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.

In an era where employee engagement is on a downward spiral, organizations find themselves grappling with the repercussions of disengagement and burnout. Employee engagement has declined two straight years according to a Gallup Research article that surveyed 60,000 people. With less than 50% of U.S. workers considering themselves committed or interested in their work, productivity and creativity are negatively impacted.

“I can do it myself.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“I can do it my way.”

I remember as a child being a little stubborn (I know you’re shocked ) and telling Mom aka FANNY that I could do it on my own.

Motivation and systems play a vital role in achieving personal and professional goal success. Understanding how motivation works and the types of motivation that provides stimuli for me and others that I lead is critical to leadership success.