Performance Improvement and Error Reduction for Drivers

Performance Improvement and Error Reduction for Drivers

• Driver Support Programme

Quote of the day

IT’S YOUR ATTITUDE THAT COUNTS

IF YOU THINK YOU ARE BEATEN, YOU ARE,

IF YOU DARE NOT, YOU DON’T,

IF YOU LIKE TO WIN, BUT THINK YOU CAN’T,

IT’S ALMOST CERTAIN YOU WON’T.

IF YOU’LL LOSE YOU’VE LOST,

FOR OUT IN THE WORLD WE FIND,

SUCCESS BEGINS WITH A FELLOW’S WILL,

IT IS IN HIS STATE OF MIND.

IF YOU THINK YOU ARE OUTCLASSED, YOU ARE,

YOU’VE GOT TO THINK HIGH TO RISE,

YOU’VE GOT TO BE SURE OF YOURSELF BEFORE,

YOU CAN EVER WIN A PRIZE.

LIFE’S BATTLES DON’T ALWAYS GO,

TO THE STRONGER OR FASTER MAN,

FOR SOONER OR LATER THE MAN WHO WINS,

IS THE MAN WHO THINKS HE CAN.

The link between positive feeling & positive functioning at work

The link between positive feeling & positive functioning at work

As the seven dwarfs clearly understood in the Disney film ‘Snow White’ when they sang “Whistle while you work” that a happy worker is a more productive worker. -but is that actually true? Well, the recent surge of research on the subject of well-being at work over the last few years certainly indicate there is something in it -and we are now developing a better understanding of the link between positive emotions & enhanced performance at work.

In the past positive emotions have been seen as purely an effect of positive functioning. (“Things are going well, so I feel good”) however, in recent years we are now realising that positive emotions are a cause of positive functioning. (“I feel positive so I perform better”). The opposite would therefore also be true –I feel negative, so I produce poorer performance. Which of those two emotions have the greatest impact?

The Charted Institute of Personnel & Development conducted a survey of over 2000 employees that compared a range of emotions that people reported alongside several key performance indicators of job satisfaction, meaningfulness of work, engagement with the tasks at work, loyalty, performance & commitment. Interestingly, with the exception of job satisfaction, the results showed that positive emotions appear to have twice the impact on these key performance indicators than negative emotions.

What this means is that it is clearly important for organisations to create a climate at work that promotes positive emotions. There are a number of ways this can be done, though the idea that first comes to mind for most people, that of pay increases, has a limited effect in terms of sustainable impact. In truth increased pay has consistently been shown NOT to significantly increase levels of positivity at work past an initial reaction that soon subsides. Interestingly, according to the psychologist Oliver James an expert in this area, it would appear that once you reach a certain level of annual salary around the £15,000 to £20,000 mark, increasing affluence has no impact on whether you are likely to be happier in both work & life in general. In fact, Oliver James has found that the more you earn, the less likely you are to be happy.

So ruling out pay increases, which in these times of recession are fewer and far between anyway, what can managers do to raise levels of positivity at work?

Here are Arcadia Alive’s 5 top tips.

• Find out from your staff a) are they happy at work? (& if not, why not?) & b) what would make them happy. This can either be done through large-scale staff surveys, or a team leader facilitating a discussion on it in a meeting, or simply a manager & member of staff sitting down together and having a chat about it.

• Make sure there is an opportunity for managers to provide positive feedback to staff. Even if it’s just a quick “Keep up the good work” comment, that is better than nothing. In many organisations the only feedback staff get is negative feedback. This culture is often associated with poor morale & a lack of positive feeling among staff.

• Ensure that staff motivators are not all stick & no carrot. In fact the more positive rewards over negative punishments there are, the better response you will get. This does not mean going “soft” on discipline & turning a blind eye to poor performance –that will only undermine the morale of those staff who are achieving, but organisations need to ensure there are rewards in place for excellent performance.

• Managers need to blend the right levels of support with challenges. Not enough support & staff become overwhelmed with the demands of their job & will feel isolated & disconnected from the organisation & it’s goals (this can even lead to resentment towards the organisation). Not enough challenges & staff can get bored, disillusioned & distracted from work that isn’t engaging.

• Staff need to feel valued not just through words, but actions also. Clear investment in staff through provision of the right tools for the job, an acceptable working environment & appropriate & stimulating training are all valued by those who receive it –and for those who don’t it can become another gripe that negatively affects attitudes in the workplace.

Arcadia Alive run a number of training courses that increase positivity at work including:
• ‘Motivation at work.’ A course for managers which looks at how to engage staff at work, reduce workplace stress & engage staff more effectively.
• ‘Stress Management’ for individuals to better management the demands placed upon them at challenging times.
• ‘The Driver Support Programme’ a programme specifically designed for train drivers, which encompasses a wide range of well-being & performance enhancing areas including conflict management, managing stress & lifestyle issues.
• Developing Leadership skills –a course that includes the wide range of core skills modern managers & leaders require –including those that foster more positive attitudes & culture at work.

Additional Arcadia Alive courses related to this area include: Communication & Conflict Management, Performance Management, Time Management, Coaching Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Change Management, Executive Coaching & Developing Managerial Skills. For further details on any of these courses, if you want to discuss a course tailored to your specific needs, please contact our team.

Further reading.
A Book: The Science of Well-being by F.A. Huppert et al. Oxford University Press.
A Report: Working Life: Employee Attitudes & Engagement. CIPD, 2006. (Available on the CIPD website: www.cipd.co.uk)
An Article:The Role of positivity & connectivity in the performance of business teams. M. Lasado & E. Heaphy in the ‘American Behavioural Scientist’ Vo.47 #6. Feb 2004.

The link between positive feeling & positive functioning at work

The link between positive feeling & positive functioning at work

As the seven dwarfs clearly understood in the Disney film ‘Snow White’ when they sang “Whistle while you work” that a happy worker is a more productive worker. -but is that actually true? Well, the recent surge of research on the subject of well-being at work over the last few years certainly indicate there is something in it -and we are now developing a better understanding of the link between positive emotions & enhanced performance at work.

In the past positive emotions have been seen as purely an effect of positive functioning. (“Things are going well, so I feel good”) however, in recent years we are now realising that positive emotions are a cause of positive functioning. (“I feel positive so I perform better”). The opposite would therefore also be true –I feel negative, so I produce poorer performance. Which of those two emotions have the greatest impact?

The Charted Institute of Personnel & Development conducted a survey of over 2000 employees that compared a range of emotions that people reported alongside several key performance indicators of job satisfaction, meaningfulness of work, engagement with the tasks at work, loyalty, performance & commitment. Interestingly, with the exception of job satisfaction, the results showed that positive emotions appear to have twice the impact on these key performance indicators than negative emotions.

What this means is that it is clearly important for organisations to create a climate at work that promotes positive emotions. There are a number of ways this can be done, though the idea that first comes to mind for most people, that of pay increases, has a limited effect in terms of sustainable impact. In truth increased pay has consistently been shown NOT to significantly increase levels of positivity at work past an initial reaction that soon subsides. Interestingly, according to the psychologist Oliver James an expert in this area, it would appear that once you reach a certain level of annual salary around the £15,000 to £20,000 mark, increasing affluence has no impact on whether you are likely to be happier in both work & life in general. In fact, Oliver James has found that the more you earn, the less likely you are to be happy.

So ruling out pay increases, which in these times of recession are fewer and far between anyway, what can managers do to raise levels of positivity at work?

Here are Arcadia Alive’s 5 top tips.

• Find out from your staff a) are they happy at work? (& if not, why not?) & b) what would make them happy. This can either be done through large-scale staff surveys, or a team leader facilitating a discussion on it in a meeting, or simply a manager & member of staff sitting down together and having a chat about it.

• Make sure there is an opportunity for managers to provide positive feedback to staff. Even if it’s just a quick “Keep up the good work” comment, that is better than nothing. In many organisations the only feedback staff get is negative feedback. This culture is often associated with poor morale & a lack of positive feeling among staff.

• Ensure that staff motivators are not all stick & no carrot. In fact the more positive rewards over negative punishments there are, the better response you will get. This does not mean going “soft” on discipline & turning a blind eye to poor performance –that will only undermine the morale of those staff who are achieving, but organisations need to ensure there are rewards in place for excellent performance.

• Managers need to blend the right levels of support with challenges. Not enough support & staff become overwhelmed with the demands of their job & will feel isolated & disconnected from the organisation & it’s goals (this can even lead to resentment towards the organisation). Not enough challenges & staff can get bored, disillusioned & distracted from work that isn’t engaging.

• Staff need to feel valued not just through words, but actions also. Clear investment in staff through provision of the right tools for the job, an acceptable working environment & appropriate & stimulating training are all valued by those who receive it –and for those who don’t it can become another gripe that negatively affects attitudes in the workplace.

Arcadia Alive run a number of training courses that increase positivity at work including:
• ‘Motivation at work.’ A course for managers which looks at how to engage staff at work, reduce workplace stress & engage staff more effectively.
• ‘Stress Management’ for individuals to better management the demands placed upon them at challenging times.
• ‘The Driver Support Programme’ a programme specifically designed for train drivers, which encompasses a wide range of well-being & performance enhancing areas including conflict management, managing stress & lifestyle issues.
• Developing Leadership skills –a course that includes the wide range of core skills modern managers & leaders require –including those that foster more positive attitudes & culture at work.

Additional Arcadia Alive courses related to this area include: Communication & Conflict Management, Performance Management, Time Management, Coaching Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Change Management, Executive Coaching & Developing Managerial Skills. For further details on any of these courses, if you want to discuss a course tailored to your specific needs, please contact our team.

Further reading.
A Book: The Science of Well-being by F.A. Huppert et al. Oxford University Press.
A Report: Working Life: Employee Attitudes & Engagement. CIPD, 2006. (Available on the CIPD website: www.cipd.co.uk)
An Article:The Role of positivity & connectivity in the performance of business teams. M. Lasado & E. Heaphy in the ‘American Behavioural Scientist’ Vo.47 #6. Feb 2004.

Time Management

Target Audience:

Members of staff.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

A reduction in the amount of time wasted at work, along with a reduction in the interpersonal tensions and stress reactions that often accompany it. More effective employees can then devote essential time to planning long-term improvements, instead of ‘fighting fires’ all the time. Participants’ self-awareness and self-esteem is increased as they feel they are more ‘in control’ and can take charge of their work day.

Overview:

This course builds awareness of fundamental time management principles and provides practical strategies that reduce time wastage at work, on an individual level as well as from a team perspective. Participants learn a more effective use of time through the ability to plan and organise activities and to handle the human dimensions associated with time usage.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

• The essential strategies for effective time management.
• What their personal time-wasters are and how to deal with them.
• The importance of creating time to think, plan and organise tasks in advance.
• The human element of time management.
• The Golden Rules of assertiveness.

Participants will learn key skills to:

• Handle interruptions and the demands of others.
• Beat procrastination and other time-wasting mental habits.
• Create and continually monitor a time management plan.
• Flexibly respond to challenging and changing situations.
• Apply stress management techniques when external factors take over.

Team Development

Target Audience:

Managers and team leaders.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

To equip managers and team leaders with both fundamental and innovative strategies which enable them to develop and grow existing teams. Participants will be able to challenge the status quo and the ineffective communication habits that often set in with existing teams, in order to create a more cohesive and motivated team than before.

Overview:

The emphasis will be on practical analysis of the current team situation, with the learning of tools and strategies to improve on the current situation be it from a performance point of view or a people point of view, or both. Participants will learn not to be held back by the current team’s ‘history’, but rather break through existing patterns of behaviour, their own and that of their team members.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

• How to develop and implement a new vision for the team
• The range of intervention styles to be adopted according to the needs of the situation.
• How their attitude unawarely influences the outcome of every interaction with team members.
• Their own communication and team-management style.
• Their individual team members’ needs and expectations.

Participants will learn key skills to:

• Involve team members in re-shaping their roles and the overall direction of the team.
• Redesign effective and meaningful communication systems.
• Influence the attitudes and expectations of the team towards these changes.
• Nurture and guide team members towards the new goals.
• Develop conflict resolution strategies and assertively handle tough feelings that may come up due to the changes.

Team Building & Development

Target Audience:

Managers and team leaders.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

To equip managers and team leaders with both fundamental and innovative strategies which enable them to create effective teams. Participants will be fully equiped to take on a newly formed team or even put one together from scratch, and prepared to take from the very beginning the important steps needed to ensure that the various team members’ strength gel and complement each other.

Overview:

The emphasis will be on practical theories of team leadership, task setting and team composition that can be applied to build highly motivated and productive teams. Participants will get a chance to examine their own ‘baggage’ in terms of negative team experiences and dealing with ‘difficult’ people, so that these can be learnt from and put aside.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

• How to develop and implement a vision for the team
• The range of intervention styles to be adopted according to the needs of the situation.
• How their attitude unawarely influences the outcome of every interaction with team members.
• Their own communication and team-management style.
• Their individual team members’ needs and expectations.

Participants will learn key skills to:

• Provide individuals with a clear role and direction within the overall framework of the team.
• Put in place effective and meaningful communication systems.
• Influence the attitudes and expectations of the team.
• Nurture and guide team members to be able to work together well.
• Develop conflict resolution strategies and assertively handly new or difficult team members.

Project Management

Target Audience:

Managers and team leaders.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

To give managers who are either already involved in project management or will occupy key positions in the future, the opportunity to delve into the responsibilities attached to the design, implementation and evaluation of projects. As a result, managers will be more confident and motivated to take responsibility and authority, maximising their chances to lead future projects to fruition.

Overview:

This course outlines the vital steps taken by different stakeholders during the course of a project to ensure high performance and a successful outcome. Managers become familiar with the different phases of a project and the opportunities and traps that arise at each level. They also get a chance to evaluate the development and outcome of past projects in order to learn from their own and others’ experiences.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

• What makes or breaks high performance projects.
• The full project cycle and how to distinguish between the different phases.
• Project management terminology.
• The importance of leveraging project stakeholders and potential partnerships.
• Their options in terms on getting their team on board.

Participants will learn key skills to:

• Define inspiring project outcomes.
• Generate innovative and creative ideas that both complement and fit in with organisational vision and culture.
• Model leadership and good team management skills.
• Get things back on track when necessary.
• Transfer experience and knowledge gained from one project to another.

Programme Management

Target Audience:

Members of staff.

Duration:

1 day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

To give employees the resources needed to meaningfully participate in the delivery of long-term, organisation or department-wide programmes without loosing steam or getting veered off course along the way. Participants will have a better awareness of what is required of them as individuals and as a team on such long-distance undertakings and will be more motivated to see themselves as part of a whole working towards a common goal.

Overview:

This course outlines the vital steps taken by different stakeholders during the course of a project to ensure high performance and a successful outcome. Participants become familiar with the different phases of a project and their particular role in each one. The focus is on how their own attitude and level of participation can make a difference to the end result, however remote and distant it appears.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

• What makes or breaks high performance projects.
• The full project cycle and how to distinguish between the different phases.
• Project management terminology.
• How their choices and decisions affect the final outcome.
• The importance of keeping in mind the bigger picture.

Participants will learn key skills to:

• Become aware of and communicate their personal and work needs in order to achieve effective teamwork.
• Challenge thoughts and feelings that may hinder them.
• Keep focused when things get though.
• Self-monitor and take responsibility for their own part.
• Ackowledge and celebrate small wins on the way.

Personal Development for Staff

Target Audience:

Members of staff.

Duration:

Half-a-day.

Logistics:

The ideal number of participants for this training is 9 to 12.

Objective:

To allow participants to take a step back from the daily pressures at work and at home to assess where they are at in their lives and where they want to go from here, from a career as well as from a personal point of view.

Overview:

Delegates are encouraged to take part in various self-discovery exercises that will indicate to them how satisfied they are with their current situation and what they may want to do about it. They then go on to devise a detailed action plan for change. This is an inspirational course where participants are only asked to share as much as they feel comfortable with. Most of the work is done individually or in pairs, in the strictest confidence.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

• Their life achievements to date.
• Their dreams and aspirations for the future.
• Their current level of satisfaction in various areas of their life, including work.
• What motivates them to want to change.
• What their next steps are.

Participants will learn key skills to:

• Separate emotions from facts when looking at their situation.
• Put in place the support they need to achieve these personal and work goals.
• Communicate their plan to others.
• Find and hold on to the right attitude to achieve success on their own terms.

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