Employee Engagement Survey

In a 2010 study, James K. Harter and colleagues found that lower job satisfaction foreshadowed poorer bottom-line performance. Gallup estimates the cost of America's disengagement crisis at a staggering $300 billion in lost productivity annually. When people don't care about their jobs or their employers, they don't show up consistently, they produce less, or their work quality suffers.

Working adults spend more of their waking hours at work than anywhere else. Work should ennoble, not kill, the human spirit. Promoting workers' well-being isn't just ethical; it makes economic sense. Read full article. See our videos on employee engagement.

         

Little Frogs: Motivation and the Pygmalion Effect

I just reviewed the cutest and most profoundly simple approach to encouragement in the workplace. It's called LITTLE FROGS, and it's an animated show by SpiritClips that illustrates the power encouragement (real or perceived) can have on outcomes. 

Little Frogs looks at the simple truth that encouragement and believing in yourself and others can inspire us to do things that we (and others) think are impossible. I won't give away the "surprise" one frog has in this short motivational film, but when certain actions are misinterpreted,  incredible things happen.

View (and buy, of course) this uplifting motivating program - Little Frogs.Or, go deeper with the the Pygmalion Effect: Managing the Power of Expectations, a more serious look at the the power of the self-fulfilling prophesy, or catch the link between perceptions and performance with Jane Elliott's Eye of the Storm or Indra Lahiri's Brown Eyes, Blue Eyes: Linking Perceptions and Performance.  Different approaches for the all the different Little Frogs in your organization.

Anyone Can Be An Ally

The "godfather" of gay sensitivity training, Brian McNaught, is featured in the new release Anyone Can Be An Ally; Speaking Up for an LGBT Inclusive Workplace

Many organizations are in a war for talent. To attract and retain the best and brightest talents, and to secure their fair share of the marketplace (where applicable), organizations need to create a workplace in which everyone feels welcome. When gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people don't feel safe and valued at work, productivity goes down, and organizations fail in their efforts to attract and retain the best and brightest talent. 

Dubbed by the NY Times as "the godfather of gay sensitivity training," Brian McNaught demonstrates how anyone can be an ally to create a respectful workplace that is inclusive of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender co-workers. Many organizations have polices in place to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual an transgender members of the workplace. But does their culture match their policies? "Policies do not change the culture, people and behaviors change the culture." It is important to note that McNaught advocates that he is not trying to change beliefs, but change inappropriate behaviors . "This is not about anyone changing his or her personal values, but rather changing inappropriate behaviors at work. We are all free to think whatever we want to about other people, but we can't impose those beliefs on our colleagues at work."

Can you teach your employees the skills they need to create an inclusive workplace? Yes, if you teach them that when you hear an inappropriate comment, say something, and say it with a confident voice. You may never fully know how much of a positive impact you've had on the lives of other people and on the workplace culture.

"In this short 14-minute video, Brian McNaught offers what we need to know, say and do as allies- in a way that is compelling, informative and actionable. If you are looking for guidance about language choices, when to speak up, and how to foster inclusion as an authentic LGBT ally, this video5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1;actice) is all you need to have the confidence and capability to make a difference," Deb Dagit, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Merck  &Co.

Speaking up for respect is always the right thing to do. Allies have the power to change the culture and anyone can be an ally.

The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem; Speaking Up In A Disrespectful Workplace

In his book, The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, Nathaniel Branden shares the following:

A woman is at a cocktail party where she hears someone make an ugly racial slur that causes her inwardly to cringe. She wants to say, "I found that offensive." She knows that evil gathers momentum by being uncontested. But she is afraid of evoking disapproval. In embarrassment she looks away and says nothing. Later, to appease her sense of uneasiness, she tells herself, "What difference does it make? The man was a fool." But her self-esteem knows what difference it makes.

The above exchange could have easily taken place in the workplace. And the comment doesn't have to be racist to make us feel uncomfortable or to 'inwardly cringe.' When we don't speak up or allow fear of disapproval or embarrassment to stop us from speaking up, we are allowing these attitudes and behaviors to thrive.

When you hear a disrespectful comment or joke, you have a choice. Reinforce it by laughing or joining in. Tolerate it by saying nothing, which is what most people do. Or learn the skills to speak up and become an ally, the hardest thing of all.

Want to try it? Try Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts and Ouch! Your Silence Hurts. Both motivate and empower bystanders to use their voice to speak up for respect on behalf of someone else.

Women's History Month: A History Worth Knowing?

"When I started working on women's history about thirty years ago, the field
did not exist. People didn't think that women had a history worth knowing."
- - Gerda Lerner, Women and History

In 1963, Gerda Lerner developed one of the first women's history courses in the nation. Throughout her career, she continued to break ground, developing and directing the first graduate program in women's history at Sarah Lawrence College and one of the first doctoral programs in women's history at the University of Wisconsin. Without knowledge of their history, Lerner believed, women could not imagine their capacity for full participation in the world.

  

Should we still celebrate Women's history month?
Is it necessary?

We've seen vast strides in what females accomplish: Women graduate from college in greater numbers (among Americans ages 25 to 34, 34% of women now have a bachelor's degree compared with just 27% of men ), and they have higher GPAs. As most professors tell it, they also have more confidence and drive. These strengths carry women through their 20s, when they are more likely than men to be in graduate school and making strides in the workplace. In a number of cities, they are even out-earning their brothers and boyfriends.

  

The White House just released a new report-Women in America which is a statistical portrait showing how women are faring in the United States today and how their lives have changed over time.

  

"The report serves as a reminder that the issues facing women today are not just women's issues.  When women make less than men for the same work, it impacts families who then find themselves with less income and often increased challenges in making ends meet.  When a job does not offer family leave, it impacts both parents and often the entire family. When there's no affordable child care, it hurts children who wind up in second-rate care or spending afternoons alone in front of the television set. And when women-owned small businesses struggle to gain federal contracts and equitable access to capital, it hinders our ability to promote a fair distribution of work.

Understanding these facts is deeply important in helping to paint a picture of the changing lives and circumstances of American women over time. But reading facts alone can never substitute for taking actions that directly address the challenges faced by women and girls of all ages and backgrounds." Source: The White House Blog: A Celebration of Women Business Owners

Interesting Women in Business Tidbits

Ernst &Young rounded up studies that show that women can make the difference between economic success and failure in the developing world, between good and bad decision-making in the industrialized world, and between profit and loss in the corporate world. Their conclusion: American companies would do well with more senior women.

Catalyst, a research firm focused on women and business, found that Fortune 500 companies with three or more women in senior management positions score higher on top measures of organizational excellence. In addition, companies with three or more women on their boards outperformed the competition on all measures by at least 40 percent.

Organizations such as Columbia University, McKinsey & Co., Goldman Sachs, and Pepperdine University, have done research that document a clear relationship between women in senior management and corporate financial success.

Women's Issues Awareness and Workplace Implementation Resources

The Power Dead-Even Rule & Other Gender Differences In The Workplace, Revised Edition,  The Fairer Sex, Navigating Gender Differences, and A Tale of O - On Being Different. 

Servant Leadership: A Conscious Choice

                              

"It begins with the natural feeling that ones to service, to service first.
Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead"

In 1970, Robert Greenleaf published an essay, "The Servant as Leader," that coined the phrase "Servant-Leader" and launched the modern servant leadership movement. Shifting away from traditional autocratic and hierarchical modes of leadership and toward a model which is based upon teamwork and community; one which seeks to involve others in decision-making; one which is strong based in ethical and caring behavior; and, one which is attempting to enhance the personal growth of workers, while at the same time improving the caring and quality of an organization.

  

Can implementing the characteristics of a servant leader benefit you and your organization? Many organizations are utilizing the Servant leadership management philosophy with great success. They are increasing customer satisfaction and employee retention rates while controlling costs.

  

Servant leadership adopts a higher purpose; shifting to doing what is the best for employees, stockholders, and consumers becoming the primary objective. Servant leadership adopts a team approach helping team members to realize that they matter to the organization and add value to the overall picture. Servant leaders then shift focus from themselves to the best interests of others including employees and customers. 

One-third of the Forbes list of "Top 100 Companies to Work For"

are practicing servant leadership including:    

Starbucks, FedEx, Marriott International, Herman Miller, Toro Company, TDIndustries, Southwest Airlines, and Men's Wearhouse

Up for the challenge? Try these Servant Leadership awareness and implementation resources in your organization: Servant Leadership;  It's A Wonderful Life: Leading Through Service;

and a Journey Into the Heroic Environment

February is Black History Month - Why Black History Month?

Negro History Week was founded in 1926 by Carter Woodson, a Harvard trained historian, who hoped to change the way the history books portrayed people like him with the hopes of full integration. This week was later expanded and renamed Black History Month.

We take this time this month to celebrate the many achievements and contributions of black Americans who, throughout our history, have done so much to make the United States the culturally diverse and prosperous nation we are today. During Black History Month, we can gain insight into the experiences of Black Americans and the vital role this community has played throughout our nation’s history.
 

Black History Month continues to be also a vital month of remembrance. It also helps people remember and recognize the danger of racial and socio-economic oppression and helps everyone see the importance of human rights for all people.
 

How will you celebrate Black History Month?

Read more about how Black History Month has evolved. Try these resources for use in your Black History Month recognition – Complete Blue Eyed, , ABCs of Discrimination Series and Unconsciously Overcoming Unconscious Bias.