self-directed learning

How Self-Directed Learning Can Improve Your Workplace

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That employees perform better when they have agency and choice, and when they see the value of the tasks they are performing, is hardly news. Yet many companies aren’t sure what to do with this idea … how can they help employees feel valued and autonomous, but still accomplish the goals of the organization?

Self-directed learning is one such way. By enabling employees to have a hand in their own education, an organization can offer valuable trust to their workers that will be repaid in innovation, loyalty and productivity. Before you can instill a culture of self-directed learning in your own workplace, however, you need to know the basics.

What Is Self-Directed Learning?

Although the name is self-explanatory, let’s offer a definition of this concept, as supplied by selfdirectedlearning.com: “In self-directed learning (SDL), the individual takes the initiative and the responsibility for what occurs. Individuals select, manage, and assess their own learning activities, which can be pursued at any time, in any place, through any means, at any age … For the individual, SDL involves initiating personal challenge activities and developing the personal qualities to pursue them successfully.”

Self-directed learning, in other words, is learning that the individual gets to direct. They choose what to learn, how to learn it, and most importantly why to learn it. That is to say, they get to choose the outcome they desire and work toward it independently in the way they see fit. This might be a personal improvement, a project, an organizational goal or a combination; the choice is theirs.

How Does Self-Directed Learning Engage People?

Self-directed learning, taken too far, can become pandering, and that is not what you want. However, at a reasonable level that doesn’t affect organizational performance, self-directed learning gives employees a personal stake in the workplace. The ability to choose their own goals and work toward them is a powerful motivator. Think about how motivated we are by hobbies, because they interest us and are a task of our own choosing. Self-directed learning accomplishes the same engagement-generating ends.

What Workplace Outcomes Does It Encourage?

When employees are given time to pursue their own projects and interests, the chances that they will come up with something that measurably improves the organization as a whole increase. Of course, you cannot sacrifice the bottom line to every employee whim or inventive notion, but neither should you stifle these impulses in the name of efficiency. When employees have time to learn what they want to learn, to improve their performance in ways they see fit, and contribute to the workplace according to their own ideas, they are happier and more fulfilled. According to the Harvard Business Review, “71% of respondents rank employee engagement as “very important to achieving overall organizational success.” So why wouldn’t you do what you can?

How Do You Create a Culture of Self-Direction?

There is no simple answer to this question, of course. Self-directed learning takes years to instill in employees, and may not even be something you are good at yourself. No worries. Start small, with open periods where employees can choose their own tasks. Provide a variety of resources they can reference. Hold meetings in which you help employees choose a direction, then periodically meet to keep them on track and reward success. Let everyone know you’re emphasizing self-directed learning, and ask for suggestions whenever people have them.

How Can Employees Contribute?

Obviously the main thrust of self-directed learning is that employees will have more of a stake in their own education, training and workplace edification. However, too many employers presume this means they should choose what they learn from a specified set of resources, say, or they should choose how they learn from a limited built-in structure of “free time.”

Unfortunately, when employees’ choice is limited to choices that have been made for them, that limits the potential of self-directed learning somewhat. Sure, you can’t restructure the entire workplace or workday, but you can draw on employee opinion as often as possible. One of the main ways self-directed learning improves the workplace is by giving people a stake in outcomes. Surveys, polls, face-to-face meetings and other interactions can help you take the pulse of the company and give employees a dog in the race.

It’s no secret that when employees feel valued and interested, they perform better. Because self-directed learning can deliver those outcomes, you’re missing out if you fail to incorporate its principles in your organization. With a little tweaking or your workplace culture and structure, you will deliver meaningful change that can measurably impact engagement, performance and overall organizational success.

5 Quick & Easy Ways to Motivate Yourself

Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

Motivate

Sometimes we get into a rut and the mere idea of getting out of bed, going to work, or

even facing the day is exhausting. The “motivational slump” happens to nearly

everyone at one time or another, but rising up from the downturn can be accomplished

easily with a few minor adjustments. Adopting these simple practices will help to quickly

reunite you with the motivation you need to help you to move to the next level and

ultimately find success.

 

1. Begin with the end in mind

Sometimes a lack of motivation comes from losing sight of goals. Trudging through the

day without purpose or direction is a significant side effect of a motivation block. To

spur inspiration and determination, take time to develop and write down where you

would like to see yourself, who you desire to be, and consider the steps you must

complete to get there. Zeroing in on these goals will quickly increase your motivation.

2. Start with small successes

Success builds on itself, so set yourself up for growing success. Select two or three

small accomplishments each morning and complete them before you even embark on

your day. Make your bed, drink 8 ounces of water, walk for 15 minutes, or practice a

yoga position. By setting aside 15 to 30 minutes before you face your day to simply

achieve a couple healthy and refreshing feats, you will start out with a sense of

confidence, and motivation will follow.

3. Expect and accept challenge

When we choose to make changes – even small – we will undoubtedly be faced with

challenges, so expect them and be prepared to take them on. From the small excuses

you make in your mind to life’s unexpected obstacles, adversity to motivation will be on

the lurk. The the largest enemy of motivation is giving up in the face of the first setback

you encounter. Make up your mind to reach your goal and get ready to fight for it,

because a life of success is never short of trials that must be overcome.

4. Focus on the moment

Whenever you face a motivational slump, remind yourself that you can never get this

moment back. Every moment of life is important, and the decision to waste moments or

make them count is yours. Focusing the precious value of time – especially this moment

in time – is a quick way to intensify your determination.

5. Reward yourself

While it is easy to focus on the bad, negativity is a huge motivation killer. Motivation is

strongly intertwined with positive thinking, and it is crucial to reward yourself for the

positive. Finding small ways to pat yourself on the back and to celebrate small,

effective changes that you make will motivate you to continue to do better, to overcome

setbacks, and to look forward to the next reward.

 

Where do you find your motivation? Our team is eager to help connect your potential to performance.

Four Ways to Lead Through Failure

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failure

“Failure is NOT an option!”

This unspoken NASA creed was in understood to be in effect during every mission, especially the Apollo 13 Houston-We-Have-a-Problem episode.

While this quote makes a great motivational mantra to build team enthusiasm, it is not reality. In fact, failure is ALWAYS an option. The Apollo 13 astronauts could have easily launched themselves on an endless journey into deep space. Whether internal error or outside occurrences beyond our foresight or control, failure happens. But what are we to do as leaders in the midst of failure?

1. Maintain enthusiasm

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

A good leader keeps her or his head up during tough times. The leader is called to stand on a parapet and look out towards the horizon, discovering possibilities. Shoegazing at the problem at hand will not inspire confidence, lead the troops, or promote outside-the-box thinking needed to find solutions. When, as a leader, you take this higher view, you can maintain enthusiasm without becoming a false, rah-rah cheerleader, and this you must not become. Your team will disregard inauthentic attempts at motivation. Instead, be honest, stating clearly, “I know things are rough,” or “Okay, we did experience failure on this project.” But quickly let them know that though this battle may be lost, there are more battles coming which are quite winnable.

Churchill, one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century, experienced colossal failures in individual battles, yet he kept a can-do attitude. “If you’re going through hell, keep going,” he said, as well as his famed statement on adversity:

“Never give in–never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

2. Shape the story

Failure is often measured by the numbers–a poor profit statement, an abysmal product launch, or a bad department review. But know this, no data is ever perceived in an entirely objective manner. Everyone sees the data through their own colored lenses and shapes their views of the current situation within the context of their internal narrative. This is always true, no matter how analytical a person appears to be. In bad (and good) situations, as a leader you should never pitch data “neutrally” before your team without context. Recent studies have shown they won’t receive it without bias. Instead, as the leader, you must shape the context by telling the story that surrounds the data. Leaders articulate, “Here is what the data means, and here is our response to this challenge or failure.” To maintain morale, be sure to tell the story of past obstacles that have been overcome through your team’s smart and diligent efforts. Include historical stories of those who faced incredible failure and saw the cards stacked against them, yet they succeeded. (See Abraham Lincoln, Apollo 13, and the WWII Allies if you need fodder.)

3. Encourage Failure

Wait, what? Yes, good leaders encourage micro-failures to avoid macro-failures. Applying creative efforts that have a chance of failing to the smaller scope of a problem is crucial to overcoming over-arching failure at the highest levels. Encourage your team to think beyond traditional solutions while providing them safe boundaries to work within. In this way, if things go south, one area of the project is affected by the creative effort’s failure, but, hopefully, cross-infection into other areas of the project can be avoided.

Many businesses have team members who are so afraid of the reaction from on high, they become paralyzed, unable to come to any viable solution when failure or problems occur. Reward your team members for innovative efforts regardless of the outcome. Today’s botched solution may become tomorrow’s genius idea.

Have team members or departments share their failures with other team members without reprisal. Of course, before they share it, you will want to vet their presentation to help them shape the context and narrative. Good leaders are always story-shapers. Having those under your leadership hear others say, “We hit a huge pothole. The wheels came off, and here is how we are putting them back on,” is a way to ensure your team stays nimble in their thinking when failure does occur.

4. Keep a Failure Catalog

Failure is rarely an end in itself. It is simply a means for a great leader to say, “Ouch, let’s learn from that and not allow that to happen again.” Keep a catalog of your failures with the story of how you overcame each of them attached. This record will give you great hope when a new failure or problem arises. You can view a situation that seems insurmountable, and reflect back as you realize many other problems appeared to be the Mount-Everest-of-all-failures in their time. You survived and grew from those failures. You’ll grow from this one, as well.

Remember

Failure IS always an option. In fact, to fail is human, and every leader, at last check, was human. Press forward when failure happens, using your talents and skills to lead through adversity—maintain enthusiasm, tell stories, encourage failure, and keep a catalog. It is this type of leadership that will inspire your team and, should a large enough problem occur, place your name in the history books alongside other great leaders. Remember, failure is merely a means to better the story of future success. 

Highly Effective Leaders Practice these 7 Habits

Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

leader-influence-ripple-impact

Are great leaders born or made? It’s an age-old question, and evidence exists to support both sides.

Many leaders have qualities that seem innate, as Forbes notes. Confidence, a positive attitude, intelligence, exceptional communication skills, a sense of humor — these are typically characteristics inherent to an individual’s personality.

Sure, some leaders are simply smarter or luckier than other people. But it seems that in most cases, leaders have to work at setting an example that others want to follow. They do so by engaging in a number of positive behaviors.

They’re persistent

Leaders don’t quit the first time something doesn’t go their way. They keep at it, and most enjoy the journey almost as much as the destination. They know there’s a lot of valuable information to be gleaned and skills to be mastered along the way.

Not everyone is born with an assertive personality. But leaders learn to keep going despite having doors slammed in their faces — sometimes literally. They overcome passivity and keep pushing until they achieve their goals.

They work hard and invest in themselves

The image of the CEO who spends her days out on the golf course is a myth. Most leaders — and most successful people in general — work extremely hard, putting in many more hours than average people.

Time off? You won’t find leaders slumped on the couch catching the latest reality show. More than likely, they’ll be bettering themselves or helping others, whether it’s reading books related to their fields, keeping their bodies healthy or volunteering in the community.

Individuals in leadership roles never feel that they’re done with their own educations. They always want to grow and improve, and they invest significant time in learning new things, refining their skills or finding new ways in which to stretch their abilities. They consider themselves a project that’s never finished.

They learn from mistakes

When average people make mistakes, they get down on themselves. Often, the negative voices in their heads prevail, and they stop trying altogether. For leaders, mistakes aren’t the end of the world. In fact, they’re opportunities to learn and improve.

Without people willing to keep trying despite making mistakes, there would be no progress in the world. And without mistakes, there is no learning. Leaders know there’s significant truth in the old adage: Practice makes perfect.

They set goals

Leaders don’t fly blind. They create plans and set goals.

Goals create a framework for tangible action to meet larger objectives. Whether it’s increasing a company’s sales or rolling out a new product, goals serve as a road map toward success. The simple practice of creating goals gets team members on the same page and provides benchmarks for measuring performance. Goal-setting also fuels motivation as everyone moves in the same direction.

They don’t give in to failure

Did you know that before he became one of the best-known scientists in history, Albert Einstein was somewhat of a failure? In college, a professor derided him as lazy, and he was forced to take an entry-level job in government after graduation. Fortunately, young Albert didn’t let his early fits and starts deter him, and he went on to great things.

Great leaders don’t give up, and they don’t listen when people call them failures. They get right back up and keep going.

They build support systems

No one can do everything on their own. Even the best and brightest need help sometimes. Great leaders know this, and they surround themselves with friends and colleagues who can help them improve and continue achieving their goals. They stay away from toxic, negative people, instead spending their time with smart, positive people who are determined to be successful.

They have a spirit of service

Leaders help other develop their talents and skills. They’re generous with their time and often can be found mentoring young people. They act as role models, and they’re conscious of the ways in which they can serve others.

What makes a highly effective leader?

Viewed from afar, leaders can seem almost superhuman. Brilliant ideas seem to flow effortlessly, and everything they touch seems to turn to gold. The truth is that for most, learned and practiced habits make the difference between mediocrity and greatness. Persistence, setting goals, rebounding from failure and serving others build the character that makes a true leader.

Source

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/247518?ctp=BizDev&src=Syndication&msc=Feedly, http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/7-ways-that-great-leader-thinks-differently.html, http://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyaprive/2012/12/19/top-10-qualities-that-make-a-great-leader/, http://www.forbes.com/sites/zalmiduchman/2015/04/24/how-i-discovered-the-importance-of-persistence-and-learned-to-annoy-the-heck-out-of-everyone/, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-motivation-goal-setting-businesses-2506.html, http://www.creativitypost.com/psychology/famous_failures

 

5 Signs of a Positive Work Environment

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positive work environment

Whether looking for a new job or considering ways to increase fulfillment within your current company, a positive work environment is crucial in determining how successful a company will be in the long run, as well as how content and motivated a team of employees will remain. Though all companies have their own unique work environment, there are five key signs that indicated whether an organization truly is healthy and able to thrive.

Open Communication

Whereas nearly all organizations claim to value open communication, many do not maintain it. A positive workplace consists of leaders who are dedicated to setting aside time to communicate clear goals and expectations, and then offer and invite honest feedback that seeks to better employees and the company as a whole. Most truly healthy organizations have implemented an open-door policy where leaders are ready and willing to listen to concerns in a non-threatening manner, and then actually address those concerns. A strong atmosphere of trust is established when open communication is a key function of a company.

Opportunities for Development

People who are given opportunities to grow and learn in an area where they can personally and professionally grow are highly motivated to put their new skill-sets to work and therein make a company more productive. Businesses that offer opportunities for employees to grow and learn are filled with empowered and content employees. People feel cared for as employees and they then tend to remain loyal to the business that helped them to grow and advance. Companies that offer opportunities for development tend to be filled with ambitious employees who feel appreciated, thus creating an upbeat, thriving work environment.

Recognition

Positive work environments are those characterized by leaders who take time and energy to recognize the efforts and successes of employees. Organizations with an atmosphere of recognition boast employees who are satisfied and motivated to produce results. An environment where goals are set, achieved, and celebrated is one that going to be measured as healthy and desirable to work with and for. This type of environment harbors employees who feel valued and who want to contribute to the overall productivity of the organization.

Flexibility

People who are able to have flexible work arrangements that help them balance out all aspects of their lives are proven to be happier, and therefore more productive and engaged at work. Studies are showing that individuals who are employed by companies that offer flexibility in hours and location to work on and complete tasks have reduced stress levels at work and in their family life. They feel valued and cared for by their company, and the work environment, as a whole, is exceedingly favorable.

Teamwork

A company whose departments actually work together as a team is most often one that effectively solves problems, uses resources, and produces results significantly more efficiently than businesses without that sense of team. A positive work environment is one where people enjoy working together, and where employees offer help to each other. Ultimately, this type of work climate is populated by people who feel a stronger sense of purpose as they are surrounded by a team of employees working toward a common goal.

Which of these traits can your company work on to adopt a more positive work environment?