, , , , , ,

Inspiration and Engagement in the Workplace

Inspiration and Engagement in the Workplace

Inspiration and Engagement in the Workplace

I recently wrote an article for a website called inspiremetoday.com.  This article answered the question –

“If you only had 500 words to share, what wisdom would you want to pass on to humanity”

Of course this is a complicated question, but fun to answer.  My answer consisted of ways to build inspiration, courage, congruence etc.  I wondered though, how does one hold on to inspiration?  I want to take this opportunity to discuss not only how to hold inspiration but particularly how to hold inspiration and engagement in the workplace, where most of us spend the majority of our time.

Inspiration is hard to hold on to sometimes.  However, this should be of primary concern to companies.  Here are three tips identifying why it may be beneficial to inspire employees and encourage employee engagement –

  • Employee turnover is expensive, unproductive and challenging.  Keeping employees engaged and enthusiastic about their work will reduce employee turnover and ultimately reduce costs and lost productivity for the company.
  • Most employees report that one of the most desired components of a positive work experience is being appreciated. One way to show appreciation for employees is making sure they are engaged in what they are doing, thus improving employee experience and reducing likelihood of turnover
  • Understanding the match between the company’s values and employee’s values is important.  If this is unclear, consider bringing in consultants or coaches that can evaluate and mediate this discussion.

So this may pose the question – how does a company get leadership to buy into this importance of employee engagement?

Companies can encourage leadership to understand the importance of employee engagement through modeling it. This means that HR and executive leaders should feel engaged in their work so that they can experience the value of what they will be teaching to other leaders in the company.

If leaders are experiencing a congruence between the values of the company and their own values, this will certainly inspire employees in the workplace.   This does seem relatively intuitive in nature, that if values match then positive outcomes will result. However, now there is a building mountain of evidence to support the importance of engagement, value alignment and inspired employees, as it relates to the successful business.

For example, according to Towers Watson, companies with a  highly engaged workforce improved operating income by 19.2% over a 12 month period while companies with lower engagement saw a 32.7% decrease in operating income.

However, according to a study by Accenture, less than 50% of chief financial officers appear to understand the return on investment in human capital.   Even though this may be changing, continued awareness is important.  For additional evidence regarding the value of addressing engagement and other human dynamic issues, here is an extensive list of studies pointing to the value of improving employee engagement, culture and satisfaction.

How is your current level of engagement in your work?

What would it take to inspire you?

Best,

Michael

/by
, , , ,

Where do you see yourself in 5 years

 

Where do you see yourself in 5 years

Where do you see yourself in 5 years

I was recently watching an interview that Tony Robbins did regarding Tips for Getting out of a Funk.  It’s worth a watch.   He talked about setting intention, living more consciously and goal setting…in addition to some reflection on our current economy.  This had me thinking about the direction that I’m heading.  I also was recently encouraged by a coach to create a vision board.  The idea being an exercise in response to the question – “Where do you see yourself in five years” This concept of setting a trajectory is one I find so important.

If you’re curious about goal setting and vision boards, check out this cool resource.

Exploring this idea of where I be in five years has been a helpful exercise.  It makes me think about a lot more than goal setting.   I know that goal setting is important.  I have seen evidence of this in my own life time and time again, in addition to most of the clients I work with.  I think that unless we are setting strong intentions, then we may just be letting someone else lead. We can either choose to be the creators of our direction or allow our direction to be created.

Expressing goals can really change results.  According to a study by Psychology Professor Dr. Gail Matthews, 70 percent of participants who shared their goals achieved them, while 35 percent of participants who did not share or write down their goals had been unsuccessful in accomplishing them.

I think finding a direction can be challenging.  There are so many distractions available to us.  Depending on your disposition you may have what is often referred to as – “shiny object syndrome.”  This means that there are always so many things to do, to see, to be involved with, to study etc.   This constant pull in a multitude of directions can take us away from what we are truly after.  I have found the following tips helpful in creating goals and creating a five year plan.

Five tips for creating a 5 year plan

It’s more than a 5 year plan –

Remember that creating a five year plan is more about just answering the question – where will you be in five years.  Hopefully it’s about establishing new patterns of intentionality so that going forward you know more about what you want, where you’re headed and how you’ll get there.   Setting a trajectory for success is about creating long lasting change, not just creating a plan.

Where were you five years ago –

Often times looking at where you have come from and how you got to where you are can lead to identifying patterns.  These patterns can show up as positive or negative ways that have impacted your goals and aspirations.  Alternatively, you may identify that over recent years there has not been much intention about where you were going, which may show the necessity for more self-direction.  Keeping in mind the important concept from Marshall Goldsmith – “What got you here, won’t get you there.”

What are you willing to give up –

Setting an intention for self-development or improvement in some area in life may involve giving up other things.  We only have so much time every day and setting priorities for what we want will sometimes mean letting go.  A great exercise to consider in this evaluation of what you are willing to give up is to regularly ask yourself this question –

“How is what I’m doing right now getting me one step closer to where I want to be in five years?”

How self-disciplined are you and how can this improve –

Similar to asking the question of what you’re willing to give up is looking at how self-disciplined you are.  Any sort of change takes a certain level of self-discipline.  If you decide that your self-discipline needs improvement then exploring ways to practice may be helpful.  Discipline can be built in a number of ways.  For more detail, see this post on – growing self-discipline.

Letting go of limiting beliefs –

Exploring what beliefs serve you and which ones don’t, will help to not only develop your five year plan but also assist in the process of manifesting this plan.  Fear often gets in the way of exploring goals that you think you may not be able to achieve.  Reducing fear and limiting beliefs will allow you to see options available and set your trajectory higher than you think.  Here are some strategies for how to let go of limiting beliefs and fear in more detail.

Challenge –

What is one thing you plan to accomplish in five years?

 Best,

Michael

/by
, , , ,

Trusting Your Intuition

 

Trusting Your Intuition

Trusting Your Intuition

Here is a challenge I’ve been having this week. How do I determine the difference between what my gut says vs. an old pattern I have or the difference between recognizing an intuition vs a fear?  So why not write about it.  There are definitely some questions I find helpful when exploring if/when to trust your intuition.

But before we get into tips let’s look at some research around intuition.  According to  an article on Psychology Today – two different studies reference people’s ability to “intuit” correct answers, in very different scenarios, before the answers were provided.  This was measured by a physical response that was happening as a reaction to the answer.

Another study looked at intuition as it relates to major life decisions, such as buying a car.  In some studies it shows that people who have trusted their intuition first often end up happier than those that analyzed thoroughly and decided against their own first instinct.  However, there is of course some debate about this.  Psychologists and scientists continue to debate the nature of intuition.

Some believe that intuition comes from a reptilian part of the brain that is tapping into some unconscious awareness of danger.  While others look at intuition as a tapping into the unconscious, but in a way that looks at stored information that is available to us but perhaps lost from our conscious mind.

Regardless of the debate, it seems that there exists large bodies of literature that at least agree on one thing – your intuition is worth listening to, for a variety of reasons.

I often live by my intuition…perhaps too much at times.  So finally, here are some strategies that I think are helpful to explore when looking at ones intuition –

Evaluate how this relates to old patterns –

To consider trusting your intuition vs an old pattern of decision making, evaluate it.  Does the decision fit into a habit or pattern for you, or is it an instinct that you have?

Fear wrapped up in intuition –

When there is a hunch towards a decision, make sure that the hunch is not just preventing a direction that may be unfamiliar or uncomfortable.  Of course, this should be weighed with reason, but determining if it is intuition or fear that is driving the decision may be beneficial.

What is the impact of this decision in 5 years or 20 years –

Trusting your intuition can be hugely beneficial! So can weighing out the implications of your decisions.  For instance, if this decision won’t make that big of a difference in 5 years, then perhaps it’s ok to move forward.  On the other hand, combining intuition with some logic may be worth exploring if this decision will impact you in 20 years.

If I don’t trust this intuition will the result be regret or potential failure –

Remember, logic and reason is great, but so is taking risks.  Ask yourself if the decision will result in feeling scared, or regretful for not doing something different.  A little fear isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  A great quote by Lucille Ball –

“I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done”

How has my intuition been accurate in the past and where has this led me –

Looking at past gains and failures may be advantageous.  Making a list of the times intuition has led to positive results may help to instill some confidence in trusting yourself.

 

How has intuition worked for you?  I would also be curious to hear from anyone who chooses not to trust their intuition.  Please share or comment below.

Thanks,

Michael

/by