Successories

Just as a fresh coat of paint can literally transform a room, a fresh infusion of inspiration throughout a workplace can transform attitudes and bring renewed energy to your organization. Don’t worry, you don’t have to knock down walls…or break the budget. There are plenty of small things you can do to give your workplace a motivational makeover that can have a real effect on productivity, positivity and bottom line results.

1. Let your walls do the talking. Most organizations have a mission statement. Very few organizations communicate it effectively. Use your walls as a way to educate your staff, clients, customers and vendors about the principles that are most important to your organization. State your core values clearly and beautifully with a variety of motivational framed prints or customize a framed print with your mission statement for maximum impact.

2. Color your world. White walls are not a bad thing, but think about how we react to colors. Shades of blues, greens, yellows and taupes have been proven to calm employees and help to create a serene environment.

3. Plant some peace. Add greenery to your office space and you can breath easy…literally. Plants naturally clean the air by converting the carbon dioxide we expel into fresh oxygen. Also, plants keep humidity regulated at an even level which reduces people’s susceptibility to illness. Get growing! Plants are an inexpensive way to bring the benefits of the outdoors in.

4. Coordinate your efforts. Once you’ve put important ideas on your walls, carry these key concepts through to your desks. Desktop prints, greeting cards and office supplies can help reinforce important principles while helping to coordinate and organize your office space.

5. Make bragging space. Don’t let certificates and awards gather dust inside someone’s desk. Give everyone space to show off their accomplishments. If your recipients have minimal display space available, consider providing a display frame with each certificate you present to help them make the most of their achievements. This is also a great time of year to start a new monthly recognition program – get everyone involved.

6. Organize the troops. Start fresh with an organized desk. Make it easy by setting aside several hours for everyone in the organization to go through those piles of papers, pack away old files and take time to throw out unnecessary clutter. Make sure you have boxes, markers, new file folders, binders and trash cans close at hand.

7. Just say “Thanks!” It seems so simple, but a handwritten card from you will make every member of your team feel great. Thank them for their hard work and share the sincere praise you may have been too busy to pass along. Absolutely free to you, these words of encouragement can be priceless to the recipient and are the real key to any successful workplace makeover.

Successories on Twitter and Facebook

Business leaders consistently list being able to communicate effectively as a major key to success. Industrial psychologists have documented that effective communication is the lifeblood of good relationships with business associates, customers, vendors and investors. Yet, the American Management Association reports that 90% of all problems in an organization is a direct result of poor communication. Marriage and family counselors also point to poor communication as a common reason for interpersonal conflicts.

Why is there such a failure to communicate?

One reason is that people fail to keep in mind that effective communication does not occur merely because a message has been presented. More important than what is said is how others perceive and respond to what is said. The greatest obstacle to good communication is the assumption that communication has taken place when it hasn’t.

The dictionary defines communication as a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behaviors. This means that communication is a two-way street, involving a sender and a receiver. The sender’s responsibility is to present a clear message. The receiver’s responsibility is to (1) hear (2) interpret (3) evaluate and (4) respond to the message.

Good communication can occur when the sender and the receiver show mutual respect. The sender shows respect through the words used and the receiver shows respect through actively listening to what the sender has to say. It is a give and take situation with both parties doing some giving and taking during the process.

Steps to Effective Communication

Clarify your ideas before attempting to communicate them.

What specifically do you want the person or group to receive? Do you have a firm grasp of your primary idea, concept or message? People often spend more time beating around the bush than getting to the core of what needs to be communicated.

With empathy, acknowledge the rights and feelings of others.

Everyone has needs, wants, objectives and resources. When you relate to people in an acceptable way, you build credibility and trust. This helps create open, positive dialogue. Be yourself, but speak from the perspective and competency level of the receiver.

Be honest.

While using tact and good manners, make sure you are also honest. If you are not honest, integrity is lost. Communication is destroyed. Be compassionate in your truthfulness. Often, the manner in which you say something is more important than what you say.

Pay attention to your body language.

From 75 to 95% of communication is nonverbal. People respect and respond to good eye contact, smiles, cordial voice tones, good posture, enthusiasm and well-placed humor. And even though you are told, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” people do judge you by your appearance.

Listen when someone else is talking.

The greatest communicators are not necessarily the greatest speakers. More often than not, they are the greatest listeners. Good listening is an absolute necessity for good communication. If there is no receiver, then the sender is wasting his or her time.

Successories on Twitter and Facebook

Like the relationship between you and your customers, the relationship between hummingbirds and flowers is complex and uniquely interwoven. To re-discover the keys to great service and build an enduring, mutually beneficial relationship with each customer, we need only look to nature. The Green Mango Hummingbird, with its rare combination of creativity, energy and stamina, provides valuable lessons for every staff member who interacts with your customers.

Capitalize on your unique abilities.
Able to hover in place for extended periods of time, the Green Mango takes advantage of its natural assets to access the pollen in flowers that would otherwise go un-“serviced.” In turn, the pollinated flowers ultimately multiply offering more nectar for the bird in the future.
What are your organization’s unique strengths and how can you maximize them for your customer’s benefit?

Approach every customer contact with energy.
Though we generally see hummingbirds in flight, they spend the majority of their time perched. When the moment arrives, though, they are ready to get to work. With wings beating up to 50 times per second and lungs taking over 300 breaths per minute, these remarkable birds do all they can to pollinate the flowers while simultaneously collecting nectar for their nourishment.
Does each of your customers feel you’ve given your all to help them achieve their goals?

Be prepared.
When it comes time to migrate, the hummingbird prepares for the journey by feeding until it has doubled its weight. With enough fuel on board, the tiny bird is able to fly to its destination (as long as 20 hours) without stopping…all just to serve its next “customers.”
Are you prepared to serve your customers over the long haul?

If you’re looking to optimize your customer relationships during these challenging times, take a moment to view them through nature’s lens. The perspective you gain could make the difference.

See our Service Hummingbird Motivational Poster.

Successories on Twitter and Facebook

It’s not enough to just define your organizational values…

you must support them with everything that you say and do -

day in and day out!

Studies have shown that it takes 5 or 6 exposures of a message for it to be absorbed and understood. And your organizational values are some of the most important messages you need to communicate to your people. That’s why you need to support your vision and beliefs in everything you do – every single day. Tell them your values…then tell them again…and then tell them one more time. It’s the only way to ensure your entire organization is focused on your success.

Here are four clear steps to ensure that everyone in your organization knows your core values, understands how these values work within your culture, and embraces them with every action.

* Step 1: Communicate

Don’t just whisper, SHOUT your organization’s vision and core beliefs at every opportunity: on your walls, at meetings, at every desk, through everything you do.

* Step 2: Educate

Make sure everyone knows your values and understands their role in supporting them. Put your employee handbooks in themed binders, offer seminars and workshops that support your core values, and use other materials to constantly educate your people.

* Step 3: Reinforce

From the pens they write with to the desktop images that inspire them to the mugs they drink out of, reinforce what’s important to your organization all the time.

* Step 4: Recognize

Acknowledge those who embody your organizational goals with monthly, quarterly and annual awards. And when you see someone exemplifying your values, reward them immediately with instant recognition to encourage those positive behaviors.

When people at every level in your organization know your core values it will lead you to great success!

Successories on Twitter and Facebook

When it comes to recognition, it’s important to remember…too much is never enough. While formal monthly, quarterly and yearly recognition presentations are crucial, it is the day-to-day acknowledgments that can motivate any person, any team and any organization to reach their full potential.

Here are some important tips to keep in mind when recognizing your people:
• Link achievement to organizational goals

Reinforcement leads to repeat behavior, so be sure you’re reinforcing actions you want repeated.
• Fit the award to the accomplishment

Use a variety of recognition techniques and awards that are equal to the accomplishment.

• Familiarize yourself with the people receiving recognition

Learn about the people you’re recognizing and the details about what they’ve done.

• Publicize their achievements

No matter how big or how small, make some noise when sharing worker’s accomplishments. It is a celebration and should be treated as such.

• Be spontaneous and timely

It doesn’t take significant planning or a huge budget to give verbal praise or pass along an appreciative note. And don’t wait – when you see someone going above and beyond, recognize it immediately.
• Be genuine

Your sincerity will shine through. Tell them why they’ve earned the award and sincerely thank them for their efforts.

It doesn’t have to cost a lot to recognize your people in a meaningful way, either. Here are some low-cost, high-impact ways you can say “Great job!”

• Catch them in the act!

Whether it is at their desk, in a meeting or in an informal discussion, when you catch somebody going above and beyond, hand out some kind of instant award – a medallion, a sticker or a gift card, for instance. You can even set up a redemption system where they can collect these pieces and “earn” bigger prizes!

• Put it in writing.

So often, employees cite “not being recognized” as a reason for dissatisfaction. A hand-written notecard is a powerful yet cost-effective way to tell your people you value their contributions. Take time out once a week to write two or three cards. You’ll be amazed at the results.

• Give them bragging rights.

When a customer or another employee takes time to commend one of your people—shout about it! Create a brag board where letters and commendations can be posted. Hand out forms coworkers can fill out to recognize one another’s performance. Show them you’re proud of their accomplishments!

• Travel to new heights.

Select an award that can be used as a traveling award – the more fun, the better! A unique object, such as a small statuette, one of our positive pals, or a product your own company manufactures, can be used. Then, once a month, present it to a person or team that has demonstrated a positive attitude or great teamwork. Treat them all to a small gift or a nice meal and allow them to pick the next recipients. Get everyone involved in the process and really build excitement!

These are just a few ideas – have fun with your recognition efforts and help your people (and your organization) succeed!

Successories on Twitter and Facebook

Imagine it’s 9 am on a Monday morning. Your team is settled in with their cups of coffee and their computer screens. It looks like another long week ahead for everyone. But something is different. Everyone seems, well, upbeat. They smile more. They seem enthusiastic about their work. And everything is getting done on time and on budget.

This isn’t a made-up scenario. In fact, in offices across the country, this very scene is being played out each and every day. So what can transform a group of employees like that? The answer is simple—motivation. When employees feel motivated, they become more productive, more passionate and more satisfied with their work.

And motivation begins with you. You have the power to make every employee feel good about what they do. The key is to communicate, recognize and empower your people – at every desk, every single day.

So, where do you start?

It’s not as hard as you may think! Here are a couple of great tips to approaching the task of motivating your people.

• Meet with your people — you may even want to hold a kick-off meeting to share your goals for energizing the team. Communicate to them your appreciation of the work they do and build excitement for your team and the company as a whole.

• Listen to your people. You can never talk to your employees enough. Ask them how they feel, and what would make them happy — you may be surprised at their answers. Consider holding round table discussions on a regular basis. They’re a great opportunity to really get to the heart of what’s important to your people.

• Share the enthusiasm. Small things can make a big difference when it comes to energizing your staff. Start off with small “fun breaks” that can bring everyone together – hand out toys, share a snack, engage them in a group activity—and encourage your people to relax and enjoy the camaraderie.

• Make the energy last. Again, it all starts with you. Encourage upbeat and positive attitudes on a continued basis by being upbeat and positive yourself. Consistently reinforce your commitment to your staff, and show them that attitude is everything.

• Reward positive behaviors. When you see someone doing a good job—tell them. Give them small tokens throughout the week and then publicly recognize them on a regular basis. Recognize the behaviors you’d like to see more of.

• Motivate them where they sit. Everyone uses things like coffee mugs, binders, pen holders and notepads. Reinforce positive themes each and every day by giving your team desktop accessories revolving around important ideas and attitudes.

• Remember, you can’t go from 0 to 60 with motivation and expect your team to change overnight. Energizing your team is an ongoing process of passion and persistence, listening to staff needs, and reinforcing your commitment to both them and the company.

Successories on Twitter and Facebook

Who needs training? Everyone. That’s because, over time, all organizations change—whether it’s new technology, new production processes or new methodology. And employees must change along with the company and acquire the skills needed to keep up with the organization.

Training can also be a potent form of motivation. By training your people, you’re showing your employees you value them, and that you want to invest in their future within your organization.

While sometimes the Return on Investment (ROI) of training can be hard to calculate, studies have shown that there are a number of benefits to training your employees.

• A recent AMA survey reported a direct correlation between increased company training budgets and increased profits.

• Another study reported by the New York Times involving 3000 businesses with 20 or more employees showed that a 10% increase in employees’ average education yielded an 8.6% increase in output. In comparison, a 10% increase in capital investment (such as tools, buildings and machinery) produced only a 3.4% increase in productivity.

Studies have also found there are both “hard data” benefits (quantitatively measured results) and “soft data” benefits (intangible results) to corporate training.

Hard data benefits include:

• Lower absenteeism and tardiness rates
• Lower turnover
• Number of sales or dollar value of sales per customer

Soft data benefits include:

• Customer satisfaction
• Improved job satisfaction
• Improved teamwork
• Increased productivity
• Increased communication

So what now? How can you implement a training program in your organization? The key is information. What skills or behaviors need to be strengthened? Talk to your managers. Get their perspective. Are the needs skill based, such as training on specific computer software? Or are their needs behavior based? Do you need to develop teams or quality initiatives? You’ll discover that training can take many forms depending on individual employee needs.

Start small when it comes to training. Find a common theme and create a training program around it. Make the training memorable by using items supporting the theme, such as binders, pens, paper and mugs. After it’s over, make sure to allow your participants to evaluate any training program to assess what worked and what didn’t. Acknowledge participation with certificates of completion, and make sure you use a variety of visual aids to weave the training into your corporate culture.

Within a few months of instituting training programs in your organization, you’ll quickly find that training becomes a powerful tool for you and your staff.

Successories on Twitter and Facebook