There is a simple yet compelling theory of what makes a good employee good. It goes like this: when job resources are low and job demands high, employees and their work suffer. When job resources are high, employees thrive regardless of job demands. Developed by Arnold Bakker, this model explains why successful companies like Google, Zappos and REI offer their employees everything from paid sabbaticals to life coaches to free laundry. It also explains the benefit of strengths-matching over skill-matching.
I am willing to bet the title of this article caught you off guard. The original, “There’s no place like home,” comes from the film “The Wizard of Oz”. Dorothy has just discovered that despite her adventures, she still can return home. It may be a stretch to compare “The Wizard of Oz” to our daily lives. And yet, like Dorothy many of us spend the day just wanting to go home, leading to stress, apathy and disengagement. How can we overcome these challenges and make the workplace both positive and productive?
There is little doubt about the importance of perspective. However, our emphasis on perspective can lead us to focus on appearances rather than the underlying facts. Consider the typical illustration, which asks whether the glass is half full or half empty. Regardless of the answer, there is liquid in that glass. Instead of worrying whether the glass is half full or half empty, we need to focus on what exactly is in the glass.
The Positive Lifestyle
Positive psychology is an up and coming branch of psychology that focuses on the analysis of positive experiences, relationships, and institutions, and the endurance of specific psychological traits. Researchers within the field of positive psychology have found that surrounding yourself with positivity is extremely beneficial. Many people have taken these discoveries and implemented the findings in their own lives. While new and exciting, this concept is no passing fad. It is a lifestyle. And just as importantly, it is a powerful tool for employees and managers alike.
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” -Albert Einstein
Einstein’s quote above doesn’t just apply to how smart you are. It also applies to how well you work. If a fish got a tree-climbing job, it would fail miserably. Just as if a monkey got a job that required it to swim underwater for significant periods of time, it would fail. In the end, both would end up discouraged, hating their jobs, and probably eventually quitting to look for better opportunities. And that is why having a strengths-based management approach is so important – to avoid the consequences of trying to make a fish climb a tree.
This is part three of a series based upon recent research published by Harvard Business Review revealing that women at every job level are rated by their peers, their managers, their direct reports, and their other co-workers as better overall leaders than their male counterparts. The study found that women are rated higher in a total of 12 out of the 16 essential leadership competencies. And in seven out of 16 competencies, female leaders outscored men dramatically (a T value above 7). Last week I taught readers how to “Practice Self-Development,” the key to staying relevant and effective as a leader. This week we will learn how to “Display Integrity and Honesty,” another leadership strength in which women outperform men.
A lot of companies offer nice employee benefits, like child care or gym membership, but some companies go above and beyond. The five companies below have some of our favorite unique benefits.
More often than not, we find ourselves taking great measures to categorize and draw lines of separation, to more readily identify who is who and what is what. This is a great practice to implement, given that it aims to shed light on “grey areas,” diminishing and at some point eliminating the opportunity for confusion. No one likes to be confused. Is it possible, though, that we have taken that concept too far, especially in the workplace?
In my last article I wrote about recent research published by Harvard Business Review revealing that women at every job level are rated by their peers, their managers, their direct reports, and their other co-workers as better overall leaders than their male counterparts. The study found that women are rated higher in a total of 12 out of the 16 essential leadership competencies. And in seven out of 16 competencies, female leaders outscored men dramatically (a T value above 7). Last week I taught readers how to “Take Initiative,” what women do BEST.
This week we will learn how to “Practice Self-Development,” women’s second best strength as leaders.
If one were to sit down and calculate the amount of time that they spend at work, I think that they would be astonished. The workplace is an environment of incredible value. It is at the workplace that we create relationships, develop our interests, and acquire the funding to maintain our lifestyles. Given the importance of this particular place, is it not important that we make the most out of our time there? If your employees or co-workers don’t share a sentiment of excitement when it comes to work, why not create it?
The “Broaden and Build” theory was discovered by a team of positive psychologists who found that people who experience pleasant emotions in their lives also tap into more creative ways of thinking. This is an opportunity for you to not only enhance the collective performance of your team, but create a more inviting environment as well.
