People are told to find their passion and pursue it, in order to be happy and successful in life.   If people are asked, at first many of them have trouble coming up with something.  Then, a large percentage of people will figure out that they are passionate about things outside their work, such as art, music, family, and skiiing.   If we do some simple math, we know that not everyone can have a career in these areas.   This is not to minimize the importance of enjoying life outside of work.  

I would like to offer another way to figure out where we should focus our efforts in order to enjoy our work.   Think about what the purpose of your work is.   Purpose is the knowledge and recognition that you are doing something that is making some kind of difference that we think is meaningful.     I also refer to this as Contribution.  It is helpful for leaders and managers to discuss this and reinforce the contribution or purpose that each person fulfills in the organization.   Peers should also acknowledge contribution to each other.  There are various levels of purpose that can be examined, from the whole company level down to team level.  Interestingly, people often become more passionate about their work when they figure out how they contribute to some larger purpose, as long as that purpose has meaning to them.  So passion can follow purpose. This doesn’t have to be about saving the world.  The other day I heard about a carpetlayer who had been doing his job for 30  years and said he had always been happy at his job because he felt like he was contributing something positive to how people felt in their environment.

Should you quit your job if you don’t feel like there is any purpose in it?   Well, maybe, maybe not.  Before you do that, perhaps ask others what they think your purpose or contribution  is and see what they say.   Sometimes, hearing others tell us that we are doing something worthwhile helps us to see that and feel motivated about it.   This may also help us to re- focus our efforts on where we contribute best.     Another option is to notice if another role in the organization is more aligned with how we think we can contribute.   If you are managing others, help your team members to understand and articulate their contributions. 

Daniel Pink  has a new book out called “Drive”, where he talks about Purpose as one of 3 key motivators in the workplace.   http://www.amazon.ca/Drive-Surprising-Truth-About-Motivates/dp/1594484805/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321043843&sr=8-1

There have been studies with young children that show that willpower at a young age is a much greater indicator of future success than other indicators such as self-esteem.   Research was done by offering young children the choice of having one marshmallow right away or, if they could wait a little while before eating it, they could get two.  These children were then followed throughout their lives and the ones who were able to wait were proven to be more successful in their careers and personal lives.   The ability to have such willpower has largely lost its appeal in our modern society where instant gratification is the norm.    

So where does willpower have importance?    Well,  one key element of willpower is the ability to manage one’s thoughts and control behaviours that you might later regret.    These are key elements of emotional intelligence as well.    The ability to avoid impulsive behaviour by understanding the thoughts and feelings that lead up to it, is extremely powerful.  People often do not recognize the triggers that cause them to give into impulses that they later regret.    However, they can learn how to not only recognize the triggers but also to plan strategies in advance to avoid the impulsive behaviour.      This takes practice and can also be helped by working with a professional who can assist with uncovering the clues and following up with the client on successes and challenges.

Anyhow, as we go into a New Year,  think of one impulsive habit that you would like to change.   Next time you feel it coming on, notice what triggers it and the resulting feelings that you usually respond to.  See if you can observe instead of acting.

Here is a link  that expands on this topic.  http://www.faceoff.com/marshmallow+principle/5787154/story.html

Happy New Year!

I heard of a salesperson this week who was complaining because a VP of a large organization was not responding to his text messages to get together.    (Please note that the VP had never met this salesperson. )         Another colleague was telling me about a young manager who never phoned anyone because she was “afraid to phone”.     The feeling is that it is so much easier to just send a text or e-mail, especially for a difficult message.    Then you hear about people breaking up through Facebook or text messages.     Who wants to have a messy conversation?    Just write a quick message, press send and you’re done!   No tears or angry words.  

I have to be conscious that I am a Boomer and was raised in an era where we didn’t even have e-mail until I was well into my career.    I am therefore not a “Digital Native”  and have somewhat adapted to technology as it has occurred.       However, I do think there are some common human reactions to communications.      A basic rule should be  “How would I feel if this message came via text versus in person?”    Also, does this topic need discussion?  Is it controversial?      Am I trying to establish a relationship?

Unless you are just downloading information or facts to someone else,  the absence of emotional context in an online conversation can be a problem.     In face to face conversations, we can judge by body language and tone of voice what the other person might be feeling about the situation and they do the same for us.      Research shows that only 10% of what we communicate is through the words.  

Here is a great article that expands further on this topic.  http://www.6seconds.org/2011/02/11/tools-for-workplace-communication/

Maria

Here is a great article that talks about how to be successful in working with a coach.    If you are thinking of hiring a coach, it is a worthwhile read.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/management/morning-manager/making-the-most-of-coaching/article2251237/print/

Inspired Strategies provides an effective resource for workshops and seminars for the workplace. Maria Saley is an experienced speaker and facilitator with a wide variety of experience with businesses, non-profits, University of Calgary and Dale Carnegie. The following public courses will be provided this fall. For more information, contact us at info@inspiredstrategies.ca

Difficult Conversations – Sept 20 in Calgary and Sept 23 in Lethbridge
Winning in the Workplace (through APEGGA) – October 12 in Edmonton and October 18 in Calgary
Strategic Planning De-Mystified (through APEGGA) – Oct 13 in Edmonton and October 19 in Calgary
Building a Strong Team – October 25th in Calgary
Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace (Webinar) – October 24
Strategic Selling – (U of Calgary Continuing Ed) – 3 Days – November 5, 19 and 26
Maria also provides in-house courses that can be tailored to your group. Please contact us to find out more.

About 75% of Dutch women who work are working part time, compared to 20% of Canadian women, according to an article in Macleans called “How Dutch women got to be the happiest in the world?”  http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/08/19/the-feminismhappiness-axis/

The article presents conflicting views about whether this is good or bad.   The women say they are happier because they can live their life easily and spend time with their children as well as have part-time jobs that they enjoy.     The opponents feel that highly educated women are not using the talents that they have, and also perpetuating lower pay for women in the workplace.

I am curious to know if the Dutch men are also the “happiest in the world”.    Do they welcome the fact that their wives can spend more time at home?   Perhaps this frees them up to focus more on their work  since they have more support at home and this takes us back to a time of more “traditional” roles?   Or do they also long to work part-time and feel envious?   Would they also like to pursue this option?

I would also like to know if Dutch companies are much more amenable to higher paying jobs being split into part-time job sharing or other arrangements.    Certainly, we have a long way to go on that in Canada.  It is uncommon for most employees to find rewarding part-time positions except in certain fields.     In some cases, full-time employees can negotiate a part time position after being with a company full-time for awhile, but to start and continue a career as a part-time employee is very rare.   Then there’s the issue of income and benefits. It would be important for companies to provide some level of benefits for part-time employees, but it is understandable that they could not provide 100% of the benefits of a full-time employee.

Of course, higher level part time jobs would also be attractive to older employees.   This could go a long way towards preventing a labour shortage and also help older people to continue with productive lives.

So my key question is  ”Why has our society and industry decided that you have to work full-time to have a fulfilling job and career?” If you scan any job site, and select “part-time”, you will see primarily low-paying, casual jobs.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Maria

We’re in the middle of summer and it often seems a little more difficult to get going on things, so I thought I’d put forward a few tips. 

In my business, I often encounter people who have difficulty getting started or completing important projects.   Some people are naturally more organized than others, but everyone can learn some basic tools to help get things done.    Here’s a few ideas that I have found to be very helpful.

Write things down:  Things that are written down are far more likely to be completed.   Even the act of writing them down helps us think them through.    First, write down your key goals, then write down all the things that need to be done to complete the goals.    When things are vague, we can never get started on them.   Physical writing seems to work best for many people since it somehow activates the brain in a different way than on the computer.  

The Swiss Cheese Approach:  Divide goals and projects into smaller bites: People often become discouraged and intimidated when they look at a huge project.  Then they continue to proacrastinate and the project becomes even more ominous as deadlines approach.  Pick smaller  parts of the project to start on, and then see some accomplishment, and this sense of accomplishment encourages you to do more.    With the Swiss Cheese approach, it is like creating “holes” in the project to  reduce the total size.   

Start the day with task that you most dread:   This is a very powerful psychological tool.    We get a significant lift from accomplishing these difficult tasks and the rest of the day usually is full of energy.    Contrast this with the opposite where we put off the dreaded task.  However, we keep thinking about it and it drains our energy all day as the dread and anxiety builds up.    Then people often end up doing something late in the day that is not their best work since they are tired and anxious. 

Watch out for technology time wasters:      A key principle here is that e-mails and social media will expand to fit whatever amount of time that you allow them, thus taking you away from more important things.      People often get caught in the trap of thinking that the faster they respond to e-mails or other online communication, the more efficient they will appear to others.   The fact is that when you respond quickly, you get more questions back more quickly and the cycle just speeds up, creating more e-mails.   Set expectations for others that you will respond within 24 or 48 hours and then check only a couple of times a day.  You can then select emergency items and respond to them sooner if necessary.   Then set aside a specific time to respond to the others.   Turn off your e-mail notification when you are working on other things so that you will not be distracted every time you receive an e-mail. 

 ”Eat that Frog” by Brian Tracy has some great tips on moving forward with both personal and professional goals and is written in a clear, concise style that is easy to read. “  http://www.amazon.com/Eat-That-Frog-Great-Procrastinating/dp/1576754227

Maria

There has been much focus in organizations on how to attract the Gen Y’s into the workplace and this is very important.    A big impetus for this  is the looming retirement of Boomers and all the vacant spaces that will need to be filled.    It is true that Boomers are getting older, but many of them also would like to work longer, if they could have more flexibility in their working hours and benefits.   Companies need to be careful about putting all their focus on attracting the younger employee and ignoring the loyal older and experienced resources that they already have.   Statistics show that a large percentage of younger employees leave in the first 2-3 years whereas the older worker is usually more loyal and not looking at the job as a springboard to their next position.  

Some people will say that older people are set in their ways and unwilling to change.     This can happen but many times it is a result of a workplace that has shoved them aside and not given them opportunities where they can grow and learn.    One of the most destructive policies can be the “forced rankings” on the perfomance reviews, where older workers are rated lower since it is thought that there is no reason to motivate these people any more since they are going to retire in a few years anyhow.     Since the company has budgeted for only so much salary increases, they want to give them to the younger workers to keep them motivated.     Another common issue is that older workers may be at the top of their paybands already and so the company thinks it best to encourage them to leave as soon as possible so their jobs can be filled by younger, perhaps lower paid workers.   For the older worker, less salary increase is often not so much of the issue as the lower ranking on their performance without valid cause.

Many older workers would love to have a part time or flexible job arrangement where they are respected and valued.  When some of them are able to find this, they have a new energy for their work and the company has retained valuable talent and work ethic.  Many of these people are thrilled to mentor younger employees as well.   Others hang on in full-time positions because they want to continue working  but do not have the choice of doing part-time work that uses their skills.   They long for more freedom or chances to learn, but they may stay on and “check out”.   

In summary, the best organizations will have the energy and growth provided by younger workers and the stability and experience from older workers, in addition to the middle generations who are the core of the company.         

Here’s an interesting link to a Calgary Herald article called “In Praise of Older Workers” . http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/todays-paper/praise+older+workers/4893882/story.html

Maria

I recently attended a conference where I heard Rick Tamlyn speak on his topic of the “ Bigger Game”.      I purchased his book  and it is a great read with some hands-on practical tools for figuring out your own Bigger Game.    Some key points that I took are as follows:

 It is important to define what game you are playing in your life without trying to figure out the exact outcome .    If you try to figure out exactly what the path or outcome is,  then you cannot effectively play the game.  You need to be open to adapt and innovate as you go along.   

 The first step is identify various games that you might play by noticing around you things that you feel strongly should be different.   The second piece of this is to figure out what parts of these games that you bring particular skills and aptitudes to, as well as yearn to be doing.   This starts with  a need to be more observant about the world around you – at work, in your community, at home.  What are the things that you feel strongly about changing and that you have a “hunger” to be involved in changing?   These are often the things that you keep talking about and can be categorized in one or more of the following statements:

1) No, not that!    What do you want to eliminate or reduce in a situation?  Perhaps you are appalled at something going on in your organization or community that you want to eliminate.

2) Something is missing: This is about something that you want to start.  Perhaps it is a new program or innovation to make something better.   An example was the creation of an all-news channel – CNN. 

3) Yes, more of that!  :  Perhaps you notice something happening in one area that you would like to expand into other areas.   An example of this is the rapid expansion of recycling programs across cities and into new types of materials.

The Bigger game and your Compelling Purpose are closely related and the author has several exercises to help you identify this for yourself.    I have noticed in my own practice that most people struggle with the concept of identifying their “purpose” and how to put it to work.    This book provides some practical ways to do that through the Bigger Game approach.     This is a worthwhile read for anyone looking to step up to their next challenge.

http://www.amazon.com/Bigger-Game-Playing-Designs-Become/dp/1432724169

Maria

President Obama, in his recent State of the Union address, referred to the “Sputnik Moment” – that time back in 1957, when the U.S. realized that the Soviet Union had beat them in getting the first human made object to orbit the earth.   That object was called the Sputnik 1.  This was a humiliation to the U.S. and spurred them on to an increase in U.S. government spending on scientific research and education. It also inspired a generation of engineers and scientists who focused on innovation over the following years, fostering great success in the U.S.   

The point was that the U.S. now needs to recognize a “Sputnik Moment” in the fact that China and other countries are moving ahead much faster than the U.S. and the U.S. cannot afford to be complacent.  There needs to be new energy and resources put into innovation across the nation. 

This is equally relevant for Canadian organizations.    The need for innovation is becoming greater every day.   What is our competitive point of difference with emerging countries?    It certainly isn’t cost of labour, so we have comforted ourselves with the idea that we are a knowledge-based economy.   But emerging nations are gaining knowledge rapidly and learning from us;  many of  their brightest students graduate from our best schools. 

So continuous  innovation in new products, human resources, manufacturing, transportation, technology and marketing will all be critical to our success in the future.    The big question is “How do you foster innovation in your employees and build a culture that supports it?”    If we look at two high-profile examples – Microsoft and Apple – what is the difference here?    Certainly we would think of Apple as more innovative in recent years and their stock price reflects that.   What is the “ magic dust”  in their company and in their people and what is different ? 

There is no simple answer to this.    I had the great fortune to work for one of the most innovative packaged goods companies in the world for many years – PepsiCo – and observed many of the methodologies that worked there.   As a coach and consultant,  I have also worked with numerous other corporations who have had good and bad results in this area.   Here are some  key elements that I have observed that encourage innovation. 

1) Make sure that this attitude comes from the top and is supported throughout the organization.    Hire leaders for your business units who show enthusiasm for innovation, in addition to being competent.   Remember that most employees will try harder for a leader whom they like and respect, as well as challenges them.  In addition, the leader must foster a relatively flat organizational structure where every employee feels like an important contributor and can come forward with ideas.

2)  Hire the right people for this culture.   Employees must feel excited about the work itself and the team they are a part of.   They must also have great potential for filling an important role on the team.  Personality assessments and situational interviewing are important but also make sure that they meet the team before any final decisions are made.       Think of a sports team analogy – how do you choose the right players?    

3) Related to the above – Make sure that your current players are the right ones – Do they enjoy each other’s company and play as well as work hard together?  Playing means  anything that lightens up the moment such as humour or outrageous ideas.   This allows the brain to go into a different place for a few minutes and enhances creativity and teamwork.  It also makes work more fun.   Working hard means having enough passion about their role and the company that they are willing to work to get things done as well as think outside the box to make things better.    An attitude of “whatever it takes”   (within ethical boundaries) is critical as opposed to “whatever reason why not” .   

4) Even in large organizations, create smaller teams so employees can feel an integral part of what is happening.   If they feel like whatever they do doesn’t matter, that is how they will act.

5) Reward the right things.  Reward new ideas and successes.  Not every new idea is a success but if there are no new ideas, there will definitely be no successes.

6) In order to support all of the above, implement a coaching style of management that encourages employees to think for themselves with strong support from their managers.

Here is an interesting link on this topic that you might enjoy reading as well. 

http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/viewer.aspx

Maria