We’ve worked really hard this year, but a bit of downtime with loved ones — or even some time to yourself — will leave you feeling energized, refreshed, and excited to take on 2020. We asked a few of our employees to share their favorite ways to relax as we head into the holiday season. Here are a few of our favorites:

1. Spend time in the kitchen…. or outdoors. I enjoy cooking dinner with my family — especially when we get to experiment with new ingredients. I’m also an avid hunter. Hopefully, we’ll have a nice duck to roast before the new year! Matt Haas, Materials Planner

2. Go fishing! It becomes a competition between my husband and I to see who can catch the most or largest fish. Usually he out-fishes me, but there are a few occasions when I get the victory. Boy do I rub it in! Melissa McAskill, Human Resources Manager, Ennis Spring

3. Cheer on your family. I relax by watching my kids sporting events (just maybe not when I’m loudly suggesting they play better defense). It takes my thoughts away from whatever else is consuming them and allows me to be present in that moment. Susan Lee, Sr. Credit Manager II – Remote Specialist

4. Stretch yourself… literally. I really enjoy yoga as a way to relax.  In addition to the physical benefits, it’s a great way to decompress after a stressful day. Ashly Farmer, Paralegal & Billing Administrator

5. Do nothing. For me, relaxation is a lazy, Saturday morning in bed with my family — coffee cup in hand, of course! Chris Cochran, Human Resources Manager, Logistics

The holidays are all about spending quality time with friends and family — often while gathered around plates of delicious food. However, feeding a crowd can take know-how and a tiny bit of courage. Sue Balcom, our Food Services Supervisor, has both. She leads a team of 5 dedicated food service staff who prepare meals for up to 500 employees a day, and cater around 300 corporate events per year!

We asked Sue to share her best advice for planning a holiday dinner. These tips will make your meal more memorable — and will leave you smiling once you find your seat at the table too.

1. Keep it simple. This isn’t the time to experiment with new, complicated dishes. When planning, select easy recipes with basic ingredients you can source locally. Driving all over town in search of a rare spice or out-of-season produce will quickly drain your holiday spirit.

2. Plan and prep. Leftovers are much better than running out of food. Find out how many guests you will be serving and plan for a 4 oz. portion of each food per person. Make your grocery lists carefully so you only end up at the store once. Then peel, chop, and prep anything you can ahead of time. This will leave you with more time to mingle once your guests arrive. “I like to prepare as much as I can a couple days ahead, especially my pies,” says Sue. “I just bake them that day, so they are fresh.”

3. Include family favorites. Tried-and-true traditional dishes are a must. For Sue, they include creamy corn casserole and baked sweet potatoes. These recipes are generally less stressful in the kitchen and can be sentimental to your guests. Consider creating a family cookbook to record those memories.

4. Have plenty of options… and a few surprises. “I like to make two entrees,” shares Sue. “That way I know everyone will have an option they enjoy.” She also recommends including a unique vegetarian dish — and finds that usually guests will all try it. If others want to contribute, ask them to bring a special side dish. This allows you to try something new too!

5. Treat your guests! Pies, cakes, and pastries are a sweet way to end any special meal. Sue takes it one step further and sends everyone home with a special jar of her homemade jam.

For many professionals, the end of the year means performance review season. It’s also the perfect time for coaching – when a leader facilitates the development of an employee.

We asked our coaching expert, Rob Sotlar, to provide his thoughts on the topic. Rob first reminded us that coaching is about collaboration, working together to find a solution, and increasing awareness. It’s not about giving advice or telling an employee how to solve a problem. A coach should be considered a “guide on the side.”

Here are Rob’s Top 5 Tips on Coaching for Performance:

1. Be a good listener. Effective listening is critical for a successful coaching engagement. Listen to identify and then facilitate self-discovery. Do not listen to respond. Remember, you’re a guide on the side.

2. Assist with analysis. This is a biggie. It’s important in the goal creation phase of coaching and during each coaching session. Facilitate a conversation that enables your employee to identify their area(s) of focus. A personal SWOT Analysis is a great tool.

3. Ask questions (a lot of ‘em). Ask the right questions and help your employee realize what they need to do, without telling them. When your employee comes to their own solution, they are more like to take accountability and own the outcome. The GROW Model is a wonderful tool to use here.

4. Hold them accountable. This is a simple, yet crucial conversation to have with your employee. Did they achieve their goal, and why or why not? What part did they play in achieving (or not achieving) the goal? Facilitate the employee stepping through the process to identify successes and opportunities.

5. Provide real feedback. This may be tough for some, but it is essential for a successful coaching engagement. When providing feedback, be specific and focus on facts (the things you can hear and see). Real feedback is often not comfortable for the receiver, but it’s a tool that will enable serious growth.

The 8-5 workday doesn’t have to be a grind! We asked five happy employees how they enjoy their time at work.

1. Interact with someone. Make time between tasks to strike up a conversation with a colleague. Remember, teambuilding is good for your soul! Sarah Bentz, Internal Audit

2. Discover what energizes you. For me, I appreciate the perk of being able to travel to branches, and I’m grateful to work with teams across our operations. If you need a boost, lift your head up out of your to-do’s, and focus a minute on your version of what gratitude looks like. Lori Jones, Human Resources

3. Get outside. When you sit at your desk for 9+ hours a day hammering out work, that not only takes a toll on your mind but also your body. Getting outside and taking a break whether it be to run, walk, or ride is one of the best resets anyone can do to break up their day. Tyler Burgess, IT

4. Find the fun. It’s all about attitude. (Because if you’re miserable, that’s on you.) Take ownership of your attitude, the work you do, and how you do the work. I try to joke with coworkers, wear fun socks, or drink from fun coffee mugs. As long as you keep a good balance with being productive, work can always be fun. Ryan August, Corporate Accounting

5. Be friendly. In my 3 years at L&P, I’ve been lucky to meet so many other employees who have become my friends. Working with people you consider friends makes the job that much more enjoyable. Katelyn Pierce, Finance

Two of our former CEOs, Harry Cornell and Felix Wright, have always enjoyed and collected fine art, especially works depicting nature and the American West. Many of these original paintings and sculptures line the hallways of our Corporate Office.

We asked the collection curators, Ken Southwick and Ned Mayes from Marketing + Creative, to tell us about their favorites. Here are their Top 5:

1. “Recording the Hunt” by artist Marilyn Bendell

This painting captures the subtle, fire-lit interior of the Indian artist’s teepee in a beautiful, impressionistic style.

The artist, Marilyn Bendell was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts in 1965. She ran an art school in Longboat Key, Florida, with her husband, artist George Burrows.

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Expanding your professional network is an essential part of advancing your career. Yet, connecting with strangers can be difficult and leaves many feeling uncomfortable. We asked several of our employees for their top networking tips. Here are our favorites:

1. “When meeting someone new, I always try to repeat their name after they’ve introduced themselves. This allows me to say it out loud, helping commit it to memory. It also gives me a great opportunity if I didn’t hear their name or heard it incorrectly.” Kara Dixon, Marketing + Creative

2.“When networking, it’s important to build a genuine connection and show the other person you’re interested in them. I often ask open-ended questions that force the other person to talk about themselves. You never learn by speaking — only by listening.” Andy Cline, Hanes Industries

3. “Networking should be strategic. When I set out to meet a specific person or go to an event, I consider what goals I hope to achieve. When I’m able to articulate this, the connections I make are often more impactful.” Cari Southern, L&P Automotive

4. “One piece of advice I got a long time ago was to ‘make friends and be friendly.’ Framing networking in this light makes it seem more natural and, at least for me, it seems to work.” Dylan Hale, Global Procurement

5. “Try to get involved in projects that impact other areas of the organization, even if it doesn’t appear to have a significant impact to your current role.  You never know when that knowledge will translate to a project or potential opportunity down the road!” Becky Burns, Corporate Accounting

And finally, we’ll leave you with one more simple tip: “Smile! It will make you seen more open and welcoming.” We totally agree, Dylan.

We asked several L&P Executives one question: What qualities are most important in a business leader?  Here are their responses:

1. “Integrity has to be at the top of the list. It’s a quality that has been deeply embedded in our culture for a very long time. Also on my list are respect, communication skills, and an ability to empower capable people to carry out their own responsibilities.” Susan McCoy, Senior VP – Investor Relations

2. “Intellect, energy, and integrity. I want to hire a person who will demonstrate care for others and who will work and communicate honestly. I want someone on my team who is motivated to jump in and help others and who is willing to define their role broadly.” Mitch Dolloff, Executive VP/COO

3. “I consider personal integrity to be a given. I think a positive attitude is most critical – all else can be learned.” Perry Davis, Executive VP/President of Industrial Products and Residential Products

4. “Leaders have a moral compass which always points North. They also remember that it’s not about them; it’s about the team. This perspective allows them to be open-minded and excellent listeners.” Matt Flanigan, Executive VP/CFO

5. “Simply put, successful leaders must be good people who are sensitive to the needs of others.” Karl Glassman, President & CEO

L&P recognizes the critical role that safety plays in all we do ⁠— 24/7 and 12 months a year. Through weekly Tool Box talks, ongoing safety training, monthly safety meetings, and other activities, we continuously strive to protect everyone who walks through our doors. We asked our Corporate Risk Team to share some of the reasons that employee safety is so important at Leggett & Platt. Here are their Top 5:

1. To show respect. Our employees are our greatest asset. It is a duty and moral responsibility of  L&P to look after our employee’s protection. “I’m really proud that we’ve invested in the Safeguard initiative to give our people the tools for a safe work environment,” says CEO Karl Glassman.

2. To help our employees have a better quality of life. We believe our employees should head home from work as good as or better than when they arrived each day.

3. To help reduce workplace stress. It’s our goal to help reduce workplace stress and yield a better quality of life.  We strive to create a culture where our employees safeguard each other, on and off the job, every day.

4. To increase engagement. Safer jobs mean happier employees. Involvement in the safety program improves morale and leads to more long-term partnerships at work. “The most rewarding part of my job is seeing partners become excited about SafeGuard and making their facilities safe.  I consider it an honor to work closely with the branches to come up with solutions to eliminating and reducing hazards,” shares Tammy Jones, Loss Control Engineer.

5. To help the business. A strong safety culture = a more successful business. Safe workplaces contribute to the overall success of the enterprise and all of L&P’s stakeholders.

The middle of summer can only mean one thing: V A C A T I O N! Many families are hitting the road or taking to the skies in July and August. We asked Tracey Presslor, Director of Travel Services, to reveal a few tips and tricks before we transition into vacay mode.

1. Whether checking into your flight or arriving at your hotel, always do it in a timely fashion. Even with a credit card guarantee, hotels can still “walk” a person if oversold for the night. Similarly, airlines can give up your seat if you do not check in and clear security by a designated time (gasp!). In both instances, make sure you double-check requirements and arrive on time.

2. Hotel room types can be requested but not guaranteed. Even if your reservation shows a king-sized bed, it’s simply a request and not a guarantee. Status with frequent traveler numbers can help get you the room type you want.

3. When making airline reservations, your airline tickets must match your government ID. Your frequent flyer numbers must also match. Be careful not to use nicknames (we’re looking at you, Bubba) or abbreviations when booking a flight if different than your photo ID.

4. When renting a car, double-check with your own car insurance first. Personal insurance is often cheaper than purchasing coverage through the rental car company.

5. Kindness often wins over complaining. That age-old lesson from Mom also applies to traveling! Gate agents often have more control than you think, so always be kind when trying to request a service or negotiate. Remember, you can catch a lot more flies with honey than with vinegar. (Thanks for that, Mom.)

Life is so much better when you enjoy what you do every day. We asked employees throughout the company one simple question: What do you love about your job? 

Here are the Top 5 reasons our employees love L&P!

1. A culture of support. “Leggett & Platt is committed to the professional growth of our employees. My supervisors are always willing to answer questions, explain the significance of my projects, and to provide me with learning opportunities and guidance.” Dillon Walker, Tax Accountant II

2. A welcoming work experience. “Everyone I work with is approachable and willing to help out, regardless of their role at the company. I haven’t met a single employee who isn’t friendly — that’s pretty unique.” Janet Aguinaga, Bilingual Employment Coordinator

3. Exciting opportunities for growth. “I really enjoy learning and solving problems. I appreciate that there are always new opportunities to participate in challenging projects… as long as I look in the right direction.” Filip Synhaeve, Business Process Transformation Manager

4. A focus on the future. “L&P is committed to developing future leaders and improving our processes as a company. It’s exciting to be a part of such transformational growth.” Howard DeCelis, Staff VP-Continuous Improvement

5. Positive interactions with happy people. “I love my coworkers and the cheery atmosphere they bring to my day!” Rob Sotlar, Learning & Development Program Manager

We couldn’t agree more.