On the news they have been telling us that the recession is over since the end of last year but do our employees believe that?  Should we care if they think it is over?

No, I don’t believe that our employees think the recession is over and yes, we should care.  People are worried about the economy and their jobs.  They are not seeing the differences in their own companies most of the time because the companies are still struggling to recover.  There may even still be some lay-offs in some companies so employees are feeling insecure and stressed.  Some are even suffering from depression because of the lack of security that they feel about their jobs.

This is something that employers need to care about because when employees are feeling insecure they are not able to do their jobs as well.  Stress and depression may lead to employees requesting time off.  Employees get distracted when they worry and their jobs are not at the forefront of their minds except to worry about whether or not they will have jobs next week.  We need to put their minds at ease.

The only way to put their minds at ease is by sharing information with them that will show them that the company is not closing its doors.  We need to share our plans for growing the company and let them know how they can be a part of getting the company to the next level.  By diversifying and showing our employees where are new areas of growth can take the company we can make them feel like there is a future with our business.  Raises are good, too, but most companies do not have that within their means since the economy is only at the beginning phase of starting to improve.

In my opinion, it is going to take at least another one to two years before our employees start to feel like they are safe from the repercussions of the recession.  If we work as a team though, our employees can feel more secure in working towards the common goal of bringing our business to the next level.

There are two kinds of motivators that get results from employees: internal motivators and external motivators.  External motivators are things like raises while internal motivators are things like job satisfaction.  Do you know which one gets the best results?  Employees have said that the thing they want most from their jobs is recognition for the things they do well.  It is no wonder that compliments will get better results than criticisms!

When we recognize people for what they do right, instead of what they do wrong, it builds self-esteem.  When people are confident they are more likely to take on new challenges and give a job their full effort.  Use compliments as one of your daily strategies for improving staff job performance and you will see more results.

There are several strategies that you can implement when using compliments:

1. Use a compliment to encourage improvement in other areas.  For example, if a staff member has utilized her organizational skills to get a project completely efficiently you could say, “Great job on organizing this project.  I love how you ________!  Could you use those same skills to help us on the XYZ project?” This will show the employee that they are good at something and point out a place where they could use those skills to improve in another area.
2. Reinforce past positive behavior.  Reinforcement goes a long way because it lets employees know that you have not forgotten about their past successes.  If you were to tell an employee, “Thanks for getting this completed before the deadline.  I really appreciated how in the past several projects you have worked on you have put forth the extra effort to have tasks completed ahead of time,” they will feel that you have not only noticed their current behavior but their past efforts as well.  This will encourage them to continue with the behavior that you have recognized.
3. Show employees how their efforts are contributing to company goals.  Employees like to know that they are a part of the bigger picture and that their efforts are making a difference in the business.  Instead of just saying, “Thanks,” trying saying, “Thanks for the extra hours you put into this task.  Because of you we may have gained a new client!”

Compliments motivate employees to improve and to continue their efforts.  When you can catch them in the act and you are genuine, they are even more valuable.  Watch for opportunities to compliment staff on their efforts and make your compliments genuine and you will find that your employee morale will increase and performance records will improve.

One of the best ways to bring employees together is to make them feel unified in their goals and in their focus.  When employees feel that they are part of the group they make decisions as a group and their work becomes more cohesive.  When you have a team of people that are working towards a common goal they are more likely to achieve the goal, no matter how big or small it is.

There are 7 ways that you can make your team more unified:

1. Host a networking event.  Give employees the opportunity to gather to discuss current projects, team goals, and what they are working on.  When people have the chance to get together to talk about their work they often find others that share similar goals and objectives.  This can give them the chance to talk about similar experiences they have had and how problems were solved.  Conversation between staff should be encouraged because it will enable employees to find better ways to solve problems and learn from others.
2. Do lunch.  Have lunch with your staff. Encourage lunches between employees.  Host lunches with teams that work on similar projects.  A social activity like going for lunch allows employees to get to know each other on a non-work level and that encourages them to feel closer.  When people that work together know each other on a non-work level they are more likely to take each others’ needs into consideration.
3. Company events.  Hold events that promote the employees and celebrate successes.  Recognize people for what they have accomplished.
4. BBQ’s, picnics, and other non-work events.  When staff have the opportunity to gather and be in a more relaxed atmosphere they are more likely to reveal their true personalities.  The ties come off and people can relax more.  Often this gives managers the chance to see skills and talents that they might not have seen otherwise.  More importantly though, staff get to see each other in a new light and build friendships that make their jobs more enjoyable.
5. Involved staff in decisions.  Even though you may have the final say, ask people for their opinions.  When people feel that their opinions are wanted they will feel valued.  Even though you may not be able to implement their thoughts and opinions every time, the very fact that you are willing to take them into considerations will make your employees feel that they are part of the company.
6. Fully support them.  Give them the tools that they need to do their jobs.  Give them resources and information and access to information.
7. Lead by example.  If you want your staff to work extra hours, don’t leave early – be there with them.  Be present around the office.  Use the company staff room and talk to your employees.  Stop by their desk or office to say hello.  Ask how a project is doing.  Go to company events and lunches.  If you want them to be involved – then be involved!

Human resources departments have an excellent tool at their fingertips that they never had before.  This tool can help human resources department build trust, train potential employees, and of course, recruit new employees.

What is it?  Social media, of course.

There are 5 ways that human resources departments can use social media to benefit themselves and to benefit those who work for them:

1. Better communications – The main point behind social media is communicating with others and sharing information.  That builds trust.  When people trust you, what do they do?  They share information with you.  Information can help you get leads for potential new employees and helps you build a better team of employees.  Potential employees need to be aware of your company and need to consider it as a place they would want to work at.  When you communicate effectively people will get to know you, trust you, and want to work for you.
2. Training – Training should be ongoing.  Both you and the team of employees that you build for your company need constant training to upgrade knowledge and stay at the top of your game.   You can encourage training through sharing of information, encouraging conversation, and discussing case studies.  Employees can learn from each other and from you as the sharing of information is made easier than ever through social media forms like blogs, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
3. Sharing information – The basis of social media is the opportunity to share information.  By sharing information with others you become an expert in your field.  As you become recognized as an expert you are exposed to even more information that increases your knowledge.  It is a circle that once you enter can continue without limits.  As you build trust and relationships though social media, individuals and companies that may not have shared with you before are more likely to do so.
4. Retaining talent – Once you have the talent in your team you need to keep them.  To keep your talent you need to challenge them and provide them with information that will allow them to do their jobs in new and creative ways.  Interaction between staff encourages creativity and empowers staff to take incentives with their jobs and their learning.
5. Sharing information about benefits and compensation – A large part of recruiting new talent is making information available about the benefits of working for your company.  If potential candidates are not even aware of the benefit of working for your company they are unlikely to consider approaching you about employment.  By sharing information about benefits and compensation, new employees will come to you and that makes recruiting less of a challenge.

First you are asking? What is the Samurai Game? Who Invented it? Who owns it? Why should I even attend? Bruce Lee? No.  The Samurai Game is arguably the most unique, intense and challenging leadership and teambuilding simulation available for all!  The Game was invented in 1977 by George Leonard author of numerous books including: Mastery, The Silent Pulse, The Ultimate Athlete, Walking on the Edge of the World, The Way of Aikido: Life Lessons from an American Sensei, and The Life We Are Given (co-author Michael Murphy).  The Game is copyrighted and owned by George Leonard and by The Leonard Trust and not by Bruce Lee.

Quattro University a university for entrepeneurs is offering Pivot training and you should not miss it. It will cover how your perceptions open up or close off possibilities in regards to getting what you want.  Specific tools to uncover their own deep-rooted beliefs and effective ways to break out of any limiting beliefs.  What is your relationship with change and how that affects your results.  The importance of being conscious vs. automatic in your thoughts.  The importance of collaboration vs. competition for success.  How to shift your paradigm in the moment and sustain that shift.  This class will be taught by Andi Burgis is an esteemed instructor for Quattro University and an advisor to the Quattro Leadership Team.

She is also the founder of her own company, Challenge U, which provides experiential team development and leadership training to business groups and individuals. Andi brings an extensive background in communication, team building, coaching and leadership training, and program design and implementation to Quattro University. In fact, Andi is one of just a few individuals in the world certified to lead the Samurai Game®, a powerful leadership simulation developed by George Leonard, a pioneer in the field of human development. Her ability to effectively relate to and quickly establish trust with participants is truly her biggest gift.

Quattro University provides experiential education to empower Entrepreneurs. Our programs teach you to optimize across the four key areas of Wealth, Wellness, Leadership and Legacy to create
ultimate success and become an Entrepreneur4. Visit them at www.quattrouniversity.com for more information on how you can experience the world-class education products.

Everything we do with our friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, family, business partners, vendors, clients, and our employees requires us to communicate.

Communication is how modern life is conceived. It is the single most important facet as you approach anything. The way you communicate with someone will define and redefine how you are perceived. You hear leaders, athletes, coach’s, parents, authors, anyone and everyone at one time or another say I didn’t mean to say this or that. That wasn’t my intention.

How you communicate is critical in your marriage, your everyday life, work, clients, vendors and to your staff. At the Masters University we will redefine how you communicate. The skills we will teach you will impact you forever. I have been asking this for the last few days – have you ever moved an object without touching it? That is what influence is in its purest form.

How do you become a thought leader? You do it by influencing your reader or your audience. The Masters University CEO makes it clear being able to influence is not the same as being able to manipulate. At The Masters University you are taught to move objects without touching them by truly being an influencer – a thought leader. No matter how good you are or your team is, why not give yourself or them the tools to be better.  www.themastersuniversity.com

Starting a Start-Up business can be as tasty, exciting, and fresh as eating a delicious salad or it can quite frankly be as terrible as the worst salad you ate that simply ruins your appetite for days, if not weeks.

Just like a salad, for your business to succeed you need to have the right ingredients.

You need an experienced management team, planning, realistic expectations, effort, commitment, and market research. So I just put the salad and mixed it with nuts, strawberries, oranges, chicken, cheese, and tomatoes. It is good, but it is missing something, what is it?

Well, the most important ingredient in a salad is the dressing and one of the most important things in starting a business innovation. You must innovate and set yourself apart, but make no mistake it starts with management. Management needs to plan, act, and react or else your business will fail.

The Masters University was created to serve a growing market need for every single person to truly impact what they do in business by employing a common sense approach and delivering immediate value. An influencer training course that will change how you do business and will elevate your everyday activity. Come preview it at no cost to you.

Our flagship program, The Masters Course in Communication and Influence™ is designed to help sales professionals and business owners redefine the way that they communicate and influence others during the buy-sell-encounter.

In this course, we help participants to shift their perspective to the buyer and refine their skills with powerful communication techniques, without attempting to change who they are. These are just some of ways that we’re different from other sales training courses that you may have taken or heard about.

www.themastersuniversity.com

This post is dedicated to those people that are confused about what they want to do and what job they want to do.

I have experienced it all, the highs of being on top and the lows of feeling what I offer a company is, well, worthless.  Through it all, I have survived and gained an appreciation for the people I have met, worked with, laughed with, and stayed up all night working with and felt a type of satisfaction that I can’t describe except by saying it made my bones itch.

I have come to the conclusion it is about the passion.  Regardless of what you are getting paid in stocks, cash, or if you are not getting paid, it starts with Passion and ends with Passion.  You have to love what you do and if you love what you do, it will be contagious and rub on people you are around.

Times are tough right now and we are all struggling, some more than others, but remember do what you are passionate about and love what you do because you have a chance to inspire, lead, make a difference, in every single situation you do.