December 2004

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!

As 2004 draws to a close, what else we can say but - "Thank You!"

Joy and I are touched by your inspiring stories and are proud we helped make a difference in the lives of so many. We always appreciate hearing about how you applied our techniques learned in our programs and improved your career, your community, and your personal life. Please keep your comments coming. Finally, we commend all of you for the courage to make a change - and the commitment to see it through in 2004.

While we are very excited about your successes in 2004 we know they will pale in comparison to 2005. As 2005 approaches, we look forward to continuing to help you meet the challenges of today while preparing you to seize the opportunities ahead. Look for our next newsletter on January 15th. This issue will include information on:

• The "Dive into 2005" Empowerment Series

• The "Achieve Your Dreams" Event

• Kick starting your career articles

• New features in the blog version of OnPoint

We wish you and your families a safe and happy holiday season and a very prosperous new year!

Happy Holidays,

Ed and Joy
Co-Founders
The Sykes Group
"Preparing You Today for Tomorrow's Opportunities"

Ed Sykes Receives Golden Gavel Award from Bank of America Toastmasters Group

Virginia Beach, VA - December 14, 2004 - Ed Sykes, of The Sykes Group, received the esteemed Golden Gavel Award from the Bank of America Toastmaster Club, Voices of Empowerment. The ceremony took place December 14, 2004 at the Bank of America building at 2 Commercial Place in Norfolk, VA at 4 p.m.

The Golden Gavel award is given to individuals in the community that exhibit a combination of outstanding community service, leadership abilities, and communication skills to empower individuals to become better. It is given by Toastmasters International through local clubs throughout the world. Toastmasters International is a worldwide organization dedicated to improving individual’s lives by improving communication and leadership skills.

To read more click here.

10 Action Steps to Motivate Yourself to Great Accomplishments

Let me ask you this question, "Are you motivated to achieve great accomplishments in your life?" The following are ten action steps you can apply today to achieve more success in your life:

1. Positive Affirmations
   Our subconscious mind is a wonderful tool for success or failure. It will do what we tell it to do. It all depends on what thoughts we feed it. So why not feed your inner mind with only positive thoughts. The following are some examples of positive affirmations you can feed your inner mind for success:
   
   • "Today, I will win because I have faith, courage and enthusiasm."
   • "I see failure only as a signpost on my road to success."
   • "When I feel stress, I will relax and release my stress before I take on my next task."
   • "I always write down my priorities, thinking of my responsibilities. I may not get everything done, but I will do the most productive thing possible at every given moment."
   • "I am a winner, I work for a winning organization, and because of my contribution and cooperation we will keep on winning."
   • "Today, I will see opportunity in every challenge offered to me."

2. Positive Language
   Recent research has come out that 75% of daily conversation is negative. Whether it is the words we use or the body language, we need to communicate in a positive manner all the time.
   The following are some examples of how you can turn negative words into positive communication:
   
   • Instead of saying "problem," call it "opportunity."
   • Instead of an action being a "failure," describe it as a "learning experience."
   • Instead of "I have to," say "I choose to." This gives control for your actions back to you.
   • Instead of saying, "There’s nothing I can do," say, "Let’s look at our alternatives."
   • Instead of saying, "That’s just the way I am," say, "I choose a different approach."
   • Instead of saying, "He makes me so mad," say, "I control my own feelings."
   If you notice, by using the positive response, you have control over your actions and life.

3. Exercise
   A Gallup survey found the following among men and women who have taken up exercise recently:
   • 66 percent report a more relaxed life
   • 62 percent a new surge of energy
   • 55 percent less stress
   • 51 percent better looks
   • 46 percent more confidence
   • 45 percent better love life
   • 44 percent greater job satisfaction
   • 37 percent more creative on their jobs
    

   These are great motivators to exercise! Next time you feel demotivated, give your body a workout. Recent research reports that as little as fifteen minutes three times a week has profound effects. Get moving. Get motivated.

4. Take Risks
   We all live our lives in comforts zones, avoiding risky situations, avoiding the potential to fail. It’s real safe for us. But in order to get ahead of your competition and master the ongoing change in your life, you must go out of your comfort zone. Start one step at a time. Try that little new thing, that different approach. It could be as simple as taking different routes to and from work. Once in a while I like to "take the road less traveled" to stir up my creative juices. Then, keep stepping out of your zone. It may seem uncomfortable at first. But the more you do it, the more it will seem natural and you will see an increase in your creative juices and opportunities you never thought about before.

5. Positive Reading
   Read about the lives of successful people. Make sure you read only those people that embrace the timeless values that make them truly successful through the ages. Not the "success today, scandal tomorrow" success stories that we are experiencing today. People like Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines, Fred Smith of Federal Express, Mary Kay Ash of Mary Kay, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are good examples. These are people who overcame enormous challenges, created real value for others, or changed other people’s lives for the better.

6. Positive Visualizations
   Condition yourself to paint your vision for success. One of the best ways to do this is the following:  
   • Go to a quiet place in your home or elsewhere. Turn off all radios, televisions, etc.
   • Find a comfortable chair and get into a relaxed state of mind.
   • Start thinking about one goal you want to accomplish. Remember, visualize as if you are already accomplishing this goal.
   • Visualize taking all the necessary steps to successfully complete these goals. The better your visualization, where you can actually see, feel, hear, and touch your vision, the more real it is to you.
   • Visualize any challenges to your successful completion of this goal and how you will eliminate this challenges.
   • Visualize how good it feels to complete this goal. Visualize what benefits it will bring to you, your family, friends, co-workers, etc.
   Enjoy the moment!
    

   Important: If you don’t take time to see it, it won’t happen!

7. Think Big
   See the big picture in everything we do. So much of our time is wasted dealing with the unimportant things in our lives (what that person said or did, the driver who cut us off this morning, and activities which don’t add value to our lives, etc.) that we forget about the big picture. We were put on this earth to make a difference. We make a difference for our families, our communities, our organizations, and for ourselves. All of our actions must be put into action with this concept in mind. Think a little bigger today than yesterday, and you’ll create a better future tomorrow. Thinking big leads to great actions. Thinking small leads to small results.  So Think BIG!

8. Set Goals
   The fastest way to fail in life is to not set clear goals. Set goals in the financial, family, health, spiritual, and career areas. Your goals must incorporate the SMART techniques or else it’s just a "conversation in the park."  
   • S for specific
   • M for measurable
   • A for attainable
   • R for realistic
   • T for time-based
    
   For example, you might have a goal of achieving $2 million for retirement in twenty years. After doing your research, a SMART goal would be the following:
    

   "I will acquire $2 million dollars for retirement by 2024. I will do this by contributing $20K, or $1667 per month, to my various retirement funds each year. Of the $20k each year, $2k will go to my IRA, and $18K will go into my organization’s retirement program."

    

   Remember the most detail you can add, the more realistic your goal becomes.

9. Positive Appearance
   Super achievers are very careful about their appearance and their movements. They know that looking good translates into feeling good. Billy Crystal, of Saturday Night Live and movie fame, once played a character that was known for saying, "It is better to look good than to feel good." What he was really implying was the "fake it until you make it" concept. In other words, if we are feeling down, then think positively and your mind will tell your body to follow suit and act positively. Also always dress the part of an achiever. Model the dress, actions, and behaviors of someone who is successful and embraces the long term values of successful people. This will also tell your mind that I am an achiever.
    

   Don’t let that be the deciding factor on being motivated. You can easily distinguish those who are motivated from those who are not motivated just by looking at their appearance and their movements. The motivated move forward, onward and upward with confidence.

10. Helping Others
    Develop an obsession to help others. Share your special talents without expecting a reward, payment, or commendation. And above all else, keep your good deed a secret.
     

    You know what, it you apply the helping techniques to others, it will automatically come back to you tenfold in a number of ways. First, the enjoyment of knowing that a special talent you had made someone else’s life better. Second, because you didn’t seek it, word will spread about you and your deeds. This will be translated into unexpected riches and opportunities. Third, you will gain a new level of confidence in knowing that you can make a difference. Super achievers find motivation and meaning by helping others.

Want to learn how to be a motivated achiever? Click here to find out how our leadership, attitude, goal setting, and achievement workshops can help you stay motivated. Click here to read our articles on motivation, attitude, leadership, goal setting, etc. Call us at 757-427-7032 or e-mail us at info@thesykesgrp.com.

5 Secrets to Gaining Credibility with Your Team for Outstanding Results

Towers Perrin, the corporate benefits consulting firm, surveyed over 1000 American workers and found the following:

• Only 48 percent of all workers with more than five years of tenure believe their companies are honest in their employee communications

• Only 44 percent of all workers over age 50 trust their organizations to tell them the truth in employee communications

Organizations then wonder why worker productivity decreases, employee loyalty is at an all time low, and human resource situations increase. Your employees see everyday, at least in their eyes, the following:

• Record profits, yet massive layoffs

• Hearing how important they are, yet having their jobs outsourced

• Experiencing changes to their jobs, yet not being asked for their ideas

• Being told how they are doing a great job, yet being yelled at for mistakes in front of colleagues

No wonder there is tension in the workplace. When I work with organizations, the following three concerns are the ones usually express:

"My supervisor, manager, etc., doesn’t know how to communicate with me."
"I am the last to hear about bad news."
"He/she never asks me for my ideas."

Because of these concerns, there is a divide, professionally, emotionally, mentally, and physically between the employees and their supervisor/manager, etc., which leads to lost productivity.

The following are five secrets that will increase your credibility with employees and produce outstanding results for your organization:

1. Be Honest
   You owe it to your employees and to colleagues to be honest. Tell your employees exactly where they stand within the organization. Be positive, yet don’t sugar coat it. Once your employees know where they stand, use this as a stepping stone for improvements and solutions you can work on together.

2. Be Consistent
   Be consistent with your communication among employees. You will lose credibility with employees if they see you communicate differently with different employees concerning the same situations. For example, if you berate an employee (which I’m sure you would never do) for a mistake, yet say nothing to another employee for the same mistake, you will lose credibility.
   

   Also, be consistent with the way you communicate your moods. Remember, if you project a professional manner, no matter the situation, your employees will emulate your behavior.

3. Communicate Bad News ASAP
   There is nothing worse for employees than hearing bad news from human resources, shareholders, the news, friends, family, and even their religious leader, but not from you, their manager. The biggest reasons I hear for not telling employees are the following:

   "Management asked me to keep it secret."
   "I don’t have all the facts yet."
   "I don’t think the employees can handle the bad news."

   Well, guess what:
   
   • Employees always find out about bad news (sometimes before their supervisors/managers, etc.).
   • Employees always appreciate when you share whatever information you have with them as long as you are honest with them.
   • Employees can take more than you think if you are sensitive to their concerns and express these concerns with them.
   Will some of them be unhappy in the short run? Some employees may not be happy; however, they will respect you as a manager that respects them and keeps them informed of all news, good or bad.

4. Give and Receive Constant Feedback
   Employees want feedback on, "How am I doing?" By giving constant feedback, you are developing a bond of trust that improves the performance of your employees.
    

   Remember, your employees are always doing something well. Make sure you come from a positive position of improvement when giving feedback. Let your employees know that you appreciate their efforts and the difference they make each day.

    

   Also make it "safe" for employees to give you feedback. Let them know that no one is perfect (I know we think we are) and that you value their feedback to make the work environment a "win-win" situation for all involved. Teach your employees how to give feedback, both positive and constructive. Remember, as a leader, you are constantly developing your employees for the next level.

5. Ask for Employee Solutions
   People go to work to succeed, not fail. Employees also go to work because they want to make a difference at their job. One of the best ways for employees to feel they are making a difference is to involve them in the solution creation process.
    

   Make asking for solutions from your employees an ongoing process. Whether during staff meetings, one-on-one sessions, etc., make it safe for employees to develop their own solutions. If given the opportunity, your employees will come up with solutions that are innovative, proactive, and in some cases better than any solution we can ever develop.

    

   To motivate your employees to create solutions, you must do the following:

    
   • Give them credit for the solutions
   • Create reward systems for solutions
   • Make it easy for them to communicate solutions
   • Massage solutions for positive results
    

   Very importantly, if employees share a solution with you, please, please, please, give them feedback ASAP. You will lose employee credibility if they think you don’t care or are taking credit for their ideas.

Apply these techniques now and you will gain credibility and increase productivity with your employees while developing a high performance environment that achieves outstanding results.

Source: Towers Perrin, Enhancing Corporate Credibility-Is It Time to Take the "Spin" Out of Employee Communication? January, 2004

Want to learn how to build a powerful, self-directed, high producing team employees? Click here to find out how our workshops can help you lead others to the next level. Click here to read our other articles on motivation, team building, and goal setting, etc. Call us at 757-427-7032 or e-mail us at info@thesykesgrp.com.

Ed Sykes is a professional speaker published in the areas of leadership, change management, customer service, motivation, and teamwork. He works with business and government organizations who want to reach the next level of success and individuals who want to perform at their best. You can email him at esykes@thesykesgrp.com, call him at (757) 427-7032 or visit his Web site at www.thesykesgrp.com.

It’s the Most Wonderful Gift of the Year

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. As we deck the halls and fill the malls, we’re filled with anticipation, joy, and excitement. The holiday season is upon us, and it’s a special time we choose to show our appreciation and share our love with the special people in our lives. However, with all of the joy the holidays bring, this still tends to be one of the most stressful times of the year. Why?

Could it be because it’s intoxicating to buy loved ones whatever their hearts desire – and we’re willing to rise in the dark of night to shop in the pre-dawn hours for the "gift of the year?" Ah, yes, the mad dash to the 5 a.m. sale where you’re guaranteed to be pushed, run over, stepped on, and after a long wait told "Sorry sold out;" only to then have the pleasure of standing in a check out line as long as the east coast. Hum. Do you ever question the sanity of a day like this in a life that seems to have so little time, and a world that’s filled with job insecurity, war, and economic ups and downs? If so, why do you still feel so torn? Could it be because we’ve allowed marketers, advertisers, manufacturers, and retailers to shape our outlook and convince us to buy into their vision of the perfect life? This life where you shop to create the perfect body, so you can be with the perfect partner, live in the perfect house, and drive the perfect car to the perfect job so we can afford the perfect lotions and potions to forever live the perfect life. Wake up and smell the perfect hype! The holidays are not about being manipulated into believing in some artificially created image that drives sales; it’s about your vision of giving and sharing the joy your choose to create.

Stress of the season happens when we fret about how our gift will be received. A disconnect exists when we fear if our gift is disliked, then somehow we too will be rejected and denied the friendship, affection or acceptance we so desire. Although intellectually, we know nothing could be further from the truth, we may still feel the need to explain away or apologize for our gifts of love. I say if you hold this to be your truth and also believe that the worth of your relationships is based on the monetary value of gifts exchanged, then I strongly urge you to re-examine and re-evaluate your relationships.

At a time when many feel compelled to spend more money (perhaps more than they can afford) yet feel they have less time, it’s important to focus on the deeper meaning and spirit of the holidays. Now and in the days to come, regroup and refocus your energies to give the most priceless gift you always have to offer – YOU. Truly the most wonderful gifts of the year are heartfelt, so here are a few you can offer the whole year through.

1. Create A Moment
   Moments are magical times when someone later turns and says, "Remember the time we…" Moments don’t just happen; they’re created. Moments are the gifts that keep on giving and that can be relived at any time over and over again.

2. Unconditional Love and Friendship
   No judging, no gossiping, no criticizing – No Kidding!

3. A Random Act of Kindness
   Give of yourself daily. Acts both small and large count - choose to donate your time, energy, or money. You can experience even greater gratification if you don’t tell a soul.

4. The Gift of Time
   
   • Time with yourself to reflect and grow
   • Time with others to develop and build powerful relationships
   • Time given to others that empowers them to expand their greatness

5. The Gift of Respect
   Respect for yourself and others empowers you to value beauty inside and out. Value the beauty of your relationships by infusing them with respect and honoring them with your time.

I encourage you to start today - share any or all of these gifts with yourself, family, friends, or colleagues. Remember, the most wonderful gift of all is the gift that keeps on giving!

Want to learn how to make a difference with others? Click here to read our other articles. Our Achieve Your Dreams, How to Say No and Set Boundaries, and Positive Attitude programs can help you bring the best out of you and others. Just click here.

Eight Ways to Motivate Part Time Employees

In most cases, part-time employees present a special challenge when it comes to motivation. They do the "grunt" work, have little career choices, are often focused on other goals outside of your organization (college, hobbies, etc.), and are treated as outsiders by full-time employees. So what’s a manager to do? How do we turn our part-time employees into outstanding employees?

The following are eight proven techniques to motivate your part-time employees:

1. Orient them properly
   Take time to describe job duties and go over what is allowed and not allowed, e.g., personal telephone calls, use of organization property, etc. Avoid confusion by designating one person to orient and give assignments to part-timers. This will eliminate the "well he told me one thing and she said something else" situation that can lead to a demoralized part-time employee.

2. Find Out What Motivates Them.
   Ask your part-timers questions so that you can find out how to best motivate them. In my teambuilding and leadership programs, I discuss the "Sykes Seven Questions of Motivation" that you need to have the answers to if you are truly motivating your employees. One question you can ask your part-timer is, “What do you want to do in the future?” By asking the question, you can relate their future goals to your present needs. For example, the part-timer says he/she wants to be an artist. Listen, acknowledge, and embrace the answer and realize that you can possibly apply their skills now by allowing them to create recognition posters (I know you are already doing these, right?), work on the organization newsletter, or any other art project that will benefit your organization.
   
   If you don’t ask, you won’t know what the hidden talents of these part-timers are and how to apply them.

3. Check Yourself When Communicating
   Sometime part-timers are looked at as an unnecessary evil. It may be great to have the extra hands, but not so great to deal with them. First, realize you are fortunate enough to have the extra help. Most people are anxious to have the extra help. Second, it is your job to develop them. Third, only communicate the positive when communicating with them.
   
   Remember, for your part-timers, this may be their first experience in the workplace. They may be a little scared and may show it in a number of different ways (rebelling against requests, not working with others, or showing up late or not at all). Our job is to check ourselves whenever we communicate with part-timers so that they feel welcome. Check yourself when communicating requests so that they are always discussed with positive expectations. Check yourself when communicating with part-timer and full-timers so that both groups know you are glad to have them. It will go a long way to letting the part-timer feel motivated to be there.

4. Assign a mentor
   Even after proper orientation, part-time workers will be confused. Assign them a full-time worker to be a mentor. The part-time worker will feel more like part of the team, and the mentor will feel good about the added responsibility.
   
   Important: Pick someone who is patient, has good communication skills, is motivated to do the task, and has the time to answer questions.

5. Mix up the workload
   Don’t overload part-time workers with “grunt” tasks only. It’s a common temptation to assign all low-level work to part-time employees. Don’t do it! It’s demoralizing. Remember, "Variety is the spice of work life." This is where you would apply the information learned in technique number two to mix up the assignments.

6. Eliminate any Hard Feelings
   Eliminate any perceived or real hard feelings between part-timers and full-timers immediately. Explain to full-time employees why you’re bringing in part-time help and that their jobs are not being threatened.
   
   Important: Sell them on the benefits of bringing in part-timers (make jobs easier, allow them to learn management skills, etc.)

7. Offer Flexible Hours
   Many part-time employees are working part-time to meet special situations (College, family health situations, childcare issues, transportation issues, etc.). Use that to your advantage. By allowing flexible work hours, you’ll retain your part-time workers longer, eliminating the need for costly retraining.
   
   Important: Make sure part-time employees communicate and clear all scheduling conflicts in advance to avoid confusion.

8. Offer Incentives
   Most companies don’t offer part-time employees incentives. Believe me, the part-time employee knows and resents this policy right away. That’s a big mistake. Set up an incentive program based on your organization’s revenue or behavior you need to see from the part-time employee. In the case of incentives for behavior, give a bonus or incentive for the following:
   • Perfect attendance
   • Perfect on time attendance
   • Working well with others
   • Working well with full-time employees
   • Taking initiative to solve problems
   • Great customer service

   Important: Recognize the part-time worker as soon as the action was taken and praise publicly (my article “Appreciate to Motivate" will explain how).

If you follow the eight steps mentioned, we guarantee that you will be well on the way to motivated, productive part-time employees with less turnover and retraining. You will accomplish far more in less time without the stress.

Want to learn how to motivate your employees? Our Team Building, Life After Downsizing, How to Develop the Leader Within You, Time Management Skills to Achieve More, and How to Handle Workplace Stress and Master Your Life programs can help you lead others to the next level. Please read our articles on motivation, goal setting, etc. Call us at 757-427-7032 or e-mail us at info@thesykesgrp.com.