Uncategorized Archives - The Third Zone

Jan 11 2023

Feedback … The Pathway to Growth and Success. The Challenge? Accepting It as Such.

Feedback, in general, provides input that proves to be a great asset when it comes to helping us understand and either continue or alter the ways in which we tend to do things or have done them in the past. Regardless of it being of a positive or negative nature, to the extent we remain open to it, we stand to benefit. We can use given feedback to continue or alter an approach to something or someone that can help our growth in both performance and relationships.

Providing such feedback in a business entity is a contributor to the overall individual and collective success. Receiving positive feedback is of no challenge. Finding ways and words to tell someone that they are doing a good job of any nature is easy. In fact, those providing it are anxious to be able to provide that and the positive results further build a person’s confidence in themselves. It also builds and encourages a culture in which employees nurture and support one another.

However, giving negative feedback is not so easy. As such it’s easy to put off this type of challenging conversation. And when it is provided and with a desire to lessen the blow, the words used are such that the key message is not clearly addressed. If this happens and the issue isn’t understood, the problem potentially compounds and one can often find themselves dealing with a much bigger situation.

Here are some suggested ways that one can provide feedback and have it accepted in the positive way it is intended and do so without anxiety often associated with it:

Act immediately
Feedback is best if it is given shortly after the event or behavior has been observed. This applies to improvement seeking change or improvement and applies to positive reinforcement. For it to be meaningful and impactful, providing it frequently makes it productive.
Pick the right time and to provide the feedback
Determining how serious the matter will determine if this is provided via a formal meeting or it can be an informal chat in the lunchroom. Wherever it is provided, making it private will allow for open and honest conversation between the two involved without being overheard.
Clarity requires being specific with examples
To have the desired outcome, input should be truly clear and specific of things seen or observed. This applies to feedback of both a positive and growth nature. Making suggestions of how something could have been handled better is valuable. Also helping a person understand the impact of their actions on others aids their understanding.
Using positive language in the overall conversation enhances reception of it
The goal of providing feedback is to have it heard and a willingness to receive it and act upon it. While one is addressing some negative action that had detrimental impact on something or someone, words matter. The goal is to be heard and understood and this can be accomplished by the words used to describe the issue. Making certain to follow up the reported issue with positive suggestions as to how it can be successfully managed enhances the reception of it.

Giving feedback is one side of the equation to be considered for success. However, there is also the challenge of those receiving and accepting constructive criticism at work. Mark Travers, an established psychologist contributed an article in a recent edition of Forbes. I believe his points are clear and on target. As he indicates, nobody enjoys being told they need to improve. It can be difficult to hear that, despite your best efforts, your performance at work is not where it needs to be. In addition to feeling demoralized and hurt, it often makes us feel angry with the person giving the feedback.

While all of this is understandable (and normal), what sets a true professional apart is their ability to recognize and value feedback as an essential part of career growth. In fact, some of the most successful employees don’t just gracefully handle constructive criticism, they thrive on it. Crucially, they understand the positive subtext behind feedback — someone is paying close attention to their work and wants to see them improve.

Here are two ways that Travers believes we can use negative feedback as career rocket fuel. He provides two meaningful tips to enable recipients to get better at accepting this for the value it represents as a way for each of us to develop and grow.

I. Reframe your attitude toward feedback
To the extent we are willing to seek feedback and act on it we are more likely to …

1. Find meaning in what we do
2. Feel competent at the tasks we perform
3. Find the needed motivation to excel at work

In contrast, to the extent we think of feedback as an unavoidable and high-pressure event, we can enter a vicious cycle that can hold us back. If people lack the ability to hear constructive criticism often struggle to find meaning in what they do. They feel less competent at work after the feedback and lose motivation to improve.

Reframing one’s attitude toward feedback is enhanced when one understands why it’s necessary. Travers provides three he considers as obvious.

It offers a window into one’s strengths and weaknesses
It offers an opportunity to show peers or bosses that you are of a growth mindset
It offers a chance for one to be objective and do self-evaluation

II. Understand your emotional response to feedback and then rise above it
The mistake many of us make when receiving feedback is that we only take away the emotional experience of receiving it. No matter where we are in the corporate structure, we all seek approval from our peers and bosses. Hearing that we are not performing well enough can trigger a state of low self-worth and compromised safety. What follows is a mixed bag of negative emotions such as embarrassment, shame, hurt, and shock.

While many of us can get stuck in this mental state for prolonged periods of time, a true professional understands that the emotional reaction is not the intended effect of the feedback session. They begin processing the feedback that was provided in a pragmatic manner. Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how to deal with feedback gracefully as suggested by Travers:

Listen to the feedback but detach yourself from the work.Try to imagine that the feedback is being given to someone who isn’t you. While it may be hard at first, over time, detaching yourself from your work performance will come more naturally.
Quietly evaluate the validity of the feedback.Feedback is often based on somebody else’s subjective experience of your performance. If you disagree, make note of it so that you can understand why they felt the way they did, preferably after the feedback session when it is no longer a heat-of-the-moment reaction. If you agree with the feedback, make a note of that too. In either case, you will learn something about how your work is perceived.
Reiterate the points brought up during the feedback session.This is an effective way to consolidate the core message of the feedback and goes a long way in making the person providing the feedback feel heard and understood. This will, in turn, show them that you are receptive to coaching.
Ask for some time to mull over the core message of the feedback.This is when you can rationally and calmly unpack the talking points of the feedback session and formulate a plan to improve yourself in areas you might be lacking.
Request a post-feedback meeting.In addition to providing an opportunity for you to respond to any points you may have felt were inaccurate, take this time to communicate your plan to improve. This way, you hold yourself accountable to yourself and to the person who provided the feedback.

Receiving negative feedback is an essential skill for personal growth. However, it can be difficult to accept and manage in practice due to its critical nature. By staying focused on the facts rather than getting caught up in the emotions associated with criticism, we can learn how to take feedback constructively and use it as an opportunity for self-improvement rather than letting it bring us down. With practice, learning how to receive negative feedback with grace will become second nature.

Like all things, practice makes perfect when it comes to providing or receiving feedback. Feedback should be spontaneous and regular. Constructive feedback is one of the best things managers can provide to their employees. When delivered properly it can reinforce positive behavior, correct any negative performance and ensure a strong culture remains in your team. Take the challenge of delivering and receiving feedback. It can only get better.
Mike Dorman

Resources:
2 Tips to get better at accepting constructive criticism at work. Forbes: Author Mark Travers

Oct 19 2022

Grit …. the Secret Sauce of Thriving In A Post-COVID Work World

A few years ago, I was referred to a book entitled ‘GRIT: The Power of Passion and Perseverance’ by Angela Duckworth. The author makes her convincing case for the role that one’s grit plays in what we are able to truly accomplish. This is clearly differentiated from ‘natural talent’ or ‘superior intellect’ in any specific area. Rather it is fueled by our sheer drive and determination to achieve whatever our passion … one that might be aided by, however is not dependent on, any obvious or natural talent.

For the past three plus years lives in general and certainly in our working world have been seriously impacted. It has created our need to adapt, juggle and learn to function in our COVID- related reality. Our challenges have been exacerbated. Thus, it seems very beneficial to consider the development of true grit and consider how this could help us thrive in today’s ‘new normal’.

There have always been some who have placed or at least seen obstacles that stand between them and what they truly desire to achieve. Perhaps we don’t believe we have the ability. Or, maybe we see a lack of ‘natural’ talent that will allow us to pursue the dream. Thus, we move onto something else. In a way, we have allowed our passion and avid interest to be hijacked by self-doubt and insecurity.

To understand how finding our ‘gritty’ self could help in today’s ‘normal’ we need to understand the personal beliefs of one having grit:

Success is driven by effort over talent
Grit is a far more reliable predictor of success than intelligence. If you have grit, you’re brave and strong enough to do what it takes to succeed in business and life. It’s a powerful force that allows you to stand out from the crowd even though your skills may not be exceptional. Professor Duckworth finds that grit — defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals — is an important predictor of success. In fact, grit is unrelated, or even negatively correlated, with talent.
How to make it work for you: It takes more than talent and it takes more than skill. It takes effort. Without effort, even the most skilled and talented people in the world will never accomplish anything.
Effort must be accompanied by a true sense of purpose

Skill alone without grit leads to being satisfied with what one considers ‘good’. One may have the talent, however, without one’s heart being in it they eliminate the grit ingredient. They are not motivated to go beyond what can easily be achieved with their talent alone.
How to make it work for you: Take the time to connect with your higher purpose. Purpose will require you to find value in yourself and discover how you can contribute to the well-being of others.
Never stop in one’s drive toward continual improvement
A grit mindset never forgets that there are always opportunities to improve, no matter how good you may already be. This way of thinking gives people a leg up when confronted with an obstacle because defeat is never the default. A setback is not looked at as an opportunity to improve themselves; instead, it unfolds as their new path.
How to make it work for you: Once you’ve found a pursuit that fills you with purpose, put in the work to get better at it every day. Compete with yourself so that you’re a bit better today than yesterday.
Learn to fail well

Trying a new approach or solution can’t be viewed as failure. Rather each such experience brings us closer to finding a solution. View failure and trying again was simply part of the learning process. Failure presented a “problem” to be worked out and it was often a game of trying something new that might work.
How to make it work for you: Look at your failure as fertile training ground for future improvement. List everything you learned from the experience. List all the insights and lessons gained as well as all that went wrong, and why. It’s only a painful memory if you don’t grow from the experience.

The past few years have clearly added challenges for anyone part of most any type of organization or business. The advantages to those who have found their ‘grit’ is that they have called forth their determination and perseverance. In no way does this mean success comes easy to them. In fact, the opposite is more likely to be true. They may face extreme challenges and hurdles while working towards their goals. But what makes them different from the non-gritty is that these challenges don’t hold them back. They display …

MORE CONFIDENCE … IMPROVED FOCUS … LEARN FROM MISTAKES

So do you buy this? Can you see how developing more grit can help you both adapt and thrive in today’s changed environment? Then you might find these four grit related ingredients to be worthwhile additions to your diet.

Get out of your routine
Challenge yourself. If you’re comfortable, you’re not doing enough to move forward.

Understand the ‘why’ related to the goal you work toward
Knowing your reasons for the goal you have established will help both remain focused on it and maintain your eye on the prize.
Check in with your feelings
Ignoring them or paying them too much attention can hold us in place. Learn how to recognize and validate and process them and respond as needed.

Know and accept that you can’t control everything

Part of grit is knowing what to do when things don’t go according to plan. When it comes to working towards your work goals with grit, it’s not about the cards you were dealt. It’s how you play them. Rather than focusing on the end goal, set smaller goals. Persevere through them and finish strong.

Coinciding with my reading Duckworth’s book on Grit were stories of two individuals who defied the logic and odds in achieving their individual success and achievement. The first was Bethany Hamilton. She was an avid surfer and at the age of 13, lost her entire arm to a shark while practicing her sport. Of course … the game was over for most however not for her. With undeterred drive at the age of 26, she placed 3rd in the World Surfing Women’s Pro League competition in Fiji. And, this as an unseeded ‘walk-on’. Surfing minus one full arm and placing among the winners goes against the grain of conventional wisdom. For us maybe, however for Bethany, simply a little obstacle. Her magic ingredient? It has got to be grit to the nth degree.

The second example involves 26 year-old Nyle DiMarco. He is totally deaf and has been since birth into a family of 25 other deaf members. He had won a dance competition on the TV show … Dancing with the Stars. That’s right. He won and he doesn’t hear a solitary sound. That he actually dared to even enter is admirable and yet he went on to WIN! From what I’ve read and although total deafness is the only thing he has ever known, it hadn’t stopped him from it graduating a university or traveling the world on his own. Enter and win a dance competition … why not? Sheer grit!

Think about it. Nyle or Bethany didn’t win a dance or surfing trophy because it made any logical sense … to us. Neither of them have all of the physical attributes to obviously support their skill and drive. Yet what they did have was their daring grit that fueled their passion and propelled them forward … initially to try and ultimately to win. They simply refused to be defined by what others would see as obvious limitations.

If ever there was an appropriate time to find our inner grit, it seems so valuable a drive and skill to be activated and developed now. For most it is just a matter of mindset rather than overcoming physical limitations. Making this our personal new normal becomes our personal secret sauce for success.
Mike Dorman

P.S. Are you interested in seeing where you fit on the Grit Scale developed by Professor Duckworth? Click here: https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-scale/

Oct 19 2022

COVID Fades … Quiet Quitting Surges

COVID is on the wane and likely the result of more people being vaccinated and boosted. At last … finally. However, there is a new resulting twist and although not new to the working world, it does have a new name. It’s called ‘Quiet Quitting’ and is impacting numerous businesses and throughout the organizations. A very recent Gallup poll found that about half of US workers could be described as “quiet quitters,” meaning they fulfill their job description but are psychologically detached from their work.

Although it sounds like it refers to someone resigning from their position, it is not that. Rather, it describes a person pulling back from the hustle culture of going above and beyond what a job requires. COVID is given as the motivation and clearly it upended employees’ priorities and companies’ workplace policies. COVID has resulted in what is referred to as the ‘great resignation’. This saw over seventy-one million people leaving jobs within one year … April 2021 to 2022. it is also the force behind the employee who stayed at their job and yet made the conscious decision to do the bare minimum to satisfy their job requirements … or Quiet Quitting (QQ).

One contributing reality was the remote work environment that accompanied the pandemic. It helped to put the spotlight on a work-life balance. As workers learned to adapt to this it also allowed them to appreciate and even enjoy this outlook on life. It is one that many felt they had been missing. And, along with this appreciation, came the awareness that their leaders were less focused on the balance aspect. They just appreciated those who went above and beyond. Although the individual team members were still fulfilling their job responsibilities, they were much less inclined to buy into the ‘work is life’ culture. Enter the clash of these two mind-sets.

What are signs of quiet quitting that leaders can see as indicators of this? There are several:

Scheduled meetings that a person does not attend … although they were expected.

A noticeable reduction in one’s productivity measure in daily output or as related to a team project.

Unreliable attendance most often demonstrated by ones’ arriving late or leaving early with regularity.
Feeling less attachment to or interest in team projects … wherein the overall success requires this from all to maximize success.

Failure to be an active participant in needed planning.

An overall lack of interest, passion or enthusiasm related to the expected and needed work.

There are three questions that company leaders should be asking themselves. First is ‘what do the employees want from me in order to reverse this current trend?’ Here are some key desires and needs:

The manager’s ability to build a relationship with their employees where they are not counting the minutes until quitting time.

The manager’s ability to balance the push for results with a concern for other’ needs.
The manager’s ability and drive to create a work environment that is a place where people want to go the extra mile. All giving 110% the efficiency and results are elevated.
Making certain the one’s reports clearly know that they and their work is both valued and appreciated. This enhances ones’ motivation to be actively engaged and thus, ones’ lack of this receiving this leads to QQ.

Another question a leader needs to consider and explore is ‘what habits must I incorporate into how I work with my reports in order to reverse this disruptive trend?’

The initial question considers when examining those reports that one feels are demonstrating QQ is whether this is a problem with the direct reports. Or … is it with me and my leadership abilities?
Take a hard look at your approach toward getting results with your team members. When asking your direct reports for increased productivity, do you go out of your way to make sure that team members feel valued? Open and honest dialogue with colleagues about the expectations each party has of the other goes a long way.
Question the degree to which you as leader demonstrate the trust conveyed to the employee. This is the number one behavior that impact the reports willingness to be an active team participate. When trust is present, they also presume that their manager was concerned about them and their well-being. Trust is conveyed with these three components:

- The positive relationships with all of ones’ direct reports. This means the leader enjoys connecting and enjoy interactions with them. With some this is easier than with others however looking for and discovering common ground will build mutual trust.
- Consistency in being totally honest and delivering on what has been promised are ways to earn the desired trust.
- Demonstrating ones’ expertise through being current on all aspects of the work is necessary. Knowing that your opinions and advice are trusted and provide a clarity and a clear path forward further trust.

The third question for a manager/leader to ask themselves is ‘what are the ways I can manage QQ’ that can improve both employee happiness and protect workplace productivity?

No Sunday emails. This may be an attempt to get a head start on one’s week however it serves to elicit anxiety, stress, and resentment. It’s a firestorm. Then sure otherwise wait until Monday.
No weekend work. The firestorm strikes again? Then sure and understandable however firestorms don’t occur often nor should the request for weekend work.
Reduce the number of meetings and their length. Meetings should be work sessions or about strategy—not status checks. Managers need to ask themselves why they are calling for a meeting and whether it is truly productive.
Limit workplace “fun activities”. For all that has been written and suggested about allowing for a fun time with the team remember that many workers want to do yoga and have happy hour on their own time and with their own friends. Don’t go overboard.
Set goals based on achieving milestones and quality of work. The fact is that with remote working you can’t know if your employee is working a full week or full days, but does it matter? If they know what is the assignment is and when it is due and the work is top-notch, isn’t that enough?

Here’s the bottom line of this surge in Quiet Quitting. There is going to be an employee who is unhappy or not doing adequate work. This being the case parting ways is the right decision, especially with those who spread negativity and disharmony throughout the team. Quiet quitting can affect other employees who might still want to give 110% and move up through the company. While workers may have the desire, and the right, to be happier in their jobs than in the past, they don’t have the right to have a detrimental impact on their employer, especially when that employer is a smaller business.

Leaders need to willingly accept the confront the reality of the QQ surge. This means altering their actions and incorporating things that are important to their reports. In doing so they will have successfully transitioned into a leadership style that is prudent in today’s business environment. And, will help to silence the form of ‘quiet quitting’ currently gaining steam with undesirable and unwanted impact.
Mike Dorman

Dec 16 2020

Forget Traditional New Year Resolutions! Just Carry Forward Learnings of 2020 and Implement Them

There have always been those who are die-hard New Years Resolution makers. And even though, it’s well determined that by the middle of January the largest number of these resolves have fallen off the map. However, it appears this year, as we approach 2021, many people are clearly focused on individual learning take-aways from 2020 that they want to carry forward into the new year and even those beyond. Be them things they have learned as related to their job, business, family or friends, it is hoped that these are things that will significantly minimize ever having to live through what 2020 has delivered. In swapping the resolutions of things we want to do … i.e. joining a gym, losing weight or finding a new job … to those aimed at implementing what we have learned in getting through this year is the focus of many. Our learning encompasses all areas of our lives.

I have little doubt that in reviewing the following things you will be able to add to your personal list. Given that we are still a couple of weeks away from the new year, I, for one, think that it will be a valuable topic of discussion. Here are some worth consideration.

Be ready for anything … and be flexible
While we personally or business-wise may have felt like we had contingency or rainy-day plans, nowhere did our experience lead us to create concrete emergency plans due to something that impacted our lives on every level.
The Carry forward? – redefine what preparedness would mean for us personally and in all aspects of our lives.
Create a cash emergency fund
Feeling we have enough money to put something aside if a COVID style emergency were to arise can’t be taken for granted as a given. It must become a serious consideration and decision if we truly don’t want to experience the same degree of uncertainty and worry.
The Carry forward? – Regardless of the amount, having anything … something … that will allow us to live our lives with knowing that we have some bandwidth is critical. It can serve to stave off immediate panic while we contemplate our next steps and allow some time to create and act on a plan or possible solution.

Bring budgeting into your world
Maybe before this year we were doing well enough to live and enjoy the kind of life we envisioned. We didn’t foresee any real changes and only anticipated that we would advance our income. However, 2020 taught us all how wise it is to expect the unexpected.
The carry forward? in our work and maybe even enjoying dual incomes into our homes we learned that we had best be prepared for unimagined issues for we now know that unimagined doesn’t mean impossible.

Working remotely is beyond doable
What began as something unimaginable and unworkable emerged into a situation wherein employees and their employers came to realize the array of benefits to both. There is evidence that for many the past beliefs and approach to working and running a business is no longer valid. In fact, remote work is preferable in so many situations.
The carry forward? – Remote working can be both effective and efficient in ways never envisioned. For the company to require less physical space and for the employee to enjoy reduced costs related to the likes of commuting time and office attire needs is a win for all.

Being around others when sick isn’t cool!
How many times have you socialized with friends or been at work wherein someone was there who was ill? Of course, they felt they were better and no risk and their boredom or feeling the need to get the project out drive them to be among others. COVID has shown us differently.
The carry forward? – We have not all experienced the danger of being around those who ignore their own health. As such, they move forward based on their own desires or sense of responsibility and COVID has demonstrated the need for the greater good in our thinking and decision making.

Social interaction is a need to be respected
As human beings most of us have a need for human interaction. It’s also our desire and with the water cooler gone or the restaurants and gyms closed we have had to devise ways to satisfy ourselves to create such opportunities.
The carry forward? – The world of zoom has done much to narrow the gap. In organizations it allows us to come together and conduct business and has been found to create a more efficient atmosphere. On a personal level it has allowed us to stay connected to friends and family beyond what we may have enjoyed previously.

NOT Being techno savvy is much less of an option … and that’s good
With the never-ending rollout of new and enhanced technology designed to make our lives easier, faster or more efficient, so many have adopted a maxed-out mindset. “I like my old way and am tired of always having to learn to do things differently just because it’s there” has been heard often. Working remotely has forced so many to learn different technology in order to keep up. And if our children are at school remotely, we have come to realize how much they know and how easy it is for them to learn using these new tools. Thus, we have been forced to learn what they know just to be able to help them.
The carry forward? – Realizing that being resistant to new technology has been an added disadvantage and challenge this year and should increase our willingness to learn to use it.

Reinvent ourselves and allow flexibility to be our driver
COVID turned so much of our known habits and routines on their ear. Did we really ever imagine we would be going to work … at home? Or did we ever think that we might become teachers? Or did we ever envision meeting a friend for a glass of wine would take place via zoom? And yet there we have been. Forced to step out of various comfort zones and just do what had to be done.
The carry forward? – hold onto to the flexibility we were forced to incorporate. Doing so enhances our value to our work and to deepening relationships.

Boxing legend Mike Tyson once said: “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” While we may feel that we always had some sort of contingency plan to deal with the ‘what ifs’, this year has taught us that COVID-19 has done exactly that to us in different ways. Taking real advantage of what we have all learned pertaining to our individual worlds is to reduce the terrifying impact of any future pandemic and in the meantime improve our day to day lives. Putting 2020 in the rearview in this way seems like a great resolution! On your way to the New Year, enjoy a safe holiday.
Mike Dorman

Aug 27 2020

The Roller Coaster of Motivation at Work – A Ride To Be Avoided!

In the many opportunities I have had to coach someone in the workplace the number one challenge that gets in the way of one’s achievement of their goals is the roller coaster they experience in the motivational arena. And it’s not that they lack any or all motivation for that would be another issue. Rather it’s related to moving through our days, weeks and months wherein at any given time we realize that our motivation at work is, at best, inconsistent and thus a ride to be avoided.

Because there are so many different things that can take us down this road the question becomes what we can do about it? Just like the roller coaster, this kind of ride becomes uneven, distracting, definitely unproductive and, ultimately, just boring as in here I go again. The good news is once we acknowledge this is an issue for us at any given time, we can definitely do things that minimize this unwanted ride and help us to maintain motivation, enthusiasm and drive we want and need to reach the goals that we have set for ourselves.

Siimon Reynolds penned an article for Forbes that addressed this very challenge. One of the elements that contribute to one’s success is how well we do our work and to a great extent this requires that we maintain a high level of personal motivation to win. He identifies 3 techniques that can prove very helpful as follows:

Make a Genuine Commitment To Personal Excellence.
By simply making the decision to do everything as well as you can (in the time available), you not only get better results but your self-respect, self-image and personal motivation skyrockets. This commitment to excellence must be adhered to regardless of the mediocrity of the people around you. You are choosing to be outstanding no matter what.
Remind Yourself Daily Of Your Strong Points.
Ambitious people often have a major personality flaw. They beat themselves up for their weak points. You often feel defeated and not good enough. This has to stop. Today. And one of the best ways to do that is spend 2 minutes every morning reminding yourself of why you are (or can become) superb at your career. Get a pad and pen and just write all the reasons why you’re damn good – your experience, your training, any positive personality attributes, etc. Simply focusing on your strong points every day will forge a far more powerful sense of self, which will lead to dramatically higher motivation.
See Yourself As Unstoppable.
Reynolds suggests that we begin to see ourselves as unstoppable rather than successful. Seeing ourselves as the latter creates a conflicting self-image when we experience some failure in the course of daily work. Viewing ourselves as ‘unstoppable’ allows us to remain positive and effective even when we experience real and inevitable obstacles that intercede in our daily lives. It’s worth a try. Write the word ‘Unstoppable’ on a Post It note and put it where you can see it every day, so that it remains in your conscious mind.

I see the above suggestions as providing direction that will impact and lessen the irratic sense of motivation. And yet there are some additional steps that will provide the support we need and that can make a difference. I have found that some see these things as wasted time that takes them away for the ‘work’ that they must do. However, where we allow ourselves to engage in them the impact is only positive as follows:

Exercise: Whether it be in the morning prior to going to work or mid-day exercise tends to energize and awaken us to the work that follows.
Mid-day break: What a shame that so many come to see their lunch time as one in which they ‘grab’ something at their desk rather than seeing it as a necessary break that serves to reinvigorate them so that their afternoon is as productive as the morning. It has little to do with how much you eat … or even if you eat. Rather it’s a recharge that serves to be anything but a luxury.
Insisting on a balanced life: Looking at one’s evening or weekends as the opportunity to relax the mind and body by focusing on things other than ‘the job’ is considered to be among the best of ‘vitamins’. To the extent we can become as diligent at operating in a different venue brings the benefit of recharge and regeneration that can actually make the work effort easier and more rewarding.

Selling the concept of doing things to minimize the up and down as related to one’s motivation at work is not an easy sell. It seems that many of us are preconditioned to view anything other than an intense focus on the aspects of our jobs as a waste and a luxury that ‘serious’ people don’t do. And in most all cases, once someone does buy into the concept, they awaken to a job that enables them to be more productive and a bigger asset to the goals of their own and those of the organization. Willing to try it? Can’t wait to hear your results.
Mike Dorman

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