Yes, no matter how much you may want to deny it, it’s already August. How are you tracking to the goals you set for you and your organization?
I’m sharing items that caught my attention this week that I hope will engage your business-leader heart and mind, along with two spotlights that you may find interesting.
The first spotlight is on a new client of Owlthena’s parent company, Digital Brand Expressions: Viggi Corporation. The story behind the invention of the Vidget is on the website, we’ve got a summary below for you. I think you’ll love the entrepreneurial spirit and passion that shines through everything Viggi does.
Our other spotlight is on a not-for-profit, 10,000 Degrees, that helps disadvantaged students not only get into college, but to succeed through gradation, and go on to help others.
This week’s theme is “flexibility and perspective.” You’ll see it play out in so many ways in our features below. Enjoy!
DBE Client Spotlight on: Viggi Kids
What if there was a chair designed to help kids expend energy while staying seated, facilitating focus and learning? There is! It’s called the Vidget, and it was created and developed by Sandra Turner, CEO of DBE’s client Viggi Corporation. The Vidget is completely manufactured in the US and is fast becoming the furniture you’ll see not only in classrooms for kids with ADHD, but in mainstream classrooms too. And now, Vidgets are making their way into families’ home study areas and playrooms too.
Vidgets are made of solid, molded plastic, are designed to rock side to side without tipping over, and come in a wide variety of colors and sizes. In fact, they start as small as 10 inches and go up to the sizes you’ll find in college libraries. If you’ve got people in your family that like to move while learning or playing, check out the Vidget. Added coolness: flip it and it’s a desk; flip it again and it’s a stool; flip it again and it’s a seat again. Awe-some!
News For Business Leaders:
- Stephanie Davis is a Google executive in Singapore. She typically has 40+ hours of meetings a week, yet still has time for yoga, hiking with her husband, and other fun activities that keep her fresh and strong. What’s her secret? She has a few, including booking time—in her calendar—for meeting prep and follow ups. Here’s more (try Googling this if you can’t get in without a subscription, you may have “free” articles available).
- I was shocked when an executive friend recently shared that their boss wanted to revoke working from home completely once it felt safe to do so. When my friend tried to remind the boss that her department, comprised of primarily younger workers, had hit every goal working through 2020 and so far this year too, working completely remotely, and that she worried people would leave without the flexibility to continue to work from home, her boss fell back on the old, “They are lucky to have jobs, they won’t go anywhere.” So much has changed about how people look at the role of work in their lives, and in such a short time, I’m wondering how much any of us has really factored enough of it to make elevated decisions about options for ourselves and our teams. This piece by Art Markman for Fast Company brings perspectives into a clearer lens. I hope it helps you and those in your sphere.
- Are you familiar with “false polarization bias?” that’s the assumption that people with opposing views dislike you. It’s a global phenomenon and this Harvard Business Review article delves into it and how it affects the workplace. You know we don’t like to plop a problem in your lap without offering solutions and this article takes the same tack.
- There’s all kinds of research emerging fast and furiously about how just taking a quick break every 20 minutes during the work day reduces stress, decreases the chance of getting diabetes, and more. So, with that in mind, here are some easy stretches you can do from pretty much anywhere. You’re welcome ?.
Do Good Spotlight on: 10,000 Degrees
Supporting educational equity, 10,000 Degrees helps students from low-income backgrounds to get into and then graduate college. But that’s not all. This not-for-profit has an even bigger mission to help those graduates in turn help their communities. We love what they’re all achieving and so we are honoring them all with this shout out and a donation this week. Here’s where you can learn more (and donate too).
I hope this week’s article gave you a few new perspectives and aided in your mental and physical flexibility. Have a great rest of the week and enjoy the weekend too!
