Harvard Business Review on Motivation
February 4th, 2010 // 1:00 pm @ Jim // No Comments
“What Really Motivates Workers” is item #1 in HBR‘s list of Breakthrough Ideas for 2010. (January – February issue) The most important factor they found affecting workers’ motivation was their having a sense that they were making progress toward their goal. ”When workers sense they are making headway, their drive to succeed is at its peak.” http://hbr.org/2010/01/the-hbr-list-breakthrough-ideas-for-2010/ar/1 Digg this [...]
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Multi-tasking really increases productivity, right? Wrong!
February 3rd, 2010 // 11:22 pm @ Jim // One Comment
A new study at Stanford University is trying to find the key that allows multi-taskers to do several things at once. So far, they haven’t found it. In fact, in all their research, they’ve found that people who prefer to do one thing at a time fare significantly better at all tasks. There is a [...]
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Benefits of people working for the intrinsic benefits of the effort
January 28th, 2010 // 1:42 pm @ Jim // No Comments
Just read chapter 4 on the results of “Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation” in Deci’s book. Lots to learn here about motivating employees and motivating yourself. Research also syncs with work on emotional intelligence - right brain activities occur much more often when people are working for the intrinsic benefits of the effort! http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-What-Understanding-Self-Motivation/dp/0140255265/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264707696&sr=8-1 Digg this postRecommend [...]
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How to find the right talent for your organization
January 28th, 2010 // 12:50 am @ Jim // No Comments
Adam Bryant, in his N Y Times (1/24/2010) column “The Corner Office”, interviewed Bobbi Brown, CEO of her eponymous cosmetic firm, about her strategy for hiring people to work in her company. The process she uses, although she does not use the term, is totally based on her reading of the prospective employee’s energy. Bryant keeps [...]
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Who’s Sorry Now? Nearly Everyone
January 12th, 2010 // 1:31 pm @ Jim // No Comments
This Wall Street Journal (1/12/10) article discusses the value of apologizing for things you’ve done any time in your past that have hurt someone. Turns out the act of apologizing can be therapeutic for the giver as well as for the receiver of the apology! How many actions from the past are you embarrassed about because they [...]
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Sales/Performance Incentives
January 3rd, 2010 // 2:59 pm @ Jim // No Comments
Thoughts on reading “Drive” by Daniel Pink. One of the tried (tired?) and true methods for reinforcing desired behavior from employees is giving them a bonus, a financial award, a spiff or whatever name is used when they “perform” at the prescribed level. Behavioral scientists have known for years that that method is not sustainable, [...]
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Daniel Pink’s New Book – “Drive”
January 1st, 2010 // 11:34 am @ Jim // No Comments
In addition to individual coaching, I am teaming with long time coach and entrepreneur Gail Zelitzky to offer a year-long program called the Chicago Leadership Lounge, beginning February 18. One of the areas we’ll be exploring in the Lounge is why people do the things they do – what motivates them. Daniel Pink’s newest (December [...]
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Even on TV – It’s “Be Real”
June 26th, 2009 // 7:35 am @ Jim // Comments Off
In the July 2009 issue of Golf magazine, Alan Bastable profiles Nick Faldo and his second profession – golf commentator. Faldo exudes one strong element of leadership when he comments on TV golf, he’s believable. He abides by one guiding principle while talking – “speak the truth. Because if you know it’s bullshit (ABC Golf [...]
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WSJ article – Silencing The Voice That Says You’re a Fraud
June 19th, 2009 // 7:37 am @ Jim // Comments Off
Wall Street Journal article from 6/16/2009 titled “Silencing The Voice That Says You’re a Fraud”. A wonderful point made in the article is that most executives are afraid that hearing a voice in the back of their mind saying “You’re a fraud” means it’s true, they are frauds! But who”s going to admit that they [...]
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He turned out to be a manager, not a leader
May 29th, 2009 // 7:39 am @ Jim // Comments Off
The title is a great quote. Managing in a stressful situation, if it is even possible today, is the very last thing a leader would do. This entry’s title is a direct quote from Geoff Colvin’s piece in Fortune (5/28/2009) “The Upside of the Downturn”, Adapted from his 2009 book of the same title. He’s [...]
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