Employee Motivation | Self Motivation

4 Ways to Fight Pessimism

2009-10-19T02:14:00.000-07:00

Some people are naturally pessimistic and are happy being so. They view themselves as pragmatic and as having a better sense of reality. Then there are those of us who feel weighed down by negativity and wish that we could be more optimistic. This is completely possible. It all lies in the way we perceive things...
1. Stress management
When we conceal our anxieties, they only build. Each concern can snowball into a feeling of being overwhelmed. Each person has their own way of letting off steam. This varies from exercise, to listening to music, to reading a good book. More of us are beginning to realize how important proper stress management is to both our physical and mental health.
2. Constant reality checks
It is sometimes necessary to debate the validity of your concerns to determine whether they are rational or not. This is called self-rationalization and one of the most recognized methods is the worst case scenario. This is when you consider the worst possible situation, then go on to consider whether it is likely to happen. For example, a loved one said they would call once they arrived by subway to a certain destination. They should have reached that destination 15 minutes ago. You may dream up scenarios of there being a train accident or some other frightful incident took place. But after a little thought, you find that it’s more probable that they either have yet to reach their stop or they will simply call you when it is convenient for them. You never want to leap to conclusions and cause yourself unnecessary stress.
3. Support of friends and family
Friends and family are usually more than willing to provide you with a much needed reality check. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have close friends and family members to confide in though. It is detrimental to find some type of support when you are feeling extremely confused or overwhelmed. This support may have to come from a trusted co-worker or a member of a support group. Sometimes all it takes is another person’s point of view to put things into perspective.
4. Own your feelings
Accept that you have complete control over your perceptions and internal responses. You may not have control over what happened on your commute to work that upset you. But you are able to decide whether you become relieved when the day is finally over, or frustrated, claiming you are always being dealt a bad hand.

A "Slumdog" Choice

2009-04-03T04:05:00.000-07:00

Have you already seen the movie "Slumdog Millionaire"? It has become quite a phenomenon in the entertainment business this year. It went all the way to winning the Oscars for best movie of 2008. Even if you haven't seen it yet you must know by now what the story is all about: an orphan boy, slums of India, a TV game show, poverty, crime, love, dance, dreams, success and much more. It has thrilled the audiences around the world and made millions in the box office.
Following on the movie's success, Newsweek magazine published a small essay a couple of weeks ago written by Sudip Mazumdar, an Indian reported who was himself a real "Slumdog". He was born and raised in the slums of India and had a clear and real vision of the life dramatized in the movie.
The author writes about how hard it is for anyone to be able to get out of the slums and make a better life for themselves. He says, however, that he was one of the lucky ones. Lucky? Wait until you read the article.
Here you have the story of a kid who had nothing working for him. His parents lost practically everything in the sectarian riots leading to Indian's independence. They started their lives over again living in rat-infested places with leaking roofs and with his father working as a petty clerk -- an incredibly dire scenario.
Why am I telling you such an unfortunate story? You thought this article was about inspirational and uplifting messages, no? Well, it is! And here is the point.
The core of Mr. Mazumdar's story is not the poverty and his trials as a young boy in India. His message is of determination, resilience, focus and the reality of what is possible when you set your mind, clear your thoughts and work hard. He may have grown up in the slums of India, but today he is an international correspondent to one of the most reputable weekly magazine in the world. Wait until you see what he did to learn English -- a skill that most of us here in the USA take for granted. After you read his story, you will see that we have no room for excuses.
What makes his story so remarkable? His choice. There in the slums of India, he could have simply accepted his fate, put the blame on the circumstances and lived his whole life as it was. Instead, he chose to believe, he chose to dream, to search for possibilities, to look at the bright side of things, to persist, to work hard and to never give up.
The core of the coaching process is exactly this. In every moment of our lives, we have a choice. How are we going to react to the events happening around and inside of us? Are we choosing defeat, self-pity, illness, depression and fear or are we voting for life, freedom, joy, connection, health, energy and love?
As I work with my clients, we try to find ways for us to ever so more, opt for life. We work together to peel off the labels, let go of the assumptions, erase the hurdles, find solutions and move into possibilities, into success, into life.
No matter the situation, what are you choosing for yourself right now? How are you maneuvering through life's events? What are the old assumptions you have been carrying for so long that does not fit you anymore? When are you going to let go of them and embrace what is ahead? How can I support you on this journey?
As the real "slumdog" did, it doesn't matter where you came from. It doesn't matter your background. It doesn't matter what happened yesterday. All that you have is right now and the choice is yours to make. Are you ready for life? Are you ready for the possibilities? What is your choice?

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An Incredible Motivational Story

2009-03-28T00:18:00.000-07:00

As a society we have looked up to successful people and those individuals who have overcome extraordinary feats of courage and determination. We all have our favourite stories and legends, but hearing others examples of how they overcame adversity is a great way to stimulate and to motivate ourselves into achieving our own goals.We have all heard real life stories of ordinary people achieving extraordinary tasks, in fact it is often the task that makes otherwise ordinary people into legends. I would like to share with you one such story, I hope you find inspiration from it too.
Florence Nightingale - Nurse.
Was born to wealthy English parents in 1820, she was educated at home by her father and had a strict upbringing. Florence rejected marriage because she felt she would become entrapped by domestic responsibilities. She always felt she had a calling to serve, and in a time when respectable young ladies were expected to marry well, she refused and was not supported by her parents, who felt such a profession was beneath their status.
In 1853 the Crimera war broke out, it was a bloody war for both sides. This war received extensive press reporting and the stories from the battles shocked a whole nation, it was then that the legendary status of Florence Nightingale began. Florence went to the Crimera in 1855 and was asked to organise a group of nurses, initially cleaning the hospital though this would change when the hospital became overwhelmed by the number of casualties.
Florence soon blended her unique passion for cleanliness with her compassion for the injured and dying. Stories reached the English press of how comforting she was to the injured soldiers and her name became synonymous with caring. Florence Nightingale returned to England after the war and opened a school for Nursing at St Thomas's hospital London.
Florence Nightingale is not famous because she became a Nurse, she became famous because she thought outside of the box, did something she was not supposed to do, disobeyed her parents and followed her dream to help people and make a difference. It is easy to follow a path that is already marked out, but making a new path takes courage and determination, how easily she could have failed to achieve her goal, thankfully she succeeded, she has a place in history because she was motivated and determined.

Too hard to make money in this economy

2009-03-25T04:51:00.000-07:00

It is too hard to make money in this economy?
What do you mean I can become wealthy?
You are doing what?
Inevitably, we are constantly surrounded by people who know what is best for us. Our parents tell us that we should make our decisions based on what we learned in school. Our friends tell us we should base our decisions on what we learned from the latest and greatest infomercial. Finally, our financial advisors advise us on how to invest on money based on their opinion, even if the opinion is not in our best interests.
So who do we listen to?
It is very simple actually!
Listen to those who have done what it is you so desire!
If you want to be a successful guitar player, don't follow the guy at the bar that "knows" what you have to do to become successful.
Learn from the likes of someone like Eddie Van Halen. He has become successful as a guitar player and if that is what you want to do, why else learn from anyone else?
Watch his videos. Learn his riffs. Read his interviews.
If you want to be a successful chef, don't follow the guy who makes good hamburgers in his backyard. Let's face it, almost anyone can make a better burger than McDonald's. Learn from the likes of someone like Wolfgang Puck. He has become a succesful chef and if a chef is what you want to be, why else learn from anyone else?
Watch his television shows. Cook using his recipes. Get tips from his websites or other sources.
Now, if you want to become wealthy, don't follow your family and friends, unless they have achieved wealth. We have all heard the saying "If you want to soar like the eagles, stop hanging around with turkeys!" I am not saying that your family or friends are turkeys.
What I am suggesting is look at what your goals and desires are and learn from the people who can most get you there. If that is your family, great. Learn from them. If not, find successful "eagles" and start learning their ways of thinking. Start watching their videos. Learn their techniques. Read their interviews.
Your dreams will not wait for you to get there.
You need to go out and get them!

Isn't it Wonderful?

2009-03-17T01:52:00.000-07:00

Imagine this: After many months of consistency on an exercise program accompanied by faithful adherence to a healthy eating plan; you've lost 100 pounds! (You've weighed 225 lbs. for the past 10 years) You look fit, healthy, and full of life. Wow! What an accomplishment! You hardly recognize the person reflected back in the mirror-and neither can anyone else. Friends, family, co-workers, and acquaintances react with jaw-dropping amazement to "the new you." And when you receive compliments such as "You look fantastic!" or "I can't believe it, you look amazing!" Your response is ".....I know!" spoken with such total sincerity, enthusiasm, and a genuine smile that others immediately share in your joy.
Does that sound strange to you? I had that experience recently. Or rather, I saw that experience-on film. A friend of mine recently recommended a film to me and despite being known for having a great memory for otherwise useless information, the film's title sounded only vaguely familiar to me. I decided that it had to one of those movies that had gone "straight to video." And I was right. But, I was so intrigued by what my friend had told me about the scene I described above, I had to rent it and see for myself. I had been forewarned, and the movie was exactly what I'd expected; except for what I didn't expect-that I would be really moved by it. My Mother's New Boyfriend starred Meg Ryan, Antonio Banderas, Selma Blair, and Colin Hanks (yes, his son). I won't bore you with a detailed plot description but I will tell you that the Meg Ryan character begins the movie in a fat suit. One would assume she weighs somewhere between 250-300 pounds. She smokes, eats Twinkies and other junk, and seems to be very lethargic. Her son is sent out of the country on a work assignment for what seems like a year or two. He returns to town to find his mother to be the svelte Meg Ryan we are all familiar with. Throughout the movie, those around her comment on her physical transformation which in terms of its significance, appears to pale in comparison to her emotional transformation. She further drives the point home in one scene, by sharing a photo album (with a new boyfriend no less), narrating.."this was me at 170 lbs..and this was me at 140 lbs.." It would require a gun to the head of most of the women I know to share those pictures with a new guy.
But it got me thinking..in my line of work, I have witnessed more than one woman go through the type of physical transformation that inspires a complete life "renovation." There is nothing more motivating and inspiring than witnessing another human taking control of their life and turning it inside-out in such a profound way. It reminds us of our own potential. Yet, for those I have known who have achieved something that significant, I've yet to hear more than a polite "thank you" in response to another's heartfelt congratulations. Why don't we feel it's appropriate to be excited, enthusiastic, and proud of our biggest accomplishments? Ryan's character in the film responds in such a sincere and exuberant way, we readily believe her response to be the most natural thing in the world, devoid of any conceit. Yet it struck me that I've never known anyone to react this way. What a shame! Even in a society plagued by pathological narcissism, have you ever known anyone (over the age of 20) who lost even ten pounds and said "aw, that was easy!" I hope to one day be present when a client of mine is complimented on such an accomplishment and she'll respond by saying "..I know! Isn't it wonderful?!"

Practice is Motivating

2009-03-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

What do hockey player's birthdays and The Beetles early gigs in German strip clubs teach us about MOTIVATION?
They both serve as really great evidence that innate ability is NOT a very important factor in achieving success. When we realize that and take it to heart, we are encouraged to believe that we can indeed accomplish ANYTHING if we are willing to do the work involved, and that knowledge provides us with the motivation we need to pursue our goals with confidence and enthusiasm.
According to Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers", a very strange coincidence was noticed in a hockey player roster - an unusually large percentage of of the players on the team had birthdays in January. The remainder of the team had birthdays in February or March. He looked into it and discovered this strange birthday effect in other sports in other countries around the world. And he also found this effect is other disciplines as well - not just sports. The reason people born early in the year were better at sports, and music and chess and school and many other challenges in life was simple - every time you have a cut-off date to join a group when you are young, those born earlier in the year have a TIME advantage over those born later in the year.
So - in our 'clever' system designed to filter through millions of young children to select the best of the best of the best in terms of innate talent for our sports teams, dance competitions, debate teams, piano recitals, etc, what we actually end up doing is simply sorting our kids by month of birth, and singling out those born earlier in the calendar year who are up to a full year older and more mature than the other kids in that 12 month age bracket. When you are 8 years old, 10 months worth of age advantage is a full 10% of your life!
Why is Tiger Woods such an amazing golfer? It is no secret that he practiced like a maniac from a VERY early age. Tiger was playing golf on a regular basis when he was 2 years old. Because his father introduced him to golf at an extremely early age of 18 months and encouraged him to practice intensively, Woods had racked up at least 15 years of practice by the time he became the youngest-ever winner of the U.S. Amateur Championship, at age 18. Did you know that the Beetles used to play on stage in Hamburg strip clubs for 8 hours per day? By the time they became "over night sensations" in North America, then had already practiced more hours than most other bands did in their entire careers!
Same goes with Bill Gates and programming computers. He just happened to have access to a university computer lab that had new, very fast time-sharing mainframe computers, and spent thousands of hours leaning programming. By the time he was in late high school, he was probably one of the most talented computer programers on the planet.
What does this have to do with motivation? Well, it turns out that success in almost anything at all has WAY more to do with the amount of TIME we have to PRACTICE (or WORK at learning how to do it) than innate talent. So, if you really want to be the best drummer in the world, the best speller in your grade, the best chef in your city, the best sales rep in your region, the fastest runner in your age group or simply the best friend you can be, then you need to know that you can do it if you are both willing and able to WORK at it!
Studies have shown that we we BELIEVE we can accomplish something, we are far more likely to invest the time into working toward that goal. Kids in groups who were told they were the top 10%, practiced an average of 30% MORE than the remainder of the group. And this had nothing to do with talent - it's just that those children were slightly older than the other kids in the age-grouping and had the benefit of almost a full year of extra practice time under their belts. Since they were singled out each year as the best in their groups, they eagerly increased their practice time by an additional 30% over the other kids. This has a compounding effect - 30% more time invested each year, year after year, means that when you turn 18, and a hockey scout watches your team play hockey, you are probably going to stand out as some kind of super star.
In my speech Bold!, I say that the first step in accomplishing a goal is to get out there on the edge and make it big. Our boldness toward choosing a goal provides us with the, excitement and passion that we are going to require on our journey. Anything less and we just won't care enough. But the very first step in this process is to boldly BELIEVE that you ARE capable of doing it! Your belief will provide you with the motivation to invest the time and effort into achieving your goal because you will KNOW that you are capable of achieving success!
So what is it that YOU want to accomplish? Is it BOLD enough? And are you willing to go to work? If so, there is no limit to what you can accomplish. Believe in yourself and in the words of Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe: "What you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. For boldness has genius, power and magic in it." BEGIN IT!

Thought is the Cause of it ALL

2009-03-12T03:21:00.000-07:00

Philosophers and doctors of law have taught us ever since the days of old that what we think will manifest itself into physical existence. The law of karma is defined basically as: What we reap, we sow. This also is the law of cause and effect, which is that what goes around comes back around again. The power of our minds is great. Have you ever made yourself feel sick by telling yourself that you were, just so you could take the day off from work, and then you began to really take ill? This was so all because of your thinking.
We think negative thoughts about others on a daily basis, when in fact if we would just uplift them we would feel much better about ourselves and pretty much keep negative karma out of our lives. When you have a harmful thought, you do harm to the Universe, because every living thing is bound by cords to every other living thing. How could you say that you love God whom you've never seen and hate your brother or sister whom you see every day when man was made in the image and likeness of God? Hate is a cruel word; it is an action. When you talk about and judge others, scorn others, or violate anyone it is hate, and you will pay for it later. You will get back everything that you deserve in due time. If you want to serve God, just serve your near kin and those who are not kin, the stranger at your gates, the foe who seeks to do you harm. When someone harms you and is evil toward you, do not return the evil and hate with evil and hate; just give their injustice a friendly admonition and turn the hate of men into love, and God is pleased.
We have been through so much with slavery, racism, etc. that we have turned into a very cruel and selfish people. Once we know that if we change our thoughts we will begin to change, then we will collectively begin to watch the ways in which we think. There is nothing that we do that does not stem from a thought. This is so because God gave man a will to choose, so we accomplish only what we set our minds on to accomplish. To animals he gave instinct so they do only what they are intended to do. We should soon figure out that our sinful thoughts are the reasons why we constantly have confusion and chaos in our lives. Jesus said, "The sin lies in the wish, in the desire, not in the act." Man was put on earth and intended to live the good life. That does not mean that trials and tribulations do not come, but that is exactly what they are, TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS. God does not intend for any man to go through chaotic retributions; it is only of man's own will. When you are being tempted know for certain that it is your lower self tempting you, and not God (Holy Bible: James 1:12-14).
Man has two selves, the higher self and the lower self. The higher self is the mother of virtues and the harmony of life that breeds justice, mercy, love, and right. The lower self is hatred, slander, lewdness, murder, theft, and everything that harms. If your thoughts are from your higher self then your life will be filled with prosperity. If your thoughts are constantly from your lower self then your life will be filled with disappointments and crisis. Why wouldn't we want our lives to be prosperous, our cups running over with goodness? There are things and activities in our daily lives that need to be corrected for us to really be recognized by all other nations of the world.
Try to control your thinking and begin to think good thoughts on a daily basis. I know it is rough, because most of us are in a down- trodden position, but we must take the first step of letting God come into our hearts and minds and keeping good clean thoughts. When you do this, see if your earthly and heavenly conditions change, because God is love and all of the prophets of God came to manifest that love to men. The man who can control his thinking can rule the world, because his thoughts bring everything into manifestation. As a man thinks, so is he. If you think you are great then you are; if you are ashamed of yourself and have no self-worth then the world will feel the same way toward you.
The thoughts of God cannot be circumscribed; they are from the everlasting days of the past unto the never-ending days to come. Man was a thought that was manifested and brought forth to be the lord of the plane of things made manifest, and man was given control and dominion over everything on earth. He was given the right to name and delegate every living thing. So man is sort of a god, not the great God as some would believe. Man's thought was not of things heavenly, so he debased himself and fell, and the carnal nature sprang forth. Because of man's thoughts the lower self came into existence, which is considered to be hatred, slander, lewdness, murder, thefts, and everything that harms. Because of the lower self we cannot attain things heavenly; everything that we desire is of the flesh, an illusion, and will pass away at some point. Recognize that all thoughts of God are on high. So man, you are the husbandman of everything that ever was, is, or evermore will be.

What Does Self Motivation Mean to You

2009-03-11T01:55:00.000-07:00

At first it may seem like an odd question, but if you think about it it's not odd at all. Even before deciding what you hope to gain from self-help, and what benefits you expect to receive, thinking about what the entire concept of Self Motivation means to you will make it more likely for you to attain the results you want.
During the last few decades, the scope of Self Motivation has been a significant money-making industry. Those with credentials, as well as those with more greed than legitimate knowledge or information to contribute, all had something to offer to anyone who was willing and able to pay for it.
When you are considering the size and scope of the industry in comparison to the number of individuals who have been truly satisfied with the results, you may find it astounding. You may also wonder who is to blame, and if there is anything in the Self Motivation field that is actually worth it. You may even be tempted to think that there is no way anything can be of any constructive help, and be on the brink of giving up hope.
While some forms of Self Motivation have indeed been more legitimate than others, there is a sensible way of looking at why the huge number of consumers has not netted more positive results. Rather than pointing a finger of blame at the industry, pointing a finger back to one's own accountability would be much more useful in the long-run.
If the individual person does not have the self-motivation necessary to do what needs to be done, his problems will not miraculously disappear by themselves. Even if he purchases every Self Motivation book in his city's book store or online, and attends every single seminar billed as being for the purpose of helping a person achieve whatever he wishes, it cannot produce any true, lasting, positive effects if he does not have the self-motivation and self-discipline needed to focus on changing himself.
All of the good intentions in the world have one factor in common. They cannot produce the results which you must begin to produce for yourself. This is why the phrase "self-help" includes the word "self"-- it can only be done with your own direct participation, when you set yourself to the task.
It is not difficult at all to become self-motivated. All you need to do is to realize that the task of creating your future is in your own hands, and you are preparing yourself to take the first step.

Time to Take Action

2009-03-07T00:10:00.000-08:00

"He Who Has Begun Is Half Done. " ~ Horace
Action is known as the ingredient that ensures results. No Action, No Result. Simple as that! Many people plan and talk about what they want to do, but when it comes to actually doing something, They do nothing!
It has be said from ages ago, that "Faith Without Works Saves No Useful Purpose" That's A Fact! Affirmations alone will not do the JOB. Positive thinking and affirmations are only good if you TAKE ACTION. There is no point professing you are going to be successful while sitting down taking no action. You will be contradicting yourself and nothing will happen. Don't just be a "knower" of things or a talker of things, BECOME A DOER OF THINGS.
It is ACTION that guarantees you success not your thoughts alone. You will not succeed if you skip Action out of your endeavors. Your Works Speaks Louder Than Your Words. People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do for they can see it.
Remember Inaction breeds fear. Action breeds Confidence. If you want to defeat fear, don't sit at home & think about it. Go out there & get busy!
Here Is My Main Point: IF YOU WANT TO MAKE PROGRESS IN YOUR LIFE; GET YOURSELF STARTED!
From Today begin Taking Action.
It's time to begin writing that book
It's time to get that business started
It's time to launch that product or service
It's time to ask that brilliant person out for a date
It's time to read that book you have been meaning to read
It's time you pick up the phone and talk to that difficult client with confidence
It's time to pick up the phone and talk to the person you have been meaning to talk to
No more procrastinating, No more postponing and rescheduling. It's Time You Take Some Action.
Take Action and you will surprise yourself of how easy it can be to achieve something despite a few obstacles you might face to achieve your intended result. Don't Just Plan & Think, Take Action, Take Action, Take Action. Be A Doer! My elders used to say; "It's not what you know, it's what you do with what you know."

Self-Confidence - Tips to Maintain Balance

2009-03-06T03:09:00.001-08:00

Sometimes it seems that everything is pulling you in different directions at once. Your sense of what you thought your life would be like and what you are experiencing might leave you feeling confused and off balance.
This feeling of confusion and being off balance may stem from having not clearly defined what you want for your life. You need to stop and spend time to focus on what you truly want for yourself-your desires.
Take time each day to enter into a state of calmness and center your thoughts for ten minutes. Writing your thoughts in free-writing style is very powerful. Simply write your ideas/thoughts without editing, censoring or stopping. Simply write whatever comes to mind, even if it does not seem clear at first glance. This writing style will assist you to put your scattered thoughts into form. Then, read your writing and see if a pattern comes to light. This is an effective way to access your deepest wisdom about yourself and what you desire.
Recently, the word, 'champion,' emerged in my writing. At first glance, it seemed out of place and irrelevant to my current desires. Upon closer contemplation, a thought process emerged. I needed to 'champion' myself more frequently. I need to 'champion' myself the same way, I 'champion' others. Since I began 'championing' myself more frequently, I notice I am engaging in routine tasks and taking on challenges with more enthusiasm, energy and conviction.
Allowing your thoughts to flow freely is a powerful tool to find the root issue that needs to be processed in order to bring yourself back into balance. Putting a firm grip on the flow of your thoughts when you are feeling off balance or distracted will inhibit your ability to concentrate. When you become highly focused on your feelings about the stream of ideas rather than your thoughts that created the feelings, you will feel more off balance.
Through free-writing you can tap into your subconscious mind to get a clearer picture of your current thoughts and doings. Allowing your thoughts to flow freely means that you learn what you really need or want. You need to free yourself from judgment or criticism, which gives you a greater sense of purpose. Giving yourself permission to be in touch with what you truly want in life will lessen your confusion and help you create the direction you want to go.

Self-Confidence - Tips to Maintain Balance

2009-03-06T03:09:00.000-08:00

Finding Inspiration and Joy After a Crisis

2009-03-05T00:13:00.000-08:00

Life is wonky. I think wonky pretty much describes everyday life. In one day we can experience joy, frustration, laughter, tears, excitement, pure bliss and disappointment. That's pretty wonky if you think about it. But it's life. Our one sweet, precious life.
So how does one rediscover joy after a crisis or difficult period in their life? Ordinary people somehow bounce back in extraordinary ways. What's their secret? Think of these steps as your roadmap to rediscovering joy and celebrating the true you!
Think of rediscovering joy after a crisis as a culmination of baby steps. First step in the journey is getting back into the routine of everyday life. The simplicity in routine can help you bounce back and bring comfort. From there, the next few steps will make all the difference in how you can truly rediscover joy and your "true self" that was probably lost along the way.
Dive into things you're passionate about and do lots of it. This is a great way to boost confidence and fuel the soul, which ultimately leads one to start taking leaps of faith. Leaps of faith and taking chances will bring you joy and a sense of "aliveness".
Surround yourself with a positive, supportive network of friends and family. They will lift your spirits and remind you of your greatness!
The next step and probably the most challenging, letting yourself grieve. Make peace with whatever has happened and then know that it will all be okay.

The Art of Employee Motivation

2009-03-03T02:04:00.001-08:00

If you think that your employees’ poor performance on their designated jobs is costing you a whole lot of loss profits, then instead of just doing a total overhaul of your employee roster, why not try to do some employee motivation tactics to get them to actually come around and be able to save your company from looming bankruptcy. It really is fairly easy and simple to rouse some employee motivation, you just have to take these techniques to heart:

People nowadays are concerned of the lack of importance that is being put into health care plans. Is your company one of those companies who does not provide their employees with the health benefits that they should be entitled too? This is a possible reason why your employees’ morale are down. You need to reassess the situation and try to give them the health benefits that will ensure them that they will be protected by the company that they have been loyal even in their times of sickness. Always remember that a happy worker is a satisfied worker so make sure to use this employee motivation tool in order to give your employees morale a much needed boost.

Remember, companies are usually employed with some women who will, most often than not, become mothers. So it is highly important that you know their needs especially during the time when they would want to avail of their maternity leave. It is important that your company, no matter what kind of product or service you offer, is always sensitive to your employees needs, no matter what gender.

When it comes to having a good health plan for your employees, you must be sure that your health plan is actually of any good or else it would not really do any good to your employees’
morale. Make sure that the health plan will be able to cover all their basic needs and it wouldn’t really hurt if you throw in some added kicks.

Basic health care plans that you can use for employee motivation actually covers the following: full coverage for any basic illness or injury, coverage of hospital payments in case the employee has to be checked in at the hospital or if there are some minor surgeries that need to be done.

Added benefits to further boost employee motivation through a health care plan is through having their dental health covered as well as their optical needs, eyeglass subsidies as well as free dental cleaning and check-ups will be a good treat for your employees and will surely be a great added employee motivation move.

Apart from having a good health care plan for your employee motivation tactics, you must also be able to provide for them some other additional care such as an insurance plan which they can rely on in case something bad happens to them and they are still of service to your company. Even if this employee motivation move will not be availed by the employee’s family during the time of his or her service, your employee can still choose to continue on paying for the premiums of the insurance plan even after he or she has retired from your company. Unfortunately for your employees, once they resign
from a job position at you company the said insurance plan will be revoked since the company will not be able to play for your insurance premiums anymore (remember, all the payments from these employee motivation tactics will actually come from the employee’s salary).

Another great employee motivation move for loyal employees of your company is to have a car loan ready for them, employees who have already served some considerable amount of years in the company should be entitled to a car plan wherein deductions from their salary will be used to pay for their vehicle of choice. This is a great employee motivation move since those who are not able to afford a car (a brand new car at that!) would actually want to continue staying in your company because of this added employee motivation benefit.

From time to time, especially during special occasions, you need to be able to give your employees some added morale boost by organizing events or parties that will foster camaraderie among your employees. A little good time certainly wouldn’t hurt anyone and this will all be in the spirit of good ole’ company fun. Employee motivation directed events such as Christmas parties and company picnics are surely a welcome treat to your seemingly overworked and over fatigue employees.

You must also remember to give your employees some time to unwind like providing your regular employees the benefit of having a two-week paid vacation leave. That’s the least you can do for your employees who you have held captive for the majority of the year in your office.

These are really simple and easy employee motivation tactics that you can do in order to boost your employees’ morale and be able to ensure a good upkeep of your company.

Employee Motivation: Recoginition

2008-05-03T04:14:00.000-07:00

Small Business owners often confronted with high employee attrition. For most small entrepreneurs the easiest solution when a valuable employee resigns his job is to offer more benefits in terms of money and perquisites. But rarely does it work. Very hExit interviews often point out low moral due to infrequent appreciation and recognition of the contribution of the employee leading to de-motivation and disenchantment with the job.

Improving employee motivation and morale is the easiest method of improving organizational productivity and cut down employee turnovers. Replacing good employee could be expensive in terms of recruitment costs and time.

Research has conclusively established that the major reason for attrition in an organization is not money. It is more a matter of lack of recognition and rewards. You may be able to reduce attrition considerably if managers are trained to recognize and reward good performance. In fact every opportunity must be used to appreciate the work of the employees. Easier said than done, it takes a dedication and commitment towards the employees.

Here is a list of the ways one can motivate employees

1) Find every opportunity to appreciate good work
2) Recognize contributions in public forums and employee get together or meetings
3) Offer opportunities to learn, improve skills and knowledge through training
4) Create scope for sharing success through with others through narrating best practices adopted
5) Token gifts and invitation to a Dinner with family

Offer opportunities for rest and relaxation on attaining goals and good performances

Feature in house journals. If house journals are not available make sure to write out a appreciation and put on notice boards and circulate to all members of the organization

It only takes imagination to create a list as long as you want. Plan and create the list for frequent use.

Employee motivation is a complex subject and generally a neglected area. Whatever recognition and rewards are conferred are very mechanical and lacks warmth and spontaneity.

It is easier to theorize than practice employee motivation programs. It would not be a bad idea to train your managers extensively on this area. The rewards for the organization could be less employee turnovers, high levels of motivation, increased productivity, commitment and team work.

Employee Motivation Tips & Tricks

2008-05-03T04:05:00.000-07:00

Employee Motivation there may be thousands of techniques, principles, and ideas about effective and efficient management, but one method still stands above the rest. Every great manager, coach, and parent knows the secret and puts it to use every moment of every day.

This method not only trains but also inspires others to achieve greater result. With today's business world in dire need of quick and effective training methods, this is one technique you don't want to be without.Lead by example.

As Emerson once wrote, 'Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you're saying.' It doesn't matter what you want others to do if you are not willing to set the example first.This presents a definite problem for managers and supervisors who would rather have people 'do as they say and not as they do,' but if you're really interested in improving the performance and experience of the people you rely on, the changes have to come from the head down.NEW EXAMPLE, NEW RESULTS.

When Douglas Freimark was named the new head of the sales department, he had his work cut out for him. The results in that department had been slowly decreasing, and the drop in results was crippling the company's ability to improve and expand.

Before he stepped into his new role, he was given a quick overview of the problem. In essence, he was told the sales force was failing to meet expectations. If things didn't improve fast, he was to remove the current employees and hire a new team.Douglas understood motivation and the power of example enough to see through his supervisor's words.

Working within the company before his latest promotion, Douglas was aware of the previous sales manager. He knew that the problem stemmed less from the sales force and more from a lack of leadership.By acting in a way that he wished others to act, Douglas quickly improved the moral of the team. He let them know that he would never ask more of them than he did of himself. Douglas showed up early, worked with focus and intent, and stayed late. He was the example and the employees followed his lead.

In only a few weeks the sales force looked like a completely different group of people. They were excited about their work, about their goals, and about their future. Results quickly improved and were on their way to breaking company records.While most would have replaced the 'problem' with a new set of faces, Douglas realized what the sales department was missing wasn't talented employees but the right example to follow.The employees hadn't changed - their example and expectations did.

Examine not what you say to your people but who you are and what you communicate with your own behavior. Be the example of what you wish to see in others.

Employee Motivation: Benefits will increase Productivity

2008-04-30T23:21:00.000-07:00

Employee benefits are essential for the development of corporate industrial relations. According to Herzberg’s two-factor theory (motivation and hygiene), an employee benefit programme is a necessary and sufficient working condition. The hygiene factor will affect employees’ work motivation and thus productivity.

In the stimulus-response behaviour, employees’ work-motivation, seen as the response, can be analysed from absence rate, leave rate, quit rate, get-to-work speed and so on. Productivity can be analysed from quality and quantity of products. The quality indices include faults and returns. The quantity indices include completion time and the production hygiene factor. This depends on the individual properties of the employee, who is the medium essential for management, and stimulates employees to enhance their work and productivity.

In addition, everyone works in expectation of some rewards (both spiritual and material), and welfare is one of them. In other words, the degree of reward influences the quality and quantity of work, and in turn productivity. Hence it is important to explore how to give the stimulus (welfare) in order to promote work motivation and productivity.

To understand the impact of employee benefit on employees’ work motivation and productivity, questionnaires were sent to corporations which had undertaken employee benefit programmes. Results reflected on a variety of assumptions.

Implementation of employee benefit programmes affects employees’ performance. Employee benefit programmes have greater impact on work-motivation than on productivity. Monetary benefit programmes are most highly valued by both executives and workers. There is a cognitive gap between management and worker on the importance of employee benefit programmes. Private-corporation employees have greater employee benefit demands than their public corporation counterparts.

Female and male employees have different benefit demands. Single employees perceive more employee benefit impact on job performance than married ones. Employees with different education levels perceive different employee benefit impact. Employees with different positions perceive different employee benefit impacts. Employee benefit programmes have greater influence on job performance of younger employees.

Employee Motivation: Evolution

2008-04-30T23:17:00.000-07:00

The concept of employee motivation is not at all a new idea. It has been around as long as there have been employees and employers. While the concept itself is not new, new research and awareness have made new aspects of employee motivation not only a possibility, but a reality in the world today.

It was not at all uncommon in the past for an employer to offer some system of rewards and privileges as a means of employee motivation. Recent thinking however has given way to the fact that this process may actually alienate other workers who, for whatever reason, may not be as capable in a particular field or endeavor.

Ultimately, the belief was that this was actually contrary to effective employee motivation and in reality, decreased employee productivity. Since the main idea behind employee motivation is to increase worker productivity, this was seen as very limited in scope and detrimental in the long run regarding employer-employee relations.

Recent beliefs and ideas have introduced new concepts to the field of employee motivation. One of the most common “new” areas of growth in the area of employee motivation is through the use of work teams.

This concept of employee motivation had its major start in the aerospace industry. It allowed a group of dedicated employees to focus together as a team on any given project. This idea of employee motivation worked especially well since it allowed for creative input from a number of employees without restricting the thought of any single person or alienating any one employee in particular.

When the projects went well, the employees were celebrated as a group or as a team, offering employee motivation to the whole group instead of to any one individual.

This concept of employee motivation has since evolved and become common in many fields of study. There are a number of seminars offered which are specifically designed and promoted as a means to offer not only employee motivation, but to create an atmosphere of team work that is surprisingly beneficial to worker productivity.

By allowing the people to work together as teams, and as is often the case in these seminars, making any one employee’s success dependent on the ability of the team as a whole, the workers are unified and become more closely knit and function much better together. This has had profound and far reaching effects in the area of employee motivation.