Become A Better Leader

Employee Morale Tips Newsletter - March Madness Basketball

2010-03-09T01:00:00-06:00

Written by Harriet Meyerson and published every Tuesday compliments of www.ConfidenceCenter.com

Since March is Employee Spirit Month...

In honor of Employee Spirit Month, get your free Employee Morale Calendar Planner at: http://www.ConfidenceCenter.com

Word and Quote of the Week

*** Squander ***

*** "Time and health are two precious assets that we don’t recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted." — Denis Waitley

Trivia Question of the Week

Q. What are adherents to the Society of Friends called?

(Answer at the end of this newsletter.)

Employee Morale
March is Employee Spirit Month

An amazing thing has happened. We designated March as Employee Spirit Month, and now it has taken off throughout the country. Google - Employee Spirit Month - and see.

As you know, energizing your employees is the key to high productivity. So, please help other companies by spreading the word...

* Print an article about - Employee Spirit Month - in your company newsletter.

* Do some special activities in honor of - Employee Spirit Month -.

* Call your local newspaper and let them know what you are doing in honor of - Employee Spirit Month -. If they print your story, please let us know.

* Post a note on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networking webs such as:
In honor of Employee Spirit Month, get your free Employee Morale Calendar Planner at:
http://www.ConfidenceCenter.com

Please email us and let us know what you are doing for Employee Spirit Month.

Employee Morale
March Madness Basketball

Contributed by Stefani M. Crumley of GlaxoSmithKline

During the week of the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament we did a day of activities. We asked employees to wear a shirt supporting their favorite team.

Using a kiddie basketball hoop we had a waste basket basketball contest. (paper rolled up in
balls had to be thrown into a waste basket).

You can be creative with any prizes you want to give out.

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You spend more of your waking hours with co-workers than you do with friends or family. Shouldn't work be a place you want to go?

Employees who are allowed to have fun frequently are more productive and loyal in the long run. It just makes sense.

That's why we've created numerous products to help employers incorporate a little fun into their
employees workday for little or no cost.

The above idea can be found in our ebook -101 Low Cost Morale Boosters that Energize Employees-

This ebook is part of the Employee Morale Secrets - Power Pack of employee morale books.

Learn what the other books are and see all the details at:
http://www.confidencecenter.com/prod23.htm

Answer to This Week's Trivia Question

Q. What are adherents to the Society of Friends called?

A. Quakers

Joke of the Week

How Smart Is Your Right Foot?

Trust me this takes only a few seconds and it will boggle your mind.

1. While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles with it.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand. Notice that your
foot changes direction.

The really funny part is you will keep trying it over and over to see if you can outsmart your foot.

Help us -Spread the Word-

Tell your friends...

Subscriptions to Employee Morale Tips Newsletter are complimentary at http://www.ConfidenceCenter.com

You Can Twitter to Your Friends About our Employee Morale Boosters

Simply tweet this message or make up your own:

In honor of Employee Spirit Month get your free Employee Morale Calendar Planner at: http://www.ConfidenceCenter.com

(c) Copyright 2010 Harriet Meyerson. All rights reserved.

Employee Morale: March is Employee Spirit Month

2010-03-03T14:17:17-06:00

Hot off the press...

I got a phone call on Monday from a reporter asking about March being - Employee Spirit Month –. Read this clever article that Al Lewis just wrote in the Denver Post.

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_14498539

Then, do something to promote Employee Spirit Month at your company.

Have a great day,

Harriet

Procrastination: Why You Do It, and How to Stop - Quick Tip

2010-03-03T01:00:00-06:00

Does procrastination cause trouble in your life? Have you lost jobs, missed appointments, and maybe even ruined relationships, because of your tendency to procrastinate?

You know, admitting you have a problem is the first step towards your recovery.

Honestly, don't you wish there was Procrastinators Anonymous? You could go and talk to other procrastinators, work a 12 step program and develop into someone who consistently finishes projects on time.

Seriously though, a little knowledge is powerful and it may help you to know that you procrastinate to avoid tension. If you are overwhelmed, insecure about a project, too detail oriented, or just plain bored with a task, your habit of relieving the tension is to avoid the task all together.

Unfortunately, that creates a whole different reason to be tense. So what can you do?

One thing you can do is plan in reverse.

Many people set goals but don't have a plan. Start by thinking of what you want your outcome to be, then work your way backwards.

Ask yourself, "What needs to happen just before completion?"

Then, "What needs to happen before that?"

Go all the way back to the present moment. By doing this, you are automatically creating a plan. The key is that you are telling yourself ahead of time that it is all in small parts.

This may not cure you of procrastination, but it's a great start. This technique is one of several effective ways for you and your employees to stop procrastinating.

Procrastination is so damaging that...

"Stop Procrastinating, Now!" is one of the 13 essential tools in the Employee Success Toolkit.

The Employee Success Toolkit is a professional development course for employees in 13 easy-to-follow lessons. It is a system guaranteed to improve attitude, skills, and productivity.

See all the details and learn what the other 12 lessons are at:

http://www.confidencecenter.com/url/toolkit.htm

The ultimate goal of any supervisor is to turn ordinary workers into extraordinary employees.

If you want...

- Employees to manage their time efficiently.

- Respect and a better understanding of co-workers with different backgrounds or cultures

- Employees having fun at work while achieving their goals

You can do it -and much more- with the Employee Success Toolkit.

See all the details and learn what the other 12 lessons are at:
http://www.confidencecenter.com/url/toolkit.htm

Employee Morale Tips Newsletter - Silly Hats Day

2010-03-02T01:00:00-06:00

Written by Harriet Meyerson and published every Tuesday compliments of www.ConfidenceCenter.com

March is Employee Spirit Month...

Listen to this short audio that tells you how to create your own -Employee Spirit Teams- and generate enthusiasm at work,

Listen at: http://tinyurl.com/awumcz

Word and Quote of the Week

*** Actualize ***

*** First ask yourself, "Who would I like to be?" Then do what you have to do to become that person.

Trivia Question of the Week

Q. What class is categorized as the bourgeoisie?

(Answer at the end of this newsletter.)

Employee Morale

Silly Hats Day

Contributed by Dorris Davidson of Brinks Home Security

This is a simple and inexpensive way to have a lot of fun at work. Proclaim a Silly Hats Day at least one week in advance so people will have time to purchase or create their hats.

Contest Categories
• Silliest
• Funniest
• Most creative home made hat
• Most creative purchased hat
• Largest hat
• Smallest hat
• Ugliest hat
• Prettiest hat
• Most outrageous hat
• Most colorful hat
• Most boring hat

The winners get prizes such as movie passes, free lunch, a half hour off, candy bars, lunch with
supervisor, a get to work late pass, or inexpensive gifts.

--------

The above idea is an easy and fun way to boost your employee spirits and raise morale. It can be
found in our eBook:

-101 Low Cost Morale Boosters that Energize Employees-

It's unique because it contains successful morale boosting activities which were contributed by
supervisors and managers.

This eBook is part of the Employee Morale Secrets - Power Pack of employee morale books.

Learn what the other books are and see all the details at:
http://www.confidencecenter.com/prod23.htm

We need your help...

Would you please send successful morale booster ideas that you have used in your workplace for us to post in our newsletter. As a -Thank You- we will send you our ebook, The Secrets of Creating Personal Confidence.

Answer to This Weeks Trivia Question

Q. What class is categorized as the bourgeoisie?

A. The middle class

Joke of the Week

More Tater People

There are those who say they will help, but somehow just never get around to actually doing anything. They are called "Hezzie Taters".

Some people can put up a front and pretend to be someone they are not. They are called "Emma Taters".

Then there are those who love others and do what they say they will. They bring joy into your life. They are called "Sweet Taters".

Help us -Spread the Word-

Tell your friends...

Subscriptions to Employee Morale Tips Newsletter are complimentary at
http://www.ConfidenceCenter.com

You Can Twitter to Your Friends About our Employee Morale Boosters

Simply tweet this message or make up your own:

I boost morale with creative ideas from -Employee Morale Tips Newsletter- Get it free at: http://www.ConfidenceCenter.com

(c) Copyright 2010 Harriet Meyerson. All rights reserved.

Employee Training: Developing Your Program - Quick Tip

2010-02-24T01:00:00-06:00

So, you've been given the task of developing a training program for your company, and you have no clue where to begin.

Here's a tip to get you started.

Employee Training Tip
Let me introduce you to ADDIE.

I know you are hoping that ADDIE is a fairy godmother who will come, wave her magic wand, and poof... your training needs have been met. Close, but not really.

ADDIE is an acronym for a basic design strategy that you can use while developing your training program.

And although the following is the briefest of explanations, you'll get the idea of what it is all about.

A - is for "Analysis" - you must determine exactly who, what, where, and why this training is needed.

D - is for "Design" - the planning stage.

D - is for "Development" - this is where you build your program based on your objectives.

I - is for "Implementation" - when the training is actually being given.

E - is for "Evaluation" - after getting feedback, you can use it to improve your program for future implementation.

Obviously, there is a whole lot more to designing a program than just what's listed above, and that is why "Preparing to Design Training" is Lesson 5 in our -Designing Training for Fun and Results Self Study Course.

See what the eight lessons are at:
http://bit.ly/DesignEmployeeTraining

Great news for all HR personnel...

This Design Training for Fun and Results Self-Study Course has just been approved for 4.5 credit hours toward PHR, SPHR and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute.

Now you can earn your CEU's easily with our new program that you can do at your own pace.

Are you...

* Frustrated with employee training that doesn't produce results?

* Overwhelmed with the responsibility to create an employee training program?

* Unsure of where to begin – let alone how to make employee training effective and long lasting?

In the -Designing Training for Fun and Results Self-Study Course- you will learn how to design highly effective employee training...

And what's even better... you can learn them at your own pace in the comfort of your home or office.

See what the eight lessons are at:
http://bit.ly/DesignEmployeeTraining

If you want employees who will...
* Look forward to coming to your training sessions
* Have a positive attitude throughout your session
* Stay focused on what you are teaching
* Enthusiastically apply what they have learned

Then... don't waste your time and effort doing another training before you learn these strategies. Find out what they are at:
http://bit.ly/DesignEmployeeTraining

Employee Morale Tips Newsletter

2010-02-23T01:00:00-06:00

Written by Harriet Meyerson and published every Tuesday compliments of www.ConfidenceCenter.com

Word and Quote of the Week

*** Authenticity ***

*** "You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." Plato

Trivia Question of the Week

Q. What falls out when you suffer from phalacrosis?

(Answer at the end of this newsletter.)

Employee Morale
Employee Spirit Month

March brings March Madness, St. Patrick's Day, and the beginning of Spring. It is definitely a month that generates a lot of spirit. That's why March is -Employee Spirit Month- and it's time to create positive energy and boost workplace morale.

Here are some ideas to help you:

Create a -Caring Committee- to give emotional support and encouragement when an employee is ill or having a personal problem.

Create a -Sunshine Committee- to celebrate employee's birthdays, anniversaries, and proud family events like the birth of a baby or grandchild, or when a family member has done something special.

Create -Spirit Teams- of 5-7 employees. Each team is lead by a supervisor and is responsible for one morale booster a month.

Listen to this great audio that tells you how to create your own -Employee Spirit Teams- and generate enthusiasm at work.

Listen at:
http://tinyurl.com/awumcz

Creating employee spirit helps promote an atmosphere of fun, cooperation, and company loyalty, but that's not all it does. It also helps lower absenteeism and turnover and that affects your bottom line.

To learn how to create Employee Spirit with little or no budget, read Discover the Secrets of Boosting Employee Morale... on a Shoestring Budget. This ebook is part of the Employee Morale Secrets - Power Pack of employee morale books.

Learn what the other books are and see other Employee Morale resources, go to: http://www.confidencecenter.com/prod23story.htm

Answer to This Weeks Trivia Question

Q. What falls out when you suffer from phalacrosis?
A. Your hair

Joke of the Week

A policeman stops Mavis and asks to see her driving license.

He says, "Lady, it says here that you should be wearing glasses."

Mavis promptly answers sweetly, "Well, I have contacts."

The policeman replies gruffly, "I don't care who you know, you're still getting a ticket."

Twitter to your friends about our Employee Morale Boosters

Simply tweet this message:

I boost morale at my workplace with creative ideas from -Employee Morale Tips Newsletter- Get
yours free at: http://www.ConfidenceCenter.com

(c) Copyright 2010 Harriet Meyerson. All rights reserved.

Employee Morale Tips Newsletter - February 16, 2010

2010-02-16T01:00:00-06:00

Written by Harriet Meyerson and published every Tuesday compliments of www.ConfidenceCenter.com

Have you been watching the Olympics? It's wonderful to watch athletes from nations all over the world compete in their favorite winter sport.

I love the skiing and the figure skating. Which event do you like the best?
Harriet

Word and Quote of the Week

*** Treasure ***

*** "Many of the things you can count, don't count. Many of the things you can't count, really count." - Albert Einstein

Trivia Question of the Week

Q. Who was the host of Night Gallery?

(Answer at the end of this newsletter.)

Employee Morale
Trivia Fun

Contributed by VondaKay Bensley
Principal, Life School McKinney

I use your trivia questions weekly in my staff Monday memo at Life School McKinney. The teachers love it and even get the students involved with finding the answers. I reward the teacher who tells me the answer first with a $5 gift card to Sonic, McDonald's, etc.

Thank you for giving me these questions weekly so I do not have to find some myself.
--

You can do this, too. It's easy because every week in our newsletter we have a trivia question. Or... you can collect the trivia and have a Quiz Day Luncheon where you give prizes for answers to trivia questions. You may find you have some trivia experts in your staff.

If you need more creative ideas for low-cost morale boosters that have been used in the workplace and are proven to be successful, you can find them in the ebook,
101 Low-Cost Morale Boosters that Energize Employees.

Learn about it and other Employee Morale resources at:
http://confidencecenter.com/products01.htm

Answer to This Weeks Trivia Question

Q. Who was the host of Night Gallery?

A. Rod Serling

Joke of the Week

Last week, Vicky, a distraught wife went to the local police station along with her next-door neighbor, Pauline, to report that her husband was missing.

The policeman asked for a description of the missing man.

Vicky described him clearly and in detail, "He is 35 years old, 6ft 4inches, has dark eyes, dark wavy hair, an athletic build, weighs 185 pounds, is softly-spoken and is fabulous with the children."

Pauline interrupts her protesting, "Why Vicky, your husband is 5 ft 8 inches, corpulent, bald, has a big mouth, and is horrid to your children."

Vicky replied, with a sigh, "Yes, but who wants HIM back?"

Twitter to your friends about our Employee Morale Boosters

Simply tweet this message:

I boost morale at my workplace with creative ideas from -Employee Morale Tips Newsletter- Get yours free at: http://www.ConfidenceCenter.com

(c) Copyright 2010 Harriet Meyerson. All rights reserved.

Employee Training: Using Activities Effectively - Quick Tip - 2/10/10

2010-02-10T01:00:00-06:00

Have you ever experienced something that completely challenged an assumption that you carried?

Of course, you have - it happens all the time. Do you look forward to such "jolts"? I know I do, because those jolts are powerful learning tools for me.

Such jolts can also be used very effectively in training, as well. According to training guru, Dr. Sivasailam Thiagarajan, jolts deliver a powerful wake-up call.

Many company trainers believe that the time given for training is never enough. They are unsure how to incorporate activities into their training while teaching their employees something at the same time.

Training Tip

Here's an example of a "jolt" you can modify for training. Go find someone to be your partner and ask them to copy absolutely everything you do for three full minutes.

How did it feel to have someone mirror every action? Did it get frustrating when they copied your posture as you tried to think of something else to do? I bet you found that three minutes can be a really long time.

You might ask, "So, what?" Well, if you think of the relationship between a leader and a follower,
the mirror jolt showed you that it's not so easy to be a leader.

You see how simple that was? There are many other concerns that trainers have sent us, problems they have actually experienced while doing training. Luckily, training design expert, Susan Otto, has easy strategies to alleviate them.

That is why "Questions from Trainers" is Lesson 4 in our -Designing Training for Fun and Results Self Study Course-.

See what the other lessons are at:
http://bit.ly/DesignEmployeeTraining

Are you...

* Frustrated with employee training that doesn't produce results?

* Overwhelmed with the responsibility to create an employee training program?

* Unsure of where to begin – let alone how to make employee training effective and long lasting?

In the -Designing Training for Fun and Results Self-Study Course- you will learn the steps and strategies necessary to design highly effective employee training... And what's even better... you can learn them at your own pace in the comfort of your home or office.

See what the eight lessons are at:
http://bit.ly/DesignEmployeeTraining

If you want employees who will...
* Look forward to coming to your training sessions
* Have a positive attitude throughout your session
* Stay focused on what you are teaching
* Enthusiastically apply what they have learned

Then... don't waste your time and effort doing another training before you learn these
strategies. Find out what they are at:
http://bit.ly/DesignEmployeeTraining

Employee Morale Tips - February 9, 2010 - Vol. 10 - Issue 6

2010-02-09T01:00:00-06:00

Written by Harriet Meyerson and published every Tuesday compliments of www.ConfidenceCenter.com

Word and Quote of the Week

*** Conduct ***

*** "As I grow older, I pay less attention to what people say. I just watch what they do."

- Andrew Carnegie

Trivia Question of the Week

Q. What country has the most coastline?

(Answer at the end of this newsletter.)

Employee Morale

How to Have -Happiness Heroes- in the Workplace

Happy employees create positive energy in the workplace. However, with all the problems in our country and around the world, not to mention everyone's personal problems, makes bringing happiness into the workplace a challenge.

That's why you need to have -Happiness Heroes- in your workplace.

Print coupons that say,
You are a Happiness Hero because...(and then fill in the reason)

Give the coupons to anyone you see being happy or spreading cheer during the day. Then have prizes that employees can get by turning in their coupons.

You can also leave blank coupons in the break-room for other employees to fill in regarding their co-workers.

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Here's another way to let someone know they are appreciated for all they do..a personal letter of appreciation from his or her supervisor.

Some people find writing a daunting task, so we have made it easy for you to be a -champion of
cheer- by writing the letters for you.

No more racking your brains for just the right words. Over 30 sample thank you letters, that are both heartfelt and professional, are in our eBook, -Supervisor's Appreciation Stationery-.

This ebook is part of the Employee Morale Secrets - Power Pack of employee morale books.

Learn what the other books are and see all the details at:
http://www.confidencecenter.com/prod23.htm

Answer to This Week's Trivia Question

Q. What country has the most coastline?

A. Canada

Joke of the Week

An old man was wondering if his wife had a hearing problem. So one night, he stood behind her while she was sitting in her chair. He spoke softly to her, "Honey, can you hear me?" There was no response.

He moved a little closer and said again, "Honey, can you hear me?" Still, there was no response. Finally, he moved right behind her and said, "Honey, can you hear me?"

She replied, "For the third time, yes!"

Twitter to your friends about our Employee Morale Boosters

Simply tweet this message:

I boost morale at my workplace with creative ideas from -Employee Morale Tips Newsletter-. Get yours free at: http://www.ConfidenceCenter.com

Forward this newsletter to a friend or associate...

Subscriptions are complimentary at
http://www.ConfidenceCenter.com

(c) Copyright 2010 Harriet Meyerson. All rights reserved.

At the Workplace: Employing People-to-People Energy - Quick Tip - 02/03/10

2010-02-03T01:00:00-06:00

It could be due to not enough sunlight, the natural let down after the holidays, or you hate being cold all the time, but whatever the reason, during the winter months, it's easy to get the "blahs". And when you have the "blahs", you have no energy and probably want to just stay in bed, pull up the covers, and hibernate.

Easy if you have nothing to do, most of us have obligations though, so it's off to work we go. Once you get there, then what? You still don't have any energy.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to increase your energy at work. Every place has at least one person who is always upbeat and cheerful. You don't know where he or she gets that energy, but you want some of it.

The good news is - you can get it. To tap into that energy, just have a brief conversation with that person. Talking to someone like that is like plugging into an electrical socket. You'll be amazed how quickly your energy level rises just being in the presence of such a person.

But, what if you truly have no one like that at work? Try this: Take a two minute walk around the office, and you be that upbeat and cheerful person to someone else. Believe it or not, when you bring cheer to others, you will be affected as well. Funny, but it works. Just try it and see.

Because having energy to do your job is so important, we have made "Increase Your Workplace Energy" one of the 13 essential tools in the Employee Success Toolkit.

The Employee Success Toolkit is a professional development course for employees in 13 easy-to-follow lessons. It is a system guaranteed to improve attitude, skills, and productivity.

See all the details and learn what the other 12 lessons are at:
http://www.confidencecenter.com/url/toolkit.htm

---------------------------------------------------------
The ultimate goal of any supervisor is to turn ordinary workers into extraordinary employees.

---------------------------------------------------------

If you want...

- Happy, positive employees who work as a team, deal with problems and get along with each other instead of constantly complaining.

- Shared excitement and enthusiasm for work even though it's very difficult at times.

- Better flow of communication between management and staff

You can do it -and much more- with the Employee Success Toolkit.

See all the details and learn what the other 12 lessons are at:
http://www.confidencecenter.com/url/toolkit.htm

This Quick tip is compliments of Harriet Meyerson, the Confidence Center http://www.ConfidenceCenter.com and
http://www.BecomeABetterLeader.com