Human Performance

In studying the behaviour and performance of people and organisations at work, job satisfaction is a popular concept we organisational psychologists like to measure.

Some believe it is a global concept that should be measured broadly. Others believe it is better measured through facets such as pay, relationships, work environment, and so on.

But many of these facets are deemed extrinsics - things that are related to but do not form part of the work being done. We know from Herzberg's research as far back as 1956 that these extrinsics can be a significant cause of dissatisfaction at work. However, ensuring they are in good shape doesn't make people satisfied with their work.

In other words, foosball tables, slides that take workers to the ground floor, free coffee and haircuts, childcare, and even performance bonuses, don't counteract a sh*tty workplace and a negative culture.

That said, to merely be satisfied with work is not enough.

"Results showed that people are made dissatisfied by bad environment, the extrinsics of the job. But they are seldom made satisfied by good environment, what I called hygienes. They are made satisfied by the intrinsics of what they do." - Herzberg, The Motivation to Work (1959)

You want more from your work and so do your people.

That "more" might not necessarily cost your business money. In fact, it may only cost you the price of a smile honestly generated and offered to someone who might need it.

It might cost you the absence of fear that your people will mess things up. It might cost you some trust that those who work for you might be capable of making a decision without you around to approve it.

The biggest mistake people make in business is believing they must make all the decisions and have all the answers. And no matter whether you are a self-employed owner of a small business, a CEO of a corporate organisation or a senior or middle manager, the essence of this is the same...

People need to feel that they are part of an organisation that has some humanity, that shares their values and trusts them to make decisions.

People need more than to be merely satisfied with work. They need to feel energised and highly motivated.

They need to feel that they have a sense of autonomy, are competent and trusted in their work, and are part of something bigger than themselves.

Get this right, and your organisation may, in addition to being a great place to work, be profitable too.

Larry



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Larry G. Maguire
MSc. Org. Psych., BA (hons) Psych., M.Ps.S.I., M.A.C., R.Q.T.U
Work & Organisational Psychologist

I'm seeing clients at No. 8 Cabra Road, Phibsboro on Wednesday evenings or at your place of business upon request. Get in touch if you're seeking to address work and business challenges, improve your performance, and help your staff improve theirs.

💼 The workplace can be a significant source of enjoyment, fulfilment, motivation, and creativity for people. But for many others, it is quite the opposite.

🗓️ Beginning today, I'll be sharing some strategies, thoughts and ideas from psychology that may help you or your colleagues better cope with negative workplace situations or, indeed, people. These ideas can also be applied to life on the whole.

🙋‍♂️Whether you work for yourself or for others is irrelevant - workplace stress has a negative impact on us all at some point in our careers. So finding healthy ways to manage it is important for our state of mind and general health.

Here's something you can do about it👇

🧠 Cognitive Reappraisal (Flipping The Thought)

WHAT IS IT?

Cognitive Reappraisal is, in short, the ability to think differently about a negative experience or relationship and is one of the most effective emotion regulation strategies we can use (Gross & Thompson, 2007). It involves changing the meaning of emotionally charged events so that they alter your experience. I call it "Flipping The Thought". Rather than ignoring the truth of the matter or telling yourself a lie, Cognitive Reappraisal is about finding an alternative way to think about the facts.

HOW TO PRACTICE IT

1️⃣ In a quiet and safe place, think about an emotionally charged situation that brings about an automatic judgment and reaction (appraisal), then...

2️⃣ Re-evaluate or re-judge the situation in a more neutral or positive direction (called a re-appraisal).

❗Let someone off the hook - maybe they're dealing with difficulty.
❗Let yourself off the hook - you don't have to get it right every time.
❗Ask yourself - does this situation always have to end up like this?
❗Consider a more positive alternative outcome - change is possible!

When we take a moment to think differently about an otherwise problematic situation, we can change our emotional experience entirely. What was at one minute an idiot manager who doesn't understand the task needs more time, can suddenly be a fellow colleague who's under pressure from a tyrant senior manager. When we Flip the automatic negative thought to a more positive one, we're not attempting to change the person, but our response to them.

Studies have shown that cognitive reappraisal (flipping the thought) can change our subjective emotional experience very quickly, and even show a reduced impact of negative emotion on the body (flight or flight response).

People and situations at work can influence, but don't have to determine, our emotional state. We can take charge of how we feel and respond. BUT IT TAKES WORK. With practice, Cognitive Reappraisal helps us develop the ability to be more measured in our response to difficulty, and build personal resilience.

WHAT NOW?

✅ Tag a friend who needs this
✅ DM for help implementing it
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