Do you have a blank wall somewhere at your office? Consider trying out this idea: Transform the blank wall into a Wall of Appreciation. It’s fairly common knowledge that being appreciated at work impacts a host of factors: retention, engagement, productivity and customer satisfaction. A few research examples: “The number-one reason most Americans leave their jobs is that … Read more
In many workplaces, workaholics rule the roost. Just yesterday, the most emailed article from the NY Times was “How Some Men Fake an 80-Hour Workweek, and Why It Matters”. The article cites research that shows that some employees (particularly men) have learned how to “pass” as workaholics to receive higher ratings on performance reviews. The … Read more
Has this happened to you? Growing up, you came home from school having received a 98 on a test. You tell your Mom or Dad. They reply, “What happened to the other 2 points?” You bring your report card home. You’ve got all A’s except for one B+. What does the conversation focus on? The … Read more
Are you tired of spinning your wheels? Working hard to get ahead, only to find yourself in the same place yet again? Progress is the mother of all motivators. According to research, when you feel you’re moving forward in your job, you feel and perform at your best. Conversely, those times when you spin your wheels drain your drive … Read more
Appreciation matters. But you knew that already. Because it matters to you. We all want to feel valued and recognized for our contributions. Appreciation is one of the most powerful accelerators of employee engagement. For example, research conducted by the O.C. Tanner Company shows that adding appreciation boosts scores at low-trust companies from 35% engaged to … Read more
Some months back, I shared a post about how we’re no longer in the information age–we now live in the interruption age. Do you feel more overwhelmed and distracted than you used to? If your experience is anything like many of the leaders I work with, you probably answered yes. Part of the reason we’re so … Read more
Who wouldn’t want to be an All-Star? We’re not talking strictly sports here: let’s broaden the definition of an All-Star as someone who’s recognized for being an outstanding performer. All-Stars aren’t just especially lucky. Their achievements are based on some key fundamentals, ones that we can all replicate. My 10 year old son, Alexander, has played … Read more
I’ve traveled to Europe twice in the last month: to France and Germany. Both times, I stayed in hotels with a master key. You can see it in the picture above. (This is from my hotel in Munich.) The master key works like this: when you get into your room, you put the … Read more
Our social world is governed by unspoken norms. Want to freak someone out? The next time someone says “hello” to you, just ignore them and don’t reply. (Just thinking about doing that probably freaks you out.) As someone who wants to influence others, you need to be particularly attuned to what people say to you. When … Read more
