TGIM or TGIF?

What would it take to create TGIM
where you work?

Fewer workers than ever say, Thank Goodness It's Monday [TGIM], according to the latest Conference Board National Survey.  Why is it workers perceive work as a downer ?  Interest on the job was the number one answer - even above money factors, or factors influencing their standard of living.

Interest springs from curiosity, challenge, creativity or working out a conundrum.  Personal interest jump-starts  the human brain's proclivity for stepping up to the plate to learn, surpass the challenge or solve the mystery. Not too surprisingly, novelty's a motivator for most people on the job. Since our brains are wired to avoid boredom and ruts, when a stimulus activates the brain.  If they've felt a dopamine rush in past with a job well done, they want it yet again.  You see dopamine, a natural brain chemical,  brings a high level of satisfaction, and is reward in itself.

What happens then, when so many workers open workplace doors on Monday mornings, dreading the whole day?  What would it take for a CEO, manager or worker to create a challenging work environment - one where productivity reigns? It does not take rocket science to figure out the answer. 

Move workers' rich resources - hidden in the treasure houses of their brains

Here are suggested starters based on MITA methods to tap all eight of workers' multiple intelligences:

Nature nurtures the mind and the work environment you create greatly affects a worker's day.  If you work in a cubical how might you make your space pleasing by including plants?

Music changes mood and can enhance well-being and focus on the job.  What music could boost your Monday mornings? 

Walking on a treadmill while working antes up energy and proficiency. Consider some treadmill desks to energize workers.  The brain benefits from the extra oxygen generated as you walk since the human brain needs 21% of the body's oxygen to operate at peak performance.

Meet with people who push you out of your comfort zones  We are the sum of the people we spend most time with, Paul Sloane notes. Have lunch with work colleagues who are different than you and can stir your thinking in new ways as you see new perspectives.

Why not nurture your inner innovator?  Reflect to see where you fit in best and adjust your overall attitude toward life and work- approach your Mondays with an open mind and cultivate the belief that possibilities and solutions are there for you.  Look for the unexpected.

Write a proposal for the CEO with suggestions on how make Mondays more upbeat by creating a brain friendly work culture. Zappos, CEO Tony Hsieh formed a theory, "if you create a work culture that fosters well-being, good practices and (eventually) good profits will naturally flow out of the operation." How how can it happen in your workplace?

List two things you want to do on Monday.  Plan ahead to do something you will enjoy doing during your  work day.  By rebooting your brain and organizing ahead, you will make your job more rewarding.

Use spatial tools to enhance your next work project  Our visual intelligence helps us see through a new lens.  Ideas emerge from pictures in our minds.  Why not simply doodle or sketch your idea on scrap paper before putting into words?

How might you make Mondays a day you anticipate at work, rather than days you dread?

Handshakes Reveal More than You Think!

At the end of every meeting, Jim Street grabbed hold of my hand and squeezed it so hard it hurt.  I never could figure out why he did that, but it gave me a bad impression. I strived to figure out his intentions and watched to see if he did similarly to others.

Not too surprisingly, your handshake reveals much about confidence and trust.  So what does it take to execute one well?  Based on recent findings by British scientist, Geoffrey Beattie twelve things determine the quality of a handshake.

The formula for the perfect handshake looks like this:
PH = √(e2 + ve2)(d2) + (cg + dr)2 + p{(4< s >2)(4< p >2)}2 + (vi + t + te)2 + {(4< c >2 )(4< du >2)}2

Here’s a key to the equation, including proper levels of each factor on a 1-5 scale:

(e): eye contact (1=none; 5=direct) — 5

(ve): verbal greeting (1=totally inappropriate; 5=totally appropriate) — 5

(d): Duchenne smile — smiling in eyes and mouth, plus symmetry on both sides of face, and slower offset (1=totally non-Duchenne smile (false smile); 5=totally Duchenne) — 5

(cg): completeness of grip (1=very incomplete; 5=full) — 5

(dr): dryness of hand (1=damp; 5=dry) — 4

(s): strength (1= weak; 5=strong) — 3

(p): position of hand(1=back towards own body; 5=other person’s bodily zone) — 3

(vi): vigor (1=too low/too high; 5=mid) — 3

(t): temperature of hands (1=too cold/too hot; 5=mid) — 3

(te): texture of hands (1=too rough/too smooth; 5=mid) — 3

(c): control (1=low; 5=high) — 3

(du): duration (1= brief; 5=long) — 3

Sensory input from thermal and pressure receptors during a handshake is sent to your brain's parietal lobe.  The message travels to deeper areas of the limbic system for an emotional interpretation to judge how the shake felt, David Givens notes.

“The rules for men and women are the same: right hand, a complete grip and a firm squeeze (but not too strong) in a mid-point position between yourself and the other person, a cool and dry palm, approximately three shakes, with a medium level of vigour, held for no longer than two to three seconds, with eye contact kept throughout and a good natural smile with a slow offset with, of course, an appropriate accompanying verbal statement, make up the basic constituent parts for the perfect handshake,” notes Beattie.

"Since in much of the world a handshake is both a visual and a tactile index of your concern for other people,"  Givens points out. "A rule of thumb is not to hold back." Givens reveals many tips about what is expected in your handshake when you visit other countries.

How do you rate your current handshake?  Tap into these strategies as you meet an important contact or go for that critical interview!