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

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

This weekend marked the opening of the new movie, Eat Pray Love, based on the book by Elizabeth Gilbert.  While decidedly a “chick flick”, the movie’s message is universal: finding the meaning of life.  Well, this blog is not about the meaning of life – although it is certainly a worthy topic.  Rather, I wanted to pay homage to the title and devised Engage Play Laugh as an inspiration to leaders for creating positive energy in the workplace.

Engage.  We’ve written before on the topic of employee engagement and there is more evidence than ever that when employees are engaged at work, profits and productivity rise.  So, what can leaders do to engage employees?  Here are some ideas:

• Make sure employees have the tools they need to succeed. This includes procedures, equipment and training.
• Provide clear expectations through goals and performance standards.
• Recognize employees for their performance frequently.  Don’t wait until the annual review to let them know how things are going.
• Encourage innovation and creativity.  When you provide encouragement to “color outside the lines”, employees are more likely to create new solutions the old problems.
• Ask for their opinions and ideas.  Involve them in projects and strategic planning to give them a sense of ownership.
• Identify development and advancement opportunities and make sure they have the support needed to reach new performance heights.

Play.  Playfulness in the workplace can be a very productive activity.  In his recently published book, Delivering Happiness, the CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh talks at length about one of their core values:  Create Fun and a Little Weirdness.  Now, for those of you who have never heard of Zappos, it’s one of the most successful online companies in U.S. history (right up there with Amazon, which bought Zappos last year.)  Zappos grew to a billion dollar company in 10 years because they focused on building a vibrant and customer focused culture.  Fun and weirdness are an important part of their culture.  Hsieh makes the case that encouraging fun and weirdness “encourages people to think outside the box and be more innovative.”  So, ask yourself these questions:

• What can you do to be a little more playful and differentiate yourselves from the competition?
• How much fun do you have on the job and what can you do to increase the fun factor?
• What can you do to make your job (and the jobs of others) more fun?

Laugh.  Surely this is an extension of creating playfulness, and perhaps a little weirdness, in the workplace.  Laughter breaks down walls, reduces tension, and lightens up the energy in a room.  But, you don’t have to have weirdness to have laughter.  There’s a little too much seriousness in the world today.  We probably could all use a big belly laugh.  What’s your leadership style like?  Do you tend to take things seriously?  Are you able to laugh at yourself and your mistakes?  If you walk down the hall and hear people laughing, do you join in or does the laughter taper off when you appear?  Think about the energy you create at work and consider “lightening things up” a bit.

Decide to incorporate a little more playfulness and laughter into the workplace and see if you don’t get a lot more engagement from the team.

Lynae

I’m reading Daniel Pink’s newest book Drive.  The premise of his book is that the traditional “carrot and stick” approach to motivation doesn’t work over the long term.  He presents some compelling evidence to make the point and argues that it’s time for organizations to upgrade their motivation systems.  Specifically, he says that motivation systems need to move away from a focus on the extrinsic (rewards) to fueling people’s intrinsic desires – the inherent satisfaction with a particular activity.  I am intrigued by this idea because it speaks to the notion of employee engagement which is a topic that we at Madd-Steiny Productions are wild about.

When an employee is engaged, their “whole person” is involved in something – body, mind, heart and spirit.  Pink’s argument suggests that the traditional motivation systems speak only to extrinsic values which often only connect to actions and outcomes.  In other words, extrinsic motivation generally only appeals to what a person does with his body and mind.  For example: “Produce 100 widgets, and you get 100 dollars.”  Or, “Come up with 10 good ideas and you’ll get a day off.”  Now, for some folks, this is enough.  In other words, their main motivator is external rewards and any deeper satisfaction is secondary.  But for others, the main motivator is something that speaks to values of freedom, challenge, purpose and meaning.  This is what Pink suggests is missing from the traditional motivation systems.

In the book, Pink states: “Control leads to compliance; autonomy leads to engagement.”  To intrinsically motivate people, you have to create space for three elements of motivation to take root: autonomy, mastery and purpose.  Let’s start with autonomy.  Pink is convinced that people are naturally curious and self-directed.  So, when given autonomy people produce greater results.  (There’s loads of science to prove this, and Pink includes a lot of it in the book.)  Then, there’s mastery – the desire to get better and better at something that matters to us.  Unlike autonomy that happens in the moment, mastery takes place over time.  So, it’s an organizational responsibility to provide the tools for people to create satisfaction by becoming really good at something.  Finally, there is purpose.  Purpose provides context and people who are primarily intrinsically motivated want to know that there is a purpose greater than themselves of which they can be a part.

There is a lot in the book and this is only the tip of the iceberg.  But, I am really excited about what I’m discovering and wanted to share some of my learning.  And, some of my early thoughts about motivation systems are as follows:

• One size does not fit all. There are different types of people with different motivations – both extrinsic and intrinsic.
• Motivation systems don’t actually have to be “systems”. Rather, they can simply by inherent elements of organizational culture that create space for people to be autonomous, develop mastery of skills, and hitch themselves to a purpose that gives meaning to their daily activities.
• It is possible to do something new and achieve even greater results. We have to let go of old ideas that are producing average results and be willing to explore alternatives to help us achieve extraordinary results.

There’s much more on this topic that I will write about in future blog posts.  Let us know if you have thoughts about motivation that you’d like to share.  And, I encourage you to pick up Dan’s book.

Lynae

Today, I read an article from the Ken Blanchard Companies about how it’s important that leaders don’t take their employees for granted.  In the article, Blanchard points out that the recent downturn in the economy and challenges in the workplace may have lead to a bit of apathy in leadership.  He says: “I think that there have been some organizations who felt that the recent lack of options for employees let them get away with less than great practices with their people. And so I think that people are at a pretty low level of trust and excitement with many of the organizations they are working for.”

This perspective got me thinking . . . is there ever a “best” or “better” time to build spirit and motivation among your team?  Well, I think Ken Blanchard makes a great point.  And, I also think anytime is a good time to cultivate trust, build excitement around organizational goals, and ignite employee passions.  At Madd-Steiny Productions, we work with companies during both times of abundance and times of challenge.  Regardless of the circumstances, we encourage leaders to focus on making sure employees are engaged and have the tools they need to succeed, no matter what the job is or what the times are like.

So, whether there are rough waters ahead, or smooth sailing . . . what are you going to do today to ignite the passions of your employees?  Here are some ideas:

• Walk around today and look for people “doing something right” and thank them for it on the spot.
• Meet with everyone on your team and ask if the job allows them to exercise their strengths regularly.  If not, try to add a project or shift some responsibilities to allow them more time doing what makes them feel strong.  (This will pay dividends in spades!
• Get the team together for an informal celebration.  At the end of the day sometime soon, invite everyone to an impromptu meeting in the conference room.  When they arrive, have some nibbles and sodas for them.  Let them know the occasion is just to say thanks for their hard work.
• Re-calibrate goals and objectives.  Is everyone still focused on what matters most?  If not, get everyone moving in the direction the organization needs and where they can bring their best to the job.
• Ask your team for ideas on what you can do to communicate more clearly, reinforce priorities, and clear the way for them to do their job.  They’ll appreciate you for it.

With passion,

Lynae

I’m a human being.  Yep, I admit it.  And, as one, I am guilty of looking outside of myself for the cause of my problems, my feelings, and my results.  Irritating.  I know I shouldn’t, because I have a giant responsibility (if not the sole responsibility) for everything that happens in my life.  Duh.  So why is it that I sometimes find myself looking around me for causes when the results aren’t what I’d like?  Why does anyone?

When I look outward, it’s because I don’t want to look at the character flaws I know I possess.  It’s easier to notice someone else’s flaws.  It doesn’t sting as much.  But, it is not only disrespectful toward the other . . . it’s disrespectful to myself.  By reducing me and those around me to a set of flaws by which I apply a measuring stick, I am setting myself and them up for failure.

I have a choice every day to look at myself as a miracle (and to see others that way too).  It is miraculous what we can achieve – alone and together, flaws and all.  So, how can I make this my reality?  How can I show myself more respect?

• I resolve to look more closely at my strengths, rather than to dissect my flaws.  (Because when I focus on my flaws, it makes me feel lousy and to make myself feel better, I start to look at the flaws of others.)
• I resolve to pay more attention to what I am doing to influence the results I am getting.  (Because it’s hardly ever someone else’s fault when my results aren’t good.)
• I resolve to lighten up when I foul up.  (Because, I am a human being, and sometimes, doo doo happens.)

I’m blessed to work with a partner who respects me, and who I respect.  As a result, our workplace is filled with grace and ease.  We have fun.  And, even when we don’t agree on something or find ourselves in a challenging circumstance, we’re able to approach the situation with kindness toward one another.  Okay, so from time to time I know I can be a little stubborn about things . . . and still, Georgine doesn’t respond with sharpness or impatience.  She hears me out.  And, I try to do the same for her.  I hope I’m successful most of the time.

So, when thinking about what it feels like to work in respectful workplace, it was easy for me to come up with some descriptors: fun, light-hearted, productive, responsive, creative, effective, inspiring, and safe.

I can’t imagine what it would feel like to work in a disrespectful workplace, and I don’t really want to find out.  All I know is that we have a respectful workplace because we choose it.  And, I have responsibilities in that department.  I can’t expect Georgine to do all the respect work.  Respect is a two-way street. Like our video says:  “Want more respect?  Do more respect.” So here are some of the most important things I have to do:

• Listen.  And, that doesn’t mean just keep my ears open.  It means I have to keep my mind and heart open to discover the meaning behind the words.
• Accept.  I have to take it as it comes.  Not everything gets to be on my terms.
• Collaborate.  I’m in a partnership.  It’s not all about me.
• Celebrate.  It’s important to acknowledge our successes and share what’s right in our world.

When I do these things, and more, I feel the respect we have for each other in my bones.  And, I love that feeling.

Listening is an action that everyone I have encountered agrees is respectful. Yet, as most others I imagine, my listening tends to be very egocentric. I find myself listening to others and my mind is affirming the commonalities I have (ways to relate to what they are saying) or observing ways I am different.

Listening to simply understand is a practice that takes self awareness and discipline.

I love this excerpt from Margaret Weatley’s book called Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future that I read a number of years ago and it reminds me about the importance of staying focused in the moment; to truly listen to a friend, colleague or family member share their voice and experience.
Great healing is available to us when we listen to each other. No matter what we have experienced in life, if we can tell our story to someone who listens, we find it easier to deal with our circumstances. Listening is such a simple act. It requires us to be present (and that takes practice!) and willing to just sit there and listen with the intent to understand. Why is being heard so healing? It has something to do with the fact that listening creates a relationship.

We know from science that nothing in the universe exists in isolation. Everything takes form from relationships. Our natural state is to be together. Though we keep moving away from each other, we never lose the need to be in relationship. Not listening creates fragmentation. Listening moves us closer to becoming more whole.

Here are some tips that, when I practice, make me a better listener.
• Listen as if the other person is truly wise.
• Listen with an openness to be influenced by another’s perspective.
• Listen in a way that supports the other to fully expressing themselves.
• Listen for deeper questions, patterns, and insights.

photo credit: B Rosen

I believe that we are all called to speak about or focus on topics that “call us”. The topic and practice of respect has been calling me for a couple of years now. I’m proud that my partner and I have answered the call. Interestingly, as the journey continues, so does my fascination with it.

My thoughts today are on the well know lyrics of a popular song by Aretha Franklin.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me

I find myself singing those lyrics with great passion, hoping that the people in my life ask me the question that I long to answer for them. What does it mean to me?
In the quiet of my space, I wonder if they are longing to have me ask them the question.
What does respect mean to you?
Let us know what respect means to you.

Aretha_Franklin_-_Respect

Welcome to the world of respect! My name is Lynae, my name’s Georgine and we’re Madd-Steiny. Check out our youtube video about respect. It is an inspirational video designed to engage employees to act in ways that enhance your workplace culture. In just 3 minutes you can make a difference in your workplace, school, or community. This blog was started to create awareness and bring respect to all. Do you know the definition of respect? Here is what the dictionary says:

Respect is an esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability.

That’s the formal definition but we want to know what YOU think respect is.

Respect is…