Michael Melnik, M.S, O.T.R.
The Energized Approach: Michael presents the universal language that every corporation needs to know-the 10 Essential Energy Sources to maximize participation, mininize resistance and create the energy for success in your culture!
Michael S. Melnik MS, OTR is the owner of Michael Melnik: The Energized Approach and Prevention Plus Inc., where for the last 20 years his career has focused on helping organizations establish effective leadership, promote organizational growth and embrace positive change. Michael has delivered his high-energy, fun and practical approach to a quarter of a million participants in some of the largest organizations in the country.
Want to know if The Energized Approach will work for your organization? Answer the following questions to find out.
1) Does your organization ever start, and then stop a new program or initiative?
If yes: The Energized Approach will work for you. When organizations start and stop programs it takes a toll on the energy of the people who are asked to participate. When a new program is introduced they are often hesitant to get “on-board” because there is little faith that the program will be around for the long haul.
If no: Congratulations. If your organization typically sustains its programs for the long haul you probably have a group of employees that are less resistant to the introduction of something new. They know that the company will not pull the rug out from under a program without good reason and will do what it can to sustain it or change it to help it survive.
2) When you implement changes in the environment, are they ever a “surprise” to the people who will be impacted? If yes: The Energized Approach will work for you. Most of us don’t like surprises, even if in the long run the surprise is good for us. Most employees have limited influence over their work environment. When something changes that influences their work life, and it is introduced without warning, it is a natural response to resist and push back against the change. Simply letting people know what’s coming reduces resistance and increases the odds that people will actively participate in the process.
If no: Congratulations. Having a system to let people know what is coming and how it will impact their world gives people an opportunity to prepare themselves for the change and possibly offer valuable insights into what might make the change work better.
3) Does your organization consistently use the same methods for training your employees? If yes: The Energized Approach will work for you. When you tell employees that they need to come to the training room for some mandated training what is their response? If it is a rolling of they eyes or a look of disinterest it may be because they are anticipating that the event will be something less than “inspiring”. If the point of training is to not only influence what employees know, but also what they do, organizations need to put some “punch” in their training methods to wake people up. Mixing up the methods used for training and combining video, slides, flip charts, hands-on activities and plenty of Q and A not only will make it more interesting, but it will insure that you are more effectively reaching all of your adult learners and increasing the odds that the information will be remembered and put into practice.
If no: Congratulations. You are utilizing training methods that bring energy into the training equation and help participants remember and use the information that is presented.
4) Does your organization spend time catching people doing things wrong or more time catching people doing things right? If "wrong": The Energized Approach will work for you. When organizations spend much of the time trying to catch people doing things wrong it does energize the workforce. The only problem is that in most cases it energizes employees to avoid getting caught; it doesn’t necessarily energize them to change anything else about what they do. The other problem is that when the primary goal is to catch people doing things wrong much of the discussion is negative and this can be energy draining for the employee and the person who is disciplining him/her. This doesn’t mean that people should not be held accountable or disciplined for improper behavior. It simply means that it is good to have a balance between catching those who are doing things wrong and disciplining and catching people doing things right and celebrating.
If "right": Congratulations. There is a saying that goes something like this; “Celebrate those things you’d like to see happen more often:” We all enjoy positive feedback and we all try to avoid negative feedback. When an organization makes it clear that it will find those that are doing things well and acknowledge their effort, the word gets out and people become energized to do the right things.
5) Are your new programs and initiatives viewed by participants as energy draining and something to be avoided at all costs? If yes: The Energized Approach will work for you. For a new program or initiative to be successful the one thing it needs more than anything else is the ENERGY of the people who will be introducing the change and the ENERGY of the people who are being asked to participate in this change. When an organization attends to the 10 essential energy sources and develops, implements and supports the change effectively ENERGY becomes more readily available and the odds for success go up dramatically.
If no: Congratulations. New programs and initiatives will always be a necessary part of successful organizations. When a new program is introduced in a way that generates a positive response from the implementers and the participants the odds for success are great.
What is the Energized Approach and how can it help your organization.
Companies are continuously introducing change in the workplace. Along with this change comes the reactions of those who will be impacted. These reactions can range from acceptance and participation to resistance and anarchy. The question that needs to be asked is; can an organization take measures to influence these reactions to increase the odds that the response will be positive. The answer is yes, and the method is The Energized Approach.
If a program or change is going to be introduced, and an organization is investing a great deal of time and energy and is vested in its success, doesn’t it make sense to create an environment that is conducive to this success? The Energized Approach focuses on the 10 essential energy sources that drive successful change. They include; Commitment, Communication, Consistency, Creativity, Flexibility, Inclusion, Recognition, Accountability, Respect and Fun. When these energy sources are tended to programs not only succeed, they flourish. In the absence of these energy sources program are often doomed to failure.
The Energized Approach is broken down into 3 easy to implement segments.
1) Conduct an Energy Audit This activity helps you determine the level of energy for each of the 10 essential energy sources and identify the areas that need attention before a program or change is introduced (or identify why an existing program is struggling)
2) Conduct an Energizing Strategies Session The purpose of these sessions is to problem-solve strategies that will increase the energy available for program success.
3) Implement your Action Plan The Energized Approach helps organizations in the following ways:
1) Find out where energy is lacking in your organization and address these issues before implementation to energize the environment and prepare your workforce for what is coming.
2) Find out what areas of your organization and truly energized and learn from these areas so these same strategies can be used for other programs and initiatives.
3) Take programs or initiatives that are not reaching their potential and re-energize them before they end up in the “program graveyard”.
4) When an organization effectively utilizes The Energized Approach it is almost impossible to have an unsuccessful program or initiative. This is because the work is done prior to implementation to find out what obstacles to success may present themselves and if/when problems do come up they are addressed promptly
Michael's most requested programs are as follows:
- “The Energized Approach"
There are 3 certainties in life….Death, Taxes….and Change! Organizations spend an abundance of time, money and resources in an effort to drive change. All too often these efforts fall short of expectations. There is hope! In most cases the problem isn’t the change itself, it’s the environment into which the change is introduced and the methods used to introduce, implement and support this change. Whether it is the launching of a new program or initiative, an effort to promote positive attitudes or simply a desire to energize the environment; success is dependent upon CHANGE! In "The Energized Approach" Michael introduces the 10 essential energy sources and offers time-tested strategies to minimize resistance, maximize participation and create the energy that is essential for success.
2. "If Change Were Easy, We’d All Be Perfect"
Do you eat right, exercise regularly and avoid things that are bad for you? Ever cut a corner to get something done quickly? Even though we know the right things to do, we don’t always do them (and then we act surprised when others behave the same way!) In this lively, energetic, fun-filled session, Michael examines this humorous and often frustrating side of human behavior; the resistance to and the struggle with CHANGE. Through the use of REP: The Rational, Emotional and Physical Approach for Promoting Change, Michael helps you not only better understand what drives behaviors, but offers practical strategies for steering them in a positive direction.
3. "From Knowing To Doing: Getting Maximum ROI From your Employee Training Efforts"
It is well known in the training world that “what is said” by an instructor is not necessarily “what is heard” by the audience. To complicate matters, “what is heard” by the audience doesn’t automatically turn into “what is done” when the class is over. Organizations invest substantial amounts of time and money on training to influence behaviors in a positive way. The problem is that most organizations focus attention solely on how the training will be delivered with little thought given to how it will be received and put into practice! In this fun, high energy and practical session Michael introduces REP: The Rational, Emotional and Physical Approach to Effective Training. The REP approach helps organizations maximize training effectiveness by focusing not only on how information is delivered, but also on how the audience receives this information and how they move from what they know…to what they do!
4. "The Lighter Side of Sitting, Standing, Lifting and Stretching"
Did you know that there is no “right” way to lift, that long periods of sitting and standing can be done without fatigue or what it means to “let your body breathe”? In this high energy, interactive session Michael dispels the myths surrounding "proper" body mechanics and offers practical and effective strategies to increase comfort and productivity in any work environment. This popular session is a refreshing break from the normal course of events and offers participants valuable information while getting them up, moving and energized.
5. "Surviving a Multi-Day Conference"
Organizations conduct conferences to motivate and energize audiences, yet prolonged sitting combined with changes in sleeping, eating and exercise habits often have the opposite effect. In this fun, high energy and hilarious session, Michael examines the physical demands of a conference and provides participants with practical tools to help them remain “energized” throughout the event and send them away ready to put their new-found knowledge to use. A great opening for your full day or multi-day conference!
Although Michael has developed relationships all over the world here is a partial list of clients that he has served;
- 3M, Albertson’s, Alcoa, ASSE, Arkema, Ball Packaging, Best Buy, Cargill, Caterpillar, CH2M Hill, Chevron-Texaco, City of Minneapolis, Colorado Safety Association, Food Marketing Institute, Frito Lay, GEOsmonics, General Mills, Hasbro, Heinz, Honeywell, Indiana Chamber of Commerce, John Deere, Jostens, Kimberly Clark, Land O’ Lakes, Marathon Ashland, Marriott, Mayo Clinic, MDU Resources, Mechanical Contractors Assoc. of America, MN. Safety Council, Mississippi Power, North Dakota Safety Council, National Ergonomics Conference, Northwest Airlines, San Diego Gas and Electric, Starbucks, South Dakota Safety Council, State Compensation Insurance Fund, The Home Depot, UCLA, UPS, Wal-Mart, Wisconsin Public Service
When an organization is looking to effectively implement change or simply wants to "energize" the work environment, Michael's presentations hit the mark. With his simple, practical and time-tested tools, Michael's message promotes positive changes long after your event is over.
Ask us about RESOURCE52-the newest form of THE ENERGIZED APPROACH!
