A writer all her life, Christine MacLean believes words well chosen make the world a better place. She's written for Herman Miller and other clients for more than 10 years.
“The power of the ask” refers to what happens when we ask people we know to help: They say yes. Research shows that 71% of people volunteer when asked, compared to 29% who volunteer on their own.
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For Dmitri Brown, the whole idea of work/life balance unfolded gradually. When he graduated from college in 2004, he was headed for a career in corporate law. He went to Maine for a year to study for the LSAT and snowboard. But two funny things happened on the way to law school: He figured out he didn’t want to be a lawyer and he didn’t need a lot of money to live on. That was his first a-ha.
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I grew up in a frugal household long before frugality was trendy. My father’s favorite sayings were, “Money doesn’t grow on trees,” “Shut off that light if you’re not using it,” and “Shut the door, I’m not paying to air condition the county.”
My father would have thought Herman Miller’s new Energy Manager is a great idea.
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To work or not to work: That is the question for many moms. Or is it? The implication of a new University of Michigan study is that, when it comes to the well-being of her children, the kind of job a woman has may be just as important as whether or not she works at all.
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When I think about resilience, I think of Ma Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, who held her family together through death, homelessness, unemployment, and hunger. I think of Ishmael Beah, who lost his humanity as a child soldier in Sierra Leone’s civil war but later regained it, wrote a memoir, and now serves as an advocate for the rehabilitation of child soldiers. And I think of my friends Ann and Jim. Within a span of 18 months, they separated and reconciled, she learned she had cancer and underwent treatment, and he lost his job.
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Photo credit: iStockphoto.com/Falconiaz
One of the best things coming out of the push toward sustainability is the increasing awareness that with a little effort, we can do a lot of good. Energy use in commercial buildings and manufacturing plants accounts for nearly half of energy consumption nationwide, so the workplace is a low-hanging fruit, in a way, even if your company doesn’t have any programs or policies in place. Here’s what you personally can do, starting today.
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If good subject lines came naturally to us, we’d all write them, e-mail would be more effective, and the world would be a better place.
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Illustration credit: Nigel Buchanan
Couples are getting more creative in structuring their lives to support their careers, their families, and their personal needs. Although challenging, it is possible to find fulfillment with a little bit of creativity. And maybe some compromise.
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