Beyond Folders : motivation

How to Motivate Others

Community Manager — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:14:00 GMT

Celebrity journalist Katie Couric's latest project is a book of collected wisdom from fellow celebrities the world-over. In the Best Advice I Ever Got, Couric offers wisdom from personalities as diverse as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, "Eighty percent of success is showing up...early," to comedian Jimmy Kimmel, "when in doubt, order the hamburger."

Couric says her book is meant to inspire readers, to help them find "passion" in what they do. Couric is on to something. Motivating others to achieve peak performance not only feels good, it produces good work. Looking for ways to enhance productivity by motivating your team? Two excellent articles, Managing and Motivating Employees in their Twenties and Making Sure Your Employees Succeed offer concrete advice on moving employees from zero to 60.

Highlights include useful dos and don'ts such as:

Do:

Connect individuals' goals to broader organization objectives
Show employees that you are a partner in achieving their goals
Learn about and incorporate employees' personal interests into their professional goals

Don't:

Allow employees to set goals alone
Take a hands-off approach to high performers - they need input and feedback to meet their goals as well
Ignore failures - be sure people have the opportunity to learn when they don't achieve goals

How do you motivate direct reports? Have you benefited from any motivational techniques? Share your thoughts here and at the Pendaflex Facebook page.

Carrots or Sticks. What Really Motivates You? Updated 2011.

Community Manager — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:47:00 GMT

When a deadline looms what gets your nose to the grindstone? Is it: A) the treat you promised yourself for a job well done, B) fear of the missed deadline's consequences, C) innate desire to master the task or D) all of the above?

Will it surprise you to learn there is no right answer? Experts agree that they cannot agree on what truly motivates an individual to achieve success or goals, be it weight loss or career advancement. Different tools and motivations work for different people at different times. We've gathered some interesting new reading on the matter of motivation. Read on and see which method clicks for you.

Carrots & Sticks

If you're in the carrots and sticks camp, you're a believer in incentives and rewards-carrots-balanced with punishments-sticks-for failure. Yale professor Ian Ayres, author of Carrots and Sticks: Unlock the Power of Incentives to Get Things Done, posits that "commitment contracts" can steer individuals to success by offering reward or punishments. Ayres crafts his academic outlook into an actionable, free web site that let's others in on the action. Visit www.stickk.com to get started on successful goal-setting.

Drive

Author and speaker Dan Pink has made motivation his business. In his best-selling book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Pink argues that carrots and sticks are "so last century." Pink argues that while carrots and sticks can produce change, that in today's complex world they aren't enough to inspire creativity and transformation. Tapping into our drive-our innate desire to direct our own lives, experience autonomy and to connect to something that matters and inspires-produces the most meaningful change.

For more on Dan Pink, view his lively, engaging remarks at TED Talks here.

How do you motivate yourself? Do you have any tips or strategies for long-lasting change or short-term motivation? Share your thoughts here and on the Pendaflex Facebook page.

by Bradley Eggers

Keep Your Chin Up!

Community Manager — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:14:00 GMT

We know, we know. It's been a tough few years. High unemployment and unfavorable business conditions linger, the country just went through a bruising election cycle and now the holiday crunch time is in the offing.

When life feels overwhelming, enthusiasm for digging in at work can be underwhelming. If low morale is an issue for you (or your staff) it's time to bust out of that slump.

Get Your Motor Running

Tackle a new challenge: Freshen up your daily routine by taking on a different project or adding a new skill set. A break from the "same old, same old" can be revitalizing.

Take a break: When the days seem long, break work into 90-minute chunks and then take a breather with a trip to the office kitchen for a healthy snack or a brisk walk around the block. Make a habit or recharging your batteries every few hours.

Take a longer break: Consider using a vacation day for a three-day weekend or an even longer time off. Vacations can be a perfect way to reset and regroup.

Recruit a support team: Enlist a trusted co-worker, friend or spouse to help you keep your chin up. Schedule time for blowing off steam and generating positive energy. This group can be a sounding board for work challenges and can also provide much needed non-work related diversions.

Reward Yourself: Have you put in a good day's work? Reward yourself. Treat yourself to delivery for dinner. Or plan a fun Friday night out after a long week. Promise yourself a pedicure or a movie when you finish an outstanding project. Incentivize yourself to get working!

Rev Up Your Team

Give Thanks: When bonus money is tight, don't underestimate the power of a heartfelt thank you. Everyone likes to be recognized for their contributions so be sure to thank employees for a job well done. Get specific, praise them for revenue raised or an event organized with polish and panache.

Little Things Can Go a Long Way: Show your staff you appreciate their efforts with gift cards to local lunch places or pizza party Fridays. Can't dish out big raises? Offer an extra paid vacation day on their birthdays. Small gestures can go a long way.

Confer Public Recognition: Has a staff member been burning the midnight oil? Did someone recently land a big client? Give a public shout-out at an all-hands meeting or staff retreat. Publically recognizing someone for their efforts is a fantastic morale booster.

Encourage Training and Skill-Building Classes: Encouraging (and paying for) your employees to undertake professional training or classes lets them know you believe in their future and care about their career growth. That's motivating!

Gym Memberships: Fit employees are happy employees. Encouraging your employees to embrace healthy lifestyle choices such as exercise and smart nutrition pays dividends for companies. Employees are healthy, more motivated and happier.

Input: So what do you think? Does asking for input make you feel like your opinion matters? Of course it does! Solicit feedback and suggestions from your staff about work projects and company policies. Everyone wants to be heard.

How do you keep your morale up during challenging times? Does your office have any policies for boosting morale? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook page.

by Carly Fadako

Motivate Yourself!

Community Manager — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:27:00 GMT

As anyone who has ever thought about going to the gym can tell you, thinking and doing are vastly different verbs. The difference between the people who hit the gym every morning and those that mean to get there but rarely do is motivation: self-motivation.

Onwards

Self-motivation is a building block of success. Getting from A to Z requires an internal drive that propels one forward, especially when it's easier to hit the snooze button when the gym beckons. With summer in its waning days, and the fall back-to-school season upon us, it's time for some tips to get our self-motivation mojo back in form.

First, a status check. How self-motivated are you? This revealing quiz from Mindtools.com provides a chance to assess your strengths and weaknesses.

If you feel in need of a tune-up, here are a few tactics to help shape up your self-motivation skills.

Start Simple: Set small, achievable goals and own them! Success breeds success.
Carrots & Sticks: Perform well and reward yourself. Pretty simple.
Consequences: Picture the negative outcome of not moving towards your goal. Don't overdo this, a positive attitude is necessary but a realistic outlook is a must-have as well.
Keep good company: Hang out with motivated people. Can-do is contagious!

Looking for inspiration? Check in with this wonderful Huffington Post piece from time to time: How to Motivate Yourself: 21 Quotes to Help You Refocus and Renew.

How do you self-motivate? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Carly Fadako

Feeling Low? Give Your Office Morale a Boost

Community Manager — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:08:00 GMT

For the better part of the last two years, we have been inundated with the harsh realities of the economic downturn. So, it likely comes as no surprise that a recent survey showed that almost a quarter of all businesses are experiencing low employee morale.

As this Reuters report on the poll sets out, survey respondents attribute the problem to:

High stress levels
Increased workloads
Favoritism

According to this post on the causes and cures of low morale in the workplace, another driving force is poor leadership.

If you are an employer or office leader, it is important to be proactive in recognizing and remedying low morale in the workplace. You can start with some guidance from this CareerBuilder.com post on 5 No-Brainer Morale Boosters. Topping the list is "do as you say." Hypocracy is a very destructive force and "you should hold yourself accountable just as you do your employees." More tips can be found in this HR World post on boosting morale, including:

Celebrate personal milestones
Establish employee-recognition programs
Treat employees to lunch
Check in regularly through individual and group meetings
Bring employees together to perform community service
Offer financial incentives
Conduct employee-satisfaction surveys

As this TechRepublic post on team morale points out, no one should ignore the uplifting power of being a good listener and saying "thank you." If you are looking for a group exercise to raise office spirits, you should take note of this post discussing the office morale-boosting effects of NCAA office pools .

Do you have any suggestions about boosting office morale? Please share them with us here or on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

By Bradley Eggers

Debunking the Myth of Carrots and Sticks: What Really Motivates Us?

Community Manager — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:06:00 GMT

Fame?

Fortune?

Power?

Most business owners and leaders would give anything to know what motivates employees to do their best work.

As this article on the science and psychology of motivation sets out, there are numerous theories of motivation. Most focus on two principal categories of motivators. Extrinsic motivators come from outside forces like people, situations, events and environments. They include:

Pay raises
Accolades
Promotions
Bonuses
Vacation time
The corner office

Then there are intrinsic motivators deriving from internal forces like:

Personal pride
A Strong work ethic
Love of the work itself
A particular value system

Scientists studying motivation have long questioned the value of external motivators in the workplace - the carrots and sticks offered workers in the form of rewards and punishments.

This is the science and questioning behind bestselling author Dan Pink's latest book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.

Pink has previously written about the rise of right-brain thinking and the growing importance of traits like empathy and creativity. As he explains in this interview, his latest research on motivation confirms that "[c]arrots and sticks work, but only in a surprisingly narrow band of circumstances. For enduring motivation and high performance," workplace leaders should offer incentives that foster workers' drive for:

Autonomy - Our urge to direct our own lives
Mastery - Our desire to get better and better at something that matters
Purpose - Our yearning to connect to something larger than ourselves

Pink gave a very motivating talk on the science of motivation at TEDGlobal 2009. You can watch it in its entirety here.

We would like to know what motivates you to do your best work. Please share your thoughts with us in the comments area here or at our Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Bradley Eggers