TGIM or TGIF?

What would it take to create TGIM
where you work?

Fewer workers than ever say, Thank Goodness It's Monday [TGIM], according to the latest Conference Board National Survey.  Why is it workers perceive work as a downer ?  Interest on the job was the number one answer - even above money factors, or factors influencing their standard of living.

Interest springs from curiosity, challenge, creativity or working out a conundrum.  Personal interest jump-starts  the human brain's proclivity for stepping up to the plate to learn, surpass the challenge or solve the mystery. Not too surprisingly, novelty's a motivator for most people on the job. Since our brains are wired to avoid boredom and ruts, when a stimulus activates the brain.  If they've felt a dopamine rush in past with a job well done, they want it yet again.  You see dopamine, a natural brain chemical,  brings a high level of satisfaction, and is reward in itself.

What happens then, when so many workers open workplace doors on Monday mornings, dreading the whole day?  What would it take for a CEO, manager or worker to create a challenging work environment - one where productivity reigns? It does not take rocket science to figure out the answer. 

Move workers' rich resources - hidden in the treasure houses of their brains

Here are suggested starters based on MITA methods to tap all eight of workers' multiple intelligences:

Nature nurtures the mind and the work environment you create greatly affects a worker's day.  If you work in a cubical how might you make your space pleasing by including plants?

Music changes mood and can enhance well-being and focus on the job.  What music could boost your Monday mornings? 

Walking on a treadmill while working antes up energy and proficiency. Consider some treadmill desks to energize workers.  The brain benefits from the extra oxygen generated as you walk since the human brain needs 21% of the body's oxygen to operate at peak performance.

Meet with people who push you out of your comfort zones  We are the sum of the people we spend most time with, Paul Sloane notes. Have lunch with work colleagues who are different than you and can stir your thinking in new ways as you see new perspectives.

Why not nurture your inner innovator?  Reflect to see where you fit in best and adjust your overall attitude toward life and work- approach your Mondays with an open mind and cultivate the belief that possibilities and solutions are there for you.  Look for the unexpected.

Write a proposal for the CEO with suggestions on how make Mondays more upbeat by creating a brain friendly work culture. Zappos, CEO Tony Hsieh formed a theory, "if you create a work culture that fosters well-being, good practices and (eventually) good profits will naturally flow out of the operation." How how can it happen in your workplace?

List two things you want to do on Monday.  Plan ahead to do something you will enjoy doing during your  work day.  By rebooting your brain and organizing ahead, you will make your job more rewarding.

Use spatial tools to enhance your next work project  Our visual intelligence helps us see through a new lens.  Ideas emerge from pictures in our minds.  Why not simply doodle or sketch your idea on scrap paper before putting into words?

How might you make Mondays a day you anticipate at work, rather than days you dread?

Plants Enhance Workplace Well Being

Does your workplace environment nurture your mind?  It can.  If your office has both a window view and/or plants, you can cut down on stress and anxiety.

Many recent studies on job satisfaction reveal that workers who spend more time in offices under artificial light, or in cubicles with no outside view, report reduced job satisfaction. Light also decreases stress levels, and plants offer nature's dividends to your work environment.

A manager friend described going to a local nursery, picking out colorful potted plants and putting one on each employee's desk, first thing in the morning.  Smiles erupted all around and he noticed more productivity, that day.  Fresh potted blooms and plants in your office can your serotonin level.  Think of doing this as a serotonin tap for yourself and others, if your manager or supervisor doesn't.  The addition of many plants can enhance well-being for all and make people feel better at work.

In particular, Jonathan Kaplan, points out that plants have been shown to...

• Lower blood pressure (systolic)
• Improve reaction times
• Increase attentiveness
• Improve attendance (at work and school)
• Raise productivity (at work)
• Enhance well-being
• Enrich perceptions of the space
• Lower levels of anxiety during recovery from surgery
• Boost job satisfaction

Helps me to think twice about including fresh plants in my office.  You?

Indoor plants at work also improve the air quality by removing pollutants, in addition to boosting creativity and productivity, in addition to improving comfort levels according to Smith and Pitt's article published in the Journal of Corporate Real Estate (2009).  Smith and Pitt argue that indoor plants have potential to alleviate sick building syndrome symptoms. 

I need all the serotonin taps I can get throughout a work day.  Hmmm...  my next outing is to the nursery!

Happy with Your Work?

Interestingly, many older Americans are happy with their work. Is that the case for you? A recent University of Chicago study shows that though some people may gripe, many workers love their jobs. And, believe it or not, satisfaction increases with age.

The survey found that job satisfaction increases with age, with workers over 65 among the most satisfied. The study shows that 86 percent of the people interviewed between 1972 and 2006 said they were satisfied at their jobs. "Job satisfaction is especially high among those 65 and over because most people working at that age are not those forced to still work due to financial reasons, but those who choose to do so because they like their jobs," Tom W. Smith, Director of the General Social Survey at the National Opinion Center at the University of Chicago, said.

"The most important the factors contributing to more job satisfaction," Smith discovered, "in descending order of importance are holding a job with high prestige, being older, being non-black and earning more from a job."

So if you enter a dream career, why does the honeymoon seem to end? Perhaps its a hellish commute, work that's predictable rather than creative, incompetent bosses, or office politics that tarnishes what you once thought perfect. If that's the case what can you do to turn that around?

Your attitude helps to shape your outcomes. If you go to work thinking it will be dull and monotonous, these turn into self-fulfilling prophecies. Judith Sills, a Philadelphia based clinical psychologist recommends the following strategies, in the Dec issue of Psychology Today to renew the first love you had for your work...

Sills recommends keeping a daily list of five things that were positive at work each day. She terms it "attitude gratitude." Check these out for your list...

Review the sweet spots of your day Notice the moments in your day when you sense you're at your best. Keep bringing flashbacks of these moments to mind.

Cherish social support You and colleagues work together to accomplish goals. Your encouragement and support of others helps you as much or more as it does them.

Appreciate mentoring Many bosses keep giving you tips and strategies to help you grow. Good mentoring is not always easily received, but it is a great boon to your growth. Rejoice your boss cares.

Perks count Think about the bonus, the company dinner, the football tickets or even your vacation time and count these as a plus.

Consider your salary "Certainly a sense of self, a contribution to society, intellectual challenge, and deep visceral thrills make excellent reasons to love your job," Sills says. ""But on the off chance that your day-to-day employment falls short... remember that money is the primary reason adults are at the workplace."

If people make that "attitude adjustment," it's a great way to reboot your brain at work... as Ellen Weber advocates.

What spurs you on to renew the romance of your first love for your work?

GL Hoffman's Brainy Marketing

It's great to have a friend like GL Hoffman, who leads JobDig and writes the popular blog, What Would Dad Say? A furry orange dog, with bone in mouth, arrived in the weekend mail... Now that's a brainy marketing strategy GL launched to make clients aware that JobDig burrows down to find juicy job bones.

Why's GL's strategy brainy?

He tapped into spatial intelligence to attract attention and win over more clients. Picture folks at a job fair carrying JobDig dogs in colorful cardboard kennels stirring other people's curiosity. Wouldn't you wend your way to the JobDig booth and also to the JobDig web site to see what's up?

The JobDig URL and phone number stand out on each end of the kennel... almost tempting you to begin a search. Since about 75% of workers are exploring other employment opportunities because they're dissatisfied with current jobs, GL's light-hearted approaches for new possibilities make sense.

The kennel's covered with dogs "suited up" for many occupations... Singer, Manager, Policeman, Painter. The choice's yours...

Because Everyone Should Dig Their Job... That's mining the best of your linguistic intelligence GL. That byline makes music... it's so memorable.

Digging for more of your intelligences to market your service or product is a great kickstarter to attract folks' attention like GL did. What's your brainy marketing strategy?

Tap Employee Brainpower to Energize Your Workplace!

When employees connect both mentally and emotionally to their jobs, they're more willing to apply effort that spells out organizational success. How so? Workers that tap creativity to contribute to team projects, help design processes and suggest improvements tend to experience energy and full engagement on the job.

Unfortunately many folks in the workforce prowl for different employment because they are not satisfied with their current jobs. A recent Wall Street Journal/Society for Human Resource management survey reports as many as 75 percent of employees are exploring other opportunities.

To counter this problem businesses might want to consider The Conference Board's suggestions for improvement based on 12 major studies on employee engagement. Which ones does your organization practice and which ones would you target for improvement? Here's an overview from their report:

Trust and integrity - how well management communicates and lives the company's vision.

Line of sight between employee performance and company performance - understanding one's contribution to the company's success.

Career growth - future opportunities.

Pride about the company - self-esteem in being associated with the company.

Co-workers/team members - impact of the work environment

Employee development - opportunities for individual skills development

Relationship with one's manager - the value the employee places on the relationship.

Interestingly, this research shows the relationship with an employee's manager is the most powerful driver of all. Knowing this, how might managers make the most of relationships with employees?

One key approach is to tap into employees' brainpower on the job. Using more brain energizes workers and increases their productivity and satisfaction. Take a survey designed by Dr. Ellen Weber to rate brainpower in your workplace. Then check results to learn brain facts that rate your workplace intelligence.

Employees who have more control over their daily activities and do challenging work they enjoy are likely to be in better health. A new study from the University of Texas at Austin shows that creative activity helps people stay healthy. John Mirowsky, lead author of the study says,

"Creative activity is non-routine, enjoyable and provides opportunity for learning and for solving problems. People who do that kind of work, whether paid or not, feel healthier and have fewer physical problems."

Human brainpower not only improves your life, but reboots organizations!

Thoughts?