expectations

How were you raised?

I’ve been studying the effect that our parents have on us as adults for more than four years now. What it has done is open my eyes to how people think. How many times do you interact with people where you leave that interaction thinking: Wow, what were they thinking!? What I’ve come to realize is that our parents instilled certain beliefs and expectations. Think of yourself as a computer. The computer is directly affected by the software that is installed into it. There are people who think, “You can’t do that!” While others think, “There’s nothing I can’t do!” The programs of our youth are running alive and strong in our adult person.

Here’s the challenge: We all have programs that enable us and disable us. Life is a journey of discovering which programs we should survive with and which should be shut down. The most successful people in the world are aware of what I’m writing about and have created their own set of beliefs and rules that govern their reality. This is important to understand if we are going to build a society of trust and civility. It’s OK that we don’t think the same, but I challenge you to stop judging another’s programming and instead ask sincere questions to gain clarity.

It’s not our job to know why people think the way they do. However, it is our job to accept and respect that they feel the way they do. I remember the first time I said to my wife, Danica, “You shouldn’t feel that way.” Her response was, “Well I do, so now what are you going to do about that?” We can’t always change the way we feel, but we can change the way we respond to others. It’s all about taking the time to understand and accept. Nobody’s perfect. We are all a bundle of programs passed on to us from generation to generation. Get to know your programming first so you can get to know others.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: If you want to begin your journey of understanding about your internal programming, e-mail me at joek@prophitmarketing.com

Employee Engagement

While working on a research project on employee engagement, I’ve come across some interesting information I’d like to share with you.

 Jack and Suzy Welch, of GE and Harvard Business Review respectively, said, “…no company, small or large, can win over the long run without energized employees who believe in the mission and understand how to achieve it.”

 Engaged employees are key to the well-being of companies. Research on 71 companies internationally, by a Chicago HR research and consulting firm, found that there was “almost a 52 percent difference in one-year performance improvement in operating income between companies with highly engaged employees as compared to those companies with low engagement scores.”

 So, what makes up an engaged employee? “Engaged people are proud to work for the company. They are committed to stay and put in the extra effort to facilitate the company’s goals,” said Soni Basi, senior project director at ISR. Curt Coffman, co-author of Gallup’s bestselling book on great managers, First Break All the Rules, reveals that, “Engaged employees are builders. They want to know the desired expectations for their role so they can meet and exceed them. They’re naturally curious about their company and their place in it. They perform at consistently high levels. They want to use their talents and strengths at work every day. They work with passion. They have a visceral connection to their company. And they drive innovation and move their organization forward.”

 How can we see that we all become engaged employees? The responsibility lies within us all. Managers must find ways of keeping employees engaged by providing “a strong relationship with, and clear communication from, their manager…Managers also have to challenge employees within their areas of talent, then help them gain the skills and knowledge they need to build their talents into strengths. And managers should help employees develop ownership of their goals, targets, and milestones, so employees can enhance their contributions to the company and increase their impact,” says Coffman. Coffman continues, “Employees who get to do what they do best everyday move toward engagement. And last but not least, catch him doing things right. Recognize him for excellence. Recognition is personally fulfilling, but even more, recognition communicates what an organization values, and it reinforces employee behaviors that reflect those values.”

 Associates also have a responsibility to become an engaged employee.

 Joe Kiedinger

 Action Plan: What do you find particularly stressful at work? Confront the issue and create a solution. This way you make more time to do what truly makes you happy.