2. Failing to Find a Project for the Talent that Ignites Their Passion. Big companies have many moving parts — by definition. Therefore, they usually don’t have people going around to their best and brightest asking them if they’re enjoying their current projects or if they want to work on something new that they’re really interested in which would help the company. HR people are usually too busy keeping up with other things to get into this. The bosses are also usually tapped out on time and this becomes a “nice to have” rather than “must have” conversation. However, unless you see it as a “must have,” say adios to some of your best people. Top talent isn’t driven by money and power, but by the opportunity to be a part of something huge, that will change the world, and for which they are really passionate. Big companies usually never spend the time to figure this out with those people.

3. Poor Annual Performance Reviews. You would be amazed at how many companies do not do a very effective job at annual performance reviews. Or, if they have them, they are rushed through, with a form quickly filled out and sent off to HR, and back to real work. The impression this leaves with the employee is that my boss — and, therefore, the company — isn’t really interested in my long-term future here. If you’re talented enough, why stay? This one leads into….4
4. No Discussion around Career Development. Here’s a secret for most bosses: most employees don’t know what they’ll be doing in 5 years. In our experience, about less than 5% of people could tell you if you asked. However, everyone wants to have a discussion with you about their future. Most bosses never engage with their employees about where they want to go in their careers — even the top talent. This represents a huge opportunity for you and your organization if you do bring it up. Our best clients have separate annual discussions with their employees — apart from their annual or bi-annual performance review meetings — to discuss succession planning or career development. If your best people know that you think there’s a path for them going forward, they’ll be more likely to hang around.

5. Shifting Whims/Strategic Priorities. I applaud companies trying to build an incubator or “brickhouse” around their talent, by giving them new exciting projects to work on. The challenge for most organizations is not setting up a strategic priority, like establishing an incubator, but sticking with it a year or two from now. Top talent hates to be “jerked around.” If you commit to a project that they will be heading up, you’ve got to give them enough opportunity to deliver what they’ve promised.
6. Lack of Accountability and/or telling them how to do their Jobs. Although you can’t “jerk around” top talent, it’s a mistake to treat top talent leading a project as “untouchable.” We’re not saying that you need to get into anyone’s business or telling them what to do. However, top talent demands accountability from others and doesn’t mind being held accountable for their projects. Therefore, have regular touch points with your best people as they work through their projects. They’ll appreciate your insights/observations/suggestions — as long as they don’t spillover into preaching.
7. Top Talent likes other Top Talent. What are the rest of the people around your top talent like? Many organizations keep some people on the payroll that rationally shouldn’t be there. You’ll get a litany of rationales explaining why when you ask. “It’s too hard to find a replacement for him/her….” “Now’s not the time….” However, doing exit interviews with the best people leaving big companies you often hear how they were turned off by some of their former “team mates.” If you want to keep your best people, make sure they’re surrounded by other great people.
8. The Missing Vision Thing. This might sound obvious, but is the future of your organization exciting? What strategy are you executing? What is the vision you want this talented person to fulfill? Did they have a say/input into this vision? If the answer is no, there’s work to do — and fast.
9. Lack of Open-Mindedness. The best people want to share their ideas and have them listened to. However, a lot of companies have a vision/strategy which they are trying to execute against — and, often find opposing voices to this strategy as an annoyance and a sign that someone’s not a “team player.” If all the best people are leaving and disagreeing with the strategy, you’re left with a bunch of “yes” people saying the same things to each other. You’ve got to be able to listen to others’ points of view — always incorporating the best parts of these new suggestions.
10. Who’s the Boss? If a few people have recently quit at your company who report to the same boss, it’s likely not a coincidence. We’ll often get asked to come in and “fix” someone who’s a great sales person, engineer, or is a founder, but who is driving everyone around them “nuts.” We can try, but unfortunately, executive coaching usually only works 33% of the time in these cases. You’re better off trying to find another spot for them in the organization — or, at the very least, not overseeing your high-potential talent that you want to keep.

source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericjackson/2011/12/14/top-ten-reasons-why-large-companies-fail-to-keep-their-best-talent/

When putting your team together, look for people whose values are aligned with the purpose and mission of your company. Suzanne Bates, a Wellesley, Mass.-based leadership consultant and author of Speak Like a CEO (McGraw Hill, 2005), says her team members rallied around each other during the worst part of the recession because they all believed in what they were doing. “Having people on your team who have tenacity and a candid spirit is really important,” she says.

2. Overcommunicate.
This one’s a biggie. Even with a staff of only five or 10, it can be tough to know what’s going on with everyone. In an effort to overcommunicate, Bates compiles a weekly news update she calls a Friday Forecast, and emails it to her staff. “My team is always surprised at all the good news I send out each week,” Bates says. “It makes everyone feel like you really have a lot of momentum, even in difficult times.”

3. Don’t assume.
When you run a small business, you might assume your team understands your goals and mission — and they may. But, everybody needs to be reminded of where the company’s going and what things will look like when you get there. Your employees may ask, “What’s in it for me?” It’s important to paint that picture for your team. Take the time to really understand the people who are helping you build your business.

“Entrepreneurs have the vision, the energy, and they’re out there trying to make it happen. But, so often with their staff, they are assuming too much,” says Beverly Flaxington, founder of The Collaborative, a business-advising company in Medfield, Mass. “It’s almost like they think their enthusiasm by extension will be infectious — but it’s not. You have to bring people into your world and communicate really proactively.”

4. Be authentic.
Good leaders instill their personality and beliefs into the fabric of their organization, Flaxington says. If you be yourself, and not try to act like someone else, and surround yourself with people who are aligned with your values, your business is more likely to succeed, she says.

“Every business is different and every entrepreneur has her own personality,” Flaxington says. “If you’re authentic, you attract the right people to your organization — employees and customers.”

5. Know your obstacles.
Most entrepreneurs are optimistic and certain that they’re driving toward their goals. But, Flaxington says, it’s a short-sighted leader who doesn’t take the time to understand his obstacles.

“You need to know what you’re up against and be able to plan around those things,” she says. “It’s folly to think that just because you’ve got this energy and enthusiasm that you’re going to be able to conquer all. It’s much smarter to take a step back and figure out what your obstacles are, so the plan that you’re putting into place takes that into account.”

6. Create a ‘team charter.’
Too many new teams race down the road before they even figure out who they are, where they’re going, and what will guide their journey, says Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One-Minute Manager (William Morrow & Co., 1982) and founder of The Ken Blanchard Cos., a workplace- and leadership-training firm. Just calling together a team and giving them a clear charge does not mean the team will succeed.

“It’s important to create a set of agreements that clearly states what the team is to accomplish, why it is important and how the team will work together to achieve the desired results,” says Blanchard, who is based in Escondido, Calif. “The charter provides a record of common agreements and can be modified as the business grows and the team’s needs change.”

7. Believe in your people.
Entrepreneurial leaders must help their people develop confidence, especially during tough times. As Napoleon Bonaparte said, “Leaders are dealers in hope.” That confidence comes in part from believing in your team, says Maxwell, who is based in West Palm Beach, Fla. “I think of my people as 10s, I treat them like 10s, and as a result, they try to perform like 10s,” he says. “But believing in people alone isn’t enough. You have to help them win.”

8. Dole out credit.
Mackay says a good salesperson knows what the sweetest sound in the world is: The sound of their name on someone else’s lips. But too many entrepreneurs think it’s either the crinkle of freshly minted currency, or the dull thud of a competitor’s body hitting the pavement.

“Many entrepreneurs are too in love with their own ideas and don’t know how to distribute credit,” Mackay says. “A good quarterback always gives props to his offensive line.”

9. Keep your team engaged.
Great leaders give their teams challenges and get them excited about them, says leadership expert Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (Free Press, 1989). He pointed to the example of a small pizza shop in a moderate-sized town that was killing a big fast-food chain in sales. The big difference between the chain and the small pizza joint was the leader, he says.

Every week he gathered his teenage employees in a huddle and excitedly asked them: “What can we do this week that we’ve never done before?” The kids loved the challenge. They started texting all their friends whenever a pizza special was on. They took the credit-card machine to the curb so passing motorists could buy pizza right off the street. They loaded up a truck with hot pizzas and sold them at high-school games. The money poured in and the store owner never had problems with employee turnover, says Covey, who is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

10. Stay calm.
An entrepreneur has to backstop the team from overreacting to short-term situations, says Mackay, who is based in Minneapolis. This is particularly important now, when news of the sour economic environment is everywhere.

source http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/220518

Four Steps to Cure Crushed Culture:

1)     Emotional Equity > Financial Equity. We all know what financial equity is—money—stock, comp packages, golden handcuffs. All the things we think will make people loyal to a company and keep them engaged. But this no longer works, as Gallup proves, and especially with Gen Yers and Millenials. Nope, they, like the rest of us, want to feel like we’re part of something bigger, like we’re on a glorious mission, like our work matters, like we’ll leave the world just a little better than we found it, and we want to achieve that (in part) during our work hours.
Here’s the formula:
Put energy into someone by explaining why your company is doing what it is doing, what your mission/vision/values really mean, mentor them, talk challenges out with them, pay attention to them and you’ll start to build emotional equity. That equity will now give you access to their heart, mind, Rolodex, idle thought cycles. Now they’re thinking about how to help the company innovate better, solve a specific problem, etc. as they shower and commute and whatever. That access to a person’s additional resources will enable you to influence outcomes more effectively. Now you have a shared cause, you’re on the same team, you’re safe and you belong together. It’s emotional.

2) Stop The Whining. The C suite, management, staff, everyone needs to get off what I call the Tension Triangle. This is where people bounce from victim to rescuer to persecutor. Stephen Karpman, MD, first created this as the Dreaded Drama Triangle or DDT. The DDT is comprised of three roles: Victim (the role where someone is “doing” something to them), Rescuer (who tries to remove the Victim’s suffering, often without being asked), and Persecutor (which the Victim blames for their suffering, yet the Persecutor is often feeling victimized too). David Emerald has extended this triangle, and I have extended it further. The net-net is Victims are complaining because they want something—so we help them shift to be an Outcome Creator. The Rescuer is just trying to end the suffering, so we help them become an Insight Creator by asking the right questions so the Victim can get what they need by themselves. The Persecutor is usually frustrated by trying to make things happen, so we help them become an Action Creator. Once everyone is trained in shifting their most prevalent role to a healthy alternative the whining ends. Now that’s empowerment.

Victim becomes Outcome Creator
Rescuer becomes Insight Creator
Persecutor becomes Action Creator

3) Invest ONLY for ROI. Training your team is expensive. So only do what matters. Every person in your company needs to be trained in Problem to Outcome (see Stop Whining above), Leadership Effectiveness (so they become leaders in their own right), Influencing Outcomes and Others, Accountability/Communication/Execution.  All of the above should be neuroscience-based to get far more bang for your buck. The above will cost you about $750-1,000 per person. If your people aren’t worth that amount, then embrace Crushed Culture. Because that’s the risk we’re talking about.

4)  Career Path—or Exit Strategy. Dave Peacock, President of Anheuser-Busch recently shared their refreshing approach to team member reviews.  Each team member knows exactly where they stand based on the number + letter they receive through their on-going review process.  If you’re a 4A you are such a corporate asset that your boss is obligated to promote you in a year. 4Bs must be promoted within 2 years. 3As need to be tested in a different role before they’re moved up. 3B means you’re in the right job at the right time. 2s are new in a position—it’s too early to judge. 1As are put on a recovery plan, 1Bs need to exit the company. We recommend to our clients that a team member should know their next 2 potential promotions, and what exactly they need to do to earn them. Are they loyal and engaged? Oh yes.
So the harsh reality is that we, the leaders, created Crushed Culture. Now we need to fix it.

source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecomaford/2011/11/23/why-your-team-doesnt-care-the-four-ways-youre-crushing-your-culture/2/

*

“In my article on the Ten Most Hated Jobs, there were some surprises. There are also some surprises in the ten happiest jobs, as reported a General Social Survey by the National Organization for Research at the University of Chicago. (I am indebted to Lew Perelman for drawing my attention to the Christian Science Monitor article.)

1.  Clergy:  The least worldly are reported to be the happiest of all

2. Firefighters: Eighty percent of firefighters are “very satisfied” with their jobs, which involve helping people.

3. Physical therapists: Social interaction and helping people apparently make this job one of the happiest.

4. Authors: For most authors, the pay is ridiculously low or non-existent, but the autonomy of writing down the contents of your own mind apparently leads to happiness.

5.  Special education teachers: If you don’t care about money, a job as special education teacher might be a happy profession. The annual salary averages just under $50,000.

6. Teachers: Teachers in general report being happy with their jobs, despite the current issues with education funding and classroom conditions. The profession continues to attract young idealists, although fifty percent of new teachers are gone within five years.

7. Artists: Sculptors and painters report high job satisfaction, despite the great difficulty in making a living from it.

8. Psychologists: Psychologists may or may not be able to solve other people’s problems, but it seems that they have managed to solve their own.

9. Financial services sales agents: Sixty-five percent of financial services sales agents are reported to be happy with their jobs. That could be because some of them are clearing more than $90,000 dollars a year on average for a 40-hour work week in a comfortable office environment.

10. Operating engineers: Playing with giant toys like bulldozers, front-end loaders, backhoes, scrapers, motor graders, shovels, derricks, large pumps, and air compressors can be fun.  With more jobs for operating engineers than qualified applicants, operating engineers report being happy.

In Pictures: 10 Happiest Jobs

It’s interesting to compare these jobs with the list of the ten most hated jobs, which were generally much better paying and have higher social status. What’s striking about the list is that these relatively high level people are imprisoned in hierarchical bureaucracies. They see little point in what they are doing. The organizations they work for don’t know where they are going, and as a result, neither do these people.

1. Director of Information Technology
2. Director of Sales and Marketing
3. Product Manager
4. Senior Web Developer
5. Technical Specialist
6. Electronics Technician
7. Law Clerk
8. Technical Support Analyst
9. CNC Machinist
10. Marketing Manager

The meaningfulness of lives

Why were these jobs with better pay and higher social status less likely to produce happiness? Todd May writing in the New York Times argues that “A meaningful life must, in some sense then, feel worthwhile.  The person living the life must be engaged by it.  A life of commitment to causes that are generally defined as worthy — like feeding and clothing the poor or ministering to the ill — but that do not move the person participating in them will lack meaningfulness in this sense. However, for a life to be meaningful, it must also be worthwhile. Engagement in a life of tiddlywinks does not rise to the level of a meaningful life, no matter how gripped one might be by the game.”

This is what underlies the difference between the happiest jobs and the most hated jobs. One set of jobs feels worthwhile, while in the other jobs, people can’t see the point. The problems in the most hated jobs can’t be solved by job redesign or clearer career paths. Instead the organizations must undertake fundamental change to manage themselves in a radically different way with a focus on delighting the customer through continuous innovation and all the consequent changes that are needed to accomplish that. The result of doing this in firms like Amazon, Apple and Salesforce.com is happy customers, soaring profits and workers who can see meaning in their work.”

source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2011/09/12/the-ten-happiest-jobs/

4. Say no to 1,000 things. Jobs was as proud of what Apple chose not to do as he was of what Apple did. When he returned in Apple in 1997, he took a company with 350 products and reduced them to 10 products in a two-year period. Why? So he could put the “A-Team” on each product. What are you saying “no” to?

5. Create insanely different experiences. Jobs also sought innovation in the customer-service experience. When he first came up with the concept for the Apple Stores, he said they would be different because instead of just moving boxes, the stores would enrich lives. Everything about the experience you have when you walk into an Apple store is intended to enrich your life and to create an emotional connection between you and the Apple brand. What are you doing to enrich the lives of your customers?

6. Master the message. You can have the greatest idea in the world, but if you can’t communicate your ideas, it doesn’t matter. Jobs was the world’s greatest corporate storyteller. Instead of simply delivering a presentation like most people do, he informed, he educated, he inspired and he entertained, all in one presentation.

7. Sell dreams, not products. Jobs captured our imagination because he really understood his customer. He knew that tablets would not capture our imaginations if they were too complicated. The result? One button on the front of an iPad. It’s so simple, a 2-year-old can use it. Your customers don’t care about your product. They care about themselves, their hopes, their ambitions. Jobs taught us that if you help your customers reach their dreams, you’ll win them over.

There’s one story that I think sums up Jobs’ career at Apple. An executive who had the job of reinventing the Disney Store once called up Jobs and asked for advice. His counsel? Dream bigger. I think that’s the best advice he could leave us with. See genius in your craziness, believe in yourself, believe in your vision, and be constantly prepared to defend those ideas.

source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/220515

If someone says, “That’s not the way a big company would do it,” take it as a compliment!

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219938

Richard Branson on Why Biggest Doesn’t Mean Best

1. Assemble a dedicated team.
Your team needs to be committed to you and the business. Successful entrepreneurs have not only social and selling smarts, but also the know-how to hire effectively, says leadership trainer Harvey Mackay, who wrote Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive (Ivy Books, 1995). “A colossal business idea simply isn’t enough. You have to be able to identify, attract and retain talent who can turn your concept into a register-ringing success,” he says.

When putting your team together, look for people whose values are aligned with the purpose and mission of your company. Suzanne Bates, a Wellesley, Mass.-based leadership consultant and author of Speak Like a CEO (McGraw Hill, 2005), says her team members rallied around each other during the worst part of the recession because they all believed in what they were doing. “Having people on your team who have tenacity and a candid spirit is really important,” she says.

2. Overcommunicate.
This one’s a biggie. Even with a staff of only five or 10, it can be tough to know what’s going on with everyone. In an effort to overcommunicate, Bates compiles a weekly news update she calls a Friday Forecast, and emails it to her staff. “My team is always surprised at all the good news I send out each week,” Bates says. “It makes everyone feel like you really have a lot of momentum, even in difficult times.”

3. Don’t assume.
When you run a small business, you might assume your team understands your goals and mission — and they may. But, everybody needs to be reminded of where the company’s going and what things will look like when you get there. Your employees may ask, “What’s in it for me?” It’s important to paint that picture for your team. Take the time to really understand the people who are helping you build your business.

“Entrepreneurs have the vision, the energy, and they’re out there trying to make it happen. But, so often with their staff, they are assuming too much,” says Beverly Flaxington, founder of The Collaborative, a business-advising company in Medfield, Mass. “It’s almost like they think their enthusiasm by extension will be infectious — but it’s not. You have to bring people into your world and communicate really proactively.”

4. Be authentic.
Good leaders instill their personality and beliefs into the fabric of their organization, Flaxington says. If you be yourself, and not try to act like someone else, and surround yourself with people who are aligned with your values, your business is more likely to succeed, she says.

“Every business is different and every entrepreneur has her own personality,” Flaxington says. “If you’re authentic, you attract the right people to your organization — employees and customers.”

5. Know your obstacles.
Most entrepreneurs are optimistic and certain that they’re driving toward their goals. But, Flaxington says, it’s a short-sighted leader who doesn’t take the time to understand his obstacles.

“You need to know what you’re up against and be able to plan around those things,” she says. “It’s folly to think that just because you’ve got this energy and enthusiasm that you’re going to be able to conquer all. It’s much smarter to take a step back and figure out what your obstacles are, so the plan that you’re putting into place takes that into account.”

6. Create a ‘team charter.’
Too many new teams race down the road before they even figure out who they are, where they’re going, and what will guide their journey, says Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One-Minute Manager (William Morrow & Co., 1982) and founder of The Ken Blanchard Cos., a workplace- and leadership-training firm. Just calling together a team and giving them a clear charge does not mean the team will succeed.

“It’s important to create a set of agreements that clearly states what the team is to accomplish, why it is important and how the team will work together to achieve the desired results,” says Blanchard, who is based in Escondido, Calif. “The charter provides a record of common agreements and can be modified as the business grows and the team’s needs change.”

7. Believe in your people.
Entrepreneurial leaders must help their people develop confidence, especially during tough times. As Napoleon Bonaparte said, “Leaders are dealers in hope.” That confidence comes in part from believing in your team, says Maxwell, who is based in West Palm Beach, Fla. “I think of my people as 10s, I treat them like 10s, and as a result, they try to perform like 10s,” he says. “But believing in people alone isn’t enough. You have to help them win.”

8. Dole out credit.
Mackay says a good salesperson knows what the sweetest sound in the world is: The sound of their name on someone else’s lips. But too many entrepreneurs think it’s either the crinkle of freshly minted currency, or the dull thud of a competitor’s body hitting the pavement.

“Many entrepreneurs are too in love with their own ideas and don’t know how to distribute credit,” Mackay says. “A good quarterback always gives props to his offensive line.”

9. Keep your team engaged.
Great leaders give their teams challenges and get them excited about them, says leadership expert Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (Free Press, 1989). He pointed to the example of a small pizza shop in a moderate-sized town that was killing a big fast-food chain in sales. The big difference between the chain and the small pizza joint was the leader, he says.

Every week he gathered his teenage employees in a huddle and excitedly asked them: “What can we do this week that we’ve never done before?” The kids loved the challenge. They started texting all their friends whenever a pizza special was on. They took the credit-card machine to the curb so passing motorists could buy pizza right off the street. They loaded up a truck with hot pizzas and sold them at high-school games. The money poured in and the store owner never had problems with employee turnover, says Covey, who is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

10. Stay calm.
An entrepreneur has to backstop the team from overreacting to short-term situations, says Mackay, who is based in Minneapolis. This is particularly important now, when news of the sour economic environment is everywhere.

“The media has been hanging black crepe paper since 2008,” he says. “But look at all the phenomenal companies and brands that were born in downturns, names like iPod, GE and Federal Express.”

source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/220518

Approach of psychologists:
On the other hand, there is a psychology literature that is going in a radically opposite direction, where it is argued that if you pay somebody on the margin to do something they will actually do less of it. As this is such a dissonant message to the economic’s viewpoint, let me begin by explaining why I think the psychology evidence needs considerably more generality before these claims can truly be at a stage where it overturns the economic work above. The experiments remain very interesting and help us understand psychological influences surrounding pay, but I do not think that they translate to most of the cases that we care about.

1.There are two central ideas that argue that sometimes pay for performance backfires in its most fundamental sense. So let me start with the example: suppose that you are a golfer and you have to make a putt that is four feet. In the first case, if you make that putt you get €5, and the second case if you make that putt you get €5 million. In which of the two are you more likely to make the putt? So think about the economic example. The economist would say that because it is worth €5 million to me I concentrate more on making the putt and I am more likely to make it. What psychologists argue is the opposite. While they may agree that the golfer wants to do better when €5 million is on the line, they argue that he may not be able to translate that desire into performance due to a physiological response to the stakes. Specifically, there could be a nervousness effect or an arousal effect whereby he becomes so nervous because its worth €5 million that he misses, he is more likely to miss.

Something I would call performance anxiety syndrom.

2.The second version of what psychologists often talk about in the context of agency theory is what happens in circumstances where you intrinsically enjoy something. The idea here is simply that once you are being paid for doing something you inherently enjoy it less. So without pay for performance I am in ‘I think I am doing this as it is fun’ mode – when I get paid, now I am doing it for the money. If that attribution is important enough then what happens is people can end up working less hard. So in my language, this is the cost of working hard. Going back to the basic model, the objective function of the agent is then to maximise.

This point would relate probably to etymology of motivation.

The score is 2 against 1.

Practical research welcomed. If any of you has any data to share in this matter feel free to contact me zbigniew.gargasz@gmail.com

source: The Economic and Social Review, Vol. 42, No. 2, Summer, 2011, pp. 113–134
What Have We Learnt About Pay For Performance?
Geary Lecture Winter 2010CANICE PRENDERGAST*
University of Chicago, USA
http://www.esri.ie/UserFiles/publications/jacb201139/GLS40.pdf

Prime instincts of survivor today is leaded by same principles as millions of years ago. It is not about food, it is about money. Money gives you stability, power, pleasures and respect. This is all what drives people today.

So is it fault of those few that they are doing what their instincts telling them to do?

You and I would do the same if we had a chance?

Answer is yes, probably we would. I am not blaming other people for trying to make living, but I am blaming them for hurting others. And that is the very point, which decides whatever we talking about person with values, with ambitions, with ethics or just some junkies in ties. This is what is drawing the line between quick moneymakers and proper businessman.

Business is no different then art, science etc. It should be leaded by honest, proud and passionate people. Where in fact it is full of confused personalities, quite often lost in their private life and their values.

Liar Liar-Forget Ethics. Its time of people possessing particular skills of showing bad thins in good light and exaggerating likable factors at the same time.

According to recent research by Dana Carney (from Graduate School of Business przy Columbia University, published in Harvard Business Review)  sense of authority relieves stress of telling an untruth, and increases the likelihood that a lie is not detected.

Does this mean that the most influential people in the world are great liars?

source: http://www.biztok.pl/Ludzie-obdarzeni-wladza-swietnie-klamia-a909

No.10 Complete the tasks everyone forgets

There are little things in every workplace that everybody forgets, from specific work processes that get overlooked to maintenance issues like turning the fans on in the morning. We’re not saying you should be the one who cleans up the coffee station every morning, but you can pitch in and take some pride in your work area. Looking for an easy way to implement this? Learn how to unjam the copy machine. Check out the steps online, and next time you head over to the machine and discover that one of your coworkers has thoughtfully jammed it in zones A, B and C without clearing it, you can roll up your sleeves and solve it. It won’t take long for this type of etiquette to be noticed.

No.9 Highlight relevant industry innovations

Even if you’re in an industry that you don’t plan on being in forever, you should know your business. It’s what you do every day, so you may as well be the best at it. This includes knowing the industry. When a news story covers your industry, clip the article and e-mail a scan of it to everyone on your team, boss included. Showing that you’re aware of your business’ place in the larger world shows you have your eye on the big picture — that’s a good message to send to your boss.

No.8 Keep a clean work space

This one is a bit of a balancing act. Basically, you want your space to look worked in: not too cluttered, but not totally bare. If you have no paper on your desk, it doesn’t look like you’re working. But if you have no desk visible under all that paper, it doesn’t look like you’re working either. Why is your work piling up on you like that? We know, we know, you need all that paper. Well, if the stuff you have out is that important, it’s worth having it organized and usable. Put your filing cabinet to work or, if it’s really bad, look into getting a document scanner and digitizing your files. Lastly, when you leave work for the day, take 60 seconds to spruce up your area.

No.7 Come in early and leave late

Hear that? It’s the sound of your fellow readers frantically scrolling down to the comments to whine, “It’s not about how much time I put in at work, it’s about the quality of work I do!” That’s a valid point. Quality is more important than quantity. Know what else is completely true? As long as the quality’s there, the quantity helps too. Nobody’s asking you to stay an extra four hours. In fact, don’t do that as it can actually make it look like you’re falling behind or not managing your time correctly. Instead, look at it from your boss’ perspective: Two employees are due in at 9 a.m. One arrives at 8:40, the other slides in like clockwork at 8:59. The second employee is at work because he “has to be.” He is following the rule, true, but the boss may well assume that if the rule wasn’t there he’d be late every day. The first employee, on the other hand, gives the impression that he’s excited to be at work and is there to tackle his goals. Not a bad return on 15 minutes of your time.

No.6 Read

Yes, read at work. We’re not talking about putting your feet on your desk and reading the latest Sports Illustrated. But do keep a relevant book or industry magazine on hand, and pull it out whenever you have a few minutes of downtime. Read a few pages after you complete a task as a short break from work and you’ll find it easier to refocus on your next task. Are you working? No, not in the strictest sense. You are developing your mind and your outlook, though, and turning yourself into a more valuable employee. So, you are developing one of the company’s assets (you), and done in moderation, this is an incredibly efficient way to increase your value.

No.5 Dress up

You know the old adage, “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have”? No? Well, learn it well. Look at what the boys on the next rung of the ladder are wearing, and dress like that. Even if you’re not trying to get promoted, but just want to expand the job you have, dressing well and grooming properly is a nice way to do it. You want to give the impression you’re pleased to be at work and take it seriously. Wearing a belt that should have been retired years ago just gives the impression that you don’t care. If you’re clean-shaven, shave daily. If you have facial hair, keep it groomed.

No.4 Save the company money

Ever wonder why your company is in business? To make money. Oh, you work for a nonprofit? It’s trying to make money to give it to people and causes that need it. Either way, making your employer more money is a contribution to the central goal of your company (it is, quite literally, the bottom line). Just like your personal finances, a company can have more money in two ways: 1) Earning more; and 2) Spending less. While you can contribute to the company’s profits in many ways, you have direct control over cutting expenses. Keep an eye peeled for ways the company can spend less, and share your ideas early and often. Found a cheaper vendor for one of your company’s needs? Share it! The day may come when the company passes the savings on to you in the form of a larger paycheck.

No.3 Have an informed opinion

This is pretty straightforward. Know the state of your division and know the state of the marketplace you work in. Then, develop an opinion about how to improve — realistic ways your team could try something new. Having an opinion is the most common thing in the world in business, but having an informed opinion is depressingly rare. If you take the time to develop a viewpoint, you should also share it when it’s appropriate. A great way to share your opinion with your boss? When you’re having a one-on-one discussion about something, say these magic words: “I disagree.” Politely and sincerely present the information you have and your interpretation of how your company could act on it. Of course, if your boss overrules you, abide by his decision. Sharing your opinion (your informed opinion) shows your boss you’re not just a “yes” man. As a bonus, once your boss knows you don’t automatically agree with whatever he says, the times you do agree will carry more weight.

No.2 Come prepared

If you’re showing up to work prepared to work, you are on the right track. You should show up prepared and you should stay on top of your work throughout the day. You should be prepared with all the information you need for each meeting or project. The least you should have done is the prep work to understand what additional information or resources you need to move forward. Consider this: A promotion or expansion of your current job are both ways the company gives you more responsibility. If you’re not handling what you have on your plate currently, how do you expect to be given more?

No.1 Take the initiative

This is the logical extension of No. 2, and it’s our No. 1 recommendation with good reason. Like we said in the intro, most people in the workplace don’t struggle to get their work done, they struggle for recognition and new challenges. If you see a new project, go after it. If you see something that needs doing, do it. The higher you go in a company, the more you’re steering the company, and that means taking risks. Fortune favors the bold. So, as long as you’re handling all of your current duties well, overstep your boundaries a little bit and start a new task that’s valuable to the company. Let your boss know what you’re working on. They may take the task away from you, but they won’t forget your vision.