Dr. Shaun "Wes" Davenport

Dr. Wes Davenport holds a doctorate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and a master's degree in Clinical Psychology, and has spent time in both industry and academia. He currently serves a Chair of the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at High Point University. Whether he is traveling, teaching, researching, or consulting he is most satisfied sharing his passion for the complex and exciting array of human behavior seen around the world.

About Dr. Shaun "Wes" Davenport

Dr. Wes Davenport holds a doctorate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and a master's degree in Clinical Psychology, and has spent time in both industry and academia. He currently serves a Chair of the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at High Point University. He is also a partner with Insightful Travels and Tours. Whether he is traveling, teaching, researching, or consulting he is most satisfied sharing his passion for the complex and exciting array of human behavior seen around the world.

Christmas in August: How to Leverage Anticipation at Work

Christmas in August

As a child I remember clearly the painstaking agony of waiting for Christmas Day to arrive. A true child of the 1980’s, materialism was my middle name and Christmas gifts were my game(s). Of course in comparison to many of my peers’ parental units, my mother and father were quite strategic in their approach to gift allocation. My brother and I might receive a small item here or there over the course of the year, but the windfall clearly came at Christmas, and only then because it was Santa doing the buying. Much like the iconic Ralphie, the anticipation would begin to build just after Thanksgiving until it reached a fever pitch during a sleepless Christmas Eve. Then, in what seemed like an instant, it was over. And the long wait would begin again.

The Family Truckster from the 1983 movie Natio...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Fast-forward approximately 30 years. In February, calls begin between my father, my brother, and myself making the necessary prearrangements for the annual summer vacation. Dates must be set, accommodations secured, transportation and logistics put in place. Every detail must be planned, right down to the appropriate tee times and the color scheme for the family photo. And, as August rolls around, I once again I feel the tinge of anticipation as it builds right up until we set sail in our very own Family Truckster. But of course, just as in the days of my youth, the moment I have been pining for slips through fingers all too quickly and I am left dreaming of the next family vacation.

A team of researchers in the Netherlands published a study where they examined the effects of vacations on Dutch participants’ happiness. But wait, aren’t European workers always on vacation? That is another topic for another blog. The researchers found that very few participants reported any increased happiness following their vacations, and for those lucky few, the boost of happiness only lasted about two weeks post vacation. However, the anticipation of the vacation that was yet to come boosted happiness for up to eight weeks prior to the actual event.

This study illustrates an important point, that, while not all that surprising, is often lost when companies try to increase worker morale, satisfaction, and even performance. Improvements in these areas are not the result of workers gaining the carrots that are dangled so carefully in front of them, but rather because of the anticipation or, in motivational jargon, the expectancy, that great effort and planning will lead to the attainment of these valuable outcomes. You see, much like vacations and Christmas mornings, the energy and excitement that occurs prior to reaching your destination disappears quickly once the ride is over.

So what then, are companies and managers to do if they wish to keep their workers satisfied and energized? First, as the Dutch so eloquently put it, “take more trips per year”. Employees need to be constantly striving in anticipation for some event or reward, but those events cannot be too far in the distance or the anticipation is lost. After all, it is a long time from December 26th 2011 to December 25th 2012 and the prospect of being good for such a long period is enough to take any child from giddy anticipation to helplessness and despair. Second, just as one event is passing we must have another goal in our sights. The “post-holiday blues” are in part due to the long dark winter months seen looming on the horizon. Some managers, in an effort to “give their employees some down time”, rob them of meaningful work. You don’t have to be a hard taskmaster, but you should always have meaningful milestones and rewards that employees are trying to reach. Third, equip employees with the belief that they CAN reach the destination. Anticipation exists because an individual truly believes that the outcome they are seeking will, in fact, come to pass. Sometimes this requires improving the self-efficacy of the individual along the way. Lastly, make sure the “vacation” doesn’t punish the employee. If you ever returned from vacation to find that you now have twice as much work as when you left, you know this can certainly temper excitement over the next vacation. Rewards must truly be desirable and not contaminated with adverse consequences.

So there you have it, the “keys” to leveraging anticipation at work. In case you were wondering I have just returned from a little vacation myself. My intent was to write this piece prior to leaving, but fortunately for me the anticipation was just too great.

 

 

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You’ve Been Here Too Long…

It’s that time of year again. A time for long speeches, celebratory dinners, and the obligatory silver pen and pencil gift set. No, I’m not speaking of retirement, but rather a different right of passage, commencement. As a lifetime member of the academy, first as a student and now as a professor, I have attended and participated in more graduation events than I can recall. And despite some high profile keynote speakers (e.g., Lance Armstrong, and Buzz Aldrin) it would be fair to say that few have been particularly memorable.

However, most recently at the High Point University Baccalaureate I heard a message delivered by Dr. Dwight Andrew, Senior Minister of First Congregational United Church of Christ in Atlanta and Associate Professor of Music at Emory University and an accomplished musician, which roused my interest and led me to a brief moment of reflection. Dr. Andrew based his message on Old Testament scripture in which the God of the Israelites instructs his people that they have “dwelt long enough in this mount” and that they must not stay in one place but move along their journey.

As I often say to my MBA students, we human beings do not like change. The irony is that if you ask most people they will tell you emphatically that they “like to try new things”, “get bored when things get too routine”, and wish the dinosaur companies they work for “were simply more open to change”. However, the reality is…we say we do, we may even believe we do, but when push comes to shove we typically do not like change.

Our tendency to avoid change is supported on many fronts. As humans we consistently strive to predict and control our environment by decreasing ambiguity and increasing consistency. Creating predictable routines can relieve stress and emotional loads. However, even conscious, rational thought is resistant to change. How much new information does it take to change someone’s existing opinion? Researchers have demonstrated that even when we do try to integrate new, inconsistent information with our existing base of knowledge and beliefs, our overall impressions rarely change.

And the tendency to stick with the status quo is not limited to the rank and file. When discussing the philosophical and tactical changes leaders must enact for their organizations to rise above the competition, Dr. Jeffrey Pfeffer of Stanford University states, “In order to be exceptional and earn extraordinary returns you have to dare to be different. And so everybody says,  ‘Yes, I want to be different, but I don’t want to be that different.” And if you are one of the chosen few who approach change with open arms, the next challenge is inspiring your spouse, coworker, or subordinate to join you with equal zest and determination. Leadership is all about influence, and if you can influence others to embrace change you have a rare and coveted skill.

Undoubtedly, change can be difficult, anxiety provoking, and at times can entail great risk. But on this spring evening in Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church as I thought about these soon-to-be college graduates, leaving the safe and well-worn halls of their beloved alma mater, I was reminded that to grow and become “exceptional” we all must opt for change, whether it be in our personal or professional lives. So as you reflect on your current situation, ask yourself…”Have I been here to long?” And if the answer is yes, perhaps the time has come to “move along your journey”.

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