Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Where is the Evidence?


I came across another one of those studies reporting what many of us already suspect or know, work productivity is not what it could be! This study from Towers Perrin (www.towersperrin.com) says less than 25% of employees are putting their whole being into their work including their hands, their mind and their hearts. As the study points out, what brings people to the “work dance” is not what keeps people at the “work dance.”


To build a nurturing, sustaining, stimulating work culture, consider the following questions.


Do the leaders have a heart? Are leaders relational? Do leaders care about their people? How do leaders show compassion and empathy to their people? Describe the evidence.


Is the organization’s vision inspiring? Is the vision more than ROI? Does the vision engage its employees to bring their best to work, to do their best at work, to be their best at work? Share the evidence.


How is success defined? How do employees get to share in the organization’s success? What is the evidence?


Do employees know what is expected of them. Are there regular channels of feedback to the employee not only on how he/she is doing, how they are being, but how their supervisor or leader(s) are doing, how they are being? Where is the evidence?


Is the work environment safe, healthy and appealing to work, to grow and to learn in? What is the evidence?


How does the organization support employee’s mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well being? How can employees renew themselves in these areas during the work day? Is there evidence?


What are the incentives for employees to learn and grow? Can evidence be produced?


How is respect shown for others? What is the evidence?


How is the encouragement? Describe the ways of encouragement. Share the evidence.


What questions do you have to stimulate conversation towards creating a world-class nurturing work culture?



Friday, September 2, 2011

What Is The Impact of Fear?


NOTE: The mind-map was updated 9/3/11 after great, thoughtful, challenging comments were made. Continue to give me feedback!

During a recent team building advancement*, we got into a heavy discussion about how fear was impacting the team as well as affecting the culture of the organization in moving forward (something that is affecting our country as well). That has lead to the request of a design for another team building advancement* on exploring fear and learning how to reduce its negative impact.

Personally, I believe fear is the opposite of love. This thought has been an overarching concept in this mind-map.

When I design a program, workshop, presentation or advancement* I begin with a mind-map to get a visual of key components that might be in the design.

What are your thoughts, suggestions and ideas? Note, if you click on the photo above, it will get larger for easier viewing.

*Advancement. . . I do not like the word "retreat" as in, "We are going on a retreat to explore fear." Retreat is about going backwards. Advancement is about moving forward, learning and growing.