Feature Article
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, Zip-a-dee-ay! Want More Employee Engagement? Try Micro-Goals
by Conor Cunneen, Motivational Speaker, Irishman Speaks E
very client I speak to would like to have more engaged employees no matter how well things are
going. However, wanting something and getting
it are two very different
things. The fact is that a more engaged workforce doesn’t happen just because you want it to happen, you have to make it happen, intentionally and consistently. One practical way to get that more
engaged workforce is through the power of Micro-Goals.
How Do You Feel When You Achieve a Goal? Question for you! How do you feel when you achieve
a goal? Positive, Upbeat, Happy, Motivated, are words I often hear when I ask the question. The reason why you feel Positive, Upbeat, Happy, Motivated after you achieve a goal is because one of the neurotransmitters in our brain – Dopamine (the feel-good chemical) kicks in when we achieve a goal, giving us a lift and making us feel better. Now, wouldn’t it be great, if you
could find FIVE reasons for Dopamine to kick in each day, FIVE reasons to make you feel better about your job AND also make your work colleagues feel better and more engaged. You can do it CHAPS, by setting and implementing FIVE daily Micro-Goals that just happen to spell the acronym CHAPS.
Compliment Hear “Thank You” Address by Name Positive words Smile (as in put a smile on someone’s face)
We’ll look at Micro-Goal 1 by asking a few questions. Is it fair to say that when you are complimented you feel more
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motivated? Is it fair to say that when you are complimented you have a better appreciation of the person who compliments you? Right, let’s turn those questions
around! When you compliment a colleague, is that person likely to be more motivated? When you compliment a colleague, is that person likely to have a better appreciation of you? I’m sure the answer is “Yes.” SO! How often do you compliment
your work colleagues? Now, let’s turn the question into a
Micro-Goal which is “My Micro-Goal is that I will compliment one work colleague when I go into work each day.”
Guess what? When you compliment
that work colleague, because you have set it as a goal, you will hear yourself complimenting the colleague, you will appreciate that you have achieved a goal, the dopamine kicks in, you feel better about yourself and how do you think your work colleague feels? That’s right, Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, Zip-a-dee-ay! It’s a Win-Win, because you set it as a Micro-Goal.
Micro-Goal III: Address colleagues with their name in conversation You’ve often had the experience
where a conversation is going on in another part of the room that you don’t really hear or pay attention to --- until someone mentions your name. Your ears now perk up. Why? Because the most impactful words in your vocabulary are (is?) your name. Similarly, the
Micro-Goal II: HEAR the words
“Thank You.” That’s right - HEAR the words “Thank You.” You may already have been thanked
today, but you probably didn’t really pay attention to it. So! Let’s set a daily Micro- Goal that “I will HEAR the words “Thank You” today.” Obviously, for you to HEAR the words “Thank You,” you have to do something for a colleague that justifies that reaction. And here we go again with “Guess what”! When you HEAR “Thank You,” the dopamine kicks in again because you have set it as a goal and how do you think your work colleague feels? Yup? Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, Zip-a- dee-ay! It’s a Win-Win, because you set it as a Micro-Goal.
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