When you’re working, ‘are you in the flow?’ This is the same idea of ‘being in the zone’ in sports. The answer to this seeming simple question can make the difference between having fun and dreading your work. Read on… Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi says that work happiness and job satisfaction is all about flow. Happiness results …
Practice what you preach. Plautus, Roman Playwright I like wisdom distilled into a small number of doable takeaways, like what Stephen Covey did with his 7 Habits. Stephen R. Covey is probably the most prominent writer promoting the importance of individual values and clarifying the meaning of work. Covey believes that leadership involves creating …
Those entrusted with leadership – whatever their field – bear a special responsibility to uphold the highest standards of moral and ethical conduct, both publicly and privately. Billy Graham, evangelist The line between right and wrong seems to have become blurry. Ethics is basically doing the right thing. We all believe in this motherhood. The …
I have a personal mission statement: “Be Happy. Be Authentic. Be Honest. Be of service.” I always thought mission statements were what mega companies did. Do you remember that Ford Motor Company had ‘Quality is Job 1.’ The problem is that most mission and vision statements sound like platitudes: God, apple pie, and the environment. …
Guiding principles are important to those who work at Microsoft or Nike because they communicate pride and enthusiasm. Employees know their companies represent excellence, the best companies in their industry. Finding meaning, spirit, and the soul of the workplace is not pure altruism. It’s largely a reaction to toxic workplaces, lack of job security, and the …
Understand the culture of the new company (with which you are joining or negotiating) and its standards of what is reasonable. James Nunan, Business person I spend a lot of time talking about ‘getting it.’ ‘Getting it’ often means understanding your organization’s or customer’s culture and work rules. I’m an engineer, who often simply …
Meaningful work emerges from the relationship you have with the work you do. If you go to work just to make money, chances are that you will reach saturation point relatively quickly and then you will need to find other rewards from the work you do. Meaningful work is a mutual benefit to you and …
Principles: A basic truth, law, or assumption; a basic source. American Heritage Dictionary Work should be meaningful for us. Many of my friends want to work on sustainability and green issues. Only a few years ago, I would have said that a lot of companies had principles that were mainly motherhoods and meaningless slogans. …
Do you want to be a manager? What leadership abilities do you have or want to have? Can you change workplace roles, as a manager, leader or coach? What makes you change roles? Do you react or respond to change? What’s your value proposition at work? What do you think could be your ‘value proposition’? …
You can and should shape your own future; because if you don’t someone else surely will. Joel Barker A number of years ago, I worked for a company and as long as I kept my nose clean, I was ensured employment as long as I wanted it. My first employer viewed ‘womb to tomb’ …