What is Employee Engagement anyway?

Today in North America job satisfaction is at an all time low with fewer than 1 in 3 people being engaged at work. In the past 25 years a marked loss of "job satisfaction" has put less then 35% of people happy or proud of their work, the environment they work in or their current position within a corporation.

Disengaged employees cost the North American economy up to $350 billion per year in lost productivity.

What can be done?

GREAT leaders need to focus on engaging employees with :

GROWTH

• Meet one-on-one to assess the career goals of your employees
• Acknowledge what skills, experience and knowledge they need in order to identify those goals
• HELP them to identify ways to close the gaps between their goals and the where they are now in their career
• Offer mentorships, job rotations, meetings and job training

RECOGNITION

• Show appreciation readily, but make sure it is deserved
• Don't just say it or use email. Written notes are highly valued
• Offer recognition in public or with their peers or a boss present
• Ask people their opinion; get them involved

TRUST

• Your words and deeds must match
• Be transparent; share the bad news along with the good news
• When you make a mistake; acknowledge it
• Never say anything about a person that your wouldn't say to their face
• Constantly remind everyone of the Big Goal and the Plan that will get them there

The Pressures of Being a Minor Hockey Goaltender

IN THIS DAY AND AGE, you might think of minor hockey as one of the safest sports around. After all, the equipment of today is lighter and more protective than ever.

The irony is that while the padding players wear is more advanced than it has ever been, the pressure that players find themselves under has only escalated. The player under the greatest stress on a daily basis is the goalie, the last line of defence. Once the puck gets past the grasp of the goaltender, a goal is scored, and the pace of the game changes immediately.
While some goalies handle stress better than others, the bottom line is that the tension always exists, and, unlike the rest of the team the person in net has no one to fall back on.


Goalies are often referred to as a “different breed” for good reason; not every kid is up to the awesome task. Behind the pipes, the goalie is often the last hope that a team has and can make, or break, the outcome of a game, and sometimes the greatest game-to-game competition they face is to a chance to play in the crease.
Goaltending is definitely not for the faint of heart.

New Year, New Goals, New Rewards

Happy New Year!

Have you thought of the goals and plans for your business in 2013?

Making a plan for how you want your year and business to grow is an important step in the right direction. But while making plans for you business don't forget to recognize and reward your employees for their hard work and dedication.

Changing the way you manage your employees is a great first goal for 2013. Prioritize employee recognition and you can ensure a positive, productive, innovative organizational climate. Provide employee recognition to say thank you and to encourage more of the actions and thinking that you believe will make your organization successful.

Create goals and action plans for employee recognition. You want to recognize the actions, behaviors, approaches, and accomplishments that you want to foster and reinforce in your organization. Establish employee recognition opportunities that emphasize and reinforce these sought-after qualities and behaviors.

Aran Awards is Proud to Support Novice Hockey

In every arena where there’s a rink, you will hear the swishing sounds of skates tearing up and down the ice. You can hear the sound of a whistle echoing throughout the rink. You will see parents sitting on the edge of cold, unforgiving seats as they watch their child performs drills for their coach. The child has worked hard for months, on and off the ice. They have expended all their energy in hopes of making to the next level of competition.

Aran Awards & Engraving is proud to support Minor Hockey here in Hamilton.

Excellence

What is it that truly separates the average athlete from the good or the good athlete from the great? If you answered that question with the word “talent,” That is only a small part of the equation.

Muhammad Ali once said, “Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: A desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.” Yes, skill (or development thereof) does have some basis in talent; however, the real message in that quote goes way beyond sheer talent, and even the skills of a sport (which can be learned and improved on). The key is in that last sentence, “the will must be stronger than the skill.” The power in that quote is exemplified in those last eight words.

Self-reflection like this is a key to discovering enjoyment and happiness through your sports experiences, as well as in life.

It is where your heart and passion lie. It is what drives you, makes you stronger, especially when things become most difficult (and/or you are at your weakest). Once you have decided on your path, it is this factor, above all others, that ultimately determines your level of success.

Aran Awards and Engraving specialize in sports awards!