Have you heard of World Kindness Day? It falls on November 13th every year, and was initiated in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement. This important day is also promoted by The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation —both organizations are based firmly on a passion for spreading awareness and action around being kind.

I've worked at more than a few places in my professional life, and every culture has been different—from terrific to toxic. Remember the place where the espresso maker won employee of the month? Yep, that happened!

Before you have a tragic event like that at your office, open your eyes and ears for these signs that you need to give your culture a makeover.

Last spring, when the view outside my office window was similar, except the leaves were about to burst, not wither, I was feeling a bit feverish. It was as if I had been trapped in a winter terrorland, bundled in wool and bound by snow banks for four straight months. Oh, wait…I was. All of us in Michigan were, and, toward the end, stir and crazy started to get the best of us.

When we begin the process of developing each RecogNation publication, on our minds is always: "Who will be our interviewee for the back cover?" Sometimes we know who we want it to be, and that individual's perspective drives the subject matter. Other times, the overarching story leads us to seek 

I met Amy in the virtual world when she expressed interest in our "Can We Talk" RecogNation issue. After a bit of not creepy at all stalking on LinkedIn, I discovered that she has a wonderful collection of articles that she’s written that resonated with me and with the Baudville message. I also learned that Berkeley College, where Amy serves as Assistant Vice President of Career Services and Alumni Relations, uses Baudville products for its customer service initiatives. Sweet!

Her credentials include more than 30 years of experience in the fields of recruiting and career services. She joined Berkeley College in 2009 as Director of Alumni Placement and was promoted to her current position in June of 2014. In this role, Amy oversees all alumni and career development needs, including skill development, resource support, and conflict resolution.