Happy New Year! As we welcome 2022 and look forward to new opportunities, progress, and growth, it is important for us to take time to both reflect on the past year and set ourselves up for success in the coming year. Many of us have recently refreshed our workplans and goals for the year and […]

In traditional new years’ style, we are dreaming of all we wish to accomplish with this fresh start – listing off each goal with bright eyes and an overwhelming sense of motivation. These goals tend to range from personal to professional, from mental to physical health, with tiny habit changes and baby steps in-between. In […]

Can you image what your life would be like if you only had to work 20 hours in a week? You could hit the links and go golfing with some friends, or catch a matinee movie, or even hit the gym before the after work craze. Its safe to say that working less hours would […]

With the Labour Day long weekend behind us and everyone preparing to trade their tans for turtle necks, I started thinking about what this time of year used to mean for me…back to school, back to sports programs, and catching up with friends about what they got up to over the summer holidays. With Fall […]

“What people call “weird” comes part and parcel with people who are brilliant in some way.  So embrace your weird.  Embrace your eccentricity.” – Elleen Anglin , Life Coach No matter what industry, position, or place you work in, I’m sure we all have that one co-worker who is singled out as the office “odd ball”. […]

Ken Blanchard said, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions”. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day (you do know that, right?) – it provides the body and brain with fuel, energy and stamina to get through the day. In the same way, without feedback, the organization starves. Without feedback, the organization operates in […]

Lately, the subject I’ve had the most conversations about is Engagement. Fortunately for me, this is a topic I am passionate about. As a self-professed HR Management Junkie, I can (and do) spend many an hour discovering and evaluating new ideas to further my own understanding and aid my practice. While brainstorming for a potential […]

Salopek & Associates kicked off our 2017 Training Workshop Program in February with a great first session on Delivering Difficult Messages, and would like to thank everyone who joined us! We are excited for our next workshop on April 27th – Performance Management: A New Approach, which will address challenges, changes and best practices in […]

Chronic absenteeism is one of the most common and frustrating issues faced by employers. According to Statistics Canada, in 2012, the average Canadian worker was away from work for 9.3 days – the equivalent of almost 2 weeks. Almost 80% of those absences were considered “casual” and not supported by any sort of doctor’s note. […]

I love getting feedback…. especially if it’s positive and complimentary. When it’s negative or constructive, it can sometimes be hard to take. I’ve always admired people who can take feedback really well. It’s a skill. Often, my first reaction is to get defensive, which is a totally normal, emotional response. But in reality, constructive feedback […]