Eva Rykr http://evarykr.com Mon, 14 May 2012 12:14:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Respect in the Workplace http://evarykr.com/2012/05/respect-in-the-workplace/ http://evarykr.com/2012/05/respect-in-the-workplace/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 12:14:56 +0000 Eva Rykrsmith http://evarykr.com/?p=1184 Respect and how it is displayed can be highly individual and vary among cultures. One thing that is common for all of us, though, is the feeling that disrespect evokes. It feels rude, unjust, and hurtful. When we are disrespected, we feel unappreciated, undervalued, and threatened to some degree. When we fail to receive respect [...]]]> Respect and how it is displayed can be highly individual and vary among cultures. One thing that is common for all of us, though, is the feeling that disrespect evokes. It feels rude, unjust, and hurtful. When we are disrespected, we feel unappreciated, undervalued, and threatened to some degree. When we fail to receive respect in our work lives, our jobs become unbearable and relationships deteriorate.

One interesting question is whether all persons are worthy of respect at some level. What about in your workplace? Are all of your colleagues worthy of your respect? When does one become unworthy of your respect?

Mike Henry at the Lead Change Group wrote an article about respect that caught myattention. Here is a snippet: “No one wants to have their respect demanded, manipulated, coerced or cajoled. Respect is a push, not a pull. There is always room for more respect to be given, but not taken.  When I focus on myself, I won’t get any and I won’t give any.  We all lose.”

A common dynamic with respect is that when we are disrespected, we tend to withdraw our respect immediately, often acting in a disrespectful manner right back. This creates conflict that stems from a cycle of disrespect.

You can’t demand respect from others. You can’t get more respect (relatively speaking) from a relationship by withdrawing the respect you give. The only part of the respect equation that you can change is how much respect you give to others. And with consistency, perhaps, over the long-term, you may be able to earn respect.

What are your thoughts on respect?

This post was originally published on the Intuit QuickBase Team Leadership Blog.

]]> http://evarykr.com/2012/05/respect-in-the-workplace/feed/ 0 7 Memory Flaws http://evarykr.com/2012/05/7-memory-flaws/ http://evarykr.com/2012/05/7-memory-flaws/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 12:12:10 +0000 Eva Rykrsmith http://evarykr.com/?p=1181 A few years back, Harvard University psychology professor, Daniel Schacter, published an article called The seven sins of memory: Insights from psychology and cognitive neuroscience.In it, Schacter used information from several research studies to organize the fallibility of our memory into seven broad categories.  I believe knowing how our minds work can be powerful tool in [...]]]> A few years back, Harvard University psychology professor, Daniel Schacter, published an article called The seven sins of memory: Insights from psychology and cognitive neuroscience.In it, Schacter used information from several research studies to organize the fallibility of our memory into seven broad categories.  I believe knowing how our minds work can be powerful tool in self-awareness and increasing our own productivity as well as improving our relationships with others. With that in mind, here are the seven sins of memory, and how they affect us in the workplace:

Transience

What it is: Over time, we forget details of events, and sometimes entire events.

Implications for your career: Consider this: What did you do two days ago? You can probably name a few things. What did you do one year and two days ago? More than likely, you have no idea. You will forget your accomplishments over time and you will forget the praise you have received over time. Keep a running list of them and update your resume or CV regularly.

Absent-mindedness

What it is: When you are not paying attention fully in the moment, you’ll forget bits of information later.

Why it matters at work: These very normal lapses in attention happen to us all, especially if we are multitasking. That is understandable. However, they often result in you forgetting to do things, which is not excusable. If this happens once or twice, people will start to think of you as unreliable and question whether they can count on you. Write things down at meetings, keep a running list of action items, and take a few minutes to review your calendars and to-do lists at the start and end of each day.

Blocking

What it is: Knowledge exists in your mind, but you cannot seem to recall it at the moment.

How it happens: We’ve all forgotten the name of an acquaintance at one time or another or had the tip-of-the-tongue experience. Usually this happens with words you haven’t used in a long time or information that wasn’t learned very well in the first place. Usually, it’s not a big deal. But sometimes it can happen at the worst of times, such as when you are put on the spot with a question during a presentation.

Misattribution

What it is: The correct memory exists, but you confuse a detail with a different context, person, or location.

How it affects workplace relationships: The misattribution error is a common source for conflict. You and your coworker work on a project that is a big hit, but then he or she mistakenly takes the credit for your idea even though it was you who thought of it and initiated it. They’re not trying to steal the limelight; it might truly be that they honestly thought they were the one who thought of it. Another scenario might be that your boss promises you a raise of $x next year, but now there is dispute about the exact number.

Suggestibility

What it is: False memories are created about things that never occurred.

Suggestibility in the workplace: Memory distortions can occur due to repetitive misinformation. This is more likely to happen if the source of the misinformation is someone with high credibility. Within limits, this is sometimes called good marketing, but when it gets out of control there is potential for ethical scandals. Often, these things start with lying to yourself.

Bias

What it is: What we know now (and didn’t back then) distorts our memories.

How it affects your management style: As we get older, generally speaking, we learn new information every week, every month, every year. Over time, we have a lot of knowledge that we take for granted. It might even seem like common sense. We might forget that we all started at 0; that before we knew, we didn’t know. We remember our early career selves in a more positive manner: smarter, tougher, friendlier, harder-working.

Persistence

What it is: Something you don’t want to remember becomes difficult to forget.

How it affects your performance: Certain information from the past, the type that we’d like to forget, sometimes pops up when we least want to think about it. You are reminded of that onetime you fumbled that big presentation (never mind that it was 15 years ago) right before you have to give one. Even if it doesn’t consciously reappear, it might color our self-perceptions of our skills and abilities.

Notice that transience, absent-mindedness, and blocking are three are different types of ways of forgetting information. The last four are errors of misinformation; a memory is there but it isn’t fully correct. When was the last time an absent or incorrect memory caused problems at your workplace?

This post was originally published on the Intuit QuickBase Team Leadership Blog.

]]> http://evarykr.com/2012/05/7-memory-flaws/feed/ 0 Gamification for Employee Engagement http://evarykr.com/2012/04/gamification-for-employee-engagement/ http://evarykr.com/2012/04/gamification-for-employee-engagement/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:58:16 +0000 Eva Rykrsmith http://evarykr.com/?p=1172 Gamification is the use of game elements in everyday activities. The idea is that it brings in an aspect of fun, therefore making the activity more engaging. The main use of gamification has been for consumer marketing purposes on the Internet and on mobile devices. The desired end result has been encouraging certain behaviors or [...]]]> Gamification is the use of game elements in everyday activities. The idea is that it brings in an aspect of fun, therefore making the activity more engaging. The main use of gamification has been for consumer marketing purposes on the Internet and on mobile devices. The desired end result has been encouraging certain behaviors or increasing exposure to a certain message. But gamification can also be used to make our own jobs more exciting and to encourage a higher level of performance in others… turning work into play.

Why gamification works (why games are fun):

  • Constant feedback
  • Well-defined rules and systems
  • Clear goals that escalate in difficulty
  • Progress encourages more progress
  • Status and achievement are highly motivational
  • Rewards work better than negative feedback
  • We have a desire for efficiency (doing better)
  • Clear connection between choices made and results achieved

Gamification Techniques:

  • Progress bars
  • Leaderboards
  • Achievement badges
  • Unlocking new achievement levels
  • Competition between users via challenges
  • Points that can be earned, tallied, redeemed, gifted

Examples of companies using gamification:

Where can we use gamification?

Gamification doesn’t have to be limited to individuals and individual performance. There is certainly a way for gamification to work in a team environment, encouraging collaboration via collective points or a bonus points system. It can even be used company-wide, to bring strategic objectives to fruition. But my one caveat with designing programs and processes using gamification is that your intentions must be balanced equally between encouraging fun and encouraging a desired behavior, and more likely, slanted more heavily towards true fun and engagement. After all, if games aren’t fun, they aren’t played.

How to Explain Gamification To Your Boss
View more presentations from Brunner

This post was originally published on the Intuit QuickBase Team Leadership Blog.

]]> http://evarykr.com/2012/04/gamification-for-employee-engagement/feed/ 0 What Motivates People at Work? http://evarykr.com/2012/04/what-motivates-people-at-work/ http://evarykr.com/2012/04/what-motivates-people-at-work/#comments Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:52:25 +0000 Eva Rykrsmith http://evarykr.com/?p=1160 What is motivation and how are we motivated? As a basic definition, motivation is what drives us to accomplish goals. Motivation determines where we direct our behavior. There are many, many different ways we become motivated to act.

Money is clearly a universal motivator, since it provides means to obtain food, maximize comfort, and avoid unpleasantries. [...]]]> What is motivation and how are we motivated? As a basic definition, motivation is what drives us to accomplish goals. Motivation determines where we direct our behavior. There are many, many different ways we become motivated to act.

Money is clearly a universal motivator, since it provides means to obtain food, maximize comfort, and avoid unpleasantries. On the other end of the spectrum are things that motivate us intrinsically, such as our careers and hobbies. These vary drastically by each individual. Somewhere in the middle is another aspect of motivation: personality-based motivation.

Achievement

How to tell if someone is motivated by achievement:

  • habitual goal-setter
  • earned mostly A’s in school
  • enjoy and request challenging assignments
  • seek out career paths and promotions for the sake of advancement
  • score high on conscientiousness as measured by a personality assessment
  • enjoy playing video games in order to get to the next level

How to motivate people with a high need for achievement:

  • map out their career path at the company
  • provide them with challenging but realistic goals
  • provide feedback often about progress
  • phrase criticism in a way that illustrates how it is blocking their potential
  • tie promotions and raises to achievement, not tenure
  • allow for continuous advancement at work (not necessarily promotion or pay raise… could also be increased responsibility, more direct reports, title change, lateral move, different role, etc.)

Power

How to tell if someone is motivated by power:

  • first to volunteer for leadership roles
  • desire to hold positions that have a large span of control
  • enjoy symbols of luxury, status, and prestige
  • feel like they are doing their best work when they have an ability to influence someone
  • need to feel effective and as if they are making an impact

How to motivate people with a high need for power:

  • provide public positive feedback and recognition
  • appoint them as leaders when possible
  • let them know how their work impacts others
  • reward with plaques, trophies, medals, etc.
  • make it known to others when you have implemented their idea
  • instead of delegating/assigning, guide them toward making the right decision on their own

Belongingness

How to tell if someone is motivated by belongingness:

  • describe themselves as a people-person
  • consider themselves popular, with many friends and acquaintances
  • have a strong desire to be liked by others
  • feel energized when they can interact with others
  • others consider them a team player
  • they like cooperation, collaboration, and harmony

How to motivate people with a high need for belongingness:

  • provide means for them to network and interact with others
  • always recognize their good work, even it if it is briefly/casually
  • appoint them to roles where they can work in a team environment most of the time
  • provide personalized, subjective feedback often

Perhaps one of these stands out as your primary motivator. Most likely, you are motivated by all three of these to a certain degree. Personality-based motivation is more specific than money and easier to generalize than our intrinsic motivations. It is mostly genetically determined, part of who we are since childhood. The more we can understand what motivates us and those we manage from a personality standpoint, the closer we are to having a more satisfying work and personal life.

This post was originally published on the Intuit QuickBase Team Leadership Blog.

]]> http://evarykr.com/2012/04/what-motivates-people-at-work/feed/ 0 Turn a Mistake into an Opportunity http://evarykr.com/2012/04/turn-a-mistake-into-an-opportunity/ http://evarykr.com/2012/04/turn-a-mistake-into-an-opportunity/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:48:12 +0000 Eva Rykrsmith http://evarykr.com/?p=1155 No matter how much education we have, no matter how many training courses we take, no matter how much motivation we have to succeed, and no matter if we have all the right tools for the job, it is a frustrating fact of life that we all make mistakes.

What is the best way to move [...]]]> No matter how much education we have, no matter how many training courses we take, no matter how much motivation we have to succeed, and no matter if we have all the right tools for the job, it is a frustrating fact of life that we all make mistakes.

What is the best way to move forward after a mistake has been made? If it was your mistake, you can step up and take ownership. But what if the mistake was made by someone else?

Don’t Blame the Person

First and foremost, realize most errors are not intentional—keep this in mind. On the contrary, most errors occur whilst the person was acting with the best of intentions. This is key. Differentiate between the original intent and the outcome (the mistake).

Second, some mistakes are unavoidable. Sure, in hindsight, the appropriate course of action might be obvious. But this is because there is additional data available to us now. In the moment, at that time, perhaps there is nothing that could have been done differently.

Blame the Process

Just because nothing could have been done differently then, does not mean we cannot do things differently in the future. When a mistake has been made, especially if it is a recurring mistake, examine the process.

As a very basic example, when a student makes spelling errors often, he learns to incorporate the spell check tool to avoid that in the future. Similarly, when a hiring error is made, the solution might be to add an extra step during the recruiting or selection process that will mitigate future risk.

This strategy can work in a team environment as well, where the mistakes often occur around communication and leadership. Was there a miscommunication where everyone was not on the same page? Add a step to future projects that incorporates an additional check-in meeting. Even mistakes that seem to originate within a person can be addressed with a process-based solution. Was it an error of judgment? Perhaps consulting a mentor can help.

As humans, we should expect that we will all make mistakes at some point. But blaming others for these mistakes, or being harshly judged for these errors, can feel unfair. Mistakes are a byproduct of both the person and the environment surrounding them; instead of seeking to change the person, change your process.

This post was originally published on the Intuit QuickBase Team Leadership Blog.

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