What 8 Things Do Employees Want?

Is money the key to retention and productivity? It helps, says the Christian

Science Monitor's Marilyn Gardner, but it's not enough. Beyond pay and

benefits lie eight key factors that influence "happiness" at work-factors that

motivate workers and keep them at your organization. Here's our distillation

of Gardner's eight factors.

1. Appreciation - Praise heads the list for many workers, and it doesn't cost

the employer anything to provide it. A sincere thank you or a short note can

mean a great deal.

2. Respect - Again there is no cost and a big payback. Respect plays out in

letting people know that their work is appreciated, in treating them like

adults, and in being fair in your dealings with them.

3. Trust - Trust is the action side of respect. People need guidance, but they

need to know that their boss trusts them to be able to get a job done on

their own.

4. Individual Growth - Today's workers - especially the Gen Y group - want

training, want to take on new challenges, and want to advance based on

their new abilities. Giving a raise without increasing responsibilities could

actually backfire. As one expert says, if you give more money to an unhappy

employee, you end up with a wealthier unhappy employee.

5. Good Boss - It's the old saw: People don't leave companies, they leave

bosses. In a recent Robert Half survey, Gardner notes that 1,000 Gen Y

workers ranked "working with a manager I can respect and learn from" as

the most important aspect of their work environment.

6. Compatible Co-workers - Working with people you enjoy is also very

important, says Gardner. Spending the day-every day-with people you don't

like does not make for a productive workplace.

7. Compatible Culture - Employees want a work environment that fits their

needs. That could mean hard-driving, high paying, or it could mean high

flexibility and significant attention to work / life balance.

8. A Sense of Purpose - People want to know that they are contributing to

something worthwhile. They need to know what the organization's core

purpose is and what it is trying to achieve. And then they need to know how

their particular job fits into the whole.

One of the interesting things that Gardner discovered about employee

"happiness" is that there is a disconnect between what managers think and

what employees think about happiness at work.

Managers tend to think that salary and benefits are the main motivators,

while workers consistently respond that factors such as those mentioned

above are what's important. Successful organizations will find a good balance

to retain their best people.

What 8 Things Do Employees Want?

 

Is money the key to retention and productivity? It helps, says the
Christian

Science Monitor's Marilyn Gardner, but it's not enough. Beyond pay
and

benefits lie eight key factors that influence "happiness" at work-factors
that

motivate workers and keep them at your organization. Here's our
distillation

of Gardner's eight factors.

 

1. Appreciation - Praise heads the list for many workers, and it doesn't
cost

the employer anything to provide it. A sincere thank you or a short note
can

mean a great deal.

 

2. Respect - Again there is no cost and a big payback. Respect plays out
in

letting people know that their work is appreciated, in treating them
like

adults, and in being fair in your dealings with them.

 

3. Trust - Trust is the action side of respect. People need guidance, but
they

need to know that their boss trusts them to be able to get a job done
on

their own.

 

4. Individual Growth - Today's workers - especially the Gen Y group -
want

training, want to take on new challenges, and want to advance based
on

their new abilities. Giving a raise without increasing responsibilities
could

actually backfire. As one expert says, if you give more money to an
unhappy

employee, you end up with a wealthier unhappy employee.

 

5. Good Boss - It's the old saw: People don't leave companies, they
leave

bosses. In a recent Robert Half survey, Gardner notes that 1,000 Gen
Y

workers ranked "working with a manager I can respect and learn from"
as

the most important aspect of their work environment.

 

6. Compatible Co-workers - Working with people you enjoy is also very

important, says Gardner. Spending the day-every day-with people you
don't

like does not make for a productive workplace.

 

7. Compatible Culture - Employees want a work environment that fits
their

needs. That could mean hard-driving, high paying, or it could mean
high

flexibility and significant attention to work / life balance.

 

8. A Sense of Purpose - People want to know that they are contributing
to

something worthwhile. They need to know what the organization's core

purpose is and what it is trying to achieve. And then they need to know
how

their particular job fits into the whole.

 

One of the interesting things that Gardner discovered about employee

"happiness" is that there is a disconnect between what managers think
and

what employees think about happiness at work.

 

Managers tend to think that salary and benefits are the main
motivators,

while workers consistently respond that factors such as those
mentioned

above are what's important. Successful organizations will find a good
balance

to retain their best people.

DEAL

Pics   Regards! NEERAJ BHARDWAJ GM TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT DOSHION VEOLIA WATER SOLUTIONS 9374025383  http://neerajnis.blogspot.com www.neeraj-bhardwaj.blogspot.com

Beating Procrastination

Manage Your Time. Get It All Done.

If you’ve found yourself putting off important tasks over and over again, you’re not alone. In fact, many people procrastinate to some degree - but some are so chronically affected by procrastination that it stops them achieving things they're capable of and disrupts their careers.

The key to controlling and ultimately combating this destructive habit is to recognize when you start procrastinating, understand why it happens (even to the best of us), and take active steps to better manage your time and outcomes.

Why do we Procrastinate?

In a nutshell, you procrastinate when you put off things that you should be focusing on right now, usually in favor of doing something that is more enjoyable or that you’re more comfortable doing.

Procrastinators work as many hours in the day as other people (and often work longer hours) but they invest their time in the wrong tasks. Sometimes this is simply because they don't understand the difference between urgent tasks and important tasks, and jump straight into getting on with urgent tasks that aren't actually important.

They may feel that they're doing the right thing by reacting fast. Or they may not even think about their approach and simply be driven by the person whose demands are loudest. Either way, by doing this, they have little or no time left for the important tasks, despite the unpleasant outcomes this may bring about.

Another common cause of procrastination is feeling overwhelmed by the task. You may not know where to begin. Or you may doubt that you have the skills or resources you think you need. So you seek comfort in doing tasks you know you're capable of completing. Unfortunately, the big task isn't going to go away – truly important tasks rarely do.

Other causes of procrastination include:

• Waiting for the “right” mood or the “right” time to tackle the important task at hand
• A fear of failure or success
• Underdeveloped decision making skills
• Poor organizational skills
• Perfectionism ("I don't have the right skills or resources to do this perfectly now, so I won't do it at all.")

How to Overcome Procrastination:

Whatever the reason behind procrastination, it must be recognized, dealt with and controlled before you miss opportunities or your career is derailed.

Step 1: Recognize that you're Procrastinating

If you're honest with yourself, you probably know when you're procrastinating.

But to be sure, you first need to make sure you know your priorities. Putting off an unimportant task isn't procrastination, it's probably good prioritization. Use the Action Priority Matrix to identify your priorities, and then work from a Prioritized To Do List on a daily basis.

Some useful indicators which will help you pull yourself up as soon as you start procrastinating include:

• Filling your day with low priority tasks from your To Do List;
• Reading an e-mail or request that you've noted in your notebook or on your To Do List more than once, without starting work on it or deciding when you're going to start work on it;
• Sitting down to start a high-priority task, and almost immediately going off to make a cup of coffee or check your e-mails;
• Leaving an item on your To Do list for a long time, even though you know it's important;
• Regularly saying "Yes" to unimportant tasks that others ask you to do, and filling your time with these instead of getting on with the important tasks already on your list.

Step 2: Work out WHY You're Procrastinating

Why you procrastinate can depend on both you and the task. But it's important to understand what the reasons for procrastination are for each situation, so that you can select the best approach for overcoming your reluctance to get going.

Common causes of procrastination were discussed in detail above, but they can often be reduced to two main reasons:

• You find the task unpleasant; or
• You find the task overwhelming

Step 3: Get over it!

If you are putting something off because you just don't want to do it, and you really can't delegate the work to someone else, you need to find ways of motivating yourself to get moving. The following approaches can be helpful here:

• Make up your own rewards. For example, promise yourself a piece of tasty flapjack at lunchtime if you've completed a certain task.

• Ask someone else to check up on you. Peer pressure works! This is the principle behind slimming and other self-help groups, and it is widely recognized as a highly effective approach.

• Identify the unpleasant consequences of NOT doing the task.

• Work out the cost of your time to your employer. As your employers are paying you to do the things that they think are important, you're not delivering value for money if you're not doing those things. Shame yourself into getting going!

If you're putting off starting a project because you find it overwhelming, you need to take a different approach. Here are some tips:

• Break the project into a set of smaller, more manageable tasks. You may find it helpful to create an action plan.

• Start with some quick, small tasks if you can, even if these aren't the logical first actions. You'll feel that you're achieving things, and so perhaps the whole project won't be so overwhelming after all.

Key points:

To have a good chance of conquering procrastination, you need to spot straight away that you're doing it. Then, you need to identify why you're procrastinating and taken appropriate steps to overcome the block.

Part of the solution is to develop good time management, organizational and personal effectiveness habits, such as those described in Make Time for Success! This helps you establish the right priorities, and manage your time in such a way that you make the most of the opportunities open to you.