IF YOUR GOAL IS A PRODUCTIVE BUSINESS TRIP, HEAD TO PITTSBURGH!
The Economist magazine recently rated Pittsburgh 11th best out of 127 cities worldwide as for business travel. That and 249 other reasons to love Pittsburgh are featured in Dr. Joanne G. Sujansky's new book Pittsburgh Will Steel Your Heart. It's not only a great gift for friends and family members; it's a unique business tool as well. Use it to reward employees, wow prospective hires, or to send a big Steel City "thank you" to clients and customers. Be sure to keep a copy for yourself, too. It's a great way to discover (or rediscover) Pittsburgh's best-kept secrets! To learn more about this unique book, visit http://www.pittsburghwillsteelyourheart.com.
IT'S TIME FOR THAT ANNUAL RITUAL
The new year is upon us, and you know what that means ... time to make your resolutions for 2007! Some unknown wag once said, "a resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other," but the tradition of making resolutions at the beginning of the Year started in ancient Rome. Back then most Romans resolved to ask forgiveness from their enemies. These days most of us resolve to do things like lose weight, exercise or quit smoking. But how many of us are going to keep those resolutions?
By the end of January each year most of our resolutions seem to have fallen by the wayside, so why should we even bother? If the odds are against us, does it really matter whether we make a list of our New Year's resolutions? Turns out the answer is yes.
Researchers at the University of Scranton studied two groups of people who wished to improve themselves by adopting new habits to lose weight, exercise more, save more money and so forth. However, only one of the two groups actually put their resolutions into writing. The study, published in The Journal of Clinical Psychology (Volume 58, Issue 4, Mar. 8, 2002), found that after six months 46% of those who wrote down their resolutions were still successful, compared with only 4% of those who didn't put their resolutions in writing.
So, if you're looking to make a fresh start on something in the New Year - such as better work-life balance or improved health - the first step is to put those resolutions in writing. You'll be ten times more likely to succeed if you do!
"New Year's day ... is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual." -- Mark Twain
RESOLUTIONS AND GOALS . . . THE STUMBLING BLOCKS
So what exactly is the connection between employees' New Year's resolutions and their workplace goals? We know that in a Vibrant Entrepreneurial Organization managers work closely with employees to set goals that are both challenging and achievable. We also know that a VEO's leaders strive to create an environment that supports high productivity while minimizing employee stress. Clearly, employee resolutions to lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier and spend more quality time with family are central to maintaining a high-productivity/low-stress workplace. When you encourage your employees' New Year's resolutions - and especially when you tangibly support them - your people will most likely respond with greater enthusiasm, higher creativity and a stronger sense of loyalty. But beware, many employees find it difficult to discuss their New Year's resolutions at work for fear of possible reactions.
An article in the Miami Herald described a recent survey, which found that although work-like balance is an issue for everyone, more than half the employees questioned would not discuss their needs with their supervisor ("Adults juggle work and life," by Cindy Krischer Goodman, MiamiHerald.com, Dec. 08, 2006). When asked the reasons for their silence:
- 45% said they feared they might make less money
- 32% thought the boss would say no
- 32% believed that even with company-sponsored programs, it really isn't okay
- 29% feared others would think they don't work as hard
- 28% were afraid of losing their job
If your employees aren't sharing their needs for a greater work-life balance, the chances are they can't really respond to those challenging goals you've set with them. If you're seeing stress-driven behaviors at work - long hours, skipped lunches, unhealthy eating, lack of exercise, poor communications, visible tension - then you need to consider ways to restore work-life balance among your staff. It's not just a matter of New Year's resolutions; it's very much a matter of achieving company and individual goals.
"Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success." -- David Joseph Schwartz
TRANSFORMING RESOLUTIONS INTO GOALS
The beginning of the year is an ideal time to set new goals with employees or review existing goals. January first is typically a time of optimism and a chance for a fresh start. That's why we make resolutions in the first place. In a Vibrant Entrepreneurial Organization it's particularly important that employees understand their goals and what's expected of them. Unfortunately, that's not always the case.
Our own survey last year revealed that nearly half of all employees say they have no clearly defined goals. Obviously, many supervisors have to do a better job of clarifying performance expectations and linking employee goals to company objectives. What can you do? The following strategies can help leaders to define expectations of employees ...
- Share the "big picture" with employees -- Employees need to have a sense of ownership, understand what the company stands for and where it's going. If they don't know the big picture, how can they own it?
- Work with employees to set challenging, yet attainable goals - You can't impose goals on your employees. Work with them to make sure you are both on the same page with regards to what needs to be done and by when.
- Make sure their work is meaningful -- Busywork and routine, mind-numbing tasks can be the death of productivity. Make sure the assignments and goals you set with employees stimulate their minds and have a real impact on your organization.
- Put systems in place for measuring productivity -- The whole point of goal setting is to help employees become more productive, which is why you can't afford to confuse activity with progress. Put systems in place for measuring productivity and live by them, because "what gets measured gets done."
- Give "real" feedback - Most organizations have formal performance reviews, but don't limit feedback to scheduled evaluations. Give it on the spot. Tell people in "real time" what they're doing wrong so they can correct it, but it's even more important to tell them what they're doing right.
