Senia Maymin and Margaret Greenberg
For those of you who are thinking that there’s a typo in the title… it’s actually not a mistake. On Tuesday, Margaret Greenberg and Senia Maymin shared insights on how to get more in done 2014 without working more hours. The webinar, entitled Profit from The Positive, took some pages from their book (same title, small pun intended). Attendees gained three practical tools based on the science of Positive Psychology they could apply right away:
- • Trick yourself into getting started
- • FRE
- • FLOW
Surprisingly, although Americans work 8 hours longer than their German counterparts each week, we are not more productive. Even with the technological advancements that have happened in the last 50 years, we have gained only a single hour of ‘extra’ time each day to do… well, whatever. It seems like we’re busy. And we are. But, our devices don’t necessarily make us more productive. So, if technology isn’t the answer to getting more done without working more hours, what is?
Of the three tools, FRE (frequent recognition and encouragement) most caught my attention. During the webinar, Greenberg tells a story about a company’s heavy-handed (and ineffective) approach to improving performance that a large segment of the working population will relate to. I won’t blow the suspense by telling you what happened. The FRE part of the webinar starts at 24:47.
As a long-time fan of Marcus Buckingham’s work, my ears perked up when it became clear Greenberg and colleague Dana Arakawa’s research corresponds with results published by The Gallup Organization. Specifically, I am referencing First, Break All the Rules, which became the backbone for 12: The Elements of Great Managing. Buckingham and Coffman’s research revealed that frequency of recognition or praise directly impacts employee engagement, productivity, and organizational performance.
During their research Greenberg and Arakawa found a 42% differential in productivity related solely to FRE.
I don’t know about you, but the ability to affect people’s performance to that extent really gets me excited. It’s not that you get more for the company (which you do). What you really gain is a culture where it’s okay to express gratitude and thus it’s ‘normal’ for colleagues and managers to appreciate one another. Increased productivity as comes a byproduct of a better company culture and workplace well-being.
Positive Business DC was honored to have Greenberg and Maymin conduct the Profit from The Positive webinar, which was our second online event. Their book, Profit from The Positive: Proven Leadership Strategies to Boost Productivity and Transform Your Business is available in hardcover and electronic versions. To learn more about Greenberg and Maymin’s work, please visit their website and follow them on Facebook.