Tag Archives: management

The 3 G’s of Happiness

I think that you would agree that we all want more happiness in our lives; less complications, less problems, less stress and MORE happiness. This is something I have shared with my clients when they come to me and want more happiness. It’s called the 3 G’s. I’ll break it down for you.

Gratitude. On a daily basis, find a small thing that you’re grateful for. Not some big thing, but something small that you can be grateful for every day.
Generosity. Be generous towards somebody or something in your life. That could be money, that could be time, that could be a note you write to somebody to encourage them. Or maybe it’s something you do for a coworker or for your spouse. It doesn’t have to be big, but you’re giving to somebody without the expectation of a return.
Goodness (or doing good). Is there somewhere or something you can do good around or for? It might involve your child — maybe helping out at your child’s school event. It could be serving at your church. Or maybe doing something for a stranger. It might be giving something away to somebody and doing good in that way. Anyway, get creative and think about something you can do that is good. It could be as simple as saying please and thank you or maybe leaving a really big tip for your waiter at dinner tomorrow night.

Now you have the secret to creating more happiness in your life — the 3 G’s of Gratitude, Generosity and Goodness/Good.

If you practice and do one of these every day, your happiness factor will go up.

We all know about the 3 G’s but unless you actually do them and practice them, you’re not going to get the benefit of Happiness that they bring.

by Scott Ballard , May 1, 2023

How To Make Your Dream Employee

When we do executive coaching, it’s clear that every CEO, business owner, or entrepreneur comes to us with the dream to build something. That’s the mission that drives companies from a kitchen table to a billion-dollar empire. Unfortunately, there’s one thing almost everyone forgets. It’s the reason why disengagement is up to 80% and turnover is the highest it’s been in decades: We forget that our companies are made up of people.

Each of those people has a dream, right? Everyone has hopes outside of work. But those hopes and dreams are often seen as liabilities to mitigate instead of assets to leverage. But think about this: If I could connect my job in accounting with my dream of learning to ski, how much more would I put into my job? If I knew my company was supportive of my dreams, how much more committed would I be to that company?

We train business owners to ask the question: What are your hopes, dreams, and aspirations? Tell your employees, show them, that you actually care about this. It’s not about spending money, although if there’s budget for it that investment can go a long way — it’s about showing support. When they run that marathon, maybe you make a fun video about it and send that out to customers and employees to celebrate their accomplishment. Show them that you want to celebrate with them, because you care about their dreams.

This isn’t just about being nice. When people are in the process of achieving their dreams, that’s where real productivity happens — that’s where growth and creativity and connection happens. A bonus can’t do that! A bonus can’t motivate your employees longer than a week. A bonus can’t drive connection amongst your team. As an employer, you can’t compete in this world anymore with just a paycheck. Employees want to live for a purpose, and if you can help give that to them you’ll have the most motivated team of employees you could dream of. There’s nothing like purpose to drive your team towards real productivity and customer connection.

Everyone has to live and work in their own greatness. If you can harness and build that up, you can make a huge impact on your team — and together, you’ll have an even bigger impact on the world.

Want to read more about building your employee engagement? Download our free e-book with tips from experts across every industry, for free.

by Scott Ballard , May 21, 2017

Tips For The Introverted Manager

Last week, we talked about the Walkabout that we teach in our leadership training. For the introverted manager, talking with everyone in one day might seem overwhelming. But consider this: with training in the Walkabout, you’ll always know exactly what you’re going to say. You won’t have to stress about coming up with conversation topics, because it’s all about asking only two questions: What’s going on in your life? And have you noticed or learned anything interesting that can help the company succeed? It’s interest — and feedback.

Introverts can also thrive in the one-on one nature of a Walkabout – these check-ins aren’t before a group of hot shots talking over each other. That defeats the purpose. This is ONE on ONE. It’s having a conversation individually, looking your employee in the eye, letting them know you care.

Most introverted managers, once they learn this, can finally rest — you don’t have to be everything to everyone, after all. It’s just about a little interest, and a little feedback. Once you practice this, it will become second nature; you’ll be starting each day in a way that’s respectful to other employees. You’ll be creating a culture of respect in your company. Once that happens, the product or service will be dramatically improved.

At the end of the day, every business is just a group of people trying to provide a product or service to the world. It’s not a thing you develop; it’s a group of people working together to create value in the marketplace today. If you can’t do that, you don’t have a business.

Are you an introverted manager? Schedule a free consultation with me to maximize your unique management strategies.

by Scott Ballard , May 14, 2017