Teamwork is often touted as a big positive in the workplace. As a leader you need to be aware when teamwork is a positive and when it is a negative. Research has shown that teams can reduce the input of members, especially as team size grows. The size of a team often correlates to the following demotivating factors. One, it can diffuse a team member’s sense of individual responsibility. Two, and this includes one of my favorite phrases, “sucker aversion” can make a member think it is not a team effort and most likely one or two people will do all the work without getting all the credit And finally, good ole fashion ROI plays into team members’ minds as they calculate the rate of their efforts/contribution in correlation to the rate of return on their invested time/energy. It is all about dynamics. As a leader, make sure you are individualizing the dynamic to the desired outcome.
Yes, this.
This quote needs no explanation. It is clear. It is genius. It is the path to success.
How To Be Professional
How to be professional… Workplaces can be full of all types of thinking, both good and bad. The challenge with over 75% of the national workforce being unhappy at their current jobs comes when you see how that spirals out throughout the workplace dynamic/culture. So how do you protect yourself and remain professional in a world that has a large percentage of disengaged workers? I suggest two things. One, if you do not hold the target, the arrow will be less likely to come your way. That is to say, your integrity is what you have going into and leaving a job, guard it and don’t open yourself up to the engagement of counter-productive activity. Two, focus on facts and quality within your workplace, and the specifics of your job. Don’t get distracted. Facts and quality are solid. Regardless of workplace politics facts and quality are two items that will support your integrity day in and day out. The bottom line here is people on average don’t enjoy a negative atmosphere, but do often participate in it. So note to self, you can’t change what you feed.
The Positive Impact Of Complaining
As for the positive impact of complaining…there is none. There are positive outcomes to constructive feedback, offering alternatives, and/or taking ownership of a potential new course of action. I’m not saying that your life is happy, joyful, fun-filled all the time as we know this is not the case. I am saying framing action addressing the less desirable components of your life and/or job, is an amazing step and opportunity to add more fun, joy and happy into it.
“I Want”
Unless you are a toddler or a 17th Century Monarch the words “I want” really don’t belong in a leader’s vocabulary. The difference between “I want” and “I’d be interested in knowing why…” are the difference between creating a culture of indifference or creating a culture of engagement and productivity. The response you may receive from how you frame your thoughts is equivalent to the level of productivity you’ll see. An interesting article along the lines of engagement follows, http://www.management-issues.com/opinion/6989/morale-a-moving-target/
Meditation, ROI
While meditation is definitely becoming more sexy as a topic of conversation than it was over twenty years ago when I started meditating there still seems to be a view of it as recreational rather than an investment with high returns. The following companies provide it for employees: Numerous Hospitals, Apple, Prentice Hall Publishing, Google, Nike, Procter & Gamble, HBO, etc. Why? Numerous studies have shown meditation, even ten minutes a day provides numerous positive employee impacts including decreasing stress, increasing productivity, increasing focus, etc. In addition Mayo Clinic shared: “…some research suggests that meditation may help people manage symptoms of conditions such as: Anxiety disorders Asthma Cancer Depression Heart disease High blood pressure Pain Sleep problems” Source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858 When you consider the cost saving in healthcare to your business/company, the increase in productivity and engaged employees it is an easy investment. I can’t think of anything else with a higher return on investment.
Marketing vs. Engagement
I believe both nonprofits as well as for profits often confuse sales, marketing and engagement. Or even more challenging weight engagement last. The fact is, without engagement of donors, clients or customers your sales and marketing have far less impact. Social media absorbs so much of our time these days. One of the great draws of social media is it makes us feel engaged in both our own life and with others. It is easy, immediately gratifying and of little to no expense, monetarily to us. So that is your competition. Sectors, let’s take the food industry, see market share shrinking, even though we’ve never seen more choices on the shelves. Why? Because the donor, client or consumer doesn’t care if you’ve created tens of options. In fact it can be feel oppressive to decide when we are already overwhelmed with a lengthy to do list. It reminds us you are thinking of everybody, and we want to feel special. What we want is immediate gratification and to feel as if you are speaking to us as individuals. The day of mass marketing’s return on investment is coming to a close. If you can’t engage your target audience, making them feel as if you are talking only to them, or providing them with a special benefit, cost and/or return on their investment, quite frankly you are sunk.