Achievement = Happiness

Does a sense of achievement equate to our happiness?

When considering this question we could look to Self Determination Theory (SDT), which states we have three basic psychological needs.

• Autonomy – the need to engage in activities we have a choice in, that we find interesting and value
• Competence – the need to achieve valued outcomes and to use our own capacity to do this
• Relatedness – the need to feel connected to significant others
  

  

When considering our capacity to lead others we could consider SDT as the basis for getting the most out of our people.  As leaders, we can create opportunities for people to function well at work and generate a sense of achievement and ultimately happiness.  Not only is the task important our perception of our own capacity to do the task and those we work with to complete it.  The amount of interest we have in task will not only meet our needs it will enable us to performance at our best and generate a sense of achievement.

The ancient Greeks had their own theory way back when Aristotle advocated eudemonia or human flourishing as the ultimate expression of one’s potential.

With this in mind, are you as a leader creating these opportunities for achievement not only for yourself but also for those you lead and develop?

 

“Happiness lies in the …

“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

The Joy of Achievement

Weakness Revealed is a Leaders Strength

We are told that in order to be an effective leader, not only do we need to create vision, generate energy, show authority and strategic direction – but how do we demonstrate our human authenticity?

One quality that (Goffee & Jones, 2000) discuss is to selectively show your weaknesses. By no means does this mean if you are the head of the IT department should you reveal your lack of comprehension of cloud technology, but that by demonstrating some human frailty, some vulnerability, you will increase your humanity and endear yourself to your followers.

Quite often you hear employees speak that they don’t feel that senior people in their organisation don’t seem human, or have a heart, or appear to care. We also know within ourselves through the world of Hollywood celebrities, if weaknesses are not made known the public will quickly create one for you. CISCO CEO John Chambers was dyslexic and relies on memorised speeches and Richard Branson revealed in an interview (Branson, 2000) that his biggest weakness in life is that he can’t say no.

By revealing your weakness you are more likely to capture the hearts and minds of your people. By way of this self reveal, this act of sharing something a little personal, it establishes trust and people respond well to this and will be more inclined to follow your lead. By revealing small flaws this also might divert attention from major weakness. You have to be strategic in the way that you reveal but also be genuine. People can pick a fake and this they will remember and for a long time, credibility of which you can kiss goodbye.

What would you reveal as your weakness?

References
Branson, R. (2000, June 20). Interview with Richard Branson – Foreign Correspondent. (J. Byrne, Interviewer)
Goffee, R., & Jones, G. (2000). Why Should Anyone be Led by You? Harvard Business Review , 2-3.

Say No to proposed Govt Net Filter

The proposed internet filter by the current Australian government is an infringement on human rights and freedom of speech.  It is a waste of public money that could be better spent on other areas of society.  I am an adult and can choose my own content on the internet, if I breached a law in terms of the content I viewed then there are laws in place to deal with that outcome.

I can’t believe my modern Australia is contemplating such archaic means to control its population, enough with the police state mentality, censorship is wrong!

The other brother

Join GetUp! in the fight against the filter, the election is coming and Rudd must remove this unpopular policy.

Censor this?

Revamping Resumes

Do you find the recruitment process often frustrating and time-consuming?  Both from a recruiters perspective and when you are a candidate searching for your next challenge.  The one fundamental on both sides is that it all starts with the resumé and after nearly 8 years in the game, I have seen some really dreadful resumes which I am sure you have too if you are in HR.

I sometimes think that at school or uni a universal template could be provided to students and they create an entry-level resume before they graduate so they can hit the ground running.  There is plenty of help on the internet but most of the time it seems that this goes untouched and clearly so by some of the examples I receive.

Bad Resumes

It is so frustrating wading through over 70 resumes for a role and not even the basics details are present like employer, job title, dates of employment and accomplishments.  Then there are the references where the referee when you call them barely remembers the candidate!, but I digress.  So what can be done I hear you ask?

Well, in my quest to transform the resumé and thinking how we are now in the digital age and its all about the net and social media I thought there must be something better and more savvy out there, and I am happy to report it is here.

I discovered this website – http://www.visualcv.com/ and I think it is great.  It removes the one-dimensional aspect of resumes, it provides a basic framework and lets you tailor it to your own personal style and you can add work examples, images and even video.  Perfect! straight away you have something that is interactive and provides much more information than a black and white typed word document that has evolved over time.

Best of all its FREE!

New Resume? Keep it Simple

Now it might have taken off more in the USA but I think it needs embracing in Australia.  Seek.com needs to provide a link so you can upload an online CV instead of the traditional word document and so do all the other job boards as well.

If you would like to see mine in action you can check it out here – http://www.visualcv.com/nicoleashe

Blog Disclaimer

This blog is provided as a point of interest and discussion, around matters that affect me and my working life. The day to day things I am confronted with and then my views and opinions on how to deal with or manage these issues.

This blog does not represent the thoughts, intentions, plans or strategies of my employer. It is solely my opinion.

Feel free to challenge me, disagree with me, or tell me I’m completely crazy in the comments section of each blog entry, but I reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason whatsoever (abusive, obscene, rude, or anonymous comments) – so keep it nice people.