Sarah Ratekin

Hey there, fellow workplace wanderers! Let’s talk about something that’s been lurking in the shadows of our corporate realms: negative employee experience. Yep, you heard that right. It’s like a solar eclipse, overshadowing all the good stuff your company is trying to achieve. Now, before we dive in, let’s address the elephant in the room: sinking happiness levels, especially among (but not limited to) younger professionals. Picture this: you’re scrolling through the latest Gallup World Happiness Report, and what do you see? North America, where many of us call home... Continue Reading

This blog was inspired by two things. 1. It‘s Women’s History Month, and 2. we recently watched the Barbie movie with that intensely relatable monologue by America Ferrera. If it’s not already seared in your psyche, she starts with this line: “It is literally impossible to be a woman.” Oof. Yeah. Preach it, sister. I think every woman I know has been caught in the tightrope walk of needing to “make your presence felt” while at the same time being nudged to “play it down a bit” in our work or social circles, and I know similar impossile pressures... Continue Reading

Ah, the paradox of organizational change: companies clamoring for innovation and improvement while simultaneously resisting the very changes that could lead to their evolution. It’s a tale as old as time, or at least as old as the corporate world itself. Why does this happen, and more importantly, how can a hope-focused approach help navigate these choppy waters? Let’s talk about that! The Conundrum of Change Resistance Imagine you’re at a party. Everyone’s having a good time, the music’s playing, people are dancing, and then someone decides to change the music. Suddenly,... Continue Reading

As someone always on the lookout for smarter, slicker ways to hit my business targets, I’ve seen my fair share of ‘revolutionary solutions’ being peddled my way. Sound familiar? It’s like every day a new gadget or gizmo is promising to be the panacea for all our entrepreneurial woes. Amidst this cacophony of pitches, I’ve stumbled upon three stellar tools that genuinely deserve a spot in the modern entrepreneur’s arsenal. Think of them as the Swiss Army knife of the business world—versatile, indispensable, and incredibly budget-friendly. These aren’t... Continue Reading

Kudos Deficiency Syndrome (KDS) is a term I’ve completely invented to describe a common workplace issue characterized by a lack of recognition and appreciation for employees’ contributions. This syndrome leads to disengagement, reduced productivity, increased turnover, and a negative work culture. Unfortunately, KDS is becoming ever more widespread. Only about 15% of people say they express appreciation at work, and 35% say their managers have never thanked them! KDS is one of the many types of Organizational Inflammation wreaking havoc on our companies and the people in them. Enter... Continue Reading

TL;DR: Employees are distrustful when companies suddenly start talking about “Gratitude”, and it’s easy to see why – it’s often a disaster. Stories like this are far too common. Background: A company, previously applauded for its innovative peer recognition program, encountered unexpected challenges following a major shift in its employee appreciation strategy. The original program allowed employees to earn points for both recognizing colleagues and being recognized, redeemable for tangible rewards like flex time and gift cards. This year, the company transitioned... Continue Reading

I’m not sure if it’s a gift or a curse, but a LOT of people share a LOT of their experiences with me. (I’m pretty sure it’s a gift, even if some the “wrapping paper”, i.e. people’s lived experiences and the trauma inherent in them, is kind of awful.) It happens in forums like LinkedIn or Facebook, of course. I actively invite those conversations, and while listening to people’s stories about workplace shenanigans often fills me with empathy, concern, and sometimes even compassion-based rage on behalf of the people I chat with, I love those human... Continue Reading

Happy National Whipped Cream Day! As I sat down with my morning cup of coffee, I thought it would be appropriate to whip up some thoughts on professional development. It’s often seen as the ‘whipped cream’ of the employee experience – delightful, but optional. In fact, some leaders even see it as completely unnecessary fluff, sort of the “empty calories” in the company budget. And if the rest of your employee experience is, shall we say, unsavory… No PD is going to fix that! So if you consider professional development as a luxury or pointless afterthought,... Continue Reading

“I hate black-eyes peas but I choke ’em down… One of these years it’ll bring me good luck!” I had this thought this morning, having watched my social feed fill with comments just like this throughout this first week of the year, and having lived in regions where this practice is sacred I know I’m putting myself in the hotseat but… If you’ve been eating for New Year’s for decades and your luck still sucks…. MAYBE… just maybe… the food isn’t the issue. 😉 Maybe it’s sticking with “How we do things around... Continue Reading

Self-Reflection is often uncomfortable, but some of the best personal growth opportunities come from those not-great-feeling moments. My spouse is a Boomer-cusper, and many of our friends are in their 60’s and 70’s. We were sitting around a firepit recently trying to solve all the problems of the universe… as you do around a fire! Our friends are fascinated (and a little weirded out) that I’ve made a career out of workplace happiness, and they always have lots of questions for me… I love it! After a couple of hours of philosophical wrangling, one of them paused for... Continue Reading