One of the hardest forms of stress to avoid is workplace stress. After all, you need to go to work and there are plenty of things to worry about once you get there. However, that does not mean that workplace stress is unavoidable. Just like other kinds of stress, there are ways to manage workplace stress and there are ways to avoid it. Maybe you cannot avoid it entirely, but that is no reason not to try.
Workplace stress usually takes the form of everything needing to get done right now. You know the situation, there are a dozen things on your plate and they all need attention, but there are only so many hours in the day and you cannot attend to everything all at once. On top of that, the boss is breathing down your neck, asking you where the report/plan/program is and he also has a pile of other tasks for you once you finish that. It is a never-ending cycle, but it can be managed.
The first thing you need to do to avoid workplace stress is to focus on one task at a time. Do not try to multi-task, as it jars your system. Switching gears between projects does make demands on your brain and it takes a moment to change your thoughts from one place to another. Instead, if you focus on one project, you can keep your thoughts and energy in one place, preventing you from having to shift gears too often.
However, the big problem with trying to keep your focus is your coworkers. They will always be asking you for a quick minute or they will want you to answer their question, or they will want you to come over and help them on something. Try to deflect these as much as possible, as these can distract your focus. Thus, you must learn to say, "no." This is a highly effective word, though you may want to change it to, "No, not right now," or, "As soon as I am done with this." These little phrases can at least buy you some time to finish what you are doing, then switch comfortably to the needs of your coworkers.
There is another cause of workplace stress that can also cause you all manner of difficulty and that is when your concentration runs out. Oftentimes, you may find yourself focusing on the same page or the same computer screen for minutes at a time and you still have no idea what it is supposed to mean. This is not good, as it means that you are not being effective, your brain has shut down and the deadline is looming over you and you just need to get through this. Your best plan at this point is to walk away from your desk. Get up, get a cup of coffee (but not too often, as caffeine can heighten stress), go to the bathroom, anything. Walk the corridors for a minute or two and clear the cobwebs. This is highly effective both for ensuring that you are getting work done and for keeping workplace stress to a minimum.
Another way to prevent workplace stress is to learn some desk exercises. These can be simply squeezing a stress ball, or performing a few stretches while you are at your desk. By working your muscles at your desk, you can improve your circulation and help your keep alert and aware at work. Obviously, you are not going to get a full body workout while you are pecking at a keyboard, but it can help you at least keep your mind focused.
Finally, while you are at work you should examine your environment to see if it is right for you. How is the noise level? Is your desk set up properly? Are you comfortable? Is everything set up so that it is ergonomically correct? Your body needs to be comfortable if you want to work without distraction and distractions can lead to workplace stress. Thus, your work area needs to be set up for you. Take care of the little things around you and you will be able to work confidently and work well.
Workplace stress is, in many ways, part of working. However, by managing workplace stress properly, you can at least keep it to a minimum. And by doing that, work will be much more pleasant and you will be much more productive. So take care of yourself and the area around you and workplace stress will not control your day.
Author: Trevor Dumbleton
Tuesday
Wednesday
How to Deal with Lazy People at Your Workplace
You are a hard worker. You enjoy tackling a challenge and claiming victory when it's all said and done. You are not the type of person that necessarily enjoys working in teams, because you know that there is always one who isn't going to put 100% effort into the project, more like 20% or less. He or she will then go around and brag and boast they did more and would like a pat on the back for a contribution that was well...forgettable. How do you deal with these lazy people?
There are two types of lazy people. The first are those who admit, "Yes, I am lazy and I don't care who knows about it." The other group finds excuses, "I am not lazy. I just need to think about what I need to do before I do it." To this you say, "Well, how long is it going to be before you stop thinking and get to it?" The end result: nothing gets done.
The first group of lazy people when required to do anything will do the bare minimum. Since you know from the very start, if given the choice they will pick the least amount of work to do, give them the most. Sure they will complain, they will probably say what they won't do, but if there is a reward associated with it, they may find the motivation to do it. Motivation is essentially what they are lacking. The only way to find out what motivates them to stop playing solitaire on the computer and surfing the Internet, is to find out what they really want, need or both. One idea is to use time off as an incentive.
The second group of lazy people care about what others think, because if they didn't they wouldn't make unnecessary excuses to avoid negative comments. The way to motivate them is not to argue about the excuses that they make, but instead direct them to the task at hand and assign them specific deadlines they must meet. When deadlines are met, provide them with incentives as well or ways to make their job less cumbersome so that they are without excuse.
Lazy people are always looking for a way to make life easier for their selves. Most are very selfish. They aren't interested in helping others, but they will do it out of obligation. They know they have to eat; therefore, they will get a job, but they will be the ones you most likely see hanging around the water-cooler, talking in the break-room (when they have already took two breaks in less than an hour), out of site (and they are hoping out of your mind) when you need them and other similar behaviors.
Once you know you have someone like this around you, consider watching he or she more than the rest of the team. They are most likely going to be "up to no good." Too much time on their hands leads to gossip, lying, stealing and any other negative action, because they simply don't know how to keep themselves busy.
Many lazy people simply haven't been taught how to be good workers. You may want to show them basic principles on how one can achieve their best at work. Pointing the finger at Suzy and praising her for all her achievement in front of lazy workers is not the way to teach them, but describing the characteristics of a good worker is best.
by Nicholl McGuire
There are two types of lazy people. The first are those who admit, "Yes, I am lazy and I don't care who knows about it." The other group finds excuses, "I am not lazy. I just need to think about what I need to do before I do it." To this you say, "Well, how long is it going to be before you stop thinking and get to it?" The end result: nothing gets done.
The first group of lazy people when required to do anything will do the bare minimum. Since you know from the very start, if given the choice they will pick the least amount of work to do, give them the most. Sure they will complain, they will probably say what they won't do, but if there is a reward associated with it, they may find the motivation to do it. Motivation is essentially what they are lacking. The only way to find out what motivates them to stop playing solitaire on the computer and surfing the Internet, is to find out what they really want, need or both. One idea is to use time off as an incentive.
The second group of lazy people care about what others think, because if they didn't they wouldn't make unnecessary excuses to avoid negative comments. The way to motivate them is not to argue about the excuses that they make, but instead direct them to the task at hand and assign them specific deadlines they must meet. When deadlines are met, provide them with incentives as well or ways to make their job less cumbersome so that they are without excuse.
Lazy people are always looking for a way to make life easier for their selves. Most are very selfish. They aren't interested in helping others, but they will do it out of obligation. They know they have to eat; therefore, they will get a job, but they will be the ones you most likely see hanging around the water-cooler, talking in the break-room (when they have already took two breaks in less than an hour), out of site (and they are hoping out of your mind) when you need them and other similar behaviors.
Once you know you have someone like this around you, consider watching he or she more than the rest of the team. They are most likely going to be "up to no good." Too much time on their hands leads to gossip, lying, stealing and any other negative action, because they simply don't know how to keep themselves busy.
Many lazy people simply haven't been taught how to be good workers. You may want to show them basic principles on how one can achieve their best at work. Pointing the finger at Suzy and praising her for all her achievement in front of lazy workers is not the way to teach them, but describing the characteristics of a good worker is best.
by Nicholl McGuire
Monday
Top Three Rants About Work
Number One. It's okay for the boss to talk your ear off, but you aren't allowed to talk to anyone else in the office without "the look" and in some cases "The clear the throat" get back to work bs.
Number Two. "Oh just one more thing..." why is one more thing just before 5 p.m.
Number Three. Someone always needs the boss when he or she is still out for lunch. Two freakin' hours and they are still out to lunch!
Number Two. "Oh just one more thing..." why is one more thing just before 5 p.m.
Number Three. Someone always needs the boss when he or she is still out for lunch. Two freakin' hours and they are still out to lunch!
You’re Fired! If Only It Were That Easy – Avoiding An Unfair Dismissal Trial…
I think I speak for all managers around the country when I say that we have all, in our darker moments, fantasized about mimicking Sir Alan Sugar’s catchphrase on ‘The Apprentice’ and telling an employee in no uncertain terms that they need to clear their desk and leave: “You’re fired!” Nice as it is to be able to pretend it would be this easy to get rid of that typist who spends more time on the phone to friends than doing their job, or the office manager who pulls a sickie every week, the truth is that simply firing your staff in this unceremonious manner will lead to all the ‘pleasures’ of an ‘unfair dismissal’ lawsuit.
So how should we go about getting rid of staff who are bad for the company? There’s a procedure you have to follow to ensure that your back is covered should the disgruntled sacked employee be feeling litigious and looking to call wrongful dismissal.
The first step towards this is ensuring that you have a clear set of rules and regulations. Afterall, if something is against the rules, but you’ve never actually explained it to your employees, then how are they supposed to know they are breaking them? At this point, you also need to be very clear of the consequences if such rules are broken.
There are two levels of misconduct you need to make provisions against: general and gross. Due to the different levels of seriousness, you need to make clear the action you would take in each circumstance:
General Misconduct
These are minor offenses or one-offs that would not result in serious repercussions for your business if occurring. The sort of thing that falls into this category should be: lateness, personal calls on the company telephone or under performance.
Gross Misconduct
This type of offense is for serious offenses which could damage the company, including acts of physical violence, drug or alcohol abuse, vandalism of company property, serious breaches of health and safety regulations, theft, fraud, harassment, discrimination or serious negligence. Additionally, the behavior listed in general misconduct could accumulate into gross misconduct if persistent while ignoring staff warnings.
So how do you go about ditching the troublesome staff? As I mentioned before there are procedures and you can’t just go and make an example out of someone on the spot – well you can, but the chances are they’ll be entitled to make an example out of you in the courts with a ‘wrongful dismissal’ lawsuit! Here’s how it’s done to avoid litigation:
1) If and when you become dissatisfied with the employee, tell them in writing.
2) Meet up with the employee and discuss the issue, trying to find a way in which the problems can be resolved. If possible, resolve the problem informally: You might consider training, or more supervision. Tell the employee the improvements you expect, and when their progress will be reviewed.
3) If an informal solution isn’t possible, take formal action – first a written warning, and then a final written warning. These must explain the nature of the problem, what you expect to improve and the consequences if they fail to meet your standards. Explain they have the right to appeal against your decision and give them opportunity to explain themselves.
4) If they accept their right of appeal, arrange a meeting and hear their case. Tell the employee your decision.
5) If the employee fails to meet your requirements, you may dismiss them or offer them a different job. Once again you need to follow procedure: a written dismissal, meet with the employee and give them the opportunity for appeal.
It may seem like a lot of hassle, but in the long run it’s better for employers to be able to resolve problems with their staff internally anyway. If you give your employees notice and they improve their ways, not only are you avoiding an unfair dismissal case against you, you are saving the costs and time involved in looking to hire a replacement for the sacked employee. Keep this procedure in mind, and avoid the Alan Sugar fantasies and the whole legal minefield that inevitably follows!
About the Author
Iain Mackintosh is the managing director of Simply-Docs. The firm provides over 1100 legal documents and templates covering all aspects of business from the new holiday entitlement laws to health and safety regulations.
So how should we go about getting rid of staff who are bad for the company? There’s a procedure you have to follow to ensure that your back is covered should the disgruntled sacked employee be feeling litigious and looking to call wrongful dismissal.
The first step towards this is ensuring that you have a clear set of rules and regulations. Afterall, if something is against the rules, but you’ve never actually explained it to your employees, then how are they supposed to know they are breaking them? At this point, you also need to be very clear of the consequences if such rules are broken.
There are two levels of misconduct you need to make provisions against: general and gross. Due to the different levels of seriousness, you need to make clear the action you would take in each circumstance:
General Misconduct
These are minor offenses or one-offs that would not result in serious repercussions for your business if occurring. The sort of thing that falls into this category should be: lateness, personal calls on the company telephone or under performance.
Gross Misconduct
This type of offense is for serious offenses which could damage the company, including acts of physical violence, drug or alcohol abuse, vandalism of company property, serious breaches of health and safety regulations, theft, fraud, harassment, discrimination or serious negligence. Additionally, the behavior listed in general misconduct could accumulate into gross misconduct if persistent while ignoring staff warnings.
So how do you go about ditching the troublesome staff? As I mentioned before there are procedures and you can’t just go and make an example out of someone on the spot – well you can, but the chances are they’ll be entitled to make an example out of you in the courts with a ‘wrongful dismissal’ lawsuit! Here’s how it’s done to avoid litigation:
1) If and when you become dissatisfied with the employee, tell them in writing.
2) Meet up with the employee and discuss the issue, trying to find a way in which the problems can be resolved. If possible, resolve the problem informally: You might consider training, or more supervision. Tell the employee the improvements you expect, and when their progress will be reviewed.
3) If an informal solution isn’t possible, take formal action – first a written warning, and then a final written warning. These must explain the nature of the problem, what you expect to improve and the consequences if they fail to meet your standards. Explain they have the right to appeal against your decision and give them opportunity to explain themselves.
4) If they accept their right of appeal, arrange a meeting and hear their case. Tell the employee your decision.
5) If the employee fails to meet your requirements, you may dismiss them or offer them a different job. Once again you need to follow procedure: a written dismissal, meet with the employee and give them the opportunity for appeal.
It may seem like a lot of hassle, but in the long run it’s better for employers to be able to resolve problems with their staff internally anyway. If you give your employees notice and they improve their ways, not only are you avoiding an unfair dismissal case against you, you are saving the costs and time involved in looking to hire a replacement for the sacked employee. Keep this procedure in mind, and avoid the Alan Sugar fantasies and the whole legal minefield that inevitably follows!
About the Author
Iain Mackintosh is the managing director of Simply-Docs. The firm provides over 1100 legal documents and templates covering all aspects of business from the new holiday entitlement laws to health and safety regulations.
Are You In The Right Job? How To Discover The Job You Were Meant To Do
You might not outright ‘hate’ your job, but if you don’t enjoy going to work each day, you might want to figure out why. No one loves work all the time, but if you find that your job is dragging you down rather than lifting you up, you should take notice.
Many unhappy workers wind up feeling frustrated and defeated by their jobs, when in fact the real reason they dread work, is that they’re working way under their potential.
Ask yourself-–
1) Do you feel unfulfilled in your current job?
2) Are you bored and stressed at work?
3) Do you find it difficult to be passionate about your work?
4) Are you tired of your day-to-day work routine?
5) Is there anything you do in your job that fascinates you?
Whether you’ve been working for one or 20-years, the key to finding the right place for you is in first determining your own natural genius. Don’t stop and say you’re not a genius – everyone has a natural genius, but many of us simply don’t know what it is.
Genius is the expression of our unique set of exceptional abilities. The trouble is that we don’t always take the time -- or have the encouragement -- to find out what those genius abilities really are. Often, we are drawn to a particular area of work that somehow helps us bring out our genius, but unless we intentionally dial in, we remain on the periphery of our genius and never hit the bull’s-eye.
If you are one of the many who doesn’t really know your unique set of exceptional abilities, review the following list of five clues for natural genius. Think about what you do that fits any of these criteria, and you can start glimpsing what your genius might be.
Five Clues for Natural Genius
1. You do it easily.
2. You feel a deep satisfaction.
3. You are recognized with a natural authority.
4. You dismiss acknowledgement easily because you seem to do it too effortlessly.
5. You don’t understand when others have a much harder time doing the same thing.
Genius stays hidden because most people never learn what their genius is. Instead, they perform on the edge of their genius, but not in the core. This impacts more than their enjoyment; it affects their earning power. Genius is often associated with sacrifice, but the opposite is true. Those who resist their genius pay the greatest price by working in jobs just to cover their bills, but never truly prospering.
Manifesting your genius means learning what it is, applying your genius in a field that matches it and benefiting by becoming an expert or specialist. In the professional market- place, the specialists command the highest fees. They also love their work.
Geniuses are not satisfied with just paying their bills. They may enjoy their lifestyle, but they don’t live for it. Why? They are fully alive in doing work that means something to them. Many of us sleepwalk through our work, driven by the need for financial security or recognition, but not satisfying our core passion. Geniuses are on fire. They are positioned to be the most successful people in the world. Geniuses can measure their reward in terms of income, quality of life and personal satisfaction. It’s quite a compelling equation.
Are you living your genius? Take a free self-evaluation at http://www.geniuscoaching.net/RateYourGenius.htm. A certified learning consultant and coach, Susanna Lange co-developed Genius Coaching, which helps children, adults, and business leaders discover and maximize their special talents and strengths.
Many unhappy workers wind up feeling frustrated and defeated by their jobs, when in fact the real reason they dread work, is that they’re working way under their potential.
Ask yourself-–
1) Do you feel unfulfilled in your current job?
2) Are you bored and stressed at work?
3) Do you find it difficult to be passionate about your work?
4) Are you tired of your day-to-day work routine?
5) Is there anything you do in your job that fascinates you?
Whether you’ve been working for one or 20-years, the key to finding the right place for you is in first determining your own natural genius. Don’t stop and say you’re not a genius – everyone has a natural genius, but many of us simply don’t know what it is.
Genius is the expression of our unique set of exceptional abilities. The trouble is that we don’t always take the time -- or have the encouragement -- to find out what those genius abilities really are. Often, we are drawn to a particular area of work that somehow helps us bring out our genius, but unless we intentionally dial in, we remain on the periphery of our genius and never hit the bull’s-eye.
If you are one of the many who doesn’t really know your unique set of exceptional abilities, review the following list of five clues for natural genius. Think about what you do that fits any of these criteria, and you can start glimpsing what your genius might be.
Five Clues for Natural Genius
1. You do it easily.
2. You feel a deep satisfaction.
3. You are recognized with a natural authority.
4. You dismiss acknowledgement easily because you seem to do it too effortlessly.
5. You don’t understand when others have a much harder time doing the same thing.
Genius stays hidden because most people never learn what their genius is. Instead, they perform on the edge of their genius, but not in the core. This impacts more than their enjoyment; it affects their earning power. Genius is often associated with sacrifice, but the opposite is true. Those who resist their genius pay the greatest price by working in jobs just to cover their bills, but never truly prospering.
Manifesting your genius means learning what it is, applying your genius in a field that matches it and benefiting by becoming an expert or specialist. In the professional market- place, the specialists command the highest fees. They also love their work.
Geniuses are not satisfied with just paying their bills. They may enjoy their lifestyle, but they don’t live for it. Why? They are fully alive in doing work that means something to them. Many of us sleepwalk through our work, driven by the need for financial security or recognition, but not satisfying our core passion. Geniuses are on fire. They are positioned to be the most successful people in the world. Geniuses can measure their reward in terms of income, quality of life and personal satisfaction. It’s quite a compelling equation.
Are you living your genius? Take a free self-evaluation at http://www.geniuscoaching.net/RateYourGenius.htm. A certified learning consultant and coach, Susanna Lange co-developed Genius Coaching, which helps children, adults, and business leaders discover and maximize their special talents and strengths.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)