Many organisations struggle to increase their employee engagement levels. Chances are many initiatives undertaken by these organisations are organisation wide and process driven. A different ‘give back’ initiative, a new cutomer service incentive scheme or even better food/desks/chairs/gym membership. Whilst we should not ignore the importance of such initiatives, I worry they lack the personal … Continued
Priming is a phenomenon where being exposed to a certain stimuli makes a particular response to a second stimuli more likely to happen. Positive priming is a term which has come to mean using priming to our advantage. In my case, I use it to refer to ‘kick starts’. In their excellent book, Profit from … Continued
65% of workers report that in the past 12 months they received no recognition for good work during the prior year (Gallup). Appreciation can be used strategically by supervisors to boost employee morale. Appreciating the best qualities in those with whom we work can help give them a boost, motivating them to persevere even when … Continued
An interesting blog at IDEO highlighting an experiment in client empathy ended up emphasising how the little things in life really matter. IDEO is a creative design company which is justifiably proud of their fantastic work culture. In their words ‘We provide the small things that enable the day to run smoothly so individuals can … Continued
Most performance management is ‘broken’ – it is administratively burdensome and often gets in the way of having an enlightened and honest conversation between the organisation and the employee. In a recent edition of the RSA journal entitled 21st Century Enlightenment, Lynda Gratton gave her view on the important issues of work in the 21st … Continued
“Jobs that exist today were invented to fulfil particular industrial and commercial purposes. Employers want recruits who will fit into existing organisations and systems whereas the young are now being educated to develop and express their individual personalities and no longer just to obey and conform…. Work has not yet been reconceived as a … Continued
In a recent edition of the RSA journal entitled 21st Century Enlightenment, Lynda Gratton and a number of other industrial academics, gave their view on the important issues of work in the 21st Century. Gratton talked about the ‘hollowing out of work’ which is a reshaping of the labour markets so that middle skill jobs … Continued
Alain de Botton, philosopher, writes books that have been described as ‘a philosophy of everyday life’. Recently he was interviewed by an HR based job site about work and meaning (see the full interview here). In particular de Botton was scathing about education which didn’t equip youngsters for working life (nothing new here). But what … Continued
Went to an Action for Happiness talk by Tal Ben Shahar and he left us with a really useful set of messages: 1. Focus on what’s good 2. Ask questions that help us find solutions rather than focus on the negative 3. When you appreciate the good, the good appreciates – in other words, focusing … Continued
The most recent edition of People Management (March 2014) contains an article on an SME, Fittleworth, which highlights the importance of authenticity when creating a culture with meaning, purpose and compassion. Frittleworth’s business is not glamorous – it is a mail order delivery service of ostomy, continent and wound care products, which has managed to … Continued
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