There are a number of people who view being nice as a liability when it comes to their personal and professional success. Some say, “If you’re nice, people will take advantage of you.” Others say, “If you’re nice, you’ll be seen as being weak.” Recent research studies, however, have shown that just the opposite is true. In a study published in the March, 2009 issue of the Journal of Product Innovation Management, researchers found that managers who treated their employees with kindness, respect and fairness got far better performance from them than managers who didn’t. Other studies show that nice people are happier, healthier, more optimistic and make more money than their not so nice counterparts. So, make it a point to smile and say or do something that brightens the day of everyone you come into contact with. If you do this for one week, you’ll be amazed at how much your life changes for the better.
A study at Brigham Young University, which was reported in the journal PLOS Medicine, found that our personal relationships are among the “short list” of factors that predict our odds of living or dying. The study authored by BYU professors Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Timothy Smith and J. Bradley Layton found that people with adequate social relationships—friends, family, neighbors, or colleagues—have a 50 percent greater likelihood of survival compared to those with poor or insufficient relationships. Here is how low social interaction compares to some of the more well-known mortality risk factors:
Equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day
Equivalent to being an alcoholic
More harmful than not exercising
Twice as harmful as obesity
This is enlightening evidence regarding the value of developing and maintaining personal friendships. While doing so requires some time and effort, as you can see from a longevity standpoint, it’s worth it. On top of that, our relationships enrich our lives and make journey through life more enjoyable.
INSTANT TURNAROUND!Getting People Excited About Coming To Work and Working Hard.
Instant Turnaround! is the ultimate guide to productivity, profits and your own prosperity. Times may be tough, but for team leaders, supervisors, managers and executives who know how to tap into the discretionary effort of their employees, their productivity and profits soar. The key is to get people excited about coming to work and applying every bit of energy, creativity and passion they have toward performing their jobs instead of doing only what they have to do to in order to stay employed. Instant Turnaround! presents a four-step process that will show you how to make this happen in any kind of business organization.
Read the comments of just a few of the readers….
Thank you so much for sending across the draft of your new book. This is exactly the kind of business book I like reading. No unnecessary text or theories; the parable style of writing works best in today’s world for a majority of the people I know. –Aditi Sharma, Deputy Editor, The Human Factor (HR Journal), New Delhi, India
I have read your draft. Once, I started, I was engaged and didn’t want to delay finishing it! When I started full-time with John Deere, I started as a supervisor of our engine assembly line. I frequently walked around with a smile on my face. I had guys working for me that said my smile would go away as I worked longer. I consider that my challenge otherwise, and continued to tell them that we should all have some fun at work. –Lesley Gustafson, Suppy Base Manager, John Deere, Mannheim, Germany
Your new book is not only a step-by-step ‘how-to’ motivate employees and change from low to high morale, but it teaches how to prevent morale from going downhill in the first place. If those ‘B’s are consistently used in the company, then there are less chances of having unhappy employees. The book is easy to read and it is packed full of valuable information. –Gloria Ku, Manager – Office Administration and HR, PLATEK SERVICES INC., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
The best leadership advice for creating a great organization comes from simple truths. Instant Turnaround is full of these truths. Harry Paul and Ross Reck nail what it takes to get people excited about coming to work and working hard. Read this book. –Ken Blanchard, coauthor of One Minute Manager
Instant Turnaround!’ offers sure-fire solutions to boost any businesses’ bottom-line, via the most powerful connection ever created: the human connection.” –Linda Kaplan and Robin Koval, coauthors of The Power of Nice
One of the biggest challenges facing businesses today is getting people excited about coming to work and working hard every single day. In this absorbing new book Instant Turnaround, leadership gurus Paul and Reck give you the specifics on how to make this happen—in a way that grabs you from page one. Ignore this message at your peril. –Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, New York Times bestselling authors of The Carrot Principle
This is a great guide and a great reminder for managers at any level in any organization. The story line pulls the reader in and enables him or her to gain a deeper understanding of the basic rules for keeping great talent committed and energized. –Beverly Kaye, coauthor of Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em: Getting Good People to Stay
I just finished rereading your book. Once I get started, I just can’t stop myself. This book is SO-O-O-O-O GOOD! The addition of the Nuggets is a good one! It will keep those reading that feel they have to have everything structured. They’re also good for future reference. The three items you added at the end are also good. It is always good to have your ideas listed. And “A Note for Upper Level Managers” puts the pressure where it belongs. I am hoping your book is a GREAT success!! It reminds me so much of Gast Manufacturing, the company my grandfather founded. It started out as a small local manufacturing company and today it’s a world-wide dealer of rotary engines. They never needed a labor union, because my Uncle Bill, the CEO, spent lots of time on the factory floor talking with employees. –Carol Krieger, Retired Granddaughter of the Founder of Gast Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, MN
OMG! I got home at about 5ish tonight, ate dinner, then sat and read your manuscript (yes, I know it’s a Friday night and I should be out, but I started to read it and I couldn’t put it down)! I loved it! My mind was racing with so many ideas and thought on how I can implement everything you talked about. I thought about giving this to everyone from our CEO at our headquarters building to our crew members. I’m super excited for it and can’t wait to see it on the shelves! –Jessica Chavez, Area Franchise Manager, Cold Stone Creamery, Billings, MT
Thank you so much for the manuscript. Your timing was impeccable as we started a very similar program with our Mobile Mini sales staff last Monday. As I read the manuscript last Sunday I skeptical about seeing immediate results. But you are right. The payoff was immediate. Mobile Mini experienced a very successful week but what is more important, we had fun too. The younger folks responded right away. The “old timers” (like me) took a little longer, but by the end of the week everyone was onboard. –Paul Gryniewicz, Sales Team Leader, Mobile Mini, Phoenix, AZ
What a great message and great story! WOW – you sure can weave a message in cleverly (and a good message at that). I also liked how you repeat the main ideas several times so that it makes an impression and it’s hard to forget (the 4 Be’s, etc.). The story is good, flows easily and the message is sound. –Jane Woyciehowsky, Sales Manager, Financial Intelligence Division, SAS, Austin, TX
Frequently Asked Questions About Instant Turnaround!Who is this book intended for? Anyone whose success depends on securing the enthusiastic support of other people.What is the primary focus of this book? This book has one focus—it shows you how to tap into the discretionary effort of the people who work for you—how to get them excited about coming to work and applying every bit of energy and passion they have toward performing their jobs instead of doing only what they have to do to in order to stay employed.
How soon is “instant”—weeks, six months, a year? When you implement the program contained in Instant Turnaround!, you’ll notice significant improvement the very first day.I work for a nonprofit agency. Does this book apply to my environment? You bet. The method described in this book will work in any environment — volunteer organizations, schools, government agencies and even professional athletic teams.What makes this book different from other management/ leadership/motivation books? The whole book is about showing you specifically how to tap into the discretionary effort of the people who work for or with you.Times are tough and I don’t have any extra money to motivate my employees. What can this book do for me if I can’t afford to pay raises or bonuses? The nice thing about discretionary effort is that it’s free—that’s why it makes such a huge difference.My company’s upper management is resistant to change. Can this book help me turn around our company’s productivity? Absolutely! Start with your company’s poorest performing department and apply the method contained in this book to that department and watch what happens literally overnight. Once senior management sees the results, they’re going to want to apply this method across the entire company.Has the method contained in Instant Turnaround! been tested in the real world? If so, what were the results? Absolutely. We found this method by studying highly successful companies in the real world. It’s the method that Southwest Airlines has been using since 1973 and has turned a profit every year since while most of its competitors are losing billions.We are stretched to the max trying to keep our company afloat. I don’t have a whole lot of time or resources to put into turning our situation around. What does this book offer someone like me? You can’t afford not to buy this quick read which will show you how and where to put your scarce resources to achieve the results you’re looking for—especially in this bad economy.I’m looking for practical ideas that work, not theory. Will this book give me what I’m looking for? Absolutely. This book is all practical and no theory.We just underwent a second round of layoffs and closed a plant. Morale is at an all-time low. What can this book do for our company in this rough economy? It will show you how to motivate your employees with trust instead of fear. Once you start motivating with trust, low morale becomes a thing of the past and productivity goes through the roof.As a department supervisor, I have a performance appraisal coming up in three months and right now my department is cranky and underachieving. If I follow the advice contained in this book, do I have enough time to turn the performance of my department around? You bet. If you implement the management method contained in Instant Turnaround!, you’ll be shocked at what your department is able to accomplish in three months.
71st Annual Peabody Awards Luncheon Waldorf-Astoria Hotel – Photo by Anders Krusberg
Ross Reck recently wrote: Alex Trebek, host of “Jeopardy!” passed away recently. Alex was a very special person in that everyone who encountered him, whether in person or on television, loved him including the people he worked for, worked with, as well as the show’s contestants. On top of that, his fans adored him. You never saw anything written or heard anything said about him that was even remotely negative. After he announced that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, he received hundreds of thousands of cards, letters, emails, texts, and tweets all wishing him well. What was the secret to his success? He was a genuinely kind person—he truly cared about people and it showed. How do you want to be remembered?
Persistence means to stay the course in pursuing your goals in spite of whatever difficulties or opposition you may run into. Stubbornness, on the other hand, is more along the lines of: “My mind is made up, so don’t confuse me with the facts.” When you’re persistent, you’re moving toward something. This means persistence leads to achievement and growth. When you’re stubborn, you’re determined to hold your ground which means you’re not moving toward anything. As a result, you intentionally deny yourself opportunities to achieve and grow. So, take a few minutes and ask yourself: “Am I being persistent or am I being stubborn?” As you do this, keep in mind that being persistent will lead you to success while being stubborn will most likely keep you from succeeding.
