In recent years, best performing companies have embraced the idea of building emotional bonds with employees. These companies develop managers who not only treat a person as an employee or a worker, but also as a mother, friend, daughter, and caregiver. These managers motivate people by showing a level of respect to employees that values … Read more
A considerable amount of research has accumulated over the past decade on the topics of optimism and positivity. It is now very clear that a person’s level of optimism not only impacts his/her personal life, but there is solid evidence that a person’s level of optimism can actually predict his/her performance on the job. In … Read more
Assessments can be a great way to teach team members about the commonalities and differences among their peers. When we work with others, it becomes quickly evident that we all have preferences and styles for how we work, think, communicate, and handle conflict. There are 5 great assessments that I recommend to help individuals and … Read more
Always connected seems to be our new reality. Mobile technology has given us more work flexibility and entertainment than we ever thought possible. Although convenient, it’s an invitation for continual disconnection to the important things in life. As people who want to impact the lives of others in a positive way, we must intentionally disconnect to … Read more
Many mangers expect an engaged and motivated team as a result of combining a group of engaged and motivated individuals. In a team setting, people’s motivations adapt and change as their goals become more dependent on the work of other people. A new dynamic enters the environment and people begin to evaluate the competence and … Read more
Forgive me for being a little negative in this post. Just for fun, I want to list some of my cliche and buzz-phrase pet peeves. Some of these are just warn out while others simply sound unprofessional. Managers who use these can expect to kill motivation. Use them at your own risk. 10. Rightsizing – … Read more
Great teams don’t just happen. They are built. Over the past 15 years, I’ve had the opportunity to serve on teams, lead teams, and facilitate dozens of team building meetings. I’ve observed and studied what helps teams grow together and increase cohesion and trust. Below, I discuss 5 ways managers can move a team toward … Read more
It’s evident that more people and organizations (both for-profit and non-profit) are becoming increasing interested in how to maximize energy. The reasoning is simple, the more energy a person has the more she or he will be able to fully engage in whatever activity is at hand. In our energy draining world, where many of … Read more
Have you ever thought of yourself as a genius? I think most of us never think of ourselves as having an extraordinarily high intelligence or natural capability. Although academic research many years ago created a paradigm of general Intelligence and IQ, more resent research is telling us a different story. People can be of average … Read more
While some are still stuck in old paradigms of motivation, many have moved beyond this command, control, and threats style to an over-reliance on the behavioral model of rewards. Scientific studies continue to support a more sophisticated perspective that relies on the leader creating environments of autonomy, competence (mastery), and relatedness (purpose). This video provides … Read more