How Full Is Your Bucket?

How Full Is Your Bucket? Educator's Edition: Positive Strategies for Work and LifeHow Full Is Your Bucket? Educator's Edition: Positive Strategies for Work and Life

Solutions Vault Book Review

This book is a fast read and one that is effective in delivering a clear message: Positivity pays big dividends. While there has been a lot said, written, and shared about the power of positive thinking, positive interaction, and positive focus this books identifies where it all began as a psychological study. Written by Tom Rath and Donald “Don” O. Clifton, Ph.D., this books is the culmination of nearly fifty-years of work performed by Don, the “father of Positive Psychology”. This book is truly a gift to anyone who reads it and is a testament to why the American Psychological Associate (APA) in 2002, recognized Don’s pioneering work and dubbed him the the “Grandfather of Positive Psychology” and the “Father of Strengths Psychology”. While Don had written many books, including the well received Now, Discover your Strengths he asked his Grandson, Tom Rath to join him in this final creation based on a theory he created in the 1960’s.

  

A Focus on the Positive

In 2002, around the time Don was recognized for his professional contributions, he learned an aggressive and terminal cancer had spread throughout his body. While alarming, Don chose to take action to apply his energy in a positive direction, the result is How Full is Your Bucket written with the close collaboration of his Grandson, Tom Rath. The book is based on a simple theory about how interactions with other people are defined as ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ based on the metaphor of a “bucket” and a “dipper” and the idea that everyone has one of each. This theory was applied over the last 40 years in more than 5,000 organizations, and by more than 1 million people, and counting. The magic of the book is that is often passed on to a friend, colleague, or a loved one and continues to carry out Don’s life work in Positive Psychology.

So, What is a Dipper and What is a Bucket?

• A “bucket” is where you keep each positive interaction you have
• A “dipper” is use to add to or take from the bucket of others

  

Think of each daily interaction as a drop of water in your bucket. Each drop in your bucket quenches a natural thirst for positive interaction. If you go through each day having positive interactions with people, you will find your bucket overflowing with positivity. If, on the other hand, interactions are negative, it is as if someone is coming to you, and “dipping” into your bucket – taking the good and positive from you. If you are choosing to be negative, you are emptying your bucket as you empty theirs as well.

Fast Facts About a Full Bucket

Beyond praise and recognition at work, of more than 4 million employees surveyed worldwide, including more than 10,000 businesses in 30 industries regular recognition and praise produce the following results in employees:

•  Increase their individual productivity
• Increase engagement among their colleagues
• Are more likely to stay with their organization
• Receive higher customers loyalty and satisfaction scores
• Have better safety records and fewer accidents on the job

 Five Reasons Every Moment Counts

•  Moments are like drops in your bucket – in a day you are likely to have 20,000 individual moments
• 5:1 Ratio – it has been determined for every negative moment, it takes five positives to recover
• 13:1 Ratio – it has been determined that 13 positives is the maximum response to a negative interaction
• Optimist have less than one doctor visit per year, pessimist average 3.5 doctor visits per year.
• Positivity can increase your life span by 10 years

There is a science to positive thinking, and behavior. What is also true is that common sense can be applied to keep blood pressure normal, and joy levels above average: avoid negative people and environments. Do your best to find positive interaction opportunities at home and at work. Whether it is a compliment or recognition it is a moment where you can fill two buckets – theirs and yours.

Ten Tips For An Effective Training Program

Jul 1, 1998 12:00 PM, By Mark Lamendola, Technical Editor

You need to train your people, but your budget is virtually nonexistent. So how do you satisfy your employees' thirst for knowledge without drowning them?
Competence and confidence is an ideal mixture in the workplace. Employees with these traits can motivate others to work together and create a safe and productive environment. How can you build this utopia at your facility? Establishing an effective training program is the best way to start. However, building a strong and knowledgeable staff isn't free. These 10 tips will help you make the most of your training dollars.


Tip 1: Use variety. You have many training media and methods available: Use as many as you feel comfortable with. For example, if you tell a group of electrici ans some facts about troubleshooting a new motor drive, you'll pass on some knowledge. But you'll pass on much more if you let them view a video on that drive, read the manual, watch another electrician working on it, or listen to a tape on how to troubleshoot it. The more ways you present information, the more your staff will learn and retain. Vary the pace and style of your training. Formal training is good, but informal training fills in many gaps. Magazines, books, and on-the-job training (OJT) are all very useful. Because magazines cover many topics in a single issue, you can bring the knowledge of many experts into one place.

Tip 2: Use repetition. Informal training repetition can mean you distill portions of the training into slogans, factoids, and images. Including slips of paper in with paychecks with a sentence or two about some idea can work well with safety training. You can also include photos, illustrations, or icons to get your point across. Even passing around a copy of a magazine article, maybe twice a year, can help employees remember important information. Refresher courses are also a form of formal training repetition. Recap previous sessions before continuing with new material.


You may also follow up with annual or semiannual recertification. Let's say someone earns a Master Electrician's License. That license requires extensive knowledge of the NE Code and how to make Code-related calculations. Yet, a typical Master Electrician will use only a portion of the knowledge needed for the exam, while expanding knowledge in other areas. If you have a monthly refresher course that takes, say, 1 hr each Friday, you keep the bulk of that knowledge at the front of the electrician's mind. Once a year, you can take a half-day to give a portion of the Master Exam in-house. Anyone going through even this low level of repetition will be 90% prepared for licensing day.

Tip 3: Use feedback. Feedback reinforces learning by making the student recall information. The method of feedback is important. For example, master exams tend to intimidate people. Brief quizzes reinforce the learning experience, without intimidation. In fact, success on frequent quizzes will boost the student's confidence. Quizzes can be formal, informal, oral, or written. Using these tools in combination is best.


For some reason, the learning communication path is wider when it has two-way traffic. One simple way to get feedback is to ask for it. For example: "What did you learn about photo sensors today? Take 5 min and tell me some details." Some companies try to get feedback by requiring electricians to write follow-up reports. This approach seems cold and impersonal, so the emotional element that reinforces the training just isn't there.

Tip 4: Administer small doses. Most people get "burned out" if they get too much of a good thing-at least too much at one time. That's just the way most minds work. If you're going to schedule a week of training, you'll do better to spread all five topics, a little at a time, across five days, rather than covering a full topic each day. Administratively, this is a little more work, but the payback is much higher. Having a tip of the day is another easy way to administer small doses.

Tip 5: Apply knowledge right away. It's too easy to forget something if you don't use it. Experts disagree on the "shelf life" of learning, but there's somewhat of a consensus you should wait no longer than two weeks to make use of newly acquired skills. Even if people didn't forget, they are much more motivated when they know they can put their learning investment to use right away.


When someone returns from a training session, assign that person some work related to that training. For example, if you're going to send a person to PLC training, delay non-emergency PLC work until that person gets back. Then, give that work to the person who just got the training. Remember the saying made famous by Gloria Steinem, "Tell me, and I'll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I'll understand."


Tip 6: Make it interes ting. Bore people, and their minds become stones instead of sponges. Keep material dry, and you get nowhere.


First, if you're using written materials, how do they sound when you read them out loud? Does the writer try to bring you into the discussion? Do you feel any emotional response? Does the material sound wordy or stuffy? If so, it makes poor training material. It needs to be concise and clear. If the material sounds like the author wrote it to impress someone with a huge vocabulary, rather than to share with the reader, then that's probably the case. On the other hand, if the writer seems to be talking to you, this is probably good material to use in training.


Second, can you draw any parallels between the material and other interests of the students? Can you show them how this will affect their work or lives? Does it relate to any outside interests? Build a profile of each person.


Third, add an interactive element whenever you can. Group projects and discussions help accomplish this objective. It's always good to ask people how this relates to their work. "Do you have breakers that give you nuisance trips?" Another question might be: "Do you have any sloppy wireway in your plant?" Personalize the training to make it interesting. People are more interested when you're helping them solve their problems than when you're passing on information they don't have an immediate need for. Find that need!


Tip 7: Use training experts. Several companies produce interesting training videos and other aids that use the principles of variety, repetition, and small doses. Who are the experts? Certainly, a company that makes motors knows about motors. A company that makes digital multimeters knows about digital multimeters. These companies provide training aids at very low prices. You can find some of these by looking through this issue of EC&M.


Realize you have experts among your own people. They may not know everything, but they know enough to be a good resource for training. The typical OJT arrangement is apprentices working under a journeyman. If you keep track of the kinds of work assigned to the apprentices, you can count their experience as training.


Let's say you have an annealing furnace with specialized controls. You have four people who maintain the furnace. One of them always serves as the brains when you do any major repair or troubleshooting. That person may be the one you need to pair other people with. You could use the same OJT techniques electrical apprentices use: hands-on training under the guidance of a qualified person.


If you want your in-house experts to put on formal training, educate them on how to train others. Your local community college is one resource, or send your experts to one of the many "train the trainer" seminars.


Tip 8: Use your vendors. Vendors routinely put on mini-courses. While these may accent a particular product, it's worth it to pass on information an attendee can use. Many times, a vendor will come to your office or plant. Many companies train their sales representatives. Granted, that training tends to be equipment-specific, but don't you buy and use specific equipment?


This type of training has some side benefits. For one thing, your own people become familiar with the vendors on a first-name basis. Sometimes, this can get you exceptional service you wouldn't get otherwise. You also learn more about your equipment and usually wind up on the short list for product update information; and the ball caps, screwdrivers, and pens vendors usually hand out at these mini-courses are always an added bonus.


Tip 9: Use a matrix. Many engineers and financial types often use spreadsheets. If you don't have spreadsheet knowledge, ask for help. If you don't have a matrix, you're administering your training in a haphazard manner. This says something to the people who work for you. Change the message to a positive one.


Nobody likes to be behind their coworkers. If posted prominently, a matrix allows people to compare their own training progress with their peers. This can have a motivating effect. Before you post such a matrix, though, make sure you've taken at least the first step toward correcting imbalances. If someone feels cheated, it'll be counterproductive to showcase the reasons why.


Tip 10: Give everyone a chance. What was that comment about feeling cheated? If you leave an employee behind the group in terms of training, you marginalize that person. Use training to show you have confidence in them and their contribution is important.


When you show everyone is important, through the way you administer training, you have a positive effect on the team dynamic. When everyone is an expert in something, then you've accomplished one of the main goals of training: a strong, knowledgeable staff. The attitudes from such an environment give rise to teamwork as well as excellence.

http://ecmweb.com/mag/electric_ten_tips_effective_2/

How to Build Learning Faster, Better, Cheaper

by Harold D. Stolovitch and Erica J. Keeps


When creating products and services for an organization, there is a saying that goes like this:

“Good, fast, cheap--choose two.” In other words, if you want it fast and good, it will cost you a lot.

Is it fast and cheap you desire? Then the quality of the result will suffer. Are good and cheap your

choices? Sorry, but you won’t get it quickly; we’ll do it when we can. In this article, we offer all

three to you. We introduce you to six cognitive strategy groupings that you and your learners can

apply. These strategies have been shown to help speed up learning, make it stick more

powerfully and longer, and cost less in time and energy for both teaching and learning.



First, what are cognitive strategies? We borrow both definitions and much of what follows from

three author-researchers at the University of Illinois: Charles K. West, James A. Farmer, and

Phillip M. Wolff (1991). Cognitive strategies are the mental methodologies we use as we study

and learn. Unlike metacognitive skills, which are higher level, executive skills we deploy for any

learning, our cognitive strategies form a database of thinking and learning packages that we can

apply to specific learning situations. They enable us to organize a piece of learning so we can

internalize and recall it more easily. Let’s apply a simple example right now. Examine the two

Lincoln pennies depicted below.

In the coin of the left, Lincoln is facing right. In the coin on the right, he is facing left. Without

peeking at a real Lincoln penny, which depiction is correct, A or B?

Your answer:

We have tried this little test with thousands of American adult learners and, amazingly, 70 percent

of them select B, although they have seen the coin numerous times. They just weren’t paying

attention. When we ask our audiences if they would bet $10,000 on their selection before we

reveal the correct answer, we find very few takers. The correct answer is A.


So, how do we ensure that we remember which direction Lincoln faces? Here’s a little statement

to help: “Our great President Lincoln always did right by the people.” Will you remember now?

Probably. But what about the nickel, dime, and quarter? Which way do the presidents on these

coins face? Here’s a clue: “All the other presidents were left behind.” Yes, they face left (except

for the recently minted nickel).


What is the point of this coin discussion? It’s simple. You will probably remember this set of notvery-

useful facts for the rest of your life. Associating some arbitrary (hence, hard to retain) facts

with a mnemonic device that’s easy and familiar (“…did right by the people…were left behind”) is

a powerful means for grasping and retaining information. It is part of a cognitive strategy that is

good (learn and retain well), fast (you learned it quickly, didn’t you?) and cheap (two simple

sentences--not much mental storage and retrieval cost).


Now that you have been introduced to cognitive strategy, let’s continue to tune your

understanding. Cognitive strategies are collections of methods that help people learn. Good

learners have a larger repertoire of these strategies and use them more naturally, frequently, and

appropriately than do poor learners. They also obtain better results. Here are six types of

cognitive strategies you can use to transform your learners.


Six types of cognitive strategies


Clustering: Different ways to arrange information for easier perception,

understanding, retention, and recall. Any time you cluster

declarative or procedural knowledge into logical, easy-tounderstand

groupings, you employ a highly successful cognitive

strategy.


Spatial: Visual displays of information that lay out a large number of

elements in a manner that is easy to comprehend and to retain or

recall. Laying out information to be learned in some kind of visual

manner often helps learners see how things relate. Common forms

of spatial organizers are matrices, flowcharts, and pie charts.


Advanced organizers: Organized, short introductory information packages that set an

expectation or build a vision. They help the learner picture what’s to

come and how it relates to prior knowledge or content that has

come before. An advanced organizer is usually a brief introduction

made prior to getting into a new topic or set of skills that gives the

learner a heads-up as to what’s coming. It is almost always short.

Most times it links prior knowledge to new material and makes

comparisons and logical linkages. It may outline the new content

and also prepare the learner mentally to approach it with the proper

mindset.


Image-rich comparisons: Analogies, metaphors, and literal comparisons that build bridges

between what the learner already knows and new learning.

Throughout our lives we have been taught with image-rich

comparisons. We use metaphors in our daily speech: “She’s a

peach,” or “He’s a skunk!” Our computer interfaces are built on

metaphors. We have a “desktop” on our screen along with menus

and icons. The strength of this cognitive strategy lies in the bridge

(connection) that is established between what the learner already

knows--the familiar--and what is yet to be learned.


Repetition: Activities that allow learners to rehearse content they have

encountered and practice it in organized ways until it sticks in the

mind. Repetition and rehearsal in their various forms can be

immensely effective, especially for long-term, hard-wired learning.

Study, memorization, practice, rehearsal, self-tests, and tests have

all demonstrated the power to assist learning. The keys to all of

these are organization, meaningfulness, and systematic application.

Over time, content acquisition improves, as does efficiency in

learning.

Memory aids: Groups of easy-to-remember letters, words, or images that help

store and retrieve more complex material. This cognitive strategy,

also known as mnemonics, is a favorite for remembering.

Essentially, a mnemonic is a memory crutch-- a group of easy-toremember

letters, words, or images that help store and retrieve

more complex material. The most common ones include acronyms,

acrostics, rhymes, and key words.
 
 
All the cognitive strategies presented in this article are packages of thinking modes that we can


deploy whenever we wish to learn something. As trainers, instructors, and educators, our mission

is to create learning success. It would be wonderful if all our learners were endowed with high

ability, deep prior knowledge, and powerful motivation to learn and possessed well-developed

metacognitive skills along with a large repertoire of oiled and efficient cognitive strategies to cover

every specific learning situation. We simply could lay out the learning goals, provide the

resources, and stand back. But that’s not reality. Our learners come to each learning event with a

broad range of strengths and deficiencies, and our job is to structure learning for successful

transformation.


Note: This article is an excerpt from Harold Stolovitch and Erica Keeps' book, Telling Ain't


Training. Reprinted with permission of Harold D. Stolovitch and Erica J. Keeps.


Harold D. Stolovitch and Erica J. Keeps are the principals of HSA LEARNING &

PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS LLC, an international consulting firm that specializes in the

application of instructional technology and human performance technology to business, industry,

government, and the military. Stolovitch and Keeps are co-authors of the best-selling, awardwinning

books Telling Ain’t Training and Training Ain’t Performance. They are also co-authors of

the Wiley/Pfeiffer Learning & Performance Toolkit Series as well as co-editors of the Handbook of


Human Performance Technology. Their most recent book, Beyond Telling Ain’t Training


Fieldbook, was released in May 2005. For more information on their books or workshops, visit

their website at www.hsa-lps.com. Stolovitch and Keeps can be reached at info@hsa-lps.com or

310.286.2722.

Your Best Is Yet To Come

How we choose to respond is the key to creating the environment we want most, one filled with success and energy.

 

“I am responsible. Although I may not be able to prevent the worst from happening, I am responsible for my attitude toward the inevitable misfortunes that darken life. Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have – life itself.” -Walter Anderson

  

By determining that the best is yet to come, even when challenges arise you are choosing personal leadership and accountability as the tools you use for being your very best.

 

 

 

Identify and Eliminate Negative Thinking 

The Mayo Clinic has been researching the effects of positive thinking. Key excerpts from an online article discuss how to identify negative ’self-talk’ – the internal monologue a person has with themselves – and how to focus on positive thinking in a deliberate manner.

Identifying negative thinking 

When you think about what you think to yourself, are you using any of these thought patters?

  

• Filtering. You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all of the positive ones. For example, say you had a great day at work. You completed your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job. But you forgot one minor step. That evening, you focus only on your oversight and forget about the compliments you received.

 

• Personalizing. When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. For example, you hear that an evening out with friends is canceled, and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you.

 

• Catastrophizing. You automatically anticipate the worst. You refuse to go out with friends for fear that you’ll make a fool of yourself. Or one change in your daily routine leads you to think the entire day will be a disaster.

 

• Polarizing. You see things only as either good or bad, black or white. There is no middle ground. You feel that you have to be perfect or that you’re a total failure.

 

Focusing on positive thinking
If you discover that your self-talk is tending to be negative you’re NOT doomed to an unhappy or unhealthy life. The process is simple, though it takes time and practice. Here are some ways to think and behave in a more positive way:

  

• Check yourself. Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you’re thinking. If you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to put a positive spin on them.

• Be open to humor. Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed.

• Follow a healthy lifestyle. Exercise at least three times a week to positively affect mood and reduce stress. Create a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body, and to manage stress. 

• Surround yourself with positive people. Make sure those in your life are positive, supportive people you can depend on to give helpful advice and feedback. Negative people, those who believe they have no power over their lives, may increase your stress level and make you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways. 

• Practice positive self-talk. Start by following one simple rule: Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about yourself.

 

Examples of typical negative self-talk and how you might apply a positive twist include:

 

Start with you – while challenges may occur how you respond is what you control. Circumstances will change, what you can keep constant is the outlook you have on the situation. Just like the table above, a positive spin may just be about looking at a situation in a slightly different way, often there is no need to start over – simply start with subtle adjustments.

 

Life Path or Career Path? Age May Determine Your Answer

“Understanding the nature of the modern workforce can seem like a three-dimensional puzzle. With factors such as living longer combined with increased costs of living, economic challenges, and new and divergent values, one size does not fit all, and may not even fit very many people at all.”

Consider this fact: every seven seconds a baby-boomer turns 60? Every 7 seconds. This means that for the first time there are four generations working along side one another. The names may vary from Millennials, also called Gen Y to those called Matures, those born between 1920 and 1940. Here is a simple chart that shows how these generations are grouped.

Four Generations, One Workforce

Matures are born from 1920 to 1940 and are now ages 62-82

Boomers were born from 1940 to 1960 and are ages 42-62

Generation X were born from 1960 to 1980 and are ages 22-42

Millennials (Gen Y) were born from 1980 to 2000 and are <22


Each generation is known for various core values that define the way they interact with the world and others. In an article on www.multiculturaladvantage.com titled Generational Diversity in the Workplace each of generations traits are well described as follows:


Matures

This generation is strongly influenced by family and religion, and accounts for about 5% of the current U.S. population. As people who experienced the discomfort and chaos of the Great Depression and WWII they may show the following core values:

Dedication

Sacrifice

Hard work

Conformity

Law & Order

Respect for authority

Patience

Delayed reward

Duty before pleasure

Adherence to rules


Boomers

This group lived through the relative calm of the 50ís, the revolution of the 60ís and the womenís liberation of the 70ís and they account for 45% of the workforce. They believe in hard work, however they applied in the direction of creating the life they desired, versus saving up for a life they might have some day in the future as their parents did. They may be driven by these core values:

Optimism

Team orientation

Personal gratification

Health and wellness

Personal growth

Youth

Work

Involvement


Generation X

Often part of a dual-income family or children of single parents this generation is about 40% of the workforce today. They entered the workforce in the wake of corporate downsizing and transitions in numerous sectors set them on a different career path. While there parents may have lived to work, they work to live, and nothing more. Instead of seeking to replace the current leadership they are more likely to ignore them in pursuit of more fulfilling adventures. This group is likely to show a connection to these core values.

Diversity

Thinking globally

Balance

Techno-literacy

Fun

Informality

Self-reliance

Pragmatism


Millennials (Gen Y)

Members of this generation are not much older than 22 years of age, yet they make up about 20% of the workforce. Being raising in a technologically advanced environment has created a highly communicative group of individuals. With their on-demand world view timing is managed and experienced in a very different way. This group is becoming known for the following core values.

Optimism

Civic duty

Confidence

Achievement

Sociability

Morality

Street smarts

Diversity


What makes inter-generational employee and such a powerful subject is that this is a global change, there is not a single country that is not experiencing the growing pains associated with a change that will be as powerful as the industrial revolution. So what should we do to address emerging needs and secure a powerful workforce? The first step is to generate awareness; in fact some of the experts involved in the research complied by the Familes and Work Institute suggest age needs to become as standard a discussion as race and gender. Here is a link the summary of the findings reported by the Families and Work Institute