March 2019

Enabling Growth and Balance

Growth is our focus and engagement is our strength.Auxin Group is a self-directed, professionally guided Career (Re)Engagment

Development Program

www.auxingroup.com

Our Team

Auxin Group Partners with LocalBusinesses for Women WorldwideAuxin celebrated International Women’s Day(#IWD2019) this month and honored the theme, abalanced world is a better world, by partnering withseveral Lake Zurich businesses for a good cause.

Anuyu Boutique and Zin GastroPub both donated 10% of theirsales that day to Caring Women’s Connection, an organizationthat supports Lake County-based charities that serve localwomen and children and other community programs in need.

Zin also donated 50% of sales from a special #IWD2019 cocktail. In addition, Auxin Groupand Salon Coccolé sponsored a drawing for everyone who participated in the day’s events.

Congratulations to our three winners:

Natalie Weith won a gift basket from Salon Coccole .́Susan Moore won a gift card for Anuyu Boutique donated by Auxin Group.Molly Zidek won a gift card for Zin GastroPub donated by Auxin Group.

We are proud to say our efforts raised more than $500 for Caring Women’s Connection.

Susan Miller, Morgan HR Product Manager, organized this local effort to celebrate the worldwideevent. “It was an honor to celebrate women with businesses in our local community who arecommitted to wellness and empowerment. Truly energizing,” she said.

Neil Morgan, Diana Lasiewicz,Jennifer Krause, Susan Miller andAlex Morgan celebratedInternational Women’s Day duringlunch at Zin GastroPub.

Auxin Associates took time during a team call to celebrateInternational Women’s Day and show their enthusiasmfor creating balance.

Auxin Group is always looking for great people.Click here to let us know you are interested

or to refer candidates to our Talent Management Team.

Patty Adams: A Unique PerspectiveIt’s rare to find someone who relates to Auxin on so many levels:

Independently experienced her own career shift when shechanged positionsWorked closely with Auxin’s founder and president,Laura MorganSatisfied customer of SimplyMerit (another branch ofMorganHR, Inc.)Considers hiring people who are returning to theworkforce

However, Patty Adams fits all of these roles.

Patty started her career in sales and administration, and after nearly 10 years, she decided to makethe switch to human resources, but it wasn’t an easy transition. She faced push back fromcolleagues who felt she was not qualified. “I was lucky I had a manager who supported my takinga wild leap,” said Patty. She enrolled in some courses, earned a master’s degree in HR, and founda mentor in Laura Morgan when they worked together at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. “Laura wastremendous. She taught me so much about compensation, the emotional component, and theorganizational impacts,” Patty said.

When Laura launched MorganHR, Inc. and Auxin Group, Patty joined the company’s advisory

board. It's a partnership that has opened her eyes to the unique challenges of careerengagement. Patty is now the Vice President of Human Resources and Administration at Aptinyx,Inc. and and says this awareness helps her focus on each individual's real skills, talents, andinterests. Additionally, she says Auxin Associates are at an advantage because their time spent inthis re-engagement program demonstrates more than just a commitment to sharpening skills. “It’sabout your mindset and what motivates you. The exposure to different projects and tasks speaksto your versatility.”

Additionally, Patty is an extremely satisfied customer of SimplyMerit, a tool that streamlines themerit cycle. “I’ll never forget when Laura told me I would get my holidays back,” she said. “Tohave a tool that makes you more efficient and more accurate is wonderful.”

Clearly this is a partnership and friendship that has benefited everyone.

SimplyMeritDelighting managers with technology to make consistent, equitable,and data-driven pay decisions. Learn more at www.simplymerit.com

and start your free trial now.

Learning & Development

Emotional Intelligence: A Critical SkillForget the fancy degree, big job, and corner office. Did youknow the real key to success is emotional intelligence?

During a recent Auxin program, Laurie Wessels, an expert inleadership development and executive coaching, explained that90% of success comes from emotional intelligence(E.I.) “Being right is insufficient for being effective,” she said,“and if you are not communicating, you are not being effective.” The good news is that it’s a skillthat can be taught.

Wessels presented The E.I. Model which is made up of fourcomponents:

Self-awareness: understanding your own thoughts andfeelingsSelf-management: using good self-care practices toregulate your thoughts and feelingsSocial awareness: ability to sense the emotionalexperience of others and understanding their perspectiveRelationship management: working to build relationshipsand giving people a reason to like you

She also shared some tips on building these skills:

Watch out for emotional hijacking when out-of-control emotions can make smart peoplestupid. Then choose how to respond rather than reacting.Be humble. Set your own feelings aside in order to understand others.Practice self-talk, rehearse in a safe environment, and ask for help.

We all know emotions play a part in every interaction. By managing your emotions, you willconnect more with others and improve how people respond to you.

www.auxingroup.com

Learning a New Way to Cook:The Instant PotIf it seems like everyone you know is talking about the Instant Pot,it’s not your imagination. It truly has become the hottest kitchenappliance. Its official Facebook group has more than 1.8 millionmembers and growing. On Prime Day 2018, Amazon sold more than300,000 instapots. The internet is overflowing with instapotrecipes. So, in keeping with Auxin’s focus on Wellness, we decided tofind out what the hype is all about.

During a virtual session, Ann Wayne, a Lake Zurich cook andbusiness woman, hosted a class on the ins and outs of theinstapot. She demonstrated three recipes while those of us at home followed along. It was a greatway to have some fun together and literally blow off some steam. (For those instapot newbies outthere, releasing the pressure on the pot and watching the steam pour out is actually part of thecooking process.)

You can follow Ann on Instagram @whimsicalann.

Inside Out Egg Rolls in the Instant PotBy Ann Wayne

1 T olive oil1 T sesame oil1 lb ground turkey, pork, or any meat1/4 t Chinese 5 spice2 cloves of garlic, chopped1 inch fresh ginger, shredded1/2 c water1/8 c tamari, low-sodium1 bag pre-shredded coleslaw mixsalt & pepper to tasteTurn Instant Pot on to saute, wait until it's hot, and then add oil and meat. Brown the meat. AddChinese 5 spice, garlic and ginger. Cook until fragrant. Stir with wooden spoon to avoid burning.Turn off Instant Pot, add water and tamari, stir. Pour shredded coleslaw mix on top. Cover andcook on high pressure for "0" minutes. (Yes, 0 minutes is totally a thing.) Quick release and stir tocombine. Serve with crispy wonton wrappers and scallions.

Join Auxin’s Speaker’s BureauOur Learning and Development program covers awide range of topics related to career re-engagement as well as growth andbalance. Currently, we are looking for presenters todiscuss:

LeadershipNetworking

Don’t miss this opportunity to:

Spread your messagePresent your programGet some feedbackBuild your network

Let us know what you have to offer byemailing Kelly Greffin, Auxin EngagementDirector.

We’d love to put you on our calendar!

Coming up in April:The DiSC® modelIf you’re looking to improve how effectively you work on ateam, this is the program for you. You’ll answer a series ofquestions that will produce your own DiSC® report about yourpersonality and behavior.

You’ll learn:

How this tool can help you understand behavioral differences in othersHow to respond to conflictTips on working with others who are both similar and different.

Join us April 9th at 9:30am!

Visit our events calendar to sign up for this program and learn about others.Our clients are welcome to attend our programs and workshops.

We hope you will join us!

Client Projects

Is Auxin Group Right for Your Project?If your next business problem has you scratching your head,perhaps a team of Auxin Group Consultants can help.

Our consultants are:

Driven to take on your challenge and deliver solutionsCreative, strategic thinkers who know how to collaborate and communicateConnected with and trained to utilize modern tools and resourcesMotivated to (re)establish their credentials as results-oriented achieversOrganized and efficient

We will take your project from beginning to end and present a conclusion that is guaranteed toimpress.

Auxin Group is an “on-hand” team of multi-skilled and motivated specialistswho have flexible schedules, experience, knowledgeand collaborative tools to get the job done quickly.

Our Services

On Laura’s Mind...

Secret Sauce RevealedI’m about to let you in on our recipe for success. Thesemagic ingredients are the reason people come to Auxinwhen they are ready to re-engage in their careers aftertaking time off from the all-in workforce. Before I revealthe details, let’s review why going back to work isdaunting. Technology has changed. Skills become rusty.Confidence lags. Where do you even begin? I humblysuggest you try our secret sauce.

We start with an extensive learning and development program, and then we mix-in realopportunities to test those newly sharpened skills on a variety of projects. Seems simple, right?Take a few classes, work on a couple of projects, and voilá... a re-trained employee. However, weall know it’s not that easy. It takes time, dedication, and hard work to re-enter the modernworkforce. Our associates consistently step beyond their comfort zone, take risks, and give andreceive feedback. The learning is embedded in each and every experience whether it’s attending aworkshop, leading a project, or completing an assigned task.

For instance, during the last few months, we’ve offered sessions on Excel, building collaborativeteams, and emotional intelligence. At the same time, our associates are working on a variety ofprojects, both internal and external. I see how they are learning to work together, in most casesvirtually, while using modern tools, juggling various schedules and tackling new challenges.

The outcomes are often quite impressive as our associates grow new skills, polish old ones,rebuild their confidence, redefine their goals, and ultimately re-engage in the workforce.

I believe this simple philosophy clearly explains why this works:

Tell them, they will forget.Show them, they will remember.Involve them, they will understand.

Feel free to pass on this message to anyone you know who’s ready to get cooking and jump backinto the workforce. We are happy to share this recipe.

Laura Morgan is the Founder/President of Auxin Group. Her 30-year career in Human Resource Management has taught her toembrace growth and balance. Her recipe is simple: work, volunteerand play. She launched Auxin Group to teach others to do the same.

Meet Auxin MondayConnect with Laura on Mondays at 4pm to learn more about Auxin and find out how it can

help you reach your goals.Join her Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/787243487

Auxin Group, a division of MorganHR, is a unique benefit program that providesrelevant training and collaborative project-based experiences to encourage ongoing

growth and development.

Auxin Group | MorganHR |SimplyMerit| 847-719-9060 | hello@auxingroup.com | auxingroup.com

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