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According to the Galup Management Model, only 26% of the employees in an average organization are engaged.  That means that 74% of your workforce probably do not feel connected to the organization, and of that an astonishing 56% are actively disgruntled and waste hours of your time on non work related activities.

Performance and talent management can help develop strategies that link the abilities of your staff to your strategic plan.  Modern Human Resource Management incorporates the view that people are assets to be to be developed and trained so that the right people are retained in the right positions.  In order to do this people have to know what the strategic objectives are, and then align their skills, ability and performance to the operational and financial goals of the organization in order to achieve these strategic objectives.

What that means in simple English is that everybody is good at something and it is in the company’s interest to find out what.  If an employee knows he is doing well at something,  he will develop self confidence and be motivated and committed, which in turn will increase efficiency.  Similarly, if an employee knows why he is doing something, where the organization is going and how he fits into it, he will be engaged.  All in all, you will have a happier workforce, lower staff turnover, reduced recruitment and training costs, and higher productivity.  Now doesn’t that make a whole lot more sense?

“The workplace should primarily be an incubator for the human spirit.” (Anita Roddick, 1942-2007

Motivation in a Nutshell

Today with globalization and the Internet, we have a vast resource of people to meet our staffing needs.  Nevertheless recruitment and training of staff is a huge financial cost and it is therefore in the best interests of organizations to retain the good staff they have. 

There are many different reasons why people stay in the positions they have.  Money and security is a big motivator, but once that need has been fulfilled the most effective way to retain your staff is by training, involvement and recognition.

-       If people feel that they are personally benefitting from training they are receiving they will be motivated.  If this training is tied into their jobs and they can associate the new skills with the activities they are expected to perform, they will be even more motivated, develop confidence and be more productive.

-       If employees can align the company mission, vision, goals and values with those with their own, they will feel involved and automatically buy into the overall direction of the company.  

-       All people, even at senior level, need recognition for good performance which can be linked to salary and/or a bonus scheme.  If your budget can’t run to bonuses, an “employee of the month” or a small gift is certainly well appreciated, but nothing leaves a warm glow more than a genuine, heartfelt “Thank you”.

So essentially, to keep good staff happy all you have to do is train them, involve them in the organization and above all show them that you appreciate them.  You will be surprised at how far a genuine, heartfelt ‘thank you’ can go.

“Fantastic things happen – to the way we feel, to the way we make other people feel. All this simply by using positive words.” (Professor Leo F Buscaglia)

 A well known public speaker was preparing to give a presentation in Japan.  Hoping to impress his audience he asked his interpreter how to pronounce “Ladies” and “Gentlemen” in Japanese whilst pointing toward the gender signs on the lavatory.  After practicing for some time, he began his speech with “Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen” in Japanese. His audience seemed really amused and afterwards one of them asked him why he had started his presentation with “Good Morning, toilets and urinals.” 

And that ladies and gentleman is a perfect example of a public speaker with great personal confidence, but inappropriate knowledge and preparation.   In order to master Public Speaking both skills are critical.   You can learn to look confident, practice making good eye contact, speak with conviction, but you can’t always and pretend to know what you are talking about.

Another misconception about Public Speaking is that it is something we do in business situations in front of crowds of people.  It’s not true.  Even speaking in small groups socially is a form of public speaking and can literally terrify some people.  There are techniques and tips that can help your hold you own in any social environment, take away nervousness and fear, and allow you to present yourself as the best you can be.    

You no longer need to be frightened to voice your opinion in meetings, conferences, and at social functions.   With preparation and practice we can all stand up in front of an audience, hold our heads up high and deliver our messages with confidence and conviction.

“It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.”

— Mark Twain