The Spoon

One of the most powerful things a leader can do to build a strong organizational culture is to just be himself. For us lucky Double-Take employees, we have a great example at the top of our organization.

Four or five times a year, Double-Take Software CEO Dean Goodermote makes a drastic wardrobe change to entertain his clients. His necktie is replaced with love beads. His suit is replaced with a tight, sleeveless T-shirt, capri pants and bright orange-and-blue sneakers – an homage to the company colors.

Cluster-Funk at Tech Ed from DBTK on Vimeo.

Read more about ClusterFunk's rockstar performance last night at the Conga Room in Los Angeles for the 4th year in a row at the Microsoft TechEd event.

I was just blogging on my personal site about this topic, and thought it was applicable to work, as well.

Often, we sign up for various activities, groups, classes, etc. and eventually begin to feel annoyed that we have to go attend yet another meeting, or wonder why we aren't getting as much out of it as we used to. We wonder if fellow participants enjoy wasting our time, and our minds wander as we figure out who to talk to in order to get out of this ridiculous training.

Well, here's why you have that toxic attitude:

MindfulMoment
By: Andrea Moore, CIASTD 2009 President

“You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings.” — Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

Recently, I found myself feeling disconnected from a group I meet with one evening each week. I found myself placing blame on the group participants and thinking about aspects of their personalities that were not allowing me to connect.

Knowing, however, that I am responsible for creating the experiences of my life, I took a step back and reminded myself of the part I am playing with this group. I asked myself, “What am I doing to connect with these people?”—and what I realized is that I was not fully showing up with this group. Once I put myself out there and shared what I was feeling, the connection returned.

In what way are you participating in your life?
How can you take more responsibility for what you are creating?

Andrea is a senior consultant at FlashPoint, a multidiscipline HR consulting firm in Indianapolis. As a certified professional in learning and performance and a certified empowerment coach, she focuses on the growth and development of individuals, work teams, and leaders.

During tough economic times, you'll hear rumblings about "employee engagement" from various levels of an organization. Employee engagement is the hot buzz word that just won't go away, primarily because it does have an impact on how well (or poor) a company comes out of a downturn.

However, while everyone is buzzin' about employee engagement, how many of you actually know what drives, creates, and sustains it?? If you can name at least 3 *without peeking*, you get an A for the day.

Get a little deeper on what drives employee engagement:

• Trust and integrity – how well managers communicate and 'walk the talk'.
  
  
• Nature of the job –Is it mentally stimulating day-to-day?
  
  
• Strategic Direction between employee performance and company performance – Does the employee understand how their work contributes to the company's performance?
  
  
• Growth opportunities –Are there future opportunities for growth?
  
  
• Pride about the company – How much self-esteem does the employee feel by being associated with their company?
  
  
• Coworkers/team members – significantly influence one's level of engagement
  
  
• Employee development opportunities – Is the company making an effort to develop the employee's skills?
  
  
• Relationship with one's manager – Does the employee value his or her relationship with his or her manager?