What tools in the Drive Toolkit most interested you? How would you use these tools to motivate those around you? To be personally motivated?
Since I'm doing a fitness health plan for my organization, I thought I might as well drive that thought with the Type I Motivation for exercise from the Toolkit. (Pg. 2001)
Set your own goals - I'm sure we've all read it before but people do seem to want to look like the Calvin Klein models. Who wouldn't? before you try to get there, you must understand that they get paid to go to the gym, have a fitness instructor etc. We need to understand that we need to eat right everyday, and this includes working around the work schedule, the kids schedule the LIFE schedule. Do you wake up and brush your teeth? Do you have lunch at 12? Do you have to pick up the kids at 3? Well, work your workout into that schedule. It MUST be part of your life in order for you to succeed. Short term goals won't help you, long term ones will and everyone needs to incorporate healthy living/eating into their lives.
Ditch the Treadmill - Treadmills are soooo boring..I've gone on there and it's so boring that I always almost fall off of them. Do something FUN...go walk along the beach in the SAND...the resistance will help tone your muscles. Take the bike to the park, or somewhere fun and with a scenery. If your joints cant handle it then do some elliptical. If not, swim! What about boxing? There's so many things out there that's fun and engaging. One just needs to go out there to exert some energy. You'll have fun doing it AND you'll tone up and lose weight doing it! AWESOME!
Keep mastery in mind - I've always been blessed with athletic ability so I'm not a MASTER at a specific sport, but it helps to NOT be bad at it! =) For others that may have 3 thumbs or 2 left foots..feets? anyhow, try different things. Some people are better at Hip Hop classes, Pilate, Yoga etc. Not everyone will be good at something i.e golf, basketball, football but you get the point. If you do it like your job (repetitions) then eventually you'll get better @ it and even lead the class!
Reward yourself the right way - Oh how many times have we heard this? I worked out and now i deserve a chocolate cake, beer or ice cream! well, many times really but for the most part, you should be eating healthier, but you can splurge once in awhile...but guess what? IN MODERATION. The simple weight equation is Exert MORE than you INTAKE. It's easy and you'll lose weight! But you ARE what you eat is a common phrase that I hear. Don't starve yourself but then again don't splurge when really you've only done the minimum to prolong your life with some exercise and eating right.
People seem to think that they are too busy to live a healthy lifestyle, or have too many issues to do so too. I just think it's about motivation and commitment to your routine. If it's built into your daily lifestyle like combing your hair, or brushing your teeth, then you'll likely succeed. If not then you'll lose weight now, but will ultimately gain it back, leading to a negative feeling of failure.
I try to keep this focus myself, and not only with my health but my work and my life. Who wants to do mediocre work everyday? or why do mediocre work once in a while and great work other times. I will honestly try to do good work all the time. (MOST) =)
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
668 Blog for Week of May 24th
Who is impacted by change? What are their characteristics and how do we use our understanding of them to best implement change?
I would argue that everyone is impacted by change in one way or another. From an organizational perspective, change can be a minor change in a form, and thus would lead the actors into filling out the form in a different manner. From a leadership change perspective, one can change an organizational structure and that change would permeate down to the lower level managment team. Chang in organizational culture can affect employees. If the company decides to cut peoples pay, enforce forced furlough or cut 401K contributions, this affects everyone monetarily and emotionally.
As pointed out in the previous paragraph, I believe that change can cause emotional strain as well as monetary strain. Perhaps change can also be a positive agent. I can't just keep thinking of the negative right? As an agent for change (or against change) we must understand and empathize with those being affected. We must understand the ramifications of this change towards the employee, or person, because at the end of the day...they are indeed people/humans. Once we are aware of the outcomes of the change, we should build in support mechanisms for those affected by the change. It's really bad to enforce negative change with out a positive outlook. Organizations that are better at the communication of this type of change are better prepared in my opinion. I guess a good example would be of my own organization. We were forced to 'cut' heads or 'right shore' and so instead of just cutting heads, they came up with an alternative plan for the employees. SO if they had to cut 15 jobs, per se, they would flat out and say we have a 'difficult' decision to make, but we are doing what's right for the organization and will instead of cutting 15 jobs, we'll enforce mandatory furlough days and cut 401K matching. Great news is, we save 15 jobs. (Could have been me) but bad news is, we lose money. All in all, it's a win win from a lose lose situation. Being prepared is the key for change. Also being creative in the communication is important too.
I would argue that everyone is impacted by change in one way or another. From an organizational perspective, change can be a minor change in a form, and thus would lead the actors into filling out the form in a different manner. From a leadership change perspective, one can change an organizational structure and that change would permeate down to the lower level managment team. Chang in organizational culture can affect employees. If the company decides to cut peoples pay, enforce forced furlough or cut 401K contributions, this affects everyone monetarily and emotionally.
As pointed out in the previous paragraph, I believe that change can cause emotional strain as well as monetary strain. Perhaps change can also be a positive agent. I can't just keep thinking of the negative right? As an agent for change (or against change) we must understand and empathize with those being affected. We must understand the ramifications of this change towards the employee, or person, because at the end of the day...they are indeed people/humans. Once we are aware of the outcomes of the change, we should build in support mechanisms for those affected by the change. It's really bad to enforce negative change with out a positive outlook. Organizations that are better at the communication of this type of change are better prepared in my opinion. I guess a good example would be of my own organization. We were forced to 'cut' heads or 'right shore' and so instead of just cutting heads, they came up with an alternative plan for the employees. SO if they had to cut 15 jobs, per se, they would flat out and say we have a 'difficult' decision to make, but we are doing what's right for the organization and will instead of cutting 15 jobs, we'll enforce mandatory furlough days and cut 401K matching. Great news is, we save 15 jobs. (Could have been me) but bad news is, we lose money. All in all, it's a win win from a lose lose situation. Being prepared is the key for change. Also being creative in the communication is important too.
Monday, May 17, 2010
668 Blog for Week of May 17th 2010
Understanding the learning context for change, Part 1. How do we know what learning is necessary within ourselves and those impacted by the change?
I've been involved in conversations with co-workers, friends, family and even strangers. I can definitely tell you that I've learned alot from the aformentioned group of people. BUT there comes a time when I DO NOT know what the heck they are talking about and I feel a sense of unworthyness, uncomfortable-ness and unworthyness. When I feel that way, (which I hope is not often) I deem learning upon the subject is necessary. I hate the feeling of being lost or unable to contribute to a conversation or to work at the office. The world out there is an abundance of information and we just need to reach out there and grasp it.
Another example that I would like to bring out are times where I need to fix something. It may be a faucet, a tire, changing the oil, replacing the propane etc. I feel the need to do it myself and learn it myself so that I never have to ask anyone how to do it ever again. I love being self-sufficient.
For those who are impacted by my change. Hrm..I believe that it's for the better quite honestly. When I better myself, I think that I make it better for those around me. If I can fix all the things i've mentioned, then you should benefit from that. If i've learned how to be more effective and efficient at work, then my company would most definitely benefit from the change.
Granted all change is not for the positive. If I was to change negatively, then that would indeed negatively affect my peers, family and friends. Let's just hope that I never change for the worse, and let's keep on thinking of being a positive agent for change and leadership!!
I've been involved in conversations with co-workers, friends, family and even strangers. I can definitely tell you that I've learned alot from the aformentioned group of people. BUT there comes a time when I DO NOT know what the heck they are talking about and I feel a sense of unworthyness, uncomfortable-ness and unworthyness. When I feel that way, (which I hope is not often) I deem learning upon the subject is necessary. I hate the feeling of being lost or unable to contribute to a conversation or to work at the office. The world out there is an abundance of information and we just need to reach out there and grasp it.
Another example that I would like to bring out are times where I need to fix something. It may be a faucet, a tire, changing the oil, replacing the propane etc. I feel the need to do it myself and learn it myself so that I never have to ask anyone how to do it ever again. I love being self-sufficient.
For those who are impacted by my change. Hrm..I believe that it's for the better quite honestly. When I better myself, I think that I make it better for those around me. If I can fix all the things i've mentioned, then you should benefit from that. If i've learned how to be more effective and efficient at work, then my company would most definitely benefit from the change.
Granted all change is not for the positive. If I was to change negatively, then that would indeed negatively affect my peers, family and friends. Let's just hope that I never change for the worse, and let's keep on thinking of being a positive agent for change and leadership!!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
668 Blog for Week of 5/10/2010
Identifying opportunities for change. How do you know when change is needed? How do people become passionate about change?
There are a couple of ways someone would know when change is needed. Personally, when they get to a point where something is detrimental to their personal lives. Perhaps when a smoker/gambler/overeater reaches a point where they would perhaps die, or strain their relationships with their loved ones is when they reach that melting point or what I call the 'defining moment' It could be a positive moment or a negative moment. Regardless, it's a moment where this person HAS to change or something detrimental will happen, OR that detrimental moment DID occur and that person now looks to change their lifestyle.
From a business perspective I view change as necessary when the same process and procedures yield no profit/effectiveness or efficiency. Perhaps that's the point of equilibrium. In order to improve upon the satisfactory results, the company/group/team must make a change in their way of doing things in order to spice things up or ruffle some feathers so to speak. (same with a workout, the more routine it is, the less results you'll see)
I can speak of my passion for change and hope that it's the same driver as others, but there are plenty of motivations out there for change. You can see a homeless person and would help that person to go home and make a better person of yourself, be a better father, husband etc. You can feel that you are overweight and it's affecting your lifestyle and you become passionate about losing weight in order to stay healthier so that you can see your kids grow up. You can view a defeat as a victory in some cases by further improving yourself now that you have free time. Being passionate about something is different to me than it is to others, but everyone is passionate about change because they may view that change as imperative to their lives. You MUST enjoy what the cause is, why you're changing and for what good that change serves you or people. If you don't enjoy it, you will not be passionate about administering that change, at work or at home personally.
There are a couple of ways someone would know when change is needed. Personally, when they get to a point where something is detrimental to their personal lives. Perhaps when a smoker/gambler/overeater reaches a point where they would perhaps die, or strain their relationships with their loved ones is when they reach that melting point or what I call the 'defining moment' It could be a positive moment or a negative moment. Regardless, it's a moment where this person HAS to change or something detrimental will happen, OR that detrimental moment DID occur and that person now looks to change their lifestyle.
From a business perspective I view change as necessary when the same process and procedures yield no profit/effectiveness or efficiency. Perhaps that's the point of equilibrium. In order to improve upon the satisfactory results, the company/group/team must make a change in their way of doing things in order to spice things up or ruffle some feathers so to speak. (same with a workout, the more routine it is, the less results you'll see)
I can speak of my passion for change and hope that it's the same driver as others, but there are plenty of motivations out there for change. You can see a homeless person and would help that person to go home and make a better person of yourself, be a better father, husband etc. You can feel that you are overweight and it's affecting your lifestyle and you become passionate about losing weight in order to stay healthier so that you can see your kids grow up. You can view a defeat as a victory in some cases by further improving yourself now that you have free time. Being passionate about something is different to me than it is to others, but everyone is passionate about change because they may view that change as imperative to their lives. You MUST enjoy what the cause is, why you're changing and for what good that change serves you or people. If you don't enjoy it, you will not be passionate about administering that change, at work or at home personally.
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