In today’s competitive world, companies are striving to keep their employees motivated and happy so that the workplace is like their next home, where employees feel esteemed, content and needed. A satisfied employee breeds positivity in the workplace environment which leads to customer satisfaction and growth.

Here are some ways to keep your staff empowered and engaged maximizing productivity:

Conducive environment:

The physical layout of a workplace is very important for employee productivity. Some setups thrive where employees have open space for effective communication whereas others prefer a much quieter, personal space without distractions.

Provide employees with the right tools, equipment, and technology to streamline tasks and increase effective communication. Cultivate a healthy work environment where employees do not ‘backstab’ each other, develop ego issues or involve in gossiping. Give employees the liberty of personalizing their workspace.

Know your employees:

It is vital to know your employee’s personal and professional background; a single parent has a different drive to work than a college student or an employee who is also a caretaker. Understand your employee’s needs and treat them like your extended family. Just like family members can have disagreements, but their involvement and feedback is of utmost importance for the smooth running of the family, similarly your employees should feel secure that they have your backing and you will always stand by them. It can be an added advantage if you can offer day care services and elder care assistance or referrals for your employees.

Flexibility:

Allow corporate breathing space to help minimize burnout by eliminating cumbersome procedures and stupid rules such as approvals to deal with day-to-day issues. Flexible schedules increase employee’s happiness as they are able to establish a work-life balance. Working flexible hours or remotely can enable employees to attend to a sick child, fulfill caretaking duties towards an aging parent, attend a child’s school events or to pursue a sport. Such an incentive decreases absenteeism and helps develop trust and reliance.

Allow employees to step away from their work and take small breaks so they can unwind and network with fellow employees. Offer healthy food choices in the cafeteria or break room where employees can enjoy free food, snacks, and coffee/tea.

Train and establish goals:

Employees should have a clear know how of the company policies and their responsibilities so that they are not confused and lost as to what is the next step. Train, support and guide your employees and encourage them to ask questions when not clear about something. Allow them to make decisions where their work areas are concerned.

Staying focused especially when a deadline has to be met is more important than answering every call or e-mail. Establish short term and long term goals with the employee’s involvement and implement a plan of action to attain those goals. A personal and documented commitment from employees will keep everyone on track, streamline actions and clarify duties.

Inspire and communicate:

Encourage healthy competition by offering small incentives and bonuses.  Welcome opinions and suggestions so that the employees feel their voice is being heard, but make your word the final say. Conduct regular meetings to discuss performance, critical issues and essential tasks required for success.

When times are stressed, keep the environment positive by eliminating unprofessional and abrasive behavior. Use ‘personal touch’ while talking to employees on a one-to-one basis. Listening and respecting your employees keeps them loyal, motivated and committed towards the company’s goals.

Team effort:

Create an atmosphere where employees are pleased to be a part of a productive workforce; eager to contribute and face any economic storm. Be a role model and work with them as a team.

Lower employee stress by discouraging favoritism, negativity, unfairness, a highly political and strict environment that can drain mental energy. Cross-train employees to increase productivity, follow the SCARF model that subconsciously influences employee output; Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness.

Celebrate victories:

Acknowledge and celebrate positive contributions from employees, present them with a ‘star employee’ or ‘employee of the month’ award.
Host special employee events involving their families like picnics, workshops, or play as a team for the benefit of a volunteer organization or orphanage to keep employees humble and socially connected.
“if you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.”

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For many companies and leaders, teams are an integral tool for achieving business goals because they can provide the ultimate competitive advantage. This advantage is delivered through utilizing the minds of different people with different mindsets and skills, which creates a synergy that allows accomplishing impressive results. Apparently, only happy and efficient team can be truly innovative and productive because in case all the members are provided with sufficient room for creativity and communication.

To have a happy and efficient team that would help the organization to achieve the business goals, business leaders have to create an appropriate environment. It should foster the growth of teams and create a positive and comfortable culture in the workplace that promotes and values cooperation. This environment is often created by using team-building activities. They are a great and fun way to create a positive environment.

Why create team building environment?

Given that we have established the fact that teams can be a great tool for achieving the organizational goals, let’s find out the reasons why one should create a team building environment before creating an actual team. The people who will be team members need to learn how to interact with each other and make the communication effective. Clearly, a certain amount of time needed to achieve this, so team building activities are conducted in the organization. For example, Brian, who works at an essay writing service, says that the more fun a team-building activity is, the faster the connections are built among the team members. His team used to play Shoe Tower, a game that requires the office to split into two teams and make the towers from their shoes. The team that builds the tallest tower wins the challenge.

What this means to you as an entrepreneur:

The team that was nurtured in team building environment will be faster and more efficient because all the members will develop effective interpersonal communication. This will result in faster decisions and better problem solving.

Next, the teams use a collaborative approach to solving the issues and are known to develop better solutions because of the ability to brainstorm. One person can be a great problem-solver, but no person can match the power of a team that uses many minds to create a better solution. This approach can change the entire organization because it fosters communication among departments and promotes team working. As the result, the organization has the opportunity to become high-performing entity because team building and collaboration will be appreciated.

What this means to you as an entrepreneur:

A better-performing organization and a new culture that values collaboration, mutual support and ability to focus different minds on the same problem. The overall behavior of the company is focused on a team approach to achieving business goals.

Advantages of Teams

Let’s review the specific advantages of teams for businesses in a little bit more detail. They are collective efforts, using talents, mutual support, and a greater sense of accomplishment.

Collective Efforts

A team is created to complete the task that one person cannot. Therefore, they are more effective in solving the problems, which means that collaborative effort ensures that business goals are met. If one member of the team is struggling with completing a task, he or she will always be assisted by another member that might have more expertise. As the result, more is achieved thanks to collaboration.

Using Talents

As a rule, the teams are created in a way which ensures that every member has a set of unique qualities and abilities to provide a contribution to the effort. This approach makes it possible to tackle more problems because the more competencies the members have, the more they can achieve. When each member uses their own talents and expertise to enhance the work of the entire team, it usually leads to improved productivity and better results.

Mutual Support

Given that the team was built in the right way, the chemistry among the members should be just right. It means that they are good friends and colleagues that are willing to help others when required. Moreover, there is no point in refusing to help a colleague because the success of the entire team can depend on his or her success.

Greater Sense of Accomplishment

When the team achieves the goals through the collaboration and each member assumes a big part of the tasks and delivers them well, everyone feels a greater sense of accomplishment. This strengthens the collaborative power of the team, which means only good things for the organization. Moreover, the job satisfaction will increase as well. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that organization?

Advantages of Team-Based Organizations

These organizations introduce collaborative decision-making to all levels of management, which decreases the role of the senior management. On the other hand, the organizations that are traditionally structured mainly rely on the CEO and other members of senior management in making decisions, so the role of employees is diminished. As the result, team-based companies are more efficient and effective in their operations, which translates into a competitive advantage.

The advantages of using teams were supported as early as the early 2000s. For example, a 2002 study by the Tavistock Institute found that team structures were considered as a win-win strategy for companies and employees alike. Among the benefits were increased labor productivity, flatter management structure, and decreased labor turnover. That’s why team structures are so popular today.

Concluding Thoughts

Teams are an effective way to enhance the performance of the organization and each individual member by stimulating and incorporating creativity, mutual support, using the best talents, and a greater sense of accomplishment. To take advantage of these benefits, the organization needs to create team-building environment and provide special activities, including office games, sport games, and meeting after work. This environment is critical to creating teams, so use this knowledge to improve the performance of your company and job satisfaction in your employees.

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There are billions of people out there in the world with billions of ideas and perceptions. We are quick to judge people we see without a thought. We place labels on each other and put each other in different stylistic groups – it starts in high school and the words stay forever – from jocks, to goths, yuppies, preps, computer nerds – we have a name and category for every kind of person out there, for better or worse.

I feel that our categorization is a way try and define ourselves, while keeping others away from us. It’s negative if you ask me, and as we age we realize at the end of the day that we are all just people – souls inside of bodies.

However, we still can’t help but judge the people we meet. We have first impressions, last impressions, and everything in between. Here’s a small list of subconscious things that we do and act upon without even thinking about it. We do these things day to day without considering how other people will look at us, even though it is in these little things that people begin to develop perceptions about us without even knowing us.

The colours you wear

I wanted to avoid saying “your clothing style” because that is a given – it’s very easy to differentiate people and their ideas by the clothing style they wear, and we all have so many styles anyways. In one day you could be seen wearing a suit, pajamas, athletic gear, and a band t-shirt! But it’s in the colors that you wear that people notice. If you wear yellow on rainy days, people will compliment your optimistic spirit. If you are seen always wearing all black, people might think you are a tad brooding. Red is a passionate colour – people wearing red may be seen as hot tempered, or quick to assessment.

Your writing style

It’s a popular joke that doctors have awful handwriting, and it’s a bit ironic – we think of doctors as being the leaders of society, the people who have succeeded in school and finances and are the most educated, well respected, and highest paid among us. Then what is with their awful handwriting?
You don’t have to be a doctor to have bad handwriting, but there are many styles of script that we use that can indicate things about us. People with sloppy cursive may be thought of as lazy, uninterested or too quick-thinking, while those with neat handwriting will be imagined with a tidy home, and having a very particular way of thinking, for example.

Nervous tendencies

Do you bite your nails or tap your fingers on the bar when you are sitting idly? People notice traits like that and pick up on restlessness or uncomfortable behaviour easily. Adults who are privy to bite their nails in public look careless, or always have something on their mind. If you have a tapping issue, people may see that you are constantly restless and can’t just sit still and enjoy the moment.

What’s on your feet

They say that the first thing people notice when they look at you is your shoes. I’m not sure I entirely agree with that, but keep it in your head the next time you go out, and suddenly shoes will be the only thing on your mind. You’ll notice the grocer who wears old runners, businessmen in their dapper leather shoes, and the footwear of the middle class in all it’s varieties. The point is, what kind of shoes you wear certainly can make an impact on your first impression. People who are able to afford good shoes are regarded as being from an upper class, since shoes are so easily destroyed and are expensive to replace.

Your handshake

We can’t not discuss the handshake when it comes to physical gestures. It’s something we all think about when it comes time to pleasantries. Do we shake hands, or hug? Do we shake firmly or loosely? There is such an unwritten protocol when it comes to hand gesture greetings that entire libraries of books have been written on it in every language on earth.
Your best bet is to keep it to a handshake of moderate grip. A lacking hand will make you seem disinterested or not entirely present to the person you’re talking to, and too firm of a grip will make you seem like an usurper, or that you are trying to break their hand. Keep it polite, keep it casual.

Your eyes

It’s easy to gauge someone’s emotions just by looking into their eyes and their face. It’s a reason that drawing eyes is one of the most difficult parts to do when it comes to fine art. We express so much through our eyes – loss, love, sadness, happiness, grief, confusion, etc. People can look into your eyes and detect honesty or lies as soon as they look into you. Best to just be honest and keep your eyes light and expressive.

Your laugh

The way you laugh goes hand in hand with your eyes as far as detectable honesty goes. There are some interesting videos on Youtube about the honesty of laughter that are worth watching, that tell us about how much truth can be felt through someone’s laughter. Are they faking it, or are they really happy? We all know someone with a perpetual cackle that you can just never go out to dinner with because you can hear them throughout the whole restaurant. People make assumptions of character when it comes to our laughter, there’s no doubt about it. Thankfully, all laughter is good laughter.

Your accessories

Do you have eight chains dangling from your neck? Perhaps you wear a very expensive watch – or no watch at all? Another social phenomenon, people have been obsessed with jewellery for eras of humanity. You can decipher someone’s social life through their accessories. If he’s wearing tye-dye banded hemp bracelets, you can probably guess he’s been to a few hippie music festivals this year. Does the girl your dating wear star shaped earrings? Perhaps she’s into astrology. These are the kinds of thoughts that go through everyone’s head when they see new people. Represent yourself well with your favourite accessories, and remember the purpose they play in your social composition.

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Many people find bodies of water calming, relaxing and refreshing.  Oceans, rivers, streams and lakes are worldwide favorite spots for travel and vacation; and waterside homes are very sought after around the globe.  For energy sensitive or empathic people, the draw to water is even more intense; it’s as if it calls to us in some way.

The magnetic pull Empaths feel to water has to do with energy.  Nature, in general, helps people release negative energy and keeps us grounded (in our root chakra).  When you feel down or stressed, taking a walk in nature can be uplifting.  For Empaths, there is an even deeper connection to nature that is almost inexplicable.  It is a craving or yearning that cannot be ignored.  The energy of nature is more tied to the energy of Empaths, and that connection calls to us often.

Nature is more than a relaxing place for an empath, it is healing and restorative.  Water has a particularly special draw and is a source of great comfort, rest and more.  Because Empaths are highly sensitive to energy, they constantly have to take great care of their vibration and the energy they are exposed to; their self-care regimen requires awareness and diligence for optimal well-being.  Water changes this fact for Empaths, and understanding why can be life changing (almost life saving in some cases).  Spending as much time as possible or ,even better, living near water can truly benefit an empath in immense ways; making their self-care needs easier to maintain because of the energy and healing properties of water.

Here are 5 ways sensitive people benefit from being near Oceans, rivers, streams and lakes:

1. Cleansing

Water is cleansing.  It cleans our bodies, but it can also clear our energy.  Submerging in a body of water can clean up our vibration of stuck negative energy and restores you to a state of balance.  For an Empath, this is so important because that negative energy can be so draining and potentially cause health issues (physical and emotional).

2. Chakra balancing (tides and currents)

The flow of water balances your chakras.  Chakras are energy points in our body.  The seven major chakras run from the base of your spine to the top of your head (root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown).   Chakras are light energy, each one is a different color (same colors as a rainbow, starting at the root chakra).  When balanced, the colors are clear and each chakra spins clockwise in harmony.  Our bodies benefit from energy balance, as well as our surrounding organs.  Chakras can become out of balance in daily life, which can have a tremendous impact on the well-being of an energy sensitive empath.  The current and tides of large bodies of water (the energy flow) restores energy balance in a similar way that energy healing, like Reiki, does.

3. Detoxing (salt water)

Salt is a detoxing agent for our bodies.  We naturally release physical toxins through sweat and emotional toxins through tears.  Soaking in a sea salt bath or using a sea salt scrub helps release toxins (that is why it is popular for spas to use these products).  The Ocean is like an enormous salt bath or soak.  Combined with the salt in the air, it offers amazing detoxing qualities that nothing compares too.  The balance of ions in the air near Oceans benefits our health and well-being; this is why salt lamps are so helpful (but cannot completely compare to the real thing).

4. Healing crystals (sand)

Sand on beaches near Oceans, lakes and river banks has healing properties.  Each grain of sand is like a miniature healing crystal.  Plugging our bare body parts, especially feet,  into the sand helps to recharge our root chakra and boost our energy.  Sand also brings us back to a more playful, childlike state; raising our vibration and helping us remember our more peaceful state of being

5. We are water

One of the primary reasons there is a deep connection for all humans to water is the reality that our bodies are partially made of water (over 50% for adults).  Empaths tend to have more natural body awareness, so what our body needs we will crave and yearn for.  Our body needs to connect to the water for restorative and healing purposes.  Empaths are literally drawn to the water, in part, because their bodies need it.

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“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not: unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”                             ~ Calvin Coolidge ~

In any discussion of the attributes of successful people, persistence is always mentioned, often as the, or one of the, most important factors in success.  Major success seldom comes easily or without a great deal of effort. Often the only difference between those that succeed and those that quit the race, are those who keep going long after the rest have dropped out. It is relatively easy to persist when things are going well and we see progress. Highly persistent people, however, have found ways to keep going despite major setbacks and a lack of evidence that they are moving closer towards, or are ever going to reach their goals.

Here are some of the things that persistent people have that keeps them going long after most people have given up.

An all-consuming vision

Persistent people have a goal or vision in mind that motivates and drives them. They are often dreamers and visionaries who see their lives as having a higher purpose than simply earning a living. Their vision is deeply ingrained and they focus on it constantly and with great emotion and energy. They often think of this vision first thing when they wake up and last thing before they go to bed. Reaching this goal becomes the focal point of their life and they devote a major portion of their energies and time towards reaching it.

A burning desire

“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”  ~ Jim Rohn ~

Persistent people want it bad, really bad, and never look for an excuse or a way out.

What keeps highly persistent people going is their powerful level of desire.  Repeated failures, dead ends and periods when it seems like no progress is being made, often come before any major breakthroughs happen. Persistent people have the inner energy and intensity to keep them motivated and going through these tough times.

Inner Confidence

People who overcome the odds and achieve greatly are often described as “marching to the beat of their own drummer”. They know what they want and are seldom swayed by the opinion of the masses.  Having a highly developed sense of who they are allows them to continue on without being greatly affected by what others think of them or not; being understood or appreciated by those around them.  While that inner confidence gets challenged and shaken, it never gets destroyed and constantly acts as a source of courage and determination.

Highly developed habits

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” ~ Jim Rohn ~

Highly persistent people know it is very difficult to stay continually motivated, particularly during difficult times and when it appears that no progress is being made. They have come to rely upon their self-discipline and developing habits they can count on to continue down the path towards their eventual goals. They believe the results of the efforts they make today may not be seen for a long time, but strongly believe that everything they do will count towards their outcome in the end.

Ability to adjust and adapt

Persistent people have the ability to adjust and adapt their action plan. They do not stubbornly persist in the face of evidence that their plan is not working, but look for better ways that will increase their chances of success. They see their journey as a series of dead ends, detours and adjustments but have complete faith they will reach their final destination. They are not tied into their ego and are quickly willing to admit when something is not working. As well, they are quick to adapt the ideas of others that have been shown to work well.

Committed to life- long learning

Persistent people realize that any goal worth reaching will take time, effort and continuously learning new skills and thinking patterns. They welcome change and new ideas; looking for ways they can incorporate these into their lives. Ongoing learning is seen as part of a process through which they continually expand the range of tools that they have to work with. Naturally curious, persistent types not only see learning as a way to reach their goals more quickly, but see self-development as a way of life. For them learning and continual growth do not end at a certain age or stage of life but are the essence of life itself, and therefore never ending.

Role models that act as guides and mentors

While it may appear that highly persistent people act alone and don’t need anyone, most have a carefully chosen group of people who they admire and emulate. These can be people who are actually involved in their lives as mentors/confidantes or they can be figures who they have read about and who have deeply impacted them. You will know who these people are as persistent people will often quote them as they are very familiar with their teaching and writing.  Persistent people often stand out from their environment and are often misunderstood or ridiculed as they can make those around them feel uncomfortable. Having strongly ingrained models helps persistent people sustain and motivate themselves in an environment that is not always supportive.

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