Tag Archives: motivation

Leave Your Employees Better Than You Found Them

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Be the one who nurtures and builds. Be the one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart one who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them. ~ Marvin J. Ashton

liftingup

by Pete Ferguson

As a young manager at eBay, I always pushed for better pay and better benefits for my employees thinking that was the end-all-be-all cure for happiness at work.

I can recall several situations where we had almost doubled pay, added bonuses (for contract security staff that was almost unheard of in the US) and made huge inroads with medical benefit coverage – yet it still wasn’t enough!

 I’d rather have one percent of the efforts of 100 people than 100 percent of my own efforts. ~ J. Paul Getty

Then I reflected back to my days as a student employee at BYU – where I was quite happy.

My first job at University was cleaning toilets and mirrors and I had decided it was my attitude that I could control, so I became one of the best toilet cleaners and was quickly promoted and became the best at cleaning the museum at 5 am which got the attention of the security manager and I was able to transition into security and again made my way into a supervisory position.

I mistakenly had thought that it was the quick advancement and hard work that kept me motivated. Now as I look back with decades more of maturity – my managers at the time were a larger part of the equation.

Even though I was just cleaning toilets and standing watch over millions of dollars of art – in both situations my managers gave me a real sense of purpose and worth.

Linda, my manager when I was cleaning museum toilets, had a smile, walked around with a brisk pace and visited with each employee each morning and cleaned along with us when we needed a little motivation. She knew where we were from, what our parents did for a living, and a little about our hobbies and career desires. She acknowledged that cleaning toilets wasn’t the most exciting job, but it was important in accomplishing the larger mission of the museum.

Seventeen years later, remembering Linda is still a blessing in my life. She really cared, she showed it, and it made a lasting investment and difference in my life.

Everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their neck saying, ‘make me feel important.’ Never forget this message when working with people. ~ Mary Kay Ash

Today, we are spending considerable time and investment now at looking for ways to improve our 400+ security staff globally.

Our premise – give us two years of hard, dedicated work and we will improve your resume and give you the opportunity to get up to 18 college credits for completing all of our training courses. (Did you know you can accredit your training programs so that they can be accepted for college credit across the US? – I didn’t!)

It is a big task to accomplish, but one very much worth doing. And it has the potential to improve over 400 lives. What a cool thing to be a part of!

The new generation coming out of college is not very interested in 401ks or medical benefits. They want to know why you should be privileged to have them in your employ.

I hear many managers my age and older think this is a sin. It is a reality. We either embrace it make it work to our advantage or we will have to deal with a very transitory workforce with high turnover and very limited productivity – which will cause us to eventually be replaced by someone who “gets it.”

What are you doing to leave your employees better than you found them?

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Accrediting your training programs

Visit the website for the American Council on Education (ACE – consisting of the presidents of over 1,800 accredited colleges and universities) and scroll down their “About” page:

The Center for Lifelong Learning provides services for adult learners and nontraditional students in the United States. The center is focused on ensuring that every student who desires it has access to higher education and the resources needed to succeed.

 

Within the center, the College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT) connects workplace learning with colleges and universities. CREDIT does this by helping adults get academic credit, whenever possible, for courses and examinations taken outside traditional channels.

Taking Action

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A man who has to be convinced to act before he acts is not a man of action. You must act as you breathe.
— Georges Clemmanceau

by Pete Ferguson

I love Fridays. You’ve just about made it through the week, survived another one, and now it is time to unwind and focus more on personal pursuits. But I love Mondays too – so full of potential, a nice clean start to another week of adventures, successes, and failures to learn from.

I would be “sleeping in” instead of going to the gym except that I’m in a hotel room. And sleeping in for me is usually 6 am unless I can take two weeks off and seriously unwind. Who has time to sleep in when there is so much to do?

Slowly and shockingly, I realized that it does not take moving a mountain to achieve true happiness and fulfillment. It takes small shifts in perspective, a massive dose of self-confidence and self-esteem – none of it can be faked, all of it stems from within – and a determination to not give up until you find what you are meant to do with your life. ~ Farnoosh Brock

I’ve been helping Farnoosh edit her upcoming project: “Cracking The Code” about how to succeed in Corporate America. Farnoosh has been helping me garner more confidence and stick to commitments.

Yesterday it was decided that Farnoosh and I are to be accountability coaches for each other. She has to wade through my and many other’s edits for her ten chapter project before her upcoming birthday in April. I will get my book organized and in the editing process for a Kindle release by June 1st. And yesterday we both agreed it is time to get cracking!

I’ve had a number of accountability coaches. My wife of course. Myself. A colleague, Lauren, pushed me to register this domain name and write my first blog. Dan Miller’s Coaching With Excellence and a room of 50 people committed me to writing four blogs a day last May which has resulted in 90,000+ words. Ellie Gates has inspired me to take action on many things and has been a great corporate mentor. Jeff David committed me to give a go at coaching where I learned that is not where I currently need to be – but at least now I know!

“Do not lie in a ditch, and say God help me; use the
lawful tools He hath lent thee.”
— English Proverb

My father, now 68, just declared his desire to drop some serious weight so he can be around for another 10 years (I’m hoping for 20). He has enlisted all six of us in the gig and is willing to pay for pounds lost depending on our BMI scores. I will go public with that next week as it will be both embarrassing and a push to take action.

Having goals is good. But if they are in your head, they won’t happen. Writing them down is a great psychological way to commit, but sharing them openly and publicly is a great way to get scared into action I’ve found.

“Luck comes to a man who puts himself in the way of it. You went where something might be found and you found something, simple as that.” ~ Louis L’Amour, To the Far Blue Mountains

As I prepared for a radio interview this past week I was reminded of a transformative point in my life. Burnt out and making stupid decisions, I had a sabbatical of 5 weeks paid time off to get my life together. In the process, I found an old journal where TEN YEARS previously I had written down five goals – and achieved none of them.

Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you. ~ Thomas Jefferson

I have since repented and I’m working very diligently on all five of those goals and a few more.

What are your goals, and who is holding you accountable?

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Defy Your Gravity

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There is a force more powerful than government oppression or military might. It holds you back from success but can also push you towards great achievement. This force is You.

by Pete Ferguson

Yesterday was a large loss for many who had hoped Mitt Romney would win as President. I saw many Facebook postings about the end of the world, how our country is headed for ruin, and that the economy is never going to recover.

Certainly there will be effects – both good and bad – which trickle down from Washington that determine how much of our money stays with us and what requirements are made for providing benefits to employees for businesses along with other changes.

I wanted to see Mitt win for a variety of reasons, but my life is not going to dramatically change because of who is President of the United States. My life dramatically changes because of me.

We each have this force which drives us to excellence or ruin. It is our own self-will which determines our future.

When the alarm goes off in the morning to go to the gym or to get up and study and write, I am the one who makes the decision as to what I should do. Not Romney, not Obama. Not my wife, boss, children, or society.

The gravity which holds us bound is an extremely powerful force.

Part of becoming a better man for me is to better understand what happens in my brain in the brief time between stimulus and response.

And it is what happens during that sometimes nanosecond of time that makes me a better person, keeps me in a stagnate position, or causes me to go down dark paths.

I’ve been working to get to a different orbit for several years now and it takes a lot of work. It takes understanding what the stimuli are that lead me to action.

One of the most important concepts I have learned is the difference between my circle of influence and my circle of concern.

If I am concerned all day long about poverty throughout the world, but I fail to provide my children with food, shelter, my time and love, I am nobody.

If I am concerned about politics, but refuse to volunteer in my neighborhood, then I am nobody.

If I am concerned about the way my company is run, but then I waste time at work and do not get my job done and look for ways to go the extra mile, then I am the problem.

Change happens inside the heart, motivating the body and mind to move forward.

It doesn’t happen in Washington. It doesn’t happen on Wall Street.

It happens inside of you.

It’s Time for a Lobotomy

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Every person who has ever lived has one thing in common – 24 hours a day, 365.25 days a year. What distinguishes between success and failure is our consistency in our path for excellence. It’s time to fire the part of your brain where “can’t” lives and breaths.

by Pete Ferguson

“Remove your brain from your equation. Your mind sucks. It will tell you all of the things you’re not capable of doing because it wants to protect itself. It wants to play it safe. It wants to be comfortable.

Meanwhile, your body will sit there and not say anything to the contrary even though it knows it can run triathlons, marathons, climb mountains, and get a six pack if you just give it the chance.

Do a manual override. Tell your brain to shut up and just go do it anyways. Turn your brain off.

When you brain tells you it’s impossible, tell your brain, ‘That’s nice, I’m going to do it anyways.’”

~ Get Disciplined, Not Motivated – By Joel Runyon“

In the past I’ve talked about self-limiting beliefs and how we are our worst enemy when it comes to getting things done. Joel Runyon took it to new levels in his blogpost yesterday and I highly recommend the read.

When we over-think anything, we are paralyzed by the analysis and can avoid not taking action – when action is the one thing we need to get out of a slump.

Taking a few moments to make a plan, get organized, and then get busy is a good thing. But sometimes you just need to put on your running shoes and run. You’ll figure out where to go pretty quickly. You may even get lost and discover new territory.

Today is Friday, the week is almost done. If you feel like you’ve accomplished what you set out to, congratulations!

If you aren’t quite satisfied with the results of the week, what is stopping you from doing it now?

Learn: What self-limiting behaviors and thoughts are tying you down? Even Olympic swimmers know they can shave off 1/10 of a second.

Act: Don’t think too much, just go do!

Share: My wife and I make it to the gym 3x a week because we have two friends who are going to be there at 5:00 am. That obligation overcomes the discomfort of rolling out from the warm sheets at 4:40. Hire a coach, have a friend hold you accountable, then get out and get stuff done!

Are You Engaged with Your Work?

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by Pete Ferguson

Feeling “engaged” with your work is really important.

Three hundred billion dollars important.

That’s $964 for every woman, man, and child lost annually in the United States.

A fantastic Disneyland or cruise vacation lost every year because of disengagement.

I have five children, so my household is seven people. If I choose to be disengaged, that would mean I choose also to leave $6,748 on the table every year.

But I choose to be engaged. And not only capture that $6,748 but also help others to capture theirs.

While many would read this poll and cry that organizations need to do more to engage their workforce, you and I can read it and realize that there is unclaimed wealth all around us. All for the taking. All we have to do is locate our passion, dig in, and engage our lives.

Are you in control of your destiny? Why not? Or why?

What are the defining moments for you at work? At play?

Is work play?

Learn: If you could choose to do anything today and next Monday, what would it be? How well aligned is this dream to what you will actually do?

Act: Define what you want, and find two people who do what you want to do. Take them to lunch – you will pay – and ask them about their vocation. What did it take for them to get to where they are today? What will you do to to get to where you want to be?

Share: Write down what you have found. Start a blog today and commit to writing four days a week. This accountability will help you stay on track. And it is a lot of fun.

Credits:

thesocialworkplace.com

Employee Engagement Overview Brochure

Current US Population: 311,591,917

 

 

June Year’s Resolutions – Time to Put Away the Tree

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by Pete Ferguson

Are your Christmas decorations still up? I mean, let’s be really honest – do you have remnants still lingering to be put away? I’m not talking about the lights on your house – you might as well let those just stay until next year.

Two weeks ago we talked to a neighbor who just barely put away her tree. She had removed the main decorations, but the lights and some decorations had stayed up until just a few weeks back.

What about your New Year’s Resolutions? Have you packed those up until next January as well? Hopefully they didn’t get put away before the tree this year!

How do you ensure success? Each person has to find their particular niche, but here are clues I’ve seen in others and myself:

Time to shut off the TV and get off the couch!!

  1. Write it down, refer to it often. The power of the pen to paper creates a psychological bond stronger than speech or typing. You can type a final copy, but go analogue first.
  2. Tell others. Commit your goal verbally and you have accountability and hopefully a support group to help you accomplish your goals.
  3. Get a coach. I’ve lost 30 lbs in the past two years and did it through a fitness coach. I paid a lot of money, I paid even more in sweat and hard work. And they were both worth it because now I can go on a hike or bike ride with my kids and not feel 100 years old.
  4. Break out of normal routines. Do anything you can to do something different. Attack your goal through reading, writing, doing, watching, experimenting. The more senses you engage, the better result you will have.
Goals serve as a stimulus to life.
They tend to tap the deeper sersources and draw out of life its best.
Where there are no goals, neither will there be significant accomplishments.
There will only be existence!
~ Anonymous

Author, Career Coach Dan Miller

A month ago I attended Coaching With Excellence hosted by master Career & Life Coach, Dan Miller. I met with 50 other budding coaches and learned the key to a successful business and how to help myself and others through the art of coaching.

Here are my goals, and I’m happy to report I’m tracking nicely:

  • Blog at least 4 days a week
  • Make a decision to keep or change my website name - www.LearnActShare.com
  • Find out how to monazite products on the site
  • Kick off 48Days Workshop with a free preview
  • Become an endorsed coach by completing 40 hours of paid coaching

Points #1 and 2 are evidenced by you reading this blog. The next three I will be launching shortly!

Learn: What do you want to accomplish by this time next year? How will it feel? Who do you need around you to make it happen? What kind of financial, emotional, and time commitments are you willing to invest?

Act: If you are tracking well, CONGRATULATIONS!!! If you never made an action plan, today is the day! December 31st is only going to keep getting closer. Create a written plan on how to accomplish what is needed to be done.

Share: Yep, tell anyone who will listen and engage their help. Ignore the detractors. They still have their Christmas decorations up, no need to listen to them. The more people tell you it can’t be done, the more you need to be resolved it MUST be done.

Credits

Source: Flickr.com

The Power of Unintended Consequences

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Poster outside of Men’s locker room at my gym

by Pete Ferguson

In the world of corporate security, we often look at a new policy, procedure, or physical control (adding a door for example) and try to understand what the unintended consequences might be for making a change.

It is easy to think of all of the benefits of doing something new, different, better, etc. But in doing so, we may only see the upside.

Take this poster some well-intentioned employee placed outside of the Men’s locker room at my gym. No doubt this poster was created because there were reports of items being stolen from the lockers, and this was the easiest, most immediate way to address the issue for management.

“The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry” 
~ Adapted quote from John Steinbeck‘s Mice and Men

Let’s examine several “unintended consequences” this poster may cause:

  • My first day at the gym, I think they are talking to me, I’m a thief?
  • Do they have hidden cameras inside the locker room? Who is watching me!?!
  • Are the majority of gym members thieves? Or is stuff being reported as stolen daily? Do I want to use this locker room?
  • If I am a potential thief, do I really stop to read this and change my mind?

This brings about a very important question when drafting a communication, policy, etc. – ALWAYS consider your audience before you develop your material.

It is also good to sample your audience prior to publishing to be sure they connect with your message. Had I been asked, I would have expressed my opinions above as to why I think this is a really bad approach.

There are now humorous illustrations of unintended consequences in the marketing world. An urban legend tells the tale of the very popular first compact car in the US manufactured by General Motors in the late 1960s – the Chevy Nova – which preportedly did not sell well in Southern America due to the translation of “no va” meaning, “doesn’t go.” Not a great name for a car!

There are also great examples of genius to many products we use today. The “Post-It” sticky notes are the result of an adhesive that was long not appreciated until marketed as it is today.

Viagra was originally developed for high blood pressure relief. It has since relieved Bob Dole and millions of others and is now being researched for use in recovering from “altitude sickness” and aiding hamsters with jet lag (see wikipedia, I can’t make this stuff up!).

As you look at your marketing material, communications, and products, what good, bad, and beautiful unintended consequences can you concoct?

Learn: “Group source” your ideas and products to see if your audience understands your work the same way you do. Keep an open mind, you may find a whole new universe not yet seen by your tunnel vision.

Act: Repurpose any products that have a positive (or negative) unintended consequence.

Share: Don’t be afraid to share developing ideas. It is best to get feedback before you make a critical error. Many minds should help you craft and develop to a higher level – and at the very least you will be marketing new ideas before products are formed.