Is There a Cost to Increased Productivity?
“Is there a cost to increased productivity?”
Let’s look at this question for a moment…
I posed this question to people in my network just the other day. The answers coming in are fascinating to say the least. What is your gut response / reaction to that question?
Those working in areas of human systems, psychology and coaching answered from the perspective of whole of person i.e. work life balance, creativity and innovation, personal values, learning curve with one of my favourites coming from my colleague Lee being “Sometimes you just have to get off the train to be able to see the countryside.”
Those in the business world talk about systems, increased productivity, legal requirements etc. Well you get the picture. It’s been proven again and again in staff surveys and research that it’s people and they’re happiness quotient in the workplace that makes all the difference in their effectiveness. Yet, when it comes to measuring productivity, many organizations don’t pay any attention to staff satisfaction and the happiness quotient when they measure and implement changes regarding productivity.
One colleague asked “You had something else in mind when you asked this, didn’t you? Will you share it?” Ahh some people know me all too well!
My goal was to ask the question. Surprise surprise coming from a coach (she said tongue in cheek).
I wanted to ask the question. I wanted to see where people were with regards to how they even processed the question. I’m watching organizations work at becoming ‘more productive’ from an organizational perspective and in the midst they’re killing their people. Better, faster, smarter, deeper, more intuitive, less intuitive (follow orders), so more with less, until they go on auto pilot….lose a great deal of their innovative spirit and creativity but meet all the criteria of effectiveness measurements. What we lose in the translation is impact on people, growing people from an emotionally intelligent perspective and not just how much they can churn out along the way.
In asking the question I got a lot of people to think about it…where they are, want to be, need to be and need to change to be there. Nothing more. Nothing less.
So What Can We Change?
Be aware…mindful. Pay attention when you start doing things on autopilot and stop asking the important questions. That’s exactly when you have to start questioning.
“As a highly connected global society, we’re moving rapidly toward having to make important choices that will affect our present security and the lives of future generations. The world’s problems could get worse before they get better. But the very challenges of this time period also present opportunities for a significant shift in human consciousness.” - Doc Childre and Howard Martin- Doc Childre and Howard MartinWith deepest respect,
Donna Karlin
Founder and Principal
A Better Perspective
http://www.abetterperspective.com
ISSN 1913-6307
Shaping Your Future Through Conversation
It’s March. Would you believe it? I won’t say anything about time evaporating but you blink and it’s over. So better make the right choices in real time. I’m always amazed at how people put things off to “one day” or “I’ll do it later” and they never really get to it. I have more people come to me not wanting to have any regrets. Well, not regretting anything is easier than you think. Just do things, don’t just think about them. Change your focus in conversations and look at life as a clean canvas to paint the most glorious picture on. Close your eyes, see it and then make it happen!
I was going to give you 5 more tips to process and see how it applies to your world but I’ll give you one really powerful one instead…
Every conversation you have will shape your future.
Period.
Everything you share is processed by the person listening through their own story. Speak to what they fear most, and they’ll fear more. If you start the conversation complaining about the economy and the difficult working and living environment, everything you say from that moment on will be filtered through that first sentence.
So make it powerful. Make it positive. There are people thriving in these less than optimal times. Why? Because they see the possibilities no matter what’s happening in this world.
If you get the people you’re speaking to beyond their fears, you will not only energize them but yourself as well as the conversation generates and percolates. That conversation will not only be remembered but shared with others. Your words will go beyond your knowing and impact others.You can be the voice of gloom and doom and let’s face it…haven’t we had enough of that? David Scott, someone in one of my networks said “I, for one, am not participating in this year’s recession. We are taking an active approach to learn everything we can about our clients, their desires and concentrating on building rapport with each of them.”
It’s not about ignoring what’s happening in the world; it’s about choosing your place within it.
Next time you find yourself opening your mouth and dwelling on how miserable things are, remember the impact of doing just that. What lingering thoughts and impressions do you want to leave? Whatever you choose will be remembered!
I’ll leave you with this…
“I endeavor to be wise when I cannot be merry, easy when I cannot be glad, content with what cannot be mended and patient when there is no redress.” - Elizabeth Montagu
- Elizabeth MontaguYour words, attitude, perspective and shared insights are all choices.
With deepest respect,
Donna Karlin
Founder and Principal
A Better Perspective
http://www.abetterperspective.com
ISSN 1913-6307
Taking Stock of What’s Happening
There’s a lot going on these days. People are stressed, no two ways about it. I’m observing a ‘tired’ group of executives whose staff are looking to them to ‘fix’ things. Well, no one has a magic wand, or… does everyone have a magic wand?
It’s the latter as you are your own magic wand.
It’s time to take stock of what’s happening that’s within your control and perspective and make necessary and wanted changes accordingly.
“Stress is the body and mind’s response to any stressful pressure that disrupts the balance in the mind or body. It occurs when our perceptions of events don’t meet our expectations and we don’t manage our reaction to the disappointment. As a response, stress expresses itself as resistance, tension, strain or frustration, that throws off our physiological and psychological equilibrium, keeping us out-of-sync and stressed-out.” - Doc Childre and Howard Martin
What magnifies stress even more is when one dwells upon that which upsets them in the first place, rather than creating a future they want. If you dwell on that which you don’t want, you will continue on that downwards spiral.
So what are some key points to that magic wand?
- Stop doing what you don’t want to do. I’m not talking about your job. I’m talking about every day things you got talked into or felt you were obliged to do. Do things because you really, really want to do them. When it comes down to it, if you stopped doing things out of obligation, chances are most people won’t even notice anyways. Doing things you don’t want to do depletes your energy and when you’re stressed you don’t have a heck of a lot of extra energy to waste.
- Guess what I’m about to say! Start doing what you want to do. Fill a part of your days with things you love to do. When you’re doing what you’re passionate about you’ll be energized, optimistic and a downright pleasure to spend time with. Know what that’ll do? People will want to spend more time with you and if you’re having fun, stress flies out the window.
- Speaking of which….find someone you want to spend time with and visa versa. That goes for just being, ‘playing’, talking, mentoring, sharing and brainstorming. That best friend, partner, reality checker…someone who will accept you at your best and worst and visa versa. It’s been proven if you don’t have that close friend and feel like you’re in this life on your own, you’ll be wearing the problems of the world on your shoulders. Why in the world would you want to do that?
- Don’t let doubting Thomases talk you out of your dreams and while you’re at it, make those dreams really big! It’s hard to be stressed when you’re working towards your dreams.
- Need less. I’m not saying want more. That’s different. Needing things because you want them is a whole other ball came. Wanting things and being able to have them now and then is a gift. Needing them and being unhappy until you get them will shift the focus away from what you truly have right now…and to appreciate it all.
There’s more which I’ll tackle in the next newsletter. I did promise 2 minutes reading time or less. Besides which, this will give you a good head start.
I’ll leave you with this….
“It’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.” - Hans Selye
With deepest respect,
ISSN 1913-6307
