Active Listening is a Full Body Exercise

Active Listening is a Full Body Exercise

Active listening might not get your heart rate up like cardio, or increase muscle mass like weight lifting, but it definitely helps build your character and stretch your mind. From keeping eye contact to recognizing your body language, being a good active listener is a full-body exercise. 

Why Active Listening is Important

The Center for Creative Leadership touts active listeners as leaders who:

• establish trust with their employees and coworkers
• have greater empathy
• coach their people more effectively
• gain the respect of those around them

Developing active listening skills can create many positive reactions at work, at home, and in social situations. People who are open to truly hearing another person’s message, even if it’s contrary to their own beliefs, cultivate a myriad of other strong character attributes like broad-minded thinking, valuing inclusivity, being a life-long learner, and engaging a flexible mindset. These are all topics we’ve written about in our professional and personal growth blog series on Motivation Excellence.com. 

Active listeners make more informed decisions. They are able to reiterate the speaker’s message without coloring it with their own personal viewpoint. They are seen as fair leaders who make an effort to better understand someone’s situation. These are all highly valued character traits in any person, but especially company leadership.

Listen Up! Here’s How

If you want to start on the path of being a better listener, there are plenty of techniques to employ right away.

We developed a MEme to help get things started: 

Eye Contact – focus on the speaker

Attention – put down your phone, don’t multi-task

Respect – be open to the message and the speaker

Silence – don’t interrupt the message; show supportive body language

The final step is to repeat the message and ask clarifying questions so both you and the speaker agree you’re on the same page with sentiment, semantics, and context.

The exercise of active listening should be a positive one for both the listener and the speaker.  VeryWellMind.com wraps it up like this:

“It is the process of listening attentively while someone else speaks, paraphrasing and reflecting back what is said, and withholding judgment and advice.”

You Can Do this Exercise Anywhere

Active listening skills can be employed anywhere! And, just like physical exercises, the more you flex these skills, the stronger they—and you—become. Try it out at the grocery store, with your spouse, at a party, and especially at work. People have important things to say. Be the person who hears them and you’ll find yourself becoming a stronger friend, colleague, and community member.

Keeping Your Company Culture Healthy – Here’s the Rx!

Image credit: Priscilla Du Preez, Unsplash

We hear a lot about company culture these days. It’s becoming an increasingly important part of hiring and retaining top talent. GreatPlacetoWork.com points out Millennials are 11x more likely to leave a toxic work environment than Gen Xers. But, it’s not company-sponsored happy hours that create an impressive culture at work, although many would consider them a bonus! A positive and attractive company culture is about a community of people who share beliefs, work ethics, values, goals, and expected behaviors. 

“When I cut through all the noise about company culture, it is all about the environment created in the company that fosters behavior. Culture is your values in actions,” says John Trakselis, Business and Executive Coach and Chairperson with Vistage, International.

Symptoms of an Unhealthy Company Culture

• High turnover of employees
• Employees can’t state the company’s values
• Leadership fails to model company values
• Unhealthy work-life balance
• Poor communication efforts throughout the company
• Bad work practices build up
• Employees regularly feel the need for a mental health break

For Trakselis, a company’s culture is rooted in its values or lack thereof. If a company’s values are convoluted, not written in common sense terms, or can’t be demonstrated through desired behaviors, then they’re likely not contributing positively to the work environment.

“The second thing that I look at is the company’s principles or code of conduct. You obviously have some sort of behavior going on in the company. Is that behavior consistent with the company’s stated values?

Here are two interesting questions to ask company employees:

• Can you list the company’s values? 
• How does the company live out each one of its values?

This is not about embarrassing someone. It is more about how ingrained a particular value is by the specific behaviors witnessed in the company. The height of hypocrisy is to say one thing and do another. This destroys leadership’s credibility with its employees,” states Trakselis.

The Cure Takes Time, but It’s Worth It

All of the unhealthy examples above can be cured; that’s great news! It will take time, commitment, and action by company leaders. Trakselis says leaders need to step up at every level. 

“It always starts with leadership—at every level of the organization. One definition of a leader that I like: ‘You are a leader if you influence someone else.’ It is not only top management, but every level of management in the company that sets the tone for behavior.”

This linked Forbes article gives ideas on ways to create a positive culture. Tips include demonstrating respect, having a customer-first attitude and do-it-now work ethic. 

Trakselis says building a better culture can start with your next hire. Make sure the talent will mesh well AND even boost the culture with his or her shared values. Other tips to consider:

• Reward positive behaviors that highlight stated values – share them publicly 
• Discipline the bad ones, privately, and offer constructive advice on how to change behavior
• Repeat company values often in meetings, events, departments
• Survey the personnel to get a read on the working environment, follow-up regularly
• Listen to understand, not to argue or interrupt
• Address subcultures that undermine the culture you have created in the company
• Encourage humility, curiosity, and teamwork

We recently asked our LinkedIn followers to give us insight into their most valued element of company culture. The overwhelming answer was having a positive work environment. Having your employees want to show up each day, contribute positively and achieve company goals is positive company culture 101!

Keeping the Culture Healthy

Continuing to foster a great company culture requires active check-ups, tweaks, and perhaps a shot in the arm now and then. Be sure to look at how you reward and recognize the people who help create the culture you desire. According to Alta Metrics, not using incentives for your best performers can lead to a toxic environment. If you need any advice on this aspect of company culture, please visit our website, MotivationExcellence.com. We help a wide variety of companies Inspire Extraordinary Performance every day!

Here are a few final thoughts from our passionate advocate this month, John Trakselis. He wants to drive home the fact that a great company culture leads to success on many levels. 

• “A positive culture creates trust in the company and, as Stephen R. M. Covey pointed out in his book titled The Speed of Trust, the company thrives because there is more “flow” and less resistance.

• People have a sense of belonging and being part of something bigger than themselves, thereby reaching more of their potential while serving the company and themselves in much bigger ways.
• The company is more likely to achieve its mission, go where it wants to go, service its stakeholders, and promote standards of excellence.”

Now, it’s time to get to work. Even if you think your culture is AOK, be sure to take its temperature now and then to maintain a healthy environment. 

Motivation Excellence Wins Prestigious SITE Crystal Award

For Immediate Release

Motivation Excellence Wins Prestigious SITE Crystal Award

The “Oscars” of the incentive travel industry, the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence’s Crystal Awards, recognize companies that accomplish outstanding creative and memorable experiences. SITE honored six companies at their global conference in Dublin this year. 

“This is an incredibly special group of Crystal Award winners,” said Kevin Edmunds, MS, CITP, Vice President, AIC Hotel Group & SITE President. “They are all leaders in our industry, with the programs we recognized at this year’s Crystal Awards Gala standing out as shining examples of incentive travel programs being run smoothly and safely that still achieve the exacting, incredibly high business aims all of us set out to deliver.”

Motivation Excellence won for Most Creative Solution Deployed at a Time of Crisis for our program “GEM Club 2020: From Kauai to Concierge.” Our longtime healthcare client postponed two years’ worth of incentive travel experiences due to COVID, with the first year slated to be a rewarding adventure on Kauai in Hawaii. 

At our direction, our client converted the travel experience to award points for each winner. Our team then crafted a virtual reward experience allowing the winners’ imaginations to decide how best to exemplify their achievements. Dedicated in-house concierge shoppers helped each participant use their points for highly individualized selections. Winners redeemed for things like a bucket-list electric guitar, diamond jewelry, home solar panels, future personal travel, vacation home rental, and private school tuition. 

In addition, the on-site gift experiences scheduled for Kauai were offered online so winners could still enjoy selecting a pair of Olukai sandals and REVO sunglasses. This entire creative solution was so well-received, our client repeated it in 2021 with new virtual gifting experiences. 

“Being honored within the industry with the SITE Crystal Award means a great deal to our team! We work to Inspire Extraordinary Performance with every client and every participant. But it starts within our own company. We appreciate this recognition as it truly shows the care and passion we value internally and produce externally. Thank you SITE,” said David Jobes, President and CEO of Motivation Excellence. 

As a final bonus, throughout this transition from travel experiences to personalized rewards, our travel team worked closely with our hotel and supplier partners to rebook future stays and nearly eliminate all cancelation fees for our client. 

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Encouraging Volunteering at Work Pays Off for Your Business!

Community involvement is a big deal at Motivation Excellence. At both our office locations, in Schaumburg, IL, and Traverse City, MI, our company sponsors volunteer activities several times a year AND allows employees to take two days off a year to help a favorite cause on their own. This call to community action comes right from the top with President and CEO David Jobes, and former owner of VIKTOR Incentives, now Motivation Excellence, Mark Bondy. 

Why Volunteering through Work Matters

If you’re not sure why encouraging volunteerism at work matters, read on! According to a study from Deloitte, employers who encourage volunteering among their staff see boosted morale, improved office environments, and enhanced brand perception. Here are some more interesting stats:

• 89% of employees think organizations that sponsor volunteer activities offer a better overall working environment
• 70% believe volunteering efforts are better at boosting staff morale than company-sponsored happy hours
• 75%+ say volunteering is critical to employee well-being

Business News Daily recently did a nice breakdown of the Deloitte survey with great takeaways on how volunteering helps employees and companies at the same time.

Benefits for Employees: 

• A happy employee means a more productive employee, who is excited to go to work
• Increases camaraderie with coworkers and builds teamwork

Advantages for Companies:

• Younger employees, especially, want to feel good about the company they work for and social responsibility plays a big role in attracting top talent
• Active volunteers tend to become leaders at work too
• Positive community recognition of your company’s brand is powerful

How to Get Your Volunteer Program Going

If the reasons above have you excited about starting or expanding your work-based volunteer program, there are many ways to begin. With so many deserving charities in each community, you can start by polling your employees to see what their favorite causes are. Here are some other easy steps to take on the journey to community involvement:

• Connect with your local government office to see what the greatest needs are
• Schedule time during a workday to inspire  your employees to get involved with the selected effort
• Take photos and share them with the office – even print some out to remind people of the positive influence they had outside of work
• Share your efforts on social media and encourage your followers to suggest an idea for your next volunteer day
• Encourage employees to share with the team when they volunteer outside of work
• Incorporate participation in your employee rewards program

Examples to Use

Still feeling stuck about how to help and where to start? Motivation Excellence has a long history of promoting volunteerism – take some of our efforts and make them your own, we don’t mind!

• Our Traverse City group is involved in the Michigan Department of Transportation Adopt-a-Highway program. 
• In Schaumburg, we spent an afternoon working at the local Feed My Starving Children branch, making nutrition packets for food-deprived regions of the world
• One year, at our summer company-wide event, we designed a scavenger hunt for teams of employees to find essentials needed for the homeless in our area and then stuffed them into tube socks – to benefit Journeys – The Road Home
• We have a history of volunteering at the beverage tent each July at the National Cherry Festival held in Traverse City, MI  – a 90-year tradition that builds up and supports our waterfront community
• Using our two charity days off a year, our employees have individually helped out at school fundraisers, animal rescue groups, JDRF efforts, youth education events, cream puff assembly for charity and so much more
• In our office, we made tied-edge fleece blankets for kids with cancer and hand-made holiday cards for active military
• Our Snack for Charity initiative raises money for a different organization each month – at $1 per snack, we end up donating anywhere from $25 to $100 a month
• Many of our employees are active industry volunteers as well, for foundations like SITE and The Above and Beyond Foundation
• Each Thanksgiving and Christmas, we adopt several families, providing food and presents to help make the holidays a little better for those in need
• Another summer event saw us creating cards and care packages for cancer patients at Phil’s Friends
• We work closely with Ingage Unlimited, helping with their fundraisers and offering their charity as a donation option for award points programs

This is a small sampling of what we do to give back to our communities; now it’s your turn. Whether you want to use volunteering as a team bonding experience, or offer days off so employees can bring outside enrichment into the office, encouraging community involvement is a great way to build a cohesive work community, positively impact your surroundings, bolster a strong office culture, create new leaders and promote your brand. 

So get out there and make a difference! April is National Volunteer Month, but you can celebrate all year long.

Destination Spotlight: Fairmont Canada

In this month’s edition of our Mission Engage Destination Spotlight series, we’re sharing information on what makes Fairmont properties in Canada’s rugged Western Mountain Region so special for group travel experiences. Fairmont is one of the luxury brands in the Accor line-up of properties.

The four properties we’re highlighting are Chateau Lake Louise, Chateau Whistler, Jasper Park Lodge, and Banff Springs. All offer luxurious accommodations and, perhaps, even grander surroundings! Wild animals, majestic mountains, sparkling lakes, and some of the best outdoor activities (in all seasons) will spark the adventurer in you and your travel incentive participants. 

As of April 1, 2022, visitors into Canada no longer need to obtain a pre-entry COVID test; however, proof of vaccination is still required. The ArriveCan mobile app walks tourists through the steps of entry. For up-to-date information regarding travel rules for Canada, you can visit www.Travel.GC.CA.

Now, take 20 minutes to watch our friends from Accor, Isabel Mahon and Dion Kiernan, give updates on the Fairmont properties and passionately discuss the four beautiful locations in the mighty Western Canadian mountains. 

Get to Know ME with Michael Southerton

Join us this month, in our Get to Know ME segment, learning more about Michael Southerton. He’s been a lifer with VIKTOR, now Motivation Excellence, and has some serious indoor and outdoor abilities to share! Read below, and be sure to watch the linked video to hear more about what makes Michael a great member of our team. Thanks, Michael for letting us get to know you better. 

What’s your title and how long have you been in the incentive industry?

Senior Developer.

I started working with VIKTOR Incentives & Meetings under an internship as a graphic designer in the summer of 2006 before my senior year of college at Northern Michigan University. I continued to work on small projects through my senior year, and I was hired full-time when I graduated in 2007. Almost sixteen years later, I’m proud to still be in this industry and joining Motivation Excellence with the rest of the VIKTOR team.

What does your job entail?

At its core, problem-solving. Sometimes the best code is no code at all. But I specialize in website design and frontend development, and I’ve always been involved in the full stack of web development. That’s led me to build and maintain a lot of websites and applications that help manage the large amount of data required to operate travel and rewards programs and the systems they run on. I also provide technical support to our staff and assist with technical infrastructure, along with the rest of our awesome Tech Team.

What’s something special about the people you work with you’d like to share?

As a technical person, who on occasion, has experienced the frontlines of service on our group travel programs, I’m constantly blown away by the level of detail and coordination that our Client Services team juggles while delivering our large group travel programs. There are a lot of moving parts to get thousands of participants on-site, each with their own custom itinerary and requirements, and the smallest details can change quickly. Even with the best technology, it takes an amazing team of talented people to get your head around it all and successfully operate a large travel program with events that are happening all around you.

What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?

I play table tennis locally in Traverse City at the Northern Michigan Table Tennis Club, and I have competed in Michigan’s state tournaments.

What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?

I’ve always enjoyed improving efficiencies, for both timesaving and convenience. Whether I’m installing home automation systems to automatically turn on my lights and unlock my front door when I arrive, or I’m redesigning a user flow in one of our web applications so that it takes 1 click instead of 5 to accomplish the same task, I really like making things as simple and easy to use as possible.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

My fiancé and I like to take our kayaks to as many different small lakes in Northern Michigan as we can find. We like to explore, fish, and sometimes just soak up the sun.

One thing that always makes you laugh is?

The Detroit Lions. Sometimes I laugh. Sometimes I cry. But, I’ll always watch and support them. Next year is our year.

What have you done that helped you get through the pandemic?

I hate to speak so nicely of a time that was so hard on many others, but personally, I thrived. My fiancé and I are homebodies, so that part was no problem; we caught up on a lot of TV shows. But we also became healthier; we cooked at home and ate better, and we got outdoors more often than we’ve ever done before. We were hiking, running, and biking all the trails by my house, and we were kayaking almost every weekend when the weather was good.

What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?

This one! Before I started here 15 years ago, I had never heard of the incentive travel industry. As someone who was once looking for any available job after college to start my career in web development and user experience design, I never imagined I could be building digital solutions for live events used all over the world, not to mention personally traveling to some of these amazing locations to watch them come alive and support their success. It’s led to some pretty incredible experiences I could not imagine having while working web development in another industry.

This month, our theme for social media is about volunteering. How does this speak to you either personally or professionally?

Our company has offered a lot of different opportunities that made it easy to volunteer over the years: we’ve worked the counter of our local non-profit movie theater, we helped our local City Opera House build their green room, but the most memorable is our stretch of road we clean each Spring and Fall through the Adopt-A-Highway program. It is located on Traverse City’s Old Mission Peninsula, and we get a gorgeous view of the local wineries and Grand Traverse Bay as we walk it and keep it looking great.

Destination Spotlight: Belmond

If you love a good story and unique places to stay, Belmond has exactly what you want! Each of their luxury properties and experiences is steeped in history, a fantastic origin story, and luxurious surroundings. Whether you are on a Belmond safari, riding the Orient Express train, or staying in a one-of-a-kind hotel, the Belmond brand will surpass your expectations!

Join us for a tour of three key properties, with brand ambassador April Hays, in this latest edition of our Mission Engage Destination Spotlight series. For 25 minutes, you’ll be swept away in storybook fashion, complete with vivid photos to really get you imagining what’s possible!

Look for a new Destination Spotlight each month. Coming up next…Fairmont properties in Canada. 

Make Working from Anywhere Work for You!

Photo credit: Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

There was a very recent time when working from home was a special circumstance. Perhaps a once a week, or even once-in-a-while situation. Once the pandemic hit, industries that never thought they could offer WFH found themselves surprisingly thriving – even on-air TV news employees!  By the end of 2020, 71% of American workers who could were working from home. 

At Motivation Excellence, we had remote workers before the pandemic, although most of our employees were still full-time in the office or had a hybrid schedule. The technology was in place though, so our transition to home working environments in March 2020 was smooth. As of February 2022, most of us now enjoy a hybrid balance.

Most prefer a hybrid work environment

In a recent LinkedIn poll we ran, being hybrid is the overwhelming choice for a preferred work environment. It’s the best of both worlds when you love your coworkers, but, maybe, you’re slightly more productive without office distractions. 

The Workforce Happiness Index shows remote workers score 75/100 versus their in-office counterparts, who score 71. Over the last two years, it’s been shown working remotely can be beneficial to employees, efficient for the company, and a draw for new talent. 

As a group of people who were used to a hybrid setup before the pandemic, we are happy to share how we make working from anywhere a success. Keep reading for tips and tricks the Motivation Excellence team uses to make the most of any working environment. 

How to work from anywhere: tips and tricks

For Brad Hecht, VP, Travel, a regular workday is a must so that work time doesn’t bleed into personal time. He cautions against doing too many personal things during the day that will push working hours into the evening. 

For Michelle Lien-Burdick, our Merchandise Buyer, scheduling at least one break in the day is important to keep her energized. “I block out my calendar for lunch every day.  If it is on your calendar, you are more likely to “remember” to get up and walk away from your desk.  I find it is key to have that time to clear my thoughts, engage with my spouse and relax.  When I get back to my desk, I have renewed energy and better mental clarity.”

Jillian Fehrenbach, one of our amazing customer service experts, says having a distinct workspace in her home is important to her. And, just as importantly she says, make sure you set it up to work for you, not against you. “Don’t let your WFH office wreck your back or neck. The two most important factors are chairs and monitor risers. I use a chair that is highly adjustable (legs/arms) and ergonomically superior (lumbar) to run-of-the-mill swivel chairs. If you get one used (online), you’ll also find that they’re very affordable. A good chair will last longer and help you avoid repetitive strain injuries. Next, let me just say two words: monitor riser— and two more, mic drop! Positioning your monitor at eye height is important to keep your neck and head at the proper angle. And it doesn’t have to be one from an office supply store. My husband uses a vintage table leaf on top of a metal basket, so he can set up his speakers next to his oversized monitor. I thought it would be janky, but it honestly works!”

Rebecca Steiner, Business Development Director, wholeheartedly agrees with Jillian! The photo above shows her daughter’s WFH desk set up with adjustable keyboard and monitor risers, which allow for standing while working too. As someone who has worked largely from home for more than 20 years she shares these other tips that keep her motivated and productive:

• Schedule time in-between the ever present COVID Zoom calls for sanity to move, stretch, take a quick walk 
• Get up early and get dressed as if I am going to an office or meeting with clients
• Stay connected with my clients and team via Zoom 
• Schedule in-person lunches at nearby restaurants 
• Block time in my calendar to get work done vs all meetings 

Finally, Rebecca recommends having a home office where you can shut the door and leave it closed at the end of the workday. 

Our VP of Sales, Rhonda Brewer loves the flexibility a remote work schedule allows. She does suggest making efforts to see co-workers in person too though. “You need to schedule some time to meet with others you work with on a regular basis if you don’t go into an office. That drives connection.”

By now, we know we can work from anywhere and make it work for our customers, bosses, and coworkers. You may know people working from vacation homes during the summer months, or, working while taking care of a sick loved one on the other side of the country. This is no longer a trend, but a legitimate option for many of us today. It is up to company leadership to ensure the culture of an organization continues to positively thrive as we adapt to the new business environment. As long as productivity remains high and dedication to staying engaged with coworkers is a priority, working from anywhere can be a benefit to anyone able to take advantage of it. 

Get to Know ME with Kelli Robb

We’re extra excited to spotlight one of our new colleagues in our brand new Traverse City office! Kelli Robb is part of our leadership team coming from VIKTOR Meetings & Incentives. With our acquisition in January 2022, we welcomed Kelli and 19 other awesome new teammates! Read below and watch the video to get to know Kelli better. She’s all about taking care of other people, whether it’s one of our participants or a perfect stranger!

What’s your title and how long have you been in the incentive industry?

I am the V.P., Client Services, in the Traverse City office. I was fortunate enough to work for an incentive company, my first job out of college, so I’ve been in the business 31 years now. I was at VIKTOR for 21 years and am excited to be part of Motivation Excellence now!

What does your job entail?

I oversee the Client Services operations of the Traverse City office – a lot of pre-sale responsibilities and working closely with our vendor partners. My goal is to make sure our travel programs go off without a hitch and our participants are blown away!

What’s something special about the people you work with you’d like to share?

Their commitment to serving the clients is over the top!  Working with this team is the best part of my job.

What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?

I love to line dance!

What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?

My family and the passion I have for this industry.

What do you enjoy doing outside work?

Spending time with friends and family.  Golfing.  Boating.

One thing that always makes you laugh is?

My husband.  He’s a hoot!

What have you done that helped you get through the pandemic?

Take walks/hikes and get some fresh air.

What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?

I spent the summer in Nantucket between my sophomore and junior year in college.  I worked for a family, for room and board, doing all kinds of odd jobs around their home and their businesses.  

This month, our theme for social media is Work from Anywhere. What do you do to make sure you’re ready to work no matter your location, or just as importantly, make sure you’re not working too much?

When I’m working from home, the office, or on the road, I like to make sure the desk is set up to ‘plug in and be ready to go’.

Destination Spotlight: Cruising!

Did you know the cruise industry is the only sector of travel that reports health issues of crew and passengers to the CDC? That’s why we are all familiar with any kind of outbreak that happens on board. But when it comes to COVID, there’s much more to the story than an alarming headline and that’s what our longtime cruising partner Karen Devine with 3D Cruise Partners wants to share.

In this installment of our series called “Mission Engage, Destination Spotlight: Cruise,” Devine gives us a full look at where the cruise industry was in 2020 to where it’s at in 2022 and beyond. Take less than 15 minutes to get the latest information on all types of cruising options. Find out why Devine says the data proves cruising is safe and back better than before.

Some fast facts to get you ready to embark:

• All crew members must be vaccinated and get regularly tested
• All passengers older than 12 must be vaccinated
• Ships are well equipped with medical facilities able to treat positive COVID cases as needed
• 85% of the worldwide fleet is back in the water
• River cruising is more luxurious than ever – and very flexible

Whether you’re looking for your next incentive travel experience or want to enjoy a cruise with your family, our presentation with Devine will answer your questions and get you excited about your next voyage!