Adaptability, Optimism, and Diversity

Are you flexible when confronted with workplace challenges or obstacles? Many experts believe that this may be a key competency for workplace success, especially in organizations that possess high levels of emotional intelligence. Not surprising is the idea that being adaptable and displaying high levels of emotional intelligence seem to fit together like hand and glove.

Having the skills to read your environment and understand the needs of the people or the organization and then adapt appropriately should be a desired skill. Like many workplace skills adaptability is not created genetically, it is a learned skill. Those who have learned to scan their environment and make adjustments as required are often regarded as valuable team members. They are the first to get picked for new or challenging assignments.

In many cases those who are adaptable are also highly optimistic.They tend to be resilient in their pursuit of excellence while also facing challenges and setbacks head on. They approach others in the workplace with empathy and leverage diversity effectively. Differences are not viewed as a distraction from the focus, they are viewed as opportunities.

Do you adapt quickly to challenges and obstacles? Are you optimistic about assignments and do you recognize diversity as a collaborative opportunity?

Technorati Tags: adaptability,optimism,diversity

Appreciating Employees

During leadership training workshops I will often ask participants when was the last time you heard "good job" or "nice work", responses are sometimes surprising. I believe that this is one of the most fundamental ways to help build the team and inspire direct reports, co-workers, and even your boss. How appreciative is your workplace? When was the last time you heard this? (On LinkedIn? Take the poll, it is quick, easy, fun, and free!)

Change Management and Employee Motivation

Poll results are indicating that change management skills and employee motivation are top runners for the most important leadership skills. Take the poll. What are your thoughts? Are there specific skills outside of those listing on the poll that you feel are important for leaders during these tough economic times?

Employee Motivation

What drives motivation? How can we get our employees to be more motivated? Is motivation entirely driven from within or can people be trained or coached to gain more motivation?

There are at least three issues driving employee motivation:

1) The employee’s intrinsic desire to perform
2) Length of time spent with an organization in the same job
3) Understanding or buy-in of organizational goals and objectives

Intrinsic desire to perform is arguably the hardest issue to deal with. However examining the circumstances of each individual may unveil sources of motivation. Often employees claim that their number one motivator is pay. Typically with a deeper investigation we find that pay may rank in the top three, but is not the number one motivator. After all, we can always find a job that pays more if we are willing to endure a change in commute, work hours, or risk.

Length of time spent within the same job at the same organization often tells a story about motivation. Many employees will be very motivated during the first one or two years, then years three through eight they experience a drop in motivation. Many start to regain lost motivation around year nine or ten as they have more vested interests in the organization. They may be in a position where they do not wish to change jobs at this point in their career or they may simply feel a deeper sense of belonging and genuine interest in the success of the operation. How can these values be engrained in employees earlier in their tenure?

This brings us to the third motivation driver. The employees’ understanding of why the organization exists. Why does it produce a certain product or provide certain services? Often the organization founders are entrepreneurs who were deeply motivated and genuinely believed in the product or services. Sharing that belief, desire, and motivation to succeed often yields employees gaining similar interests. Driving these organizational values downward and outward throughout the organization spreads motivation. Remember that employee attitudes are contagious and employees with a positive outlook on organizational success will drive the motivation.

Ask your employees if they know the organization mission, vision, or values statements. Incorporate employee orientation programs that spread knowledge early and revisit values frequently throughout employee tenure. Model positive belief in goals and objectives, and make enthusiasm for job performance a cultural value.

How do you rate your level of motivation? Is motivation a problem with employees in your organization?