Regardless of size, industry, customer, or platform, the success of all business boils down to one thing – the people. There are physical, mental, emotional, and economic costs associated conflict and drama, or as Anne Grady author of the new book 52 Strategies for Life, Love and Work likes to say, “crazy creators”.
Grady, an organizational transformation expert, teaches businesses how to both survive and thrive by dealing with their struggles in a whole new way. With a master's degree in organizational communication Grady pairs her business expertise with her incredible experiences as the mother of a mentally ill child, resulting in her unique style of teaching organizations, and the people in them, make lasting improvements in their personal and professional lives.
“Lost productivity, lower morale and motivation, and a lack of engagement threaten the profitability and growth of an organization,” according to Grady.
Learning from Hardship, Transforming the Workplace (and your life)
Anne Grady's mentally ill son has dealt with extreme rage issues for his whole life, even as a very young child. In order to cope with her reality, support her son, and maintain a safe and happy home, Anne had to—by necessity—come up with workable solutions to move beyond the most heart-wrenching difficulties and create a better life for herself and her family. The experience of working through this hardship merged with Anne's high level of business training, and the result was a series of tips for working smarter (not harder), improving productivity, and defining priorities and goals. Her philosophy? “Be proactive, not reactive.”
“While crazy can't be eliminated completely (we're all a little wacky), there are strategies that can absolutely transform the way the people in organizations work together,” Grady adds.
Here's a peek at some of Anne's advice.
Anne outlines 5 Tips for Improving Your Work Life
*Effective Motivation: You are more likely to get what you need and have win-win outcomes if you understand both your own motivators and those of others. Pay attention to what people talk about and what naturally motivates them. Ask how you can help them stay motivated. Figure out what demotivates them and stop doing it! And don't forget to apply these steps to yourself!
*Focus on High-Payoff Activities: Identify and write down your high-payoff activities. How much time each day are you spending on the most important things? Show your list to your boss and key coworkers with a stake in your success. How does your list match up with their expectations? Adjust your list as needed.
*Set SMART Goals: SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Bound. What is the goal you would like to achieve, and how are you going to get there? What hurdles might stand in your way and what solutions can you think of for dealing with them? What action steps will you take? Turn “I want to” into “I am” and “I will.”
*Do a Brain Dump: We can't hold nearly as much in our heads as we think we can, and attempting to do so is a short path to feeling overwhelmed, not to mention forgetting some of the things we're supposed to do! The solution is a once-a-day brain dump. At least once a day, grab a pen and paper or open your favorite note-taking program and unload your brain of all those things you need to remember to take care of. You'll reduce your stress level, which will make you a more pleasant coworker, and you'll also give each of the things in your brain's list a much better shot at being completed!
*Feed Your Strengths, Accept Your Challenges: No one is the best at everything, yet most people spend a lot of time thinking about their weaknesses, what they're not good at, how they wish they were different. What if we changed that internal dialog to focus on our strengths? Make a list of your strengths, especially being sure to include the tasks and ways of being that come most easily to you. What can you do to spend more time on these strengths? Next, go ahead and make a list of the areas that are most challenging for you. For each one, brainstorm at least one way that you can use your strengths to support you in bettering an area of challenge so that it is not a hindrance to your progress.
About Anne Grady
Anne is an entrepreneur, author and expert in personal and organizational transformation. With humor, passion and straight talk, she grew her business as a nationally recognized speaker and consultant while raising her severely mentally ill son. Anne shares lessons she has learned in her new book, 52 Strategies for Life, Love and Work.
For more information, see www.AnneGradyGroup.com or visit Anne's online press kit at www.AnneGradyGroup.OnlinePressKit247.com.
