“Bee” Busy Doing the Right Things
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
I find it interesting that some people can appear super busy, yet don’t necessarily accomplish very much. How is that possible, when
others can drive home task after task, project after project. I believe it is because they spend their time on low-value tasks and procrastinate on the high-value activities that need attention. So they look busy, and truly are, yet they are busy doing the wrong stuff and unfortunately not getting the results they desire. If we don’t manage our time, other people will, and we will end up stealing it from our spouses, our children and even ourselves. So how we spend our time is an extension of our values. It is important!
When you think of someone who consistently accomplishes a lot, what traits come to mind?
- Inclusive, collaborative
- Pleasant, friendly
- Approachable
- Delegates well
- Easy to get along with
- Positive, laughs, has fun
- ppreciates and rewards others
- Accountable
- Has integrity
- Does what he/she says they will do; self-disciplined
- Very organized
None of the traits mentioned include a magic pill; it is simply about clearly knowing what you need to do AND then doing it.
Complete this statement in your head…”I wish I had time to…” For me the answers are, “scrapbook, play a game with my kids, enjoy date night with my hubby.” What are these things worth to me? What is the pay-off? If I stay disciplined, then I’ll get to do these things. If I utilize my time better, this is my reward.
Don’t let procrastination get in the way of staying disciplined. After all, procrastination is not a character flaw…it’s a bad habit! Instead of giving into excuses, like I used to do much more years ago, consider the metaphor so famously aligned with the insect many of us try hard
to evade. Bees don’t know how to procrastinate and likely don’t get side-tracked very often. They just know how to work hard, and harder, and even harder yet, doing the right things…hence, the phrase, “busy as a bee.”
Build Trust One Brick at a Time
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
When trust exists in an organization or in a relationship, almost everything else is easier and more comfortable to achieve. Trust even forms the foundation for effective communication, employee retention, and employee motivation and contribution of discretionary energy, the extra effort that people voluntarily invest in work. So why is it that something so important, appears to be lacking in organizations today?
In 2010, Maritz Research conducted a poll to better understand U.S. employees’ attitudes toward their employers. The poll found that employees across all industries cite a lack of trust in not only their senior leaders, but also in their direct managers and colleagues. Only 11 percent of employees strongly agree that their managers show consistency in their words and actions. Further, only 7 percent of employees strongly agree they trust senior leaders to look out for their best interests, and only 7 percent strongly agree they trust their co-workers to do so. Obviously, these percentages need to change, but how?
I have found that for employees to trust their bosses either initially or after trust has been betrayed, supervisors must add frequent emotional deposits to the employee’s bank account. Deposits may vary, yet they should occur often. The supervisor needs to establish or re-establish a track record of using fair practices, following through on promises, setting clear expectations, providing frequent and timely feedback, and ensuring communication is open and honest.
As an employee starts to see greater transparency and begins the process of trust, or decides to once again try trusting the supervisor, trust hopefully will gradually become more apparent. In cases of workplace betrayal between a supervisor and a direct report, time is definitely a key component that is necessary in the healing process. But in addition to time, the supervisor must also demonstrate qualities of integrity, strength and confidence before trust will begin to build back. Essentially, trust is about character and is built with many small actions over time. It’s kind of like building a foundation, one brick at a time.
I once read that respect is like air; you don’t really pay attention to it until it is in question or no longer there. I think trust is much the same; when you have it with someone, it seems like it is a given. However, when it becomes strained or it’s lost, it becomes a difficult hurdle to overcome. Trust issues may be tough to work through, but as with all obstacles, it is in times of adversity when we learn the most.
Dull as Dirt!
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
When you wake up on Monday mornings (or whatever day you go to work), do you feel invigorated and ready to start the day or do you feel as if you’d rather roll over and wish the day away? If the answer is the latter of the two, it just may be because your work has become unfulfilling and drab; your job just may have become as dull as dirt.
If you are not as enthusiastic about your work life as you used to be, there are a few things you can do today to put somewhat of a sparkle back into it. Here are twelve ideas to lead you down a positive path:
- Hang around only people that are positive, fun and/or creative. Lose the “negative Nancy’s” or the “pessimistic Paul’s” of the world.
- Take a nice colleague out to lunch. Doing something unexpected for someone else always makes us feel wonderful.
- Compliment someone at work. Be genuine and specific.
- Wake up fifteen minutes earlier and look your best today. Go the extra mile to ensure you look and feel like a million bucks!
- Don’t complain or gossip today. Not even one little bit. Do don’t it and don’t listen to it.
- Go to the grocery store before work and buy a $6.99 bouquet of fresh flowers. Put them in a glass of water and enjoy them throughout the day.
- Jam to your favorite song(s) on the way to work AND on the way home today.
- When your phone rings, answer it with an upbeat and pleasant tone. Try standing during the call too. It is amazing how much more energy you will feel if you do this one simple act.
- Take a quick walk to the other side of your building, to stretch your legs and mind a bit. It helps to refresh yourself, especially if you just handled something difficult.
- After you handled a particular task that you have either avoided or didn’t look forward to, reward yourself! Indulge in a sweet treat or something that you find pleasurable. You deserve! Don’t wait until lunch time. Reward yourself when you’ve earned it.
- Take fifteen minutes to clean your desk. This may mean putting piles of paperwork into file folders, it may mean tossing some stuff you really don’t need, or it may be grabbing some paper towel with some soap and cleaning your desk. It is so nice to work or hang out in a clean and orderly space.
- Write a little note someplace you look often, yet unnoticeable to others. On the note write a positive message to yourself like, “My job is fun; today is a good day; I like what I do; I like my co-workers; I’m proud of myself; it is a beautiful day.” The message should be uplifting and hopefully it brings a smile to your face throughout the day.
As Earl Nightingale has said, “It’s our attitude in life that determines life’s attitude toward us.” How true that statement is. You just may be amazed at how others will respond to you. Choose to make your day a positive and joyous one. After all, it is far better than choosing to make it a drab and/or crappy one.
Priceless Luck
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
In fall of 2009 I was out in Denver, Colorado, attending an educational venue. I was given a twenty dollar bill and sixty minutes. The instructions were to buy someone lunch and report back about your experience. That doesn’t seem like too tough of an exercise, right?
I had never been in Denver before so I was unaware of my surroundings. I quickly found someone who pointed me in the direction of the closest restaurant. I spotted a couple reviewing the menu outside one establishment, approached them, and the man, without hesitation, said that they didn’t want to eat there after all and walked away with strange looks on both of their faces. Clearly they thought I had an ulterior motive.
I scanned up and down the street, knowing that I had chewed up fourteen of my sixty minutes already, running to the dining district and being abruptly rejected as if offering to buy a couple lunch was a crime. I noticed a Hard Rock Café at the end of the block, which not only had outdoor seating, but conveniently there were three women all looking at menus. They likely hadn’t ordered yet, so I was in luck.
I asked the waitress to seat me outside and near that group of women. I began by striking up easy conversation and asking a few questions to each of them. Because another seven minutes had passed, I decided to share my lunchtime task. Two ladies were thrilled about getting a free lunch and the third woman was very cautious, which I can hardly blame her for.
That lunch experience was one of the richest dining experiences of my life. I met three wonderful women, also here attending a different conference, who were very appreciative and also overwhelmingly surprised by the gesture. I did pay for lunch, but it wasn’t $20. The bill, with the tip, came to $80. When I realized that one of the girls also had a birthday coming up, I proceeded to give the waitress another $10 and asked that she bring her whatever dessert she wanted.
After singing “happy birthday” and embracing each as I left, I held onto my barely eaten sandwich, again sprinting back to the conference room about seven blocks away. I made it with two minutes to spare. What a story I shared and an amazing experience I had. The lunch cost – $90. The running shoes I chose to buy later that evening because of my aching feet from running in heels – $73. The incredible experience I had with three fun and inspirational women – priceless.
Just Do It and Like It Too
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
The famous Nike slogan is simple, direct and to the point: “Just Do It™.” Why is it today that we can’t simply tell someone to do a specific task and they just do it, without complaining, and yet handle it with enthusiasm and energy? Well, it could be because they don’t know how to, or they have other more pressing responsibilities that need their attention. However, there could be a third reason. Employees could be lacking engagement.
I define engagement as when employees choose to commit extra effort, time, and mental energy to actively and willingly contribute to the company’s success, using their head, heart and hands. Employees are generally from many different levels in the organization and often feel fully involved and enthusiastic about their jobs and the impact they make. Employees usually speak very highly of the company, who they are committed to, which includes their job, manager and co-workers as well.
In over 20 years of research with the Gallup Organization, Marcus Buckingham has reported that only 26% of the US workforce is engaged, while 55% is not engaged, and 19% is actively disengaged. This data is pretty compelling and eye-opening. I believe this employee engagement issue is not an employee issue at all, rather, it is very much a leadership issue.
In order for employees to feel and be engaged, we need the leaders to inspire the workforce each and every day. Employees have a much greater tendency to further engage and enhance their performance when they feel valued, respected and that they are contributing to the organization’s success in a meaningful way. Ways in which leaders can successfully inspire their employees to ‘just do it’ without even being asked or reminded, is by actively practicing the “10 Winning Strategies to Building a Culture of Engagement” (blog entry below).
Just like the Just Do It™ slogan was inspired by Nike’s can-do attitude, choosing to exercise the right attitude when striving to enhance your company’s engagement initiatives is key. You can literally unlock the opportunities…or prevent them.
10 Winning Strategies to Build a Culture of Engagement
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
You understand the importance of employees being engaged and inspired to do their best work. But it can be very difficult as employees are asked to do more with less, especially in our current economic conditions. If you are looking to enhance your own engagement or that of your team or company, I recommend focusing on these 10 winning strategies:
- Trust & Integrity – Build strong levels of trust by being open, consistent and admitting mistakes when they occur.
- Job Fit – Ensure that the day-to-day responsibilities fit the employee’s strengths and what they are doing.
- Clear Expectations – Employees need a clear understanding of what the expectations are so that they can meet and hopefully even exceed them.
- Candid Feedback – Obtaining candid feedback regarding their performance on a regular basis is critical; not just in the areas where they need to improve, but also regarding what they do well.
- Alignment - Be certain that employees understand how their work contributes to the company’s performance.
- Culture – Build team cohesiveness and fun, because not only will employees feel better about coming to work, but productivity will increase too.
- Relationship with Manager – People don’t leave companies; they usually leave managers. Ensure your employees know you care about them and their performance.
- Professional Development – Every manager should know and ideally support what the aspirations and goals are of each direct report.
- Inspiration, Motivation & Recognition – Managers should clearly understand what motivates each employee as well as how each person prefers to be recognized, as it varies tremendously.
- Growth Opportunities – Having growth opportunities available and employees understanding what skills they need to be considered for that next role is key, especially for top performing talent.
How is the culture and level of engagement in your organization? Are you feeling motivated on a consistent basis? When the beginning of the work week starts, how do you feel?
Am I Unveiling a Blog about Butts?
Of course not! Not butts…it’s Butz. The Butz Blog.
Hello! I am Tracy Butz and I happen to be writing my first blog posting…how exciting! Each week, I plan to share with you insights, concepts and stories designed to increase performance by enhancing employee engagement. Why? Because that is what I do. That is my specialty. That’s what gets me jazzed! You get the point. You spend a lot of time and energy at work, and I am devoted to helping you feel like you have one of the coolest careers on the planet! At least, move you closer in that direction.
I invite you to read and participate in my blog by sharing your experiences, asking questions and exploring ideas together. I value your insight and input, and look forward to reading it.
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
