Seth's Blog: On finding referrals

2010-05-23T08:14:00.000-07:00

The Best Process for Improving Workplace Attitudes

2010-02-10T08:45:00.000-08:00

Workplace attitudes have a major impact on the business - either positively or negatively!

To make sure workplace attitudes are effective and enhancing the business, the Attitudinal Competence training described in this short presentation is the solution.

Don't bypass the value of this training. Best wishes!

The Link Between Workplace Culture and Organisational Improvement

2009-11-04T19:17:00.000-08:00

The evidence is abundant, scientific and well documented: -

1. Workplace culture is the sum of the attitudes and behaviours of all staff.

2. For the culture to improve, a critical mass of the attitudes and behaviours of each individual must improve - beginning with the leadership.

3. Unless the leadership make the change in themselves first, there will be little result.

4. If improvement programs, processes and projects are to work effectively, attention must first be paid to leadership readiness, then workplace culture, then all the processes and systems and structures.

For my free e-book Achieving Successful Improvement Programs go here.

Until next time.

Why Do You Worry?

2009-04-07T22:30:00.000-07:00

Worrying about things is the biggest cause of stress - leading to illness.

Worrying is the useless pattern of thinking that complains, whines and agonises over what's happened, is happening, or might happen.

The problem with worrying is that it rarely seeks soultion and rarely leads to action, it just keeps worrying on and on, until another thought takes over. The other thought is often a fresh worry about another issue. Dumb eh?

The solution to worrying is to ask yourself this question - "What can I do about it?"

If you can do something - do it. Of course that means you'll have to overcome your fear or habits or ignorance about the issue first. Well do that too.

If you can't do anything about the issue - let it go. Instead ask yourself this question - "What's the best thing I can do right now?" Then do that.

That's all. Nothing to it really, just our fears habits and ignorance! And not asking ourselves the better questions.

Until next time.

A Tale of an Undervalued Servant

2009-03-04T23:06:00.000-08:00

I wrote this story for a particular client eight years ago. I think it is still useful for today. So please consider!

There was once a loyal, long serving employee of a valuable estate, and whose knowledge and expertise were of great value to the owners.

The servant had been looked after fairly, however, for the past few years, the servant had felt that the remuneration was not reflective of his value. Out of recognition for the opportunity that the owners had given the servant, the servant was disinclined to ask them for more.

The owners were older than the servant, and eventually, whilst the servant was still in the prime of life, ownership was transferred to the inheritors.

The new owners held the servant in the same high esteem as the previous owners and continued to keep the servant, with only a few minor changes. The changes were based on principles of cost control. Other servants were released and our valuable servant was asked to accept additional responsibilities, well within the servant’s scope of knowledge, but requiring extra commitment. Additionally, the servant was given a modest increase in compensation. The servant accepted the new situation, but retained a feeling of concern and frustration about the matter.

Eventually, the servant sought the advice of the local sage: “Dear sage, what am I to do? I have lovingly and loyally served these people and those before them. In the past I have been treated well, and have still no complaints about the manner of my treatment. I feel however that I am not receiving the compensation I deserve and I am reluctant to raise the matter with them. What shall I do?”

The sage responded “Well, you can do nothing, more or less”

Surprised, the servant exclaimed “What, is that all you can say – nothing, more or less?”

The sage replied “Surely that is enough – there is much you can do – nothing, or more, or less!”

“What do you mean?’ asked the servant.

“You can do nothing – accept the situation and continue in the manner you are – with all your attendant feelings about the matter. It’s up to you,” said the sage.

“Or you can do less and balance it that way – at least you may feel you are justified – it may help with your feelings.”

“Or you can do more – and achieve balance that way.”

“But doing more will only create more imbalance, surely?” said the servant.

“It depends on what you mean by doing more.” the sage responded.
“What do you mean?” asked the servant again.

“Perhaps you can express your concerns to your employer - how you feel about your work, your love for them and your value and deservedness for a review of your compensation.” offered the sage.

“But what if they don’t agree? What if they become angry and let me go too?” exclaimed the servant.

“So, tell me,” asked the sage, “What are you feeling here? Fear of disapproval and rejection, or fear of a belief you lack the deserving or value?”

Taken aback the servant paused, and answering truthfully, replied “Well, actually, both, sort of!”

With a wry smile the sage asked, “What do you mean?”

Pondering for awhile, the servant eventually said, “Well, firstly, the owners are concerned about costs and I fear if I raise the matter they will simply let me go and find a cheaper replacement. Secondly, I feel indebted to them for what I already have and I’m not sure that they would agree with my being worth more.”

“Do you have a sense of your worth?” asked the sage, gently.

“I have been taught that it is not my place to judge my worth.” said the servant.

“Why do you think you were taught that, and by whom?” asked the sage.

Reflecting, the servant said “I was taught that by my family. We come from a long line of servants.”

“Fine,” said the sage, “Now tell me why they taught you that?”

“I suppose to protect me, to make sure I didn’t say or do anything to displease others, and to work hard to please my employer.” responded the servant.

“Do you know this for sure, and does this serve you now?” asked the sage.

“No!” was the servant’s simple answer.

“Then can you see there is more you can do?” asked the sage.

“Forgive me, wise sage, but we have come a full circle – what do you mean?” asked the servant.

“In all you have said, are the answers.” said the sage. “Look at your beliefs and fears and question them, for it is they that cause this situation, not your employers. You can be grateful to your employers for this opportunity to benefit – providing you take it. See that there are no accidents, no coincidences and no injustices – just loving opportunities to benefit.” The sage stopped, looking inquiringly at the servant.

“Sage, help me, I cannot see what you see.” pleaded the servant.

“You are correct” answered the sage. “And I cannot see what you see. However I will tell you what I see, in the hope that it may be of benefit to you. Is this what you desire?”

“Yes, dear sage, please tell me” the eager servant said.

Then the sage said, “I see your employers have a need to control the costs of running the estate, and wisely they have retained your services, and placed their value upon your worth, which you have accepted without comment or question to them. So now they think you agree with them.

I see they may underestimate your worth, perhaps because they have not been there as long as you and lack, perhaps, the detail you possess.

I see you have not bothered to carefully weigh your value, limited by the mistaken belief that you should not do this.

This leads you to the feeling of frustration and feeds your fears.

I see you have not sought to understand your fears or perhaps face them.

Can you not see that in this situation, you fail to serve both your employers and yourself?

How well can one work, when one is unhappy with their situation?

Perhaps, you can see that by your employers not fully measuring your worth, they are underestimating the value of their estate, which includes your service.

Perhaps, knowing their intention is to control costs, behind which lies the desire to increase value, they may see that in expressing your full worth, this increases their value in the estate and lessens the pressure on cost focus.

Perhaps, you could find a way to express this to them? Perhaps you may first benefit by carefully weighing, in the light of all your knowledge about yourself, in relation to this estate, your actual value?

Perhaps you could face your fear, in the light of knowing their desire to improve value, and show them that this can be served partly by expressing the true value of you in relation to the estate.

Perhaps, your knowledge of their desire and intentions are sufficient for you to see your fears are meaningless. Surely you can see they are based, not on the employers, but on your incomplete reviewing of the full situation. And that this is combined with a limiting belief taken by you that was based upon fear, and not on any tested fact!

So, indeed there is much you can do. My question is, what will you choose to do?”

“Thank you dear sage, you have given me much to think about,” said the servant.

“Thinking is a good start, but will mean nothing unless converted to well chosen words and well chosen action,” replied the sage as she turned and left the servant to his destiny.

copyright 2000 David Deane-Spread

Until next time,

Never Before Have Attitudes Mattered More!

2009-03-03T05:45:00.000-08:00

The financial meltdown is creating increasing stress on all workplaces. Liquidity, credit availability, diminishing demands are all taking their toll on most workplaces.

Sadly those who are actually secure, needed and very capable of maintaining momentum in productivity, marketing and sales, as well as those managing and leading, are all feeling the "mass consciousness".

Whilst leaders and managers must remain focussed and in control of their attitudes, so to must everyone!

Yes, attitude is contagious, and attitude is entirely manageable - and you must do so.

Remember that it is not what happens that matters, it is what you think about what happens that matters, and then what you do about it.

We must all work diligently at managing our thoughts, keeping them realistically positive useful creative caring innovative competent and truthful.

Do not let your first thought run the show, unless it is already positive.

Visit my site at http://www.daviddeane-spread.com/attitudinal_competence.html to see what you can do about training your people to have Attitudinal Competence.

Until next time,