It’s not the space; it’s the mind occupying the space that transforms the cubicle, the corner office, the open concept bullpen, or the living room couch into fertile ground for innovation. JK Rowling created worlds of magic at cafes and coffee shops.

Albert Einstein “hatched his most beautiful ideas” at a stuffy patent office. Bill Gates started a little computer company in his garage. While every type of workspace has its peccadillos, each can be conducive to good work, high productivity, and employee satisfaction. The key is owning your space – and making it work for you.

I was just on Pinterest looking up low-carb, gluten-free vegan snacks for people with nut allergies. But that’s neither here nor there. While on the site, though, I stumbled across pins on decorating your cubicle and realized that if you give people an 8×8 space, they will bedazzle it like no man’s business. They will turn that impersonal space into their space. Closed-door office, cubicle, or desk in an open-concept room, it doesn’t matter. And you know what, it’s good for them and for their productivity. Creating a personalized workspace is highly motivating, but how much input should employees have into the actual design?

One man’s (or woman’s) party story is another’s cautionary tale. It’s no secret that employers “creep” your social media profiles. But don’t delude yourself: they’re not worried your antics are going to go viral, or you’ll be “that girl” (or “that guy”) on YouTube. What’s it to them? They just won’t hire you. Hiring managers glance – and I mean glance – at your posts, comments, likes, and tweets – to gauge your judgment, sociability, technological abilities, and even your spelling and grammar. It’s a tough job market out there; and you’ve got a few seconds to stand out. In a good way. How’re you going to do it?

“I thought I understood it…but then I realized I didn’t understand it at all.” This simple sentence is one of the most profound in Malcolm Gladwell’s 2013 TED talk on the well-known story of David and Goliath. The point of Gladwell’s talk wasn’t who had the advantage or who was the fight favourite. It’s that we think we understand – life, relationships, work – but we often don’t. At all. What we need is a revolution in the way we think: challenging assumptions and exploring alternatives.

I don’t always sob uncontrollably like a 6-year old with a flat bicycle tire, but when I do, it’s because I’ve just watched a Proctor & Gamble “Pick Them Back Up” ad. The Olympics shine a spotlight on the world’s best athletes and their skills – but it’s these types of behind-the-sports stories that touch a nerve with audiences around the world. The games manage to resonate equally with diehard sports fans and those who go two and four years without tuning into a sporting event. How can you bring a little of that magic to your work?

During the first Olympics, nations stopped warring; tribes stopped fighting and armies stopped threatening so that athletes could travel and compete in peace. Is it so ridiculous to consider that we perhaps stop…working? Incorporating the Olympics into your workplace doesn’t have to be a distraction. It can be a terrific source of motivation, engagement, and fun!

This year, I resolve to be a little less awesome. It’s getting excessive. The tradition of making resolutions dates back millennia, but the Ancient Romans decried January the time to exercise more, spend less, etc. January is, of course, named for Janus, the protector of doors and new beginnings. He was also a two-faced god – and what could be more fitting? We make resolutions and break them within the day. Becoming less awesome is, therefore, not very likely.  In business, the New Year can provide the impetus to refocus, reenergize, and renew our commitment to health, to growth, to better performance and productivity. How can we make sure our resolutions stick?

They say it’s the thought that counts. “They,” as in the people who give you crappy gifts. When holiday season/end-of-the-year rolls around, visions of bonuses dance through our heads. Many companies are beginning to offer pre-recession-level bonuses again, but they are far from universal. And far from consistent. With this type of uncertainty, employees can end up feeling like a kid who gets socks for Christmas. What do you do when you can’t find bonus funds in your budget this year? How do you recognize employee contributions – is it really the thought that counts? It can be.

I say let them loose on an uninhabited island with only a rubber band, some string, a left shoe, and a hand towel. If they can work together to use these tools to catch fish, build a shelter, and rig up a primitive ham radio, they pass the review. If not, well… I’d obviously rescue them. I’m working out the kinks and legalities of this team review approach, but stay tuned. In the meantime, there is another system that you can use for effective, informative performance evaluations that have a marked impact on your team’s ability to pull together and achieve goals.

What do Millennials want in their workplace? Ping-pong tables in the break room? Complimentary five-star meals and on-campus Zumba classes? Free haircuts and massages? Turns out, they do want benefits – as in health, dental, and retirement plans. They want to enjoy their work and advance in their careers. These crazy kids are much more pragmatic than they are given credit for, and they know what they want from their jobs. The good news is that you don’t have to out-Google Google with its incredible array of perks to attract top talent – you just have to know how to approach hiring.

What do you call it when you persist in doing something over and over again, expecting different results? Insanity. An alternate name for it is “performance review.” Ninety-eight percent of HR professionals say that these annual or semi-annual sessions are ineffective. They are the wisdom teeth of the business world: pointless and occasionally painful but we keep them around anyway. Creating an effective system for feedback is imperative, especially as more Millennials join the workforce. We can start by re-imagining the performance review and implementing more constructive approaches.

Bewildered by millennials? Maybe you should ask their parents for help. Google and LinkedIn host popular “Bring Your Parents to Work Day.” At Northwestern Mutual, managers send notes or call parents to let them know their intern children have hit sales goals. Enterprise lets parents of new employees sit in when managers describe the job. Eight percent of college grads have had a parent come with them to an interview. Not all Millennials like to tote Mom to work, but it is one indicator of the huge shift in work habits and preferences of Generation Y – one that demands a corresponding shift in management practice.

There is no “I” in team. But there is in team building. Two actually.

Team building is about bringing individuals together and demonstrating that the whole can be more than the sum of its parts. When planned and executed effectively, team building gives you an opportunity to drive home your business objectives and get people moving in the same direction. Why not seize it?

Millennials are misunderstood. It’s like being “really, really ridiculously good-looking,” to quote Derek Zoolander. People make assumptions about what it must be like to be really, really ridiculously good-looking, and those who are, are sometimes misjudged. Millennials aren’t lazy, entitled, or spoiled.

I ran across an article recently on “Rules for Inspiring Passion in the Workplace.” Ironically rules have brought us to the point we are now! 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM work days, a Monday-Friday mentality, and a work ethic that excludes leisure. The only rules that inspire passion are those that people break! Leisureology is innovative; it requires us to break down barriers and shift the way we think about the workplace. Its ok for work to be a sweatshop – but only if it’s a sweatshop by choice.  We put in the long hours because we are passionate about what we’re doing.

At zappos, incentive programs are so effective because they are, to borrow from Abraham Lincoln, “by the people, for the people.” Cash bonuses, for instance, can be given by any employee to any employee based on exemplary behaviour that supports the company’s values. Everyone is given $600 a year to give out as they will. The effect is two-fold. Not only are the receivers given an incentive, but also the giver is as well. Who doesn’t want to give out a nice bonus cheque to a coworker? Zappos is unique in many ways, but every business can benefit from offering effective, carefully thought-out incentive programs to its employees.

Our work ethic is out of whack; we need to incorporate a leisure ethic into the workplace and make room for greater productivity.  The problem is that we confuse leisure with laziness. The word “leisure” conjures up images of velour tracksuits and moving only when absolutely necessary, and even then, waiting until the last possible minute and taking it very, very slowly. But think about those days off when you plant your garden, read a chapter in a new book, talk to the neighbour, make bread from scratch, play with the kids or the dog, think of a new idea for work, daydream and stumble on a solution for this problem or that problem. Far from lazy, you are incredibly productive!  We’re “on” on days off, and off on days on. Imagine, though, if work stopped getting in the way of getting things done?

Those silly millennials: they want to have fun at work! They’re asking to work at home or from their local coffee shop so they can get an extra hour of sleep. They want to tweet from work or go to Zumba at lunch. Worst of all, they’re starting to rub off on the Gen Y and Xers, who might start demanding flextime. Don’t they know work is for work? Anything related to happiness, wellbeing, fun…that’s what Saturdays and Happy Hours are for. Those not-so-silly millennials are on to something though… The idea that “work” must take place during prescribed hours and that “leisure” must take place outside of those hours is not only outdated, it’s costing companies in terms of both monetary and human capital.

Think about a time when you were having a flow experience; when you were so involved and engaged with what you were doing that all else ceased to exist. Maybe is was preparing that gourmet meal for someone special, listening to your favourite artist at an outdoor concert, painting a picture, or solving a difficult puzzle. Perhaps it was putting together a presentation for the board of directors, or providing an employee with a glowing review. What about that experience was so meaningful? What elevated it from a task to a flow experience? Why were you at the top of your game right then? What character strengths did you use? How can these experiences help you find more meaning and satisfaction in work?