Did you know that if goldfish are kept in the dark, their colour fades? This is because goldfish scales are made up of hundreds of photo-reactive cells that respond positively to sunshine and bright light. In fact, aquarium enthusiasts know that the easiest way to get vibrantly-coloured goldfish is to keep them under bright lights for at least a portion of each day. Read the rest of this entry »
If you’ve got great employees then you know that they’re in high demand! But what are you doing – really doing – to keep your best and brightest from walking out the door? Many leaders I ask this question of say “nothing”, but just as many get a perplexed look on their faces because they haven’t even thought about it! But if you’re not taking planned and deliberate actions to keep your top talent from walking out the door, then you’re jeopardizing your continued success.
If you want to learn specific and practical steps that you can take to engage and hold on to your top workers, then my upcoming audio conference is exactly what you need. “Stars That Shine – How to retain your best and brightest employees” is one fast-paced power hour during which I’ll tell you what you need to know, and perhaps more importantly, specifically what you need to do to prevent your stars from jumping ship. Read the rest of this entry »
What are you doing – really doing – to keep your top employees from walking out the door (and over to your competition)? If the answer is “nothing” (or even worse, you haven’t thought about it), then you are putting your organization’s short- and long-term success at risk. But unless you’re thoughtfully and deliberately taking action to prevent it from happening, it’s not always easy to keep your best and brightest employees from jumping ship. Read the rest of this entry »
Today’s blog post is a brag moment!
Thirty days ago, unnoticed, a major milestone occurred in my leadership development practice. In fact, I didn’t even realize it until it was mentioned to me by one of my staff members. I wasn’t going to say anything about it to all of you, but it was pointed out to me by this very same staff member that I am constantly pushing and encouraging the leaders I work with to always celebrate their successes. After all, we get so busy in our work lives that it’s not often that we stop and take the time to celebrate what we’ve accomplished. And celebration of achievements is so important to both employee morale as well as future success. Point well taken! Read the rest of this entry »
There are hundreds of not-for-profit organizations that are successfully run with small armies of volunteers. It certainly isn’t the money that is keeping them engaged, committed and involved. So what is? If you ask them, here’s what they’ll tell you. They feel that they are significant, that they matter. They feel like they are appreciated and recognized. They feel like they are supported in what they do. They feel like they are empowered to take action.
What if your employees were volunteers? Would that change how you interacted with them? If you want the kind of engagement and commitment that not-for-profit organizations get from their employees, then perhaps it’s time to start thinking about them as if they were volunteers.
What are you doing (or what can you do) to create a workplace where your employees feel significant, appreciated, supported, and empowered? Let’s get the conversation going!
Last week, I showed you exactly how to ensure that the positive feedback you give your employees has the encouraging impact you want — I told you about how critical it is to be specific. This week, I want to talk about another necessary and important component of praise — timeliness. This short video explains what I mean.
So … how good are you at making sure that your praise is “immediate”? What gets in the way?
As a leader, many of your tasks can be difficult or challenging. Which means that when you find an opportunity to give positive feedback to your employees, it’s even more enjoyable. Praising your staff for a job well done is one of the most pleasant responsibilities that comes with being a supervisor, team leader or manager. So if you’re going to do it, you want to make sure that it counts! This short video demonstrates first how not to give positive feedback to an employee, and then follows it up with a much improved version. The difference — specificity. See for yourself.
I may have been sincere in all the situations, but because I was SPECIFIC in the latter examples, I was much more effective. My praise had the positive impact that I wanted it to have. Do you see the difference? Your thoughts and comments welcomed.
If you’re a manager or supervisor, then you know that reward and recognition matters! The problem is that your good intentions don’t always translate into action. Motivating employees can be a challenging task, and believe it or not, increasing their salary is not the solution! If you continually struggle with acknowledging and recognizing those who deserve it AND shortage of money and time are your primary reasons, then you ABSOLUTELY MUST join me at my next live audio event on May 12. In one jam-packed session, I’ll give you specific and practical tips that you can use right away to fire up your employees so that they are willing to go the extra mile! You’ve put it off long enough, so don’t put it off any more!
In one power-packed hour, right from the comfort of your office, I’ll give you specific, practical, and useful tools to motivate employees without spending a fortune! You’ll learn:
Join me on May 12, 2010 at 11 AM MDT. Early bird pricing in effect ONLY until this Wednesday May 5!
Click here to register, or for more information.
If you’re a manager or supervisor, then you know that reward and recognition matters! The problem is that your good intentions don’t always translate into action. Motivating employees can be a difficult task, and believe it or not, increasing their salary is not the solution! And when you take today’s business environment characterized by tight budgets and fewer resources into account, the challenge becomes even more overwhelming.
What obstacles do YOU face when it comes to motivating your employees? Do you struggle with finding the time and the means to acknowledge and recognize those who deserve it? What gets in the way of you taking steps to ignite your team and encourage high-performance? Ask your tough questions at www.AskMerge.com, and I’ll do my best to answer as many as I can in my live Audio Conference coming up on May 12.
As a manager, supervisor or team leader, what is your single most difficult challenge when it comes to motivating your employees, particularly when budgets are tight and resources are few? Ask your tough questions at www.AskMerge.com, and Merge will do her best to answer as many as she can in her live Audio Conference coming up on May 12.
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