Welcome to the April 27, 2005 issue of The Total View

Published by Success Performance Solutions, Written by Ira S. Wolfe

Visit our Human Resources Blog and Perfect Labor Storm Blog where we can post daily (and more often) human resource updates, news, and Perfect Labor Storm facts. 

Did you miss the April 12, 2005 edition of the Wall Street Journal?

" Don't Just Abandon A Hated Job; Diagnose Your Occupational Ills Check out the Career"

An interview about career change and transition with SPS founder Ira S. Wolfe.

What's Inside:

1. How Do You Measure Employee Motivation?

How do you measure employee motivation? How do you know if an employee is motivated enough or too much? Which motivational sources positively affect performance, safety, and stress?

Bad employee attitudes, lack of commitment, and low morale cut into bottom lines. Employers are continually frustrated with potential superstar employees who only show bad attitude and demonstrate poor performance. Many people believe the problem is a lack of motivation.

Well, believe it or not, these employees are motivated - even highly motivated. Unfortunately they invest their energy in the wrong places - in fighting change, complaining, and disrupting the workplace.

Studies have suggested that 70 percent of employees today are less motivated than they used to be, 80 percent could perform better if they wanted to, and 50 percent put forth enough effort each day to keep their jobs.

I'll go one step further. All employees are motivated. But based on extensive research, the Quality of Motivation (QM) Theory identifies sources of motivation as having both positive and negative influences. How can motivated employees produce negative results?

Motivation can be derived from both pleasure and pain. You might ask why anyone would be motivated by pain.

Have you ever heard the phrase "no pain, no gain" or "nothing comes easy'? These beliefs drive people toward pain, believing a little pain now will reap pleasure down the road. Think about the marathon runner or the professional athlete. Despite the risk of chronic pain due to the constant pounding of their joints and extreme stress to body systems, these athletes are relentless in their drive to reach the finish line at any cost, even long-term crippling and incapacitating injury.

Self-punishment is also rewarded in the today's workplace. It's what we call workaholism. While doing more with less is driving American productivity and admired as good old work ethic by managers, it is also driving the rates of chronic disease sky-high. "A little pain never hurt anyone" isn't necessarily true. Getting workers to "tough it out" may have the short-term benefit of increased productivity but long-term negative consequence of burnout, injury and even premature death.

What can employers do to avoid motivating these counter-productive behaviors and ensuring they create a positively motivated workplace? Managers must first recognize that enthusiasm, drive and high-paced activity alone are ineffective measures of motivation. People employed in your business bring their own unique motivational sources and skills to the workplace. That explains why some people seem to run and run….and run - just like the Energizer Bunny. Think about it. Watching Robin Williams perform can make you tired. So can hyperactive, pencil-tapping, knee shaking employees. Their activity and busy-ness uses lots of energy but their results aren't always productive; their work habits are not necessarily efficient.

Rewarding hard work and a strong work ethic is one thing but when it inadvertently rewards self-punishment, the cost to the bottom line is devastating.

Self-punishment is just one of four maladaptive behaviors that motivate employees and shape a company's culture. Motivation is more complex than just pumping up spirits and getting people to work harder. By understanding that motivation has both positive and counter-productive effects, employers can create work environments and employee incentives that get the business results they want and avoid the long-term debilitating consequences of encouraging the wrong behaviors.

For more information on assessing motivation in your workplace, order Understanding Business Values and Motivators or contact us today

NEW! The 1001 Rewards and Recognition Fieldbook by Bob Nelson.

2. Perfect Labor Storm Alerts #395 to #397

Don't miss day-to-day updates on Perfect Labor Storm. Save the Perfect Labor Storm blog to your favorites.

Fact #395:  In 2003 the United States experienced its lowest recorded birthrate in history.

Fact #396:   The population of undocumented residents in the United States increased by about 23 percent from 8.4 million in 2000 to 10.3 million in 2004. (Source: Pew Hispanic Center)

Fact #397:  The U.S. foreign-born population, regardless of legal status, was 35.7 million in 2004. Those of Mexican descent comprised the largest group - more than 11 million. (Source: Pew Hispanic Center)

Don't be caught in storm without all the facts. "The Perfect Labor Storm Fact Book: Why Worker Shortages Won't Go Away" is a must-read leading edge forecast that predicts workforce trends for decades to come. Order your copy today - Only $7.95.

3.  On The Tube and In Person

On May 12 at 8:00 P.M., the weekly (PA) Commonwealth network show Journalists' Roundtable will feature an hour with B2B managing editor Ted Byrne and contributing columnists Ira Wolfe and Stan Telson. It will air again on Sunday, May 15 at 7:00 P.M. and 11:00 P.M. Visit www.pcntv.com/affils to determine your local PCN channel. The conversation topics will include everything from strategic management through cost containment, selling, and economic development challenges facing Pennsylvania's key managerial decision makers.

Marilyn Walker will be the keynote speaker at the 37th Annual PA Therapeutic Recreation Institute. Her topic is "Defining Your Dream". Marilyn is the Director of the SPS Employee Assessment Center and Right-Turn-on-Red Career Test Center.

4. NEW! Generational Style Assessment

Test your ability to communication with Gen X, Gen Y, Boomers, and Traditionalists. Our NEW Generational Style Assessment evalautes the communication or relational style you typically apot when interacting with individuals or groups of people from different generations. It then provides you insight into those styles that work for you, and what to do about the styles that don't. This self-scoring workbook includes the questionnaire, response sheet, how to interpret your results, and how to understand the different styles.

Order the Generational Style Assessment today.
Single copy of Generational Style Assessment - $15

Save! Order Generational Style Assessment in packages of 5 - $50 each.

Human Resource Consultants and Trainers - Order the Leader's Guide including Powerpoint slide for only $250.

To learn more about working with different generations, read about our new Generational Style Assessment and visit our bookstore to order Generation X, Generation Y, and Managing the Generation Mix.

5. SELECT employees with the Right Work Attitudes

A pre-employment screening tool to identify work-related behaviors such as Absenteeism, Honesty, Positive Service Attitude, Accountability, Frustration Tolerance, Acceptance of Diversity, Multi-tasking and more.... plus a Validity Check and Integrity Index. Each customized report includes a step by step interview guide including recommended interview questions. SELECT is available on-line, by fax, or by purchasing software for on-site licensing.

Syndication available - call us.