Motivation
Looking for something specific? The following topics address a wide range of business needs and challenges.
Will This Behavioral Stuff Work With My Kids Too?
A reoccurring question I get while facilitating in-person workshops is whether the strategies and tactics discussed in class can be applied to other settings—be it spouse, kids, or family dog. While…
The ABCs of a New Year’s Resolution
Many people make New Year’s resolutions dedicated to making themselves better in some way. Whether it’s to lose weight and get fit; become a better leader; or be a better spouse, parent, or friend.…
Quelling Quiet Quitting
Quiet Quitting is trending—on TikTok, in articles and blogs. Definitions vary but tend to include things like (1) worker disengagement, (2) a refusal to go “above and beyond,” and (3) a re-set of…
From "Beat Down" to "Build Up"
Recently during a leadership workshop I was facilitating, a participant approached me at a break and told me he wanted more out of his direct reports. He wanted to know why his current approach was…
New Year’s Resolutions: Beware!
This is a reprint of a classic blog by Aubrey Daniels, from 2012.
The origin of New Year’s Resolutions can be linked to pre-Christian times in Rome, thousands of years ago. So every year about this…
Thanksgiving Resolutions
At Thanksgiving dinner my family does what many families do—we go around the table and share what we are thankful for. Not surprisingly, on the top of our lists are people. Family and friends support…
Overestimating Your Leadership: The Dunning-Kruger Effect
Many people underestimate the complexity of being a good leader while simultaneously overestimating their own leadership skills. According to Psychology Today, “The Dunning-Kruger effect is a…
Behavior Change is Risky Business
All projects and change efforts involve behavioral risk. They require people to start doing some things or to do things differently. When sustained behavior change is a requirement, those responsible…
The One Thing Managers MUST Know to be Effective
It is quite likely that even the best MBA programs in the world are missing out on preparing their candidates with the one thing that will ensure they enter the real world with proven, effective…
Increasing Meaningful Behaviors Part 2
Based on the positive response to my blog on Increasing Meaningful Behaviors, I thought it worthwhile to extend the discussion. As you now know, values can play an important role in our lives and…
Increasing Meaningful Behaviors
For most of us in the US and for many throughout the world, our lives have been turned upside down by stay-at-home orders. We’ve lost access to many of our favorite places to spend our time. For me…
3 Ways to Stay Connected and Focused
It is hard to concentrate right now. Really hard. Kids at home, breaking news lighting up our phones every few hours, concerns over family and friends, supply chain disruptions, stock market worries……
5 Tips for Supporting Teens With Online Learning
We have all been hearing about the home-schooling struggles of parents of younger school-age kids. The fact that my kids are 17 and 19 is one of the things I feel grateful for during this time of…
Want to Build Discretionary Effort? Focus on Building Rapport
Think of discretionary effort as the more in the “I got more” GEICO commercials. Discretionary Effort is defined as performance that is above and beyond the minimum requirements of a job. More…
Telling People What to Do Rarely Works!
“I told you to do it this way.”
“Weren’t you in the training where we learned how to do this correctly?”
“Why do you keep doing this?”
“I thought I was clear about how I wanted this done.”
Anyone…
Shaping That Inner Voice
A topic that often comes up while discussing behavioral consequences with leaders is that of self-consequences. In other words, can a person provide consequences to themselves for their own behavior…
The Secret to Managing Across Generations
Let’s face it, today’s workforce looks very different than those of the past—especially if you're a manager. It is now very common for employee groups to extend across many generations, making it the…
Are You a Reinforcement Creator or Killer?
Most of us have had the opportunity to work under great, and unfortunately not so great, leaders. More than likely when you worked with great leaders you delivered high levels of discretionary effort…