The pilgrims are often portrayed as scrawny creatures wearing expressions so sour they transform a belly laugh into a tremor. Their constant toil gave birth to the term “work ethic.”
Were they effective . . . or just workaholics? Did they understand the importance of joy on the job? Two performance evaluators at Happy Time, Inc., Pat and Nat, delivered dramatically different ratings of the early settlers.
Pat grumbled, “The pilgrims were extremely poor planners. They leaped off the boat at the first destination instead of exploring a warmer place to spend their first winter. Many perished because they were ill prepared for grueling New England blasts. If they had invested just a few more weeks searching for a better site, they could have located in sunny Florida and enjoyed fresh juicy oranges all winter instead of enduring scurvy. They could have boasted about a spectacular tan in letters sent to friends back home. That’s always a fabulous employee recruitment tool.”
Nat rushed to defend his ancestors, “The Pilgrim’s decision was a perfect example of using intuition at work. If they hadn’t settled in New England, there would never have been a Boston Tea Party.”
Nat continued, “The pilgrims were visionaries. Their large families were evidence of a healthy growth and prosperity consciousness.”
Pat snarled, “Not so! Breeding a child labor force was shameful. They were even worse regarding diversity at work. The pilgrims belly ached that they had fled discrimination and persecution. They loudly proclaimed a desire for personal freedom in a new land but those who voiced values that differed from the pilgrims were burned at the stake.”
Nat and Pat will never agree, so you can win a prize for being the final decision-maker. In 25 words or less, answer the question: Were the pilgrims visionaries who whistled while they worked . . . or were they mean-spirited turkeys with tunnel vision? Enter your comments at http://www.joyonthejob.info/thanksgiving.htm and you may win an autographed copy of Doris Helge, Ph.D.'s new book, Joy on the Job. You can definitely get a free copy of “Santa’s Secrets for Joy on the Job” and a free “Joy on the Job e-Zine.”
Friday, November 17, 2006
Saturday, November 11, 2006
GOT EMPLOYEES? by Doris Helge, Ph.D.
Managers often fear they can’t retain their best employees because they can’t offer them more money or a bigger office. To make matters worse, the nasty rumor, “Employee loyalty is dead," circulates like dust in a windstorm.
Employee loyalty is alive and well. However, it doesn’t result from showcase perks, a spacious corner office, or the highest possible salary. Employees stay the course for diverse reasons. Some of the differences relate to their generation, personal responsibilities that conflict with work duties, and whether or not they are in a career track.
There’s a much more important question to ask about employee retention. What factors influence employees to stay with an organization? It’s not money! It’s how we are hardwired!
Humans crave challenge, meaning, and fulfilling relationships. We need to feel we are using our unique talents and making a valuable contribution. We need to feel supported, yet be as autonomous as possible. We want to g-r-o-w, personally and professionally. And, like Goldilocks when she selected the precise bowl of porridge she wanted at the three bears house, we need “just the right size” challenge.
During the last ten years of interviewing employees and managers of 21 diverse organizations, it was fascinating to explore why some workers plugged away, day after day, in mundane, repetitive jobs while others fled. I discovered why some employees who were envied for their positions and salary were chronically unhappy. People freely shared their motivations and needs, and this information is now available to you so you can create more happiness at work.
Click here to learn the true sources of Joy on the Job. Discover how to fully enjoy your work and how to retain the best and brightest employees.
http://joyonthejob.info
Employee loyalty is alive and well. However, it doesn’t result from showcase perks, a spacious corner office, or the highest possible salary. Employees stay the course for diverse reasons. Some of the differences relate to their generation, personal responsibilities that conflict with work duties, and whether or not they are in a career track.
There’s a much more important question to ask about employee retention. What factors influence employees to stay with an organization? It’s not money! It’s how we are hardwired!
Humans crave challenge, meaning, and fulfilling relationships. We need to feel we are using our unique talents and making a valuable contribution. We need to feel supported, yet be as autonomous as possible. We want to g-r-o-w, personally and professionally. And, like Goldilocks when she selected the precise bowl of porridge she wanted at the three bears house, we need “just the right size” challenge.
During the last ten years of interviewing employees and managers of 21 diverse organizations, it was fascinating to explore why some workers plugged away, day after day, in mundane, repetitive jobs while others fled. I discovered why some employees who were envied for their positions and salary were chronically unhappy. People freely shared their motivations and needs, and this information is now available to you so you can create more happiness at work.
Click here to learn the true sources of Joy on the Job. Discover how to fully enjoy your work and how to retain the best and brightest employees.
http://joyonthejob.info
Friday, November 10, 2006
ENJOY YOUR JOB AS MUCH AS YOUR VACATION by Doris Helge, Ph.D.
You were born with the right to be happy at work. In fact, you deserve to enjoy your work as much as a fabulous vacation on a beautiful island!
Did you ever think "Happiness at Work" could only happen in a fairy tale?
Ten years of research with employees and managers in 21 very diverse organizations led to the discovery of over 365 proven strategies for creating what we all want at work.
* Gain the support and resources you need so you can do your best work
* Hear lots of positive feedback, including during performance reviews
* Enjoy rewarding, fun relationships with management, employees, teams, and customers
* Receive compensation that allows you to live your dreams instead of barely meeting your needs
* Enjoy work that challenges you in positive ways so you grow personally as well as professionally
* Go home each day smiling and feeling proud of your contributions . . . not fatigued!
* Experience exciting career development opportunities. See yourself advance rapidly
* Thrive with perfect balance between your professional and personal life
Discover hundreds of ways you can immediately begin to create the joy and fulfillment at work that you deserve.
Click here now!
Did you ever think "Happiness at Work" could only happen in a fairy tale?
Ten years of research with employees and managers in 21 very diverse organizations led to the discovery of over 365 proven strategies for creating what we all want at work.
* Gain the support and resources you need so you can do your best work
* Hear lots of positive feedback, including during performance reviews
* Enjoy rewarding, fun relationships with management, employees, teams, and customers
* Receive compensation that allows you to live your dreams instead of barely meeting your needs
* Enjoy work that challenges you in positive ways so you grow personally as well as professionally
* Go home each day smiling and feeling proud of your contributions . . . not fatigued!
* Experience exciting career development opportunities. See yourself advance rapidly
* Thrive with perfect balance between your professional and personal life
Discover hundreds of ways you can immediately begin to create the joy and fulfillment at work that you deserve.
Click here now!
TURN CONFLICT INTO COLLABORATION by Doris Helge, Ph.D.
TAKE YOUR TURN FIRST
Have you been wishing a "difficult person" would change so your work would be more enjoyable? If you’ve been tiptoeing around as if you were walking on eggshells, remember broken eggs make wonderful omelets. Decide what you need and take a firm stand. Even if you have been afraid to champion your own cause in the past, your new level of self-respect will eventually be mirrored back to you during your interactions with others.
Transform yourself instead of attempting to reinvent other people. Rather than focusing on what you think the other person did wrong, direct your attention to your own actions. You are powerless to alter someone else's behavior, but you are totally in control of your own performance. Just determine one simple way you can act differently in the future. Then you will have the power to stop co-creating the same frustrating situations over and over.
When you are tempted to make statements such as, "How dare they do that to me!", ask yourself thought-provoking questions. Begin with, "What can I learn from this situation that I wouldn't learn otherwise?" or "How did I contribute to this problem?"
MEET YOUR NEEDS
Click here to read the rest of this article.
Have you been wishing a "difficult person" would change so your work would be more enjoyable? If you’ve been tiptoeing around as if you were walking on eggshells, remember broken eggs make wonderful omelets. Decide what you need and take a firm stand. Even if you have been afraid to champion your own cause in the past, your new level of self-respect will eventually be mirrored back to you during your interactions with others.
Transform yourself instead of attempting to reinvent other people. Rather than focusing on what you think the other person did wrong, direct your attention to your own actions. You are powerless to alter someone else's behavior, but you are totally in control of your own performance. Just determine one simple way you can act differently in the future. Then you will have the power to stop co-creating the same frustrating situations over and over.
When you are tempted to make statements such as, "How dare they do that to me!", ask yourself thought-provoking questions. Begin with, "What can I learn from this situation that I wouldn't learn otherwise?" or "How did I contribute to this problem?"
MEET YOUR NEEDS
Click here to read the rest of this article.
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