Bliss at Work

“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work”.
-Aristotle

Are you happy at work? Do you enjoy your job? What about your co-workers and team members?

Careerbliss.com conducted an employee survey at nearly one hundred thousand companies. They pre-determined key “happiness” categories, and based on feedback, identified the top 50 companies to work for in the United States.

Job Happiness . . . 
 
Components:
Growth opportunity
Compensation
Benefits
Work-life balance
Career advancement
Senior management
Job security
Would you recommend the company to others

TOP 10 U.S. Companies to work for: (based on 2011 results)
Google
3M Company
DTE Energy
Qualcomm
U.S. Military
LSI Corporation
Charles Schwab
PricewaterhouseCoopers
TRW
Johnson & Johnson

For entire list of top 50 companies click here

As leaders, we have the ability to impact some of the “happiness” components, others not so much.  We can solicit feedback and ask what others like best about their job, and what they would like to see change.

And, we can ask what others like best about our leadership style, obtaining specifics for what leadership behaviors we should keep, as well as those behaviors we could change or eliminate.

Are you ready to take your leadership to a higher level?

ANNOUNCING QWIKCOACH!  

PeopleTek’s strategic partnership with eCoach offers you a new online support tool for finding solutions for day-to-day issues.

This online coaching support tool provides immediate advice for handling everyday challenges in 3 main areas:People Smarts, Business Sense, and Personal Savvy

For a preview of possibilities, visit:
http://www.qwikcoachonline.com/peopletek/What%20is%20QC/Content.htm

4 Types of Communication You Need to Know

Being an effective communicator is a requirement for successful leaders. There are many forms of communication and there are varying styles.

Communication can be complicated. If we are effective communicators, the message we send will be received and accurately understood!

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.
–George Bernard Shaw

The 4 Types of Communication

When we send our message, the receiver has filters that may impact the accurate receipt of our message. This is why it is critical that you know the 4 types of communication and the impact they have on your message. While you use these every day, some you may not even be aware of.

Verbal Communication

  • The usage of words
  • The ability to control what we say
  • A common belief that we all interpret words the same

Para-Verbal Communication

  • The way something is said
  • How quickly we speak, pause, tone of voice, intensity levels
  • Our words may not match our delivery!

Body Language Communication

  • How we physically communicate
  • Do we stand, cross our arms, roll our eyes, shake hands firmly, make eye contact?
  • Facial expressions and eye contact impact interpretations

Personal Space Communication

  • Includes the space between you and others
  • How you arrange your workspace (cluttered vs. neat / organized vs. disorganized)
  • Choice of decorations / personal touches
  • Your personal appearance!

Communication improves with awareness. What positive communication behaviors do you exhibit? What are your trouble spots? Make it your goal to communicate with confidence and have your message accurately interpreted!

ANNOUNCING QWIKCOACH!

PeopleTek’s strategic partnership with eCoach offers you a new online support tool for finding solutions for day-to-day issues.

This online coaching support tool provides immediate advice for handling everyday challenges in 3 main areas: People Smarts, Business Sense, and Personal Savvy

Read more about QwikCoach for a preview of possibilities.

Creating the Dream Team

“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime”.
–Babe Ruth

Are you part of, or do you lead, a strong and successful team?  Successful teams consist of individuals that have a common purpose, focus on shared goals, and have a desire for their team to flourish.

We don’t always take the time to build relationships and understand and improve team dynamics, but making the investment upfront will enable you to build your “ dream team”.

Strong and successful teams are comprised of individuals that trust one another, hold one another accountable, and are comfortable with expressing differing opinions. And, they clearly understand and appreciate the strengths of the other team members. Maximizing collective strengths provides greater results, fosters creativity, and increases inspiration, motivation and satisfaction levels.

Creating a strong team takes time and must be reinforced over time. (It’s not a “one shot deal”). Open lines of communication are critical, as are acknowledging contributions and openly discussing areas for improvement.
No finger pointing!

Do your team members understand your department vision and what it means to them personally? Are conversations held (both one on one and in a team setting) to discuss how individuals and the team as whole could more effectively achieve their vision?

What about behavioral assessments or feedback and survey results? There are so many tools that can be used, and you can even have brainstorming sessions to identify existing behaviors that create success, and identify behaviors that cause disruptions or create barriers.

Strong teams:

– Share their successes and failures.

– Address conflict in a healthy, honoring manner.

– Speak up when they feel other team members are out of line.

– Support the common goal.

– Focus on what’s best for the team as a whole, instead of on individual needs.

– Use “we”, “us” and “the team” instead of “I”.

– Readily share information and knowledge.

What can YOU do to make your team a “ dream team”?

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress.

Working together is success”.

–Henry Ford

PeopleTek’s Leadership Compass

Stay on Track With PeopleTek’s Leadership Compass

Given that leadership and having and providing clear direction go hand in hand, we created PeopleTek’s “Leadership COMPASS” as a tool to stay on track. 

Do you believe that we’re all leaders? Some have the belief that leaders are born; at PeopleTek we believe that everyone is a leader. (You’ve heard this many times before!) As leaders, it’s up to us to use our skills, abilities, and talents to maximum our potential. Leadership is comprised of many components, and one of the most important is the ability to know and understand YOU. If asked, how would you respond to:

  1. Where are you going? (vision, mission, goals)
  2. How do you plan on getting there? (strategy and plans)
  3. How could others assist and support you? (people)
  4. What may get in your way? (barriers, weaknesses and the over-use of strengths)

Tying into the first question, success requires having a vision, a mission, goals, and measures, and that ALL behaviors support them. (We also refer to this as VMGM=B.) They must be documented, shared, and understood. Effective leaders need to demonstrate the behaviors necessary to realize them, and must be willing to change/eliminate some behaviors that will better position them for success. That’s where the Leadership COMPASS comes in.

Leadership and direction go hand in hand.

Leadership COMPASS Components

C – Communicate Effectively
O – Optimize Differences
M – Manage Change
P –  Plan, Persist, and Organize
A – Appropriately Handle Conflict
S – Sustain/Enhance Relationships
S – Skillfully Influence Others

As leaders we need to:

  • Determine what we KNOW about our strengths and opportunities
  • Go through a DISCOVERY process and solicit feedback
  • Be AUTHENTIC and identify how we can increase levels of trust and be open (and sometimes vulnerable)
  • Identify ways to be more INNOVATIVE and creative

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again: leadership and success require courage, commitment, and the willingness to step out of our comfort zone.

You must create and develop your leadership skills with a purpose, not by mistake. You need to take the time for self-reflection and be willing to develop and change some behaviors that will enable you to better support your vision and your goals.

What is one action you’re willing to take to become a stronger leader?

Ready to try the Leadership COMPASS and see where it can take you in your leadership development journey?

Start My COMPASS!

Announcing QwikCoach

PeopleTek’s strategic partnership with eCoach offers you a new online support tool for finding solutions for day-to-day issues.

This online coaching support tool provides immediate advice for handling everyday challenges in 3 main areas: People Smarts, Business Sense, and Personal Savvy.

Learn More About QwikCoach