Archive for 'Business'

With so many non profit organizations vying for limited financial resources, what separates all of these very worthy causes into those who flourish and those who flounder? In addition, with so many volunteers being involved, what are the fundamental requirements to ensuring these organizations sustain and succeed?  There are four.

Within a volunteer body, if there is not a strong leadership presence the whole thing falls apart rapidly. However the style and approach is critically important. The best analogy is a conductor of an orchestra. Alone, there is no music but with appropriate direction towards the Read more »

Shawn Anchor of the Happiness Factor claims that 10% of one’s happiness comes from externally driven factors such as money, relationships, possessions and status, while 90% is driven solely from how you choose to see things. The key word here is choice; and he claims that because we have this option we can exert more control over our happiness than we might think.

Could we possibly look at motivation in a similar fashion? How much is externally driven and how much is from Read more »

When something goes wrong, human nature is such that we immediately ask, “Who is to blame?” Whether it is political, legal, at home or at work the natural tendency is to look at the people component and attribute responsibility.

In his book The New Agreements in the Workplace, David Dibble builds on the original Four Agreements by his mentor Don Miguel Ruiz. Dibble speaks about “Shifting your Systems” and by this he is alluding to the fact that we should first look at our processes before attributing blame on people because, more often than not, it plays a much Read more »

If you are new to an organization and somebody shares with you their Guiding Principles, what immediately comes to mind? Typically, if you are honest, you might be inclined to think along the same vein as Mission Statements and Values and cynically reflect on the old adage of “Do what I say, not what I do”.

Part of the reason for this is because Mission Statements and Values are often viewed as being somewhat inspirational. In other words they are not actually real in the present moment. Read more »

The Webster dictionary defines trust as “an assured reliance on the character, ability, or truth of someone or something”. Trust is one the key foundational blocks upon which most groups, teams and organizations exist. It forms the basis for open dialogue, honesty, collaboration and a sense of collectivism towards a common purpose. However sometimes “trust” is misinterpreted and so it’s important to understand the sub elements to clarify where the issue might be. Consequently breakdowns in “trust” can more easily be addressed through this better understanding. Let’s look at all three based on the definition Read more »

Patrick Lencioni is his latest book, The Advantage, provides his perspective on why “organizational health trumps everything else in business”. Separately we have also been hearing how the well-being of an organization’s employees is critical to its success. These are two separate yet overlapping considerations that really speak to the heart of how businesses will grow and flourish in the future. Let’s review these two types of health.

Lencioni mentions a 4 discipline approach which at its core is a cohesive leadership team along with absolute clarity. One could also expand on this is more practical Read more »

In a recent Harvard Business Review article by Cassie Mogilner of UPenn’s Wharton School, the hypothesis presented suggested that the more you spend time helping others, the more productive you actually become. This of course is counter intuitive, as surely time consumed helping other people is time taken away from what you should be doing yourself. However human behavior very often defies logic. The case that is being made suggests that by helping others in small ways you feel more fulfilled and time actually appears Read more »

Quite often organizations either spend an inordinate amount of time on strategic planning or absolutely none at all. Which is correct? Inevitably the answer lies somewhere in between. However you choose to proceed, there are some fundamentals that must always be considered; then put the energy into ensuring execution. So what are these fundamentals?

What is the desired destination? Start off with the end in mind by creating a goal or intended outcome. This may seem difficult and full of unknowns Read more »

Throughout the Olympic experience it is interesting to watch the dynamic unfold between individual athletes and those belonging to teams as they rise or fall at these lofty heights. For an individual it seems more work and less play, whereas for a team the other way around. Mark Twain once wrote that “work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do and play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do”. So how does this play (no pun intended) out Read more »

Many organizations feel that if they could just figure out the fundamentals of motivation, dealing with employees would be so much easier. Money alone does not work; realistically it is only the price of entry, an expectation, a reason why somebody will join a company or perhaps get up each morning. But what does it actually take to truly motivate staff to perform at an effective level?

Here are 10 Key Tips to Motivating Staff

Money is a good initiator but Genuine Interest in the work sustains performance Read more »