Honoring Our Fallen Heroes
Henry Grice and Jim West at Leggett & Platt Flooring Products in Houston, Mississippi, have found a unique way to promote sustainability while nurturing their mental and physical health. Henry and Jim often bike to work along the Tanglefoot Trail.
The Tanglefoot Trail is Mississippi’s longest “Rails to Trails” conversion that preserved an abandoned railroad corridor by transforming it into recreational trails. The trail runs right behind our flooring facility.
“Every little bit counts when it comes to saving money, reducing wear and tear on our vehicles, and working in a small way to conserve the environment,” said Jim. “The bonus is that it helps us enjoy nature while remaining mentally and physically healthy and environmentally conscious.”
May 21 is World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development – a day to celebrate cultural diversity and highlight the importance of intercultural dialogue! 🌍
At L&P, we do great work together by encouraging connection and the open exchange of perspectives and ideas between teams around the world. It’s how we build understanding, unite above our differences, and stay innovative.
Judith Kuhn, HR Director – Specialized Products Europe & Global HR Lead – Hydraulics, shared a quick tip and resource for collaborating across cultures more effectively. She said we can start by being aware of cultural differences – how we communicate, manage time, make decisions, and lead differently – and pointed us to an introduction of Erin Meyer’s eight-scale Culture Map to learn more.
For more information on collaborating across cultures, check out Erin Meyer’s book called The Culture Map.
This month on L&P social, we are spotlighting ways to promote wellbeing.
One important aspect of physical health is staying hydrated. Staying hydrated isn’t just about quenching your thirst – it’s a powerful tool for maintaining productivity, focus, and vitality throughout the workday.
The Benefits of Hydration
Boosted Energy Levels – Dehydration can lead to feeling tired and sluggish. Staying hydrated helps maintain energy throughout the day.
Reduces Stress – Dehydration can affect your mood. Staying hydrated helps maintain cortisol, the hormone responsible for feeling stressed.
Promotes Sharper Focus – Your brain functions better when hydrated, supporting cognitive processes, memory, and decision-making.
Improves Skin and Physical Mobility – Water helps flush toxins from your body, creating youthful skin. In addition, hydration helps prevent muscle cramps and supports joint health.
Tips for Staying Hydrated
Remember, hydration is self-care. Prioritize it, and you’ll notice positive changes in your work performance and overall wellbeing.
In late April, a group of volunteers from our High Point Spring branch participated in the Great American Cleanup – a citywide cleanup and canned food drive event in High Point, North Carolina. L&P was an event sponsor.
Our colleagues collected approximately 100 pounds of recyclables and trash while cleaning up their local Armstrong Park!
We are grateful to our High Point Spring team for caring for our planet and doing great work together!
May is Better Sleep Month! As a go-to source for all things bedding, we understand how important quality sleep is for wellbeing and want to share a quick tip for getting better sleep:
Go technology-free in your bedroom! 🛏️
If you want better sleep, consider removing electronic devices – like TVs, computers, tablets, and phones – from your bedroom. Scrolling on your phone, watching TV, or reading on your tablet before bed can disrupt your sleep because these activities decrease melatonin production – a hormone that regulates sleep – and keep your mind active.
For more information, check out this article by SleepFoundation.org: Technology in the Bedroom
For Earth Day, L&P teams around the world participated in activities that celebrated and helped care for our planet! 🌍
Our teams:
Check out some of the photos from their celebrations below:
Throughout May, we’re sharing tips for promoting wellbeing. This week, we’re spotlighting a mix of emotional and physical wellbeing with Mollie Deskin, Marketing Project Manager!
Mollie joined L&P two years ago as a social media marketing intern. After a four-month internship, she transitioned to her current role. We asked her to share about work, preventing burnout, and her wellness journey.
What do you do as a Marketing Project Manager, and what do you enjoy most about your role?
I work closely with Creative Services and our business units to strategize for and execute tradeshows, as well as various marketing projects.
What I enjoy most is the creative problem solving! There’s no shortage of hurdles to jump over when pulling off a marketing campaign, and I feel fortunate that every day presents opportunities to strengthen my ability to remain solutions-oriented and push my projects forward.
Also, traveling to events is enjoyable because it allows me to see my colleagues, clients, and the final product in person. This helps reinforce the “why” around the work that I produce and always leaves me feeling recharged!
How do you prevent burnout at work?
I prevent burnout at work by adhering to a wellness routine! Having something that I’m passionate about and dedicated to outside of work prevents me from obsessing about my 9-5 job in an unhealthy way. My wellness routine involves movement, mindfulness, spending time in nature, and continuing to learn about things that interest me.
If I’m overwhelmed with work and feel I need a reset that goes beyond what my wellness routine can offer, there are three questions I contemplate that leave me feeling reenergized and realigned:
What’s a piece of your wellness journey that has positively impacted your life?
The physical training that has impacted all aspects of my life, especially my work life, is posture training. To even call it posture training feels like a disservice because it encompasses so much more than training to “not slouch.”
Posture training involves releasing fascial tension, becoming aware of the relationship between the rib cage and pelvic bone, understanding how the diaphragm supports alignment, and, ultimately, creating a physical environment for your nervous system to be in a relaxed state. Without good posture, we don’t move well, breathe well, and therefore leave so much on the table in terms of supporting our overall health and wellbeing. Having this knowledge is liberating because it gives me tools to support the longevity of my mind and body and to continue showing up for family, friends, coworkers, and, of course, my dog, Kashi.
At L&P, we believe that caring about our colleagues’ wellbeing is the right thing to do – it’s one of the ways we put people first. Wellbeing is multifaceted, so we support our colleagues in many ways to help promote happy, healthy, and productive teams.
While specific benefits vary worldwide and are based on regional practices, we offer competitive benefits for our colleagues and their families in all geographies where we do business. In the United States, for example, we are proud to offer many benefits that promote wellbeing, including health benefits, counseling through an employee assistance program, flexible hours, remote and hybrid work arrangements, income protection benefits, a retirement savings plan, and paid time off. We also offer learning and development opportunities across our company.
This month on L&P social, we look forward to sharing some ways to promote wellbeing with you!
Congratulations to L&P Automotive India for reaching 18 years of service!
The team recently gathered to celebrate their branch’s anniversary milestone, their achievements, and that eighty-one of their colleagues have been with the branch for five years or more.
Thank you to L&P Automotive India for doing great work together!
Check out some of the photos from their celebration below:
