Win at Work
Win at Work
Winning at Working--Choosing A Path
Reading in the airport while waiting for a flight to Houston, a housekeeper was tidying around me when approached by another facilities employee. After a few minutes of easily overheard chit-chat, she received coaching from her now apparent supervisor.
Jun 29, 2009 - 5:20:13 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working--It Takes Time
The story goes that after one of Ludwig van Beethoven's performances, several people were offering him their congratulations, when one woman commented, "I wish God had bestowed me with such genius." "It isn't genius, madam, nor is it magic." Beethoven replied. "All you have to do is practice on your piano eight hours a day for 40 years."
Jun 9, 2009 - 6:36:05 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working--Leveraging Your Future
A friend's hairstylist saw her bookings drop as the economy fell, ultimately losing her job at a salon. But when my friend asked her if she'd be willing to make a house-call to style her ailing mother's hair, the stylist saw an opportunity. Ultimately, she launched a specialized in-home business and now makes more money than she ever did.
May 28, 2009 - 2:20:29 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working-Progress Trumps Perfection
In the late 17th century, Lord Chesterfield, an English writer and politician, wrote to his son, "Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well." Three hundred years later, we still heed this advise from the fourth Earl of Chesterfield. Yet doing it well doesn't mean doing it perfectly. The 21st century workplace requires more than doing something well.
May 14, 2009 - 3:08:26 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working--The Echoes Heard at Work
Coward. That word, along with others less printable, popped to mind when I heard a story about a friend's son. It turns out, he learned he was no longer employed via a text-message to his cell phone on a Sunday night. The brief message from his ex-boss informed him that his last work day had been Friday.
Apr 30, 2009 - 3:59:29 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working--But, It Will Take Too Long
As I watched the tradeshow floor emerge, it struck me that people handle their careers in much the same manner. Some wait to demonstrate their initiative and ability until someone with authority is watching, believing someone else is responsible for their success. Others approach work as a paycheck rather than an opportunity, limiting both in the process. Still others align their efforts with the why behind the what, owning their results and learning and growing in the process.
Apr 16, 2009 - 3:51:52 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working--What Are You For?
Resist. Resist. Resist. That seems to be the congressional model these days. Whatever one party is for, the other is against. Before an idea makes it to the blogosphere, opposing party political pundits are railing against whatever approach or bill or stance was taken.
Apr 2, 2009 - 4:03:01 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working--What You Control
You may not be able to control if your job gets cut, but you can control whether you're a high performer who your boss is fighting to keep. You may not be able to control how quickly you get another job, but you can control the number of daily contacts you make in your search and how you "show up," future-focused, at the interview. You may not be able to control the amount of work you get, but you do control whether you're responding as a victim or taking action toward developing your skills and contacts for a new future.
Mar 17, 2009 - 1:14:09 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working: Ancora Imparo
Ancora imparo, translated as "I am still learning" or "Still, I am learning," is attributed to Michelangelo in his eighty-seventh year. The man who painted the Sistine Chapel and sculpted the Pieta and David, whose very name evokes mastery of his craft, exemplifies a lifelong learning philosophy.
Mar 3, 2009 - 2:04:07 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working--The New Dance
Poor Pluto. Stripped of its planetary status by the International Astronomical Union and reclassified as a "dwarf planet," two years ago, Pluto's demotion heralds new rules for planet classification. Debate by renowned astronomers from seventy-five countries culminated in the decision to reduce the number of planets to eight "classic" ones.
Feb 16, 2009 - 2:00:28 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working--What Kind of Workplace Future?
In 1883, as soon as construction ended on the Brooklyn Bridge, the scams started. George C. Parker is credited with originating the idea of selling the Brooklyn Bridge, convincing people they could earn a fortune charging tolls for bridge access. Some erected traffic barriers even as Parker boasted he "sold the Brooklyn Bridge twice a week for years." Eventually he was sentenced to life in prison.
Feb 3, 2009 - 10:17:50 AM
Win at Work
Winning at Working-Carve Your Success Key
I had just finished commenting to my husband how much I liked the use of copper in the Parade of Homes' kitchen we were touring, when I overheard another woman telling her husband how much she disliked the look. It made me laugh. It's funny how we see things differently
Jan 20, 2009 - 7:15:23 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working--Assessing Your Progress
I'm not a big fan of New Years resolutions. Sure I've made dozens of them, all with good intentions and a bit of magical thinking, believing this time the resolution will stick. Maybe a few have, but generally these wishful self-promises end up broken. And when that happens my self-esteem suffers.
Jan 6, 2009 - 4:15:30 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working: Follow-Me Leaders
Winning philosophies drive successful leaders' behaviors, creating work groups, communities, schools, and homes where others thrive, differences are embraced, and ideas, productivity and excellence flourish. These follow-me leaders offer the why behind the what, give trust, and share knowledge openly.
Nov 27, 2008 - 5:46:06 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working: So You Were Wrong
I once worked for a boss who was never wrong, never made a mistake or a bad decision. All you had to do was ask him. To his staff he was Teflon-man. Nothing stuck to him and everything came sliding toward us.
Nov 12, 2008 - 2:17:47 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working: Staying in the Game
The message came from Human Resources. There's nothing to worry about with the newly announced organizational changes and pending merger, it reassured. The changes will be good for the company and good for the people who work here it coached.
Oct 31, 2008 - 3:30:44 PM
Win at Work
Better Together
During the Beijing Olympics, beach volleyball players Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh were undefeated in their second gold medal Olympics, with an amazing record of 108 consecutive wins. Watching the advancing duo during the Olympic coverage, I heard commentators mention that when either woman was asked during interviews which one of them was better, they responded, "We're better together."
Sep 18, 2008 - 5:54:38 PM
Win at Work
As If They Were You
"Treat everybody else as if they were you." These words gave me pause. I wonder what it would be like if we each did what this "unknown author" is advocating?
Aug 28, 2008 - 10:42:29 AM
Win at Work
Thicken the Skin
There's a line in the movie Gracie that I love. Gracie is a teenager in the 70s who is competing for a spot on the boy's high school varsity soccer team. In one scene, dejected and on the verge of giving up, her mother, played by Elizabeth Shue, tells her, "If you want to limit yourself, that's fine. But don't let other people do it for you."
Aug 12, 2008 - 12:48:08 PM
Win at Work
Working for the Right Person
People who are winning at working work for the right person - the one looking back in mirror. That differentiation changes everything. It's easier to know what jobs to seek, skills to enhance, and opportunities to seize. It's easier to know when you should change paths, companies, or bosses. And it's easier to weather workplace stresses when you're the one holding the compass for your life.
Jul 16, 2008 - 4:21:33 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working - Herd Mentality
Booths featuring products and services related to employee engagement, web-based delivery, global performance, and talent management were overflowing with conference attendees as I walked the trade show at a national conference where I was speaking. Just a few years ago the magnets were initiatives like total quality management, six sigma, diversity, work-life-balance, and customer driven.
Jul 2, 2008 - 12:13:46 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working - Get The Facts
It was his perception that caused the outburst. "Why aren't there any managers at these sessions? Why aren't they required to attend, too?" he challenged. Hired to provide workshops on building trust in a workplace lacking it, I answered his question to the extent I could during that first session, "It's my understanding that everyone is attending," I offered. "But let me find out for sure and get back to you."
May 30, 2008 - 4:30:37 PM
Win at Work
Kept Waiting
People who are winning at working aren't playing the I-win-you-lose game, translated in this example as I-don't-want-to-wait-so-you-can. You see, for people who are winning at working, their perspective goes beyond themselves. These are the people whose consistent, everyday actions contribute to a better workplace and a better world.
May 8, 2008 - 12:07:15 AM
Win at Work
How About Thank You
It started with a turkey. In the early days of a start-up company I once worked for, a plump turkey was a small thank you token given to employees around the holidays. The turkey-giving practice lasted maybe three years, until the growing size of the organization necessitated its change. And while enhanced benefits emerged to replace that poultry gift, I found it amazing that the missing turkey still appeared as a resentment issue five years later in employee forums.
Apr 3, 2008 - 11:26:52 AM
Win at Work
Winning at Working: Being About
Once upon a time, a prince and princess lived in stressful palace, surrounded by a stressful village, inside a stressful land. They knew it was stressful because everyone said it was. Their parents, the king and queen, worked from sunrise to sunset hearing issues from their kingdom, weighing the requests, and appropriating the collective harvest to the people of their land.
Mar 14, 2008 - 11:01:07 AM
Win at Work
Winning At Working - Past or Future
Watching a rerun of "What Not to Wear" on The Learning Channel, I was struck by the dialogue between the individual being transformed and the cast of experts. While agreeing to follow the advice and input from these style-masters, "Joyce" was closed to the ideas presented of what she should wear, how her hair should be cut, and her make-up enhanced.
Feb 13, 2008 - 11:42:51 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working - Relationship Basics
People who are winning at working understand relationship basics. Common courtesy, mutual assistance, timely communication are tools they use to build, foster, and enhance their relationships. They understand their relationship approach is a reflection of their foundational principles. And those principles start with giving.
Feb 1, 2008 - 2:58:22 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working: Making a Fresh Start
"How could that be?" I muttered silently as I reread the message. This was not a person I wanted to encounter as I returned from a holiday vacation filled with family, friends, and fun. And yet, there he was on my calendar. My first meeting of the New Year was scheduled with my nemesis.
Jan 11, 2008 - 4:54:11 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working: Thought Conformity
People pass off others' thinking as their own. They parrot others' issues without personal analysis. And they embrace others' perspectives as if it was their original thought. But these repackaged perspectives hamper innovation, personal growth, and business results.
Dec 12, 2007 - 11:59:48 AM
Win at Work
Winning at Working: Being Present
It was a dimly lit restaurant. Still she was dressed in pink, and while I admit it's hard to tell the gender of three month old babies, clothing color is a reliable clue. So, it surprised me when the waitress began playing with my granddaughter, asking "How old is he?"
Nov 19, 2007 - 1:36:24 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working: What is Experience Anyway?
I learned in first grade that one plus one equals two. But, that's not the right equation when counting work experience. We often think we're building experience to help us get ahead. In reality, we're passing time. Ten years working like a cloned Bill Murray in Groundhog Day is not ten years worth of experience. Doing the same thing again and again yields an experience formula more like: ten times one equals one.
Nov 7, 2007 - 4:40:31 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working - Hot Coals
Involved in an expensive developmental workshop, Chad volunteered first when the facilitator queried the group about their objectives. It was the morning session of a weekend event that a friend of mine was conducting, and she'd asked me to sit-in. So, on a Saturday morning when I'd normally be sleeping, I found myself listening to Chad's frustrations about his lack of success, his inflexible boss, and his difficult coworkers.
Oct 15, 2007 - 4:00:00 PM
Win at Work
Winning At Working: The Whole Person
Henry Ford is reported to have quipped, "Why is it that I always get the whole person when what I really want is a pair of hands?" The 21st century version doesn't sound quite like that, but its essence prevails in plenty of workplaces.
Oct 3, 2007 - 5:06:28 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working: Tell Me Again
I had noticed her earlier, joyfully greeting and seating guests in the tourist-packed bistro of a resort near the entrance to Denali National Park. After several days in Denali's backcountry, we were once more in the busy bistro and I saw her again. This time, equally energetic and enthusiastic, she was bussing dishes and wiping down tables, along side a man doing the same.
Sep 3, 2007 - 11:20:50 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working: What Does It Look Like?
Seated at the table next to me at a fast food restaurant, I couldn't help hearing the lack of conversation between a young woman and a younger uniformed man, clearly employees of the establishment. "You need to take pride in your work," she told him. There was no response.
Jul 6, 2007 - 12:25:16 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working: But, It Will Take Too Long
Sitting in a waiting area above the tradeshow floor, I watched the forklift drivers deliver crates and boxes to small groups who were waiting to transform their rented cement floors into inviting marketing endeavors for the next day's expo opening, hosting seven thousand conference attendees. A microcosm of differing work styles, I found ...
Jun 10, 2007 - 7:32:43 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working: Your Actions Today
Exhausted from a six day business trip and facing a five hour flight on a packed, late departing evening plane, my desire was to block out noise from twenty-two high school students seated nearby. Favorites off my play list, and a just purchased mystery by a favorite author, seemed the perfect remedy to soothe my weariness.
May 2, 2007 - 7:34:11 AM
Win at Work
Winning at Working: Workplace Predators
Polar bears are known for fierceness and lack of natural predators, although wolves and walruses can kill them. Feeding primarily on seals, the hungry bear featured in a recent episode of Planet Earth, happened on larger prey. Outweighed by the Atlantic walruses, with tusks that can reach three feet long, the Polar bear sought to nuzzle, push and pry his way past a mother to her calf, despite added protection from the walrus group.
Apr 14, 2007 - 3:51:53 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working: Cherry-Picking
Personable and enthusiastic about her work, it took me months to uncover the problem. Calling Cheryl to my office for a quick question, I inquired why the information I needed wasn't in the file. "Oh," responded Cheryl, "I haven't done the filing yet." Thinking she misunderstood what I needed, I explained that what I was looking for was from four months ago. "Yeah, that filing's not done yet," she said matter-of-factly.
Mar 27, 2007 - 10:27:55 PM
Win at Work
Winning at Working: Dangling Carrots Wilt
"Red tape. Infighting. Office politics. Employee morale. Can't get things done. Lack of communication. Layers of bureaucracy. Not valued. Rude, difficult people. Indecision. Lack of support. Inconsistency. No clear direction." These are sample answers from readers to a Winning at Working survey that asked about the biggest problems at work. And then we wonder, as supervisors and managers, why employees aren't motivated?
Mar 15, 2007 - 12:30:36 PM
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