This is deer hunting season. Over the last week or so, I’ve spent a couple dozen hours alone in the woods. I usually arrive before daylight and often leave after dark. So, I’ve had plenty of time watching one of my favorite woodland creatures… the squirrel. They are amazing animals! And, my observations of them during my many hours of seeing no deer can also be applied to us, both in the working environment and at home. Let’s take a look at some of these:

1. Squirrels have a long-term view – Squirrels are planners. They do not live only for today. They gather food in the autumn (mostly nuts) and hide them in the soil and under leaves to retrieve when times get tough. They are able to survive our harsh winters when no food is growing by saving for the future. This long-term view has paved the way for a successful future, whatever that is for a squirrel. We also need to have a long-term view of things. The events of today may be only for today. But, planning for the longer-term can mean the difference between success and failure. The most used example of this is saving for retirement. Many simply do not save enough. But, proper planning and diligence can pay off in the end. Another example is that crisis you face today. Sure, it is bad today, but tomorrow is a new day; new week is a new week; and time tends to heal.
2. Squirrels are industrious and innovative – When a squirrel cannot reach a cluster of acorns on the end of a limb, they will chew through the limb until it falls to the ground. Then, they will scamper down to the ground and retrieve their harvest. They don’t let the fact that the acorns are out of reach on end of the limb hold them back. We need to be just as inventive as squirrels. When we reach a difficult or challenging or impossible situation, we need to think outside the box for a solution. We might be able to solve the problem in the usual way, but, by thinking in new ways, we might find a new approach.
3. Squirrels have learned how to survive – A mother squirrel knows that her young are helpless and easy prey for other animals. So, to protect them, she builds her nest as far toward the end of the limbs as possible. She also looks for a tenuous spot near the top of the tree. That way, the limbs are so limber that no other animal could get to her nest. She has found a way to protect her nest from unwanted invaders. We need to think like a squirrel! What are those things in life that pose the most risk to us? Are we being industrious in finding ways to protect them? Are we using our brains to outwit our adversaries? One way we can do this is to build redundancies around key assets in our lives. By asking, “What if…?” we can often construct safeguards.
4. Squirrels take time to play – Squirrels have lots of fun! They play tag, chase each other, and enjoy their lives in the woods. They have fun all day long. We need to take that queue and find time to have fun ourselves. By refreshing our minds, we are much better able to focus on those challenges that plague us.
5. Squirrels are curious – It is fun to watch a squirrel try to sneak close to me in the woods. I am wearing camouflage clothing, but I know the squirrels are not fooled. The creep us as close to me as they can to learn more about this strange creature in their space. A bit of this same curiosity would be beneficial to us. We are so busy that we fail to stop and look at the world around us. We want everything to be black or white and fail to see the gray all around us.
6. Squirrels communicate – Squirrels chatter and bark at each other all day long. They chatter when they want to play and when they fear danger. They “talk” to each other frequently to discuss current events and problems they face. We need to be more communicative, as well. Have we lost touch with family members or friends? Do we fail to communicate important things or activities? Have we let email or texting replace actual conversations? We need to re-engage with people in real conversations at work and at home.
7. Squirrels have a network of others – Speaking of others, it is fun to watch squirrels with their network of other squirrels. It is good to see gray squirrels play with fox squirrels. Families of squirrels mix. They communicate. They work together. We need a strong network of colleagues and supporters. We need others than can provide a fresh viewpoint or keep us from making mistakes. We need others to hold us accountable. Finding and keeping that strong network can make a difference in so many ways.

Wow! You probably now know more about squirrels than you ever thought possible! However, there is much we can learn from them and how they approach life. We should be applying these seven “Squirrel Principles” to our own lives and work.

So, for today, go be a squirrel! Have a terrific, top-ten day!

 

 

There are perhaps hundreds of different educational philosophies in existence and use. One approach used, especially for early childhood education, is the minds, hearts, and hands approach. This philosophy essentially says that you create a vision in the mind for change, followed by developing a heart for the outcome, which ultimately leads to hands that make it happen. This approach goes beyond lecturing (telling) and predicts that when children develop a heart or passion for something, their next step naturally is to experience it with their own hands.

This exact same approach is often used for adults and in business. You can often get greater results when you help individuals envision change, create a passion for the potential outcome of that change, then create an environment whereby individuals are empowered to implement that change. The minds, hearts, and hands approach is also excellent for fostering a culture of engagement. When employees can see and feel the personal benefits possible from an initiative, they want to become involved. They want to be engaged and participate in driving that change. By definition, you create engagement when the vision ignites a passion. Put another way, when you gain both logical and emotional commitment to something, the resulting discretionary effort is multiplied.

I know of one terrific example of using minds, hearts, and hands for safety awareness. To enhance the culture of safety excellence, the organization created its own version of minds, hearts, and hands:

• Minds – The group is conducting a culture survey designed to answer the question, “What are employee attitudes and feelings about safety and how well is our management doing to support a safe workplace?” This survey should help create that vision of what gaps exist and opportunities to improve the cultural mindset about safety.

• Hearts – To help create enhanced passion around safety, employees will be asked to participate in an assessment of the survey and, together with their management partners, develop a plan to address these opportunities. In addition, every employee will have (or has had) an opportunity to witness first-hand stories of the importance of safety focus and awareness

• Hands – Finally, individuals from across the organization along will work together to address open issues and actions – by encourage all employees to rally around a common goals, they hope to have all hands working to “put action to words” and create that culture of engagement needed

This is just one great application of the minds, hearts, and hands concept of engagement. You can use this approach for enhancing engagement in any area.  When a desire is ignited in your heart to achieve a vision (or goal or target), your hands naturally follow to achieve it. Look around your own function today. Are you struggling to achieve some goal or objective that your mind and heart have not embraced? Is there something you are trying to achieve at home that lacks the passion of a dedicated heart or visionless mind? Perhaps, applying the minds, hearts, and hands approach can help drive a different (and better) result.

Have a “top ten” day today in everything you do!

Today’s edition of The Porch was submitted by a colleague named, Jeff Lay. Jeff summarizes a podcast he recently heard and applies it beautifully to how we can change our attitude and approach at work, home, or community. Take a look:

 

I was recently catching-up on a new series by a speaker in Florida I listen to via podcast.  When I saw the title of the series, “Meet the feels”, I was a bit hesitant because feelings are often a point of contention.  That is, personal perception can create somewhat nebulous takeaways.  However, the speaker has historically been able to grab points and make applications where others have failed so I began listening.  His primary message was that feelings are what they are, you feel what you feel.  Those feelings come from your experiences, perceptions, and emotional wiring.  Often times I have talked to people in difficult situations at work or at home and try to apply my own situational wisdom with them but to no sustainable success because it takes one simple sentence to shut down the conversation: “If you had experienced what I had you wouldn’t say that.”  We are all the sum of our experiences and that makes us who we are for better or worse.  The speaker’s point is that though we may not share the same experiences in life, we can all choose to focus on an alternative that drives how we feel.  His major phrase grabber for the message was, “Feelings follow focus.”  Though a simple phrase, it has great power in the message of what it could deliver if effectively utilized.  We all have good and bad experiences but it is what we focus on that drives our feelings about where we work, how we view a coworker, and how we get along with our neighbors.  We are all wired to internalize experiences and then elicit a feeling driven from an emotion.  If we spend our time focusing on the negative then we inevitably feel in a corresponding way.  His secondary point is that we own this portion of our lives.  We may not be able to change a feeling from an experience but we all have the physical wiring and mental capabilities to change what we focus on which in turn changes how we are feeling at that given moment.  In addition to the difficult takeaway that we, ourselves, have the ability to change what we focus on, if we don’t own it, then we give the power and control of a negative feeling to someone else, or something else and it will only compound an already negative feeling!

Take a challenge today and choose to focus on something different, something that changes the way you are currently feeling about a situation, a colleague, or a friend!

 

This is so true! The things we focus on – the things that occupy our minds at any given moment – significantly affect how we feel or what attitude we have. When I am mowing my lawn, I usually wear earbuds and listen to music. During this 2+ hour time, my mind is completely lost in the task at hand and the places that my music takes me. It takes me to beautiful, wonderful places with the people I love doing the things I love to do. My attitude is perfect because my focus is on things that are perfect to me. However, when I am watching the network news or reading the negative stories in the newspaper, my focus is on something totally different. I am consumed with how messed up our world can be and how hopeless life might be for those in war-torn areas, those living in poverty, or those that have lost loved ones to violence. My attitude can become very negative if I linger too long on negative news.

So, you can see by these two examples how Jeff’s observations are exactly correct. When you catch yourself feeling negative, low, or hopeless, re-channel your focus to something more positive or hopeful. At work, when you feel overwhelmed, refocus on those small victories you’ll gain when the project is complete. Refocus on the good news you just heard from a coworker, neighbor or family member. Shifting your mind to something more positive, can give you power over those negative feelings that can overtake us at times.

Consider how you can turn your day, or that of someone else, from negative to positive today. Have a fantastic day!

 

I have come to believe that almost everything in life can be explained by American C&W music. In one song I enjoy, the singer talks about watching an important part of his life fade away in the distance in his rearview mirror. He asks, “Did I wait too long?” Of course, because this is a C&W song, he is singing about his girl. But, nonetheless, this reminds me of a quote by, of all people, Alexander Graham Bell:

“When one door closes another door opens; but, we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” – Alexander Graham Bell

The song and the quote are getting at the same thing…

“We often wait so long to take action or to make a decision that the opportunity passes, leaving us with regrets. We more frequently regret those things we did not do than those we did do.”

What is it about us that make us reluctant to “choose the open door?” What is it about risk that paralyzes us? It is because we are too comfortable in our rut or that we’ve regretted previous open doors? I recently ran across a list of “20 regrets from people on their deathbeds…” How many of these fall into the category of “looking regretfully upon the closed door?”

1. I wish I’d cared less about what other people think.
2. I wish I had accomplished more.
3. I wish I had told __ how I truly felt.
4. I wish I had stood up for myself more.
5. I wish I had followed my passion in life.
6. I wish our last conversation hadn’t been an argument.
7. I wish I had let my children grow up to be who they wanted to be.
8. I wish I had lived more in the moment.
9. I wish I had worked less.
10. I wish I had traveled more.
11. I wish I had trusted my gut rather than listening to everyone else.
12. I wish I’d taken better care of myself.
13. I wish I’d taken more risks.
14. I wish I’d had more time.
15. I wish I hadn’t worried so much.
16. I wish I’d appreciated ___ more.
17. I wish I’d spent more time with my family.
18. I wish I hadn’t taken myself so seriously.
19. I wish I’d done more for other people.
20. I wish I could have felt happier.

Sometimes it is good to look at these lists and take a personal inventory… how am I doing with these?

That’s it… no more guilt for today. Spend some time on yourself today. Do something fun! And, take someone you care about along for the ride. Choose the open door!

(Note: The song mentioned above is by Restless Heart and can be found at this link… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIytqbCJfZo )

 

 

Well, I had two mole traps set last night with no success. One of the traps is a “never fails” version that my neighbor loaned me. Either I am a terrible mole-hunter OR I have the most intelligent moles in my yard known to mankind!

Yesterday, we started my list of everyday moles that we face in our lives. We talked about dealing with inadequacy, over-commitment, frustration with slow change, exasperation with fast change, and disappointment. Surely, you understand that this is not an exhaustive list. However, between parts 1 and 2, this list of 10 “moles” reflects challenges that many of us face either now or we may in the future. Let’s look at the remaining “moles” on today’s list:

1. Haunting by past events (or regret) – Many individuals can never overcome issues from their past. Regret for past choices is the most common reason for these issues. I think we all have things in our past that we might have done differently if we could have a re-do. However, we can’t. No matter how much we wish it, we cannot go back. Moving forward is the only real choice we have. Realizing that there are others depending on us and that we might be adding new regrets unless we move forward should help propel us out of the past. The best way to overcome past regrets is to create future “best days.” By being intentional about our future opportunities, we can refocus our energies away from those anchors holding us back.
2. Fear of the future – “Ah, I’m in a rut and I like it! I hope to never have to climb out of here.” Have you ever encountered someone so fearful of the future that they try to hide in the present (or, in their past)? No one really knows what the future holds, but I do know that I would have missed out on so very much had I not been willing to climb out of my own rut and take some risks in my own life.
3. Unfair treatment – “Life is not fair!” We need to all know this and embrace it. That doesn’t make us happier when we are on the rough end of unfair. However, allowing things we cannot control to dominate our lives is really unfair to ourselves… and those around us. Set it aside and focus on what you can control!
4. Extreme cynicism (or distrust) – I’m sure we have all worked with individuals that had become so distrustful of others or the company that they became extremely cynical. This can hinder us and those around us, if we cannot control it. When we get to the point that we cannot trust, it becomes challenging to be positive or encourage each other. We need to guard against this level of cynicism by preventing it. Don’t allow yourself to go there. And, if you find yourself there now, work together with someone else to turn your view elsewhere.
5. Discouragement (that feeling that you just don’t care anymore) – There is an epidemic of discouragement in our society today. There is so much negative that it is difficult to see your way to the positive. In many cases, you become discouraged because of the company you keep. It might be time to surround yourself with individuals that have a more positive viewpoint. Another way out of discouragement is to learn a new skill or take up a new hobby. Find out what you are passionate about and immerse yourself in that. Or, find a way to serve someone else. There is no better way, in my opinion, to snap yourself out of a discouraging moment than to help someone else that cannot help themselves. When you pour your life into another, you somehow forget the negatives that you thought were so important.

 

Moles are destructive. But, they can be eliminated. Taking the steps needed to eradicate our own moles can make us more productive, more positive, and more useful to others. And, it always results in a more self-fulfilled, happier person. This might be a good time to identify the moles in your life and take specific steps to eliminate them.

Thanks for all you do for others. Have a splendid, mole-free day!

Today is Veteran’s Day in the United States.  Those in other countries celebrate similar days throughout the year.  So, today, we repeat an edition from The Porch from last Memorial Day as we pay tribute to our veterans – those that willingly served to keep us free.  I often think that if I could rewind my life, I would likely take a turn and serve in the armed forces for a period of time. I love my country so much that I wish I had repaid some of the debt I owe by serving. But, I didn’t… Nonetheless, I want to thank those that have served or that supported other family members that did.

To highlight the plight of many of these veterans, we take a look at the story of Joe, a veteran of the Viet Nam war era.

 

Joe’s Story

I’ve known Joe for quite a long time.  He is most often, these days, found sitting outside the coffee shop down the street from where I live.  Joe is unemployed, homeless, and depends upon the generosity of others for the basic needs of his life.  Joe grew up in a small town in Southern Illinois.  He was a good student, was well liked, and, according to his parents and teachers, had a bright future.  Joe was a good athlete and his favorite memories are playing baseball and basketball for his hometown high school.  Joe often thought he would go to college and become a teacher.

However, the military had other plans for Joe.  He grew up when the military draft lottery was still in place.  In those days, every date all year was placed in a bin and someone from the draft board pulled out the dates one-by-one until all were pulled.  Then, for every 18 year old male in the US, a draft into military service was held, starting with the first date drawn, until enough new soldiers were entered into the military.  Typically, 18 year olds with birthdates in the top 150 or so knew they would be drafted.  Birthdates drawn above that were fairly safe in that they would not be drafted.  In 1968 when Joe turned 18, his birthdate draft number was 38.  Thus, he was drafted into the Army.

In 1968, the War in Viet Nam was still going strong.  So, Joe found himself heading to the Far East on his 19^th birthday.  Joe had never been beyond Missouri in his entire life, so the trip to South Viet Nam was both exciting and dreadful.  But, he served the best he could.  In his 8^th month in Viet Nam, Joe was on patrol with his best friend when they stepped on a land mine along the road.  Joe’s friend Bobby died instantly.  Joe was badly damaged and required 4 surgeries to regain his ability to walk and the use of his arm.  He was honorably discharged in 1970.

Joe spent the next 40 years hopping from one job to another.  He tried college for one semester, but just could not concentrate long enough to stay in class.  His war injuries kept him from many jobs that he knew he could do.  He had no significant skills, so he ended up working at whatever menial job he could find.  He became homeless in 2006.  By then, he had been hooked on drugs originally intended to alleviate his pain.  Most of his family had died or he had last track of them.  He never married.  For the last ten years, Joe ate leftover food from dumpsters, begged for coffee money, and slept wherever he could remain dry and relatively warm.

Growing up, Joe never intended to end up on the street.  He had the greatest of intentions.  He was glad to serve his country, but a part of him died that day Bobby died.  He has remained a patriot all these years, but he feels he let himself and his family down because he was never quite able to fully shake the injuries – mental and physical – he incurred in Viet Nam.  He is sad that he has never met his nephews.  And, he is sadder yet that they probably would be embarrassed to even say they were related to him. 

By the way, my name is Joe and I might live just down the street from you.  If you get a chance, please give me a hand.  And, please don’t think harshly of me.  I did the best I could.  I just wish I could have done more.

 

Joe is a veteran that sacrificed much to heed the call to serve his country.  And, his story is not so unusual.  Many, perhaps most, of our veterans returned home different than they were when they left to serve.  Many never returned.

I am honored to be the son of a World War II veteran, the grandson of a World War I veteran, the uncle to a current Army Colonel, and to have several brothers-in-law that served during the Viet Nam War time.  None of these men talked about their time at war much.  However, they each served proudly and with honor.  Today, my hat is off and I extend my most sincere thanks and honor to all of you that either served or had family members that served in the armed forces.  You have sacrificed much and we pay tribute to you today.  Thanks!

Please, find a veteran today and tell them thanks.  We owe them our freedom and the way of life we enjoy so much.

 

 

Have you been there?  You work on your yard all year. You began early in spring with the application of fertilizer, weed killer, and grub worm preventer. You carefully tune your mower to the perfect height. You meticulously care for your yard by adding water, when needed, cutting at just the right time, and searching for those pesky weeds that you immediately eliminate. Now comes fall, that time of year when all your hard work should pay off. October and November should be the most beautiful times of the year for your lawn. Then, then come! Moles! Those tiny rodents that delight in creating underground furrows in your yard. It is amazing how much damage they can do in just one night!

Eliminating moles is an entire science. Courses are taught. You can actually become a certified mole eradication expert. Some believe you must use traps to catch and remove the moles. Others try smoking them out with smoke bombs. Still others swear that you can drive them out using water to flood their furrows. Hardware stores have entire aisles of poisons, deterrents, and gizmos to catch, scare, or fool the moles. In my experience, these tactics might produce sporadic success, but eventually, the moles just leave. In their wake, you experience all-winter anxiety planning ways to restore your now chopped up lawn.

Moles don’t really cause major, permanent damage. But, they irritate and frustrate those that care for their lawns. They are pests, but their damage is not fatal. Life and work can offer their own versions of “moles.” So, today, we look at a few examples and talk about how we might approach their eradication from our own lives. Here are a few “moles” that come to my mind and that we all likely face from time-to-time:

1. Feelings of inadequacy (the Doofus Syndrome) – Once in a while, most people get into a cycle when nothing seems to go right. You start feeling like you are jinxed. Your washer dies, then you lose your keys, then you have a fender-bender. You start feeling like you are just incapable of doing anything right. Well, the remedy to this is to know that everything runs in cycles. When things go bad, it seems to hit you more than when things are going well. However, we all also have cycles when it seems that everything is going very well. We just focus more on the bad, than the good. C. S. Lewis once said, “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” We are not Doofuses. Yes, things might happen, but we have all benefited from the experience we gain from those hardships, even the small ones, that come our way.
2. Over commitment (or fatigue) – Yes, we have all been there. We have so many things on our plate that we become so tired that we have difficulty even getting undressed for bed. My wife kids me that I often have to take a nap to have enough energy to make it to the bedroom at night. Most people say “yes” too often. We hate to say “no.” Then, as a result, we rarely have any meaningful down time to recharge our batteries. The best ways to overcome fatigue are: a) begin saying “no” and making time for yourself, b) put our phones and tablets down and get more sleep, and c) delegate – allow or motivate someone else to take some of the burden we currently carry. Of course, these are easier said than done. However, it is important, for our own good, that we do so.
3. Frustration that change happens too slowly (impatience) – I have noticed a trend over the last few years of greater impatience. I think some of this might be due to our immediate gratification society. For example, I used to be able to tell my wife almost any “fact” and she believed me. However, now that she has a smartphone with unlimited information at her fingertips immediately, I find that she has become a “fact-checker.” She challenges my claims and I must now be a bit more careful about what I say. This immediate gratification society makes us all more impatient for things to happen. When they don’t, we become frustrated and, potentially worse, cynical or distrustful. Being able to take a few steps back will help keep things in perspective. Realizing that we are running a marathon, not a sprint, can help with that. Sure, I know… easier said than done. But, we need to begin developing the habit of patience. It won’t come simply because we will it. We need to practice and nurture this habit. By becoming aware that things don’t happen quickly and forcing ourselves to generate patience, we might eventually become more so.
4. Exasperation that change is happening too fast (you can’t keep up) – Of course, equally “molish” is that change is happening too fast. We feel that we are behind everyone else. Technology is passing us by faster than we can learn it. Or, we can never master one thing before it is replaced with something else. This mole can also drive us to frustration, fatigue, or that helpless/hopeless feeling. Our ability to keep up is often related to how we prioritize the change. Trying to become an expert in everything will leave us fatigued. Determining what is essential versus what is nice can help us avoid overload.
5. Disappointment (things aren’t turning out like you had hoped) – I have talked to numerous individuals that simply feel their lives are disappointing. The plans they made just didn’t work out. Others made decisions that we urged against. Situations out of our control impacted our lives in negative ways. Disappointment can weigh an individual down. What I have found when I begin falling into this “mole hole” is to focus instead on the blessing I do have. I consider all those positive things in my life and what ways my life is better than I could have imagined. Shifting our focus from those things that disappoint to those that bless can often help you regain your perspective.

 

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross once said:

“When we face the worst that can happen in any situation, we grow. When circumstances are at their worst, we can find our best.”

When we look at challenging situations – face them and learn from them – we become better equipped for the challenges we face in the future. Victory over moles often comes simply because of persistence. In the same way, victory over our own life-moles may come just because we kept fighting and wore down the situation. I realize that there is nothing new here… no new answers have been provided. However, it is often good just to realize that what you face is common to many individuals all around you. Keep fighting!

Have a victorious day! I hope it is a tremendous one for you.

Early in the morning, I often think, “If I could do anything in the world today, what would it be?” Sometimes, my thoughts take me to the beach in Mexico my wife and I annually visit. Sometimes, I’m building a campfire in the back yard with my grandchildren on a perfect fall day. Still other days, my wife and I are driving along Big Sur along the Pacific Ocean in California on the way for me to play golf at Pebble Beach. To be truthful, when I am in one of those “what would I do” zones, I’m rarely thinking of the workplace.

However, I ran across a quote recently by Mary Edgar. Mary Edgar’s life was devoted to working with girls and camping through many local, provincial and national organizations. She was the author of many books, plays and hymns. In this quote, Edgar captures so many things that would encompass a great day that I felt it needed to be shared with you. Here is the quote:

 

“I will follow the upward road today; I will keep my face to the light. I will think high thoughts as I go my way; I will do what I know is right. I will look for the flowers by the side of the road; I will laugh and love and be strong. I will try to lighten another’s load this day as I fare along.” – Mary S. Edgar

 

In just a few words, she captures: a positive attitude, a favorable outlook; honorable actions, pure motives, doing what is right. She stops to smell the roses and has time to laugh and love. She desires to be strong and, finally, she wants to make the day better for someone else. Doesn’t that describe a great day! Wouldn’t you love for every day to be just like that?

Do you know that when you start your day thinking that each new day is a blessing, it changes your entire approach to the day? When each new day holds endless possibilities, a fresh start, and adventure – you start to think that you can literally do anything! When you begin your day this way, you begin as a warrior, as a victor, and a champion. Sure, the day can bring challenges and disappointments, but starting the day as a champion helps you to walk a little taller and with a brighter spirit than if you begin the day already defeated.

I have written this quote on my phone and plan to re-read it often. I hope to allow this to motivate me as I start each new day in the future. Could this help you, as well?

Have a wonderful day today! Look for those flowers along the side of the way, as you go. And, let some act of kindness make a difference to someone else.

Everywhere you turn and everywhere you look, someone is telling us how important it is to have employee engagement. Employee engagement, or simply, enthusiastic participation, is considered a key indicator of cultural health. Many studies have also shown a direct relationship between employee engagement and company success. So, if it is so important, how do we do it? How can we get it right? What is it so hard? Well, the answer might just lie in what we see in the video linked below. A colleague recently shared this link and it is well worth 2 minutes of your time:

http://www.tanveernaseer.com/vending-machine-teach-employee-engagement/?U=1_HQ8L_FCVZP

So, you see, employee engagement isn’t really that hard. This video concludes that if you do these two things, you will see immediate results:

 

1. Offer something unexpected – The students in the video were in their rut. Nothing new, same old routine. Yet, everything changed when they got someone unexpected! It changed the entire mood and environment in the room. How can we generate that same feeling? What can we do to offer the unexpected? In the workplace, unexpected food, unexpected entertainment, unexpected time away… these are all ways to “shake things up.” In your family setting, a surprise outing can get everyone engaged when they would have stayed in the routine otherwise. In a marriage, a surprise weekend away is good. Or, sometimes, just a personal note will make a difference. Think about something you can do to shake everyone out of their routine and get a level of engagement you haven’t seen in a while (if ever).
2. Kindness goes a long way – Did you notice how the students in the video immediately began sharing the fun with others? Did you count the “kind acts” that occurred in just this two minute video? How many times did one person do something kind for someone else? There is never a time when kindness is inappropriate. And, there is never a time when an act of kindness doesn’t impact someone. Demonstrating kindness to fellow employees can often allow engagement to explode. Kindness often brings an individual out of the rut and back to life. You saw this with the students in the video. What act of kindness can to perform today to help someone else out of their own personal rut?

 

Because it is so important, this very timely! How can you use this simple lesson in employee engagement to make a difference today?

I’m hoping today is one you’ll not soon forget. Have a fantastic, wonderful day full of the unexpected kindnesses of those you love and those that work with you.

 

Scott Pelley is an anchor for CBS News and a correspondent for 60 Minutes, the CBS news program. In a recent interview, Pelley outlined his values in reporting the news, “My values in reporting are very simple; I really sum it up in three words: Is it right, is it fair, is it honest in terms of the gathering of information and the presentation of that information. That’s a very simple rule, but it’s very hard to do.”

What a terrific set of values for every dealing with people! Often, we might struggle knowing how to act, what to say, or what to do in normal, everyday dealings with people. We might be wondering if their motives are correct or if they can be trusted. We might wonder if they seek good or evil for us. We might not know how open we can be or if we should be tentative around them. There might be dozens of thoughts racing through our minds as we meet and interact with those in our circle every day. However, Pelley’s set of values might help us sort through all those confusing possibilities. By deciding upfront our values and what we believe in dealing with others, we no longer have to make decisions on how to interact under the pressure of the moment. If we determine that no matter what, we will treat others right, fairly, and honestly, it takes much of the guesswork out of our behaviors. When we adopt this or a similar set of values toward others, our default should always be to treat them right, fairly, and honestly. No more wondering and no more guessing. We have decided ahead of time how we’ll treat others.

So, what do Pelley’s three values really mean? Here are my thoughts:

• Is it right? – To me, this means simply, “What is the right thing to do? What is the decent or kind thing to do?” We should treat people the way we ourselves want to be treated. This probably means we should be open, welcoming, collaborative, and helpful. We should treat others in a way that we would be unashamed if our spouse, kids, or neighbors witnessed it themselves.
• Is it fair? – To me, this means, “Am I unbiased? Am I open to their thoughts, ideas, and input? Am I treating them equally? Am I giving others opportunities I would appreciate if the table was turned?” Fairness is merely giving everyone an equal chance to be heard, to contribute, and to participate fully.
• Is it honest? – To me, this means, “Can I be trusted? Are my motives pure? Am I truly seeking the best for everyone? Would this person want to deal with me again?” Being honest simply means that we treat others truthfully and without deceit.

Certainly, there are other values that we could adopt when dealing with others, such as kindness, compassion, and encouragement. I think the point is that by defining in advance the values by which you seek to treat others, your dealings will eventually shift toward those values. And, in the process, you will develop better and closer relationships with those with whom you interact.

Have a fabulous day! Do something special for someone else today!