“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.”
Five Questions to Ask Yourself
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
If you want to change some habits you’ve fallen into, as it relates to how you spend your time, here are five key questions you should consider asking yourself. When you answer them truthfully, it will help you more clearly manage your time.
1. What is the most important thing you did yesterday?
2. What will you ensure you will accomplish tomorrow?
3. If your supervisor gave you a paid day off, how would you spend it?
4. If you were given one month paid leave from work, how would you use this time?
5. How does what you do with your time, rather than what you want to do, reflect what is most important to you?
If we don’t manage our time, other people will for us, and we will end up stealing it from our spouses, our children and even ourselves.
Toning Up Can Enhance Your Body…and Voice
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
You may recall being told when you were very young, “Don’t use that tone of voice with me, Mister (or Missy)!”
Your voice and accompanying expressions are very powerful tools for communicating when used properly and a friendly tone of voice can make you seem much more approachable and kind. Think about what a “friendly” voice sounds like to you, as it often provides others with a greater sense of trust and reliance on you.
So if someone has candidly shared that you need to “sound friendlier” or if you feel you could benefit from portraying a friendlier voice, then read on and try practicing a few of these Toning Tips:
Toning Tips for Developing a Friendlier Tone of Voice:
- Slow down the pace of delivery and pause with some frequency.
- Think about the situation from a more positive view. What you’re thinking can easily come through in the tone of your voice. Be careful that your thoughts don’t project a different message from the one want to put across.
- Change the word emphasis to reflect a more positive projection, like curiosity, excitement, interest, or responsibility. By switching what words you stress, you can sound much friendlier.
- “What would you like me to do about the paper jam?” – A defensive emphasis
- “What would you like me to do about the paper jam?” – Cooperative, willing to help
- “What would you like me to do about the paper jam?” – An apathetic monotone, questionable decision-maker
- Watch how actors you admire project a friendly voice. Think of an actor in a role where you perceived their character as friendly and note the tone, speed of delivery, facial expressions, and body language they present when in character.
- Audio-record yourself speaking. Speak as naturally as possible into some recording device and listen as objectively as you can to determine where you may need to improve. What were your first impressions of your speaking voice?
- Use a video-recorder to play back both your image and sound. Watch your body language as well as listening to tone of voice because your overall projection is important for displaying a sense of friendliness.
- Ask a close friend or colleague to provide his/her candid opinion of you using your voice both before and after you try to change it. He/she can offer a more objective opinion than you likely can yourself, which may prove to be very helpful.
Rather than making a New Years’ Resolution to tone your body, try focusing on enhancing your tone of voice. It is amazing what a few workouts can do for you…and this choice is far less painful with longer lasting results!
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.
Negativity Kills
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
Negative emotions can lead to serious problems. Thousands of studies have revealed the damaging results of stress, anger, and hostility on the mind and body. In contrast, positive emotions can buffer us against adverse health effects and depression. They enable faster recovery from pain, trauma, and illness and could even lead to an increase in life span.
Barbara Fredrickson, director of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory at the University of Michigan, has done a great deal of research on this subject. She reports, “Positive emotions do much more than merely signal well-being.” She says they:
- Protect us from, and can undo the effects of, negative emotions
- Fuel resilience and can transform people
- Broaden our thinking, encouraging us to discover new lines of thought or action
- Build durable physical, intellectual, social, and psychological resources that can function as “reserves” during trying times
- Produce optimal functioning in organizations and individuals
- Improve the overall performance of a groups (when leaders express more positive emotions)
There’s no surgeon general’s warning about negative emotions, but there should be.
Power-Packed Performance
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
A battery pack is designed to power any device that requires an energy source – possibly a camera, a flashlight, or something much larger, like an electric bike.
The battery pack holds several individual batteries, which when connected, power it. I once heard of a battery pack being referred to as a metaphor for motivating a team.
The individual batteries represent each team member and their ability to bring forth their strengths as often as they can, to bring power to the battery pack (or team). The battery pack represents the leader’s willingness to inspire each battery:
- Be a role model/example for others
- Push for constant change and improvement
- Take the initiative to make good things happen
The more power the battery pack can produce as a whole, the greater the performance outcomes for the organization.
Are you and team members utilizing your own strengths? Are you motivated to perform at your highest level for your team? How does your leader inspire you and your colleagues?
