22 Keys Instant Advisor

DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS

BE SELECTIVE: The Feedback Report you receive via e-mail will be rich with observations and recommendations for the keys you select above. Some 300 words of guidance are provided for each key, so it's important to be selective, zeroing in on the high-priority keys that represent the biggest improvement opportunities in your workplace. 

DEFINITIONS: When you click directly on a key, a definition will appear at the bottom of your screen. The Mission Keys are all about valuing what we do at work, while the People Keys are all about valuing who does it. The Community Keys are about valuing togetherness, and the Me Keys are about individuality. The last set, the Development Keys, focus on growth. 

REVIEW: Take time to review all of your selections. (You can "unselect" a key by clicking a second time on the box.) Then enter your e-mail address and click on the SEND button. In a few minutes (depending in part on the amount of Internet traffic), a Feedback Report will arrive in your e-mailbox. 

PUTTING IT TO WORK
Your Feedback Report provides all sorts of possibilities -- you'll need to sift through them and identify the one or several that best fit your workplace situation. Many of the action ideas are things you can do right away on your own. Others require you to team up with colleagues. For ideas that require collective action, the Feedback Report works great as a launch point for dialogue and planning. 

SCROLL UP TO BEGIN.

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http://www.betterworkplacenow.com/tools/advisor/index.html

When you click on any key above, a definition will appear in this window.

Purpose -- The organization's mission has a larger purpose that goes beyond producing goods/services or even being the best in a given business. Individual employees feel that their work makes a positive difference.

Direction -- A compelling vision of the future draws people in a common direction. Goals and objectives serve as a down-to-earth, day-to-day complement to the vision.

Relevance -- The system is relatively free of rules and red tape, allowing employees to spend their time on activities that are relevant to the mission.

Validation -- Employees can see for themselves the impact of their work.

Respect -- Employees show respect for one another regardless of rank and title. The golden rule is an implicit working principle throughout the organization.

Equality -- All people are considered to be equally important regardless of where they appear on the org chart.

Informality -- An open-door policy is practiced by everyone, not because business books encourage it, but because it seems like the natural thing to do. Protocol rarely becomes an issue.

Flexibility -- Good judgment is used in applying rules. People accept the subjectivity that goes along with this.

Ownership -- People view themselves as owners of their work and act accordingly. The people who do the work shape how that work is done.

Dialogue -- There is an ongoing flow of honest and constructive dialogue involving people at all levels of the organization.

Relationship-Building -- The workplace offers wide-ranging opportunities to build relationships.

Service -- Employees have all sorts of opportunities to help one another. This can be formal (mentoring programs, training, etc.) and informal (on-the-spot coaching, explaining a process, walking a colleague through a new computer program, pitching in to help with a task, etc.).

Acknowledgment -- Employees are acknowledged for their efforts and successes -- not with extrinsic rewards but with genuine appreciation.

Oneness -- There's a prevailing sense that "we're all in this together." Working relationships are best described as collaborative -- and not competitive.

Self-Identity -- Individuality is encouraged. The organization respects the fact that people sometimes need their own space (even in this era of teams!).

Fit -- Individual employees understand how they and their work fit into the larger mission of the organization. In carrying out this mission, they can tap their strengths and deep interests.

Balance -- People at all levels of the organization respect the fact that there's life beyond work, and they act accordingly.

Worth -- Employees are genuinely valued. "The organization is well aware of my skills and interests."

Challenge -- The workplace is full of challenges for people who want them.

Invention -- Risk-taking in the name of innovation is strongly encouraged. "Mistakes" are seen as a fair price for learning and development.

Support -- People are given the resources (information, time, funding, experience, learning opportunities, tools, etc.) they need to be successful in their work.

Personal Development -- People are able to reach their full potential. Learning opportunities are abundant.

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  YOUR 22 KEYS INSTANT ADVISOR FEEDBACK REPORT
  from BetterWorkplaceNow.com
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----- PURPOSE -----

Spend some time thoroughly evaluating this notion of purpose. Keep an open mind. Even if your role in the workplace seems mundane, someone probably counts on you. Don't let your skepticism turn into a pair of self-inflicted blinders. 

Gather some of your colleagues for an honest dialogue about purpose in the workplace. If you have only an hour, fine, take it and make the most of it. But try to make this the first in a series of conversations.

Like being in peak physical condition, feeling a deep sense of purpose isn't something you can achieve overnight. A single day of healthful eating and exercise, no matter how well-intended, is hardly enough to make a difference -- in the same way that two hours spent writing a mission statement isn't enough. Think and act in terms of ongoing dialogue.

Don't be afraid to take a bluntly honest look at your situation. If you lack a sense of purpose, dig deep to analyze why. You'll find there's a lot you can do to make things better.

Customers are often at the heart of purpose. So make sure you get and stay in close contact with them. Keep your connection as personal as possible. Conversations are always better than surveys, and getting together wins out over talking on the phone.  

Maintain that customer focus with your colleagues. Work with colleagues to figure out ways to make your customers more successful. Use this to spur practical, down-to-earth actions -- and watch your sense of purpose steadily strengthen.


----- DIRECTION -----

Avoid the many tried and truly suboptimal approaches to direction-setting:

  Country Club Approach: An elite group of 'senior executives' sets 
  the direction for everyone else.

  Event Approach: Participants efficiently produce their vision 
  statement and other direction-setting outputs.

  Bureaucratic Approach: The whole thing gets bogged down in 
  process, protocols, forms, spreadsheets, committees, and 
  subcommittees. 

  Glossy Approach: A vision statement and goals are thrown together 
  for marketing purposes.

  Left-Brain-Only Approach: The entire process is strictly 
  rational, logical, and linear.

  Negative Approach: It's all about beating the competition, 
  knocking through barriers, dealing with problems.

Involve everyone in setting direction. Sure, it calls for creativity and takes time, and it can get messy. But it's the only way to develop a vision and goals that are owned and acted upon by everyone.

Talk and listen. Do more listening than talking. Ongoing dialogue is the surest way for people to create a shared vision, to bring it into clearer focus over time, to develop goals that are more like personal promises, to deepen commitment, and to stir the positive action that direction-setting is all about.

Use these four questions to seed your direction-setting conversations: 

  What is your own personal vision for the future?

  What kind of future do we want to create for ourselves and our 
  customers?

  Who else needs to be included in our vision of the future?

  Given all this, what goals and objectives make sense?

Stay alert to ever-lurking bureaucracy. Most committees and subcommittees can have a Bermuda Triangle effect on things, with good intentions going in but nothing coming out. Also dangerous are long approval processes, dictates on who should be involved, and rules and requirements telling exactly how direction-setting should be done.

Appreciate the power of a single person to make direction-setting a true workplace strength. It requires determination, courage, patience, a strategy, and -- no surprise here! -- a vision of a better approach. But it can be done.


----- RELEVANCE -----

An activity is 'relevant' if it helps you carry out your mission, brings you closer to the future that you and your colleagues are trying to create, relates directly to at least one of your goals or objectives, or enables you or your colleagues to serve your customers better.

Itemize at all the activities that make up your typical week, and compare them to these relevance criteria. When you find something that doesn't relate at all to your purpose, your customers, or your direction, flag it.

If you find an activity you can stop doing, write down your intention as a way of strengthening your commitment. Also record what you plan to start doing in its place. 

Some of your activities might be unrelated to the relevance criteria yet still seem important. If so, challenge your initial assessment. Why do you think they're so important, what would happen if you stopped doing them, and how could you use the time in better ways? 

Make this pursuit of relevance a collective proposition. Get your colleagues talking and thinking in terms of purpose, customers, and direction. Make it a regular topic of conversation -- and action.

Don't mindlessly carry out activities that you think are irrelevant yet seem to be required by 'the system.' At a minimum, be aware of what you're doing, and look for any opportunity to minimize your time on these. Get people talking so they too become aware, and the pressure for positive change will steadily build.

To make things more mission-relevant on a much bigger scale, take on the usual suspects: excessive rules, mission-hurting policies, and cumbersome internal paperwork. Use teams to analyze the situation and develop improvements.


----- VALIDATION -----

Are you so cubby-holed at work that you can't see whatever it is you help to create? If so, take on the challenge of trying to climb out. Do what you can to see the output, the results, the product, the service -- whatever you want to call it -- for yourself.

When you rack up a significant accomplishment, don't rush off to the next challenge. Take time to bask in the glow of a job you know is well done.

When a major project comes together, gather the folks who made it happen. This can be partly a celebration, and partly a chance for everyone to see and get their hands on the finished product. 

Track progress on goals, objectives, and any other meaningful direction-setting elements. Simple scorecards or scoreboards can show how things are shaping up.

Bring together a group of employees with an equal number of customers. Have a loose conversation -- an informal focus group of sorts -- all about the finished product or service and how it can be improved. Who better than the customers to help employees connect with what they create?

When it comes to validation, seeing really is believing. Arrange an outing for employees to witness the organization's products or services being used by real customers.

Everyone should have an occasional (at least) opportunity to see the output, wherever they work in the system. If they don't, exert the necessary creativity and flexibility to make it happen.


----- RESPECT -----

A simple law governs respect: When you give it, it comes back to you. And if you dish out disrespect, that ricochets back as well. So the best way to boost respect in the workplace is to make yourself a standout example.

We all have internal conversations with ourselves, and this is where respect is either nurtured or nuked. Listen more closely to what you're saying in this ongoing mental discourse. If you don't like what you hear, start changing your thoughts.

Put respect on the collective radar screen at your workplace. Organize a group conversation where people can talk about what it means to them, how they can tell when it's thriving or lacking, and what they can do to make it a true workplace strength.

Keep a constant eye out for ways to incorporate respect in any formal or informal conversations regarding purpose, vision, values, goals, or working principles. If you already have these kinds of things on paper, make sure respect is prominently addressed.

Get serious about empathy. Spend some time walking in someone else's work shoes by literally trying out their job. If that won't work, at least spend some time looking and listening in areas of the workplace where you rarely spend time.

When problems arise and the fingers start pointing, don't let your fingers be among them. It's almost always the system that's at fault, not the people. Instead of fixing blame, fix the system.

When making decisions, show respect for people by getting wider input. As much as possible, effect change with your colleagues, instead of to them or for them.

Whenever you see disrespect rearing its ugly head, take a deep breath -- then take a visible, vocal stand against it. If the situation demands subtlety, try a well-placed question to get people thinking. Resist compromising your respect ethic simply to get along.

A case can be made that we're all entitled to respect, but unfortunately, it rarely happens that easily in the workplace. Even if you feel you're one of the biggest targets of disrespect, and you're seething over it, you still need to take positive action.


----- EQUALITY -----

Many organizations break things into pieces (functional areas, physical areas, product/service areas, positions, etc.), thinking this will make everything more manageable. It often leads to a cobbled-together hierarchy -- and sets the stage for system-wide inequality.

The words people use can reveal a lot about their workplace. Conduct a language check for insights into how inequality has infiltrated the organization. Among the words to listen for: boss, oversee, lower levels, my people.

Start editing those words. Try 'with' me instead of 'for' me, 'facilitate' and 'coach' instead of 'oversee. ' Consider using this new language in the policy manual, employee handbook, orientation guides, and any other printed items.

Titles can be a simmering source of inequality, especially when they're flexed in the name of authority and control. If the organization hands you a big title, you don't have to us it. Consider coming up with something more down to earth and descriptive of what you really do. 

Do away with the old meeting model, with the boss at the head of a big table, efficiently going through his or her agenda. Put the chairs in a circle, have participants take turns facilitating, and open up the conversation. If you don't have control of the meetings, exert influence by offering to help create the agenda, take notes, or facilitate.

End the unfair, unequal distributions of resources. This can involve stopping certain privileges (special parking) as well as opening restricted tools and resources to everyone (e-mail and data).

As a long-term replacement for hierarchy, organize around projects. In the short term, even in the midst of a heavily layered workplace, look for a project opportunity and get it started. If it calls for people from different functions and areas of the organization, all the better.

If your organization's compensation system widens the divide between people, and you're in a position to do something about it, start the renewal process by obsessively learning better approaches. Call in some outside experts, involve employees, and get clear what you want the new system to achieve.


----- INFORMALITY -----

Formality is a bigger deal than most people realize. It can bog down work processes, hamper dialogue, and perpetuate hierarchy -- truly bad news for employees and customers.

See for yourself. Take a hard look at your workplace to uncover any and all symptoms of excessive formality. Then analyze how they're helping or hurting employees or customers. Use the insights to decide what to do about it.

When it comes to change, do what you can as soon as you can. A few informal touches added to your work space will be a step in the right direction. Even a simple check-in to start meetings can help. If you're in a position to do more, go for it.

If you can't bring informality to the workplace, bring the workplace to the informality. A picnic might do the trick. By being in a place without traditions and physical cues of formality, people will start to relax and mingle -- and take some of their new informality back to the workplace. 

Delete the formality from your written communications. In everything that's put to paper or screen, be crisp, clear, and conversational. Whenever possible, communicate with people in person.

Comb through the employee handbook and policy manual to find where formality has been built into the workplace system. Usual suspects include dress codes, instructions on how to format memos or other written documents, and 'guidelines' for following the chain of command to 'report' concerns and problems.


----- FLEXIBILITY -----

When there's no unifying purpose, no shared vision, and no common set of down-to-earth goals, even the most well-intentioned people will start heading in different directions. All too often, the central office responds by throttling up old rules and forming new ones.

When efficiency and consistency are dominant themes in the workplace, rules proliferate. The alternative is dialogue, an acceptance of gray areas, and the admission that some of those rules don't do a bit of good -- and may even be bad for employees and customers.

To put flexibility on everyone's radar screen, start a workplace conversation that takes a hard look at rules, policies, and procedures. But don't let it turn into a pity party. Zero in on one or two opportunities, thoroughly analyze the situation, then decide on a course of action.

Take advantage of those times when organizational rules, policies, and procedures are put to the test. These are great opportunities to make sure that employees and customers are the top priority. 

Resist the urge to create new rules. When situations arise, take the inefficient but highly effective approach of addressing them on a case-by-case basis. 

Explore flextime and telecommuting as ways to build flexibility into the workplace. People might be able to carry out their mission just fine without everyone having to follow the same schedule and the same approach to work. They might even do it better.

Assemble a team to look at key documented procedures. Compare these to what is really happening in the organization, then overhaul, tweak, and toss out any outdated stuff.

Just because there are inflexible rules or procedures in your workplace doesn't mean that YOU have to be inflexible. Don't become a part of the problem. Make yourself a model of mission-driven flexibility.


----- OWNERSHIP -----

In all too many workplaces, empowerment has a distinctly paternalistic feel. It's about people high up in the organization carefully giving things -- such as information, authority, and permission -- to the people below them. Ownership conveys a much deeper, more equitable sharing of resources and authority.

Ownership brings out the best in an organization when people share a clear purpose, a compelling vision of the future, and meaningful goals. Also essential are respect, support, dialogue, service, and oneness. 

Stop asking for permission, for instructions, for an approving nod from the boss. Create your own ownership by using your judgment and decision-making abilities every chance you get. 

Do what you can to help your colleagues take their own steps toward ownership. When people start dwelling on their woeful lack of empowerment, reframe the focus onto actions they can take. One self-empowering decision or judgment call does more good than a hundred gripe-filled watercooler conversations.

Think co-creation. When establishing plans, making decisions, establishing goals, developing improvements, pursuing wild breakthroughs, whatever, widely involve your colleagues. The collective brainpower will lead to far better outcomes. 

Think openness. Make information widely and easily accessible to people in all areas and positions of the organization. If this seems like too much, too fast, start by sharing data and information about customers.

Figure out how much time and money are spent approving, checking, giving clearance, and signing off. Keep these hoops only if they're value-added safeguards or statutory requirements. Dump the rest, or risk sending the message that people can't be trusted.


----- DIALOGUE -----

There's no way around it: strengthening dialogue in the workplace starts with you. And you can start by working to improve your listening skills. 

To jump-start the dialogue, gather people around an issue that's weighing heavily on their minds. Make sure the topic is hot enough to be engaging, yet not so hot you have to wear asbestos coveralls.

Remain on the lookout for situations that seem ripe for open conversation. As soon as you spot them, set the dialogue gears in motion. But go about it thoughtfully -- the notion of openly sharing ideas can be unsettling to people who've grown accustomed to a silent workplace.

When getting groups together for conversation, don't shortcut the advance work. Think through the focus, craft an agenda, communicate with everyone ahead of time, and consider using a neutral facilitator.

Strive to create open conversation whenever and wherever you can. If you have regular meetings, transform them into dialogue-rich gatherings. Even lunchtime offers an opportunity for useful exchanges.

Learn some of the group-process tools like brainstorming, affinity diagrams, tree diagrams, and Gantt charts. If you're planning a large gathering and want open, honest, creative conversation, look into the open-space method.

Redesign the work space so it promotes conversation. Consider having a special room devoted entirely to dialogue, complete with flipcharts, whiteboards, and whatever else people might need to express and build on their ideas.

When nothing else seems to work -- or even when it does -- throw a party. A quick celebration is the funnest, surest way to get folks talking. It's a small step, but it's definitely in the right direction.


----- RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING -----

In the next twenty-four hours, contact three work-related acquaintances you've lost touch with during the past few months or years. These can be colleagues, customers, suppliers, community members, trade-group friends, and so on. It might even be someone you see every day.

The next time you face a workplace challenge, involve more people in getting the job done. You'll end up with more brainpower, more ownership, better outcomes -- and stronger relationships. 

Look for ways to turn meetings into true meeting opportunities. Include plenty of break time, remove the physical barriers, circulate a contact list, celebrate milestones, ensure an open meeting process, work in small groups. 

Resist the urge to hurry in and solve conflicts among employees. They're adults who can work it out themselves, and when they do, it's likely that a workplace relationship will be the stronger for it.

Renew and strengthen your relationships with suppliers. We're not talking about a slightly longer phone conversation -- but a close, long-term bond based on mutual goals and shared success.

Shut down regular business for a day, and devote the time to building relationships. Hold an open-space conference, or a learning fair, or a series of workshops -- some kind of gathering that can involve and benefit everyone.

Boot up and surf your way to stronger relationships. There are so many tools: intranets, e-mail, online message boards, electronic chat rooms. They're no substitute for face-to-face communication, but they can help you close the distance and reach out more frequently.


----- SERVICE -----

Don't wait for the service ethic to take hold. Step forward as an individual and start making it happen. Find an immediate opportunity to help a colleague, even (especially) if it means going above and beyond the call of duty.

Ask your customers for an honest appraisal of the service they're getting from you and your workplace. Make this an ongoing process, and use the input to throttle up your service ethic.

Take a close look at how you define your workplace mission. Make sure it embodies the notion of service. If it doesn't, change the words...and your thinking...and your actions.

Gather your colleagues for an open conversation about service. Use the collective brainpower and heartpower to assess the state of service in the workplace, then look for ways to make it stronger.

Work to expand individual roles and responsibilities. Start with your own, doing whatever you can to get in touch with people beyond your immediate work area. Wider reach will build more workplace connections, providing you and others with more opportunities to be of service.

Answer your community's call for service. The lessons are easily transferred to the workplace, and so are the positive feelings of making a difference in people's lives.


----- ACKNOWLEDGMENT -----

Acknowledgment doesn't have to wait for some big success, nor does it have to be initiated by 'upper management.' Anyone can acknowledge anyone -- and that includes you. Don't underestimate the power of a sincere thank-you.

Are your acknowledgment debts adding up? Reflect on your accomplishments over the past twelve or so months, then take the time to thank the people who helped you along the way.

There are plenty of good things happening around you in the workplace. Make a point of acknowledging people on the spot. In the process, you'll be doing your part to create a culture of appreciation.

Routinely put the spotlight on those big success stories. Acknowledgment will thrive, and so will innovation as great ideas are broadcast throughout the organization.

Motivation is largely an instrinsic proposition. People do great work when the work and workplace engage their hearts and minds. Yet many organizations persist with extrinsic motivators. A focus on extrinsic motivation can breed competition, cynicism, and division.

What do your colleagues think? Gather a group to talk about this notion of intrinsic vs. extrinsic. Make sure each person has a chance to explain how he or she would like to be acknowledged for hard work and success.

Avoid rules that make acknowledgment a requirement. It should come from the heart, not the policy manual.


----- ONENESS -----

Workplace division often results when people chronically divide complex projects and organizations into so-called manageable pieces, instill internal competition in the name of motivation, and avoid deep reflection and dialogue on how people go about their work and how things can be better.

Building awareness is the first step in challenging these forms of fragmentation, competition, and avoidance. It might sound simple, but there's nothing easy about questioning long-held beliefs and assumptions. Make this an ongoing topic of conversation with your colleagues.

Look for examples of internal competition, and do what you can to turn things around and get people working together. These might be big (an annual competition to reward the 'best' improvement team) or small (daily debates to see who will get to use the single computer), but they all produce division. 

The old approach to direction-setting, with separate work areas doing their own planning entirely on their own, only leads to more fragmentation. Make it a more inclusive undertaking that brings together people and perspectives from many parts of the workplace. 

Make a point of occasionally visiting and chatting with people in other work areas. It's a small step in the right direction -- and it just might prompt a reciprocal visit.

Be on the lookout for opportunities to mix people together. Most projects, teams, and workshops crank out much better results when they involve folks from different functional areas. 

A proliferation of teams can lead to more fragmentation, which is why they need to stay connected through regular communications. If you're in a team that feels cut off, take your own steps to build a communication link.

A lack of unity often means that the people in one work area don't have a clue as to what people in other work areas are doing. So organize an all-day gathering, an open house of sorts, where people can spend some serious time visiting and learning about other parts of the workplace.

Take advantage of technology to close the distance between people. Intranets, e-mail, online mail lists, message boards, and video-conferencing are just a few of the more tried-and-true tools.


----- SELF-IDENTITY -----

Self-identity starts with self-awareness, so here's the question: What makes you unique? Uncover your special knowledge, skills, experience, style, and deep interests.

People don't necessarily value differences, they value the benefits that those differences make possible. How do your unique strengths benefit your colleagues, or your external customers, or both? How can they benefit in the future?

Don't assume that people will automatically recognize those benefits and flock to you or even support you. Instead, assume the role of a savvy marketer who has something special to provide. Seek out situations where your unique strengths can be leveraged.

Your colleagues bring their own wealth of positive differences to the workplace. Be on the lookout for situations and conditions that cause people to take their unique strengths underground -- and do what you can to tap their special knowledge, abilities, experience, styles, and interests.

Make this a topic for group conversation so you and your colleagues can develop a deeper understanding of people's hidden strengths. Don't be surprised if the person who works next to you day after day reveals special skills and interests that you could have used on earlier projects -- if only you had known.


----- FIT -----

Fit is where the individual and the organization come together, but it resonates with people in very different ways. For some, it's all about their role in the operational processes of an organization. Others think of fit in terms of their connection to the deeper organizational mission. Still others focus on their fit with a workplace's collective values.

To get a clearer view of how people fit into the big operational picture, gather colleagues for a flow-charting session. Create a picture of the process or larger system that links everyone together. Use the insights to reveal connections between functions, areas, and individuals -- and to generate some fit-enhancing ideas.

When people think of their fit in terms of how they contribute to the organizational mission, the keys of purpose and direction become prominent. It's important to ask: When your customers benefit from your work, who else benefits? And how does the work you do help to move the organization closer to its vision and goals? 

For some, fit is a function of how well their own values match the workplace's collective values. Awareness is the best first step toward bringing the two closer together.

Conduct a snap values assessment, preferably in a group setting. Identify the values that are most important to people -- then take a hard look at how things really unfold in the workplace. Use the insights to identify a handful of significant action ideas.

Core values can be powerful, personal agreements that guide daily actions and help people create the kinds of workplaces they want to have. These values can be committed to paper, but most important, they need to be deeply held in hearts and minds. This requires wide involvement and ongoing dialogue.


----- BALANCE -----

Balance is where our work lives come together with the rest of our lives. Each of us has our own ideal balance that we need to change over time to fit changing circumstances, so it's best thought of as an activity -- and not as a static condition.

When it comes to examining the state of balance in your own life, there's no substitute for a sincere reality check from the people who are closest to you. Engage them in conversation, and keep an open mind as they share their feelings and observations.

Make balance a topic for conversation among colleagues. It can start with disclosure, in which people describe their notions of ideal balance and express some of their work-related concerns. This may lead to one-on-one help and, if given enough time, greater synergy and bigger improvements.

Make these conversations an ongoing activity. Enrich the process through a series of work/life learning forums.

If you work excessive hours and are perfectly happy doing so, fine. Just don't let your own preferences become the workplace standard. If you think they are, state in clear terms that no one else is expected to work those same grueling hours. 

People should have a separate area, complete with phones and privacy, where they can go to take care of personal business. A similar kind of respect should apply to the enforcement of workplace rules when family and other personal issues appear to interfere with someone's work. Instead of rushing to judgment, open a communication line.

Don't neglect the little things that can make a big difference -- like choosing not to multi-task, learning how to say no, finishing projects before starting new ones, and making serious time to renew your mind and spirit.


----- WORTH -----

Twelve keys have a big influence on worth: purpose, validation, respect, equality, ownership, invention, personal development, dialogue, service, acknowledgment, oneness, and self-identity. 

Start to deepen your own sense of worth by deciding which of these keys are most important to you. These are where you'll want to focus your worth-building efforts.

Seek out opportunities to use your knowledge, skills, and other strengths. Become your own best marketing agent and strategist.

Learning is always a great way to boost your worth. Look for ways to take your greatest strengths and make them stronger.

Service is another sure way to deepen your sense of worth. Set a goal for doing something faster, better, or more cost-effectively for one of your colleagues. While you're at it, extend your service reach to even more internal customers. 

In the rush of work, it's easy to miss the fact that we've made a difference. Keep track of your accomplishments as the weeks unfold.

Some of the keys, like respect and dialogue, are reciprocal: when you give them, they come back. Making these a workplace priority means that everyone benefits.

Turn worth-building into a collective effort. A good way to start is by figuring out which of those twelve keys are most important to people. 

People sometimes hold their own self-worth hostage by waiting for their supervisors and managers to do something that will make the situation better. The fact is, there are actions that anyone can take starting now that will strengthen their sense of worth -- and in the process, they just might influence that seemingly resistant colleague.


----- CHALLENGE -----

Challenge means different things to different people. As a starting point, spend some time figuring out your own biggest sources of positive challenge. Also reflect on the current situation so you fully understand the opportunities and obstacles.

Patience might be a virtue, but when it comes to challenge, persistence is far better. Take advantage of all those ready-and-waiting opportunities to seize challenge in your workplace. 

If your workplace seems to lack the kinds of challenges that really get you going, don't despair. Peel back the layers to understand exactly why these things are so lacking. Uncovering root causes is the best way to figure out what you can do.

Turn your ideas for action into a set of personal goals. Even a single, well-focused goal can make a big difference. Be specific, set deadlines, and keep the goals up to date to ensure that challenge becomes a routine part of your work day.

In a challenge culture, people understand why it's important, they appreciate that different people are challenged in different ways, and they work hard to make challenge an everyday reality.

Start turning this into a collective proposition by organizing a conversation about challenge in the workplace. Have people describe how they want to be challenged, and develop a deeper understanding of the current situation. Use the insights to decide on a few significant actions.


----- INVENTION -----

As it's defined here, invention embodies everyday improvements of the incremental variety and big-time breakthrough innovations. Both are essential.

You hold the power to invent. Keep your eyes wide open to improvement opportunities, and when you see them, seize them.

Take a hard look at your lineup of weekly activities. If some of that so-called 'real' work is adding little or no value, redirect the time to improvement and innovation. Even a noble focus on doing the right thing for customers today might keep you from finding ways to do even more for them tomorrow. 

Make space for invention. A think-tank room works great, especially when it's stocked with flip charts, white boards, terminals, magazines, and other invention tools. Consider creating your very own think space in the form of an improvement journal.

When it comes to invention, there's no substitute for involving people in the process. More brainpower means better improvements and innovations, and it ensures greater commitment to new ways of doing thing.

Maintain an ongoing dialogue with other work units, offices, divisions, functional areas, and organizations. You never know when a conversation will deliver the brightest, most enlightening idea.

Watch and learn from organizations that are stunning examples of invention in action. Don't just copy their best stuff, make it better.

Keep invention in the spotlight, making it clear to all that invention is not just permitted but absolutely essential. Newsletters, intranets, e-mail, and regular gatherings provide daily opportunities.

Make improvement and invention a greater priority by writing it into at least one workplace goal. But think big, and be broad. The last thing the workplace needs is a timid, arbitrary target that ends up stifling people's creative thinking.

View invention-related 'failure' as an investment. Learn all you can from these situations, and incorporate the insights into your next round of invention.


----- SUPPORT -----

Support can be lacking because people are simply too busy to talk about what's needed, or they don't fully understand why the request is being made. More serious are workplace fragmentation, internal competition, a lack of open dialogue, and a workplace culture that avoids wave-making at all costs.

When you need support, build a case for it. If previous requests have bogged down, replace your bitterness with analysis. Use your insights to decide on a different and better approach.

Don't let your pursuit of support turn into a top-down exercise in seeking permission. The person you report to might be able to help, but so might the many other people in your organization, including those who work right beside you.

When providing support, remain aware of the systemic nature of your workplace. If you're a manager, support the people who report to you, but also support your many other colleagues. And if you're not a manager, realize that you too can be supportive, even though no one is 'below' you. You're all in this together.

The team sponsor fills a critical role by providing support, removing barriers, and serving as a communication link. If you're a sponsor, take your job seriously. If you're on a team that has gone adrift, open a dialogue with the sponsor immediately -- or if you don't have a sponsor, get one.

Conduct a status check to get a fix on which teams need what. Even if things seem to be rolling along just fine, start a dialogue to uncover support needs that remain unrecognized or unrequested.

Take an honest look at what's being kept from employees: information, equipment, access to certain work areas, you name it. Unless there's a very good reason, start taking steps to make these resources available to everyone.

The need for support often relates to technology, so make it a priority. Create an ongoing dialogue group to keep up with the latest advances, to find ways to apply them in the workplace, and to excite others about the possibilities.

A sink-or-swim approach to new assignments works just fine for some people, but other wants time to prepare. Invest in education, shadowing, coaching, whatever -- all aimed at helping people to be successful.

There's no way around it: support costs money. Be ready to invest. Ideally, everyone should have the authority to spend at least some money in the pursuit of improvement.


----- PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT -----

There's a reason it's called 'personal' development. This is YOUR lifelong learning process, and YOU are the one who needs to manage it. Don't look to the boss, the HR office, or the nebulous 'organization' to do it for you.

Reflect on the history of your own personal development. Look for themes, insights, and implications. Then look ahead several years, envisioning your personal-development future. Figure out what kinds of roles, projects, and activities will get you there.

Personal development often runs up against two destructive paradigms: the notion that learning is something we do only in our school years, and the belief that people's minds are like vessels that have to be filled with information.

Turn learning sessions into conversations so people can explore how they'll put their new ideas to work. Divide all-day segments into mini sessions, with a week or two in between, so learning and using go hand in hand. Form networks so people can stay in touch and keep learning over time.

Whenever you attend any kind of learning session, identify two or three significant ideas, insights, or skills you can apply. Make it happen as soon as you return to your workplace.

Learn from the experts beside you -- your colleagues who can share new ideas, teach new skills, explain new equipment. Consider creating a workplace directory of internal expertise to broadcast all this internal know-how.

Try out other activities and jobs in the workplace. Even if it's for just an afternoon, and even if you have to jump through hoops to make the arrangements, you'll learn a lot by doing.

Don't hesitate to hit the road as part of your personal-development journey. Visit another organization, attend a workshop, participate in a conference. Just remember to use what you learned once your return.

Bring in outside speakers for monthly learning lunches or forums. Include time for small-group conversations so people can mull over ways to apply the new information on the job.

There's a world of learning out there, and much of it is at your fingertips -- literally. Take advantage of the Web, online mail lists, distance learning, and other Internet tools and functions.

Make personal development a collective priority. Get together with colleagues and share your learning plans, even (especially) if it's a first for some people. Then put your heads together to figure out who can do what to turn this vision into reality. 

Use this same collective approach whenever conducting a learning-needs assessment is conducted. Be sure to talk not only about needs, but also about people's deep interests and learning wants.

  Copyright 2002-2008 Tom Terez Workplace Solutions Inc.
  BetterWorkplaceNow.com and 'Better Workplace Now' are
  trademarks of Tom Terez Workplace Solutions Inc.
  http://www.BetterWorkplaceNow.com
  Columbus, Ohio USA