September 30th, 2010

How Full is Your Bucket–Five Strategies for a More Positive Organization

How Full is Your Bucket – Five Strategies for a More Positive Organization

I got a chance to borrow and read this highly recommended book, How Full is Your Bucket? by coauthors Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D. (Tom’s grandfather and has been dubbed as the “Grandfather of Positive Psychology”). The book is about filling someone’s bucket by sharing meaningful, positive relationship and uplifting activities. On the opposite hand, bucket dipping is when you say or do something to or about someone that is hurtful, which are mostly negative comments and feedbacks. By the way, please listen to the audio snippets at the end of this post. (Excerpt from the book, How Full Is Your Bucket?)

The Theory of the Dipper and the Bucket

Each of us has an invisible bucket. It is constantly emptied or filled, depending on what others say or do to us. When our bucket is full, we feel great. When it's empty, we feel awful. Each of us also has an invisible dipper. When we use that dipper to fill other people's buckets — by saying or doing things to increase their positive emotions — we also fill our own bucket. But when we use that dipper to dip from others' buckets — by saying or doing things that decrease their positive emotions — we diminish ourselves. Like the cup that runneth over, a full bucket gives us a positive outlook and renewed energy. Every drop in that bucket makes us stronger and more optimistic. But an empty bucket poisons our outlook, saps our energy, and undermines our will. That's why every time someone dips from our bucket, it hurts us. So we face a choice every moment of every day: We can fill one another's buckets, or we can dip from them. It's an important choice — one that profoundly influences our relationships, productivity, health, and happiness. On page 16, “The number one reason people leave their jobs: They don’t feel appreciated.” I did post this question to my Facebook profile and majority who shared agreed about this statement. I’m sharing my friends’ comments below. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Jerome Faustorilla Castaneda The #1 reason people leave their jobs: They don't feel appreciated. (True or not?) September 13 at 11:38pm  · Comment · Like · Unsubscribe Michael Reyes and Jun Yuan Lim like this. Roms Mendoza Not. Guess only, lol! The reason is: the salary is not enough to cover their daily expenses. September 13 at 11:47pm · Like Jerome Faustorilla Castaneda so it’s the money thing. Is that normally the main motivation? What about growth? What if you're not being recognized for your results? (Read those quote from the book http://amzn.to/dtu2EM) September 13 at 11:54pm · Like Jerome Faustorilla Castaneda thanks for sharing Roms. September 14 at 12:05am · Like Roms Mendoza my guess is based from my interaction with some people. As for the #1 reason, I am interested to know. Thanks also for your post. September 14 at 12:17am · Like Jun Yuan Lim Completely agreed! Some of them may think there's other reasons to it, but then at the end of the day, it boils down to the fact that the company doesn't appreciate them (which led them to come out with all sorts of excuses to give them the unfairly treatment) September 14 at 9:59am · Like Jerome Faustorilla Castaneda Appreciate your views Jun. In my experience here, most of the time I hear more noise from superiors including boss when people committed mistakes. You hardly hear any praise for the good results you've contributed. This is sad because it can affect your overall productivity. September 14 at 10:46am · Like ·  1 person Jun Yuan Lim Well… I guess that's the kind of culture in Asia (it sucks, isn't it?)… It's only in big companies, where the top bosses are westerners, will you be able to get praises for your efforts… September 14 at 10:57am · Like Jerome Faustorilla Castaneda sad but true. So we have to be careful on how we respond to these events because it defines who we are. (I owe you a response to your email…hehe) September 14 at 11:42am · Like Jay Castillo True, although in a way, some employers do appreciate their employees but do the wrong thing. Example: "Wow, you did the work of 3 people and we appreciate it very much… I guess we don't need to hire those 3 people anymore". September 14 at 8:44pm · Like Jerome Faustorilla Castaneda thanks for sharing Jay. I believe there are pros and cons for both the employee and employer. Definitely the employee will be more valuable to his/her (next) employer but this can be exhausting. September 14 at 9:07pm · Like Martin Hoe I totally agree man it's the appreciation for the job u done… Have never heard a good word for my work since the 1st day I joined…only when shit happens every1 suddenly remember me …haiz September 14 at 10:40pm · Like Jerome Faustorilla Castaneda ‎@Martin, I fully understand you my friend. I know you've taken the step already and I appreciate also the help/support you've given to us. I wish you the best in your endeavors. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This is really very sad since most of our waking times are spent at workplace. I’ve been extra patient about my level of tolerance in my workplace. Most the mornings are usually spent on discussions where the level of noise is comparable to the zoo. It can be frustrating because it can affect your concentration at work, means the productivity is affected. What action steps can you suggest to improve about this condition? Gallup’s workplace research and leadership consulting made a survey of more than 15 million employees worldwide on the topic of bucket filling. They found out those individuals who receive regular recognition and praise:

• increase their individual productivity
• increase engagement among their colleagues
• are more likely to stay with their organization
• receive higher loyalty and satisfaction scores from customers
• have better safety and fewer accidents on the job

Here are five strategies for creating a more positive organization. I’m sharing you some snippets here but I strongly recommend that you read the book for the full details.

1. Prevent Bucket Dipping

Bucket dipping is when you do or say something to or about someone that is hurtful – or even when you neglect to do something that would have filled someone else bucket. How can you prevent bucket dipping in your organization?

1. • Teach colleagues what bucket dipping is.
   • Call attention to bucket dipping and bucket filling.
   • Promote ideas about how to fill buckets
   • Reward bucket filling throughout your organization

Bucket filling is more than recognition. It involves relationships, time spent in    meaningful activity, and providing experiences that help each individual know that he or she matters and that his or her life is meaningful. It is important to note that people can fill their own buckets and should take responsibility for the things that make them good or “full”. We are at our best when our buckets are full. What fills one person’s bucket is often different than what fills another person’s bucket. Make sure you ask each person what fills his or her bucket so your bucket filling is individualizes. 2.  Shine a Light on What Is Right Instead of making a list of which employees are causing problems, make list       of those who are making a positive difference. Instead of making a list of which employees have not volunteered for some activity, make a list of those who did. Write weekly thank you notes. Things happen every week that deserve a thank you. Noticing and taking time to say “thank you” is a good habit, and this alone will change the culture of the organization. Notice what people do well. Take time to count, rank, and measure success. Have individuals set goals and track their own achievements. Find ways to reward and recognize their victories. Maintaining a focus on what is going well will fill buckets throughout the organization. Share the wealth. Keep an eye out for the bucket fillers in your office. Who is always there to say thank you? Who is your resident cheerleader? Reinforce their goodwill by mirroring their gratitude. 3.  Make Best Friends This does not suggest that you assign lifelong buddies. The strategy is about creating an environment that supports and welcomes trusting relationships. Think about the impact best friends have; they are the people you learn from, lean on, and challenge to be better. Some ways to foster a trusting environment:

1. • Learn the names of everyone you see regularly
   • Take time to sit down and talk with colleagues during lunch or on breaks.
   • Discover specific tactics for filling each other’s buckets.
   • Challenge your colleagues to team trivia – a fun way to get to know more about each other. You can ask about their moments of inspiration, a recent success or a favorite television program.

4.  Give Unexpectedly Some of the most memorable bucket filling happens in the fleeting moments when we run into someone spontaneously or when a parent, spouse or significant other comes home after a long day at work. Anyone can fill buckets by recognizing when others have been helpful or have done outstanding work. This positive energy can lead to an entire culture shift, where everyone is noticing and recognizing quality efforts. 5. Reverse the Golden Rule DON’T: Do for others what you would like (Instead)DO: Do for others what THEY would like. The only way you can be sure you are right about what fills other people’s buckets is to ask them, do not assume. Here are snippets of audio from www.BucketBook.com. The Theory of the Dipper and the Bucket

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Bucket Filling in Organizations

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