Appreciation in the Eye and Heart of the Beholder
The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated. — William James, 1842-1910, Father of American Psychology
Appreciation: it’s the one need every person you ever met has in common and the one thing that vexes every manager.
Employee surveys persistently tell us that people feel unappreciated at work, and this leads them down a path of discontent and disengagement from their work. Though our natural bias is to blame “ungrateful managers” for the “appreciation gap,” there is much more to it. Discontent at work often stems from diversity in the ways people give and receive appreciation.
Since appreciation is vital for healthy relationships, it is essential for influencers to cultivate a grateful heart and to learn how to speak different languages of appreciation.
In this session, Michael Boyes explores how:
- to cultivate an appreciative heart,
- understand how different groups view appreciation, and
- to express appreciation to others in ways that resonate with them.
Brass Tacks Succession Planning: How to Grow Leaders
It’s a question that keeps executives up at night and perplexes virtually everyone who has ever been in a managerial role: What actually develops leaders and prepares them for the challenges that lie ahead? There are scores of leadership training programs in the marketplace. Many of them teach excellent concepts, and some deliver powerful experiences. But do they work? Do they improve leaders’ performance?
Yes and no.
Training is actually among the least effective ways to increase performance, especially leader effectiveness. Despite this somewhat common knowledge, companies commonly look to training as their first and sometimes only way to prepare people for leadership positions.
In this key-note session, Michael Boyes will outline:
- How to figure out what leaders need to learn,
- What developmental approaches actually work, and
- How HR professionals and operational can help leaders grow leaders.
Leading: Nine to One
Dolly Parton sang about working nine to five and crooned “that’s no way to make a living,” and she was right. But, would you consider working nine to one if you absolutely knew that it would make your team more focused, productive, and creative? You can do just that, but to be fair we are not talking about the hour hands on a clock. We are talking about adopting a new perspective on the purpose and value of leaders that will produce an ROI that will shock you. Would you be willing to consider being a nine-to-one leader if you could do that?
In this interactive session, Michael Boyes will introduce the concept of the positivity ratio and how leaders can manage their team’s positivity ratio to achieve better outcomes.
Audience members will:
- critically examine their point-of-view on leadership,
- explore how positivity ratios affect individual and team performance, and
- learn how they can improve other’s positivity ratio, engagement, and performance.
The Millennial Generation:
It’s just what we ordered but don’t know how to use!
Lately, it’s fashionable to call young professionals the “Me” generation and to critique their work values. But did you know that they are just posers and mini me’s? Their parents, the Baby Boomers, were the original “Me” generation. That is what journalist Tom Wolfe lamented in the 1970’s, and this same critique followed them as they aged. So why are boomers and Generation Xers having such a hard time meshing with the millennials on their teams?
In this session, Michael Boyes dissects generational differences in the workplace and debates whether millennials’ work ethics are a bad omen for the future or whether they are just what business leaders ordered, and need, in their organizations.
Audience members will:
- gain insight into millennials values and work approach,
- learn how to build multi-generational teams,
- question their beliefs about millennials, and
- take a critical look at their work values.
Zombies and Zealots
Do you sometimes wonder if the Zombie apocalypse isn’t confined to the world of video games and Hollywood? Have you seen Zombies in the office – people who bring their bodies to work but leave their energy and mind behind – and wonder what happened to them? If you have, then be very afraid because Zombies multiply. If you have a few, then you are at risk for an outbreak of apathy or, worse yet, antipathy.
In this session, Michael Boyes will share how:
- organizations often inadvertently turn their Zealous producers into Zombies,
- to turn zombies into zealots,
- to keep zealots energized, and
- to hire zealots.
