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Content about Human behavior

February 28, 2012
Tips to Re-engage Your Team

Almost everyone in the workplace has been “doing more with less” for a long time. Yet productivity has risen 2.3 percent annually during these tough times as fewer employees accomplish miracles by working more hours and taking on bigger workloads. Is it possible to get higher productivity without burning people out?

By Carl Eidson, Ph.D., Vice President, Business Development, Wilson Learning

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.

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 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.

December 30, 2011
7 Steps to Stress Prevention

A 2011 study commissioned by the American Psychology Association indicates incidents of stress are commonplace, with 36 percent of employees reporting feeling some degree of stress on a daily basis and 20 percent feeling extremely stressed. Here are some tips to help mitigate stress in your workplace.

By Michael Rich

We all have seen it in the workplace: an employee so overcome with stress he or she struggles to complete work and becomes a distraction to others.

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.

November 30, 2011
Maintain Workstation Posture

Millions of people each year sit in front of a computer with an arched back, crooked neck, and other poor posture habits. While many may view the threat of ergonomic-related injury as some type of a fairy tale, the potential for injury from repeated muscle stress is a scientific fact. To help protect your workers and ensure their productivity, follow these simple tips when at a computer workstation.

By Michael Rich

Millions of people each year sit in front of a computer with an arched back, crooked neck, and other poor posture habits. While many may view the threat of ergonomic-related injury as some type of a fairy tale, the potential for injury from repeated muscle stress is a scientific fact.

To help protect your workers and ensure their productivity, follow these simple tips when at a computer workstation:

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 23, 2011
Talent Tips: Making Learning Fun

VThere is a lot of talk about gamification today and how we can use it in business—with consumers, as well as with our employees. But what about learning? Bill and Melinda Gates think gamification can make a difference in how children can learn. They recently opened their foundation purse strings and invested $20 million partially toward developing innovative digital and game-based learning tools for children in the U.S.

By Roy Saunderson

Are there really benefits to using rewards and recognition through games to help individuals learn more effectively?

There is a lot of talk about gamification today and how we can use it in business—with consumers, as well as with our employees.

But what about learning?

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 7, 2011
Slow Down, You’ll Learn More

We’re used to moving so fast, employing a “think it, do it” mentality, that we wind up breaking our own concentration, ultimately forcing ourselves to work longer or extra on tasks and projects that don’t really deserve that much of our attention.

By Jason W. Womack, MEd, MA

Have you ever been listening in on a conference call, pressed mute on your phone, and checked your e-mail?

Have you ever been watching a Webinar, glanced over at a second screen, and “kind of” paid attention to the recorded presentation?

Have you ever been reading a book, reached the end of the page, and realized you have no idea what you just read?

August 3, 2011
Engagement Training for Leaders

Once leaders have bought into the importance of the four key intrinsic rewards—sense of meaningfulness, choice, competence, and progress—and have validated this framework against their own experience, you then can shift the focus to the intrinsic rewards their direct reports are receiving, and what the leader can do to provide the building blocks for those rewards.

By Kenneth W. Thomas, Ph.D.

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 25, 2011
Why Doesn’t Cash Motivate...

If money is the root of all evil, is it also the root of all motivation? When talking about workplace performance and training, the experts’ consensus is a resounding “No.”

By Lorri Freifeld

If money is the root of all evil, is it also the root of all motivation? When talking about workplace performance and training, the experts’ consensus is a resounding “No.”

First, a look at some research:

July 1, 2011
Align Your Actions with Your Ultimate Life Goals

Many of us are so busy living day-to-day, bouncing from one urgent issue to the next, that we have lost focus on our ultimate destination. Far too many of us are allowing other people and events to dictate our priorities, our life goals, and the life path we take. Here is a set of practical steps you can take to realign your actions with your ultimate goals.

By J. H. Hyun

Apple founder Steve Jobs, in his commencement address to Stanford University in 2005, made the following statement, which pretty much explained why he has been so successful in his life:

May 20, 2011
Resilience: The Foundation of Organizational Success

Scientific evidence supports the fact that to be fully effective, employees need greater soft skills to complement and enhance their hard skills. Becoming more resilient is the soft skill at the very foundation of all other work activity. Discover the seven pillars that serve as the gateway to resilience training.

By Jim Hornickel, Director, Training & Development, Bold New Directions

April 27, 2011
Moving Along the Pathway to Success

 In “Develop the Keys to Successful Living, Lydia Anti shows how to develop your abilities, talents, and skills while looking at some of your daily practices, which might include habits that could affect you on your pathway to success.

By Lydia Anti

In life there are two categories of people: the dreamers and the achievers. Dreamers dream how they will one day be successful, but they never take the necessary steps to make their dreams become a reality. Achievers, on the other hand, make an effort to look for the right people who can make their dreams come true. They take the necessary steps to achieve their dreams by seeking and gathering information in the right places to enable their dreams to flourish. Achievers become successful people; they get things done, and in doing so, they make things happen.

March 24, 2011
Last Word: A Little Bit Pregnant?

Either you’re pregnant or you’re not. It’s the same with being on time. Either you’re on time or you’re late, and that’s an ineffective way to start any meeting. Here are five essential tips for people who are preparing for an interview--whether it’s for a job, a promotion, a new client, or new business you’re trying to land--and they start with being on time.

By Peter Post

A reporter for the Washington Post called one day. She authors an “Ask the Expert” column and had a question for me: “This guy wants to know if he was treated badly. He went to two interviews. For the first he was 20 minutes late. He understood why he might not get that job. For the second he was only five minutes late. But again he didn’t get the job, and his lateness turned out to be a factor. He wanted to know, ‘Was this fair?’”

March 24, 2011
Talent Tips: Changing Minds

Getting everyone to change personal beliefs about employee recognition is hard to do but essential if you want people to appreciate employee contributions.  I often use the words, “Beliefs—Behaviors—Results,” in a PowerPoint slide or on flip charts to help people understand the power and differences of recognition and rewards.

By Roy Saunderson

Getting everyone to change personal beliefs about employee recognition is hard to do but essential if you want people to appreciate employee contributions.

For many years when giving workshops on how to be more effective and authentic in giving employee recognition, I often used the words, “Beliefs—Behaviors—Results,” in a PowerPoint slide or on flip charts to help participants understand the power and differences of recognition and rewards.

September 3, 2010
Task Lists Help Get Things Done

The notion of a task list could seem somewhat juvenile, but it is important to consider in terms of getting things done. If the “to-do” is written down in front of you, as a constant reminder of what needs to be accomplished, then you’ll eventually get tired of seeing it or be motivated to complete it.

By Jason L. James Jr.

July 29, 2010
Best Leaders Bounce Back

Corporate  leaders around the world believe that resilience-the ability to overcome challenges and turn them into opportunities-is key to keeping your job. These leaders view women as slightly more resilient than men, and they are providing their female professionals with a variety of programs aimed at developing resilience

Corporate  leaders around the world believe that resilience-the ability to overcome challenges and turn them into opportunities-is key to keeping your job. These leaders view women as slightly more resilient than men, and they are providing their female professionals with a variety of programs aimed at developing resilience, according to Accenture's "Women Leaders and Resilience: Perspectives from the C-Suite" study of 524 senior executives in 20 countries in Europe, Asia, North America, and Latin America. Survey findings: 

November 1, 2003
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A (9%) Projector failure (e.g., lamp burnout)

A (9%) Projector failure (e.g., lamp burnout)

November 1, 2001
Letters, Nov. 2001

Cover up the 's' word

Cover up the 's' word