While traveling in Lisbon, Portugal a few years ago, I happened to take a quick photo of my wife standing on a cobble-stone street filled with shops. After posting it on Facebook, I received a comment that the photo looked like a postcard.

That got me to thinking about how grateful I am to have a life filled with many blessings to include my faith, family, fitness, finances, and foundation (giving). Oftentimes, people tell me that I have a large personality and an over-engaged optimistic view of life.

I make no apologies for having either and proudly claim both. That will especially be funny to those who know me well.

For me, I live my life like a postcard and the inscription reads: Gratitude is My Attitude.

Throughout my life, some stories stand out for their inspiration. The following story, an excerpt from my book Fanny Rules: A Mother’s Leadership Lessons that Never Grow Old, is one of those stories.

“Sinking was never an option.”

In this week’s Cohesion Corner™ with Dr. Troy blog post, I have another excerpt from my book FANNY RULES: A Mother’s Leadership Lessons that Never Grow Old. Make sure to check out the first FANNY RULES blog post called Remember the Dent (click here to read) for the backstory on my mom, aka FANNY, and the teachable moments she imparted on me.

When people ask me about my leadership journey, I refer back to 1969. At 12 years old, my mom, aka FANNY, was diagnosed with breast cancer. We lived in a small rural town in West Virginia. Our small little town offered limited education, poor economic conditions, and we were 30 to 45 minutes from the nearest hospital or major employer.

Ever wondered what goes on in the brain when you ask a question with “why” in the beginning?

For most of us, we know immediately.

Our brain senses conflict and engages our natural defense system.

We are living in unprecedented times witnessing 5 generations in the workplace. Spanning from the traditionalists, often referred to as the Silent Generation, to the tech-savvy Gen Z, this multigenerational workforce offers a remarkable tapestry of experiences, skills, and perspectives. While each generation carries its own unique strengths and insights, creating a harmonious work environment requires embracing generational diversity and cultivating inclusivity.

Hi! This is Karmen Zabron and I’m the Founder and Chief People Officer at Area of Effect (AoE). As part of the Cohesion Culture™️ team, my role is HR Gamification Strategist.

At AoE, we believe that it’s people that make your company great, and we help HR and organizational leaders create environments where individuals can thrive.

Make it a strategy

Oftentimes, leaders fail to respond to the periphery until it is in plain sight. For the past several decades, it would be hard to consider “culture” being a sidelined conversation. YET, the attention to changing the toxicity of the work culture has only come into its own in the last several years.