Entries from August 2009
At McNak we spend our time doing more listening than talking it seems. In our listening we hear common themes about why people stay in their jobs and what leads them to make a change. And it’s really not about the money.
Malcolm Gladwell’s book OUTLIERS The Story of Success got us thinking about why people really do what they do and the decisions they make in their careers. Gladwell’s book has so many great discussion points about culture and success. One very memorable topic discussed was the concept of meaningful work and how it is a constant theme for successful people in terms of business and their careers.
Malcolm’s key points:
There is a clear relationship between work and reward. If the roadmap is clear and individuals can play upon their strengths to participate in the success of the business, there is a strong correlation to meaningful work. It’s the glue.
The degree of complexity of the work. People like to take on new challenges. Sometimes it’s simply a reinterpretation of what they are already doing. This usually leads to higher productivity.
Level of autonomy: this is very much a Gen Y hot spot but we think it applies to most people we work with.
The stick it out factor: if someone has all these elements in their work then they tend to be able to endure adversity and stay on their course to achieve their goals.
Every person has different reasons for working. The reasons for working are as individual as the person. But, we all work because we obtain something that we need from work. The something we obtain from work impacts our morale and motivation and the quality of our lives.
~ Sarah McNeill
Categories: career
Tagged: career, empowering, Malcolm Gladwell, meaningful work, Outliers, productivity
Science teaches us to question everything. In the never ending search to having the best corporate culture, the best customer service or personal brand, Seth Godin’s article spoke volumes. It was so very McNak.
His article is concise, so here it is. Seth is a wonder with the pen.
Seth Godin’s article – The Scientific Method :
In most interactions, we take a defensive posture. We try to defend the brand, or our turf or our job. The problem with defense is that it’s static. The best way to get smarter, to embrace and to cause change and to triumph in times of market turmoil is to adopt the scientific method.
Ask yourself, “what do I believe that’s wrong? How can I change the way I do things? What works? What doesn’t?”
If you enter a conversation looking for something to test, measure and ultimately change, it’s likely you’ll find it. That change makes you more competitive, and you continue to cycle past your competitors. On the other hand, if you enter a conversation concerned about maintaining the status quo, it’s likely that this is exactly what you’re going to do.
Some people read business books looking for confirmation. I read them in search of disquiet. Confirmation is cheap, easy and ineffective. Restlessness and the scientific method, on the other hand, create a culture of testing and inquiry that can’t help but push you forward.
~ Sarah McNeill
photo credit: the_tjb
Categories: Leadership and Team Building
Tagged: corporate culture, human capital, Leadership, McNak
It’s all about Brain Science. Why staying positive is your best defense against career stagnation.
Fortune Magazine wrote a recent article on the 6 ways to be happier at work. Here are the highlights.
Shawn Achor, head of Aspirant, a consulting firm that advises clients like Microsoft and American Express on how to keep morale and productivity up in these extraordinarily difficult timesIt finds that being upbeat, despite the stress, could actually help you thrive during a downturn. Most people make the mistake of thinking that success leads to happiness. In fact, our brains work precisely the other way around.
Want to train your brain to stay upbeat? Here are six ways to get started:
1. Practice looking for the good. Think about three things you’re grateful for.
2. Have some fun. Many people think the words ‘work’ and ‘fun’ are mutually exclusive.
3. Brighten your office space. Everything around you affects your frame of mind.
4. Keep a journal. Verbalize your negative thoughts. The simple act of writing it down immediately decreases the magnitude.
5. Invest in people. The greatest predictor of success during stress and challenge is the quality and quantity of your relationships. Keep your social network active.
6. Think of work as a series of sprints, not a marathon. Try to split up your workday into short sprints of 90 to 120 minutes each, with a 5-minute break in between. Walk down the hall or around the block, call a friend, listen to a calming piece of music, or do some stretching exercises.
~ Sarah McNeill
Categories: career
Tagged: engagement, fun, happiness, human capital, productivity
Albert Einstein got us thinking about workplace success with his quote, ‘If A is success in life, then A = X + Y + Z. X is work, Y is play and Z is keeping your mouth shut!’
We find the most interesting things in the most unique places. Men’s Health 2009 Guide recommends 3 points on how to lower job stress, boost your mind and improve your overall health.
1. Find time to exercise. According to researchers in Denmark, exercising at any intensity for 2 hours a week – an average of 17 minutes a day and you will be 61% less likely to feel highly stressed than your sedentary counterparts. (you know who you are).
2. Take it outside. British Researchers found that people who exercised outdoors reduced their depression by 71%, while indoor exerciser’s depression decreased by only 45% after workouts.
3. Cut out the sweet stuff. People that maintain lower sugar diets have lower levels of depression and anxiety. Happier people also limit their total carb intake to 40% of total calories.
And for those cuppa joe fans, research has shown that drinking 4 cups of coffee a day lowers your risk of heart disease by 53 per cent!
Time to go for that coffee.
~ Sarah McNeill
Categories: career
Tagged: career, empowering, high performance, productivity
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