Surprisingly Simple Ways You Can Trick Your Brain Into Focusing

This research-based approach has shown improvements in brain function in as little as 12 hours.

Read the full article at: www.fastcompany.com

Have you ever wondered why some people appear to be better thinkers and are known to be visionaries? Clearly we are all born with certain strengths (and weaknesses), but research has shown that our brains can actually be trained to focus more and have deeper thoughts.

 

Not surprisingly, one of the recommendations is to stop multitasking.  Please read on to learn what else you can do to improve your thought leadership!

6 Secrets to Millennials’ Workplace Happiness

Tips employers can use to keep millennial workers happy and engaged.

Read the full article at: mashable.com

If you have millennials on your team, this is an article you should read.  And even if you don’t have a large number of millennials now, chances are in just a few years they could account for as much as 50% of your workforce.

 

Not surprisingly, pay-for-performance still plays an important role in employee motivation.  But so do flexibility and transparency.  All three have been relatively important for some time now, but what seems to have changed is the emphasis on giving back and contributing to social issues and the community. Having “fun” also makes the list!

Three Things that Actually Motivate Employees

Mastery, membership, and meaning are all more important than money.

Read the full article at: hbr.org

Some of us have the belief the money is a key workplace motivator.  Others fall on the side of work-life balance.  So you might be surprised to hear that neither of these tops the list of key motivators.

 

According to author Rosabeth Moss Kanter, there is strong evidence to suggest that mastery, membership, and meaning are key to driving employee motivation.

 

Employees need to be aligned to the company’s vision and feel that the work they are doing aggregates to a higher purpose.  They need to feel as though their individuality adds to the company’s community (think about the characters in your favorite TV show).  And finally, they need to feel that their talents can help shape their company’s future.

How to Become the Most Valuable Player on Your Team

All the major sports leagues celebrate their best players. But what if there were a Most Valuable Player award for your team? Would you take home the prize?

Read the full article at: michaelhyatt.com

Most of our content is centered on motivating employees, so this week’s pick may come as a bit of a surprise.  It shouldn’t, though.  We know that leading by example is critical to managerial success, so we wanted to share content on how you can become a role model in your organization.

 

The author uses a metaphor of Baseball’s MVP Award to provide concrete recommendations for improving your own performance. Click to see the 7 ideas that author Michael Hyatt has shared.

10 Inspirational Quotes From Women Business Leaders

From Sheryl Sandberg to Barbara Corcoran, here are 10 quotes from women who offer wisdom for the ages.

Read the full article at: www.entrepreneur.com

Men, women and children will all be inspired by the wonderful quotes found in this Entrepreneur.com article.

 

Visionaries from Mary Kay Ash (Mary Kay Cosmetics) to Eileen Fisher (fashion designer) have contributed quotes that are sure to be memorable for years to come.

 

My personal favorite quote comes from Melinda Gates…

4 Ways Focusing On Your Employees Will Change Your Business

Creating a nurturing and motivating workplace environment for your employees will increase production, and maximize your success.

Read the full article at: www.entrepreneur.com

 

Many have heard the phrase “lead by example”, but this article drives the point home by focusing on the impact employee appreciation and incentives can have on your company’s growth.

 

By focusing on employee empathy, incentives, shared goals and your employee’s ideas, the author, Tyler Leslie, argues that the impact on growth can be both fast and dramatic.

5 Ways to Stop Demotivating Your People

Follow these tips to turn around what you’re doing to demotivate employees and begin to motivate them.

Read the full article at: www.entrepreneur.com

We see many articles with ideas to help motivate employees.   But as this author points out, perhaps that’s the wrong question, and instead we should focus on not demotivating our workforce.

 

If you think about the changes that have taken place over the last 5 to 10 years, this might become obvious.  In an attempt to save money, companies have pulled back on recognition, communication events, and education.  What many miss is that the lack of focus on these important elements leads to turnover and expense.

7 Ways to Bring Your Small Business Team Closer

A Small business team that works well together contributes to the overall success of a company. Here are 7 ways to help facilitate a cohesive team.

Read the full article at: smallbiztrends.com

This article takes a slightly different perspective by looking at motivating teams as opposed to individuals.  This can be especially important for small businesses, but can also help those in larger organizations feel like they belong to a community.

 

The essence of this piece is that there should be an added focus on setting goals with teams, and similarly, rewarding teams and not just individuals.

 

It also looks at other group dynamics, such as how to handle unpopular opinions and how to resolve disputes amongst team members.

7 Interview Questions That Determine Emotional Intelligence

Determining who you hire for a job plays a big part in forming your company’s culture and ensuring its future success.

Read the full article at: www.entrepreneur.com

We often talk about employee motivation, and indeed, this column is dedicated to the subject.  But we typically assume that employees are already on board and working.

 

What if you were able to stack the deck with employees that were already inclined to support your workplace culture and were more easily motivated?  Of course, this would be something you would want to pursue.

 

So how can you increase your odds of success?  Read on…

How to create a coaching culture in your company

This column is part of Globe Careers’ Leadership Lab series, where executives and experts share their views and advice about leadership and management.

Read the full article at: www.theglobeandmail.com

I have spent a good part of my career in management positions at large corporations.  For years, I dreaded the annual review process, unable to remember a year’s worth of feedback for all of my employees. Worse yet, even if I could remember the nuances of conversations and presentations, trying to “replay” them to employees with any credibility was always a difficult task.

 

So when I came across this article about doing away with the annual employee review in favor of immediate feedback and coaching, I was struck with both the simplicity and magnitude the change. In recent years, I had moved in this direction anyway, albeit in an informal way.