never needed to leverage, so it’s no wonder news headlines are full of reports of high burnout. 

Research shows that managers and supervisors who take time for reflection provide more strategic vision and help to their teams. So as you close out this academic year and begin planning for the next, take a moment to think about the new norms and practices that have contributed to employee engagement and productivity and the things you’d like to change. 

As you reflect back and look forward, consider how the pandemic has affected the five core practices for building strong teams.

Salaries and bonuses are often the first thing that come to mind as ways to reward good performance.

Spoiler alert: Intrinsic rewards—personal enjoyment and satisfaction—are a bigger driver of motivation and engagement than money. In fact, money can actually reduce intrinsic motivation.

Happy New Year! Since January is a time for renewal, we’re focusing this month on building resilience, managing workplace stressors, and creating balance.

 We’re living in a time when the old adage, “The only constant is change” couldn’t be more true. This month Dr. Brandon Sullivan, Senior Director of Leadership and Talent Development in the Office of Human Resources, offers his insight on dealing with change.

Whether it’s taking a break to walk outdoors, pausing for mindful meditation, or carving out time for meaningful connections with colleagues, friends and family, even the smallest efforts for self-care add up and can restore our sense of wellbeing. 

This month we explore strategies to incorporate wellness into our work life.