Content about Behavior

February 16, 2012
New Article: Reward in Real Time

Robert Vetere, author of “From Wags to Riches,” explores the human-animal bond and looks at moving from extrinsic motivation to intrinsic motivation for both dogs and people. In the business world, he says, intrinsic motivation is widely believed to be the key to employee engagement and one way to ensure people get the highest degree of satisfaction from their work.

 

By Robert Vetere

When you train a puppy, you say, “Good dog!” and immediately hold out a treat. If you wait too long, you lose your chance to reinforce good behavior. This principle is important to remember when you’re training employees, as well. The best management advice I have to offer: Don’t wait for the end-of-the-year annual review. Instead hand out your treats on the spot.

February 15, 2012
Reward in Real Time

Robert Vetere, author of “From Wags to Riches,” explores the human-animal bond and looks at moving from extrinsic motivation to intrinsic motivation for both dogs and people. In the business world, he says, intrinsic motivation is widely believed to be the key to employee engagement and one way to ensure people get the highest degree of satisfaction from their work.

By Robert Vetere

When you train a puppy, you say, “Good dog!” and immediately hold out a treat. If you wait too long, you lose your chance to reinforce good behavior. This principle is important to remember when you’re training employees, as well. The best management advice I have to offer: Don’t wait for the end-of-the-year annual review. Instead hand out your treats on the spot.

February 2, 2012
The (Frustrating) Quest for Gender Diversity

Although women have made much progress in reaching the leadership levels of business, the progress is disappointing—and stalled. Why aren’t more women making it to (and staying at) the top? The answer may be in becoming more aware of why women leave and of what they bring to the table.

By Caroline Turner

Although women have made much progress in reaching the leadership levels of business, the progress is disappointing—and stalled. What is so stubborn about this issue? Why aren’t more women making it to (and staying at) the top? The answer may be in becoming more aware of why women leave and of what they bring to the table.

December 27, 2011
Happiness Breeds Success

Contrary to popular belief, happiness actually is the precursor to success, not merely the result, says Shawn Achor, author of “The Happiness Factor. And happiness and optimism actually fuel performance and achievement—giving people the competitive edge he calls the Happiness Advantage.

By Shawn Achor

If you observe people around you, you’ll find most individuals follow a formula that has been subtly or not so subtly taught to them by their schools, their company, their parents, or society. That is: If you work hard, you will become successful, and once you become successful, then you’ll be happy. This pattern of belief explains what most often motivates us in life. We think: If I just get that raise, or hit that next sales target, I’ll be happy. If I lose that five pounds, I’ll be happy. And so on. Success first, happiness second.

December 9, 2011
Domestic Violence Contributes to Workplace Violence

Employees are at risk for facing workplace violence where they, or their co-workers, are experiencing domestic violence situations. However, there are ways to help those in need and reduce the risk of personally experiencing domestic violence in the workplace.

By Rich Cordivari, Vice President of National Accounts Business Development, AlliedBarton Security Services

Violence in the home can lead to violence in the workplace. Employees are at risk for facing workplace violence where they, or their co-workers, are experiencing domestic violence situations. A violent spouse or significant other can come to the workplace to check up on, harass, threaten, or act out against their partner.

November 23, 2011
Integrity and the Role of HRD

With all the apparent lapses of integrity we’ve witnessed, why are we not seeing more attention paid by the HR and HRD world? Here are a dozen suggestions of ways HR and HRD professionals can play a proactive role positioning integrity as a practical business strategy and crafting more“integrious” organizational cultures.

By Al Watts, Founder, inTEgro, Inc.

With all the apparent lapses of integrity we’ve witnessed, why are we not seeing more attention paid by the HR and HRD world? What should the roles of HR and HRD professional be? Here are three reasons it may be difficult to get our arms around integrity, and suggestions for helping leaders and their organizations function at the highest possible level:

October 7, 2011
Games as Engagement Engines

Faced with an unmotivated employee or student, our first instinct is to dangle a carrot (an incentive). If that doesn’t work, we threaten him. In either case, we’re missing the point. Tackling a lack of volition or faculty with blunt instruments such as rewards and punishments simply ignores the fact that the activities and experiences causing these symptoms aren’t any fun. That’s where games come in.

By Aaron Dignan

We’re bored. Not all of us, and certainly not all the time, but it does happen a lot. Look into the eyes of the person behind the checkout counter the next time you buy something. Note the expression on the face of an employee in accounts payable who has held that same job 10 ten years. Observe a classroom of students during a middle school world studies class. Boredom is everywhere, and it’s a by-product of poorly structured systems.

July 25, 2011
Last Word: Motivating Factors

Instead of guessing what motivates individual employees, managers should start out by asking them. On an individual basis, explore what is important to each contributor. What are their goals? Which tasks and responsibilities would they prefer? What could the manager do to make their jobs more fulfilling?

By Michael Rosenthal

Q: I am a Training manager supporting our organization’s largest business unit. Given the economy, we haven’t been able to offer much in terms of bonuses and other perks in recent years. My client has asked me to teach managers how to motivate their staff in the absence of those perks, and I’m out of ideas. Any advice?

July 20, 2011
A New Paradigm for Stakeholder Engagement

Whether they are customers, sales partners, or employees, all are looking for relationships with organizations they can trust, organizations that care, organizations that align with their values. Too often, the real story is that businesses view people as a means to their profit end rather than as stakeholders in creating shared value, according to Mary Beth McEuen, author of “The Game Has Changed: A New Paradigm for Stakeholder Engagement” white paper.  A new framework for stakeholder engagement is needed—a framework anchored in the latest research relative to human drives and behavior.

By Mary Beth McEuen

The game has changed.

July 13, 2011
The Bullying Boss…A Retention Nightmare

As a department manager, you may have to deal with a boss who uses bullying or fear as a way to manage. Your job, whether you like it or not, is to insulate your people from your boss, says Jeff Kortes, author of “No Nonsense Retention…Painless Strategies to Retain Your Best People.” If you don’t, you will bear the brunt of dealing with the aftermath of the turnover your boss generates.

By Jeff Kortes, President, Human Asset Management LLC

In recent years, experts have begun using the term “bullying” to describe what I would term “fear.” It is an abusive pattern of behavior that creates uncertainty and a nagging sense of fear in an employee’s mind. Call it fear or bullying, the effect is the same. It kills optimal performance and drives turnover. It’s that simple.

August 14, 2009
"The Happy Employee" Philosophy

A happy employee is a motivated employee, right? What if you're wrong about that? A new book by Leadership IQ CEO and founder Mark Murphy explores that question. Companies across the nation are collectively spending billions of dollars trying to satisfy and engage their employees in order to get greater performance. And yet, 72 percent of employees admit they're still not giving their best effort at work.

A happy employee is a motivated employee, right? What if you're wrong about that? A new book by Leadership IQ CEO and founder Mark Murphy explores that question. Companies across the nation are collectively spending billions of dollars trying to satisfy and engage their employees in order to get greater performance.

September 1, 2005
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Decent People, Decent Company

Decent People, Decent Company

May 1, 2001
Problem

If one in five U.S. high school students has trouble reading a diploma, what does that mean for the workforce that awaits? Undoubtedly, it signifies a countrywide need for remedial skills training at all levels. And if measured in terms of financial interest, it means literacy problems cost corporate America about $60 billion a year in lost productivity, according to the National Institute for Literacy.

By Hank O'Roark