Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Does Recognition Get You In A State?
Like most managers, Brian Reynolds believed that his team had its strengths and its weaknesses. When asked in an employee satisfaction survey "Do you recognize good performance in your team?" he answered with a resounding "Of course I do!" However the following question stumped him. "How frequently do you make a point of recognizing good performance face-to-face?" His answer had to be "Never". "Surely they already know they are performing well? What would be the point of me adding my comments?"
Recognition and reward for role-model performance and behavior is, perhaps, one of the most motivational acts that anyone can do for another human being and it is worth spending a little time to analyze the mechanism that converts recognition into the self esteem, high morale and motivation that results.
In everyday life we describe people who are fretting or upset as being in a "state". Although, in psychological terms, this is a very true statement, being emotionally troubled is only one of a vast array of "states" that we transition through as we live our lives. The "state" of motivation is the condition that all employers want their people to be in all day long. In this "state" they will be hard working, productive, efficient and will display only appropriate behaviors to those around them.
In reality people are only human; they have a limited amount of stamina, patience, capability and competence. They may only be capable of a limited daily amount of excellent performance.
To guarantee that someone will adopt the correct "state", it is a simple matter of attaching or "anchoring" that state to a good feeling. Somewhere deep in the psyche there is a storage vessel that holds the memory of all of these "states" and their associated feelings. When a set of circumstances come together in our lives we step into what we feel is an appropriate "state" and that brings feelings that have been filed away with it. This explains why some people "see red" when they are confronted by disagreement. This "state" is their only response to differences of opinion.
Compare the person who "sees red" with a skilled negotiator. The negotiator has spent a great deal of time training herself to be able to access a complete encyclopedia of "states" to deal with different situations. She may have to be calm, enthusiastic, skeptical, humorous, poker-faced or downright angry at the push of a button.
The principle of using recognition as an anchor for appropriate behavior works in the same way. A good example is the "Employee of the week" board in fast food restaurants. It may seem trite to the rest of the world but for those guys, having your picture up there in a frame provides reinforcement that the way they worked was good and they will be encouraged to repeat that set of behaviors because they have been publicly recognized.
Brian Reynolds has not yet discovered the importance of his role in life as an anchor to motivate his team.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Can A Reward Be A Sin?
To be motivational, reward and recognition must be appropriate in the eye of the receiver. Tickets for the big game are fine if you enjoy sport. If you don't enjoy sport but you would like the value of the tickets to spend on something else instead, your reward just turned into another task; selling the tickets. Although they may be easy to sell on to someone else, the motivational edge has been diminished slightly.
The following is a bit like the health warning on a pack of cigarettes. This short compilation of religious issues highlights what could arise if you target an inappropriate reward on a person with certain strong beliefs. That's not to say this will be the case for everyone in that sub-group of humanity but nevertheless a little care and attention to detail can go a long way.
Most religions are becoming more flexible and tolerant in their outlook on what their followers may or may not do in their day-to-day lives; however there are still a few taboos that it would be worth reminding yourself about.
Jewish
The favorite taboos always cited for those of the Jewish persuasion are food derived from the humble pig and any reference to the holocaust, Nazi Germany or World War 2. Apparently pork and bacon are not the issue they used to be however, it pays to ask. The use of the Nazi swastika emblem is actually illegal in some countries but the atrocities of the World War 2 live on in the minds of the Jewish people and should not be raised, even in fun.
References to non-Jewish festivals such as Christmas and Easter are also mildly insulting to some, but not all, Jews.
Muslim
Pork meat can also be a problem for followers of Islam. It falls under a set of rules called Halal, laid down by the Islamic faith. Strictly speaking, any foodstuff that contains fats or byproducts of pig meat will be forbidden. In addition many of them will not drink alcohol, so that free bottle of wine will just sit on a shelf. Interestingly vanilla essence, which is extracted using alcohol is also considered Halal; so no vanilla ice-cream either.
Christian
Although many people consider themselves to be Christians, it is only the devout Christians who may be offended by inappropriate gestures. Issues like sex, nudity, homosexuality and profanity may be acceptable to the majority of adults but a practicing Christian will be not only embarrassed but perhaps insulted much more than the average person.
Hindu
Hinduism has a tradition of not eating beef as they see it as the unnecessary killing of a useful beast. Many Hindus eat a predominantly vegetarian diet and will also avoid pork, veal, lamb, fish, chicken and dairy products.
Nudity and profanity are heavily censored in Hindu culture. They are less tolerant than the average western community.
In general, it seems, food can be a bit of a hot potato which makes an impromptu company barbeque a little complicated.
The following is a bit like the health warning on a pack of cigarettes. This short compilation of religious issues highlights what could arise if you target an inappropriate reward on a person with certain strong beliefs. That's not to say this will be the case for everyone in that sub-group of humanity but nevertheless a little care and attention to detail can go a long way.
Most religions are becoming more flexible and tolerant in their outlook on what their followers may or may not do in their day-to-day lives; however there are still a few taboos that it would be worth reminding yourself about.
Jewish
The favorite taboos always cited for those of the Jewish persuasion are food derived from the humble pig and any reference to the holocaust, Nazi Germany or World War 2. Apparently pork and bacon are not the issue they used to be however, it pays to ask. The use of the Nazi swastika emblem is actually illegal in some countries but the atrocities of the World War 2 live on in the minds of the Jewish people and should not be raised, even in fun.
References to non-Jewish festivals such as Christmas and Easter are also mildly insulting to some, but not all, Jews.
Muslim
Pork meat can also be a problem for followers of Islam. It falls under a set of rules called Halal, laid down by the Islamic faith. Strictly speaking, any foodstuff that contains fats or byproducts of pig meat will be forbidden. In addition many of them will not drink alcohol, so that free bottle of wine will just sit on a shelf. Interestingly vanilla essence, which is extracted using alcohol is also considered Halal; so no vanilla ice-cream either.
Christian
Although many people consider themselves to be Christians, it is only the devout Christians who may be offended by inappropriate gestures. Issues like sex, nudity, homosexuality and profanity may be acceptable to the majority of adults but a practicing Christian will be not only embarrassed but perhaps insulted much more than the average person.
Hindu
Hinduism has a tradition of not eating beef as they see it as the unnecessary killing of a useful beast. Many Hindus eat a predominantly vegetarian diet and will also avoid pork, veal, lamb, fish, chicken and dairy products.
Nudity and profanity are heavily censored in Hindu culture. They are less tolerant than the average western community.
In general, it seems, food can be a bit of a hot potato which makes an impromptu company barbeque a little complicated.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Coaching; The Language Of Recognition
As she rushed through the office, Kacy Dillon, the divisional Director stopped briefly by Ian Brechin's desk, gave him the "thumbs-up" sign and said "Great job, Brechin, you did well!" She then sped off in the direction of her next meeting leaving Ian a little bemused. He was struggling with this new computer system and had just crashed it for the third time this morning. Was she being sarcastic or was she referring to the major deal he had just closed with what was to be the company's largest client. Hopefully the latter!
From time to time you can see examples where managers act as spectators. Their behavior; the words they use and their body language would not be out of place at a soccer or baseball match. They would be sitting in the stands chewing on a hot dog, swigging a beer and shouting criticism at the players (their staff) on the field. There is very little connection between the manager and the staff other than they happen to be sitting in the same building.
This image is used to highlight the profound difference between the 'manager as coach' and the 'manager as spectator'. A coach works individually with each of the players, helping them to overcome setbacks and obstacles to progress. They understand how their players respond to different types of motivation and how their family life and health affect their performance.
Most of all coaching is carried out on a very frequent basis. You don't wait for the big match to give your advice to the team in the way that the 'manager as spectator' does. You work really closely with everyone in the team to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your defense and your strikers before they have to be tested under pressure.
The Language of Coaching
Spectator language is full of demands; "Do this, do that, do the next thing." There is no time or space for discussion, experimentation and, god forbid, failure. Spectator managers need results and they need them now.
The language of a coach is significantly different. First of all the coach is an integral part of the team; more often found on the field than in their fur-lined office. Team language tends to contain the word "We" and you will hear a softer tone to the questions "How can we improve this? How can we make that happen faster, more accurately or more consistently?" It is a relationship of trust between two adults rather than a critical parent talking down to a child.
Ian Brechin's co-worker, Joanna Collins came to his assistance with the new computer system. "I've found some work-arounds that avoid crashing the system, let me show you." Then, almost as an afterthought she added "I hope you realize how proud we all are that you closed the Grossman deal, you'll need to share some of your trade secrets with the rest of us." Ian smiled, wondering why Joanna's piece of recognition seemed more valuable than Kacy Dillon's.
From time to time you can see examples where managers act as spectators. Their behavior; the words they use and their body language would not be out of place at a soccer or baseball match. They would be sitting in the stands chewing on a hot dog, swigging a beer and shouting criticism at the players (their staff) on the field. There is very little connection between the manager and the staff other than they happen to be sitting in the same building.
This image is used to highlight the profound difference between the 'manager as coach' and the 'manager as spectator'. A coach works individually with each of the players, helping them to overcome setbacks and obstacles to progress. They understand how their players respond to different types of motivation and how their family life and health affect their performance.
Most of all coaching is carried out on a very frequent basis. You don't wait for the big match to give your advice to the team in the way that the 'manager as spectator' does. You work really closely with everyone in the team to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your defense and your strikers before they have to be tested under pressure.
The Language of Coaching
Spectator language is full of demands; "Do this, do that, do the next thing." There is no time or space for discussion, experimentation and, god forbid, failure. Spectator managers need results and they need them now.
The language of a coach is significantly different. First of all the coach is an integral part of the team; more often found on the field than in their fur-lined office. Team language tends to contain the word "We" and you will hear a softer tone to the questions "How can we improve this? How can we make that happen faster, more accurately or more consistently?" It is a relationship of trust between two adults rather than a critical parent talking down to a child.
Ian Brechin's co-worker, Joanna Collins came to his assistance with the new computer system. "I've found some work-arounds that avoid crashing the system, let me show you." Then, almost as an afterthought she added "I hope you realize how proud we all are that you closed the Grossman deal, you'll need to share some of your trade secrets with the rest of us." Ian smiled, wondering why Joanna's piece of recognition seemed more valuable than Kacy Dillon's.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Como Mantener tu Salud Mental
En los últimos años la mucha gente se ha dado cuenta de la importancia de una dieta apropiada y acompañada de ejercicio físico. En los pasados 20 años sin duda ha habido un cambio en cuanto al estado de salud de muchas sociedades, que ha determinado una mejor calidad de vida. Sin embargo, esto no ha traído salud mental que es tan importante como la salud física.
Hoy en día, la mayoría de la gente hace de 4 a 6 horas de ejercicio por día, y se asegura de que todo lo que ingiere, no tiene azucares o preservantes, pero no prestan atención a su salud mental. Es decir, mucha gente no toma las vacaciones necesarias, ni siquiera en los fines de semana largos. La gente trabaja 60 horas por semana, llevándose a las casas los problemas del trabajo y trabajando los fines de semana también. Todo esto con esperanzas de mejorar la calidad de vida material. Pero, ¿de que sirve todo el esfuerzo cuando el cerebro esta abundado y sientes explotar en la oficina?
Al final, la salud física puede sufrir no importa que bien comas y hagas ejercicio. Probablemente tengas alta presión, estrés y tensión lo cual pondrá en alto riesgo tu salud.
Para ayudarte a evitar llegar a alguna de las anteriores situaciones, aquí te presento algunos consejos para mejorar tu condición mental.
Si disfrutas la adrenalina, te recomiendo que pruebes deportes como kite surfing, bunge jumping, y demás. Si disfrutas andar en motocicleta es muy bueno andar en contra del viento como terapia para relajarse y disfrutar un buen viaje.
Buscar actividades que te desconecten de la rutina diaria (la cual a veces puede ser estresante) es la clave principal. Por ejemplo, si disfrutas leer, un buen libro de ciencia ficción como "Harry Potter", "Lord of the Rings" u otros pueden ser perfectos para ti. Si disfrutas en cambio mirar películas, entonces comienza con hacerte socio de una tienda de DVDs y veras que bien te hará.
Actividades como paseos fuera de la ciudad, visitar viñedos, campos, parques y demás son esenciales a la hora de relajarse. Si disfrutas las montañas, todavía puedes ir a visitar la nieve, esquiar y aflojar tu mente. Las vacaciones, por más pequeñas que sean te llenaran el alma con memorias alegres y positivas.
Si disfrutas andar en bicicleta, o en patines esas son actividades que te destaparan y ayudaran a sentirte mejor. Siempre es divertido hacerlo con amigos que estén dispuestos a un poco de aventura. Organizar un grupo grande de gente que quiera hacerlo es una buena idea, que los puede llevar a conocer lugares que nunca creías que ibas a encontrar. Ríos abandonados, pasajes que están cerrados para la gente, bosques y demás lugares increíbles para conocer.
En fin, hay un sin fin de actividades para llevar a cabo si buscas caminos diferentes para mejorar tu salud mental y relajarte naturalmente. No olvides que la salud mental es tan importante como la física y que para tener una hay que tener la otra!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Everything you want is already here
Have you seen any miracles in your life?
Or maybe I should ask a better question…
Do you believe in miracles?
Give me the answer to either one of the questions, I can tell you your answer for the other.
Dr Wayne Dyer has a wonderful book “You will see it when you believe it”. It is a life changing reading. If you haven’t read it yet, you should get a copy.
I have seen lots of miracles in my own life, and I see miracles almost every day.
Wouldn’t that be a miracle if you are thinking of improving your health, an experienced Chinese Qi Qong master come into your life and become a very good friend and teacher?
Wouldn’t that be a miracle if you are thinking of improving your spiritual life, you suddenly find a book by a spiritual master in the early 20th century.
Wouldn’t that be a miracle if you want to improve your financial life, an retired multi-millionaire living on the other end of the world come to contact you and is willing to teach you his success secrets?
Wouldn’t that be a miracle when you want to do a joint venture, someone from nowhere come to contact you and turn out to make one of the best joint venture?
Wouldn’t that be a miracle when you think of a solution for a problem, and a brilliant idea suddenly hits you?
Miracle happens everywhere, it can happen to you as well.
And the good news is you can deliberately create miracle in your life, and you don’t have to do much work. All it takes is a few new thoughts and awareness. By putting these powerful new thoughts in to your consciousness, you are literally transforming your life.
I am going to write a series of lessons that you can use to create new miracles in your life.
The fist new awareness you need to learn is …
Everything you want is already here:
Einstein had spent years to prove one thing “Time does not exist, it only exist as an illusion in human’s mind”.
If time doesn’t exist, then yesterday is the same as today, and it is the same as tomorrow. Then there is only one time that is now.
If time does not exist, then every thing that possibly exists will be existing here. Imagine you are traveling from point A to point B, but it takes no time because time doesn’t exist. You now can instantly travel from A to B. Then what is the distance between point A and point B. There is no distance; they both exist at the same place and at the same time. There is only one place in the world, and that is here. Think deeply what this really means. Suppose point A is where you are now, and point B is the where you want to be in your imaginary future, or say it your goals, you can now instantly travel from where you are to where you want to be. Yes, I mean INSTANTLY.
Everything that can possibly exist exists here, including the picture you are holding in your mind. If you don’t believe it, ask yourself “where can it be if it is not here?” The answer is nowhere. The things you imagine in your mind is nothing artificial, it is as real as your legs and arms.
Scientists explain the world as a world of possibility, everything in this world exist as a probability. The picture you imagine in your mind exists as a probability that is already in quantum field waiting to take form. The only thing that makes you feel separate from it is the illusion of time. And as you already know, that is just an illusion. In fact, the picture you formed in your mind is already here.
The easiest way to get rid of the illusion of time and bring your pictures into physical form is to simply choose. Choose to see the picture in your reality, and accept it as a fact. That is all that takes. Do you remember how easy you can change a radio station? When you are tired of listening to one station, you can simply change to another one. Life is as simple as that, choose your own picture, and the universe will supply.
Here is something I want you to do after reading this lesson.
Choose one thing you really want, form a picture firmly in your mind, and tell yourself that it is already here, and accept it as a fact. Do this as often as possible and you will get addict to it. See how fast you will create miracles in your life.
Next week, I will share with you are secrets mantra that you can use to immediately get connected to the higher intelligence, and create any miracle you want. It is that powerful.
Or maybe I should ask a better question…
Do you believe in miracles?
Give me the answer to either one of the questions, I can tell you your answer for the other.
Dr Wayne Dyer has a wonderful book “You will see it when you believe it”. It is a life changing reading. If you haven’t read it yet, you should get a copy.
I have seen lots of miracles in my own life, and I see miracles almost every day.
Wouldn’t that be a miracle if you are thinking of improving your health, an experienced Chinese Qi Qong master come into your life and become a very good friend and teacher?
Wouldn’t that be a miracle if you are thinking of improving your spiritual life, you suddenly find a book by a spiritual master in the early 20th century.
Wouldn’t that be a miracle if you want to improve your financial life, an retired multi-millionaire living on the other end of the world come to contact you and is willing to teach you his success secrets?
Wouldn’t that be a miracle when you want to do a joint venture, someone from nowhere come to contact you and turn out to make one of the best joint venture?
Wouldn’t that be a miracle when you think of a solution for a problem, and a brilliant idea suddenly hits you?
Miracle happens everywhere, it can happen to you as well.
And the good news is you can deliberately create miracle in your life, and you don’t have to do much work. All it takes is a few new thoughts and awareness. By putting these powerful new thoughts in to your consciousness, you are literally transforming your life.
I am going to write a series of lessons that you can use to create new miracles in your life.
The fist new awareness you need to learn is …
Everything you want is already here:
Einstein had spent years to prove one thing “Time does not exist, it only exist as an illusion in human’s mind”.
If time doesn’t exist, then yesterday is the same as today, and it is the same as tomorrow. Then there is only one time that is now.
If time does not exist, then every thing that possibly exists will be existing here. Imagine you are traveling from point A to point B, but it takes no time because time doesn’t exist. You now can instantly travel from A to B. Then what is the distance between point A and point B. There is no distance; they both exist at the same place and at the same time. There is only one place in the world, and that is here. Think deeply what this really means. Suppose point A is where you are now, and point B is the where you want to be in your imaginary future, or say it your goals, you can now instantly travel from where you are to where you want to be. Yes, I mean INSTANTLY.
Everything that can possibly exist exists here, including the picture you are holding in your mind. If you don’t believe it, ask yourself “where can it be if it is not here?” The answer is nowhere. The things you imagine in your mind is nothing artificial, it is as real as your legs and arms.
Scientists explain the world as a world of possibility, everything in this world exist as a probability. The picture you imagine in your mind exists as a probability that is already in quantum field waiting to take form. The only thing that makes you feel separate from it is the illusion of time. And as you already know, that is just an illusion. In fact, the picture you formed in your mind is already here.
The easiest way to get rid of the illusion of time and bring your pictures into physical form is to simply choose. Choose to see the picture in your reality, and accept it as a fact. That is all that takes. Do you remember how easy you can change a radio station? When you are tired of listening to one station, you can simply change to another one. Life is as simple as that, choose your own picture, and the universe will supply.
Here is something I want you to do after reading this lesson.
Choose one thing you really want, form a picture firmly in your mind, and tell yourself that it is already here, and accept it as a fact. Do this as often as possible and you will get addict to it. See how fast you will create miracles in your life.
Next week, I will share with you are secrets mantra that you can use to immediately get connected to the higher intelligence, and create any miracle you want. It is that powerful.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
32 Words That Can Change Your Life
We all have ways of testing opportunities that enter our lives. Some of us just dive right in based on feeling, others walk straight into what they know is right by a gut feeling or intuition. And if it’s not gut feelings or emotions that are the tests of opportunities, it is the logical mind persuading us to ignore those feelings and emotions and test it with our reality of reason.
Most of us do not have a predetermined strategy for testing opportunities, or even more generally to test the actions we take and the choices we make in our lives.
There is an easier way to determine if our choices we make and the opportunities we receive ‘pass the test’. This simple 32 word statement of business ethics was first created in the 1930s and used to turn around a failing company. These four questions were applied by each employee to each and to every minute detail of the company’s workings. This little list of four questions from Rotary International, a humanitarian business organization, is the most widely printed, translated and reproduced piece of business ethics today:
“Of the things we say, think or do:
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?”
If we built businesses and our lives based on these very simple 4 questions we would be coming from a place completely the opposite of the competitive mind and the lack mentality. As you can see, these questions prompt you to choose what is true, fair, and good, making choices that can build friendships and goodwill. It helps us to see how the choices we make can be beneficial to all concerned.
Because of our societal influences, we most often are inclined to make choices and act based on a competitive mind. This comes from the perspective of lack, scarcity, and ultimately greed.
Any opportunity based on the model of competition and lack will simply not pass the test. Competition promotes strife. It embodies winning one spot, taking it away from all the other people who want it. It misleads people to believing there is only one chance for success, when in reality there is plenty for all.
The competitive model encourages people to rely on a source outside of themselves to give them what they need. This denies the power of their own ability to create what they want. This narrow focus shows they are choosing to ignore the possibility of creating this opportunity in their own lives, instead of trying to win the spot from millions of others.
This simple testing technique takes us completely out of the competitive mind of greed, scarcity and lack. It turns our thoughts and choices toward the positive, realizing there are opportunities we can take that can provide increase for all concerned.
I invite you to use these questions to test your actions and opportunities in your life. If you are seeking opportunity, these questions may help you see things in a different way. In doing this, perhaps you might find an opportunity in your life which truly allows you to benefit the world, while at the same time reaching whatever your dreams, goals, and desires are.
Most of us do not have a predetermined strategy for testing opportunities, or even more generally to test the actions we take and the choices we make in our lives.
There is an easier way to determine if our choices we make and the opportunities we receive ‘pass the test’. This simple 32 word statement of business ethics was first created in the 1930s and used to turn around a failing company. These four questions were applied by each employee to each and to every minute detail of the company’s workings. This little list of four questions from Rotary International, a humanitarian business organization, is the most widely printed, translated and reproduced piece of business ethics today:
“Of the things we say, think or do:
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?”
If we built businesses and our lives based on these very simple 4 questions we would be coming from a place completely the opposite of the competitive mind and the lack mentality. As you can see, these questions prompt you to choose what is true, fair, and good, making choices that can build friendships and goodwill. It helps us to see how the choices we make can be beneficial to all concerned.
Because of our societal influences, we most often are inclined to make choices and act based on a competitive mind. This comes from the perspective of lack, scarcity, and ultimately greed.
Any opportunity based on the model of competition and lack will simply not pass the test. Competition promotes strife. It embodies winning one spot, taking it away from all the other people who want it. It misleads people to believing there is only one chance for success, when in reality there is plenty for all.
The competitive model encourages people to rely on a source outside of themselves to give them what they need. This denies the power of their own ability to create what they want. This narrow focus shows they are choosing to ignore the possibility of creating this opportunity in their own lives, instead of trying to win the spot from millions of others.
This simple testing technique takes us completely out of the competitive mind of greed, scarcity and lack. It turns our thoughts and choices toward the positive, realizing there are opportunities we can take that can provide increase for all concerned.
I invite you to use these questions to test your actions and opportunities in your life. If you are seeking opportunity, these questions may help you see things in a different way. In doing this, perhaps you might find an opportunity in your life which truly allows you to benefit the world, while at the same time reaching whatever your dreams, goals, and desires are.
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