PAUSE – 11.43 – Workplace Wishes
REFLECTION: What do you care most about in your workplace? And what are the chances it might be the same things that others care about?
This is a question endlessly researched by organizations everywhere as they do their best to keep their people happy.
Results from a survey released in October of this year by Mercer, one of the world’s leading HR consulting firms, tell a familiar story about what motivates Canadian and US workers and helps them feel more engaged at work.
Drum roll, please. In order of importance, employees are affected by:
- Being treated with respect
- Work-life balance
- Type of work they do
- Quality of people they work with
- Quality of leadership in the organization
Although the results may not be surprising, what is surprising is that measures of what’s most important continues to remain similar even in the face of economic downturns and challenges.
ACTION: So what do these results suggest about the way we treat each other in our organizations? These approaches come to mind. Pick one and spend some time with it this week.
1. Take the time to acknowledge and connect with the real person behind the box on the org chart. Respect is conveyed through attention and acknowledgement.
2. Become knowledgeable about people’s lives beyond the workplace. Express concern about the impact that expectations in the workplace have on family and community life. Be prepared to help resolve conflicts.
3. Pay attention to the way that jobs are designed. Create opportunities for people to be more autonomous in the way they set their priorities and attack their tasks. Look for ways to connect people to the pieces of the job that give them opportunities to stretch and grow – or use their best skills.
4. Work on yourself. Are you the respectful, kind, thoughtful person that you would be proud to call a colleague? Or do you need to sharpen up your relationship skills?
5. Same story on the leadership front. Learn more about how your leadership approaches and decisions affect others. For this you need honest feedback. Be brave enough to seek it and courageous enough to hear it.
Show me the money may have been the rallying call for Cuba Gooding Junior in the movie, Jerry Maguire. But it’s not the money that makes the biggest difference in today’s workplaces. It’s respect, balance, challenge, relationship and leadership. Which one will you focus on in your workplace?
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Here’s a challenge for you, Pause readers. I invite you to share your treasured quotes about life balance and perspective. Drop me a line with your favorite words of wisdom . You know – the ones that are posted on your bulletin board, hanging on your fridge, and tagged on to the end of your email signature file. I’ll share the compilation before the end of the year.
RESOURCE OF THE WEEK: Here’s a link to the more complete research results from the Mercer study as reported by the Society for Human Resource Management. The post includes detailed graphs for those of you who love colors, numbers and the nitty gritty on the stats: http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/benefits/Articles/Pages/MotivationKey.aspx
READERS WRITE: In response to last week’s message, Well! Well! Well!, Pause reader DW shares a couple of her own goofy habits, behaviours and beliefs: that the calories she consumes in cashews don’t count because nuts are a ‘healthy’ snack, and that somehow caffeine is a substitute for sleep. By the way, she says she sent this message as she sipped her lunchtime Coke!
Tags: burnout, commitment, engagement, excellence, focus, motivation, overload, overwhelm, Pat Katz, Patricia Katz, pause, perspective, productivity, Saskatoon, speaker, workload
Pat, for all I know some of the ones I have in front of me everyday may well have come from one of your pause moments along the way…I know the big BREATHE most certainly did. How about these from the walls of my workspace:
‘Life is messy, wear a smock!’
‘My workplace is a drama free zone and brings me peace and fulfillment’ (Obviously this one is easier said than done, but it is right in front of my nose to at least try.)
‘Whatever you want to accomplish, whatever is important to you, do it and do it now, with as much grace, intensity and sense of ease as you can must’ ~~Marc Lesser
and, I love this one especially — ‘He smiled at me with a twinkle in his eye, as if he had been asked this question many times, and replied without hesitating, “the most important success principle of all was stated by Thomas Huxley may year ago. He said, ‘Do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.'”‘
As you see, I am a true quote nut…books full of them and a lot of times repeats, but never a dull moment!
Thank you, as always for the great PAUSE and yes, I cheated and looked a day early. I usually make myself wait until Wednesdays, but just needed an extra something today.
Linda Clark
Waterloo, NE
Hi Linda:
I love this one: Life is messy, wear a smock! Good for all ages!
Too funny that you make yourself wait till Wednesday for the message. Lovely that you anticipate with enthusiasm.
Pat
Hi Pat,
Here are four that I have on my wall at work. The first one, if not more, is from a link that you would have referred to in one of your blogs.
1. Go Forth, Do Good, Return Home, Stay Blessed, Repeat As Necessary
2. There are two ways to live your life – one is as though nothing is a miracle, the other is as though everything is a miracle – Albert Einstein
3. Live simply – so that others may simply live – Ghandi
4. Do or do not – there is no try. – Yoda
I have more, but those are my favourite.
Rose
Lovely, Rose. Thanks.
Pat
Hi Pat,
This is a quote may not be the workplace oriented one most would think of.
I turn to this quote most often when I start to work insane hours to keep my clients happy. It puts it all back into perspective.
Five Balls
From the book “Suzanne’s Diary to Nicholas” by James Patterson
Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – Work – Family – Health – Friends – Integrity, and you’re keeping all of these in the air.
You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls — family, health, friends and integrity are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered.
Does put it all into perspective, doesn’t it? Too easy to let the important ones drop.
Thanks, Gwen.
Pat
Hi Pat,
One of the quotes i have on my office wall says, “Talk low, talk slow, and don’t say to much.” – John Wayne I think that one may have come from your Pause Letter. The reason I love this one is, that as an instructor, and as a spouse, I’ve often been accusedof talking too much. 🙂
Another good one – Bite yoru tongue before your tongue bites others!”
My sister’s version of the “Life is messy” quote is “Life is rough so wear a helmet.”
Thanks for you very worthwhile newsletters.
HI Ruth:
Those are some great quotes. John Wayne certainly lived his, didn’t he?
Thanks for sharing these.
Pat
Hi Pat,
The quote that has so much significance for me and is included in my email tag is “When Mother Teresa won the Nobel Prize for Peace she was asked, “What can we do to promote peace?” She replied simply, “Go home and love your family.” I believe this is one that you used in one of your messages too.
Hi Eileen
Sometimes the simplest act of service has the greatest possible impact.
Thanks for sharing this thought.
Pat
I’ve had this on wall at work and at home for years: What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thanks Pat for the many times that you have helped me with your “Pauseworks”. I always amazed how it fits, just when I need it. Diane
Diane
Emerson knew that sometimes we just amaze ourselves with the strength that lies inside.
Thanks for sharing this one. So glad you have found the Pause messages helpful.
Warm wishes, Pat
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Thanks for the repost, Niki.
P