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17.04.2016 leadership, management, motivation, Wellness Comments Off on A great article: 5 Surprising Habits of the Most Likable People

A great article: 5 Surprising Habits of the Most Likable People

Here are excerpts from an article by Inc. magazine’s Peter Economy that I really liked; it’s short, to the point, and is sure to help reduce conflict in your professional lives as well as your personal lives (yes I add commentary on this below).

• Want to be that person who makes and keeps friends easily? Then make a habit of being really likable.                   
• Ever wonder what makes some people much more liked than others in social settings?
• Or why there are certain people who can win over multiple friends without so much as a second thought? 

Turns out, it’s not all natural talent–there are some secrets to the trade as well. Read on for 5 habits of immensely likable people.

1. They ask questions–and wait to hear the answers.  Think back to the many times someone has asked you how you’re doing without sticking around long enough for you to get out a second word. Nobody likes people who are self-absorbed, especially those who pretend to care. Be a truly good friend–ask questions and stick around to hear the answer–and watch how more people enjoy being with you.
   

   This is also true for personal relationships – if you ask a question, wait for the answer; don’t try to finish your partner’s sentence – and of course, this works both ways

2. They do not come to quick conclusions. Nobody should be preliminarily judged based on appearance or a perceived stereotype–especially not without giving others a chance to tell their story. It’s important to remember that we all come from different walks of life and that no one else really knows what another person has been through. You scare people away when you jump to and share your conclusions too quickly–wait before drawing conclusions to make sure your opinion is always a fair one.
   

   This is actually more true in personal relationships – we all share the fact we have flaws, but we rarely discriminate with family and close friends – why do we do it in the workplace?
   

3. They don’t need attention.  One of the greatest downfalls of human nature is that so many of us are hungry for attention. That’s why you’ll often find that if you place the attention on others instead, they’re usually grateful for it and admire you more for it. When we don’t have the need to make ourselves the star of every show, others will be much more likely to want to spend time with us.
   

   This is a tough one – as humans most of us do need attention, just not the same kind, at the same time, or from the same people – in your personal and professional lives, seek to find connection with others; don’t be exclude

4. They are reliable.  This habit is really as simple as it seems. Likable people don’t cancel last minute and they don’t show up 30 minutes late. They simply do what they say they are going to do, banning an emergency, of course. Be reliably consistent, and those you interact with will appreciate you more and may very well return the same courtesy to you.
   

   If you say you will do something by a certain day/time, then commit to it – reliability builds trust, and this certainly is true for personal relationships as well as professional ones

5. They smile.  People underestimate the positive power of a smile. It is scientifically proved that you are far more attractive and draw the positive attention of others when you smile frequently and genuinely.
   

   Related to #4, would it really kill you to smile? Everyone has there share of misery in their lives, a smile from you just might make someone’s day

The full article is here –> http://www.inc.com/peter-economy/5-surprising-habits-of-really-likeable-people.html?cid=em01011week15day14a

Enjoy!…r/Chuck

16.11.2014 employee engagement, leadership, management, motivation, Strategy Comments Off on You’re unhappy and unmotivated: You need employee engagement!

You’re unhappy and unmotivated: You need employee engagement!

Wow, I was really enjoying reading this post: Lies We Believe About Employee Engagement until I came to this paragraph:

“Far too many people do not know how to enjoy even the simple things of life and create personal success. They expect others to entertain them, to create opportunity, and even to do the work. Many workers lack the skill and motivation to accept responsibility and accountability. They want to be led but don’t want to follow. They want to be taught but don’t want to learn. And when life deals a blow, they lack the motivation and skill to overcome adversity. Instead they seek pity and help.”

What a crock of crap…i would argue that these are all symptoms of defeat, caused by continual abuse by managers who treat their furniture better than they treat their people.

I submit that every employee on day 1 looks forward to doing meaningful work, at a good wage, to be trained and provided the tools to perform their job, and to be recognized and rewarded for having done well.

Unfortunately, many organizations treat their staff as “human capital” instead of humans, placing them under untrained managers, who learned management from the last generation of untrained managers. They are also subjected to (frankly) stupid administrative rules that seek goals of efficiency over human engagement.

If you truly believe that people “lack motivation” than you really do not understand what motivation is. It is the product of “understanding the value of what you do” and “having the confidence to be successful” and I submit is the organization’s responsibility to address both areas:

• Do your staff r-e-a-l-l-y understand the importance of what they do?; and

• Have you helped them have the confidence to be successful.

It’s important to remember that people (in general) are ALWAYS motivated, they just might not be motivated to do what YOU want them to do. While i agree that selecting the right employees is important, I think it’s what you do with them after you hire them that determines how well they will serve your organization – here are five questions to ask yourself:

1. Did you follow through with all of the promises made to the person you hired? Or did you put them in a different job than you promised?
2. Did you provide them with the training and development you promised them? Or did you say you can’t afford for them to take the time off for that?
3. Did you put them under competent leadership? Or did you stick them under an abusive or untrained manager?
4. Do you provide them with the tools and materials to do their job effectively? Or do you have mounds of bureaucracy and administrative bean counting they must endure to do their jobs?
5. Finally, do you have programs in place to reward and incentivize intrinsic motivation, innovation, and self-direction? Or do you just focus on compliance to “that’s the way we do it here” mentality that kills the human spirit.

Employee engagement (IMHO) is really not that hard – start with treating your employees as human beings, treat staff the way you would want to be treated, and for god’s sake – get rid of those managers that you know you should have let go a long time ago. r/Chuck