Extraordinary Outcomes: Shaping an Otherwise Unpredictable Future

4Amplify the PositiveFoster Resilience, Engagement, and Sustainable Change

According to the 2013 Gallup State of the American Workplace report, 70 percent of U.S. workers are either “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” at work. Only 30 percent are “enthusiastic about, and committed to their work and contribute to their organization in a positive manner.” Fifty-two percent of workers say they are essentially “checked out” at work, and 18 percent report being so miserable that they actively undermine the efforts of their more engaged coworkers. You might think that these numbers are related to the economic tensions of the Great Recession, but they have barely changed since Gallup started tracking them in 2000.¹

Creating a culture that is focused on purpose, igniting the frame of mind to thrive, and building on the strengths of individuals, teams, and organizations are essential for creating value and shaping the future. In this chapter we describe the process for motivating engagement and creating the commitment and resilience needed to achieve extraordinary outcomes.

Breathe Life into Standards

Creating standards is important, but just creating the standards is no guarantee that they will ever be integrated into your behavior. Just think about New Year's resolutions. You promise yourself that this year it will be different, that you are really going to change. You vow that you will go to the gym every Saturday, stop eating salty snack foods, watch less reality TV, and call ...