Getting the Most Out of Your Job
It can be very easy for someone to start getting restless in their work and no longer be able to draw any fulfillment from their job. From there it is a short slope to the point where they spend all week looking forward to the weekend and all weekend living in dread of Monday. This is a difficult place to get trapped when the average person only takes three weeks of vacation a year so the majority of their adult life is spent working at a job they are not enjoying. Often times people will change jobs or move positions in order to overcome this, only to find that after the initial excitement of something new wears off the cycle repeats itself again. The answer is not always found in changing employment, often the remedy is in learning new tools and applying them to discover how to enjoy your job. The tools explained in this article are simple and yet can be very effective to this end.
The first tip is to be careful what you are focusing on. It is simple truth that when you start looking at the things you don’t like, you get locked into negative thinking patterns that cause everything to seem that way and will quickly drag you down. Ask yourself some questions like “what tasks do I like in my job?” “In what way is my job challenging me and expanding my skills?” “What are the future opportunities that I am creating for myself by doing this job well?” “What more can I learn from the people around me or over me?” By starting to focus on the positive tasks or aspects of your job and your workplace, it can help change your attitude, especially when you feel like you are working towards some sort of purpose. A positive attitude is much more likely to bring about positive results which will cause you draw enjoyment from a job well done.
The second tip is to set some goals. If you are not satisfied in your current job, what is it that you are looking for? Perhaps you want to be promoted into a management role or to expand into a different department or to work on different projects. Your current level of dissatisfaction may be an indicator that it is time to start working towards a new vision. If you set your sights on exactly what it is that you want you can start working on the steps that will take you there which could be training courses, college classes or working with specific people. The vision for where you want to be next will help keep you motivated in your current role, especially as you understand that it is vital in keeping you on target towards your goal. Any time you feel like you are going to give in to negativity you must remind yourself of what you are working towards.
As you learn to focus on the aspects of your job you enjoy and set your vision on where your job is taking you, you will find it will start to shift your attitude. If you start investing your time at work towards your career goals it is no longer just a job you dislike but has regained a sense of purpose which will give you the momentum you need to carry you forward.
Are your employees happy?
Recently, I was reading a book by one of my favorite authors. I’m not going to tell you who for reasons that will become apparent.
He is right on point with most things, but I think he is way off on this one. He was pooh-poohing the “new age idea” that an employer should care about the happiness of his employees. He said that was not an employer’s job. A boss’s only concern should be how much they can get employees to produce. Who cares if they’re happy?
I would like to go on record as saying that is pure BS (capital B, capital S)!
When it comes to personal matters, I agree that it is none of the boss’s business. But, concern for employees’ success & happiness will do more for your business than anything else you can do. Who talks to your customers? Who controls the quality of your products? What kind of message are your employees sending out?
If you are an employer, and you if want the greatest success, it is in your own best interest to create an environment where every employee can be successful. Give them the opportunity to learn skills they didn’t have before. Some ask, “What if I train them and they leave?” Well, what if you don’t train them and they stay?
Case in point: A few years ago, my employer sent me to Ed Foreman’s Successful Life Course. The course teaches a lot of skills useful in business, but the main focus is on each student’s personal happiness and success. Recognizing that fact was the turning point for me. I had been so against going to a “rah-rah company” event, that if there had been a way to get out of it, and keep my job, I would not have gone. Somewhere into the first day, though, they said something (I don’t remember what it was), but it finally struck me. That class would help me personally. It wasn’t just about the job. It was about ME. From that point on, I was hooked…on the class, on the boss that sent me, on my job, and on being successful.
My story is not unique by any means. I think that most first time SLC attendees are sent by their company (or by a previous graduate). And it is obviously paying off because, if these companies were not seeing results on the bottom line, they just would not keep sending people.
It’s an easy question. Do you do your job better when you’re happy? Do you get along better with customers and co-workers when you’re happy? Of course you do.
Or turn the situation around. If you work for someone who lets you know, in no uncertain terms, that the only thing they care about is how much money you can make for them, how loyal are you? Would you go the “extra mile” for that kind of boss? Or would you do the minimum to get by, and jump ship at the first opportunity?
Exactly.
You might get some temporary success pushing people for more…more hours, more days, more work. But it won’t last. When companies get known as being “sweat shops”, the really good employees, the ones you really want on your team, won’t even apply.
As Zig Ziglar put it, “You can get everything you want in life, if you’ll help enough other people get what they want.”
Multi-Streaming for Financial Security
A friend of mine called me a few days ago. He told me that he was going to be out of a job in a couple of weeks. I was floored. I know him to be a hard working, honest, friendly, and successful person. It turns out, though, that in this case, none of that matters. The company that he works for is merging with another. The office is moving across the country. And the long and the short of it is that most of the employees here will need new employment.
This re-emphasises something that I’ve long believed in. The only way to be financially secure is to have multiple INDEPENDENT streams of income.
We all know the importance of diversification in our investments. We would never put all of our money into one stock, but we often have only one plan, our current job, for income. And, for one reason or another, that usually leads to some inconvenient times, like my friend is experiencing.
I suggest that you begin immediately to develop some new ways of earning income, that have nothing to do with your current job. No, I’m not suggesting you get a second full-time job! I’m talking about ways of making money that don’t require your presence all the time.
Rent out some property. Sell items on the internet. If you’re reading this, I know you have some internet skills. Start an internet business.
You say that you can’t come up with any ideas that would earn enough money to make it worthwhile? Many people think that they need an idea worth thousands before they get started. Another friend of mine, Dennis Becker, wrote a book about using ideas that only earn five dollars a day. You start one, get it running, and then move to the next one. Combined, this leads to some serious income. For a complete description, I recommend that you get his book.
Note that your incomes need to be completely independent of each other. Life Happens, and you must be diversified to be safe.
Multiple independent streams of income (multi-streaming) can give you security like nothing else. You know that if any one of your income streams fail, you have others.
Bad News Doesn’t Get Better With Age
by Tony Yost
This is another truism from “The Book of Tim“.
Let’s say you are working on a project and “something bad” happens. Should you keep it to yourself and wait and see if your boss or the customer finds out about it? There’s nothing you can do about it anyway, why be the messenger of bad news?
Well, first of all, it shows your leadership skills and acceptance of responsibility when you let the appropriate people know. You gain respect.
Second of all, it gives everyone time to try and see what can be done to minimize the damage. (Just ask any military officer about that one).
Another example… due to some unforeseen issues, your project is not going to be ready by the scheduled due date. Should you tell your customer or just wait for the due date hoping some miracle will happen?
If you said “just wait”… well, how’s that been working out for you? Still waiting for those miracles? Most likely, the due date came, everyone worked crazy hours, and either the project was delivered with lower quality which will make you look bad for a long time, or the project was still not done and everyone is now demoralized. And that leaves the customer trying to explain to his boss what happened.
If you let the customer (or your boss) know the facts as soon as you are sure of them, you are a whole lot more likely to have a better outcome. And more respect.
Thanks, Tim!
Ten Ways to Retain Quality Employees
by Tom Perkins
There is no question that employee turnover has a significant impact on the financial performance of an organization. It is estimated that, on average, a company will spend up to one-third of a new employee’s salary to replace a departing employee. There are experts who believe the costs for membership-based businesses could even be higher. In the fitness industry, employee turnover has a recognizable impact on a member’s decision to renew or discontinue a membership.
Here are ten things employers can do to retain quality employees:
¨ Provide employees with a clear set of standards before the employee sets foot on the floor. Do not make an employee “guess” or speculate about what you expect them to do. This wastes valuable time and increases their frustration level.
¨ Provide a comprehensive on-the-job training program. Take the time to train the employee on each aspect of your business. It may take time, but this investment will elevate the employee’s comfort level and provide you with a well cross-trained employee.
¨ Provide employees with a genuine role model. As a manager/business owner, you have a responsibility to set the tone and expectation for your organization. If you want your employees to follow it, make sure you are not just paying lip service.
¨ Provide opportunities for professional development. Consider sending employees to training seminars or providing them with other types of educational incentives. This provides for individual growth and brings added benefit to the organization.
¨ Provide ongoing feedback. Do not wait until review time to praise an employee or to point out potential areas of concern.
¨ Provide employees with appropriate forums to express their ideas and to voice their concerns. Consider setting aside a portion of your staff meetings to brainstorm new ideas or to address concerns. Make sure the forums are non-threatening and conducive to constructive discussion.
¨ Provide recognition and reward. If an employee is doing a great job, let them know it! Reward it. The reward does not have to be monetary. Consider providing small tokens of appreciation such as cards, flowers, certificates of accomplishments, gift certificates, tickets to movies, concerts, or sporting events. It’s the little things that tell an employee you recognize and appreciate their efforts.
¨ Provide employees with an organizational culture that is open, trusting, and fun. Celebrate your successes and milestones with the people who helped make them happen. Let them know they are an integral part of the team.
¨ Provide open lines of communication. Whether your organization is doing well or experiencing growing pains, keep your staff in the loop. By keeping your staff informed, you are communicating to them that they are a valuable part of the team. In return, most employees will go the extra mile for you.
¨ Provide your employees with respect. Show your employees that you care about them, not only as workers, but as people. Practice the golden rule: do onto others as you would have others do onto you.
If you follow these simple ideas you will start to see an improvement in employee morale, productivity, and retention.
Send an email to [email protected] to receive the Essential Business Success Checklist. Or visit his website at www.fitnessindustrysolutions.com.
Article Source: Weboid Article Directory
You Are Worth More!
by Tony Yost
You are worth more than you are being paid!
Does that come as a surprise to you? Have you felt that you couldn’t possibly find another job that would pay you as well? Have you been doing everything your boss asks you to do, no matter how unreasonable, like working so much that you never see your family?
Please don’t get me wrong… Taking pride in your work and “going the extra mile” on occasion is a very good thing, and it may be one of the reasons that you are worth more than you are being paid. But if you are constantly missing the important events in your life because you feel like you have to, maybe it’s time for you to create more balance.
How do I know that you are worth more than you are being paid?
It’s very simple. You are still employed. See, the difference in what you are being paid and what you are worth, is called “profit” by your employer. And profit is the whole reason for your company’s existence. If your employer was not making more money from your work, than you are getting paid, then you wouldn’t be there.
Make no mistake. Profit for your employer is a good thing. That’s what keeps the wheels of industry turning. Just don’t let their values override your own. Go see your child in that Christmas play. The work will still be there when you get back. And you’ll be much happier doing it.
And if you are an employer, note that your employees will be much more able to concentrate on their jobs if they don’t have family issues to worry about.
To give credit where credit is due, I got the basic idea for this from Pat O’Bryan in his book Your Portable Empire
