Corporate Team Building Events: Throw Distancing to a Distance
July 2, 2008
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If someone just studies a few recent corporate recruitment advertisements, there will be at least one thing he or she will find common in almost all of them. The recruiters are putting much emphasis on hiring a one-team man rather than a one-man team, in the management category at least.
In accordance to this shift, the office atmosphere is changing too. CEOs of the companies at present are accessible to general employees more than ever before. The visual distance is cut short. Office decorations are changing with more and more interlinked and free sitting arrangements. At this age, one can never ignore the psychological affect on human beings created by the respective surroundings.
The corporate houses these days are spending huge amounts to unite the workforce into an active team. Active and spontaneous participation of employees in both internal and external affairs of the company and even in the decision making process are regarded as the path of progress.
The main problem in the corporate team building process namely distancing is predominantly inherent in employees as well as in the employers psyche. It is one of the basic instincts of human beings.
The primary team building process is constantly fighting to throw away distancing to a great distance. The ideal corporate team building events concentrate on bringing together employees who do not always get the chance to come in close, if not in personal contact with each other.
The prime ideological stand is that, if an employee does not know his or her co-workers then he or she cannot actively participate to boost up the company profile and morale as a whole. It is all about fixing the SELF, not into the category called OTHER, but under the umbrella named WE.
The corporate event management companies divide the employees into various groups. Apparently, it seems that the process is breaking the basic notion of team building activities, but in fact, it just adds to the notion.
The participants here never feel rivalry among themselves. They are conscious that it is merely a game though they need to win. Thus, they fail to concentrate on the issue that it is a part of the team building exercise tailored by the company. This lack of concentration on the subtle issue ultimately does the trick. The idea of the team is built in the consciousness of the participant that excludes the visual divisions.
The job is done.
However, a Corporate Hospitality Company must be cautious of the standard and socio-cultural background of the participants. Otherwise, the whole process may go in vain.
Peter Mason is an investigative freelance writer and writes on behalf of the owner of Team Tactics - http://www.teamtactics.co.uk/ a corporate hospitality and team building company in the UK, provide bespoke corporate team building events, corporate entertainment and event management focusing on team building days and team building ideas. Team Tactics is specialised in providing team building company events, for instance, corporate fun team building activities and fun events.
Disconnected and Disengaged? Reconnect Your Employees to Exceptional Performance
July 1, 2008
By Jay Forte
In a world of powerful social networks and immediate communication methods, today's workers know what it means to be connected. When connected, they share, create, challenge and perform. So if today's worker is so good at connecting, why is today's worker so disconnected from the workplace?
Review these "disconnected" statistics: More than half of all employees do just enough at work not to be fired. Employees change roles every 18 - 36 months. At any point in time 48% of workers are actively job hunting. In the next 5 years, 20% of the country's largest companies will lose 40% of their top level talent to retirement. Many of these companies have no succession plan to prepare younger workers to be ready to step up and stop the outflow of significant company information (brain drain). Employees are truly disconnected from their workplace. So what is the real issue?
Today's disconnected workplace is more about management than employees; employees want to be connected and to do a great job; they are just uninspired. Today's employees find little connection to their roles, their management or their workplace. It happens because management continues to use outdated and ineffective methods to activate employees and drive performance. These misguided methods unintentionally disconnect our employees from the workplace.
We are now in an intellectual workplace; we have moved from manufacturing to service, from industrial to intellectual, from brawn to brain. As author Seth Godin states, "we used to make food (agrarian society), then we made things (industrial age), now we make ideas" (service economy). Our days are no longer involved doing the same repetitive process that was a significant part of manufacturing or the industrial age. Much of manufacturing moved offshore and left us with a service economy. Service is an intellectual and thinking environment.
The workplace in the industrial age focused on producing each day. Being connected to the workplace was not as important because employees just needed to show up to keep production and machinery running. Whether an employee felt connected or disconnected, the results did not vary much.
Now, look at today's intellectual or service age. Every service event now creates an impression in the mind of a customer - some advance customer loyalty, others destroy it. The employee is now center stage and is creating the service brand on a daily basis by what she does, says, feels, invents and thinks. This employee must now be (emotionally) connected to her work, her manager, her organization and to the world to perform at levels that drive customer loyalty and organizational success. If any of these areas are disconnected, performance suffers, customers are affected and the organization feels the impact. In spite of knowing this, most organizations have workforces who remain disconnected, doing as little as possible, hoping not to get fired. So what is the process to move the disconnected employee to a "connected"? We start with management.
Managing employees in an intellectual age requires an understanding that the most important asset of the organization is the "humanity" of the employee - her brain and heart, her thinking and passion. When employees connect to a workplace, they activate their thinking and their passions. That means that the best way to connect employees is to understand the value each one brings and work to maximize it to connect the employee emotionally to the work.
In the recent book "HumanSigma," authors and Gallup Organization researchers Dr. John Fleming and Jim Asplund present that satisfied and dissatisfied customers buy similar volumes; loyal customers, however, buy significantly more and actively support the business. The primary difference that inspired loyalty (and therefore increased purchases) was the presence of an emotional connection by the customer to the product, brand or organization. The same concept exists with employees. The greatest performance happens from loyal employees who have an emotional connection (relationship) with their manager, their workplace and their role.
We are in the age of "soft skills" - those dreaded human emotions and feelings that industrial age managers banished from the workplace. Today, relationships are critical to engagement and connection. Strong relationships attract and keep the best employees. Strong relationships attract and keep the best customers. The starting point for all employee connection to performance is a strong relationship the employee has with her manager.
It has been repeatedly said that "people quit people before they quit companies." This means that employees disconnect from managers (the person) before they disconnect from companies. The reverse is also true. Employees who connect (have strong relationships) with managers perform and remain loyal. This is the key to millennial management - a strong and successful relationship with each employee to each them well enough to know what will connect each to her work, the company and to her objectives. When in place, this drives all other levels of employee connection.
The way to start reconnecting employees to performance is to understand the immense value of the manager/employee relationship. Gone are the command-and-control days of the industrial age; today, managers must inspire and engage. Today's managers drive performance by knowing employees, dealing with them as people, maximizing their strengths and offering opportunities that match their personal and professional plans. Today's manager must be available, open, good at communication and caring. This evokes the same back from the employee. And in a service economy, it matters how employees feel at work because the present these feelings and emotions to customers. How an employee felt when her only company was a machine was not as important as the face to face contact employees have with customers. The focal point of connection and therefore performance is the manager/employee relationship.
When the lines of communication are open (and a connection exists) between the manager and the employee, the following things can happen:
• The manager can assess the employee's talents (natural thinking) and use the information to place the employee in a role that matches the way she thinks. The closer these are matched, the more capable and confident and employee feels. This connects the employee to the manager and to her role.
• The manager can work with each employee to set performance expectations for each role that tells an employee what is expected but lets the employee develop the methods to achieve the expectations. This connects the employee to the manager by the supportive approach and trust, and connects the employee to performance because the employee owns the process to implement and achieve the expectations.
• The manager can provide regular performance feedback to help employees develop skills, master projects and perform in a more significant way. This connects the employee to the manager for the support, coaching, education and trust. This connects the employee to performance because she is continually improving and can see the difference she makes with customers and in results.
• The manager can provide a fair career development discussion about the future roles of the employee. This connects the employee to the manager for the time, effort, personal attention and care to discuss the employee's future and to allow the employee to have a voice in the process. This connects the employee to the workplace as she develops and works a plan that advances her in areas that make sense for her talents, her objectives and the needs of the business.
Millennial managers are successful when they care about their people - as thinking, feeling, and emotional people. They are genuinely interested in their values, interests and goals. They know them personally and professionally. They ask great questions and listen for answers that will help customize the perfect job, match them to the right tasks, inspire them to reach and grow, know the best ways to help them learn, and celebrate their achievements. This manager/employee relationship is the key to success and performance. Done well, it connects the employee to the manager - the single greatest way of inspiring employee loyalty.
So, managers, it is time to Fire Up! your employees by connecting to them to know them well. Build this connection; ask great questions and really listen. Care about your employees. Spend time with them by placing them in the right jobs; develop plans to achieve their performance expectations. Be prepared to coach, counsel and mentor to improve their performance and discuss their future with them. If you want employees to make a difference with customers, then you must make a difference with employees. If you want employees to get to know customers to know how to maximize the service event, then you must get to know your employees to maximize the employee event.
Humanity and connections now rule performance. Successful millennial managers are aware of how the world has changed and how they must now adapt. The good news is that what works at home to create powerful relationships with family, spouses, children and friends also works in the workplace. Employees need managers to watch and remember the details, to get to know what each employee is good at, to care enough to do the right thing for each one and above all, to communicate. Dictating and demanding alienates employees and inhibits performance. Today we must inspire, engage, ask and define. Help employees connect with you and to their work; they will then connect to the rest of the world with the great stories about you and your workplace. News of good things travels fast in our connected world. Your reputation as a capable millennial manager will invite other great employees, drive great performance and attain great results.
Jay Forte is a powerful performance speaker, consultant, author and founder of Humanetrics, LLC. He works with managers who want to be more successful in activating and inspiring exceptional employee performance, to significantly drive customer loyalty and improve company profitability. Jay, a CPA/financial executive turned educator, turned consultant, is renowned for producing significant results. He is a highly engaging speaker and is working on an upcoming book "Sparks! Fire Up Your Employees and Smoke Your Competition; How to Invite, Incite and Ignite Performance" For information on keynotes, seminars and consulting, or to see the daily "BLOGucation," visit: http://www.humanetricsllc.com or call: 401-338-3505.
Different Ways To Motivate Your Team
June 15, 2008
By: Bertil Hjert
An enthusiastic team is the backbone of success to any organization. The biggest challenge is to motivate a team. Unless the team is motivated, you cannot expect success or profits. The team should be constantly forced by the leaders rather then being given autonomy or power to perform its own actions.
Remember that success in business is associated with motivation. Technical skills and knowledge may play a great role but without motivation, everything will fail to work. If you want to get the maximum from your team, you need to ignite or fuel it with the right kind of motivation. This will also provide them the zest to unleash their creativity and bring out their best.
There is a lot that takes to motivate your team. First, you need to want the best for your people. You need to find their need and ambitions in order to know about what motivates them. Once you start motivating them with the right force, you will see them performing their best.
Here are some of the best tips to keep motivating your team:
Motivate yourself
Let the team know that you are full of energy and enthusiasm to fulfill the task. Show your zest and faith in a project you want your team to accomplish. This will motivate your team to work better and feel good about the whole thing.
Goal
Your motivation should be purely based on the goal you have decided to attain. Let your team gets clear about the specific goals you want it to achieve. Be specific crystal clear and realistic about the goal you want your team to achieve.
Talk to your people
Remember, that people have different goals and the motivational factors vary from one person to other. You need to know who all are there in your team. Talk to them differently about their aspirations, dreams, expectations, fears etc. This will make it easy for you to know what they need from you to get motivated.
Make your team believe that their involvement in the project matters. Let them know how valuable their services are.
Appreciate the efforts made by your team. This will make wonders for your team’s motivation spirit. You can show your aspiration in the form of money, bonus, assigning designation etc.
Let your team have a sense of belonging. Once sense of belonging is formed, the team will get stronger in sense of loyalty effort and motivation.
Challenges
Some people are motivated by the challenges they face. Let your team know that accomplishing a project is not a cake walk but together, they can make it.
Don’t belittle your team’s performance. Let them know that they tried really hard. Once they get appreciated for their efforts, they will surely make more efforts to achieve success next time.
Let your team know the fruits of success. This will prove to be a great motivation force. Let them know about the celebration and rewards the team will get once the task is accomplished successfully.
For more Articles, News, Information, Advice, and Resources about Motivation and Self Help please visit GET AND STAY MOTIVATED and MOTIVATION TIPS and MEDITATION ADVICE
What Every Manager Ought To Know Why the Employees Leave The Company
June 12, 2008
David W Richards
Don’t blame it on anyone else if the employees leave the company. Look into yourself. Have you been acting like a good leader?
One of the biggest research done by the Gallup Organization, compiled in a book titled First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, states that if you want to know why those good employees leave the company, you should look into the manager.
Employees don’t simply leave the company they have been working for just because of the money. And, actually, it’s not the company that they leave, it’s the working unit, the manager.
How does that happen?
Let’s say that the company gives generous pay, benefits and training, and somehow the employees are satisfied with that. Yet, this company has no good manager to lead and handle these people.
A bad manager doesn’t know how to treat their subordinates well enough. They don’t realize that good employees are the biggest assets for the company. Yes, there might be many people out there looking for jobs, yet, these managers don’t count the expenses the company has to spend on recruitments and trainings. Plus, the possibility that the good employees leave the company for the competitors. They don’t consider the loss that company might have to suffer.
That is why it is necessary for employers/managers to learn more about tips on handling employees. They have to understand how to build employees’ sense of belonging towards the company, how to create a comforting atmosphere so that the employees feel at ease in staying at the company and most important, how to praise the employees.
Those tips are not only good to retain employees but also good to augment their performance. The employees’ satisfaction will surely affects their way of work and eventually affect the company growth.
David W Richards has been working for several companies and has a wide experience in HR management. He shares other information as well, such as Agreement Loan and Advisor Debt
The Upside of Down…
June 5, 2008
You can always laugh
So when that car cuts you off and it’s barely a miss
Don’t give them the finger, just blow them a kiss
Instead of being angry you can chuckle at their reaction
Hopefully the “road rage” will now be a retraction
On the bus where the only seat left is somebody’s lap
Because some loser filled a spot with all of their crap
Instead of being angry and staring them down
Offer to help move their stuff to the ground
When you’re parking to shop at your favorite mall
And you see a deadbeat take a handicap stall
Just give them a wave as you calmly walk past
Call security; let them ticket their ass
While you’re there spending your hard earned money
And the cashier is miserable try calling them “Honey”
Of course that only works when you’re opposite sexes
But it’s better than shooting them like they do down in Texas
When you’re out at the golf course enjoying your day
And the people behind you think you’re in the way
Just let them go past, do your best to ignore
When they’re ahead, count slowly to three, and then yell “fore!”
When you’re sitting at home and you just want to relax
But the kids are going crazy; you can’t get them off your back
Don’t get upset and tell them to “get out of your hair”
They grow up too fast, soon they won’t be there
When you’re all dressed up to take your wife on a date
As usual she’s slow and you don’t want to be late
Give her a break; go get some fresh air on the deck
Remember, men only have to shave their face and neck
When your neighbor lets their dog poop on your lawn
You can’t keep watching out for them dusk to dawn
You might have to pick it up, and yes, that's a drag
But they’ll think twice when it's on their step in a bag
Jody Urquhart is a professional speaker who for the last ten years has motivated and inspired professionals to use humor to change there lives. Please contact us to see how we can recognize and inspire professionals at your next event.
The Power of Play to Exploit the Present
June 3, 2008
Jody Urquhart
Constant worry about what’s around the corner is a waste of energy and can cause stress and anxiety. Your quality of life will improve a great deal when you take time to live in the present moment. You do that best when you play.
Recently I walked into a meeting of
Imagine you got up right now and played a game for the next 30 minutes with your colleagues. You laughed joked, poked fun at each other and were really engaged in the activity- what would be the result?
Decreased Tension
Expressed Emotion
Increased “feel good” endorphins
Increased Oxygen (increasing energy and focus)
Increased rapport and comrade
Have better social skills to relate to others
Elevated trust
Increased creativity…. Just to name a few benefits.
The sum result of all of this is when you go back to work you would have more energy, better teamwork and be more productive. No I’m not kidding.
This is not a program but a philosophy. Fun is spontaneous- it doesn’t necessarily happen on schedule; it grows in a culture that fosters its existence. You can’t plan to have fun you just have it.
The definition of play is, ‘a physical or mental leisure activity that is undertaken purely for enjoyment or amusement and has no other objective’. (Play Therapy International)
The use of play engages people in the moment. Time flies when you’re having fun because fun is in the present moment. It is positive, healthy, and vibrant and it is right here right now. When you play you usually laugh -Laughing heightens the experience of being in the present moment because it involves the emotions, the body, and the intellect, all at the same time.
The Power of Now.
When you are in the moment you have an infinite source of energy, it’s a state of flow where things are easy. You are in the present, and it’s the most dynamic, fluid awareness.
Play is a fun, enjoyable activity that elevates our spirits and brightens our outlook on life. Play relieves feelings of stress and boredom, connects us to people in a positive way, stimulates creative thinking and exploration, regulates our emotions, and boosts our ego (Landreth, 2002). In addition, play allows us to practice skills and roles needed for survival. Learning and development are best fostered through play (Russ, 2004)
More Fun = More Energy
Think of fun as something like electricity that can be accessed in different wattages. When you play more you learn to use higher energy levels for a sustained time. You can learn to plug into more power and use it without burning yourself out. Some people can use only very small amounts of power and some have developed and earned the ability to use very large amounts of it.
Managing time often involves setting goals to be reached within a set timeframe. Goals that won’t be accomplished immediately but hours, a month or a year down the road. To be most productive we have to also manage our energy. It’s our energy that we give to the present moment where we actually get the work done. There are numerous ways to increase energy like exercise, nutrition, sleep, etc and they all involve leaving the activity (the work that achieves the goal), get energized and come back to the work.
Fun also increases energy and it’s in the moment, so it doesn’t require time away from your present activity. If you can have fun while working, by experiencing the work you are doing as playful, light hearted and fun than you increase energy, accomplish goals, and stay in the moment. In essence with fun we can manage our energy and our time.
Play Therapy
So often in modern life we never seem to have enough time to spend with our children - just playing, just being there for them.
Play is now widely recognized as being beneficial in the emotional development of children. It has a therapeutic value. Play therapists are licensed professionals who use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development. (Association for Play Therapy)
Techniques used by play therapists range from Therapeutic Story Telling, Drama and Role Playing, Puppets and Masks.
Some studies indicate that 70% of children who have psychological problems are helped through the use of psychological based therapies such as play and creative arts.
Nuero science research confirms the importance of play for infants in developing children’s brains and minds. It has also been shown that exposure to metaphor and symbols, as used in play, has a beneficial effect upon the development of the brain.
Jody Urquhart is a professional speaker who compels stressed-out and fed-up professionals to rediscover their passion, purpose & sense of play. To discuss having Jody speak at your next meeting please call us at 1(877)
Gag It!
May 26, 2008
Funny Gags to keep the unexpected alive!
Jody Urquhart
If you want to have more fun and literally save your sanity just and look for ways to be a bit offbeat and do the unexpected. Do something that makes no sense at all, that’s throws off people’s expectations (and puts them in the moment, which is stress free). Remember the key to any humor or practical joke is to establish your competency first. I suggest you try any of the below fun things with people you know well.
For those of you who take yourself seriously or are skeptical here is why doing the unexpected literally saves your sanity:
Doing the Unexpected, Silly and sometimes outright Ridiculous:
- Puts you and others in the present moment (which is stress free)
- It balances your perspective
- Literally forces you to lighten up and not take things so seriously
- Produces Humor which makes you laugh, which has hundreds of positive benefits
- Increases creativity
- Allows you to play as an adult
- Mixes work with pleasure
The unknown freaks a lot of people out (me included) so just be cautious especially in the beginning.
Give yourself permission to take a risk, do the semi ridiculous and see what happens. If you feel silly remember that’s the whole point, so lighten up!
Here is an exhaustive list of unexpected things you can do to create unexpected fun. Some of them are rather prank- like and some are just plain funny
- Make up a word… and keep throwing it in now and again and see what people do. Or finish every sentence with blah, blah, blah
- Write someone a note to meet you outside in 10 minutes but don’t sign the note
- Wear something weird on the weekend. Mini skirt and leg warmers, if you’re a man
- Go up to someone and say” I support you no matter what other people are saying”
- Page yourself over the intercom and recognize what a great job you have been doing
- Walk around in circles around your office –look very perplexed People will wonder what you are doing.
- Add items to someone's written reminder list (-i.e. buy condoms)
- Make noises when people walk by
- Stand really close to people, stare at them and walk away
- Stand really close to someone and say…Did you do anything in the last week you would like to confess to? Do you have anything to tell me? Are you sure?
- Put outrageous price tags on office equipment. (i.e. - $30,000 for a computer mouse)
- March up to someone and tell them they need to help you with something and say. “If we don’t get this done right away were both completely screwed”
- Say there is a new sexual harassment policy that says you’re not allowed to make eye contact at work
- When someone wins an award the next day send out a memo to say the award has been discontinued
- Go up to a complete stranger and ask if you can have your photo taken with them
- Get some water guns
- Get up, jog on the spot for 10 seconds and then sit down again.
- Go up to a cashier and tell them your dog told you bad things were going to happen today and they should be prepared
- Give away your place in line. In a long line at the grocery store, I was second in line, I looked to the last guy in line and said “Heah, come here… “He sheepishly walks over, I said “here you can have my place in line”, and I went and stood at the back of the line. He was speechless and so was everyone else. Just for Fun!
- Make a funny face
- Be unreasonable. When your spouse says lets go to Costco say, I can’t possibly go there until I get my hair highlighted. (It makes no sense and that’s the point).
- Stand up at your desk and spell your name with your hips- do it right now we dare you
- Fill a phone booth with people
- Take an invisible dog for a walk
- Talk only in famous catchphrases from movies.
- Verbally Abuse your office furniture
- Stand facing the corner at work until someone asks you why
- Yell to someone, “here catch…”and throw an invisible ball
- Run franticly down the hallway
- Cut out photos and paste them on Popsicle sticks and have a puppet show
- Fake an accent
- Laugh out loud for no reason
- Write your name in permanent marker on all your underwear
- Break into a friend's house and clean it
- Give names to your body parts
- Kiss your elbow, if you can.
- Lay a long straight line of masking tape on the floor. Now spin around really fast then try walking on the masking tape.
- Let helium balloons float to the roof and throw stuff at it to pop it
- When someone comes out of the bathroom ask them if they washed up
- When someone talks to you say I know you are but what am I?
- Repeat everything someone says
- Make random observational comments (“I love pastrami” OR “Dryer Lint tastes bad”)
- Run up to someone holding your throat and say I swallowed a paperclip
- As soon as someone starts talking to you start talking at the same time
- When talking on the phone, start pressing the buttons
- Write a memo to someone and use horble spelling
- Walk into work and announce “I don’t know where I am”
- Speak excruciating slow
- Walk into a restaurant and order something not on the menu
- Tape a post it note on your back saying funny things
- Wear 3 outfits all at the same time
- Make a trash can a basketball hoop
- Using heavy duty packing tape- tape someone to the wall
- Sit at your desk with your left arm sticking out until it goes numb
- Snap your fingers for no reason
- Make the most trivial or confusing complaint to a coworker.
- Talk in circles
- Keep saying… “Like I said” and says the same thing over again
- Turn on the T.V. put it on mute and make up dialogue
- Every so often pretend to trip on an 'invisible' wire
- Find some crutches and pretend to have a broken leg
- Ask someone what there goal in life is and laugh hysterically (make sure you know the person well)
- Collecting all bad news from newspapers and making a ritual campfire to burn
- Have a lemonade sale at work
- Greet someone with “Happy Tuesday” when it’s Thursday
- Get food all over your face at lunch and don’t wipe it off
- Leave copious amounts of jujubes with your tip at an upscale dining establishment
- Bring your old clothes to work and give them to people
- Make gingerbread men and decorate them so they look dangerous
- Name every item in your workspace an odd name
- In the cafeteria dare someone to eat Jello without utensils
- Wear a tiara to work
It's a good idea to obey all the rules when you're young just so you'll have the strength to break them when you're old.
-Mark Twain
Jody Urquhart is a professional speaker who for the last ten years has motivated and inspired professionals to use humor to change there lives. Please contact us to see how we can recognize and inspire professionals at your next event.
Get More Business Results By Having A Little Fun!
May 24, 2008
Do you think it's appropriate or professional to have fun in the workplace?
Research has shown that fun at work generally results in an increase of productivity, creativity, loyalty, and morale. Appropriate workplace fun is a key method for energizing workers and putting some life back into their routines.
Here are some additional benefits of having fun at work:
Fun fulfills the basic human need to be social
Fun can instill a sense of teamwork
Fun usually improves communication
Fun breaks up boredom that comes from doing repetitive work
Fun can dissolve conflict and tension
Fun can foster a positive company culture
Fun creates an opportunity for networking
The best type of workplace fun creates congratulations and "high fives" among coworkers. It might be a non-competitive ice breaker event scheduled in the office before a company meeting. Or it could be a sporting event that takes place after work with departmental teams that compete at the bowling alley or on the ball field. Lots of different activities can teach employees how working as a team can be fun as well as productive.
Social interaction among coworkers allows for an opportunity to improve one's "Soft Skills", or people skills. Soft skills are the compliment to Hard skills, which are the technical requirements of a job.
When having fun, we get to see our coworkers and managers in a more casual light. This glimpse into their non-business personality may make them seem more human and foster an improved, genuine relationship.
Matt Weinstein, author of the book, Managing to Have Fun, says that many bosses and entrepreneurs find it difficult to have fun at work. He feels they need to learn how to build more fun into the workday and to celebrate successes. If that doesn't happen, Weinstein warns that bosses can drive away the top employees who are responsible for those company successes.
But management can't just mandate that everyone else celebrate and enjoy themselves. The boss must participate, especially in smaller companies. Top management always sets the tone for the entire company, so if their fun isn't genuine or sincere it'll be obvious to everyone else.
Let's be clear that the following behavior should not be considered fun:
Telling inappropriate jokes
Being deceptive or playing pranks
Making fun of or teasing coworkers
Mocking or mimicking management
Play that intentionally excludes someone
Having fun at work should result in a renewed feeling of cooperation and a shared mission. If it doesn't accomplish this goal, in my opinion it's not a good use of company time and resources.
"A smile is the shortest distance between people." – Victor Borge (1909-2000)
Laura Adams is the host of the popular MBA Working Girl Podcast.The content combines brainy business school theory with real-world business practice from her career as a business owner, manager, consultant and trainer. Subscribe for FREE to this top-rated show and get the useful MBA Essential Tip athttp://www.mbaworkinggirl.com
How Showing a Little Appreciation Motivates Employees
May 18, 2008
Martin Haworth
There are a whole load of resources you can find on 'motivation'. Books, tapes, internet etc. Yet it need not be so complicated…
Recently, I had the opportunity to show appreciation to someone. I was really surprised to hear back from her the following, "Are you being sarcastic?" It turned out that she had never been appreciated. No one had ever said a simple "Thank you" to her.
That's it this week, notice good work and say thank you.
When?
When can you apply this? Well, it's easy to apply it to everything you see good in people and their performance. But, if it's been something you haven't made a habit of in the past, you need to be a bit smarter than that, to avoid your people wondering what's going on - even worse, they might end up being rather suspicious of what's going on.
So in this case, try and pick out special efforts of each of your people at least once a week to start with. Be fair and consistent with everyone. When that embeds, try it twice a week. Be real though, saying thank-you and giving greater appreciation when it doesn't really mean anything, will end up with a response like I heard above.
Where?
Where can you use this simple encouragement? It's easy. Find the moment when you experience something good from your team members and share your appreciation in the moment if you can. It is so powerful to say it as it happens. And again, even if you forget at the time, don't give up on it, being able to say, "I meant to tell you earlier, but I missed the opportunity, thank you for the way you…", still works.
In fact this can be even more powerful - that you meant to say something, forgot, yet still found the time not to miss the opportunity show how much you really care. Strong relationship building stuff!
Back to the point - where? Anywhere that you notice.
Keep praise informal and frequent so that your people come to appreciate it when it's due (them appreciating you eh?). So not just in an office, but out in the workplace - in the moment.
Why?
Why bother? Well now, let's see. When was the last time someone thanked you for a great piece of work? When was the last time someone thanked you for your help today?
If you haven't been on the receiving end, then I'm sorry. But when you have been, it's a great warm feeling when you are recognised for the efforts you've made. Going home at the end of the day feeling that your contribution is valuable and valued is a very strong motivator.
Your people will feel much more inclined to come back the next day, to a job they do well and feel appreciated for.
So if you have had that experience - share it with your people and if you haven't, try it out on others and see the benefit it creates.
Being appreciated is one of the strongest motivators I know for people - give it a go - and there's no time like the present!
Enjoy!
Copyright 2006 Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com.)
"Used by permission of www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com"
Have You Had Your Laugh Today?
May 15, 2008
Jody Urquhart
Deep laughter lowers our levels of stress hormones, raises our pain threshold, increases our ability to fight upper respiratory diseases, relaxes muscles and reduces anxiety. Cracking up even has cardiovascular benefits. Studies done at
Anybody can use laughter as therapy. There are no limitations in how often it's done, and there's no cost involved. It doesn't even have to be a real laugh. The body doesn't know the difference. If you pretend to start laughing, then you start really laughing. The following is only a partial list of the benefits of Laughing:
Laughter takes the focus off your problems
A sense of humor helps us gain a fuller and more realistic perspective of the world
Laughing invokes feelings of happiness and joy. Instead of being gloomy and frustrated
It’s easier to think creatively around a problem when our mind is lighter from laughter
Shared laughter promotes bondage and unity within the group.
Laughter also opens the door to more real and risky communication.
Humor can dramatically change the quality and outlook of our lives. Humor is an easy way to get in touch with your feelings, and control them in difficult situations.
Laughter is not the same as humor. Laughter is simply the physiological response to humor.
Laughing makes us feel good for a reason. The physiological effects on our body do some pretty amazing stunts. For instance:
Laughter appears to reduce levels of certain Stress Hormones
Laughter boosts the Immune System and Lowers Blood Pressure
Laughter may lead to hiccuping and coughing, which will clear the respiratory tract by dislodging mucus plugs.
Laughter also gives your diaphragm and abdominal, respiratory and facial, leg and back muscles a workout.
There also has been some belief that laughter may help prevent some life-threatening diseases
Share some humor today. Give yourself permission to REALLY
LAUGH!
Jody Urquhart is a professional speaker who for the last ten years has motivated and inspired professionals to use humor to change there lives. Please contact us to see how we can recognize and inspire professionals at your next event.
Remember life doesn't care whether you are having fun or not. You should. The only person stopping you from having more fun is you.
