Dec 02, 2011 11:59 AM
Perceived Control
Good managers and leaders set the parameters for their employees and then get out of their way and let them do their jobs.
Zappos!, an online shoe, apparel and accessory store, went from zero to over a billion dollars in gross annual revenue in less than 10 years and they're one of Fortune magazine's 25 best companies to work for.
Zappos! doesn't use scripts for their customer service phone reps and they don't time their calls. The reps are encouraged to create emotional connections with their customers and to deliver WOW service.
This gives employees a sense of control and responsibility for their performance. This has undoubtedly contributed to their reputation of delivering outstanding customer service and may be why people are willing to relocate from all over the world for the opportunity to work for them.
How can you increase your 'perceived control' in your business and personal life? (Hint: one thing you can do is commit to mastering time management.)
Perceived Progress
Having a worthwhile goal is great, but to stay motivated, it's a good idea to have shorter-term milestones along the way.
In martial arts, as long as you attend the prescribed number of classes and can demonstrate competency in your kata (prearranged choreographed pattern of movements), you will be promoted to the next level (belt color or belt stripe).
In the early 1900's, martial arts styles didn't have colored belts: you were a white belt (or no rank) until your Sensei (teacher) promoted you to black belt. The student had to go on faith that their Sensei would eventually, hopefully, some day promote them to black belt. This usually took many years.
I'm guessing they had a problem with retention, so they broke down the big goal of 'black belt' into smaller milestones (colored belts). This 'perceived progress' keeps students motivated and more committed to their big goal of black belt and subsequent degrees of black belt.
What big goal do you have that can be broken down into easily achievable and celebrate-able milestones to help keep you motivated along the way?
Connectedness
We (humans) are social animals. As history taught us, one of the worst things that could happen to a tribe member would be to be kicked out of the tribe. Without the social structure and support of the group, it was almost always a certain death sentence to try and make it 'out there' on your own.
We all have a need to feel that we belong to a particular group. There are groups for men, groups for women, groups for teens, retirees, dog lovers, wine lovers, political, and environmental causes. The list is endless. Even the sociopath feels connected to other sociopaths in some weird, perverted way.
Social media has made it more convenient to 'connect,' but it's not the same. People are feeling more isolated than ever. There is nothing like the warmth and energy you experience from in-person, face-to-face interaction with other humans.
Happy, productive, and successful people have strong social connections and make it their business to maintain these relationships by showing up on a consistent basis.
You can't pick your family, but there's no law that says you have to hang out with them especially if they are hell-bent on self-sabotage or making everyone around them miserable. All you can do is all you can do and sometimes the best thing to do is simply let go and let God.
Even if their family has failed them, happy, productive, and successful people look for and establish a new family of like-minded, positive, and mutually supportive people to associate with.
They say that you're as happy and successful as the five people you spend the most time with. You get to pick your friends, so choose wisely.
Vision / Meaning (being part of something bigger than yourself)
Happy people feel like what they're doing is making a difference in the world around them. Whether they are a janitor at a hospital or the winner of the Nobel Prize, they feel like they're contributing to the betterment of humanity (or the planet or some other cause).
The janitor can feel like s/he's providing a more sanitary environment for patients, which contributes to their healing.
So, reframing what you do is one way you can feel more like you're part of something bigger than yourself, which gives your life more meaning. What you do makes a difference.
David Humes is a productivity and happiness expert. He's the coauthor of 'Stepping Stones to Success' with Deepak Chopra, Jack Canfield, and Denis Waitley. For more information, visit http://DavidHumes.com Copyright © 2011 by David Humes. All rights reserved in all media throughout the universe.
