Originally published July 12, 2011 | Updated July 2026 For decades, leaders have searched for the secret to motivating employees. Organizations spend billions of dollars each year on incentive programs, employee-of-the-month awards, bonuses, contests, and recognition...
1. Life moves fast and work will consume the majority of your hours in your life. Use them wisely and your life will be fulfilled and meaningful. 2. If you choose work which best fits you, you can generate happiness from your work which can last a lifetime. 3. Your...
What is self-awareness? This is unknown territory for many. In school we are seldom taught to do deep reflection. As we get older and become adults we get caught in the cycle of productivity and consumption. As a result self reflection becomes something to be avoided...
What is a system? A system is comprised of processes, some important, some not so important. A process has a start and a stop, an in and an out. You know you have a process when you can flow chart it on a piece of paper. A process has a certain state. It is mature and...
What does work mean to you? Does your work align with your abilities and deepest interests? Is your work simply a way to earn a living? Do you enjoy your work so much you could do this work forever? Is Monday your best day of the week and Friday the worst because you...
1. Micro-manage (People will do exactly what is requested and monitored and no more) 2. Give people challenging assignments when they don’t have the skills for the work (This will lead to burn-out and poor morale after the thrill of the new assignment wears off) 3....
What is happiness? In many ways happiness is very subjective and judged differently by each person. My observation is that people are most happy when they feel in control of their life. Much of one’s life occurs at work thus happiness at work is an important factor to...
Labels at work It can be easy as a manager to label people as bad or good performers. This performance labeling tends to be a convenient way to quickly categorize people. It is efficient for human resources. Once labeled, people can be given promotions or demotions,...
Why the search for perfect work is important! First, because no one will ever walk up to you in your current job and ask you! Your family members won’t ask you because change can be threatening. This is a question you must ask yourself. Work impacts our sense of self,...
One of the biggest misconceptions about leadership is that feedback is something we give when people make mistakes. I’ve come to believe something different. The best feedback isn’t about correcting people. It’s about helping people grow. Over the...
