Randy Grieser's Blog, page 9

Motivation – The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

When the majority of people in a workplace show up to work engaged and excited about what they need to do, sustaining and maintaining high levels of motivation in the workplace becomes a “self-fulfilling prophecy”. In organizations with high levels of motivation, there is an infectious energizing spirit that overtakes everyone. People feed off each other in a positive way to sustain motivation.

Individuals who are highly motivated want to work with others who are like them. They crave it, and...

A Culture of Productivity

At ACHIEVE, one of our core values is Productivity – We work hard and get things done. We believe core values are those things that truly define and differentiate one’s organization. On the surface, productivity may seem like an obvious attribute that all organizations should strive for, even something that should be expected and need not be said. However, we have chosen to intentionally name productivity as something that differentiates us and makes us unique.

Obviously, we are not alone. Th...

Motivation 101

We observe motivation and engagement in organizations where people are willing to use discretionary time, energy, and brain power to go above and beyond what is necessary. When we hear phrases like, “I was just thinking about how we could improve…” or, “I had an idea about how we could do this quicker…,” we are witnessing motivation. We see engagement when people are willing to take on extra tasks that fall outside of their job description. Motivation is alive and well when we stay late or co...

Leadership’s Influence on Culture

The influence leaders have on organizational culture cannot be overstated. Leadership and organizational culture are intricately connected. And this connection has enormous significance in helping establish, sustain, and (if needed) change organizational culture.

Leaders play a crucial role in shaping the way employees think and behave – which ultimately influences culture. In short, we set the tone for culture. The culture of an organization is largely driven by what leaders value, how we be...

Unleash Employees’ Hidden Talents

At ACHIEVE and CTRI our interview process for new hires has been refined and crystallized so that we can pinpoint with great accuracy whether someone is a fit for both our culture and the specific tasks we need them to do. When we hire someone, they have demonstrated in their interview that they can fit our culture and have the aptitude for the position.
Even though we have a very effective interview process, what has amazed me over the years is how within several weeks of hiring a new person...

Communicate Your Organization’s Purpose

It’s not enough to have a mission or a vision statement. It’s not enough to post these statements on the walls. And it’s not even enough to periodically read these statements aloud.

Our purpose, our reasons for being, our “why” must be something we focus on daily.

Organizations that thrive do so largely because their employees believe in the purpose – and in reality have a shared purpose. But for this to happen, the purpose must actually be talked about regularly. The purpose needs to be ing...

Keep Work Meaningful & Challenging

While it is rarely possible to find a job where every aspect of what one does brings satisfaction, I do believe it is important that everyone who works in our organization have some tasks they enjoy doing.

As an organization, we are committed to helping all employees find enough elements of meaningful and challenging work that they feel satisfied and happy about their job.

Throughout the year, we encourage open communication from our staff about how they are feeling about their work. We als...

What If Your Organization Didn’t Exist?

Would anyone care – would anyone be upset or saddened if your organization didn’t exist? Is what you do important and meaningful enough that there would be an emotional reaction from your clients to news that you are no longer here? Is there anything about what you do that is so unique and special that it would be missed dearly? Or, would someone else be able to offer a similar product or service and easily fill the void you’ve left?

Throughout history, organizations – businesses, not-for pr...

Leadership Lessons From My Children’s Coaches

When considering the topic of leadership, I often find it helpful to look outside my own realm of influence, and consider the impact of leadership in other disciplines. As I am currently in the stage of life where my children are heavily involved in athletics, I have been closely paying attention to the impact and influence different coaches have on my children.

It has become clear to me that some coaches are gifted leaders who inspire my children to rally around them, while others struggle t...

The Problem with “Old School” Managers

Early in my career I worked for a manager who clearly embodied an “old school” management style. He was full of bravado and was intentionally intimidating. He was a terrible listener and would yell frequently in an attempt to get desired action and results.

Initially it was exciting to be around him; in some strange way I found him inspiring. There was a certain level of intoxicating energy when in his presence, and my desire to please and receive his approval was high. However, after being...