Newsletter

View from the Bridge: The ultimate test of how you’ve lived

December 13th, 2018

A WORD FROM THE TOP
Dear Reader,

It’s that time of year when we focus on expressing “goodwill and kindness” towards one another.  It’s a time to celebrate love and family and a time for giving.   At Vertical Bridge we work year round to assist our clients in creating engaging workplaces for their employees. We believe that an engaged workforce is a happy and productive workforce.
 
We also believe that everyone deserves the an opportunity to do an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.  However, there are many people who have fallen on hard times and work is not always accessible to them.  I am proud to sit on the Board of EMBERS, a social enterprise and registered community economic development charity located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Since 2001, EMBERS has helped thousands of people facing barriers to work lead productive, fulfilling lives by offering economic and employment opportunities – including job placements, training and support.

In lieu of sending out Christmas cards this year, Vertical Bridge has donated $500 to EMBERS’ 100 Boot Challenge and we invite you to give a “helping hand” to those less fortunate than us and to donate today. Let’s all make a difference!

We have also featured an article below that shares some words of wisdom from Warren Buffet that we can all incorporate into our lives and workplaces in 2019!

Happy Holidays from all of us at Vertical Bridge!

Sandra Reder, CPC
President
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WARREN BUFFETT SAYS THE ULTIMATE TEST OF HOW YOU’VE LIVED YOUR LIFE BOILS DOWN TO 1 POWERFUL WORD
Credit: Marcel Schwantes, Inc.When it comes to sage-like wisdom, Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett has a mountainous surplus of it circulating the internet.Some of his advice is so commonsensical it stops us in our tracks and makes us think about whether we’re truly measuring up to the things that truly matter. For example, take this truth-telling mirror moment from the Oracle of Omaha:
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JOIN US IN THE 100 BOOT CHALLENGE!
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THIS IS EMBERS!

“A job is much more than just income”: Meet Marcia Nozick, CEO of EMBERS Vancouver. She’s an entrepreneur focused on creating livelihoods for those on the economic fringes.

View from the Bridge: Yesterday a colleague, today a boss. Now what?

November 28th, 2018

 

A WORD FROM THE TOP
As more and more Millennials take on leadership roles within their companies there’s a good chance that they will be put into the challenging position of suddenly having to manage their friends and co-workers. Over the last couple of years we’ve seen a significant increase in calls from organizations facing this very real situation.

Read more

View from the Bridge: Four onboarding tips for new hires

October 25th, 2018

A WORD FROM THE TOP
We all know how difficult it is to find top talent in today’s employment market.  Hiring is extremely competitive, expensive and it can be very time consuming.  Imagine doing all that work and spending all that time and money and the new hire quits within the first year!  A key to a successful hire is how you bring them into your organization, how are you ”onboarding” your new hires?   Imagine showing up on the first day and it’s very clear that no one was really “expecting” you.  You’re plunked down at a desk told this is your computer, read this manual and feel free to ask questions, then you’re left on your own.  This happens more often than you may think.

The article below highlights 4 things to keep in mind while onboarding. Developing a formal onboarding process for your company could be the difference between keeping a great employee and losing them!

I also want to take a moment to welcome our newest HR Consultant, Allison Ribaux to the Vertical Bridge team.  Allison brings her passion for employee relations along with solid HR expertise in a number of different industries.  Please check out her full bio below.

Warm regards,

Sandra Reder, CPC
President
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IF YOU DON’T BOTHER TO DO THIS WITH YOU NEW HIRES, YOU’RE THROWING $10,000 DOWN THE DRAIN
Credit: Tommy Mello, INC.

Hiring is a long, hard process.

You’re not Google. Neither are you Apple. A-players aren’t fighting tooth and nail for a chance to work on your company. So it’s up to you to attract them with a kickass job description and a great company culture.

But here’s the thing:

Hiring isn’t just about attracting rockstar candidates, and conducting interviews. There’s another piece of the puzzle that’s equally important: and that’s onboarding newer hires.

According to a survey by BambooHR, 91 percent of HR managers think their onboarding processes need to be improved. And guess what? 45 percent of these managers believe that their companies waste up to $10,000 per year on ineffective onboarding processes. I mean, $10,000 is a lot of money. And it could be put to better use elsewhere, such as your marketing campaigns.

Want to work on your onboarding process, and make it more effective? Here are four tips that can help you do that.
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WELCOME A NEW VBer!
Allison Ribaux is an accomplished and passionate Human Resource professional with over 14 years of work experience in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Allison believes that honest communication and strong organizational values are the key to success and employee engagement. Workplaces and individuals are unique, and she strives to help organizations find solutions that fit their needs.

Originally from Montreal, Allison has been in Vancouver for almost a decade. In her spare time, she likes to explore the outdoors with her two dogs, hiking, running or biking around the lower mainland. Allison is also the Co-Founder of CAARE, a dog rescue that rehomes dogs in need from remote northern communities to the lower mainland.
Read Allison’s Full Bio

THIS IS A WELCOME!
First day on the job: We bet yours wasn’t quite like this!

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View from the Bridge: Don’t worry (be happy)

July 25th, 2018

A WORD FROM THE TOP
Happy July! The sun is shining, the days are long and the smell of barbeques is in the air! It’s time to take a moment to relax and be happy. If you have any trouble doing this we’re sharing an article below with some great tips on what happy people do.

Speaking of happy, we’re pleased to announce that we’re partnering with David Ogle, the Founder of a successful North American coaching and leadership practice. Recently David delivered a workshop on “Leadership and Innovation” with one of our Vertical Bridge clients. The feedback was excellent and I was blown away by his delivery. It’s no surprise then that David led Lululemon’s Leadership Development team during their growth to a $2 billion company. Check out his full bio and please join us in welcoming David to Vertical Bridge .

 
Warm regards,
Sandra Reder

President & Founder
Vertical Bridge Corporate Consulting

_______________________
7 THINGS YOU’LL NOTICE THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE DOING
 
Here are seven habits of the happiest people, which will make the rest of us perpetually jealous if we don’t hop on the wagon and join them.

So much has been written about the burgeoning happiness movement within the ever-expanding field of positive psychology, it’s hard to keep up.

What scientists have discovered is that practices like compassion, gratitude, positive thinking, meditation, and kindness are not only good for your health and well-being, they’re especially good for business.

While we know that leaders are partly responsible for setting the right conditions for employee happiness, employees have to be held responsible for making wise choices to ensure their own happiness, no matter what curve balls life throws their way.

While combing through my own research and notes on what successful and happy people do, it struck me how intentional they are in working the happiness advantage, putting emphasis on choosing the right mindset and literally training their brains to become happier and more optimistic. It’s a lifelong commitment.

Here are seven habits of the happiest people, which will make the rest of us perpetually jealous if we don’t hop on the wagon and join them.
MEET A VBer!
Vertical Bridge is very excited to be working with David Ogle, an extremely talented and sought after leadership coach. David  led the Leadership Development team at Lululemon Athletica through a stunning $2B in growth. He works with executives, Olympic athletes as well numerous leaders within organizations, and is a candidate for his MSc in Applied Neuroscience & Mental Health. With over a decade of coaching and organizational leadership, David is known for his ability to ask the challenging questions, create the conditions for insight, and he does this so his clients don’t feel like the sky is falling.

We encourage you to read his full bio!

>> READ FULL BIO

THIS IS WORRY-FREE!

Words to live by: Remember this catchy hit from 1988? 

 

View from the Bridge: Who’s your super hero?

June 29th, 2018

 

A WORD FROM THE TOP

Super heroes in the movies are obvious: Colourful costumes, concealed identities, witty come-backs. Unfortunately, spotting leadership talent within your own organization isn’t always so easy. In Minnesota recently, a different kind of masked super hero reminds us to be on the look out for leadership talent hiding (or climbing) right under our nose. As the story goes, a social media savvy Minnesota Public Radio reporter took a modestly unusual situation and turned it into PR gold. Read more

View from the Bridge: A young Steve Jobs perfectly expresses a leadership fundamental

May 23rd, 2018

A WORD FROM THE TOP
Every now and then, I’m reminded of a fundamental tenet of leadership. It’s something we’ve all heard before and know on an intellectual level, but oftentimes it slips to the back of our consciousness when we’re dealing with the daily challenges of running a company: Great leaders strive to create a common vision that attracts, excites and motivates smart people to accomplish great things. Read more

View from the Bridge: Do you have a bully in your midst?

April 25th, 2018

 

 

 

 

A WORD FROM THE TOP
Recently we’ve seen an increase in the number of clients who are grappling with workplace bullying & harassment complaints.  Bullies tend to be very toxic by nature and as a result they can turn a happy workplace culture into a dysfunctional toxic environment that can cause a variety of issues. These include absenteeism due to stress and anxiety, loss of productivity, loss of customers, employee turnover, and the list goes on. Below is a great article that clearly outlines the cost of a toxic employee.
While the cost of a toxic employee to your organization is serious enough, WorkSafe BC passed Bill 14 on November 1, 2013. This is a legislated directive that makes every organization responsible to take bullying and harassment seriously with three legally binding policies. Bill 14 requires all employers, managers and employees to operate under these guiding policies. Not only has this bill put into writing what we are required to do by law, it has also mandated every employer’s responsibility to take action.
Often when we start working with new clients we discover that many were not aware that they were required under the law to have an “Employer Duties – Workplace Bullying and Harassment” policy which includes the following required steps of action:

View from the Bridge: Spring clean your brain

March 29th, 2018

A WORD FROM THE TOP
It’s that time of year when we think about throwing open the windows, letting in some fresh air and doing a little Spring cleaning. While this typically entails decluttering our closets and other nooks and crannies in our homes, we don’t think about other areas of our lives that may also require some decluttering!
This month we’re sharing the following article on “decluttering your brain” as many of us can get caught up both professionally and personally in over-thinking and worrying about things that ultimately may hold us back. We’re also including a Ted Talk given by Amy Morin, the author of the article. Amy has personally experienced some tragic life events and challenges that would knock most of us to our knees. In her TED Talk she shares how to develop mental strength in the face of challenge and adversity…it’s worth the “watch”!

Warm regards,
Sandra Reder

President & Founder
Vertical Bridge Corporate Consulting

_______________________
3 WAYS TO DECLUTTER YOUR MIND SO YOU CAN FOCUS ON THE THINGS THAT MATTER
Credit: Inc., Amy Morin, Author, “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do”; Image: Getty Images.
 
Getting rid of the mental clutter makes room for the things that really matter.
Researchers estimate you have about 60,000 thoughts each day. And many of those thoughts involve thinking the same things over and over again.
I never have enough time. I have nothing to wear. I look stupid. My house isn’t clean enough. My life would be better if I had more money.
Rehashing the same things, focusing on the negative, and worrying about things you can’t control wastes your time and your mental energy. The key to building more mental muscle involves decluttering your mind of those mental habits that are keeping you stuck.
Here are three tips that will help you spring clean your brain and rid yourself of the thinking patterns that keep you from reaching your greatest potential.
1. Get rid of the pity parties.
Feeling sad or disappointed is healthy. But self-pity is different. It involves magnifying your misfortune and convincing yourself that your problems are worse than anyone else’s. And if you’re not careful, it will keep you stuck.

THIS IS HEADSTRONG

 

The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong: There’s a lot of talk about physical strength, but not much about mental strength. Amy Morin (the author of our featured article) prescribes some workouts for your brain so that you can be your best no matter what the circumstances.