An excerpt from an excellent book Strengths Finder 2.0:

"Over the past decade, Gallup has surveyed more than 10 million people worldwide on the topic of employee engagement (or how positive and productive people are at work), and only 1/3 "strongly agree" with the following statement: "
At work, I have the opporutnity to do what I do best every day."

And for those who do
not get to focus on what they do best – their strengths – the costs are staggering.  In a recent poll of more than 1,000 people, among those who "strongly disagreed" or "disagreed" with this "what I do best" statement,
not one single person was emotionally engaged on the job.

In stark contrast, our studies indicate that people who do have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are
six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than
three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life in general.

Fortunately, our research also suggests that having someone at work who regularly focuses on your strengths can make a dramatic difference.  In 2005, we explored what happens when managers primarily focus on employees’ strengths, focus on employees’ weaknesses or ignore employees.  What we found completely redefined my perspective about how easy it may be to decrease the active disengagement, or extreme negativity that runs rampant in organizations".

This startling information is why we believe so strongly in our Training solutions for personal and professional development!  With the right frame of mind and skill set, a Manager or Leader can transform an entire staff… If you can relate to any of this information, please contact Bold New Directions or the Management Training Institute to discuss how we can help.

Source url :
http://www.managementtraininginstitute.com

This month has brought some exciting advancements here at Bold New Directions… earlier in the month, we unveiled our brand new website!  This was a collaboration of many people’s time, talent and dedication and for that we are grateful.  The site is visually pleasing and easy to navigate clearly outlining all of the training solutions we offer.  We are thrilled to see how this new tool will help expand our reach and connect us to organizations worldwide…

Our second achievement worthy of celebration is completing our first training in Spanish!  We have bilingual Faculty members but this is our first full delivery in a language other than English and we are delighted to ponder the potential of delivering trainings in multiple languages!  This was also a collaboration of several key people who translated material to ensure that we deliver the caliber of training that Bold New Directions is known for.

As our 2015 calendar is beginning to fill in, we are celebrating both how far we’ve come and how far we are going!  Thanks to all…

Source url :
https://boldnewdirections.com

My Director and I were having a conversation about courage after I needed to make a difficult phonecall to a colleague and chose to send an email instead…  This decision brought up all sorts of uncomfortable feelings for me including embarassment, frustration and guilt.  As a peace-loving conflict-avoiding person, this phonecall stirred up an insurmountable fear in me that I chose to give into rather than move through.  My egoic mind decided to run wild with fearful thoughts of the other party screaming at me while my courageous (and logical) mind was attempting to assure me that the situation was nowhere near that dire and I would apologize and make things right with kind words and sincere thoughts.  However, my fear won this battle and the negative feelings I had as a result were even worse…I now choose Courage.  My Director and I created a Courage practice where we write down our Courageous experiences of the past week and have a conversation about it.  Not only is it a very personal and revealing practice, it has empowered me more than I could have imagined.  Each time I feel the fear, I do it anyway now and the gratification is tremendous!

Source url :
https://boldnewdirections.com

What do you do with all your gifts?

Talents, skills, character traits;

Learned at 4 and 13 and 22 and 49, this year, today?

From great teachers,

From mistakes and successes,

From life?

Are you hoarding them?

Sharing them?

Intentionally growing them?

Are your talents, skills and positive internal character traits Spent willy-nilly?

Or are they guided

By a known Life Purpose,

That also informs career alignment,

That then guides job choices.

This intentional and aligned life is the most fulfilling.

Source url :
https://boldnewdirections.com

Results-Focused: Goals should measure outcomes, not activities.

Example:

By August 1, 2015 implement a new performance management system for Classified Staff, A&P Faculty, and University Staff using clearly defined processes and guidelines so employees and managers can more competently evaluate performance and develop their careers.

Explanation of Example:

The result of this goal is a process that allows employees and managers to more competently evaluate performance and develop their careers, not the individual activities and actions that occur in order to make the goal a reality.

Time-Bound: Goals should be linked to a time frame that creates a practical sense of urgency, or results in tension between the current reality and the vision of the goal.  Without such tension, the goal is unlikely to produce a relevant outcome.

Example:  

By August 1, 2015 implement a new performance management system for Classified Staff, A&P Faculty, and University Staff using clearly defined processes and guidelines so employees and managers can more competently evaluate performance and develop their careers.

Explanation of Example:

August 1, 2015 provides you with a time-bound deadline.

The concept of writing S.M.A.R.T. goals is very important for accomplishing the individual goals, which in turn are linked to department, division, and University goals. It is also critical for ensuring good communication between employees and supervisors so there are no surprises during annual performance evaluations. 

Source url :
http://www.managementtraininginstitute.com