Burn the boats? First, Think About Who You are Dealing with.

In 1519 Hernan Cortes sailed to Mexico to defeat the Aztec Empire and as legend has it upon landing he burned his boats so his soldiers could not turn back and had no choice but to fight to win.

Actually, due to a translation error of the events, it appears although he actually did destroy the ships, it was not by burning them but by running them ashore. This story has been used by many a speaker to illustrate removing the option to retreat. Full steam ahead. No looking back.

You can just hear the music building, the testosterone levels increase in the room, and then…panic sets in.

Explorers in 1519 were of a different breed of human being. They expected to face danger, fight for their lives, and handle meager living conditions. Losing the boats only meant they would be forced to settle in the new land and defend what was theirs.

Today’s American worker is not that same breed of individual. Arguably, we’ve never known real hardship. We are not used to defending ourselves from danger. We are conditioned to look for the side door, just in case we need an escape. To corner your employees in an employment fight to the death will cause more to abandon ship than hunker down for the fight.

Although some versions of the story differ, historians say the soldiers knew this was the plan and it was not done as a surprise tactic. Their loyalty to their commander and the cause (and obtaining the riches the new land promised) made them willing to accept this approach.

In today’s business world, it is better to spend time building loyalty and commitment to the cause in your employees for the battles that don’t require the drastic choice of burning the boats. Remember, the soldiers following Cortes were battle-tested and ready for such options. Be sure you are a battle-tested tight-knit group before deciding you are removing all options but one; otherwise, you might be facing the “enemy” all alone.

Positive Emotions for Your Employees (Part 2)

As I mentioned in my last blog post, true leaders will recognize the benefits to having a consistency of these positive behaviors in the workplace, and work to find ways to create that type of positive working atmosphere. Give your employees the opportunity to experience these emotions while working for you. They will be appreciative and you will benefit as well from the improved results.

Here are six more positive emotions you will want prevalent in your workplace and the activities that surveyed results say trigger these emotions.

Happy

What makes people happy is positive relationships. Whether they are with friends, coworkers or family, people describe happy most often when they have relationships that are caring, supportive and loving.

How are you creating a workplace that creates happiness? What kind of relationships do employees have with each other? What type of management style do you create that people feel happy when working under your leadership? Do I believe you need to create playground work environments or hold hands and sing “We are the World” before every work day for people to be happy? Obviously not. But caring and supportive working relationships between employees and between staff and management is what makes a unified happy workforce.

Relaxed

Relaxed is a sensation I hear too frequently people have forgotten how to feel in this whirlwind pace we live in. Responses to what event elicits being relaxed overwhelming indicated people think of being at the beach. The sun, the surf and getting away to this destination are synonymous with relaxation.

I’m sure you are thinking, of course everyone enjoys going to the beach, but how can I incorporate that into my workplace. In fact, you may be thinking do I want that emotion in the workplace? Many organizations offer incentive trips and the majority of those trips involve some type of destination with sun and surf involved. What type of incentives are you offering? Do you have a travel agency as a perk to help people book relaxing vacations? Employees who truly get a time of relaxation are better prepared to handle the demands of a work day than those employees running a ragged edge of emotion and mental capacity. Burn out used to be something to be worried about years ago. Today, it seems to be the norm. Help your staff utilize their vacation time for their greatest benefit. Help them to relax.

Laughter

This is an emotion people say they do not have enough of in their lives. It is also an emotion most often shared with friends. Contrary to popular managerial belief, laughter in the workplace does not mean lack of productivity. Laughter at work is more of an indication employees are working with friends and people they enjoy spending time with. If laughter is seldom heard in the hallways of your organization, it would be wise to figure out what or who is tightening the lid down on this emotion. In the speaking business we have a saying; you only need to be funny if you want to get paid. Levity leads to learning. Shouldn’t leaders be held to the same standards? When people are laughing, they are listening and when they are listening, they are learning.

Thrilled

The survey respondents indicated that being thrilled comes from adventures and recognition. Adventures can be riding a new ride at a theme park, or visiting a location a person has never been to before, or even participating in a new project in a new way. Adventure awakens the senses and gives people a thrill when experiencing the new and different most frequently of their choosing.

People also responded they felt thrilled when they received recognition for doing something well from someone they respect. How are you consistently recognizing your staff for doing a great job? How often do you use your words to thrill your employees? How many times are you offering your employees a chance for adventure to try new directions, new projects, work with new clients? A thrilled workforce is an alive workforce ready to perform.

Satisfaction

When do people most experience the emotion of satisfaction? Satisfaction follows after an accomplishment. There is a sense of satisfaction people experience from something as simple as planting the flower bed in the springtime to as demanding as completing the Ironman triathlon. People expressed how important it is to feel satisfaction in all areas of their lives.

Jobs left unfinished, or working on tasks that have no definable conclusion prevents satisfaction from being fully experienced. As leaders, it is important to set accomplishment targets so when those targets are reached there can be a celebration and a sense of satisfaction for all involved. At the conclusion of constructing a new office building a ribbon cutting says this job has been completed, at the end of winning the World Series, there is a champagne celebration because those who have achieved great accomplishment want to celebrate great satisfaction. How do you encourage your employees to feel that type of satisfaction? When was the last time you had a champagne celebration akin to a locker room following a victorious World Series? Maybe it’s time.

Appreciation

Our survey indicates people experience appreciation when reveling in the accomplishments and skills of others. For example, few of can even attempt some of the amazing performances we witness in the Olympics as we watch with great appreciation. I know about all I could do on a halfpipe is ride a sled down the middle of it! We are surrounded by talent and skill we admire and appreciate.

Today appreciation is being replaced with criticism all too frequently. We are quick to point out the flaws without appreciating the entire winning performance. In your workplace do your employees recognize and appreciate the best workers, or do they scorn them for “making the rest of us look bad.” Leaders can add more appreciation to the work culture be focusing more on the accomplishments and great performances within the workplace as opposed to highlighting the negative.

These twelve emotions people enjoy experiencing can be brought to the workplace by the right leadership which will not only make for a more rewarding work environment for the staff, but the benefits for the employer will give everyone a better feeling about the positive progress. How do you plan on building up these emotions?

How to Create Positive Emotions for Your Employees

As leaders, we should want to aspire to create positive emotions in employees. The more positive employees feel about work the more likely they are to stay and be dedicated to the tasks they want to accomplish. As you read this, think of ways to inspire your employees to feel these powerful positive emotions while in the work place.

I recently performed an informal survey about what experiences people have which causes them to feel these twelve different emotions. I’ve compiled the results and found significant trends in almost every category.

Joyful

People seem to find the most joy in their lives from watching other people have a good experience. From listen to a virtuoso performance to children playing, to watching friends and colleagues have a wonderful experience. Joy comes from being in the proximity of someone having a great time.

Are you employees joyful at work? Are they getting the chance to experience a friend or colleague delivering a virtuoso performance? How are you providing an environment that encourages joy?

Excitement

People describe being excited when being involved in a winning accomplishment. Either a team victory or a personal “win” gets people pumped up and excited. It’s why people follow sports teams, why they enjoy competition, and why they enjoy trying new tasks because they get the opportunity to demonstrate a winning skill or talent.

How are you giving your employees a chance to experience victory? Do they feel a sense of team and understand what constitutes a win? Are you giving people the opportunity to feel excited about what they do? As rabid as fans are for their sports teams, imagine if you could create that same excitement for their work team?

Pleasure

Experiencing pleasure is simply doing what we love to do. People described pleasure coming from performing their hobbies, to spending time at a favorite location, to experiencing a high in their occupation. Nailing a speech, closing a deal, being recognized for an outstanding performance are all ways people experience pleasure in the workplace.

What opportunities are you creating for your employees to truly feel pleasure from their employment? What culture have you established in your work environment that encourages and fuels the opportunities for people to experience pleasure from a job they love to do?

Anticipation

For children, anticipation is huge the day before Christmas, before a birthday, just before entering into Disney for the first time. For adults anticipation is the same: the preamble to excitement. The preparation for a wonderful time is a type of high energy people enjoy just before “going for it.” It’s why players are jumping around just before storming the football field. It’s the racing of the heart as the speaker is being introduced, it’s the thrill of what positive moment is about to happen.

Great leaders are eager to get to work and get the excitement started. Top attorneys can’t wait to get in the court room to perform, and employees who love what they do are eager to get to the jobs they find exciting. How excited are your employees to get to work? How much positive anticipation do you feel on Sunday night getting prepared for your Monday morning? What model are you demonstrating?

Contentment

Overwhelmingly, people described contentment as something they experienced at the conclusion of a good day. Many tasks accomplished, success achieved, family tucked warm in bed, and a reflection on the positive accomplishments of the day.

What are your final thoughts before sleeping? Are you going over the positives of the day or are you watching televised news about all the negative things going on? Are you recapping your smiles from the day, or are you rehashing that argument you had in the morning meeting? Contentment is a choice we make. It’s also a choice leaders can influence in his or her staff. What last thoughts of the day are you choosing to have? What choices are you encouraging in your employees?

Invigorated

Almost every response to the question of what makes a person feel invigorated came from a physical activity. A gym workout, bike ride, a swim, working in the garden, weekend projects, doing something that makes a person sweat and gets the heart rate up were common in the physical exertion of energy.

As our employment becomes more office, white collar type of jobs, we are not experiencing the physical exertion of labor. (Although we all feel tired at the end of the day, don’t we?) Do you have a workout facility on your grounds? Do you encourage people to take a workout lunch break? Does your wellness program promote some type of invigorating activity during the work day? An invigorated employee doesn’t get the afternoon sleepies and is alive and alert throughout the day. How are you invigorating your employees?

The next blog on Friday will cover the next six positive emotions people experience. True leaders will recognize the benefits to having a consistency of these behaviors in the workplace, and work to find ways to create that type of positive working atmosphere. Give your employees the opportunity experience these emotions while working for you. They will be appreciative and you will benefit as well from the improved results.

Dealing with Helicopter Parents in the Workplace

Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach and University of South Florida’s football coach Jim Leavitt were both recently fired because of stories brought to the respective schools by upset parents about treatment their sons had been receiving. The truth in these allegations is murky at best, yet both universities took swift and decisive action without knowing complete facts.

Parent involvement in children’s sports is no surprise, but reaching the college level and having impact on the employment of coaches is new. Emboldened helicopter parents (hovering overhead trying to control outcomes) are now extending their impact beyond the home and grade schools and into the workplace.

How do you handle parents who refuse to cut “the apron strings” on their children even when they become adults?

Handle with care

Parents who feel it is their obligation to get involved in employment matters of their offspring are not to be brushed off or handled lightly. These are people who believe they have a right to be there to defend their children. Already, I am hearing stories of parents demanding meetings with their adult child’s boss to talk about non-raises, disciplinary action, opportunity, and workplace complaints.

To not return their calls, tell them gruffly they have no business dealing with the issue, or flat out telling them to get lost only creates a nightmare of confrontation that very well could lead to litigation.

The best approach is to give them the opportunity to be heard. This is the most important desire they have. Secondly, take notes of the conversation to ensure you are getting all the details as they see them. This also lets the parent know you are listening to what they have to say. Lastly, let them know you will look into the matter and set a time for you to get back in touch with them. They want to know you took them serious.

Get the details

It would appear that the universities may have had alternative motives in firing these football coaches because the facts in the complaints brought by parents appear to have many errors and counter opinions from witnesses including the “child” involved in one case.

Before taking rash decisions, be sure you take the time to gather facts, speak with eye witnesses, and review reports and records until you have the details. Then make your decisions. It would be wrong to act on the words of the complaining parents and alienate your staff. It would also be wrong to cast aside the parent’s complaint and ignore it. Always gather information until you believe you have a firm understanding of the situation before taking action. The last thing you want to be dealing with is a legitimate sexual harassment case you never bothered to check the facts on.

Create a case file

As absurd as this may have sounded not very many years ago, managers are going to have to accept the meddlesome nature of parents wanting to get involved in every perceived slight of their children. The best approach is to create a case file of the complaint, what you found out, and the decision you chose to make. This is as much for self preservation as it is to demonstrate you took the complaint seriously.

If children’s sports and school experiences are any indication of manipulative parental involvement, this behavior is on the increase and will not be going away. The better prepared you are to handle it, the quicker you can reach resolution and get back to managing the workforce that only exists within your walls, the better you can focus on developing and growing your business..