Content about Social psychology

July 18, 2012
Soapbox: Employee Engagement—Why Care?

Organizations face daunting challenges and need to use every resource at their disposal to stay competitive. An engaged workforce that performs with energy, focus, and commitment is critical to organizational survival. Addressing the issues that drive engagement levels is a significant strategy to move from surviving to thriving.

By Ross Tartell, Ph.D.

Over the last decade, employee engagement has developed as a vital component of Human Resource strategy. But economic realities during the last few years have narrowed the focus of some companies to concerns about cash flow and sales, leaving employee engagement forgotten amid the imperative for economic survival. Stagnant growth and high unemployment characterized an environment that caused many employers to act as if employees were lucky to have a job and could easily be replaced if they didn’t produce.

March 12, 2012
Engaged Leadership’s Role in Organizational Safety and Success

Where there is a culture of leadership engagement—where leaders are seen as plugged in and responsive to their employees; where employees feel their leaders are concerned with their everyday activities, personal well-being, and overall security—those are the places where you see engaged employees on every level.

By Bill Whitmore, Chairman, President, and CEO, AlliedBarton Security Services

There’s a direct connection between engaged leadership, workplace security, and organizational success, regardless of your product or service. Psychologist Abraham Maslow identified safety and security as among the most basic human needs on the road to self-actualization—achieving one’s full potential. It, therefore, follows that if your employees don’t feel safe and secure, they’re not going to do the best job for you.

March 5, 2012
Creating Smart Trust

A Smart Trust culture is a culture of immense momentum, possibility, and power, according to Stephen M. R. Covey and Greg Link, authors of  “Smart Trust: Creating Prosperity, Energy, and Joy in a Low-Trust World.” Smart Trust is not built on the assumption that what we need is more rules, more regulations, and more referees; it’s built on the evidence that extending trust and creating a high-trust culture in which top performance is expected brings greater dividends for stakeholders on every level.

February 9, 2012
Conference Highlight: Managers Who Coach

Understand the difference between managing and coaching.

 

Training 2012 Conference & Expo speaker Tim Hagen explains the difference between managing and coaching:

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.

January 26, 2012
Rethinking the Games People Play

Applying game sciences to recognition and performance improvement programs is much more than just creating a game. It’s essentially a way of creating a series of interlocking and customizable experiences that enrich a relationship with a brand or company. Gamification is about finding new ways to appeal to the basic human drives that motivate us every day.

By Jerry Klein, Senior Solution Design Strategist, Maritz Motivation Solutions

We live in a world increasingly obsessed with games. From celebrity athletes performing before worshipful throngs to teenage boys lost in World of Warcraft, games engage and delight all ages. Businesses can capitalize on this trend toward play. Applying the mechanics of gaming to non-game activities can help to engage people in new and exciting ways.

January 24, 2012
Q&A: Getting the Questions You Want

In the right circumstances, Q&A following a presentation or class can provide an opportunity for you to clarify complex ideas or expand on issues of particular relevance for your audience. Here’s how to make the most of these sessions and get the types of questions you want.

By Matt Abrahams, Co-Founder and Principal, Bold Echo Communications Solutions

The sound of silence… that uncomfortable lull at the end of your presentation when you ask for questions, and it takes a moment or two for someone to get up the nerve to speak.

January 16, 2012
The Alphabet of Good Coaches: Part 2

Good coaches must have a positive attitude, a sense of determination, and an ability to help you to find an approach for even the most difficult situation with creativity and intelligence. This article will discuss 14 additional characteristics that set good coaches apart from unsuccessful ones.

By Bruce D. Stasch, Marketing Manager, Work Effects

In Part I of this article (http://trainingmag.com/article/alphabet-good-coaches-part-1), we discussed some attributes that make for a successful coach. Good coaches must have a positive attitude, a sense of determination, and an ability to help you to find an approach for even the most difficult situation with creativity and intelligence. This article will discuss 14 additional characteristics that set good coaches apart from unsuccessful ones.

January 3, 2012
NYP Hospital Revs Up Onboarding

When NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (NYP) wanted to formalize and enhance its Revenue Cycle Academy (RCA), it added a new onboarding program. The program provides a systematic, comprehensive approach, enabling staff to become more familiar and confident with business concepts, processes, technology, and behaviors.

When NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (NYP) wanted to formalize and enhance its Revenue Cycle Academy (RCA), it added a new onboarding program.

December 23, 2011
Why Companies Need a Strategic HR Partner

More leaders need to use Human Resources as a strategic plant, says Rajeev Pershawaria, author of “Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders.” The first step is to choose the right HR leader, someone who can help, as well as challenge. Instead of choosing a comfortable confidante, leaders should look for someone who understands both business and human capital trends, and is able to contribute intelligently to C-suite discussions about business strategy.

By Rajeev Peshawaria

December 2, 2011
Understanding (and Maximizing) the Work Practice of the Digital Native

Digital natives have a different set of habits, standards, expectations, and social norms that stem from being raised in a culture deeply immersed in technology, writes Brynn Evans in Chapter 1 of “Dancing With Digital Natives.” While their differences may not always clash with non-natives, their work practice is unique and demands patience and compromise from non-natives to understand it and make the most of it.

The following is taken from Chapter 1: “When Facebook Comes to Work: Understanding the Work Practice of the Digital Native,” by Brynn Evans.

Work as a Practice

December 1, 2011
Harnessing the Power of Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing enables a company to broadcast an issue to a diverse audience using Web-based collaboration solutions and asks them to contribute ideas to solve the problem. Organizations that have tried this have developed surprising solutions to internal problems and innovation needs.

By Diane Youden, Principal, PwC

November 28, 2011
True North Groups: A Powerful Path to Personal and Leadership Development

Being part of an ongoing group of six people—True North Groups—who know you intimately is the best way to develop your emotional intelligence (EQ), according to Bill George and Doug Baker, authors of “True North Groups: A Powerful Path to Personal and Leadership Development.” True North Groups enable us to integrate the drives for bonding and comprehension into our development as human beings and leaders.

By Bill George and Doug Baker

As a result of myriad leadership and economic failures in the past, both personal growth and leadership development are undergoing a significant rethinking. Macroeconomic theories prevalent for the last 30 years convinced many opinion leaders that people are motivated by monetary gains alone and act only in their economic self-interest.

November 22, 2011
Creating a Holistic Talent Management Team

Before creating a holistic talent management team, organizations have to be more honest about what kind of environment is wanted and what exists (inclusive, collaborative, separate, self-preservation). What type of leadership style is wanted and what exists? Is all leadership held to the same standards with regard to producing the optimal work environment?

By Richard Lynell

What does a holistic talent management team look like?

Well, that answer varies, depending on your organization and its leadership, culture, and environment. But regardless of this, I believe a talent management team should be an independent function of the organization, similar to an internal audit team.

November 21, 2011
8 Pillars of Trust

David Horsager, author of “The Trust Edge,” studied the underlying connection between success and trust, and he identified eight key areas he describes as Pillars. They are the bedrock that creates The Trust Edge, the competitive advantage gained when others confidently believe in you.

By David Horsager

Everything of value is built on trust, from financial systems to relationships.

November 10, 2011
Trainer vs. Mentor

Do you have a trainer or a mentor in your department? Do you properly mentor the new employee for their role, or just train them for their everyday tasks? Are you doing your best to ensure that the value of providing legendary customer service is as important as the tasks associated with the position?

By Joe Lipham, Training Account Manager, Signature Worldwide

One morning while working in my former position as a human resource director for a resort, I was finishing my daily coffee run when my front-office manager, Kate, approached me. She was relatively new in her position and usually was full of ideas and had lots of energy—she was ready to make her mark on the organization! Unfortunately, I could see on this occasion that she was looking a little down.

October 31, 2011
Chesterfield County Accelerates Leadership Transitions

Chesterfield County, VA, trainers believe a loss of executive leadership typically is not due to lack of talent or skill set, but due to misunderstandings or an inability to become “organizationally savvy.” With that in mind, the county launched its Transition Acceleration program.

By Margery Weinstein

October 17, 2011
The Leadership Imperative: Mission Success

If a leader inspires, aligns, motivates, and enables the organization around a common vision, then a company has taken the first step toward becoming fearless.

By Tom Rieger, Senior Practice Expert, Gallup

There are no fearless leaders, but there are courageous ones. Everyone has fears they need to face. The key is to learn to overcome those fears. Mark Twain said, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.” To create a fearless company, leaders must master fear—their own and others’. They have to have the courage to fix what’s wrong.

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.

October 7, 2011
Training Today: Motel 6/Studio 6 Revamp Training Efforts

Motel 6 and Studio 6 turned the light on their training framework, revamping it in an effort to improve quality and consistency within the network. The new training structure aims to focus on the development of Motel 6/Studio 6 team members, ensuring they understand the “why” behind each course and providing them with supportive coaching along the way.

Motel 6 and Studio 6 turned the light on their training framework, revamping it in an effort to improve quality and consistency within the network. The new training structure aims to focus on the development of Motel 6/Studio 6 team members, ensuring they understand the “why” behind each course and providing them with supportive coaching along the way.

October 5, 2011
7 Steps to a Drama-Free Office

Reflect on the last week and think about all the infighting, water-cooler talk, meaningless meetings, turf wars, pouting, rants, and other behaviors that blocked positive, productive interactions in your organization. By following seven steps, you can shift yourself (and your team) away from drama to more enjoyable and productive tasks.

By Kaley Klemp and Jim Warner

If you work with other people (and who doesn’t?), reflect on the last week and notice how much time you wasted in drama: the energy-draining behaviors or exchanges that keep you from what you really want to be doing. Think about all the infighting, water-cooler talk, meaningless meetings, turf wars, pouting, rants, and other behaviors that blocked positive, productive interactions in your organization.

September 14, 2011
What Do High-Potential Leaders Want?

Are organizations putting the right resources behind their high-potential programs? Many organizations assume compensation will keep their employees around. However, according to a PDI Ninth House Pulse on Leadersstudy, high-potential talent consider non-tangible elements such as stimulating and engaging work and a belief in the organization’s mission much more important in a job. Smart organizations are looking for new, more innovative ways to keep them engaged and committed to their organization.

By Stu Crandell, Senior Vice President, Solutions Portfolio Group, PDI Ninth House

High-potential leaders provide an impressive impact to their organizations’ bottom line. In fact PDI Ninth House Pulse on Leadersresearch shows that high potentials can provide their organizations with a 20 percent increase in project success, or approximately $25 million in increased revenue.

August 12, 2011
How Many of Your Employees Are Misemployed?

Studies indicate that upward of 70 percent of people currently working are misemployed—meaning they are not doing work maximally suited to who they are. Just think about how much productivity and job satisfaction would go up if the majority of people were in the jobs that are best suited to them. Here are some tips to ensure your employees are successfully matched to the jobs you need to fill.

By Herb Greenberg, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Caliper

July 26, 2011
Managing and Maximizing Flex Work

State Street’s Flex Work Program has evolved from a disparate collection of employee-initiated arrangements into a proactive, manager-initiated program supported by an array of tools, technologies, and resources.

By Mike Scannell, SVP, and Maia Germain, VP, State Street

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?