Some folks have it rough. Nothing ever goes right for them. The weather is always bad. Food ordered at a restaurant is always unacceptable. Anyone with good news is warned, usually with a chuckle, about all the things that could go wrong from here on out. It would seem that the universe conspires to make these people suffer and they seem to think it is their duty to let us know how terrible things really are.
The remarkable thing is that these perpetual pessimists seem almost to revel in their own despair. Complaining gives them a way of connecting to people; as if commiseration is the only way they know how to be companionable. No matter how much they laugh and joke about how bad things are, do any of us really believe that they can be happy seeing the world as they do?
The insidious power of pessimists is the proverbial grain of truth to be found in what they say. In a general sense, the things they say are true. The weather could be better most of the time and rarely does one get a perfect meal at a restaurant but if you are seeing the glass as half empty, how can you enjoy drinking the rest?
It is one thing to acknowledge that things could be better but it is another entirely to believe that they never will. Pessimists have the potential to leave you feeling like a herd of elephants has just trampled your soul. Their complaining and whining about how bad things are and how much worse they can get will sap you of all your strength.
Most of us are more optimistic than the perpetual pessimist. We can see potential for good as well as bad. Our biggest mistake is trying to help pessimists be happier by spending time with them. Pessimism, like gravity, has a gentle but persistent force. You can only fight for so long. Spend enough time with a pessimist and eventually, you will come around to their way of thinking.
Imagine you are sitting in the lunch room at work and a coworker is tossing a coin. He begins to draw the attention of others proclaiming he has a very unusual coin. Every time he tosses it, it comes out tails. You and others begin to gather around to watch. He has now tossed the coin some 15 times and every time it has been tails. People begin commenting, even taking bets. The tosses are now near 25 and they have come out tails every time. What are the chances that the next time he tosses the coin, it will be tails?
Some people would expect it to be tails again. Others would say it can’t possibly be tails again. From the get go, there has always been a 50% chance the toss will go either way and those chances have not changed. Yet our perception has. In either case, we see the pattern as significant when it is not.
As the pessimist continues to point out how things constantly go wrong, you begin to see the pattern too. Then it becomes like looking at the classical optical illusion. Once you see the two faces, it takes a conscious effort to see the vase.
Take notice that the pessimist is almost never to blame for what goes wrong. It might be fate, bad luck, the way the world is or simply someone else. Because they rarely take responsibility for their own experiences, they are trapped. They see themselves as victims not perpetrators. There is no way out. Misdiagnose the cause and you also misdiagnose the cure.
Many of us make the mistake of trying to cheer up a pessimist. Don’t bother! The remedy for pessimism will never come from someone else. It cannot be purchased, delivered or gifted. The cure for pessimism must rise within. It takes a conscious decision to discount the pattern. That is difficult to do.
For your own sake, try to spend as little time with pessimists as possible. Sometimes you don’t have a choice. Sometimes you discover that the pessimist in the room is you! Choose to ignore the negative pattern; try to establish a positive one. Don’t proclaim that the weather is too hot. Rather be thankful for the air-conditioning. Don’t complain about the rain, point out how your garden needs the water or anticipate the lovely fresh scent in the air after a good rain.
If the cure for pessimism sounds a little too much like Pollyanna playing the glad game, you are right. The simple fact is…it works.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Coping with a Financial Crunch
The economy is in a crunch. Rising fuel costs and natural disasters are causing price increases in critical consumer goods, like food, which rely on shipping. Credit card companies are reducing credit limits, withholding new offers of credit and raising interest rates.
The fall in the mortgage and real estate markets have eroded a much of the equity held by property owners leaving many to face foreclosure and even bankruptcy because they’ve used equity to pay off other debts and now that equity is gone.
Many Americans find themselves caught unawares by financial crisis. Yet, even during times of economic downturn, most financial crises are not only predictable but preventable.
The biggest reason we fail to see a financial crisis coming is mostly because we are too afraid to look in the first place. Experts have been predicting all of the current financial difficulties for years, even while we were in the housing market boom. We didn’t want to hear it. We would just rather not think about it until we are forced to do so. It’s like walking across a familiar street with out paying attention to traffic. You might get away with it for a while but sooner or later…
While working as Director of Education at Consumer Credit Counseling Service in Los Angeles, I dealt with literally thousands of people who steadfastly refused to look at their financial condition until they were forced to do so. Now the economy is forcing all of us to take a long hard look.
It is not too late! The key to preventing or minimizing real damage during financial stress is to understand your situation and take prompt action to control it.
Know your income. Take a good look at your net income. How much cold hard cash do you have coming every month? Consider all reliable sources. This is what you have to work with.
Consider your resources. You should have a financial cushion, three to six months living expensive in an account that is easily converted to cash. Savings accounts, mature savings bonds, money market accounts, certificates of deposit that are nearing maturity are all good choices. The numbers in your 401K plan may look enticing but really these should be a last resort. You’ll pay high penalties and taxes for early withdrawal and you may irreparably jeopardize your retirement.
Look at the way you use credit. Are you using credit cards to artificially supplement your income? Would you have enough money every month if you didn’t have your credit cards? Credit should be used less frequently during times of financial stress.
Know your expenses. Expenses are traditionally divided into three groups. Fixed expenses stay the same each month. Variable expenses change from month to month. Periodic expenses occur reliably but less frequently than every month.
Rethink your wants and your needs. So much of what we consider essential to our comfort and lifestyle is really fluff. Cutting back expenses in small ways can have a dramatic impact on your bottom line.
Prioritize your obligations. At the top of the list, place legal obligations like child-support, back taxes and court-mandated payments. Next are secured debt payments like mortgage or car payments. And at the bottom of the list, is your unsecured debt mostly in the form of credit cards.
Know your alternatives. The media is now rife with advertisements for debt solution companies offering debt settlement, debt consolidation, debt management, tax negotiation and even bankruptcy. Each company, even if it is “non-profit,” will probably tout its particular service and solution as the best for your circumstances and will effectively sell you on it if you call. Most consumers are unaware of the differences between these solutions, much less the corresponding expense and long-term consequences they carry.
The sooner you act, the less likely you are to suffer long term damage from an economic downturn. Arm yourself with knowledge and preparation and you’ll come out on top.
The fall in the mortgage and real estate markets have eroded a much of the equity held by property owners leaving many to face foreclosure and even bankruptcy because they’ve used equity to pay off other debts and now that equity is gone.
Many Americans find themselves caught unawares by financial crisis. Yet, even during times of economic downturn, most financial crises are not only predictable but preventable.
The biggest reason we fail to see a financial crisis coming is mostly because we are too afraid to look in the first place. Experts have been predicting all of the current financial difficulties for years, even while we were in the housing market boom. We didn’t want to hear it. We would just rather not think about it until we are forced to do so. It’s like walking across a familiar street with out paying attention to traffic. You might get away with it for a while but sooner or later…
While working as Director of Education at Consumer Credit Counseling Service in Los Angeles, I dealt with literally thousands of people who steadfastly refused to look at their financial condition until they were forced to do so. Now the economy is forcing all of us to take a long hard look.
It is not too late! The key to preventing or minimizing real damage during financial stress is to understand your situation and take prompt action to control it.
Know your income. Take a good look at your net income. How much cold hard cash do you have coming every month? Consider all reliable sources. This is what you have to work with.
Consider your resources. You should have a financial cushion, three to six months living expensive in an account that is easily converted to cash. Savings accounts, mature savings bonds, money market accounts, certificates of deposit that are nearing maturity are all good choices. The numbers in your 401K plan may look enticing but really these should be a last resort. You’ll pay high penalties and taxes for early withdrawal and you may irreparably jeopardize your retirement.
Look at the way you use credit. Are you using credit cards to artificially supplement your income? Would you have enough money every month if you didn’t have your credit cards? Credit should be used less frequently during times of financial stress.
Know your expenses. Expenses are traditionally divided into three groups. Fixed expenses stay the same each month. Variable expenses change from month to month. Periodic expenses occur reliably but less frequently than every month.
Rethink your wants and your needs. So much of what we consider essential to our comfort and lifestyle is really fluff. Cutting back expenses in small ways can have a dramatic impact on your bottom line.
Prioritize your obligations. At the top of the list, place legal obligations like child-support, back taxes and court-mandated payments. Next are secured debt payments like mortgage or car payments. And at the bottom of the list, is your unsecured debt mostly in the form of credit cards.
Know your alternatives. The media is now rife with advertisements for debt solution companies offering debt settlement, debt consolidation, debt management, tax negotiation and even bankruptcy. Each company, even if it is “non-profit,” will probably tout its particular service and solution as the best for your circumstances and will effectively sell you on it if you call. Most consumers are unaware of the differences between these solutions, much less the corresponding expense and long-term consequences they carry.
The sooner you act, the less likely you are to suffer long term damage from an economic downturn. Arm yourself with knowledge and preparation and you’ll come out on top.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Forget About the Gym!
To look at me, you would never guess that I have been a member of a health club since 1989. That is because, with the exception of brief spurts of intense motivation, I almost never go. It is not so much that I dislike the activity but rather, getting there, changing my clothes, working out, showering, changing my clothes again and getting back into my routine take up way too much time out of my day. I simply cannot fit going to the gym into my schedule.
I am not alone. The best estimates that I can find on-line from a number of sources indicate that upwards of 70% of health club members never or rarely use their membership.
Most of us need to work. We would like to spend time with our spouses, family and friends. We may study. We may have a spiritual or community life. And then there is exercise. In the face of that sort of to-do list, what do we cut out?
Despite our better intentions, may of us cut out the exercise. We know that lack of sufficient exercise results in obesity, reduced cardio-vascular health, increased stress and even depression. We buy gym memberships we don’t use. Many of us own home exercise equipment that gathers dust. We swallow expensive supplements and subscribe to controlled food-delivery services. In the end, we make ourselves sick with guilt when none of it works and we are too ashamed of ourselves to take advantage of all those money-back guarantees.
In my quest for a balanced life, I have come to terms with the fact that exercising for sake of it is not a priority to me. I have done many of the subtle things commonly suggested to increase my activity. I park several extra blocks from my office. I choose parking spaces far from the store entrance. I take the stairs rather then the elevator. I sometimes spend my break time walking around the block. It is not enough!
Enter the humble toofer. A toofer is an activity that gives us double return on our investment of time and energy—the result of “two for” the investment of one. Toofers allow me to combine items on my to-do list and help me find some of that sought-for balance in life.
Take, for example, the task of getting the car washed. If you drive to the car wash, reaching for your wallet is about all the exercise you are going to get. But, if you wash the car by hand, you get a clean car as well as some exercise. That is a simple toofer. Add into the equation, all the money you save and you have double toofer. Wash the car by hand with the kids and the return goes through the roof! You get a clean car. You get exercise. You have some fun. You spend time with the kids. And you save a little money.
Toofers that help increase exercise are everywhere. All we need is a little imagination and some planning. Rather than going to the movies, consider taking a walking tour of a local neighborhood or a visit to the museum, art exhibit or zoo. You’ll get some exercise and learn something as well.
Around the house, you might plant a vegetable garden, do some serious spring-cleaning, mow the lawn or paint a room. Volunteer for community clean-up day or build a house with Habitat for Humanity. Do any of these activities with family or friends and you exponentially increase the benefits.
I truly admire the folks at the gym with their chiseled athletic bodies. I wish I could go to the beach and not feel that I had somehow failed as a physical specimen. But I also know, beyond any doubt, that those people did not get those bodies from three twenty-minute workouts a week—no matter what the commercials say!
It takes real work and a lot of time to get a body like the ones we see in those commercials. I just do not have that kind of time. I would have to sacrifice another important facet of my life in order to spend that sort of time at the gym. So, I have forgotten all about the gym and the guilt for not going. As far as home exercise equipment goes, free weights make interesting stepping stones in the garden.
I’ll stick with the toofer. A little exercise is better than none. While I may not be an Adonis, my life is in better balance, I get exercise, have fun and get a few chores done in the bargain.
I am not alone. The best estimates that I can find on-line from a number of sources indicate that upwards of 70% of health club members never or rarely use their membership.
Most of us need to work. We would like to spend time with our spouses, family and friends. We may study. We may have a spiritual or community life. And then there is exercise. In the face of that sort of to-do list, what do we cut out?
Despite our better intentions, may of us cut out the exercise. We know that lack of sufficient exercise results in obesity, reduced cardio-vascular health, increased stress and even depression. We buy gym memberships we don’t use. Many of us own home exercise equipment that gathers dust. We swallow expensive supplements and subscribe to controlled food-delivery services. In the end, we make ourselves sick with guilt when none of it works and we are too ashamed of ourselves to take advantage of all those money-back guarantees.
In my quest for a balanced life, I have come to terms with the fact that exercising for sake of it is not a priority to me. I have done many of the subtle things commonly suggested to increase my activity. I park several extra blocks from my office. I choose parking spaces far from the store entrance. I take the stairs rather then the elevator. I sometimes spend my break time walking around the block. It is not enough!
Enter the humble toofer. A toofer is an activity that gives us double return on our investment of time and energy—the result of “two for” the investment of one. Toofers allow me to combine items on my to-do list and help me find some of that sought-for balance in life.
Take, for example, the task of getting the car washed. If you drive to the car wash, reaching for your wallet is about all the exercise you are going to get. But, if you wash the car by hand, you get a clean car as well as some exercise. That is a simple toofer. Add into the equation, all the money you save and you have double toofer. Wash the car by hand with the kids and the return goes through the roof! You get a clean car. You get exercise. You have some fun. You spend time with the kids. And you save a little money.
Toofers that help increase exercise are everywhere. All we need is a little imagination and some planning. Rather than going to the movies, consider taking a walking tour of a local neighborhood or a visit to the museum, art exhibit or zoo. You’ll get some exercise and learn something as well.
Around the house, you might plant a vegetable garden, do some serious spring-cleaning, mow the lawn or paint a room. Volunteer for community clean-up day or build a house with Habitat for Humanity. Do any of these activities with family or friends and you exponentially increase the benefits.
I truly admire the folks at the gym with their chiseled athletic bodies. I wish I could go to the beach and not feel that I had somehow failed as a physical specimen. But I also know, beyond any doubt, that those people did not get those bodies from three twenty-minute workouts a week—no matter what the commercials say!
It takes real work and a lot of time to get a body like the ones we see in those commercials. I just do not have that kind of time. I would have to sacrifice another important facet of my life in order to spend that sort of time at the gym. So, I have forgotten all about the gym and the guilt for not going. As far as home exercise equipment goes, free weights make interesting stepping stones in the garden.
I’ll stick with the toofer. A little exercise is better than none. While I may not be an Adonis, my life is in better balance, I get exercise, have fun and get a few chores done in the bargain.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Tip: What Collection Agents Don't Want You To Know...
As our economy continues to tighten many people will find it more difficult to manage their debt and eventually some will be have to deal with collection agents. Credit card debt is usually unsecured, that is, there is no collateral held against the debt. If consumers don’t pay, creditors can place negative remarks on their credit reports but there is nothing to repossess. They cannot touch assets without taking legal action. Most often, creditors merely call it a loss and sell off old unpaid debt to a collection agency.
The creditor may be done with the account but for the consumer, the ordeal is just starting. If you find yourself in that position, knowing some simple truths about the working with collectors can make this time less stressful and can help prevent you from making costly mistakes.
Open your mail. You will officially know what is going on with your account by mail. As companies give up on their ability to collect from you, they will transfer, actually sell, your account to another agency—often for pennies on the dollar. They must officially let you know when your account has been transferred. This is done through the mail. You need to know whom to contact about your account. Additionally, every time your account is transferred it is actually worth less to the collection agency which translates into more negotiating power for you.
Answer the phone. Ignoring the phone only makes them call more often. When you speak to an agent, don’t argue, don’t whine about your situation, and don’t plead your case. It won’t do any good. Collection agents are on commission. They are interested only in money. They hear the same reasons and/or excuses all day, every day. They aren’t interested in your special circumstances and can do next to nothing to help you make it better.
They will call you on your cell phone, call you at home or call you at work if they have the number. If you don’t want to deal with telephone calls at all, confirm the address of the agency. Send them a letter stating that they may only contact you by mail. Get a return receipt for the letter you send. You may need to do this every time your account is sold to another agency.
On the phone, be nice but firm. Working in collections is one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Collectors spend their whole day talking to fearful, angry, bitter, stressed and evasive people. Being pleasant and polite to them will make the conversation easier for both of you. Calmly assure the collection agent that your intention is to pay your debts in full when you have the money to do so. When they pressure you to make arrangements to pay, simply reaffirm what you’ve already said and apologize for not being able to do more at the present time. Never mention bankruptcy. To a collection agent, bankruptcy means you have no intention of paying your debts.
Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Many of people will make promises to collection agents just to end the unpleasant call. Broken promises only result in more aggressive, less cooperative behavior from collectors. This is why it is better to avoid setting up payment schedules. The one thing you should always say to a debt collector is that you intend to pay your debts in full when it is possible to do so. Refrain from elaborating.
Don’t believe what you hear. Collectors know more about the rules than you do and they aren’t going to educate you on your rights. They are going to say whatever it takes to get you to pay. They are trained to phrase what they say to you to be convincing, to catch you in lies and back you into a corner. They choose their words carefully and want to elicit an emotional reaction from you. What you hear may not be what the agent actually said and your response could make things worse.
Collection agents will threaten damage to your credit report. Point of fact, if your account is in collections, your credit report is already damaged pretty badly. Your first goal is to fix your finances so that you can begin to rebuild your credit. Temporary solutions just prolong the problem.
Nearly every letter you receive from a collection agency will indicate that you need to respond immediately to prevent possible legal action. If a collection agent mentions legal action, restate your intention to pay your debt in full and, if necessary, you are prepared to go to court and explain your intention and your situation to a judge. In the event that legal action is taken, show up with your documentation and, if you can afford one, a lawyer. Failing to appear will result in an automatic judgment against you that includes thousands of additional dollars to cover legal expenses.
Don’t send post-dated checks. It is illegal for you to write checks when you do not have the money in the account to cover them. Writing post-dated checks is not only illegal; it can result in all sorts of problems. You will almost certainly bounce checks and jeopardize your checking account as well as your credit report. You will face overdraft fees from your bank and returned check fees from the collection agency.
Keep records. You should keep a separate file for each account. Keep copies of all the letters you send and receive. Take notes every time they call. Write down the name of the person, the date, time and duration of the call and what was said. If you can, record the call itself. You have to advise them that you are doing so before you press the record button and then confirm that you are recording the call just after you start recording asking for their spoken permission to record the call.
If you’ve got money, you can negotiate. Keep in mind every time your account is transferred or sold to another agency, they have paid far less for that account than its face value. If they are going to sell your debt to someone else, why wouldn’t they sell it off to you? You can negotiate with a collection agency for a lower amount. They won’t like it. They will resist. They will say that what you want is not possible. But they do it all the time. Do not send any money until you have a written agreement that the amount you send will be recognized as payment in full, that no balance will be transferred or sold to another agency and that the report to the credit reporting agency will state that the account has been paid in full.
Educate yourself. The Federal Trade Commission produces a number of publications that explain consumer rights. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is available in PDF format on the commission’s website. www.ftc.gov
Get Help. Speak with a certified financial counselor. A reputable financial counselor will be able to explain a wide range of options and their unique conditions and consequences for resolving your debt situation. I am one of them and though I charge a fair bit of money, I provide a very valuable service. The point is, that help is out there and you can get it.
The creditor may be done with the account but for the consumer, the ordeal is just starting. If you find yourself in that position, knowing some simple truths about the working with collectors can make this time less stressful and can help prevent you from making costly mistakes.
Open your mail. You will officially know what is going on with your account by mail. As companies give up on their ability to collect from you, they will transfer, actually sell, your account to another agency—often for pennies on the dollar. They must officially let you know when your account has been transferred. This is done through the mail. You need to know whom to contact about your account. Additionally, every time your account is transferred it is actually worth less to the collection agency which translates into more negotiating power for you.
Answer the phone. Ignoring the phone only makes them call more often. When you speak to an agent, don’t argue, don’t whine about your situation, and don’t plead your case. It won’t do any good. Collection agents are on commission. They are interested only in money. They hear the same reasons and/or excuses all day, every day. They aren’t interested in your special circumstances and can do next to nothing to help you make it better.
They will call you on your cell phone, call you at home or call you at work if they have the number. If you don’t want to deal with telephone calls at all, confirm the address of the agency. Send them a letter stating that they may only contact you by mail. Get a return receipt for the letter you send. You may need to do this every time your account is sold to another agency.
On the phone, be nice but firm. Working in collections is one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Collectors spend their whole day talking to fearful, angry, bitter, stressed and evasive people. Being pleasant and polite to them will make the conversation easier for both of you. Calmly assure the collection agent that your intention is to pay your debts in full when you have the money to do so. When they pressure you to make arrangements to pay, simply reaffirm what you’ve already said and apologize for not being able to do more at the present time. Never mention bankruptcy. To a collection agent, bankruptcy means you have no intention of paying your debts.
Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Many of people will make promises to collection agents just to end the unpleasant call. Broken promises only result in more aggressive, less cooperative behavior from collectors. This is why it is better to avoid setting up payment schedules. The one thing you should always say to a debt collector is that you intend to pay your debts in full when it is possible to do so. Refrain from elaborating.
Don’t believe what you hear. Collectors know more about the rules than you do and they aren’t going to educate you on your rights. They are going to say whatever it takes to get you to pay. They are trained to phrase what they say to you to be convincing, to catch you in lies and back you into a corner. They choose their words carefully and want to elicit an emotional reaction from you. What you hear may not be what the agent actually said and your response could make things worse.
Collection agents will threaten damage to your credit report. Point of fact, if your account is in collections, your credit report is already damaged pretty badly. Your first goal is to fix your finances so that you can begin to rebuild your credit. Temporary solutions just prolong the problem.
Nearly every letter you receive from a collection agency will indicate that you need to respond immediately to prevent possible legal action. If a collection agent mentions legal action, restate your intention to pay your debt in full and, if necessary, you are prepared to go to court and explain your intention and your situation to a judge. In the event that legal action is taken, show up with your documentation and, if you can afford one, a lawyer. Failing to appear will result in an automatic judgment against you that includes thousands of additional dollars to cover legal expenses.
Don’t send post-dated checks. It is illegal for you to write checks when you do not have the money in the account to cover them. Writing post-dated checks is not only illegal; it can result in all sorts of problems. You will almost certainly bounce checks and jeopardize your checking account as well as your credit report. You will face overdraft fees from your bank and returned check fees from the collection agency.
Keep records. You should keep a separate file for each account. Keep copies of all the letters you send and receive. Take notes every time they call. Write down the name of the person, the date, time and duration of the call and what was said. If you can, record the call itself. You have to advise them that you are doing so before you press the record button and then confirm that you are recording the call just after you start recording asking for their spoken permission to record the call.
If you’ve got money, you can negotiate. Keep in mind every time your account is transferred or sold to another agency, they have paid far less for that account than its face value. If they are going to sell your debt to someone else, why wouldn’t they sell it off to you? You can negotiate with a collection agency for a lower amount. They won’t like it. They will resist. They will say that what you want is not possible. But they do it all the time. Do not send any money until you have a written agreement that the amount you send will be recognized as payment in full, that no balance will be transferred or sold to another agency and that the report to the credit reporting agency will state that the account has been paid in full.
Educate yourself. The Federal Trade Commission produces a number of publications that explain consumer rights. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is available in PDF format on the commission’s website. www.ftc.gov
Get Help. Speak with a certified financial counselor. A reputable financial counselor will be able to explain a wide range of options and their unique conditions and consequences for resolving your debt situation. I am one of them and though I charge a fair bit of money, I provide a very valuable service. The point is, that help is out there and you can get it.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Tip: Change Your Perspective
There is an old, wooden roller coaster in Kennywood park just outside of Pittsburgh that is famous with coaster aficionados from around the world. Rather than beginning the ride with a climb up a clickity, clackity slope, the Thunderbolt plummets 95 feet into a natural gorge. If you don’t know what to expect, you never catch your breath for the entire ride. After the first shock, the brief respite during the next climb is completely undermined by anticipation of the next drop. I feel almost certain that whoever coined the phrase emotional roller coaster had the Thunderbolt in mind.
The element of surprise feeds a good deal of power into our emotional response to any event. Once in motion, we are like the riders of the Thunderbolt who find it difficult to compose themselves. Our bodies automatically begin to produce and react to natural chemicals that make clear thinking difficult. Time and emotional distance are required before we can benefit from hindsight and realize that it wasn’t as bad as it had seemed.
Early in my career, I lived with a young family in New York. One warm summer evening, as we were taking a walk, the family’s little girl, Iris, was suddenly taken by a fit of frantic hysterics. Through gut-wrenching sobs she explained that she had lost her ring.
When Iris realized that the ring was gone, she was on the emotional version of the Thunderbolt. All of the natural reactions to stress, fear, loss, and grief came into play. It took considerable intervention to get her off that ride. It took her father picking her up and holding her tight. Her mother caressed her head and murmured comforting words. There were promises of a new ring, candy and ice-cream treats, and trips to the park.
To the adults, the value of that ring was negligible. On a practical level, it was a worthless piece of plastic that had come out of a gumball machine earlier in the day. To Iris, on the other hand, it meant so much more. Imagine the anticipation she must have felt when she turned the knob on the gumball machine and the excitement when that treasure of great beauty fell into her palm. Imagine too, how putting it on had made her feel beautiful and special.
Iris was only four years old. She couldn’t possibly have distanced herself enough to realize that the ring was just a piece of plastic, one of hundreds in that machine that would still be there the next day. She’d never be able to comprehend that the loss of that her ring was really insignificant compared to some of the others that she would experience later in life. Now that she is a grown woman with children of her own, I doubt that she even remembers the fateful day when that terrible tragedy struck.
Oh that we could learn this one lesson in life! This story isn’t just a cute tale of a sweet little girl in a pinafore dress with ribbons in her hair. It illustrates an essential truth. Nothing is as bad as it seems. Real tragedies happen on a daily basis but people survive them, sometimes miraculously unscathed. We marvel at the stories of survival and success after life shattering events like hurricanes, earthquakes and tornados. How much more are we likely to survive a missed deadline at work, an argument with a family member or a scratch on our new car?
It all comes down to perspective. For adults; perspective is a matter of choice. Upsetting events are an unavoidable part of life. Yet, we are often as easily traumatized as a four year old girl at the loss of a gumball machine ring.
Our reactions under those circumstances can be devastating. People have quit jobs, ended friendships, torn up contracts, separated from spouses and even committed acts of violence out of later regretted fits of emotion. The consequences of these actions are usually far more reaching than those of the event itself. Most of the injuries suffered in an earthquake aren’t from things falling on people but result from panic as people try to run away from perceived danger.
However, when we recognize the emotion as simply a reaction to an event or a circumstance, we immediately put some distance between our reaction and the event itself. That distance, whether expressed in time or space, allows us to more easily benefit from the perspective of hindsight.
Thomas Jefferson said, “When angry, count to ten before you speak. If very angry, count to on hundred.” The principal works whether you are experiencing anger, frustration, fear, embarrassment or grief. If we distance ourselves from the moment and our immediate reaction, we might realize that things are not as bad as they seem and we might be able to react in a more appropriate manner.
But how? Here are some suggestions:
Count to ten. Take Jefferson’s advice to heart. When you count to ten, you do two things at once. You give yourself a moment before you react and you focus your attention on something trivial and inconsequential. In context, your situation may also seem less portentous.
Remind yourself that everything is going to be all right. These are the words we use to comfort others, why not comfort ourselves with them. Things may not be the same but they will be all right.
Don’t allow yourself to relive the event in your mind. Ruminating over an event only feeds and develops the emotion of it and reacting out of emotion is the real danger.
Go to the restroom. You may not be able to ignore an event but most of the time an immediate reaction isn’t necessary. Just walking into another room may be enough to trigger a change of perspective.
Distract yourself for a little while. If you need more than a few moments to compose yourself and get things into perspective, pick up a book or magazine. Play a game on the computer. Brush your teeth. Take out the trash. Clean your office. Pray or meditate. Go to the gym. Take a walk in the park. The situation may still be there later but you’ll be in a better mind to deal with it.
Remember the positive side. There are pros and cons to everything in life. When we are feeling down about something, we are focused on the cons. Try making a list of the pros. When you hate your job, think of the reasons why you like it. When you are angry with someone, remind yourself of his or her good qualities. When feeling grief, remember good times.
Look for the humor in the situation. The career of many comics depends on pointing out how silly we are when we take ourselves and the lives we live too seriously.
The amazing thing about the Thunderbolt is that once you know what to expect, it is a very exciting ride. People come from all over the world to experience it. We know that life is full of ups and downs. Aren’t we better off if we simply enjoy the ride?
The element of surprise feeds a good deal of power into our emotional response to any event. Once in motion, we are like the riders of the Thunderbolt who find it difficult to compose themselves. Our bodies automatically begin to produce and react to natural chemicals that make clear thinking difficult. Time and emotional distance are required before we can benefit from hindsight and realize that it wasn’t as bad as it had seemed.
Early in my career, I lived with a young family in New York. One warm summer evening, as we were taking a walk, the family’s little girl, Iris, was suddenly taken by a fit of frantic hysterics. Through gut-wrenching sobs she explained that she had lost her ring.
When Iris realized that the ring was gone, she was on the emotional version of the Thunderbolt. All of the natural reactions to stress, fear, loss, and grief came into play. It took considerable intervention to get her off that ride. It took her father picking her up and holding her tight. Her mother caressed her head and murmured comforting words. There were promises of a new ring, candy and ice-cream treats, and trips to the park.
To the adults, the value of that ring was negligible. On a practical level, it was a worthless piece of plastic that had come out of a gumball machine earlier in the day. To Iris, on the other hand, it meant so much more. Imagine the anticipation she must have felt when she turned the knob on the gumball machine and the excitement when that treasure of great beauty fell into her palm. Imagine too, how putting it on had made her feel beautiful and special.
Iris was only four years old. She couldn’t possibly have distanced herself enough to realize that the ring was just a piece of plastic, one of hundreds in that machine that would still be there the next day. She’d never be able to comprehend that the loss of that her ring was really insignificant compared to some of the others that she would experience later in life. Now that she is a grown woman with children of her own, I doubt that she even remembers the fateful day when that terrible tragedy struck.
Oh that we could learn this one lesson in life! This story isn’t just a cute tale of a sweet little girl in a pinafore dress with ribbons in her hair. It illustrates an essential truth. Nothing is as bad as it seems. Real tragedies happen on a daily basis but people survive them, sometimes miraculously unscathed. We marvel at the stories of survival and success after life shattering events like hurricanes, earthquakes and tornados. How much more are we likely to survive a missed deadline at work, an argument with a family member or a scratch on our new car?
It all comes down to perspective. For adults; perspective is a matter of choice. Upsetting events are an unavoidable part of life. Yet, we are often as easily traumatized as a four year old girl at the loss of a gumball machine ring.
Our reactions under those circumstances can be devastating. People have quit jobs, ended friendships, torn up contracts, separated from spouses and even committed acts of violence out of later regretted fits of emotion. The consequences of these actions are usually far more reaching than those of the event itself. Most of the injuries suffered in an earthquake aren’t from things falling on people but result from panic as people try to run away from perceived danger.
However, when we recognize the emotion as simply a reaction to an event or a circumstance, we immediately put some distance between our reaction and the event itself. That distance, whether expressed in time or space, allows us to more easily benefit from the perspective of hindsight.
Thomas Jefferson said, “When angry, count to ten before you speak. If very angry, count to on hundred.” The principal works whether you are experiencing anger, frustration, fear, embarrassment or grief. If we distance ourselves from the moment and our immediate reaction, we might realize that things are not as bad as they seem and we might be able to react in a more appropriate manner.
But how? Here are some suggestions:
Count to ten. Take Jefferson’s advice to heart. When you count to ten, you do two things at once. You give yourself a moment before you react and you focus your attention on something trivial and inconsequential. In context, your situation may also seem less portentous.
Remind yourself that everything is going to be all right. These are the words we use to comfort others, why not comfort ourselves with them. Things may not be the same but they will be all right.
Don’t allow yourself to relive the event in your mind. Ruminating over an event only feeds and develops the emotion of it and reacting out of emotion is the real danger.
Go to the restroom. You may not be able to ignore an event but most of the time an immediate reaction isn’t necessary. Just walking into another room may be enough to trigger a change of perspective.
Distract yourself for a little while. If you need more than a few moments to compose yourself and get things into perspective, pick up a book or magazine. Play a game on the computer. Brush your teeth. Take out the trash. Clean your office. Pray or meditate. Go to the gym. Take a walk in the park. The situation may still be there later but you’ll be in a better mind to deal with it.
Remember the positive side. There are pros and cons to everything in life. When we are feeling down about something, we are focused on the cons. Try making a list of the pros. When you hate your job, think of the reasons why you like it. When you are angry with someone, remind yourself of his or her good qualities. When feeling grief, remember good times.
Look for the humor in the situation. The career of many comics depends on pointing out how silly we are when we take ourselves and the lives we live too seriously.
The amazing thing about the Thunderbolt is that once you know what to expect, it is a very exciting ride. People come from all over the world to experience it. We know that life is full of ups and downs. Aren’t we better off if we simply enjoy the ride?
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Balanced Life Tip: A Short Nap Can Go A Long Way
During my first semester in college I met an fine arts major named Beth who believed sleep was a waste of time. She slept in 20 minute chunks diligently working on projects in between several naps a day. She was perpetually fatigued, lethargic and lived in a dream-like fog that many of her friends took for being “cool.”
Beth was an extreme case but she typifies a common American mistake: When it comes to sleep, we’ve got better things to do. Consequently, so many of us are so sleep deprived that sleep disorders are common.
Just look around:
Advertising media bombard us with commercials for both prescription and over the counter sleep aids.
We see as many commercials and advertisements for mattresses promising better rest. How many of us haven’t walked into a store at the mall to find out what our “sleep number” is and who can resist finding out what the Tempur-Pedic mattress feels like? If you haven’t done this yet, admit that you’ve been tempted.
Convenience store shelves are stocked with vitamin packs and energy drinks.
Coffee is now an American obsession, commonly consumed even among teenagers. ($18 Billion of coffee a year is consumed in the US.)
Just twenty years ago, it would have been difficult to find someone who had undergone a sleep test. And if you actually knew someone who had experienced a test, chances were that he or she had travelled quite a distance, perhaps even by air, to be tested at a sleep center. Now, a simple count of the directory at sleepcenters.org reveals that there are at least 945 sleep test centers across the country. According to Sleep Centers of America, more than 70 million Americans have a sleep disorder and more than 10 million people a year consult their physicians regarding sleep-related issues.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy driving in America kills more than 1,500 people a year and causes 71,000 injuries in an estimated 100,000 sleep-related crashes a year.
If you ask me, America could do with a nap.
Winston Churchill put it eloquently when he wrote, “Nature had not intended mankind to work from 8 in the morning until midnight without the refreshment of blessed oblivion which, even if it lasts only 20 minutes, is sufficient to renew all vital forces.”
A Short Nap Can Go A Long Way!
Research has demonstrated that even a brief nap of between 20 to 45 minutes, will rejuvenate you, and increase your ability to concentrate making you more productive.
Until a few years ago, I pushed myself as hard as any other baby-boomer in the work force. I got up early, went into the office, worked late, came home and had trouble sleeping because I was so wound up. One day, I arrived an hour early for a meeting and I waited in my car.
The next time I glanced at the clock, it was 20 minutes later, a snore and awakened me. Apart from the slight self-conscious embarrassment of the snore, I felt terrific and my meeting went really well. I had recently read an article on power naps and had scoffed at the idea of companies putting in power nap facilities. Who is going to pay someone to take a nap? But, I was so impressed with by my own experience; I tried it again, this time on purpose. The difference was amazing. I began planning my appointments so that I could find half an hour a day for a nap. I purchased a sleep mask and a small travel pillow and kept them in the car. Since then, napping has become part of my regular routine. While others are socializing in the lunchroom, you’ll find me reclined in my car taking Winston Churchill’s recommended 20 minutes.
There are lots of people take naps. They don’t talk about it. It’s a secret because on some level, I think it embarrasses them. I admit, I nap in my car because I don’t think I could stand the ribbing I’d get if someone were to hear snoring behind my office door. I’ve met quite a number of people who say that they could never nap for just twenty minutes. They confess that they would be out for hours. Well, that just makes a stronger argument for the fact that most of us are sleep deprived.
Sleep researchers have discovered that sleep deprivation makes it difficult for us to learn and concentrate. Sleep deprived people are less productive, more forgetful and more prone to both error and accidents. It also causes weight gain, impairs our immune system, reduces our ability to handle stress and leaves us cranky.
Any one of these side-effects can set our work-life balance off kilter. By not getting enough sleep; we increase our exposure to all of them. Getting enough sleep is one of the most effective steps we can take to improving the quality of our lives. Here are ten simple things you can do to improve your sleep:
1. Save time to unwind. Give yourself more than an hour of mindless activity at the end of the day so that you do not spend half the night reliving the events of the day or rehearsing what might happen the next day. Read something frivolous. Watch TV. Pray or meditate.
2. Don’t eat late. In sleep, you body wants to heal and rejuvenate. If it is spending half the night digesting food, you are not reaping the full benefit of your sleep. Don’t eat less than two or three hours before going to sleep.
3. Avoid drinking a lot of fluids before bedtime if you often find yourself waking up to visit the bathroom.
4. Avoid caffeine after 2 pm. I know this may go against everything you hold dear and Starbucks stockholder may scoff, but the effects of caffeine can last a long time. If you need a picker-upper in the afternoon, rather than reaching for a cup of coffee or an energy drink, consider the humble nap or some physical exercise to get your energy flowing.
5. Consider non-chemical sleep aids. Buy a sleep mask and/or ear-plugs if you are a light sleeper. Pull the drapes closed. Cover LED lights. And if you live on a busy street or in a noisy building, white background noise may help--a recording of waves or rain or even the hum of a fan. (My dishwasher puts me right under.)
6. Invest in a good mattress. You spend a third of your life in bed, invest in a high-quality mattress that meets your needs.
7. Set your internal clock. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day whether you are working or not. You’ll know you are getting enough sleep when you wake up right before your alarm feeling refreshed and ready for the day.
8. Regulate your alcohol consumption. While alcohol can relax, it also has a dehydrating effect and reduces the quality of your sleep.
9. Consider power napping in the middle of the day but more than 8 hours before you go to bed. Napping later may make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.
10. Get more physical exercise during the day. If our work is not physically taxing, chances are, we aren’t working our bodies as hard as we work our minds. A little exercise can set things right.
For more balanced life tips or to subscribe to my Balanced Life Tips please visit my website at www.integrityhpi.com
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Kudos for a Job Well Done: Two Exceptional Work-Life Balance Efforts
This blog entry is all about kudos. So often I find myself telling others how to improve their work life balance, and this week I’ve got two examples of things I never thought of.
One of the companies where I do some training is a call center in Pittsburgh. The company does telemarketing and with they way many people treat telemarketers, the job itself can be quite negative. It takes a lot of effort not to let that negativity spill over into the workplace.
While there are a number of restaurants in the area, the available choices are monotonous and repetitive and not very health conscious. The other day, I was walking through the call center and noticed someone eating what looked like a delicious meal, a real meal, out of a plastic lunch box.
“That looks great,” I commented.
“It is. I got it from Joan,” was the response. The person then proceeded to explain to me that a fellow employee, Joan had organized a sort of co-op for lunches. Joan likes to cook and clearly has considerable talent and skill in the kitchen. She collects a nominal amount of money ($25 for 5 meals) from all her participants and provides what could easily be called a gourmet lunch to the members of the co-op.
I take my hat off to Joan, who in her own very creative way, has contributed to making that call center a place to look forward to going. If I weren’t diabetic and a vegetarian, I’d consider joining the co-op. Kudos Joan for a job well done and much appreciated. Thanks for making work a better place to be.
A client I coach told me about another outstanding effort by one of our local hospitals. One of the managers has had considerable problems. Apparently her husband is out of work after hip replacement surgery. The manager herself had already had one bout with cancer and now it was back. Because of having already used up her sick time and vacation time, she was looking at unpaid leave for treatment and recovery.
Fellow employees are being allowed to “donate” accrued paid time off in order to give this co-worker some income while she is in treatment and recovery. Many of her coworkers gladly have sacrificed a day or two of PTO to helping her through this difficult time. Of course it would be even better if the employer stepped up to the plate and matched the gift.
The sense of community there is laudable and the flexibility of the Human Resources/Payroll office to allow the transfer of earned PTO is commendable. Well done. Well done. Well done.
Please help make work better for everyone! My company, Integrity HPI is conducting a work-life balance survey. It takes about 15 minutes and you can remain completely anonymous if you choose. Your information will be used to establish base-line data for future work-life balance analysis and program design and implementation. You'll also receive a free copy of my e-book, "102 Tips to a Balanced Life", when it is published this fall. Visit the website and follow the survey link. Thanks for your help!
www.integrityhpi.com
One of the companies where I do some training is a call center in Pittsburgh. The company does telemarketing and with they way many people treat telemarketers, the job itself can be quite negative. It takes a lot of effort not to let that negativity spill over into the workplace.
While there are a number of restaurants in the area, the available choices are monotonous and repetitive and not very health conscious. The other day, I was walking through the call center and noticed someone eating what looked like a delicious meal, a real meal, out of a plastic lunch box.
“That looks great,” I commented.
“It is. I got it from Joan,” was the response. The person then proceeded to explain to me that a fellow employee, Joan had organized a sort of co-op for lunches. Joan likes to cook and clearly has considerable talent and skill in the kitchen. She collects a nominal amount of money ($25 for 5 meals) from all her participants and provides what could easily be called a gourmet lunch to the members of the co-op.
I take my hat off to Joan, who in her own very creative way, has contributed to making that call center a place to look forward to going. If I weren’t diabetic and a vegetarian, I’d consider joining the co-op. Kudos Joan for a job well done and much appreciated. Thanks for making work a better place to be.
A client I coach told me about another outstanding effort by one of our local hospitals. One of the managers has had considerable problems. Apparently her husband is out of work after hip replacement surgery. The manager herself had already had one bout with cancer and now it was back. Because of having already used up her sick time and vacation time, she was looking at unpaid leave for treatment and recovery.
Fellow employees are being allowed to “donate” accrued paid time off in order to give this co-worker some income while she is in treatment and recovery. Many of her coworkers gladly have sacrificed a day or two of PTO to helping her through this difficult time. Of course it would be even better if the employer stepped up to the plate and matched the gift.
The sense of community there is laudable and the flexibility of the Human Resources/Payroll office to allow the transfer of earned PTO is commendable. Well done. Well done. Well done.
Please help make work better for everyone! My company, Integrity HPI is conducting a work-life balance survey. It takes about 15 minutes and you can remain completely anonymous if you choose. Your information will be used to establish base-line data for future work-life balance analysis and program design and implementation. You'll also receive a free copy of my e-book, "102 Tips to a Balanced Life", when it is published this fall. Visit the website and follow the survey link. Thanks for your help!
www.integrityhpi.com
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Look forward to going to work?
I wonder how many people get up every day dreading the fact that they have to go to work. Years ago, there were mattress commercials on TV that boasted, "You spend a third of your life in bed. How comfortable is your mattress?" Well, let me take a twist on that. YOU SPEND MORE THAN A THIRD OF YOUR LIFE AT WORK; HOW COMFORTABLE IS YOUR JOB?
If you think your job isn't comfortable, ask yourself some questions.
1. Do you like what you do? If you don't, what are you doing about that? Are you going to school, exploring other options, talking to your boss about other opportunities? If you are doing work that you don't like, you are doing the wrong work--no matter how much it pays.
2. Are you doing your best? A lot of job dissatisfaction can be rooted in the fact that we aren't invested in our job. If we don't believe the work we do is important, we probably aren't doing our best work. Try doing the best job you can, even if you think your job isn't so important and you just might find the passion for your work that is lacking. Consider the myriad of hobbies with which people amuse themselves. People collect things and make things and study things that comparatively few people think are important. They are passionate and in most cases, the hobby COSTS them money rather than adding to their bank balance. Put a little passion into your job and might well see some changes in your attitude!
3. Does the company you work for support or undermine your values? OK, money is money but are you willing to compromise important parts of your personality just to make a buck? For example: If you are a person who wishes to lead a green life and your company doesn't even bother to recycle, you are probably frustrated. You have two choice. Try and get the company to gradually go greener or to find a greener company to work for.
4. Do you like the people at your job? Look at the people around you. Are they sour, complaining whiners who never have a positive thing to say? Do they respect you and your opinions? Do you feel comfortable, pleasantly surprised and do you greet them if you see them say, at the mall or in the park? Or, do you look the other way and hope they don't see you?
5. What about next year? Can you see yourself in the same job or even the same company in a year? If not, what should you change? Now, changing jobs often isn't good for your resume, no matter how easy it might or might not be for you. Consider changing something about your job that will make it better. It could be as simple as your attitude and as complicated as looking for opportunities to add dimension to your duties. If you see your job as temporary, you'll not be able to see all the potential it probably offers you.
Take my Work-Life Balance survey! It only takes about 15 minutes. You can remain completely anonymous but if you choose to use a valid e-mail address, you can receive a copy of the survey results, and/or a free subscription to weekly work-life balance tips and a copy of our e-book "102 Tips for Living a Balanced Life" Visit www.integrityhpi.com to take the survey. (Tell your friends.)
If you think your job isn't comfortable, ask yourself some questions.
1. Do you like what you do? If you don't, what are you doing about that? Are you going to school, exploring other options, talking to your boss about other opportunities? If you are doing work that you don't like, you are doing the wrong work--no matter how much it pays.
2. Are you doing your best? A lot of job dissatisfaction can be rooted in the fact that we aren't invested in our job. If we don't believe the work we do is important, we probably aren't doing our best work. Try doing the best job you can, even if you think your job isn't so important and you just might find the passion for your work that is lacking. Consider the myriad of hobbies with which people amuse themselves. People collect things and make things and study things that comparatively few people think are important. They are passionate and in most cases, the hobby COSTS them money rather than adding to their bank balance. Put a little passion into your job and might well see some changes in your attitude!
3. Does the company you work for support or undermine your values? OK, money is money but are you willing to compromise important parts of your personality just to make a buck? For example: If you are a person who wishes to lead a green life and your company doesn't even bother to recycle, you are probably frustrated. You have two choice. Try and get the company to gradually go greener or to find a greener company to work for.
4. Do you like the people at your job? Look at the people around you. Are they sour, complaining whiners who never have a positive thing to say? Do they respect you and your opinions? Do you feel comfortable, pleasantly surprised and do you greet them if you see them say, at the mall or in the park? Or, do you look the other way and hope they don't see you?
5. What about next year? Can you see yourself in the same job or even the same company in a year? If not, what should you change? Now, changing jobs often isn't good for your resume, no matter how easy it might or might not be for you. Consider changing something about your job that will make it better. It could be as simple as your attitude and as complicated as looking for opportunities to add dimension to your duties. If you see your job as temporary, you'll not be able to see all the potential it probably offers you.
Take my Work-Life Balance survey! It only takes about 15 minutes. You can remain completely anonymous but if you choose to use a valid e-mail address, you can receive a copy of the survey results, and/or a free subscription to weekly work-life balance tips and a copy of our e-book "102 Tips for Living a Balanced Life" Visit www.integrityhpi.com to take the survey. (Tell your friends.)
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Babies at Work?
DON'T FORGET TO VOTE AT THE END OF THE BLOG ENTRY!
One of the major problems employers face is motivating and engaging younger workers to remain with the company long enough to develop and contribute expertise—something they are losing rapidly as baby boomers retire.
The millennial generation, as they are called, are in high demand and one of its defining characteristics is there unwillingness to make great sacrifices they way their parents did. They want to work fewer hours. They work on the go, electronically connected wherever they are. They change jobs, companies and careers more often and with less provocation than their predecessors.
A USA Today cover story for yesterday, March 31, 2008, by Stephanie Armour highlighted the efforts of some companies allowing new mothers, and in some cases, new fathers, to bring an infant to work, usually until they are old enough to crawl. It stands to reason, younger people are, in general, the ones having the babies and if they are going to take time off work to do so, they are more likely to simply quit their jobs knowing that in a few months, they can easily find another one.
MAYA Design, last years recipient of the Pittsburgh Human Resource Association’s (PHRA) People Do Matter award, was featured as being a pioneer in the babies at work program development. In a presentation made at the PHRA conference last year, their test mother actually work more billable hours after giving birth than she had the previous year. Is it possible that having a baby in the office motivates more productivity?
There are pros and cons like any other work-life balance program instituted in an organization. When companies are considering such programs, there are some fundamental questions they need to ask before consulting the lawyers and trying to set about creating the rules and procedures for the program.
Before considering the cost of implementation, companies should think through and evaluate the cost of NOT implementing a program. How many employees are likely to miss work, quit, be distracted or less productive without it. This sort of calculation is part of projected Return on Investment (ROI) but is often left out because it’s difficult if not expensive to measure in it’s own right.
How will other employees react to the program? Will they see it as showing favoritism? Will it seem inequitable to them? Can this program be presented as part of a suite of equalizing benefits?
Then, and only then, should we consider the design of the program and the inevitable discussions with the lawyers. The lawyers will nay-say and unless there is visionary leadership to push the lawyers into taking the extra steps to make such programs work, there’s no point in the discussion.
The designers also have to keep in mind that no matter how hard they work at the design and implementation, something somewhere will go wrong. There are lessons to be learned but they shouldn’t stop us from facilitating work-life balance.
What do you think? Should new mothers be permitted to bring infants to work?
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=nb2u3qq5qHe5aykJ5zSXdg_3d_3d
One of the major problems employers face is motivating and engaging younger workers to remain with the company long enough to develop and contribute expertise—something they are losing rapidly as baby boomers retire.
The millennial generation, as they are called, are in high demand and one of its defining characteristics is there unwillingness to make great sacrifices they way their parents did. They want to work fewer hours. They work on the go, electronically connected wherever they are. They change jobs, companies and careers more often and with less provocation than their predecessors.
A USA Today cover story for yesterday, March 31, 2008, by Stephanie Armour highlighted the efforts of some companies allowing new mothers, and in some cases, new fathers, to bring an infant to work, usually until they are old enough to crawl. It stands to reason, younger people are, in general, the ones having the babies and if they are going to take time off work to do so, they are more likely to simply quit their jobs knowing that in a few months, they can easily find another one.
MAYA Design, last years recipient of the Pittsburgh Human Resource Association’s (PHRA) People Do Matter award, was featured as being a pioneer in the babies at work program development. In a presentation made at the PHRA conference last year, their test mother actually work more billable hours after giving birth than she had the previous year. Is it possible that having a baby in the office motivates more productivity?
There are pros and cons like any other work-life balance program instituted in an organization. When companies are considering such programs, there are some fundamental questions they need to ask before consulting the lawyers and trying to set about creating the rules and procedures for the program.
Before considering the cost of implementation, companies should think through and evaluate the cost of NOT implementing a program. How many employees are likely to miss work, quit, be distracted or less productive without it. This sort of calculation is part of projected Return on Investment (ROI) but is often left out because it’s difficult if not expensive to measure in it’s own right.
How will other employees react to the program? Will they see it as showing favoritism? Will it seem inequitable to them? Can this program be presented as part of a suite of equalizing benefits?
Then, and only then, should we consider the design of the program and the inevitable discussions with the lawyers. The lawyers will nay-say and unless there is visionary leadership to push the lawyers into taking the extra steps to make such programs work, there’s no point in the discussion.
The designers also have to keep in mind that no matter how hard they work at the design and implementation, something somewhere will go wrong. There are lessons to be learned but they shouldn’t stop us from facilitating work-life balance.
What do you think? Should new mothers be permitted to bring infants to work?
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=nb2u3qq5qHe5aykJ5zSXdg_3d_3d
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
The Boss Button?
I just finished reading an article by Dan Wetzel called, "America's Tournament: Buttoned down in which he reports that last year, "American businesses lost and estimated $1.2 billion in worker productivity during the NCAA tournament, mostly during the first two days."
He reports that the Internet feed people who are running the Internet broadcast of the games have even developed something they call a boss button that will dump the screen when their boss is in close proximity. Imagine that, an entire company watching the games from individual cubicles. Will the button stop them from cheering on their team?
Savvy employers know that events like this cost them in productivity no matter what they do. I suggest taking full work-life balance advantage of it. If nothing else, employers can drastically reduce the number of times employee stop work to check the score by simply having them sign up for an email blast that will up date them on the scores periodically.
The get the biggest work-life balance bang out of this sort of thing, play it up all the way. Since productivity is going to take a dive anyway, why not turn it into an employee appreciation event. Broadcast important games in the employee lounge. Serve snacks and run a few contests with team products, sweatshirts, key chains, that sort of thing, as prizes.
Now I don't mean shut down the company for the whole time but rather than having employees pressing their boss buttons when he or she is in close proximity, there are real morale and work-life balance points to be had by letting them watch portions of the game while munching on a company lunch.
He reports that the Internet feed people who are running the Internet broadcast of the games have even developed something they call a boss button that will dump the screen when their boss is in close proximity. Imagine that, an entire company watching the games from individual cubicles. Will the button stop them from cheering on their team?
Savvy employers know that events like this cost them in productivity no matter what they do. I suggest taking full work-life balance advantage of it. If nothing else, employers can drastically reduce the number of times employee stop work to check the score by simply having them sign up for an email blast that will up date them on the scores periodically.
The get the biggest work-life balance bang out of this sort of thing, play it up all the way. Since productivity is going to take a dive anyway, why not turn it into an employee appreciation event. Broadcast important games in the employee lounge. Serve snacks and run a few contests with team products, sweatshirts, key chains, that sort of thing, as prizes.
Now I don't mean shut down the company for the whole time but rather than having employees pressing their boss buttons when he or she is in close proximity, there are real morale and work-life balance points to be had by letting them watch portions of the game while munching on a company lunch.
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