Managing for Progress – Using Small Wins to Motivate Teams
December 4, 2011 by Di
Filed under goals, leadership, motivation, performance management, productivity
“So much of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to do work.” ~ Peter Drucker
As any fan of The Office can attest, negative managerial behaviour severely affects employees’ work lives.
A Leadership Dashboard for Managing Complexity
October 3, 2011 by Di
Filed under change leadership, leadership, performance management, productivity
Leading people and organisations is fundamentally more complicated than it was 20 years ago—and it’s not getting any easier. Economic and global uncertainties, along with innovative technologies, complicate efforts to run a business.
Businesses are also becoming more intrinsically complex. It’s harder to predict outcomes because intricate systems interact in unexpected ways.
The Business Case for Positivity
June 4, 2011 by Di
Filed under performance management, productivity
As scientists study the brain and learn more about how we achieve optimal functioning, the term positivity has finally captured business leaders’ interests.
One study of CEOs showed that positivity training could boost their productivity by 15 percent, and managers improved customer satisfaction by 42 percent. Despite such training’s amazing results, many leaders remain completely unfamiliar with the concept.
Managing for Peak Performance
April 3, 2011 by Di
Filed under motivation, performance management
Disengaged employees often appear to lack commitment. In reality, many of them crave re-engagement. No one enjoys working without passion or joy.
While many factors cause disengagement, the most prevalent is feeling overwhelmed (or, conversely, underwhelmed). Disconnection and overload pose obstacles to performance, yet they often go undetected or ignored because neither qualifies as a disciplinary issue.
The Magic Ratio of Positive to Negative Moments
November 10, 2010 by Di
Filed under motivation, performance management
According to the Nobel Prize-winning scientist Daniel Kahneman, each day we experience approximately 20,000 moments. A moment is defined as a few seconds in which our brain records an experience. The quality of our days is determined by how our brains recognise and categorise our moments — either as positive, negative or just neutral. Rarely do we remember neutral moments.
There is no question that the memories of our lives are recorded in terms of positive and negative experiences. Now scientists propose that each day our brains — i.e. our thoughts and our emotions — keep track of our positive and negative moments and the resulting score contributes to our overall mood.
10 Myths about Employee Motivation
October 26, 2010 by Di
Filed under leadership, motivation, performance management
Spend enough time in management meetings, and you’re destined to hear your fair share of managers’ complaints about their employees.
But as these leaders vent their frustrations, they’re actually looking in the wrong direction.
Debunking Multitasking Myths: 10 Tips for Getting More Done
September 29, 2010 by Di
Filed under performance management, productivity
The term “multitasking” was originally used to describe computers’ parallel processing abilities. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the term began appearing on resumes as jobseekers restyled themselves into high-tech, high-performing team players.
In the business world, where time management is always a priority, multitasking skills are expected, especially in younger workers reared in multiple media environments (i.e., computers, iPods, iPhones, TV, video games, online social sites, texting and instant messaging).
The Top 3 Ways to Engage Employees
July 27, 2010 by Di
Filed under leadership, performance management
The No. 1 reason why most people leave their jobs is the feeling they’re not appreciated.
According to Gallup research, what employees want most — along with competitive pay — is quality management. When they feel unappreciated and disapprove of their managers, they leave or join the growing ranks of the disengaged.
3 Steps to Positive Leadership
The Art of Asking the Right Questions
July 13, 2010 by Di
Filed under coaching, communication, performance management
What makes a good question? Is it really that hard to ask a question that will open up discussions, create learning and sharing, and result in productive communications?
The truth is, most of us don’t know how to ask good questions, or when we do ask a really great question, it is by accident. There are several ways to ask questions. Some people seem really good at it, while others use a random, what-ever-pops-into-their-head approach.
The Three Biggest Mistakes Executives Make When Leading Behavioural Change
June 2, 2010 by Di
Filed under coaching, leadership, performance management
Why is it that leaders frequently fail to hold people in their organisations accountable for their behaviour? Implementing such recognised measures as performance management, job design, program evaluation, risk management, and planning to achieve better job performance, furthermore, consistently fails to deliver it. The basic problem is that it can be profoundly difficult for leaders to change their own behaviour, let alone influence sustained behavioural change in others. Three basic mistakes contribute to this problem.
Failure to Confront Problem Behaviour
Welcome to this on-line forum for leaders of change. My name is Di Worrall, and I help business leaders with the skills and confidence to make change happen for themselves, their career and their business. As an author, organisational change specialist and executive coach, I work with leaders to create a clear path through change and uncertainty; build their leadership skills and confidence; and create systems for lasting change and a more prosperous and sustainable future. For regular updates on our best leadership and change articles, you can subscribe to our fortnightly ezine below.
){kind=link}
