Key Questions Dealing with Motivation

• How do we motivate employees?
• How do we motivate our children?
• How do we motivate our students?
• How do we motivate ourselves?
• How do we motivate anyone to do anything?

Employers, parents, administrators, teachers, coaches, religious leaders, commanders, in fact anyone faced with managing, challenging, instructing, and directing people have wrestled with these and related questions throughout history.

How Many Times Have You Heard Someone State

• I can’t seem to get motivated!
• I have tried everything I can think of and I can’t seem to get my employees motivated!
• I know he (or she) has real ability but I can’t seem to get him (or her) motivated!
• I have tried everything and nothing seems to work, I just can’t seem to motivate them!
• I have tried bonuses, raises in pay, promotions, and nothing seems to motivate this group!
• I have two options, I can fire her or promote her, because as it stands right now, nothing seems to motivate her!

Could it be that we’ve had it backwards all this time? Or, if not backwards, perhaps we’ve been using the wrong carrot, and certainly the wrong stick, all along? Current research suggests that motivation does not flow from the old standbys.

You Know the Drill

• Bigger Salary
• An Increase in Pay
• Company Car
• Corner Office
• Paid Vacations
• More Perks
• Big Bonus Checks

And so on…

While there’s more research to be done, one conclusion seems rock solid:

Employees are not motivated by the things most employers have been using for a very long time.

I have added two videos. The first is a fast-paced RSA Animate of a talk given by Dan Pink. Both the presentation and the findings are fascinating. If you have never watched an RSA Animate before, you are in for a treat. If you have, then you know what I mean. The second video is the full length, Dan Pink presentation. I am certain you will find both interesting and educational. 

Let us know what you think, leave a comment below!

Dr. Wayne Nemeroff
PsyMax Solutions
25550 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 100
Cleveland, Ohio 44122
216-896-9991 (local)
866-774-2273 (toll free)
216-360-9907 (fax)

Randy Pausch and The Last Lecture

Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

The Last Lecture is a ritual Carnegie Mellon University has practiced for decades.

In fact, many colleges and universities across the country and around the world invite retiring professors to give one last lecture.

The Last Lecture, given by Professor Randolph Frederick “Randy” Pausch (October 23, 1960 – July 25, 2008) on September 18, 2007 took on very special meaning. Dr. Pausch was dying, the victim of one of the most unforgiving forms of cancer, pancreatic cancer. You will come away from this video, one of the most popular videos online, richer for the experience.

Professor Pausch shares, in what was indeed his last lecture, a myriad of experiences, insights, and life lessons with nobility and grace.

Instead of spending a lot of time describing what The Last Lecture means to me, I am simply going to share it with you. This is without a doubt one of the most remarkable lectures I have ever witnessed…anywhere. I am certain you will feel the same way.

This is indeed, Food for Thought!

Dr. Wayne Nemeroff
PsyMax Solutions
25550 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 100
Cleveland, Ohio 44122
216-896-9991 (local)
866-774-2273 (toll free)
216-360-9907 (fax)

Coming to Terms with an Aging Workforce

Reviewing the the myriad topics explored by the Harvard Business Review over the past decade, several themes begin to emerge.

Interestingly, and perhaps appropriately, one of the most consistent themes over the past ten years has to do with the Graying of America; and, more specifically, the graying of the workforce.

The demographic shift taking place across the United States and around the world has raised many questions. Beyond the questions and challenges that immediately come to mind, many of them having to do with healthcare and quality of life, there is another recurrent theme:

The Graying of America

And, in particular:

The Graying of the Workforce

Over the past two weeks the Harvard Business Review has featured two articles that approach the aging issue from different perspectives.

The first article was written by Marc Freedman, author of The Big Shift: Navigating the New Stage Beyond Midlife.

Marc Freedman is founder and CEO of Civic Ventures, a think tank on boomers, work and social purpose.

Why Older Entrepreneurs Have an Edge by Marc Freedman 

Two passages in Freedman’s article are of particular interest in light of today’s Food for Thought theme:

• The first passage notes that recent research shows that one in four Americans between the ages of 44 and 70 — about 25 million people — are interested in starting their own businesses or nonprofit organizations in the next five to 10 years.

The second passage points to recent research by the Kaufman Foundation and builds upon the first:

• “The findings reinforce consistent research from the Kauffman Foundation, which shows that for 11 of the 15 years between 1996 and 2010, Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 had the highest rate of entrepreneurial activity of any age group. The National Journal reports that 9 of the nation’s 15 million small-business owners were born before 1965.“

Finally, Freedman points to the findings noted in the passages above, stating that “these findings fit another area of research as well, which shows that creativity and innovation spike for many in later life.” Furthermore, Freedman notes that many midlife entrepreneurs are also motivated by an “urge to give back,” to “meet community needs or solve a critical social problem at the same time.”

The question that comes immediately to mind is a fairly straightforward one…with a not-so straightforward answer:

How do we utilize the incredible wealth of knowledge, combined with the urge to give back, so many Baby Boomers bring to the table?

Turning 60: The Twelve Most Important Lessons I’ve Learned So Far by Tony Schwartz

The second article, and more Food for Thought, was written by Tony Schwartz.

Tony Schwartz is the president and CEO of The Energy Project and the author of Be Excellent at Anything and The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working: The Four Forgotten Needs That Energize Great Performance among others.

Tony Schwartz’s article is important for a number of reasons. Yes, it touches on some of the same themes addressed in the Freedman article, but it goes deeper, addressing and giving voice to many of the same thoughts and feelings shared by millions of aging Baby Boomers across the country.

Instead of going into depth here, I will list The Tony Schwartz 12 below…providing Food for Thought.

Interestingly, as the Baby Boomers edge closer to whatever comes next, many are becoming increasingly introspective, seeking to give back and to assign meaning to our work and our lives.

I believe what I have casually referred to as The Tony Schwartz 12 could just as appropriately be labeled:

The Twelve Commandments for Aging

I have provided a link to the complete article above. If you find you want more, a full-course meal, feel free. But don’t forget to bookmark our blog before you go!

The Tony Schwartz 12

1. The more we know about ourselves, the more power we have to behave better.
2. Notice the good.
3. Let go of certainty.
4. Never seek your value at the expense of someone else’s.
5. Do the most important thing first in the morning and you’ll never have an unproductive day.
6. It’s possible to be excellent at anything, but nothing valuable comes easy and discomfort is part of growth.
7. The more behaviors you intentionally make automatic in your life, the more you’ll get done.
8. Slow down.
9. The feeling of having enough is magical.
10. Do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do, and don’t expect anything in return.
11. Add more value in the world than you’re using up.
12. Savor every moment — even the difficult ones. It all goes so fast.

In conclusion, PsyMax Solutions is a resource for small and medium-sized businesses and professional practices.

The PsyMax Solution merges our expertise with your needs as an employer.

To that end, I would like to leave you with one additional thought:

Would there ever be a situation or circumstance when you wouldn’t hire someone who applies Freedman’s notion of giving back with The Tony Schwartz 12?

Food for Thought

Dr. Wayne Nemeroff
PsyMax Solutions
25550 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 100
Cleveland, Ohio 44122
216-896-9991 (local)
866-774-2273 (toll free)
216-360-9907 (fax)

More is very often less and less is more:

• More pain medication often causes a rebound reaction, adding to the pain.
• More acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) isn’t more effective and the risk of damage to your liver has documented.
• More work coupled with less sleep has produced up to a 10 point drop in IQ.

Multitasking has been proven time and time again to be an unproductive strategy:

• Multitasking causes a drop in IQ similar to that of the sleep deprived individual noted above: 10 points. 
• Multitasking will result in work on par with work produced by a man or woman high on pot.
• Multitasking when driving, texting comes immediately to mind, can kill!

Failure is okay. In fact, it is impossible to avoid failure:

• You failed before you took your first step.
• You failed before you colored within the lines…and some still do!
• You failed before you mastered anything worth achieving.

The Perfect World

The PsyMax Solution and a Perfect World: Assessing Performance

Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world and their are times when you must pull an all-nighter.

And it is certainly the case that some tasks must be perfect every time…like brain surgery.

But we all fell alot before we walked…and certainly before we ran.

Next time you are faced with a less-than-perfect world and situation for which you must violate the less is more ideal?

As Yourself One Question

What got me here?

I’d be willing to bet that had you:

• Built in the proper time early on
• Delegated certain tasks when you could have, perhaps should have early on
• Added one extra hour over the course of a week instead of adding 7 hours to a single night

You’d be less likely to be facing the more is necessary situation you are facing!

• Begin a newsletter with an idea.
• Begin a article with an outline.
• Begin a new year with the first day, then week, and then month.
• Begin a physical transformation with a walk around the block.
• Begin a new life with a decision and a single act.

The next time you are tempted to:

• Pull and all-nighter…don’t!

The next time you are tempted to:

• Send an email while talking on the phone…don’t!

The next time you are tempted to:

• Put something off because you don’t have it just right yet…don’t!

The PsyMax Solution and a Single Step

The PsyMax Solution Begins with a Single Step

Remember, sometimes less is more.

Dr. Wayne Nemeroff
PsyMax Solutions
25550 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 100
Cleveland, Ohio 44122
216-896-9991 (local)
866-774-2273 (toll free)
216-360-9907 (fax)

We are living in perhaps the most interesting period in the history of the world.

Technology is redefining how we communicate with each other, the Internet has altered how we conduct business, Social media is responsible for toppling dictators and reshaping entire regions of the world, and the way our children learn has been changed by a man sitting in front of a computer and explaining everything from art history to quantum mechanics.

One man with an idea can change the world! Salman Khan, Founder of Khan Academy

We now relate to each other as individuals, communities, cultures, corporations, and countries in very different ways. We have taken the red pill and our world has been altered forever…there is no going back.

Incredibly, in spite of the amazing events and life altering inventions and applications all around us, there are many more who would argue that we are living in difficult times, perhaps the most difficult period in the history of the United States…and, in fact, the world.

Out of the Ashes: The Emergence of a Creative Giant

While we are unarguably working through the worst economy in decades, there are entrepreneurs beginning new, exciting, and profitable ventures. While unemployment is affecting record numbers, people are stepping up and out to form new businesses, saying goodbye forever to the idea of a conventional 9 to 5 job. And both established and emerging businesses are making money as if it were 1849 San Francisco and they have a lock on the pick and shovel business. Incredibly, there are corporations in the United States and abroad that are making more money annually than most countries.

Cashing in on Technology

In July of 2011 it was reported by CBS and several other news agencies that Apple had more cash on hand than the United States Government.

CBS reported that while Apple had $76 billion dollars in cash on hand, the U.S. Government had $74 billion.

What Do You Want for Christmas? 9 Things Apple Can Pay For

Six months later, in January of 2012, The Huffington Post had fun writing about the things $76 billion dollars would buy.

The article was entitled Apple’s Cash On Hand: 9 Things The Company Could Pay For (SLIDESHOW) and revealed a wish list of sorts. In fact, it was one heck of a wish list. Some of the items on the list would quite literally blow your hair back!

The 9 Bites from Apple’s Cash

#1 – Facebook

The #1 Purchase Possibility: A Bite of Apple's Cash for Facebook

#2 – 216 Missions to Mars

Apple Tops Virgin Galactic with 216 Mission to Mars for 76 Billion in Cash

#3 – A Year of American Students’ Loans

Do you think this would earn a few Apple customers for life? $76 billion would buy a lot of good will!

#4 – Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac Writedown Loan

#5 – Rival Phone Makers

#6 – California’s Budget

$76 Billion Covers the California Budget but Does it Include the Hollywood Sign?

#7 – Germany’s Budget Cuts

#8 – Cleaner Air

#9 – The World

#10 – Bonus: 17 Years of Foreign Aid

Apple's $76 Billion in Cash Pays Foreign Aid: That's a Heck of a Bonus!

The Bonus: The Huffington Post Extends Itself or Apple for 17 Years! 

I thought that was kind of nice of The Huffington Post to include foreign aid. Foreign aid is, after all, such a worthy cause.

Incredible as it seems, some corporations aren’t just doing well, they have country-sized economies!

Can you name 10 corporations with GNPs greater than the majority of countries throughout the world?

Can you name the industry four of the top five are in?

Aside from #1 and #6, the top 10 are all in one industry!

Yup…Oil and Gas!

And every corporation in the top 10 has revenue

in excess of $200 Billion.

Here is #10

Japan Post Holdings

Translation: We Yearn for Apple's Yen!

Revenue: $200 Billion

Industry: Oil and Gas

Employees: 3,250

That’s $615,384.62 per employee!

Stock Listing: Government-Owned

Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan

So, what’s the difference between Apple and a country?

Apple doesn’t increase our taxes!

What Apple does is far more ingenious.

Apple launches another iPhone, iPad, iPod, or iWhatever.

Here’s the take away:

A corporation on the verge of going down for the count not too many years ago has not only resurrected itself, it has grown into an industry…a country of sorts.

A country that couldn’t give away the store is now creating products that incite riots!

A country that fired its inspirational leader and creative genius brought him back to create one of the most amazing success stories in history.

Steve Jobs said being fired from Apple was the best thing that could have happened to him:

“The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.” Stanford Commencement Address – YouTube

In the end, a man described as an erratic and temperamental manager created something truly remarkable, and certainly enviable, by any standards.

This isn’t really a blog post about Steve Jobs…but it is!

And it isn’t really a story about Apple…but it is!

• It is a story about attitude, vision, creative genius, determination, and sheer will power.
• It is a story about all the things that made this country great.
• It is about all of the qualities that still reside in its citizens.
• It is about the qualities so many of us aspire to.

Qualities we’d like to see in our friends and acquaintances, our family members and employees, and in our country’s leaders.

Sure, things have been tough…and they will be again!

All that aside, there are several certainties revealed in a story about what is possible.

• The certainty that there will be another Apple is one…and another Facebook for that matter! 
• The certainty that there will be another Steve Jobs is another.
• The certainty that there will be challenging times again is a third.

And the certainty that the difficult times yet to come will challenge, shape, and define us once again.

The quote that leaps to mind has, for some, become something of a cliché…and yet, it is anything but:

“These are the times that try men’s souls.”Thomas Paine

These are the times that challenge and define us!

Challenge and define not just as individuals, but as families, employees, companies and corporations, cultures, citizens, countries, and human beings.

Life is an amazing force. There is life in every atom, molecule, element, compound, cell, organism, and entity on the planet.

Life is full of ups and downs, good times and bad, life and death, extinction and discovery.

Life is about possibilities. If we accept that, believe in it, and embrace it, we will overcome, continue on, and even flourish.

When it comes down to it, we have two choices

We can flourish or we can flounder!

With every decision we make, every new road we travel, and every new day we face?

We are faced with a decision

Flourish or flounder!

It’s really that simple

Flourish or flounder!

Contact us directly by clicking here!

PsyMax Solutions, LLC
25550 Chagrin Blvd
Suite 100
Cleveland, OH 44122
Phone: 216-896-9991
Fax: 216-360-9907

Happy Weekend, Happy Spring, Happy Life!

Happy Easter! Happy Spring! Happy Passover! Happy Life!

As the world continues to shrink and we come to the realization that there are people of many cultures and myriad belief systems, our general greetings are, necessarily, more generic.

As we strive to be all-inclusive and to not offend, we must come to the realization that our holidays may not be relevant, or even important, to people on the other side of the planet.

Interestingly, this kind of concern wasn’t a real issue until a few decades ago.

Telegraph to radio, radio to broadcast television, broadcast television to cable television, and, finally, cable television to the Internet.

Finally?

Hardly!

Let’s look back for just a moment. Let’s examine the period in our history known specifically for all things glitzy, garish, and glamorous!

No, not the Roaring 20s. But close!

The 80s!

Television brought Dallas’s JR Ewing and Dynasty’s Alexis Colby into living rooms from the Arctic Circle to Patagonia.

I don’t think the world was ready for either. And Jr Ewing’s classic quote that “Once you give up your integrity, the rest is a piece of cake” didn’t help matters.

Americans were viewed in terms of moral bankruptcy and excess! 

Neither is accurate…but what we see on television….

Enter social media and we are faced with a whole new set of challenges:

• Privacy
• Transparency
• Over sharing
• Inappropriate sharing
• Myopia
• And much, much more!

Ultimately, Internet usage, and in particular social media usage, offers a car salesman in Bangor, Maine the opportunity to touch the life of an ecotourism guide in Tierra del Fuego.

Not only touch a life…but do so in an instant!

Talk about a small world!

Where will it lead? Well, there are indications that television, at least as we now know it, is on borrowed time…so we’ll see.

Until then, one thing is absolutely certain:

Change!

Another certainty?

The world will continue to shrink!

In the meantime, PsyMax Solutions will continue to create tests and tools and offer useful resources. As the world continues to shrink, and change progresses apace, PsyMax Solutions will help you assess employees and employment candidates. Additionally, PsyMax will continue to offer solutions to your most pressing human resources challenges.

Finally, PsyMax Solutions Wishes You and Your’s a  Happy Easter and a Happy Passover…a Happy Weekend and a Happy Life!

Dr. Wayne Nemeroff
PsyMax Solutions, LLC
25550 Chagrin Blvd
Suite 100
Cleveland, OH 44122
Phone: 216-896-9991
Fax: 216-360-9907

Increase your Return On Human Resources (ROHR)

Assess characteristics like results-orientation, decision-making, innovation, interpersonal skills, and emotional intelligence to match people to your company’s culture.

The PsyMax Solution helps organizations select the right candidate for the right position the FIRST time.

Even the most thorough of interviews can fail to uncover some of the critical work style behaviors, personality traits, motivational needs, and values that determine how well a candidate’s will match the job requirements and work culture.

Simply stated, the better the match, the more likely the person will succeed.

Our clients tell us that are assessments are like CAT Scans and MRI’s that help them see below the surface and uncover information that other techniques do not uncover.

PsyMax Work Style Assessments provide valuable and critical information to assist you with your hiring decisions.

By using PsyMax Assessments you are more likely to increase your chances that the people you hire will be the right fit for your company.

Contact us directly by clicking here!

Or send us an email:

customersupport@psymaxsolutions.com

Postal address, telephone, and fax:

PsyMax Solutions, LLC
25550 Chagrin Blvd
Suite 100
Cleveland, OH 44122
Phone: 216-896-9991
Fax: 216-360-9907

1. What is The PsyMax Solution?
2. Why is PsyMax Your Best Resource for Pre-Employment Testing?
3. Why is PsyMax the Best Choice for Employment Performance Assessment?

Over the next several weeks and months we will answer these questions and many more. We will also provide useful information you can apply to your own human resources situation as you seek to add to or improve upon your workforce.

The current state of the economy has created a unique situation for business owners and HR managers. As competition for jobs remains fierce, companies of every conceivable size have access to a rich and deep pool of job applicants. Consequently, making the right pre-employment assessment has never been more crucial. Applying the right pre-employment strategy and using the right pre-employment assessment techniques can make your life easier and your business more profitable.

The PsyMax Solution is a multi-faceted resource and we will share much of our expertise here in the days, weeks, and months to follow.

Do you have pre-employment testing and/or employment performance assessment questions you would like answered? Or pre-employment assessment techniques you’d like to see covered?

Please, don’t hesitate to ask about them here. We’d also love to see you comment as we begin to share our expertise and what we call The PsyMax Solution. We are here for you and hope to offer a human resources resource you can count on.

Are you are in need of a first-rate, affordable, and easy-to-apply pre-employment assessment tool?

Contact us today!

Dr. Wayne Nemeroff
PsyMax Solutions
25550 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 100
Cleveland, Ohio 44122
866-774-2273
www.PsyMaxSolutions.com

PsyMax is trusted by top CEOs and human resources experts as the leading, web-based employee assessment and performance maximizing resource. You  can use The PsyMax Solution to select and hire candidates, coach executives, and assess managers and workers. The PsyMax Solution is also a useful personal development tool.

Each PsyMax Work Style Assessment report is packed with information that will help you:

1. Assess and select the best candidate for a particular job
2. Coach employees and managers to maximize performance

Please excuse us while we build our new blog and check back often. We will provide useful information and insights specific to pre-employment assessment and maximizing employee performance.

It is our hope that The PsyMax Solution will help you understand and apply the right employee assessment tools for hiring, developing, and coaching.

Are you are in need of a first-rate, affordable, and easy-to-apply pre-employment assessment tool right now?

Contact us today!

Dr. Wayne Nemeroff
PsyMax Solutions
25550 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 100
Cleveland, Ohio 44122
866-774-2273
www.PsyMaxSolutions.com

To discover more information, click here: The PsyMax Solution!