It is an astonishing fact - repeatedly shown in numerous surveys - that two-thirds of the workforce are not engaged in their work. Imagine the magnitude of lost productivity and innovation this represents! It also lies at the heart of much workplace strife and it denies workers any chance of true satisfaction from their working life. It begs the question - what causes this lack of employee motivation?
No doubt the responsibility is shared - the workers may have limited vision and aspiration. They also inherit decades of conditioning which implies that work is something that has to be endured and that effort should be limited to the minimum. It's no accident that there are many more negative terms for work than positive ones.
But a good deal of the shared responsibility lies with those in authority. Much of what passes as leadership is ego-driven and rooted in self-interest. Much is small-minded, lukewarm or insipid.
When individuals are made leaders simply by position and title, they inherit authority rather than earn it. Often they are driven to protect their own position and spend more effort in preserving the status quo than in making genuine moves to advance the fortunes of the organization or the people working in it.
Meanwhile natural leaders of the future stay in the shadows. They either hold themselves back feeling they can't compete with the cultural bias or they are kept in the margins by the established power base.
The result is a shortage of true leaders - the leadership vacuum. The clear conclusion is that to win greater engagement and to transform levels of employee motivation, we need a leap in the standards of leadership.
This is where you could make a real difference. It means stepping forward, prepared to be visible. This takes courage and persistence. But most of all it takes the willingness to break with conformity. If you remain entirely within convention then the results you get will simply perpetuate all the faults and the lost engagement that are already familiar.
You have a rebellious side - if you don't believe me cast your mind back to your teenage years. It's likely that this was really active then - the part that does not want to conform; the idealist that refuses to compromise. Back then holding a principle was more important than expediency, and being sensible was akin to surrender.
Your rebel side is still alive now - it might just need awakening. Speaker and author David Whyte argues strongly for the outlaw - like a sort of Robin Hood - that lies within each of us:
"To preserve a sense of freedom even in the midst of rules and regulations is to preserve a part of our identities …to live happily within outer laws, we must have a part that goes its own way, that is blessedly outlaw no matter what the outward conditions"
It is from your outlaw that the passion can come to break with conformity enough to be a genuine leader and take your people with you.
------------------------
Trevor Hill works with managers and leaders who are striving to motivate their people. He helps them become inspiring leaders of highly-motivated teams. You can get a free copy of 'The 7 Biggest Myths About Motivating A Team - And What To Do Instead' from http://www.inspireandmotivateyourteam.co.uk/free-report
Source: http://www.submityourarticle.com
Permalink: http://www.submityourarticle.com/a.php?a=177335
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
Corporate Training Can Resolve Communication Challenges in the Workplace 2
Successful communication is highly important in the corporate world. Whether it is communication between the business and customer, or internal communication between employees, both instances hold equal significance. Communication challenges in the workplace can cause problems and setbacks for the company, due to the lack of understanding during the communication process. In order to communicate effectively, working professionals must recognize a reasonable approach when dealing with difficult people or conversations. One must be forceful enough to avoid being taken advantage of, but not too assertive that he or she distances or upsets co-workers. He or she must fully clarify the message and make sure the receiver understands exactly what was intended. During corporate development training, company employees are able to work on improving their skills through learning how to communicate more efficiently.
Recognizing communication challenges in the workplace is the first step toward overcoming them. Even if the person holding information thinks that he or she has dispersed this information to all of the right people, this may not be true. Some people are better at communicating than others, and when someone who does not excel as a good communicator needs to discuss important information to their coworkers, problems can evolve for the whole company. Employees must be thorough and concise with their conversations so that the transferred information will not be misunderstood. When employees do not have the information they need complete their job tasks, time is wasted and mistakes are made. Therefore, management teams must effectively communicate information down the corporate ladder, and employees can then learn to report information back up the ladder to managers effectively.
In the broader sense, the purpose of corporate development training is to reshape the management teams, which will in turn give employees the expertise they need to move the company forward. Although some job positions may be phased out and replaced with new talent, the overall objective is to drive the success of the company itself. Managers communicate to make important decisions such as shifting between product and consumer markets. Once the corporate mission is presented and fully understood by every member of the company, their level of motivation will increase because they will understand how their work is contributing to the company overall.
Since the success of the company is reflected from the performance of its employees, team building exercises are necessary to improve skills. Adopting advanced communication practices will minimize communication challenges in the workplace and lead to a more flourishing and productive business. Through participation in the training, employees will learn ways to establish strong business relationships with the end goal of increasing the assets of the company. Restructuring both the goals of the company as a whole and communication processes within the work environment will allow the company to prosper and grow steadily. Overcoming poor communication processes will improve employee satisfaction while simultaneously strengthening the group mentality. Although improvements may not be instantly noticeable, the time and effort put into the progression is certainly valuable given the promising outcomes.
------------------------
David Shoemaker is Vice President of Learning Solutions and Innovation at eCornell. For more information on communication challenges in the workplace, corporate development training, or eCornell, please visit http://www.eCornell.com
Source: http://www.submityourarticle.com
Permalink: http://www.submityourarticle.com/a.php?a=174278
Recognizing communication challenges in the workplace is the first step toward overcoming them. Even if the person holding information thinks that he or she has dispersed this information to all of the right people, this may not be true. Some people are better at communicating than others, and when someone who does not excel as a good communicator needs to discuss important information to their coworkers, problems can evolve for the whole company. Employees must be thorough and concise with their conversations so that the transferred information will not be misunderstood. When employees do not have the information they need complete their job tasks, time is wasted and mistakes are made. Therefore, management teams must effectively communicate information down the corporate ladder, and employees can then learn to report information back up the ladder to managers effectively.
In the broader sense, the purpose of corporate development training is to reshape the management teams, which will in turn give employees the expertise they need to move the company forward. Although some job positions may be phased out and replaced with new talent, the overall objective is to drive the success of the company itself. Managers communicate to make important decisions such as shifting between product and consumer markets. Once the corporate mission is presented and fully understood by every member of the company, their level of motivation will increase because they will understand how their work is contributing to the company overall.
Since the success of the company is reflected from the performance of its employees, team building exercises are necessary to improve skills. Adopting advanced communication practices will minimize communication challenges in the workplace and lead to a more flourishing and productive business. Through participation in the training, employees will learn ways to establish strong business relationships with the end goal of increasing the assets of the company. Restructuring both the goals of the company as a whole and communication processes within the work environment will allow the company to prosper and grow steadily. Overcoming poor communication processes will improve employee satisfaction while simultaneously strengthening the group mentality. Although improvements may not be instantly noticeable, the time and effort put into the progression is certainly valuable given the promising outcomes.
------------------------
David Shoemaker is Vice President of Learning Solutions and Innovation at eCornell. For more information on communication challenges in the workplace, corporate development training, or eCornell, please visit http://www.eCornell.com
Source: http://www.submityourarticle.com
Permalink: http://www.submityourarticle.com/a.php?a=174278
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Experiencing Communication headaches in your workplace?
If you have tried to recruit lately; particularly into entry level positions, you would have noticed the appalling lack of spoken communication skills that seems to be pervasive in these parts.
Even, experienced employees experience challenges perhaps not so much in the area of spoken communication but we experience challenges with - business writing particularly reports and proposals, effective presentations - for sales, for management reports amongst other scenarios and even simply communicating with our colleagues and target audiences in a way that influences them positively.
A good grasp of communication skills and emotional intelligence is an indispensable component for effectiveness in the work place, and even more so with people in leadership.
One proven technique address some of these gaps is the right training. We offer a practical approach to transferring skills that address some of these communication challenges.
Here are a few training sessions that deal with various aspects of communication organised by PSNL and holding in May 2011: http://www.psnlbusinesssolutions.com/open_courses.html Feel free to explore the website, email or call us for details and registration.
In my next post I present an article by David Shoemaker, VP Learning at eCornell that explores ways in which corporate training can address communication challenges in the work place. As always, your feed back is welcome.
Even, experienced employees experience challenges perhaps not so much in the area of spoken communication but we experience challenges with - business writing particularly reports and proposals, effective presentations - for sales, for management reports amongst other scenarios and even simply communicating with our colleagues and target audiences in a way that influences them positively.
A good grasp of communication skills and emotional intelligence is an indispensable component for effectiveness in the work place, and even more so with people in leadership.
One proven technique address some of these gaps is the right training. We offer a practical approach to transferring skills that address some of these communication challenges.
Here are a few training sessions that deal with various aspects of communication organised by PSNL and holding in May 2011: http://www.psnlbusinesssolutions.com/open_courses.html Feel free to explore the website, email or call us for details and registration.
In my next post I present an article by David Shoemaker, VP Learning at eCornell that explores ways in which corporate training can address communication challenges in the work place. As always, your feed back is welcome.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Differences Between Skills & Competencies | eHow.com
To meet the demand from business leadership to clearly estimate of value expended on training both in terms of spend and time, strategic hr management's reaction has been to identify specific competencies and skills in 'tangible' terms that can be observed and measured in terms of transfer to the workplace and impact on the business.
Enter the competency brigade...these days everything HR does is competency driven.In designing learning programs (and indeed, all people related issues), there is the drive to be competency based.
I have been asked about the difference between skills and competencies. Simply put, skills are subsets or inputs to competency. I found an article on eHow that gives a fairish definition of what the difference is. Read it up below.
Differences Between Skills & Competencies | eHow.com
Enter the competency brigade...these days everything HR does is competency driven.In designing learning programs (and indeed, all people related issues), there is the drive to be competency based.
I have been asked about the difference between skills and competencies. Simply put, skills are subsets or inputs to competency. I found an article on eHow that gives a fairish definition of what the difference is. Read it up below.
Differences Between Skills & Competencies | eHow.com
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Competencies for Leadership Development: What’s Hot and What’s Not
Reviewing your Leadership Development and Training plans? You'll find this article useful. Its a precis of research conducted by William A. Gentry, PHD of the Center for Creative Leadership. His survey which was conducted in 30 industries identifies 10 key competencies for leadership. As always, comments and feedback are welcome.
Read the full article here:
Competencies for Leadership Development: What’s Hot and What’s Not
Read the full article here:
Competencies for Leadership Development: What’s Hot and What’s Not
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Developing an innovative mindset
Innovation and creativity have long been practically synonyms in my mind. I got to thinking about the concept of innovation during a discussion with a prospect who was exploring ways to engender an innovative mindset in her team. After our chat I set out to explore the subject and came across the article below. The writer certainly improved my understanding of both terms. I think a clearer understanding of both concepts is important if the objective is to find effective ways to get our teams to adopt a more innovative mindset. Reactions to ideas shared in the article are welcome.
Innovate or Create ?
Copyright © 2011 Julie Austin
After spending the day speaking to several different groups about creativity and innovation I realized how hard it was to convince people that they are both important. Even though creativity and innovation are two different things, they also go hand in hand.
To be innovative you have to be creative. It you want to come up with ideas, you have to think outside of your own head. (a better way of saying 'think outside the box'). You are going to have to get out of your comfort zone if you want to come up with an idea that no one has ever thought of before. Sometimes you have to go way out of that comfort zone, and that's scary for many people. Even the most creative people tend to get stuck in a rut. Even the most creative people fall into patterns that work for them. Most humans will follow the path of least resistance. Sometimes it works if you're trying to figure out the fastest way to get to work. The process of creativity will require you to go down roads you have never been on before. And that can mean it might just take longer to get where you're going. People tend to want instant results and creativity takes its time.
Adults, unlike children, are afraid of failing. The process of creativity is all about failing. It's trial and error. In order to get a good idea you will sometimes have to make a total fool out of yourself.It was harder than I thought to get a room full of businessmen to jump up on stage and make fools of themselves. You can't learn about creativity without actually doing it yourself. It can't be learned from reading a book. Just like you can't learn to be an actor, comedian, or public speaker from reading a book. You have to just do it. But that was easier said than done. In corporations we tend to avoid being silly and saying something stupid in front of our peers, and even more important, our boss. This is where great leadership comes in. A good leader will allow their employees to go into creativity and innovation brainstorming sessions without having sensors on.
Most people teach innovation without also teaching the techniques of creativity. You have to learn both if you want to truly innovate and come up with something that has never been done before.
------------------------
Julie Austin is a multiple business owner and inventor. Her product, swiggies, wrist water bottles, were a NASDAQ product of the year semi finalist and are sold all over the world. Her book "The Money Garden: How to Plant the Seeds for a Lifetime of Income" is about creating multiple business streams of income. http://www.createforcash.com/
Source: http://www.submityourarticle.com/
Innovate or Create ?
Copyright © 2011 Julie Austin
After spending the day speaking to several different groups about creativity and innovation I realized how hard it was to convince people that they are both important. Even though creativity and innovation are two different things, they also go hand in hand.
To be innovative you have to be creative. It you want to come up with ideas, you have to think outside of your own head. (a better way of saying 'think outside the box'). You are going to have to get out of your comfort zone if you want to come up with an idea that no one has ever thought of before. Sometimes you have to go way out of that comfort zone, and that's scary for many people. Even the most creative people tend to get stuck in a rut. Even the most creative people fall into patterns that work for them. Most humans will follow the path of least resistance. Sometimes it works if you're trying to figure out the fastest way to get to work. The process of creativity will require you to go down roads you have never been on before. And that can mean it might just take longer to get where you're going. People tend to want instant results and creativity takes its time.
Adults, unlike children, are afraid of failing. The process of creativity is all about failing. It's trial and error. In order to get a good idea you will sometimes have to make a total fool out of yourself.It was harder than I thought to get a room full of businessmen to jump up on stage and make fools of themselves. You can't learn about creativity without actually doing it yourself. It can't be learned from reading a book. Just like you can't learn to be an actor, comedian, or public speaker from reading a book. You have to just do it. But that was easier said than done. In corporations we tend to avoid being silly and saying something stupid in front of our peers, and even more important, our boss. This is where great leadership comes in. A good leader will allow their employees to go into creativity and innovation brainstorming sessions without having sensors on.
Most people teach innovation without also teaching the techniques of creativity. You have to learn both if you want to truly innovate and come up with something that has never been done before.
------------------------
Julie Austin is a multiple business owner and inventor. Her product, swiggies, wrist water bottles, were a NASDAQ product of the year semi finalist and are sold all over the world. Her book "The Money Garden: How to Plant the Seeds for a Lifetime of Income" is about creating multiple business streams of income. http://www.createforcash.com/
Source: http://www.submityourarticle.com/
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Jacqueline Novogratz: Inspiring a life of immersion | Video on TED.com
Jacqueline Novogratz: Inspiring a life of immersion Video on TED.com
I came across this video and found the message profound and topical. In response to all the uncertainty and chaos around us, we yearn for ways to make a difference - live a better life, leave the world a better place. Even people who have the courage to step out pay some really high prices. These prices keep many of us from taking personal action to change the way things are. you will find this talk inspiring.
How do these views translate into the Nigerian situation? We are certainly not short of poor and marginalized people as well as seemingly intractable socio economic problems. I find it fascinating that people from other parts of the world come here to Africa giving up their time and resources, going through discomfort and hardship to help our own people whilst we run after bigger jobs, houses, focusing on our personal needs.
1. Is the courage and the greatness of the human spirit being demonstrated by us for our society and people?
2. Can we do more as individuals?
3. Who better than us to change our society and our future for good?
4. Are you willing to step up and give your life - time, resources, energy to change our spheres of influence for the greater good?
5. Can we encourage the choice to take the higher ground as human beings in for our lives and for others?
Comments and responses welcome.
Enjoy the video!
I came across this video and found the message profound and topical. In response to all the uncertainty and chaos around us, we yearn for ways to make a difference - live a better life, leave the world a better place. Even people who have the courage to step out pay some really high prices. These prices keep many of us from taking personal action to change the way things are. you will find this talk inspiring.
How do these views translate into the Nigerian situation? We are certainly not short of poor and marginalized people as well as seemingly intractable socio economic problems. I find it fascinating that people from other parts of the world come here to Africa giving up their time and resources, going through discomfort and hardship to help our own people whilst we run after bigger jobs, houses, focusing on our personal needs.
1. Is the courage and the greatness of the human spirit being demonstrated by us for our society and people?
2. Can we do more as individuals?
3. Who better than us to change our society and our future for good?
4. Are you willing to step up and give your life - time, resources, energy to change our spheres of influence for the greater good?
5. Can we encourage the choice to take the higher ground as human beings in for our lives and for others?
Comments and responses welcome.
Enjoy the video!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)