7 tips to motivate employees

Jonathan 

  

 1.     Be generous with praise – it’s so easy and praise from the top goes farther than you might think. Make it a habit to look for good things that people have done and say thank you. Once you’re comfortable delivering praise 1 to 1 with an employee, try praising them in front of others.

2.     Coach not play - Make your ideas theirs. People hate being told what to do. Instead of telling people what you want done; ask them in a way that will help them decide what to do.  “I’d like you to do it this way” turns into “What options have we got to get this done?”

3.     Never directly criticize or correct. OK, this isn’t a motivator but it is a massive de-motivator. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t look for improvement, just try an indirect approach to help people learn from their mistakes and work out how to do it better next time.  Ask, “How did it go? Was that the best approach the problem? If not, why not? Have any ideas on what you could have done differently?”   You’re looking to have a conversation about options & solutions, not pointing a finger.  

4.     Surprise them. Take an employee out for a coffee, cook the team lunch, bring in doughnuts - anything out of the ordinary.  Just remember that this is not a policy or team building exercise and never make an announcement that you’re establishing a new policy. It’s an easy way to remind staff that you’re human; you notice and appreciate their work. 

5.     Give recognition and small rewards. This can range from public recognition at a team meeting to letting your imagination riot. Try telling an employee to take their partner out to lunch on the company as a thank you for a special job.

6.     Any excuse for a party. Doing things as a group can go a long way so have a company picnic, celebrate birthdays, hold a happy hour. Organising events throughout the year demonstrates you're human and you're all in it together.

7.     Share the ups and the downs. When it goes well, celebrate (see above) to say thank you for their hard work.  They say a little thanks goes a long way so imagine how far a lot of thanks will go. This is the best time to let everyone know that you appreciate their hard work. Likewise, if there are disappointments, share those too. Be honest and transparent.

Treat Me Like A Person Not A Number

Jonathan

Any true business leader will tell you that keeping their team productive can be hard – sometimes the hardest thing a business person has to deal with. That’s why the business gurus created Human Resources – turn the management of people into a quasi-science and surely the problem goes away. No big surprise then that it didn’t work because the problem with calling humans "resources" is that you dehumanise them and treat them as an asset. The term puts human beings conceptually in the same bucket as raw materials on the factory floor. It ignores the fact that people are complicated and that getting them to work as a team requires treating them as individuals rather than as plug-and-play commodities.

When people are treated as assets the temptation is to manage them by numbers which leads to an endless round of admin – record keeping, holiday booking, sickness reporting and performance management. All necessary tasks but the end result is that there is no time to engage with the individuals – listening, coaching, encouraging, challenging. Many HR professionals recognise this and try to spend their time supporting the individuals rather than managing the resource. Smaller companies don’t have the luxury of dedicated HR so they end up with senior people doing employee related admin which distracts them from running the business.

As an example, experience shows us that many SMEs still track staff holiday allocation using paper based forms, which need to be located, distributed, collected and the data recorded on a master document each time a staff member books some time off. We estimate that a business with 50 staff, spends up to 125 hours a year just managing holiday requests for their staff. That’s 17 lost working days and much of it is senior management time!

It‘s time to let go of the outdated idea that our people can be treated as a resource and lead rather than manage our people. There are lots of opinions about the difference between leadership and management but I particularly like how Seth Godin puts it:

“Managers work to get their employees to do what they did yesterday, but a little faster and a little cheaper.”

“Leaders, on the other hand, know where they'd like to go, but understand that they can't get there without their tribe, without giving those they lead the tools to make something happen.”

“Managers want authority. Leaders take responsibility.”

“We need both. But we have to be careful not to confuse them. And it helps to remember that leaders are scarce and thus more valuable.”

http://uk.hrmanager.com/articles/share/66575/

10 Steps to a Happy Workplace

Annabel Shilton, Spirit in Business

1. Trust  your team. Step out of approval, instead pre-approve and focus on supporting your people.

2. Make your people feel good.  Make this a focus of management.

3. Give freedom with clear guidelines. People want to know what is expected of them. But they also want freedom to find the best way to achieve their goals.

4. Be open and transparent. More information means more people can take responsibility.

5. Recruit for attitude, train for skill. Instead of qualifications and experience, recruit on attitude, values match and potential ability.

6. Celebrate mistakes. Create a truly no-blame culture.

7. Community; create mutual benefit. Have a positive impact on the world (purpose) and build your organisation too.

8. Love work, get a life. The world and your job needs you well rested, well nourished and well supported.

9. Select managers who are effective at managing. Make sure your people are supported by somebody who is good at doing that and find other routes for those whose strengths lie elsewhere. Even better, allow people to choose their own managers!

10. Play to your strengths – make sure your people spend most of their time doing what they are best at.

The Art of Delegation

by Jonathan 

One of the most common pieces of wisdom quoted by coaches to owners of small busineses is to "work on your business not in it." This nearly always leads to a discussion about delegation - one of the key skills for any business owner.

Wikipedia defines delegation as 'the assignment of authority and responsibility to another person (normally from a manager to a subordinate) to carry out specific activities.'

Delegation will do three things for you:

1. Free up your time for longer term thinking.

2. Develop your team's skills.

3. Make the business bigger than you.

Many business owners make the mistake of trying to do everything and make every decision. The trouble is, this leaves little time to focus on growing your business.  It also leads to your more than capable team becoming incredibly frustrated at being micro managed. To relieve yourself and develop their skills you need to find a way to pass on the tasks that should be theirs.

A word of caution - if you are a typical entrepreneur then this won't be easy.

In case the above doesn't convince you, let me summarise - if you don't delegate:

Your business will stagnate.

Your best staff will leave.

Your remaining staff won't be good enough to delegate to.

OK so that's a bit tongue in cheek but I'm sure you get my point.

So what is delegation?

The art of delegation is all about giving your staff the authority to use their initiative. They become responsible for the outcome and you make it clear you expect them to act independently.  BUT (and it's a big but) you must never come down on them like a ton of bricks if it doesn't work out or if you would have done something different. Delegation demands a coaching style, you need to talk through the outcome, what went well and what could have gone better. By doing this they will learn from the experience and try again. Get this bit wrong and they will never let you delegate again. If you really do have a good team, they will care about doing a good job so it won't go horribly off track in the first place.

Five steps to better delegation

Next time you have a task land on your desk that you question whether you should be doing, ask yourself:

1. Is there someone else that could do this task as well or even better than me?

2. Does the success of the task depend on me? Be honest?

3. Will I be doing an employee a favour by delegating?

4. What's the upside to passing this on?

5. What's the downside to not passing it on?

I believe that every manager has successfully delegated at some point in their career but the key is to make it a habit. Try catching yourself out when you're about to not delegate and turn it around.

One last point - when delegation starts to become a habit you will find chunks of time opening up. Watch out for them as it's time for long term thinking (aka having a coffee).

Happy Staff = High Performing Staff

Rachel 

So much is said about how employees are our best asset but how much time and effort actually goes into helping our employees become happy? Not a lot in many companies I suspect.  The crazy thing is that it doesn't have to take much time or even effort.

Lets face it, 'Happy' isn't a particularly strong word in the lexicon of business language.  So if you're not convinced about the value of happiness lets look at the basics.  When I walk into an office I'll instantly sense a positive mood and will usually expect it to be a productive environment. The flip side is that disgruntled employees disengage with the company and performance will fall.

Every company is different so there's no magic bullet to creating a place where employees are happy and productive.  However there are some basics that I believe every company should consider but don't treat this as a shopping list.  The most important piece of creating a happy and engaging place to work is to consider the individual and collective needs of your employees. Remembering that small changes can make a huge difference.

A good starting point to look at your work environment.  Ask yourself a few simple questions - Is it fit for purpose? does it reflect the company culture?  What can I change to make it just a little bit better?

Any mention of 'culture' causes most small business owners roll their eyes and look away.  However it is important and doesn't need to be difficult.  Don't force it -  culture needs to create itself.  The best way to build a culture is to let your employees do it for you.  Your job is to offer support and encouragement.

There is one area that you can and must work on - you are in charge of the relationship with your employees.  Think about each employee and experiment with ways to build the relationship.  To some their family is everything so ask how their partner / kids are.  To others their car is their like so take an interest.  There's no need to pretend you love cars, dogs, houses, travel etc etc - that will be obviously fake. what you need to do is show that you understand that it's important to them.

Don't think that this is all about you making the changes.  A great way to improve engagement is to encourage employees to support each other.  A 'thank you' from a co-worker is almost as rewarding as one from you.  Make that 'thank you' public and it's effect is magnified.  We call it Kudos and many of our clients are seeing the difference a bit of thanks can make.

Another area that is in your power to influence is their daily tasks and job resources.  How can you help make their lives a little more productive. Do they have what is needed to do the job properly, efficiently and rewarding?

So as I said at the start, there's no magic bullet - perpetual improvement is key.  Make a small improvement to each employees work life and you will dramatically improve performance.  The knock on effect is that your life will become easier and a whole lot more pleasant.

Developing a Measurable Corporate Recruiting Model

                                                                       
 Kazim Ladimeji

 There was a time a few years back when HR – or Personnel as it was referred to then – was able to sit happily within the corporate business model as a cost center; there was little controversy and it did not need to justify it’s presence or exhibit a return on investment. But, the game has changed since then, due to increased competition on every level, which has forced businesses to become increasingly metrics driven. Today, there are new expectations placed on established cost centers like HR and particularly corporate recruiters, who must now be able to measure and quantify their success and demonstrate a tangible return on investment.

Below, I have set out the two main approaches that corporates recruiters can take to quantify their recruitment and interviewing process and show that they are undeniably key contributors to the success of the business.

1. Align your metrics with business strategy

To ensure that the recruitment team’s goals are truly business aligned, corporate recruiting goals should be developed in line with the business’s balanced score card.

For, example, it would be ill-advised for your recruiting team to place too much emphasis on internal recruitment success if the company strategy is geared towards refreshing the talent base by attracting more external talent. Equally, you might not want to focus on speed of recruitment if the company strategy is focused around quality/first year employment retention levels, Or conversely, maybe the company wants to improve its employer brand positioning which suggests an increased emphasis on candidate relationship management and a little less emphasis on speed. And so on… The point being, align corporate recruiting practices with your company strategy, not solely on your HR specific strategy. To compliment this alignment, ensure that costs and budget structure are geared toward the end business goal, such as reducing cost of hire, reducing recruitment advertising spend, generating more top salespeople hires to increase revenue, etc…

2. Choose your recruitment metrics carefully

Until now, the most commonly used metrics in the corporate recruiting world have been Time to Hire and Cost to Fill. These metrics have and continue to serve their purpose well. However, in today’s world there is a need for some additional measurements of performance –  as was underlined in a recent mini white paper in HR Management Magazine, called Recruiting Metrics – The Rules Have Changed –  and I have described these below.

1. Performance/Quality of Hire: The performance (measured by appraisal scores) of employees during their first year is compared to that of their more experienced peers.

2. Manager Satisfaction: The manager’s satisfaction with the service quality of the recruitment team is assessed by a customer satisfaction survey carried out after each recruitment project and/or annually.

3. Candidate Satisfaction: Survey candidates and find out what percentage of them are satisfied with the process.

4. Pipeline development: This measures the number and quality of external and internal candidates in the pipeline and should really be supported by a CRM system.

It is clear that there are a range of recruitment metrics that can be used to help steer the activities of the recruitment department. Whichever metrics you choose, it is vital that they are developed in line with the company’s balanced score card, business strategy, and HR strategy. If developed properly, internal recruiting departments can help businesses achieve measurable, clearly defined goals, which in turn should create a clear business case for increased visibility, access, and budget for the recruitment department.

The Lost Art of the Thank You Letter

                                                                                    

Marie Larsen

The after interview thank you letter is regarded by many modern job seekers as an antiquated formality. They view the thank you letter as trivial, bothersome, and time consuming – an unnecessary epilogue that might be skipped when wrapping up the interview process.

To those that subscribe to this philosophy: Not writing a thank you letter after your interview is like tripping at the finish line of a triathlon. After all your hard work and effort put into the planning and the preparation for your interview, why would you lose your focus right at the end and let this critical feature slide?

By not sending a thank you letter, you are allowing your name to fall into obscurity. As a job seeker, your thank you letter is your last chance to wave your flag and be heard – your last chance to end on a bang and send a final resounding image of a grade-A applicant to your interviewer.

Yes it’s time consuming and bothersome to compose a custom thank you letter after every job interview, but putting in the extra effort pays off. Here are the ways you go about constructing you thank you letter:

Email or Letter?: The short answer – both. Most applicants are already hard pressed to write even one thank you letter, think about how you’ll stand out if you have two up your sleeve. Immediately after your interview, send a quick and casual thank you email to your interviewer. This will get you in front of their thoughts and on top of their mind on the same day that you went in for an interview – a wise decision. A few days later, re-grab their attention with a formal, handwritten or typed thank you letter sent by traditional means – snail mail.

Your second, true, thank you letter will set you apart as a higher caliber of applicant. To really shine, make sure you adhere to all the formatting rules of letter writing. A quick Google search will show you the proper structure.

Stay away from gimmicks like perfuming your envelope to add “your scent” or using brightly colored or outlandish paper – remember this is a business document, not a love letter. It’s primary purpose is a call-to-action, not the beginning of a romance.

Finally, as for content, thank the interviewer for their time, bring up key talking points from the interview (to prove that you weren’t asleep the entire time) and end on a powerful call to action that advertises you as the best solution for their employment need. Overall, be brief and be positive – whatever happens now, at least you’ve crossed the finish line running full speed ahead.

The 10-Step Program to Becoming a Better Employee

                     Joshua Bjerke    

 It is usually pretty easy to identify those behaviors that make you less than the model employee. But what about ways to make yourself more valuable? Compare your daily work habits to the following list to see what you are and aren’t doing to highlight your value to your employer and become a better employee.

  1.The first, and most obvious, behavior is to not miss work. Situations arise that can make life temporarily more difficult but unless you meet an emergency that absolutely requires your time, make the effort to go to work. No employer wants a chronically absent employee who will undoubtedly be viewed as unreliable and unmotivated.

2. Use what you learn to push yourself forward. Take your insights and unique perspective of your company and use them to make suggestions for improvements. Use what you learn on your job to make your company better and make a positive difference in the way it functions.

3. Don’t take advantage of the privileges that your employer provides. Respect the property and perspectives of your employer and take care to use what your company provides responsibly. Don’t steal supplies, trash bathrooms and break rooms, damage property, or abuse Internet access.

4. Be considerate and complimentary to your co-workers. You spend more time with these people than nearly anyone else so there is little point in making that time more difficult to tolerate by being irritable or difficult. Be polite, compliment on a job well done, and be appreciative of any help you receive from your co-workers.

5. Be active in the events your employer chooses to participate in within your community. It not only shows your employer that you appreciate their time and money in providing a service, but helps you to better know your co-workers and management big-wigs.

6. Keep your workspace as organized and accessible as possible. The cleanliness and organization of your work area represents you well, shows that you value your company enough to put forth a good image, and prevents any confusion should anyone have to fill in for you for any reason.

7. Stay up-to-date with emails and policy changes that can affect the operation and procedures of your organization.

8. Stay relevant by keeping up with current industry trends, research, and tools that can help you perform your job better or otherwise improve the operation of your company. Stay informed.

9. Don’t just participate in employer-sponsored activities, but volunteer in your community during your own time. Use your skills and pursue your passions outside of the office t0 gain new skills and experiences that may not be available at work.

10. Be you. Granting your company allows it, tastefully personalize your desk and communications to show that you are more than just a cubicle-dwelling automaton. Expressing who you are helps to shape how your employer perceives you and values your contribution to corporate culture.

5 Signs of a Great Recruiter

Miles Jennings  

I was talking to a friend of mine at a party that will soon be looking for a job. He pretty much knows where he wants to work already, as it’s a small industry and market. He also already has an “inside connection” at the company – a relative of his works there and can help him out with introductions to key team members.

However, the company where he wants to work is a big place, with lots of different teams and hiring managers. He asked me an interesting question – should he use an external agency recruiter to help him get a job with the company, even though he already has a good networking connection?

My answer was yes – use a recruiter as well – if you’re trying to get into a big company, you need to do everything you can. As long as you tell the recruiter what you’re doing and that you may already be represented for some jobs at the company, there isn’t any problem with trust or communication. The issue is that with hundreds of open jobs and tons of complex projects, any one particular networking connection, job application, or introduction isn’t enough. One department inside a large company won’t know what another department is doing or who they are interviewing. So you have to hedge your bets and go deep (as long as you tell everyone involved what you’re doing.)

We talked more about when you should use an agency recruiter and how you know when it’s valuable. The answer is pretty clear: when you already have a connection to a particular company, you are looking for added value in a recruiter. You are looking for a recruiter that can do more for you than submit your resume into a database, talk to you about the open jobs on the company’s website, or even introduce you to one person at the company. You are looking for indications that a recruiter has real influence over and knowledge about a particular company. This influence and knowledge is the mark of a great recruiter. So what will this great recruiter sound like?

Here are 5 signs that you’ve found a great recruiter that can really add value to your job search, even if you already know the company or know about the jobs online.

Past success: You want to work with a recruiter that has successfully placed candidates at that company in the past. Look for the recruiter to reference their past placements. Ideally, these past placements have become valuable networking contacts for the recruiter. The right recruiter to work with is the one with a solid history of success at the companies that best fit your skills in your local area.

Company knowledge: What does the recruiter know that you don’t know? Recruiters should have a detailed knowledge of the company that goes well beyond what can be found on the web. They should be able to tell you about the company culture and examples of previous hires at the company, or problems with certain managers, etc… Look for fluid discussion about the inner workings of the organization.

Project information: Good recruiters know jobs, great recruiters know projects and initiatives (the why versus just the how.) You don’t want to just know that there is a new Accountant job opening at ABC company, you want to know why that Accountant job is open and how it fits with the company’s efforts and business initiatives. A great recruiter will offer you multiple touch-points inside a company and tell you information that can’t be gleaned from the job description. By working with a great recruiter, you’ll walk into the interview with a leg-up on every other applicant.

Technical understanding: Job description are often, if not usually, filled with stock language. Positions often list every system that the company has, for example. A recruiter worth working with will tell you what the position really entails – what the hiring manager really is hurting for. Oftentimes, positions will be replacements – what was good about that last employee? What was bad? A great recruiter will have a comprehensive understanding of all the job requirements, but more importantly have a nuanced understanding of the key talent differentiators. They’ll know what the company really wants and if they have a really great relationship, they’ll even be able to tell the company what they should want.

Personal connections: Your recruiter doesn’t have to be personal friends with everyone that hires from them, but there is no substitute for solid, in-person networking skills. Your recruiter should have actually visited the companies at which they hope to represent you. A great recruiter will talk to you about the soft-skills of the job and how you might fit in with the various teams and managers for whom you might work. Examine the depth of the recruiter’s relationships and not just the number of their employment connections.

A great recruiter can make all the difference to your job search. They can offer you valuable information, detail the nuances of jobs, and help you navigate through the entire hiring process. If you’re a jobseeker like my friend, it’s important to know when you’ve found a recruiter that can really help. When you do find those great recruiters, be sure to stay in touch with them, even after you’ve found the job you want – those connections can be invaluable to your career.

The Real Cost of Replacing a Mis-hired Employee

If you’ve ever hired someone who impressed you before they were an employee only to disappoint you afterward, you are sadly far from alone. In fact, studies have shown that within a year of being hired, an astounding 84 percent of new hires will not live up to expectations.

If you’ve ever hired someone who impressed you before they were an employee only to disappoint you afterward, you are sadly far from alone. In fact, studies have shown that within a year of being hired, an astounding 84 percent of new hires will not live up to expectations.

The worst part isn’t the frustration at their failures, the need to let them go, or even the slog of having to find someone new to take their place – it’s all the money that a “mis-hired” employee can cost.

How much are we talking about? Well, the Department of Labor’s minimum estimate is $11,713, but experts conservatively say that you can at least triple that figure, and some put it astronomically higher.

Citing the fact that many companies don’t recognize or deal with a mis-hire immediately, expert Dr. Bradford Smart estimates that the average mis-hire earning $100,000 will end up costing $1.5 million. For some industries, like finance, a mis-hire can cost even more to replace.

Why is the Cost So High?

There are a number of different factors that go into what a mis-hire can cost. Some are industry-specific, but most apply no matter what field you’re working in.

Mis-hires force companies to redistribute funds to find their replacement. Finding someone new costs money. Money to run ads, do background checks, pay people to interview them and engage in phone screening, and run pre-hire tests. And that doesn’t even account for the training that person will require once they are brought in to right the ship.

Mis-hires equal missed opportunities. If something is hired who just can’t get the job done, there’s a good chance that they are going to harm the company’s reputation with customers, miss out on entering markets just as they’re picking up steam, and waste money on things that the organization really doesn’t need.

Mis-hires negatively impact the work environment. Even after a mis-hire is let go and someone better suited for the positions replaces them, they are still going to have to deal with a culture that has likely been wounded. Mis-hires can lower morale, push high-performing employees out and hire more people who share their mindset, and directly or indirectly encourage bad behavior in their staff. All of those are problems that can’t be solved overnight, and companies will continue to spend money during the interim.

Mis-hires waste everyone’s time. When someone can’t do their job well, it can’t help but take up other people’s time. Maybe people on their team need overtime to pick up the mis-hire’s slack because he or she isn’t finishing enough work. Or the HR team is constantly dealing with issues stemming from disputes involving the mis-hire instead of spending their time working on ways to make the company run better. Beyond all of that, the simple need to get rid of them and bring in someone new is something that costs hidden money because of all the time it takes to make that happen.

Get It Right the First Time

Mis-hires in key positions can literally take a company under if you let them, but that doesn’t have to happen. As a recruiter, it’s your job to ensure that doesn’t happen.

3 Great Questions to Ask during your Interview

 

You know your interview is almost over when you hear that often dreaded phrase, “Do you have any more questions for me?”

Marie Larsen

Your interviewer wants to start wrapping things up, and they’re signaling to you that this is your last chance to really impress them. By now, you’ve probably had ample opportunities to ask a few great questions of your own, and you should never save all of your best questions right for the end. It’s wiser to disperse your questions at intervals throughout the interview process – save one or two great ones for “last call” before you close out.

As a side note, you should always have something to say when your interviewer asks. If you don’t – it looks like you haven’t done your homework on the company, job, or industry. Staying silent signals that you’re disengaged, apathetic, or already checked out. There are always questions to ask. In fact, if you don’t care about learning more about the company, industry, or profession, it may not be the right career for you.

If you’re struggling to find a few last minute talking points and questions – look no further. Here are three great questions to ask during your interview:

1. Will there be opportunities for training and advancement?: This question lets you know more about the company’s structure and the long term potential for growth. At the same time, it lets your interviewer know that you are forward thinking and ambitious, while implying a serious level of commitment. Just make sure you’re not talking about taking your boss’s job! Be sure to have specific goals in mind and a well-researched background on the typical career paths for someone with that job title. It’s good to be looking for the next step, but you also want to appear knowledgeable about the profession. 
2. What are the company’s goals over the next year?: Steering the conversation away from yourself lets the interviewer know that you’re interested in more than just the job at hand. It shows you care about the company’s growth potential and that you are willing to align your goals with the greater needs of the organization. Again, do your research on the Internet beforehand. When the interviewer tells you the answer, you should have a follow-up question that demonstrates your knowledge. For example, “Do you think achieving that kind of growth is possible given the slow-down in the housing market?”
3. How can I leverage this position to help you achieve your goals over the year?: This signals to the employer that you’re willing to embrace the position whole-heartedly in order to help your supervisors and the organization at large achieve success. It implies you understand the critical nature of your role as a smaller part within a larger functioning unit. By asking this question, you’re setting yourself apart from the self-centered masses that are just looking for a hand out. Use your knowledge of the hiring manager’s personal yearly goals to pinpoint exactly how you can be most helpful.

Remember, asking the right questions during the interview is your opportunity to subtly present yourself in a more positive light. Strive to be viewed as forward thinking, responsible, and driven my mutual growth and achievement. Additionally, don’t end the interview on these questions – state the fact that you enjoyed the interview, appreciate the scope of the position, and that you would like to move forward with the position.

Motivation – Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic

Why do you do what you do? It’s undoubtedly because you’re motivated to do so. But is your motivation intrinsic or extrinsic, and why does it matter?

I’ve written in the past about why you do what you do, and I said that it’s due to the values and priorities you have. And most of the time, you say and act a certain way because you’re motivated to based on the values you believe are important – the motivation comes from with yourself. But I wanted to expand on that a little because there are times when you do something because of something other than your values too. One reason why that happens is because you’re motivated to do so by something outside of yourself.

Your values determine the decisions you make, and your goals determine the type of life you want to live. If they don’t match up, you’ll create a constant struggle against yourself and you’ll probably fail in reaching most of your goals. But if they are aligned with each other, you’ll have an internal motivating force pushing you to accomplish them and you’ll achieve most if not all of them!

By making sure that you know what your values are first and setting your goals in accordance with your values, you will have built-in motivation to achieve them. This type of motivation – the type that comes from within yourself – is called intrinsic motivation. This is opposed to being motivated by something outside of yourself (like money, fame, power, or some other reward), which is called extrinsic motivation.

It’s not that extrinsic motivation is bad – it’s just that it isn’t nearly as good as intrinsic motivation. If you are trying to base your goals on things that are extrinsically motivating to you, it’s highly likely that two things will happen.

First, that motivation will wear off. Just like when you go to a pep rally or hear a great speaker – they can pump you up and get you motivated for sure! But as time passes, that motivation fades away and at some point it isn’t strong enough to cause to you act upon it anymore. This is especially true when you don’t enjoy doing what’s necessary to accomplish your goals. So if your goals take longer to achieve than the length of time the extrinsic motivation can remain strong to you, then you’ll give up on your goals before you achieve them.

Second, it’s almost always the case that when you are trying to achieve something due to extrinsic motivation, once you have achieved it and get that extrinsic reward you realize that it’s not as great as you thought it would be. Even the goals that you do end up being able to achieve; once you do, you’ll find yourself saying “is this all there is?” You will only feel fulfilled momentarily, and that fulfillment will be quickly replaced by disappointment and a sense of wanting more.

But when you are motivated to achieve something due to intrinsic motivation, it’s completely different!

When your motivation comes from within yourself, when it’s based on your values, your motivation will not wear off. It can’t wear off because your values are very concrete things and they don’t change or diminish quickly or easily. So you will remain motivated to achieve your goals for a much longer period of time, and that motivation will stay strong because every time you think about a goal, it’ll strike a match in your soul that will rekindle the flame that gives you burning desire to achieve it!

And when you do achieve your goals, you will feel a sense of fulfillment  accomplishment, and gratitude which won’t wear off. Rather, you’ll be able to enjoy your accomplishment and you’ll be raised to a higher level of excellence. You’ll undoubtedly start to want to achieve even more, but it’ll be because you know that you’re not capable of more, responsible enough to handle more, and desire to be able to give more – rather than because you’re disappointed that the achievement didn’t provide as much fulfillment as you had hoped.

And remember, it’s not that extrinsic motivation is a bad thing. It’s just that intrinsic motivation is so much better, and that’s why your goals must be based primarily on intrinsically motivating factors – your values. 

http://excellenceforeveryone.com/motivation-intrinsic-vs-extrinsic/?fb_source=pubv1

Workplace Etiquette

"Fine manners need the support of fine manners
in others."  ---  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Whether you work for a small non-profit organization, a giant multi-national corporation, or something in-between, chances are you spend many hours a day in close proximity to other people. Too often, simple misunderstandings among co-workers lead to workplace tension. On the comics page, Dilbert's cubicle suffering provides us with a shared laugh. Unfortunately, in the real world these stresses decrease both business productivity and employee job satisfaction. In my classes and lectures people often ask me about workplace etiquette as a solution to employee stress. In the spirit of February being the month of love, I offer you-boss, manager, and staff member-these simple sensory reminders of how to get along in the workplace.

SOUND

Monitor the volume of your conversations. Be sensitive to how loudly you may be speaking. Do you notice that people down the hall comment on your conversations? That might indicate your voice is too loud. Consider closing your office door and lowering your voice whenever speaking in person or on the telephone. Keep personal telephone conversations-and emails-brief and at a minimum. Be ever mindful that others are nearby and that this is a place of business.  Do not use the company telephone, fax, or email, for any inappropriate and personal matters. In some workplaces, privacy is difficult to find. If you overhear a private conversation, practice selective hearing. Avoid the urge to be "helpful" in areas best left to the other person to handle on their own. Your best bet for being treated as a professional at work is to keep all workplace conversations professional.  Sharing professional information is wonderful, gossiping is not. Only discuss personnel matters directly with specific individuals, superiors, and management.

SCENT

Be sensitive to scents and smells surrounding you. Save cologne and perfume for social occasions, and ask if fresh flowers and potpourri bother co-workers before installing them in your space. When eating at your desk or in shared areas, avoid foods with strong smells and aromas that will travel throughout the office. As great as French fries, Chinese food, and Indian food are, smelling them together in the same room and office can become unpleasant. Dispose of empty food containers and other items where they won't contribute negatively to the office atmosphere.

SIGHT

Keep your personal workspace clean and neat at all times. Generally, less is better when it comes to office and cubicle decor. Use discretion when displaying personal items such as family photos and mementos so as not to overdo, clutter, and obstruct your work area. Use shared areas with respect and courtesy. Workplace kitchens can be the biggest source of co-worker tension. If you expect everyone you work with to cleanup after themselves, model that behavior yourself.  Wash and return all kitchen items to their proper place, clean spills, and wipe countertops and tables as needed. Help maintain supplies as needed. When leaving food items in a shared refrigerator, mark all items with your name and date. Remove all items at the end of your work week and toss or recycle empty containers. Restrooms run a close second to kitchens as annoyance spots. After use, wipe the countertop and sink of any spilled water or soap. Be sure the toilet is clean for the next user. Notify the proper attendant if supplies are low or out, and of any plumbing problems. Maintain all shared items in "like new" condition and return borrowed supplies. Leave the photocopier in working condition and be sure to take back that borrowed stapler with at least a few staples left inside. If a machine stalls or jams, take time to undo the jam or to alert the proper person to attend to it. We all expect and want to be able to use items and equipment when needed.

Personality Traits of a Successful Manager

Remember being a manager does not mean sitting in a closed cabin and passing on instructions to your team members. Do not forget that respect is something which is always earned, never demanded. Adopting a “Hitler approach” will not only make you unpopular among your team members but also an unwanted member within the organization. No one will tolerate your Bossy nature for a long time. One of the most important roles of a manager is to take his team along and motivate team members to deliver their level best. Your role is to extract the best out of employees and also help them hone their skills and abilities.

Make your team members feel that you are there with them always. Extend your support whenever required. A good manager is one who smiles even at the times of stress. A manager ought to be like a protective cushion who absorbs all the stress and tension and never passes on to his team members. Encourage your team members to smile quite often as it not only reduces stress among team members but also leads to a positive ambience at the workplace.Remember,you have to be a role model for your team members. A manager is successful only when he is a strong source of inspiration for his team members.

A manager needs to carry himself well. Whatever you wear daily to work, your team members would automatically start following your style. Make sure you dress sensibly; after all you have to set an example for your team members. Avoid wearing casuals and loud colours to work. Wear clothes which make you feel confident and look good.

As a manager, one needs to be honest and fully committed towards the organization to expect loyalty from team members in return. Do not treat your organization as a mere source of earning money. Discourage your team members to backstab each other and spread unnecessary rumours about fellow workers.

Never be rude to any of your team members. Do not treat your employees as slaves. Appreciate employees who perform exceptionally well. A pat on their back will go a long way in motivating them to perform even better the next time. Put their names on notice boards to acknowledge their hard work.

Reach office on time. Being punctual is a great personality trait which makes you successful in a short span of time. Ask your team members to reach office on time to avoid unnecessary late sittings. Late sittings do not indicate that an employee is hard working but reflect his/her poor time management skills.

Leave your ego behind the moment you enter office. There is no place for ego and personal problems at workplace. Do not hold personal grudges against anyone in your team. Avoid criticizing and making fun of others.

As a manager, you need to be flexible in your approach. Be realistic. Don’t be surprised if your team member asks for a half day or a full day leave on his/her birthday. After all it is a special day for him. Do not stop him unless and until there is something really urgent at work.

Respect your team members. Every employee in the organization ought to be treated as one irrespective of his/her designation or level in the hierarchy.

Be a patient listener. Lend a sympathetic ear to your team members in case of queries. Give them correct feedback and timely monitor their performance.