Happiness at Work

Today my thoughts are on happiness.  Every individual wants to feel it in their life.   Every business wants their customers to experience it in some way. Every employee wants to find it in their work. 

So I decided to do a little research on happiness at work.

Numerous studies show similar findings; that 55% of American workers are unhappy in their jobs.  These same studies also show that employees who are happy have a heightened sense of engagement and are more productive.  

It seems to me that organizations would want to infuse more happiness in their workplace.  So, how do you do that? 

Interestingly, the number one thing that makes us unhappy at work is also the number one thing that makes us happy. Are you ready for it? It is the quality of our workplace relationships.

• How well we get along with our manager and co-workers
• The level to which we feel valued by them
• How well our manager and co-workers communicate with us

Here are three action items that you and/or your team can implement to build happiness at work.

1.   Choose positive thoughts.  The biggest thing that blocks us from happiness is negative emotions such as pessimism, resentment, and anger.  We can shift this by choosing positive emotions, such as empathy, honoring diversity and especially gratitude.

2.   Call out what’s right.  Recognize the strengths of your team and your accomplishments.  Recognize each other.  When a co-worker does something helpful, say it and share with them the impact it has on you.

3.   Learn together. Stay open to new ideas.  Review what you have learned from both positive and negative situations. Choose a job and/or team competency and learn about the skills associated with it.  Learning together provides the perfect forum for improved communications.

You can also call on Madd-Steiny to help you build happiness on your team through our suite of products or a customized learning session just for your team/organization. Our flagship program, respectFULL teams® has proven to be effective in building the quality of workplace relationship.

Happily, Georgine

Times of Change

The first day of autumn is right around the corner.  For me, this season change is my favorite.  I love observing how visible change is and I am always in awe of nature’s beauty.

As an Organizational Development consultant, the topic of change is typically on the agenda with leadership groups.  We all know, intellectually, that change is constant and necessary for growth and development.

Last week I spent the day with a team of executives facilitating a workshop on how to give an engaging presentation.  This leadership competency is core to effectiveness in communication at this level of leadership.

As the group worked through the planning steps of a presentation with current topics, change was on the agenda.  Like other organizations, their industry and thus their company was experiencing rapid and sometimes overwhelming change.  They knew that if they were effective in engaging employees in the change, that the transition through the change would be much smoother.

After the workshop, the feedback from participants showed definite patterns in what the group found most valuable in terms of strategies to engage employees.  Here are a few of their insights.

1.       Understand your audience.  Different levels of employees have different needs in terms of information and what they need for support to implement change.  Objections and/or resistance to change can be simply viewed as an unmet need.  Understand the needs, the questions, the fears, the excitement, and the challenges of your audience and you will find the answers to how to engage them.

2.       Communicate clearly.  During times of change it is just as important to talk about what is not changing as much as talking about what is changing.  Focusing on strengths, mission, productive processes and engrained skills will help individuals feel less overwhelmed with change.  Clearly defining the action items important to progress the change will help individuals stay focused and productive through change.

3.       Facilitate dialogue.  Adults learn best in collaborative environments.  They are naturally problem centered in their learning.  Taking time with teams to discuss different aspects of change and allowing them to collaborate on solutions will engage them.

Warm Regards,

Georgine

Have Fun

The tag line for our business is “Serious Business Made Fun” and we like to make our work fun.  We like to encourage our clients to make work fun too.  Keeping employees engaged remains a tough proposition.  And, there are lots of strategies for doing so.  It’s important to remember and include “having fun” as one of the key strategies for keeping employees engaged.

When we lead one of our Values Discovery Sessions and participants select the values that are most important to them at work, it’s common for one or more people to include “fun” as a core value.  When people are having fun, they’re more productive and light-hearted.  Lots of great results come about when fun is part of the mix.

One of my favorite companies, Zappos.com has made fun an integral part of their culture.  In his book, Delivering Happiness, Zappos CEO talks about how important having fun is to creating productivity, loyalty and outstanding results.  At Zappos, they have cubicle decorating contests, theme parties, celebrations for hitting sales goals, and regularly scheduled pot-lucks and happy hours for everyone to socialize together.  They have an incredibly loyal staff, and as you may know, an unbelievably loyal customer base who makes Zappos a very profitable company.

Building fun into the workplace is simple, but it’s not always easy.  There are lots of reasons to be really serious about process, people, systems and results.  I would argue, however, that it’s important to look beyond the everyday seriousness and seek to inject everyday fun.  The key is to make sure that “fun” is defined in a way that is in alignment with the organization’s vision, mission and values.  That way, “fun” becomes a way to strengthen culture and keep employees focused on the desired outcomes.  Here are some things to consider:

1.      Invite employees to help define the “fun” activities that will fit with the culture.

2.      Build “fun” into the annual strategic planning and budgeting process so it doesn’t get overlooked.

3.      If possible, include customers in the “fun” to deepen their loyalty to the organization.

4.      Document “fun” events and share them organization-wide to reinforce that having fun is valued.

5.      Make sure senior leadership participates in all the “fun”.  It’s incredibly motivating for employees to see their leaders enjoying themselves.

Lynae

Finding Your Leadership Voice

Lynae and I were talking with a potential client the other day about leadership development.  We discussed the journey participants would travel throughout a year-long curriculum that aligned with the organization’s core competencies.

As with any plan, you have to know where to start.  With leadership development, we always start with vision, values, and finding your leadership voice.

In their book The Leadership Challenge, James Kouzes and Barry Posner say: “To act with integrity, you must first know who you are.  You must know what you stand for, what you believe in, and what you care most about.  Clarity of values will give you the confidence to make tough decisions, act with determination and speak your truth.”

When you find your leadership voice, you become a more effective communicator.  Effective communicators speak both from their minds and hearts.  They understand the importance of speaking with the intention to build relationships and encourage what is possible.  They choose words that affirm, appreciate, support, solve, and inspire.

Finding your leadership voice requires some introspection and exploration of what matters most to you and how you can use this self-awareness to inspire others.  With a strong sense of your own internal compass, you are in a more effective position to lead others to bring their best selves forward.  Here are some questions to ask yourself to find your voice.

What do you love to do?

• Where have you been successful?
• In what areas are you most likely to offer your expertise to others?

What matters to you?

• What personal motives and values drive you?
• What gives you the greatest sense of satisfaction and reward?

How can you serve?

• How do I use my passions and strengths to serve others?
• What do others value most from me?

Georgine

Best Friend at Work

When it comes to work and life, I’ll get by with a little help from my friends.  That song, by the Beatles, is stuck in my head today – probably because my co-workers and friends have been so helpful and supportive to me over the last few weeks.

And, it got me thinking about Gallup’s Q12 employee survey question; “Do I have a best friend at work?”  Their research has indicated that having a best friend at work can greatly impact employee engagement.

Yet, I have met many managers who voice concerns about this question.  Some believe that work place friendships can sometimes get in the way of productivity.

Research has shown that although friends working together do socialize, their relationships contribute to better work-related communication.  They have greater collaboration and are able to challenge one another’s ideas in a constructive way.  Co-workers who know each other on a personal level are more willing to pitch in and help each other.  And, let’s face it; spending time with people you genuinely care about can make the days go faster.

Co-workers who do not have these types of relationships may compromise communications by being “too polite” or avoiding conflict.

There are numerous ways to build friendships at work.

Madd-Steiny has seen that when managers make time for dialogue with their teams about actions and results, team relationships are strong and healthy.  On the other hand, we have also observed when managers use a “dictatorial” style of leadership and tend not to share information or recognize actions and results; there is more jealousy, distrust and gossip.

So, how can you encourage friendships and healthy connections on your team?  Here are a couple of ideas:

• Assign projects to a team.  Assigning two or three employees to a particular project or task allows them to get to know each other better as they work toward the project goal.
• Discuss the research around friends at work with the team.  Identify ways to build strong, supportive and friendly relationships.
• Implement one or many of the various techniques that encourage co-worker to recognize each other on a day-to-day basis.
• Celebrate birthdays or other special occasions.
• Plan time with the team to just talk, laugh and connect.
• Learn together. Commit to time for the team to learn together in a workshop, webinar or read a book together over time.  Debrief personal and team learning from these events.

Your Friend, Georgine

Focus On What Works

I just read a Facebook post by Marcus Buckingham.  He’s a thought leader on “strengths” and in his post today he suggested we look back on our results from the first quarter of 2011 (Q1) and see what went well.  Then, he very simply suggests to do more of what worked in Q1 through the rest of the year.  It’s such an uncomplicated approach:  look at what works and do more of that.

Conventional leadership wisdom and total quality initiatives of the past would have us search for “gaps” in performance, systems, and processes.  Then, once we’ve identified the gaps, we can focus all our energy on fixing them.  The problem with that approach is that we then take our eye off what’s working.  We’re so busy plugging holes in the dike that we aren’t focused on keeping the rest of the dike strong and able to withstand the winds of change on the way.  Buckingham argues that we should focus on our strengths and work to leverage them.  This approach is very similar to a research concept called Appreciative Inquiry.  This is the philosophy of looking at what is “right” in an organization and creating more opportunities to do those things that bring energy, engagement, and enjoyment.

So, what made you happy in Q1?  What did you do that brought you joy, outstanding results, and a feeling of accomplishment?  For me, it was the simple act of following a plan.  I had a big project kick off right after the first of the year.  There were 6 key deliverables that required work with more than 10 subject matter experts.  I needed to make a plan and work the plan!  By having the discipline to follow my plan (instead of just flying by the seat of my pants, which I sometimes do) I’ve been able to produce results for the client with efficiency, and in some cases, ahead of schedule.

Here’s to a great rest of 2011!

Lynae

In Service to Others

Our world is spinning quite fast these days, and there are a lot of people experiencing some very hard times.  Now more than ever it’s helpful for each of us to find ways to be in service to others.  Every day, we have countless opportunities to give a little something extra to our colleagues, communities, families, and friends.  Acts of service don’t need to be heroic to make a difference.  Small things matter . . . sometimes small things can make a world of difference to someone.

Being in service to others is a philosophy and practice that benefits everyone, including ourselves.  I know that I feel empowered and capable when I do something that makes life a little easier for someone else.  When things are going on around me that are significant and out of my control, engaging in a single act of service may be the only thing I can do.  In addition, I know how grateful I am when someone extends themselves to me during a time of challenge or crisis.  It can be calming and reassuring – just what I need.

Here are some simple acts of service that might make a difference to someone today:

• Listen without judgment or comment.
• Ask: “How can I support you?”
• Jump in and join the effort without questioning “what’s in it for me?”
• Take care of more than your share of the problem.
• Be the first to volunteer for that project that no one wants.
• Instead of looking at what someone else can do, look at what you can do.
• When you see that something needs to be done, do it without being asked.
• Look people in the eye and greet them with a smile.
• Give someone else credit.
• Let others have a chance.
• Celebrate someone else’s accomplishment.

What will you do to be in service to others today?

Respectfully,

Lynae

Take Action on Your Mission

Georgine and I went to a conference in Chicago last weekend led by Marcia Wieder.  Marcia is a dream coach who founded Dream University®.  Wieder’s motto is: “Can you believe in something simply because it matters to you?  Then act on it to prove you really do.” That’s a call to action if I ever heard one!  During the conference, Marcia was coaching us on how to achieve our dreams.  But, the same principles apply to organizations who want to achieve their mission.

When Madd-Steiny works with organizations to help them achieve their mission and vision, we take them through a process similar to the one that Marcia shared with us this weekend.  What I really appreciate about Marcia’s process is the laser-focus on moving from idea to action.  The graphic depicts Marcia’s process:

• Mission – Determine who you are as an organization.  What are your values?
• Vision – Identify the mark you want to make in the world.  What outcome do you want to create?
• Goals – Define the objectives you must achieve to move you forward on your mission.  What are the major milestones you need to meet?
• Scheduling – Break up your goals into achievable projects.  What are the baby steps to reaching your milestones?

During the conference, the overarching message that resonated with me was “take action”.  Knowing who you are and the outcome you want to achieve is definitely important.  What’s most important, though, is taking action.  Do something every day, no matter how small, to move you forward toward your mission.

Lynae

Press your “Pause Button” in a Trigger Situation

My blog for this week is inspired by a “quote of the week” that I received in my mailbox.  The quote is by Doug King and reads, “Learn to pause…or nothing worthwhile will catch up to you”.

Effective leaders are often recognized as having good people skills. But the person they are most skilled at handling is themselves. They start from the inside and work out.

Emotional Intelligence is an inside-out job. It starts with oneself. The more skilled a leader is at emotional self-awareness and emotional self-regulation, the more effective they are in leadership.

Research in the area of emotional intelligence has shown that when people are aware of their emotions and reactions, they are better able to self-regulate and choose how they want to respond.

Emotional self-regulation is the ability to step back in an emotionally charged situation and “hit the pause button” before responding. When you do this, you can make better decisions about what to say or do (or not say or do) in that situation.

When situations trigger a negative response, we are more likely to act in ways that are defensive, disrespectful and unproductive.  When leaders form a habit of “hitting the pause button” they are better able to recognize how to respond in ways that would be helpful to change, effective communication and resolution.

Here is a simple exercise to help you experience the benefit of “hitting the pause button”.

1.       Describe a situation that typically triggers a negative reaction for you.

2.       “Hit the pause button” – step back and ask yourself:

• What is my self-talk around the situation that is making me feel negative?  And, how can I coach myself to stay calm and focused?
• What do I want the outcome of this situation to be? And, how can I respond to best lead toward this outcome?

3.       Choose the response that is most respectful and productive.

Warm Regards, Georgine

Innovation – Turning Ideas into Action

Every organization has a unique personality.  And, every organization has aspects of their culture that really work for them – things that have helped them be successful, developed their reputation and engaged their employees.

I’ve been working recently with a client organization on the development of a leadership curriculum that will help sustain the strengths of its culture.  I have been inspired each day I have the opportunity to work with them.  And, especially inspired when observing how the value of innovation is alive and thriving in their organization.

Innovation can have different interpretations or meanings for different people and organizations.  In this organization, innovation is a noun of action.  Innovation is about putting people’s ideas into action and it requires patience with process and trust in relationships.

In this organization, the state of the economy has a direct and immediate impact on their bottom line and budgets.  And, like any other organization they need to continually develop and make sure that their employees have the tools and equipment to do their jobs.  So, they have been challenged over the last decade to maintain their momentum of progress in organizational development.

How do they do it?  What’s the evidence that innovation is alive in their culture?

I think that evidence was best explained by one of the leaders in the organization.  Here is what he told me.  “It’s easy to find solutions when you only think about adding resources or staff.  It requires innovation to drive progress when resources are scarce. We are very resourceful as an organization. We can find 9 ways to do things where as in another organization they may simply say, we can’t do it.  We have the fortitude and persistence to figure it out. We can do so much with so little. I think that we’ve created a culture where it’s kind of fun for people to try to figure out how to get it done. I remember a workshop that we did recently where we brainstormed cost savings and revenue generating ideas.  We literally ran out of wall space and paper!”

If you would like to turn ideas into actions in your organization here is some advice from one organization that does it well.

·    Focus your vision on your customer driven purpose
·    Generate ideas with the people who do the work
·    Develop the best ideas with an interdependent team
·    Educate and advocate for your ideas; this builds trust
·    Practice the discipline of patience and perseverance

Respectfully yours, Georgine