An old schoolLYS Principal shares:
SC,
I read twoarticles today by Kim Marshall on his Marshall Memo (http://www.marshallmemo.com)#417. I thought the articles were right in the LYS Nation’s “wheel-house”. Kim said he didn’t have a problem withyou reposting, just let the LYS Nation know he was the source.
Article 1:How Important Is Happiness On and Off the Job?
In thisHarvard Business Review interview, Harvard psychology professor Daniel Gilberttalks with Gardiner Morse about his research on happiness. Some key points:
• Most peopledo better work when they’re happy. Some managers think their employees willwork better if they’re a little uncomfortable, a bit anxious about their jobs,and point to cranky artists and geniuses who do amazing work. For the vastmajority of people, that’s baloney, says Gilbert. “I know of no data showingthat anxious, fearful employees are more creative or productive.” Contentedpeople don’t sit around staring at a wall, he says. People hate being bored.They are happiest when they’re working toward goals that are challenging butattainable.
• Rewardswork better than threats and punishments. One boss might say, “If you don’t getthis to me by Friday, you’re fired.” The employee will get it done, but afterthat, will never do more than what’s required and may even sabotage theorganization. A smarter boss would say, “I don’t think most people could getthis done by Friday. But I have full faith and confidence that you can. Andit’s hugely important to the entire team.”
• People aremore resilient than they think. “When bad things happen, we weep and whine fora while and then pick ourselves up and get on with it,” says Gilbert. “One ofthe most reliable findings of the happiness studies is that we do not have togo running to a therapist every time our shoelaces break. We have a remarkableability to make the best of things.” We find silver linings, rationalize, andadjust to the new realities. Pete Best, who was replaced by Ringo Starr as theBeatles’ drummer in 1962 just before the band surged to international fame andis now a session musician, said, “I’m happier than I would have been with theBeatles.”
• Socialcontact is central to happiness. “We are by far the most social species onEarth,” says Gilbert. “If I wanted to predict your happiness, and I could knowonly one thing about you, I wouldn’t want to know your gender, religion,health, or income. I’d want to know about your social network – about yourfriends and family and the strength of the bonds with them.”
• Thequantity of good experiences is more important than the quality. “Someone whohas a dozen mildly nice things happen each day is likely to be happier thansomebody who has a single truly amazing thing happen,” says Gilbert. “So wearcomfortable shoes, give your wife a big kiss, sneak a French fry. It soundslike small stuff, but the small stuff matters… But you have to do them everyday…”
• There aresome basics to happiness. “The main thing is to commit to some simplebehaviors,” says Gilbert, “meditating, exercising, getting enough sleep – andto practice altruism… And nurture your social connections. Twice a week, writedown three things you’re grateful for, and tell someone why. I know these soundlike homilies from your grandmother. Well, your grandmother was smart.”
• Buthappiness is complicated. People who have children are typically less happy ona moment-to-moment basis than people without children, but there are rewards.“What kind of happiness should we want?” asks Gilbert. “Do we want lives freeof pain and heartache, or is there value in those experiences? Science willsoon be able to tell us how to live the lives we want, but it will never tellus what kinds of lives we should want to live. That will be for us to decide.”
• Happinessdiffers more from moment to moment than it does from person to person. “Thissuggests that it’s not the stable conditions of our lives, such as where welive or whether we’re married, that are the principal drivers of happiness,”says researcher Matthew Killingsworth, who has tracked the happiness levels of15,000 people in 83 countries via an iPhone app that asks them to say whatthey’re doing and rate their happiness at random moments during the week. “Itcould be the small, everyday things that count the most. It also suggests thathappiness on the job may depend more on our moment-to-moment experiences – ourroutine interactions with coworkers, the projects we’re involved in, our dailycontributions – than on the stable conditions thought to promote happiness,such as a high salary or a prestigious title.”
“The ScienceBehind the Smile”, an interview with Daniel Gilbert by Gardiner Morse inHarvard Business Review, January-February 2012 (Vol. 90, #1-2, p. 84-90), noe-link available
Article 2:Four Keys to a Thriving Workforce
In thisimportant Harvard Business Review article, business professors GretchenSpreitzer (University of Michigan) and Christine Porath (Georgetown University)echo Gilbert’s contention (in the article above) that happy employees are a netplus: “They routinely show up at work, they’re less likely to quit, they goabove and beyond the call of duty, and they attract people who are as committedto the job,” they say. “Moreover, they’re not sprinters; they’re more likemarathon runners, in it for the long haul.”
But Spreitzerand Porath take the concept of employee happiness a step further. It’s notabout contentment, they say – that has the connotation of complacency. A betterword to describe the ideal employee is thriving. These people are not justsatisfied and productive – they’re energized and engaged in creating thefuture.
Studies ofpeople who meet this description reveal the following:
Spreitzer andPorath have identified two components of thriving people: (a) vitality – thesense of being alive, passionate, and excited, radiating contagious energy,making a difference; and (b) learning – gaining new knowledge and skills andcreating a virtuous cycle of continuous improvement and belief in theirpotential for further growth. These two qualities reinforce each other, withpassion driving the desire to learn and learning fueling passion.
So how canorganizations maximize the number of thriving employees? Spreitzer and Porathsay their research has uncovered four interconnected mechanisms:
• Providingdecision-making discretion – “Employees at every level are energized by theability to make decisions that affect their work,” say the authors. “Empoweringthem in this way gives them a greater sense of control, more say in how thingsget done, and more opportunities for learning.” The challenge for managers iscontinuing to empower employees even after they make mistakes; in fact,mistakes are one of the best opportunities for leaning.
• Sharinginformation – “Doing your job in an information vacuum is tedious anduninspiring,” say Spreitzer and Porath; “there’s no reason to look forinnovative solutions if you can’t see the larger impact. People can contributemore effectively when they understand how their work fits with theorganization’s mission and strategy.” The business world is full of stories ofcompanies that have energized employees by sharing key information, havingfrequent “huddles” to review interim data, and keeping score of progress.
• Minimizingincivility – One boss said an employee had done “kindergarten work.” Another managersaid, “If I wanted to know what you thought, I’d ask you.” Studies have shownthat half of employees who have experienced uncivil behavior at workintentionally decrease their efforts, a third decrease the quality of theirwork, and two thirds waste time avoiding the aggressor. In short, incivilitykeeps people from thriving, and leaders need to make civility a core value intheir management and hiring.
• Offeringfeedback on performance – “Feedback creates opportunities for learning and theenergy so critical for a culture of thriving,” say Spreitzer and Porath. “Byresolving feelings of uncertainty, feedback keeps people’s work-relatedactivities focused on personal and organizational goals. The quicker and moredirect the feedback, the more useful it is.” If feedback takes place in aculture of civility and respect, it is energizing and promotes learning andgrowth.
“CreatingSustainable Performance” by Gretchen Spreitzer and Christine Porath in HarvardBusiness Review, January-February 2012 (Vol. 90, #1-2, p. 92-99),
Think. Work. Achieve.
- Call Jo at (832)477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copiesavailable on Amazon.com! http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5
- Call Jo at (832)477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary SchoolLeadership Tale” Individual copies available onAmazon.com! http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook
- Nowat the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite(Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool)
- Upcoming Presentations: Region 10 ESC Fall Leadership Conference (Keynote),Advancing Improvement in Education Conference (Multiple Presentations), TASSPAssistant Principals’ Workshop (Featured Speaker), North Dakota Association ofSecondary School Principals (Keynote), American Association of SchoolAdministrators Conference (Multiple Presentations), National Association ofSecondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations)
- FollowSean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder