A-Musings

Part 2: Getting Engaged: Increasing Innovation, Productivity and Profits Through Empowerment and Leadership Coaching In mid-2008, as the economy tanked, the unemployment rate in this country began its meteoric rise. By mid-2009, levels exceeded 9%, peaked over 10%, and have stubbornly hovered around 9% give or take (higher for teens and minorities), ever since. Around 1,000,000 “discouraged workers” have given up looking for work, convinced their search would prove fruitless. (See (http://www.bls.gov/ for complete information). Defeated and depressed, it’s hard to imagine the sense of hopelessness and powerlessness the unemployed experience in our still stagnating economy, with no happy ending in sight. Labor, it seems, once a merely replaceable resource, has become a disposable one. It’s been generations since times have been this tough for job seekers. But what about today’s job holders? The unsung heroes who continue to work in offices, shops, schools, plants and health...

Part 1: An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure - Saving Money with Wellness Coaching Back in the pre-recession salad days of the mid-2000’s, an acquaintance of mine, primary care internist Dr. M, regaled me with some interesting insider info about his practice. It was Dr. M who first shocked me with the news that up to 80% of all illnesses in the United States are 100% preventable, costing up to 90 cents of every dollar we spend on health care. (This tidbit has proved accurate, and has been supported in study after recent study*.) If Americans would just stop smoking, eat more intelligently (more fresh plant-based and less processed food), exercise regularly, drink less alcohol, get enough sleep, and - most importantly, per Dr. M - manage their stress levels, we’d not only feel better, we’d age more slowly, look great, get more done, think more creatively, and stay healthy longer. This would save trillions in health care dollars which currently go to treatment of ...