Since reading the books
"Flow" and "Finding Flow" summarizing the empirical
research of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, I constantly think about improving work tasks
and how to keep them from being too boring or anxiety producing.
The book, "The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work" by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer,
does an excellent job reminding us what goes on inside the heads of those we
are responsible for and how to improve their engagement at
work. Analyzing nearly 12,000 diary entries, provided by 238
employees in 7 companies, the authors explain how managers can cultivate
progress and enhance work life.
The diaries themselves can provide
insight to the inner turmoil people experience, and that alone might be worth
the price of the book. However, the real value comes in their insightful
recommendations. Not only are the recommendations well worth considering, but existing
research also agrees with the suggestions.
In the book, the authors demonstrate
how to remove obstacles to progress, such as pointless tasks and toxic relationships,
how to enable progress, using clear goals matched with autonomity, and how to
nourish interpersonal events that demonstrate respect and
foster collegiality.
The following video is rather long, at 18
minutes, but, if you have the time on an upcoming flight, it may be worth a
look.
Knowing how to get and keep your team
engaged may qualify as one of the top three
tasks of being a leader. You can work on many other factors, but, if you have
disengaged workers, the progress will be slow.
Question: Are you able to keep those around you engaged? Share the techniques that you've found effective in keeping those on your team engaged.
Join the WorkPuzzle Discussion at the Tidemark Online Community (TMOC)
Engage in the WorkPuzzle discussion by joining the TMOC private social network. Commenting on a public blog like WorkPuzzle can be a little intimidating, so why not join the discussion inside the privacy of the TMOC discussion group?
By joining TMOC, you'll get to see who else is in the group and your comments will only be seen by those whom you trust. Joining TMOC is quick, easy, and free (no kidding…this takes less than 2 minutes). To get started, click here.
Already of a member of TMOC? If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage. Questions? Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.
Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle.
