The dictionary defines motivation thus: “willingness to do something, or something that causes such willingness”. In the workplace, what motivates employees to do their best work? Looking for answers finds some common themes. 1.Autonomy Autonomy features strongly in reports and research on workplace motivation. Dan Pink, in his best-selling ‘Drive: The Surprising Truth About What… Read more
Whether you’re working virtually with your team-mates, or getting together face-to-face, now’s a good time to recap what teams are all about. Here’s my A-Z of healthy, happy, high-performing teams. Accountability Successful team members hold themselves and each other accountable. They commit to the team’s plan. Belonging People identify with the team, its purpose,… Read more
Ever wondered why some teams are super effective and others screw up far more often? It may be the team isn’t learning from their day-in, month-out work and is repeating old mistakes. If this is problem, checklists can really help. If you’re working remotely, they’re essential. Sound out some teams about whether they use checklists… Read more
Some of us find we’re much more productive working from home, using tech tools to communicate virtually. The rest of us find it harder to deflect or deal with distractions and stay focussed to get the job done. Some people find that, despite the use of email, video calls and chat channels, communication suffers. This… Read more
Participants in Zoomly’s workshops often hang back to ask me questions at the end, and I feel privileged to be asked. The ‘How to manage upwards’ session is typical. I’ll always do what I can to help. Yet I’m acutely aware that I don’t work there and I’m not their manager. But I try to… Read more
Here’s a post from the vault that I hope will help you if you’re new to remote working. More and more of us are working remotely; some of us some of the time, some of us all of the time. There are pros and cons… What’s great about working remotely? Many of us can now… Read more
In these difficult times, we’re all using a range of tech tools to communicate at the moment – which can only be a good thing. Video meetings, chat channels and instant messages all help. And yet for most of us, email is still our default communication tool. So I thought it might help to offer… Read more
Technology never sleeps – and if we’re not careful, so can people working across different time zones. Whilst tech is a great enabler for dispersed teams, it can be a source of pressure and friction. The human element is sometimes missing and there are cultural issues to consider too. These 8 tips aim to… Read more
Investors in People (IiP) have just published their annual ‘Job exodus trends’. It makes essential reading for managers – though brace yourselves, it’s not pretty. Here’s a few headlines: 77% are stressed of respondents at work Over half are looking for another job 24% are unhappy at work The point that really stood out for… Read more
How can you tell your team is really motivated? What are the signs that say so? Do they show enthusiasm for their work, their colleagues and the wider organisation? Is there discretionary effort – going above and beyond what’s expected (as opposed to demanded)? Are they energised and engaged? Research old and new* backs… Read more
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