Edison’s power source: Naps, music, and dancing
We know many of the factors that feed innovation: creativity, imagination, expertise, dialogue, hard work, and more. But who knew that we’d also benefit from occasional naps, frequent music, and full-on dancing?! Thomas Edison enjoyed his work and did a lot of it. He sometimes logged more than 24 hours at a stretch. He often worked three days straight, followed by a couple days off. But the Wizard of Menlo Park was hardly all work. He seems to have invented the power nap, and he used it often. He’d plop on the nearest horizontal surface, shut his eyes, turn off his ears, and get a quick mental recharge. He also had a penchant for play. Edison had several of his mechanics install a pipe organ in the main work room. They’d crank it up to mark every big breakthrough. The room would fill with singing, spontaneous dancing, and a thick haze of cigar smoke. There was even a Menlo Park band, and Edison sometimes served as the grand marshal, leading boisterous parades around equipment-covered tables. Was all of this just fun and games, or did Edison have something else in mind? Many of today’s workplaces are full of rules, layers, protocol, and bureaucracy. Edison minimized those things while maximizing the free flow of dialogue and building in plenty of informality and fun. The results speak for themselves: 1,093 patents. I’m not saying you should cue up the music and grab your dancing shoes. And don’t put in a purchase request for a pipe organ. But I’ll bet there’s a lot you can do to lighten up and have some purposeful fun with co-workers, even if you’re not the person in charge. Edison made it a priority. Maybe we should too. By Tom Terez •...
Read MoreTo build a better team, cite what’s going right
It’s the quickest and easiest way to improve your team. At the end of a meeting, when the group is still together and you have everyone’s attention, cite one thing that went very well. Take just 20 or so seconds for this. Be casual, but be specific. Here’s an example: “It was great how everyone weighed in with their ideas. We made incredible progress in just an hour.” Over the next few days, during a few of your conversations with team members, make the same observation. Phrase it a bit differently, but maintain the core message. “That last meeting was our best in a long time. With all of us adding in ideas, we got more done in an hour than a lot of groups get done in a whole week.” After you do this a few times, one or two people will be saying the same thing, guaranteed. And the words will become a new understanding shared by team members: When all of us participate, we get better results. At the next team meeting, if the opportunity presents itself early in the session, convey the same message once more. “That last session was fantastic. No one held back, and that made a huge difference. Here’s a handout with all the ideas we generated.” You can see what’s happening here. By reflecting back on one specific thing the group has done extremely well, the person is making it visible for all to see — and establishing it as a new team benchmark. The reflection technique doesn’t require special skill. It doesn’t take a lot of time. And you don’t need high-level authority. Anyone can do it — as long as they’re observant enough to see that one action, behavior, or quality that’s emerging as a team strength. Every team has at least one. So stay alert, call it out, and make it your team’s new norm. By Tom Terez •...
Read MoreThe 12 rules of lasting success
These “simple” rules can take a lifetime to master, but they’re well worth the effort. Make them your daily operating procedure and watch the success unfold. START THE DAY RIGHT. Figure out what puts you in a positive frame of mind, and make it your morning ritual. EXPECT GOOD THINGS. Keep that glass half full by choosing faith and hope over cynicism and skepticism. TAKE TIME TO BE AWED. Look through the lens of appreciation and see all that is going right in your workplace. LIVE A MISSION. When completing those everyday tasks and projects, see how they contribute to a greater good. DELIVER EXCELLENCE. Every job involves service to someone, so serve them well by setting a high standard every day. MAKE PLENTY OF FRIENDS. Every workplace is its own community, so reach across the fence, meet your neighbors, and build your network. SHOW UP ON TIME. Lower your stress and boost your reputation by being reliably prompt. BE INCLINED TO SAY YES. When requests, offers, and invitations come your way, look for every reason to accept. EXERCISE YOUR STRENGTHS. You’re good at many things, and you’ll get even better by putting those strengths to work. SEEK OPPORTUNITY IN ADVERSITY. When times get tough, search the situation for something to learn or some other way to benefit. FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE. Enjoy solitude and social time, work and play, activity and rest, indoors and outdoors…all in the same day…in measures that bring you fulfillment. LEARN SOMETHING EVERY DAY. As the sun sets, reflect on your day and identity one discovery you can put to work tomorrow. By Tom Terez •...
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Read MoreWhen trust is in trouble: The top 10 alarms
Want to build trust in your workplace? Then keep your ears wide open to these trust-in-danger alarms.
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