Category: Workplace

Posted in communication, Management, Motivation, success, Workplace

Why and How we Should Use Pygmalion Effect to Boost Productivity

Posted on by Nadia K

The Pygmalion effect, or Rosenthal effect, is a psychological phenomenon where higher expectations lead proportionally to improved higher performance, which makes this method important for improving the overall productivity, including increase considerably the employee’s or student’s efficiency and help an organization grow.

Variety of studies show that people will improve, or drop, to the levels which their teachers of managers believe them to be capable. In order to implement this method in practice, it is up to the managers or teachers to have high expectations for their employees or students, and regularly communicate those expectations.

“Organizational Leaders understandably have an influence on the success of employees, and can play a part in that success or failure, at times, without even realizing it. Positive expectations are important to ensure a positive outcome, as the belief itself can affect the giver and the receiver. Managers not only shape the expectations and the performance of the subordinates but also influence their attitude towards their jobs and themselves, if managers are unskilled it leaves a scar on the employees and the overall unit performance of the company decreases and their reputations as coaches is harmed, on the other hand if the managers can induce confidence and make the subordinates believe in themselves, their capabilities will grow and the growth of the firm happens. “

Here are a few steps to start boosting student’s or employee’s performance:

  • Express confidence in their talent and abilities – to remind them about previous records of success and history of accomplishments.
  • Celebrate Accomplishments – to recognize what’s working well and why, develop a growth mindset and motivate.
  • Assume Good Intent – Listen to what’s being said and try to understand it and don’t “read between the lines” & ask for clarification if needed.
  • Show Empathy – to build emotional connection: listen carefully, put yourself in the other person’s shoes, allow sharing vulnerabilities, build trust and offer help.
  • Think Long Term – focus on what the long term result will be and support consistency.

Posted in Books, Management, TED talks, Workplace

Must-Read Book: “Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t” by Simon Sinek

Posted on by Nadia K

You probably have heard about this book already in the media many times, and much has been already said and written about it since it was published in 2014, so I won’t take your time with long persuasive speech. I enjoyed the book thoroughly, learned a lot about how people grow to be good leaders, and recommend if you haven’t read it yet and want to improve your leadership skills to set time aside and read it.

I promise you, you will feel wiser and better person at the end, and will treat your team with more respect and integrity.

Posted in Books, Personality, success, TED talks, Workplace

TED talk: Adam Grant about The Givers & Takers

Posted on by Nadia K

Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist, who has researched the different personalities of employees and determined that in the office environment, there are three basic kinds of people:

  • Givers, giver_taker_matchers
  • Takers &
  • Matchers

According to the research, the majority of people are Matchers and we all have our moments of giving and taking, but we most probably are inclined to be either a Giver or a Taker.

You can figure out for yourself by acknowledging which of the following two questions you will most often ask yourself when you interact with your colleagues: What can you do for me? or What can I do for you?

Many studies have proven that in order for a company or an organization to prosper, there is a need to have a culture of generosity, where people, willing to teach others are encouraged and the knowledge and skills are safely carried over from person to person, without fear of being judged or laughed at.

In my experience with a company for more than 3-4 years, I have seen a high percentage of turnover of staff, and in many of these cases, the knowledge and wisdom these people possessed were lost for the organization once they left. This lack of learning is not always acknowledged by the company but has a significant impact on the new employees. The newly hired employees inevitably start from scratch and build proficiency, mostly based on own practice and errors, and lack the wisdom of mentors or senior associates.

For making any organization successful, Adam Grant offers simple strategies to promote a culture of generosity and keep self-serving employees from taking more than their share. The three simple steps are:

  1. Protect Givers from burnout – Make sure Givers provide quick tips and don’t just do most of the work themselves.
  2. Encourage help-seeking –  Make it easy and safe to ask for help.
  3. Get the right people on the bus. Keep the wrong people off the bus – having Takers in the team, poisons the atmosphere, where any and all collaboration is difficult. In such an atmosphere, even the Givers are discouraged to help.

Read the Entire Book

16158498If you haven’t read it yet and you are interested to hear all about Adam Grant’s research on the matter, please read the book. The full title is Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success and you can order it from your favorite online book store or get it from your neighborhood library, where it is available in multiple formats: printed version, e-book or audiobook.

 The book has been translated into 30 languages and named one of the best books of 2013 by Amazon, Apple, the Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal—as well as one of Oprah’s riveting reads, Fortune’s must-read business books, Harvard Business Review’s ideas that shaped management, and the Washington Post’s books every leader should read.

Are you wondering if you are a Giver or a Taker?

Assess yourself. As Adam Grant explains, the assessment is using state-of-the-art methods in organizational psychology. For each question, give the answer that comes naturally to you. Your results will only be as accurate as you are honest—and self-aware.

Posted in communication, success, TED talks, Workplace

TED Talk: Julian Treasure of How to Speak to be Heard

Posted on by Nadia K

 

What did I learn from Julian Treasure’s talk?

Seven deadly SINS of speaking. Let’s all try to avoid them!

  1. Gossip
  2. Judging
  3. Negativity
  4. Complaining
  5. Excuses
  6. Exaggeration/ lying
  7. Dogmatism

♠ ♠ ♠

Four elements which will improve the speech to be more powerful and important for the audience:

  1. Honesty = being true to what you say, being straight and clear
  2. Authenticity = just being yourself
  3. Integrity = being your word,actually doing what you say, and being somebody people can trust
  4. Love = wishing people well

♠ ♠ ♠

Six tools which will increase the power of speaking if used in the right way:

  1. Register – speak with deep lower voice if you want to project power and with authority;
  2. Timbre – the way the voice feels (people prefer voices which are rich, smooth and warm);
  3. Prosody – the patterns of stress and intonation in speaking;
  4. Pace – how quickly we speak;
  5. Pitch – high or low
  6. Volume –

 

Posted in success, TED talks, Workplace

TED Talk: Richard St. John About the Secrets of Success

Posted on by Nadia K

Presenting two brief, but insightful and inspirational talks by the success analyst Richard St. John

Here are the 8 secrets of SUCCESS:

  1. Have PASSION and LOVE what you do.
  2. WORK hard and have FUN while you work.
  3. Be GOOD in what you do and PRACTICE, practice, practice.
  4. FOCUS on ONE thing.
  5. PUSH yourself mentally and physically.
  6. SERVE others something of VALUE.
  7. Have IDEAS.
  8. PERSIST through failure, criticism, rejection, assholes and pressure.

 

Thank you, Richard St. John, for being successful and reveal the 8-traits to be great!

… and here is my next good read …

8 to Be Great: The 8-Traits That Lead to Great Success

Posted in Books, Management, success, Workplace

The 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy

Posted on by Nadia K

 

  • Rule #1 – “You’re the driver of your bus”  – We are each responsible for the direction of our lives. And the direction of our lives is 81107shaped by each day. If we are complacent in our lives we let others drive for us. Have you ever felt out of control? Well, it’s time to take charge and drive your own bus.
  • Rule #2 – “Desire, Vision, and Focus Move Your Bus in the Right Direction” – You have to want it! You have to have a vision, have an compelling reason to keep you moving and the focus to keep to it. Each action must be in the direction of your goal and you must have the persistence to overcome the obstacles that can easily get you off track.
  • Rule #3 – “Fuel Your Ride with Positive Energy” – Positive energy is the fuel that allows you to overcome the obstacles. Positive energy is high octane fuel and negative energy is gas from the bottom of last years can. Positive energy builds momentum and a negative attitude seems to find roadblocks and excuses.
  • Rule #4 – “Invite People on Your Bus and Share Your Vision for the Road Ahead” – Associating with people who push you forward is one of the smartest things you can do. You are either moving forward or moving back. If the people you work with or associate with are stagnant, then you need to break free. If you don’t you’re wearing an invisible rubber belt, eventually you will snap back to the pack and lose your momentum. Having negative, going nowhere friends is like having a weekly weight watchers meeting at The Country Buffet.
  • Rule #7 – “Enthusiasm Attracts More Passengers and Energizes Them During the Ride” – People want to associate with a winner. In professiona land college  sports it seems that the same teams are at or near the top year after year. Players recognize a good culture and want to be a part of it. The same can be said of work teams and companies. It’s not all about the money.
  • Rule #8 – “Love Your Passengers” – You can’t fake it. In order to lead people or attract people to your cause you have to care for them. And not in an ambivalent way. You must really be tied to the well being of your team. Love cannot be selfish. As a leader you must want the best for your team members. Back to sports: time and time again you see a team of superior athletes being beat by a true team made up of individuals who would do anything for their team and teammates. The trick is to cultivate that love.
  • Rule #10 – “Have Fun and Enjoy the Ride” – When work is fun you don’t get tired. Do you ever remember getting tired when you were playing as a kid? I don’t either. It never even came to mind. The same is true when you are energized by doing work that matters with people you like.

The Energy Bus By: Jon Gordon

 

 

Posted in TED talks, Workplace

TED Talk: Scott Dinsmore about How to Find a Work You’ll Enjoy

Posted on by Nadia K

“… Of the people I’d sit down with for lunch, 80 percent would quit their job within two months.” 

“Why are you doing the work that you’re doing?” And so often their answer would be, “Well, because somebody told me I’m supposed to.” And I realized that so many people around us are climbing their way up this ladder that someone tells them to climb, and it ends up being leaned up against the wrong wall, or no wall at all.” says Scott Dinsmore. 

 

Posted in Books, Management, Workplace

12 Questions to Measure How Strong is Your Workplace

Posted on by Nadia K

As read in “First, Break All The Rules” or What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently:

These twelve questions are the simplest and most accurate way to measure the strength of  a workplace. They measure the core elements needed to attract, focus, and keep the most talented
employees.

  • Do I know what is expected of me at work?
  • Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
  • At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
  • In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
  • Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
  • Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
  • At work, do my opinions seem to count?
  • Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?
  • Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
  • Do I  have a best friend at work?
  • In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?
  • This last year, have I had the opportunities at work to learn and grow?

Don’t forget to read more in

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