The Hunger Games in Your Office

The Hunger Games has taken the world by storm. After all, who doesn’t love a post-apocalyptic adventure with a memorable heroine? I know I’ve enjoyed the film series. And like all great books and movies, The Hunger Games offers a feast of topics to consume. Specifically, the angle of competition in contrast with cooperation comes to light when considering the dynamics of the tributes in the games. And of course, competition and cooperation are important considerations when it comes to communication in the workplace and conflict resolution. Check out the video below for a deeper analysis on this subject.

Finding the balance of healthy competition and functional cooperation isn’t an easy task, unless one has the correct tools. These tools include strong emotional intelligence skills and effective communications skills. Become the girl on fire like Katniss, or the boy with the bread like Peeta, by defying the norms of viscous competition in conflict scenarios and stopping to think how working together can lead to even better results.

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Catching Fire on the Job?

Thanksgiving to the Brain; from Cradle to Grave

You know the old saying: “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?” As a behaviorist and someone who has actively trained people and organizations for over 15 years, I am hugely opposed to the saying. I believe when it comes to learning, the sky is the limit.  However, there’s a simple and must have ingredient that needs to be there, whether for the older or the younger candidate.  This component is motivation.  Motivation is to training and learning, as yeast is to bread.  I love this analogy because it’s relatable to everyone, and there is no variable that can change the outcomes.  So as you know there are three main ingredients to any bread:  flour, milk/water, and eggs.  However, these are the ingredients that will enable the outcome to be something within the bread family.  These could be things such as piecrust, biscuits, pancakes, scones etc. etc.  In order to control for bread, there is only one ingredient that will transform the dough from a flat and chewy entity to a crispy and fluffy phenomena and that is yeast.  So let’s review:  anyone can learn a new concept, a new habit, or a new process with the right tools such as environment, support and practice.  However in order to be transformed, meaning for the learning to become solidified and ingrained, the individual has to have the motivation to put the learning in to practice and avoid variations of any kind in repeated exposures.  They say for any habit to be formed, the individual has to practice it for 21 days straight. 

So why is this important in organization development?  Within the process of change, I am often asked to waive a magic wand and make certain people in the organization change, while the supporting individuals keep their behavior intact and the organization’s processes and mechanisms also stay unchanged.  I truly enjoy the process of change, and in fact consider the transformation of people and organizations a passion.  There is whole new world of possibilities on the other side, once there are realizations and insertions put in place.  However, expecting to have fundamental and long-lasting change, without aligning all the parts and components related to it, are impossible if not foolish.  Alike the various members of a family, what affects one member will affect another.  And hence for positive change to come about, all members have to make changes accordingly.  Systems theory is a great proponent of this concept. Systems theory was proposed in the 1940's by the biologist Ludwig von Bertalanffy (General Systems Theory, 1968), and furthered by Ross Ashby (Introduction to Cybernetics, 1956). Von Bertalanffy was both reacting against reductionism and attempting to revive the unity of science. He emphasized that real systems are open to, and interact with, their environments, rather than reducing an entity (e.g. the human body) to the properties of its parts or elements (e.g. organs or cells), systems theory focuses on the arrangement of and relations between the parts which connect them into a whole (cf. holism).

So the next time someone responds negatively to change, take the time to find out the questions below.

A.  What are they afraid of losing in the process?
B.  What motivates them to keep the status quo?

C.  What can you offer as new, which can replace the old in a good way? 

And by the way, whomever came up with the saying “Can’t teach and old dog new tricks” could benefit from a research update:  Lex Schelgel, in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (sept. 2012), notes that the brain continues to change — for the better — in adults, as long as the adult continues learning. While many neuroscientists use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in brain studies, Schlegel turned to a new MRI technology, called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). He used DTI to measure the diffusion of water in axons, tracking the communication pathways in the brain. “This work is contributing to a new understanding that the brain keeps this plastic organ throughout your life, capable of change.”

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Transformers Ultimate Power

Now days, when we hear the words Transformer, we automatically think of the entertainment franchise co-produced between the Japanese Takara Tomy and American Hasbro toy companies back from the 1980’s. The original forms of the transformers utilized varying humanoid-type figures while later versions presented robots able to transform into everyday vehicles, electronic items or weapons.  On the other hand, the word Transformer has been in the engineering and physics realm for many years, dating back to the early days of the use of electricity. A transformer is an electrical device that takes electricity of one voltage and changes it into another voltage. You'll see transformers at the top of utility poles and even changing the voltage in a toy train set.  Although it seems the terms are worlds apart, there is a common theme between the two and that is Change. 

So why are we suddenly talking about engineering and the entertainment industry?  That’s because as leadership development strategists, we are in the business of change.  Preparing leaders and organizations for change outside of themselves in the case of their organization, but also change within them.  In today’s’ fast paced and highly volatile economic environment, it is even more imperative that people and organizations not only adapt to change, but to also invite it.  What’s the difference? From an organization development perspective, benchmarking, strategy planning and competitive advantage are based on the premise that in order to stay competitive, our offerings need to stay innovative in the eyes of our customers.  This is not unchartered territory.  From the days of Ford Motor Companies to McDonalds and up to now, this basic principle has had to take precedence.  However, what about from the viewpoint of employee productivity and team leadership? 

There has always been the discussion that one can be a good manager without being a good leader. In fact, there was a theory discussed not too long ago called transactional leadership.   Transactional leadership would encompass the exchange of traditionally expected tasks: managing, supervising, organizing work, and monitoring performance. This would mean following procedures, a set of guidelines and tasks.  Bringing this back to our original discussion of organization development, the question I want to pose to you is:  in a transactional environment, what behavior if any is the manager going to encourage?  My answer:  Status Quo.  The truth is, a manager is only avoiding failure by managing, meaning prevention and cannot be the catalyst to change, meaning proactive.  The change we are referring to here would cover many areas including adapting to individual employees needs, motivating employees according to their motivational triggers, job design based on talents rather than just resume matching, and proactive team productivity measures, such as innovation days, and culture change in general, just to name a few.  These examples are all in a sense, babies born out of the marriage of a learning organization culture, and transformational leadership.  The initiatives and processes leading to each of them require constant cultivation and nurturing.

It was James MacGregor Burns who first used the term transformational leadership in 1978 to describe a process in which “leaders and followers help each other to advance to a higher level of morale and motivation.”

In any circumstance, if you want to have someone perform according to your liking, they have to want to perform.  Long gone are the days of the iron fist, or the “I will fire you”.  Having influence comes from trust, support, and the match between the intrinsic motivation of the follower and the influencing power of the leader. We have seen even under circumstances of severe punishment, whether physical or emotional, such as the Nazi Concentration Camps, or the Abolishment of Slavery during the Civil War, that over a period of time, people will only follow those, whom they believe in. 

Reasons Transformational Leadership has an influential effect:

• It is able to create a supportive environment where responsibility is shared
• It is able to encourage actions that support the organization rather than personal interests
• It is able to break through status quo; have freedom to set strategy and change direction
• It is able to allow one to earn genuine trust, respect, and admiration of their team
• It is able motivate performance and business impact beyond expectations

In our next article, we will discuss, suggested ways a leader can find their transformational voice.  In the mean time, stay tuned to our Interview Series Titled:  The Voice of Leadership on Blog Talk Radio.

Transformer Photo Credit: HD Wallpapers

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Leadership Qualities of Angela Ahrendts
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Inspiration is not just the Beach at Trouville

Considering the report by CBSNews that this year’s Gallup survey shows 70% of employees are not inspired by their work, the journey to achieving inspiration and engagement may seem unrealistic. In Greek mythology, inspiration was thought to be accessible only through muses, who appeared to certain people at certain times. Though the concept of muses is a less popular belief in modern culture, inspiration still remains elusive. However, those who spend time to better acquaint themselves with inspiration have learned it’s not an elusive mythological being, but an achievable and maintainable state of existing. For that matter, inspiration is known to have two qualities. First, it is catalytic and second, it’s collectively infectious, especially in the workplace.

How to create an Inspirational Work Culture

1.       Stay on Target

Great leaders don’t change history by solving unimportant issues, just as multi-million dollar companies don’t succeed without meeting a need. When it comes to maintaining inspiration in the workplace, managers and organizations should regularly visit and re-visit the organization’s mission.

2.       Invest in your players

In Human Capital is an Important Factor for the Success of an Organization , Ravindu Gamage states that Human capital is a valuable resource, because it recognizes that people should be treated as assets, rather than as an expense. Within this frame of mind, every employee should be valued and nurtured within a company. This can be accomplished through investing in employee’s talents and interests, as well as utilizing the Five Languages for Engagement TM.

3.       Guide relentlessly

When solving the puzzle that is inspiration, why not turn to some of the most inspired and loved artists in history? Eugene Boudin: The Man Who Inspired Monet is perhaps a fitting article for consideration.

The Beach at Trouville
By: Boudin

Boudin saw Monet’s charcoal drawings and knew he could do more. Though Monet was not particularly interested in painting, Boudin kept encouraging him to paint with him on the beach. Finally, after some time and Boudin’s continued guidance, similar to the inception of a firework, Monet bloomed and became passionate about painting, moving forward to lead the impressionist movement. Good leaders see potential and invest in their employees with care and unwavering determination.

4.       Share stories

When in doubt of the power of storytelling, simply refer to the IMDB highest grossing box office films, with Avatar topping the list at $760,505,847. People love stories and are propelled by their motivational influence. Just as books line the shelves at Barnes and Noble and movies continually flow into theaters, stories cycle through every company and every office. The key is to become the narrator of inspiring stories about the general human condition which minimizes differences in people and capitalizes on their collective power and determination to win.  Tell humorous and motivational stories by the water cooler and in meetings.  Your stories will strengthen work culture by inspiring others, as well as influencing them to share positive memories.

5.       Inspire with motivation

Countless studies have shown that employees, who are challenged by their roles, excel and strengthen their organizations. Challenges lead to trial and tribulations, resulting in learning and growth. Heard of the saying, “couples who play together stay together?” It’s even truer in organizations.  Engagement comes from participation in common goals.  In order to “keep the fire burning,” continual skill building is vital. Take employees out of their comfort zones and challenge them to do more.

Inspiration isn’t something that can be touched or tasted, but it is certainly something that can be influenced and felt. So go forth, and inspire.

Recent Topics of Interest

Below are some additional Center for Work Life posts on other platforms. I hope you will find these insights helpful.



Avoiding Groupthink
Bringing Online Meetings to Life
Social Media Ethics
Healthcare Reforms and The Healthy Organization
Conflict Resolution Tips




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