I am constantly amazed at the ability of people to write great content day in and day out. It might not always be the same person or the same blog where I find a gem, but it’s amazing that this stuff is out there free for us to enjoy. Okay, enough wonderment. Let’s dig into some great reading!

5 minutes, use it for more than just another task

The best way to use the last five minutes of every day? It’s a little reflection to make sure you are on the right track. Seriously, skip the last few minutes of “if I can just get one more thing accomplished” and slow down. Look at what you spent your day on and see if it was what you had planned. If it was, did you get as much done as you expected? If not, what threw you off track? Are you now behind on other projects? It’s all about taking some time to look at the big picture instead of being trapped in the day-to-day.

Busy=Happy?

Sometimes my manager stops and tells me she worries that I have too much on my plate. Well, the other day I was able to toss back the piece of research about busy employees being happier. It’s interesting that people with too little to do were the most unhappy. We sometimes think that people enjoy being lazy at work, but apparently there’s a balance in there somewhere between being slammed and having some time for other things (like the reflection activity mentioned above).

New managers? Check it

With a new set of managers growing into their responsibilities at work, I’m always looking for ideas on how to help them grow in their supervisory skills. This is a big picture overview of some of the common new manager pitfalls, and it’s well written.

Hire my friend?

I know a great HR pro who is in the Chicago area and is looking to get back to work. She has been blogging for a while and has some great insights into leading others. If you are looking for a talented professional with great experience, Sabrina might be the person for you. Find her on LinkedIn if you want to learn more about her skills.

Game changers

The last piece is a great one that I found on Fast Company. It’s all about questions game changers must ask. I have no idea if I can be considered someone of “game changer” status, but I love asking questions and challenging the status quo. The big ones for me:

• Do you have new ideas about where to look for new ideas?
• Have you figured out how your organization’s history can help to shape its future?
• Do your people care more than the competition?
• Are you learning as fast as the world is changing?

Check it out to see more and decide which ones you need to ask in the coming days, weeks, and months.

Anything special you’ve read recently? Share it in the comments.