(E)ducate Yourself Professionally And Proactively

And the survey says…..

  • 57% of U.S. workers say that they have the necessary education and training to get ahead in their current career *
  • 72% of U.S. workers say they have taken special courses or retraining to improve their job skills*

What does this say about occupational wellness and the need to keep thinking and moving ahead?  It’s necessary and a vital part of our workplace wellness.

I am a big proponent of “If your not growing, your growing mold” (Sandra Larkin).  This is a comical statement comparing ourselves to moldy cheese or bread all green, brown and stale.  But… do you want to BE THAT associate who is unwilling to keep up with the job, the industry, new technology and new and innovative ways to try something different or manage our time?  What does that say about the respect for your job, industry and fellow associates?  What does it say about respect for yourself? 

In today’s workplace time and stress go hand in hand.  Sometimes this stress is

  • the people
  • the process
  • inadequate tools
  • lack of proper time management techniques
  • P-R-O-C-R-A-S-T-I-N-A-T-I-O-N
  • lack of direction
  • less than stellar accountability

No time to take a class.  Too busy.  Gotta go.  See ya! How can we be accountable for huge job responsibilities, when we can’t take care of our own occupational wellness to be and look sharp on the job?  

Accountability - the most dynamic work in the dictionary that keeps us moving forward in any area of life. In this case, with your professional education and commitment to be proactive.  We need to be accountable so that others can count on us to be at our best in the workplace. 

Here are some questions to ask in beginning to move yourself into being proactive about you professional development.

  • I have or keep a list of all the training and development classes I have attended in the last 2 years? 
    • Yes!  Am I USING any of the techniques and improved processes? 
      • Yes!  Pass go and collect your $200 dollars.  This is alot less money that you probably made in a bonus and/or raise because you’ve been using the training you successfully completed.
      •  No!  Go back and revisit the manuals or original trainer to help me move forward in these areas.
    •  No!  Go back and develop the the training list to see exactly what you have taken and can use.
  • Does my management team have a professional development plan for my career at the company?
    • Yes!  Find out the details of what is in store for you in the next 2 years.
    •  No!  Be proactive and request a meeting to discuss your professional development and the benefits to your organization.
  • Does my organization budget professional development dollars for the year that I can tapped into?
    • Yes!  Great.  Look at your development plan and start searching for training on or off-site.
    •  No!   Now we are at the proverbial crossroads.  Do we go into our management and ask for professional development dollars <or> pay for it ourselves?

When our organizations do not have a professional development plan or dollars to accommodate.  What can we do?

  1. Start by looking at your career past, present and future and create a professional map?  This will tell us where we have been and where we want to go in the next 3 to 5 years.
  2. List all the classes you have taken to reach your ultimate goal.
  3. Research your local community colleges and business groups to find out who is offering low cost classes or complimentary engagements (a.k.a. free).  You can learn from business professionals who have already forged the path. 
  4. When there are absolutely no funds available through your company or yourself, go to your local library.  Ask the staff to assist you in finding library resources (books, CD’s magazines, newspapers, local events) to move you towards your professional development goal.
  5. Seek out a mentor in your industry or your workplace.  A mentor can help guide you in the process and plug you into their experience of professional development.
  6. Inquire at your company Human Resource department if there is a company library of books or CD’s to be “checked out”.
  7. Start a workplace occupational development committee to bring in low or no cost speakers for lunch and learns or workshops.

Ready, set, go!  Your now in the drivers seat of your own professional development.  Neither lack of funds, time or an unwilling employer should stop us from being the best at our talents and abilities.  Now, go out and be FABULOUS!

Be healthy and fabulous!

 Sandra Larkin 

<* Source:  Pew Research Center for the People and the Press (2006)

January 28th, 2008 - Posted in ABC's, Professional Education, intellectual, occupational, physical | | 3 Comments

(D)aily Workplace Health Commitments Improve Our Performance

“Exercise!  Eat healthy!  Keep a food journal!  Yeah, right.  I don’t have time to take a break at work how do you expect me to take better care of myself!” 

Many of us have repeated this mantra over and over again only to find ourselves stressed out physically and emotionally.  Been there, done that!  Unfortunately, I ended up with more serious physical problems that swirled out of control.   When I was sitting in the doctors office waiting for my MRI results, I wasn’t thinking about how the next project or the next meeting.  I was thinking about if I was going to be around for the next day.  Funny, and this was all for

  • the love of the job
  • the thrill of the chase
  • my commitment to my employer and teammates who could not live without me
  • ego
  • money
  • fame
  • position
  • status

By ignoring my daily health commitments, I put my family at risk in more ways than one financially, physically, emotionally and socially.  Who was benefiting from my ill health and not so stellar attitude?  It wasn’t me and that was the most important person I needed to take care of. 

Professionals place high expectations on themselves.   Good for the employer.  When we cannot distinguished when we are in the the “51% zone”, then our health and productivity start to plummet.  The “51% zone” is when you are giving 51% or more of you physical, emotional, social and intellectual energy to one particular event or period of time.  For example, you are professionally devoted to your position, this is great!  But when you cannot shut it off enough to take a break, go to the restroom, take lunch, exercise, or be somewhat social with your co-workers, you’ve probably crossed the 51% zone.  The whooping benefits can be … drum-roll please …..

  • headaches
  • migraines
  • upset stomach
  • anger or short temper
  • shortness of breath
  • overweight
  • overwhelmed feeling
  • acid reflux
  • bad attitude
  • poor eating habits
  • tired
  • achy breaky feeling
  • loss of energy and feeling of importance

Some people are energized by being totally enveloped in the 51% zone.  Wonderful!  Please make sure you are seeing your physician at least 2 times per year for a complete checkup.  Sometimes intensity that makes us feel great doesn’t show up on the outside but still may have internal silent effects that you not be aware of.

Each person’s prescription for energy and productivity is different.  Here are some suggestions to move yourself away from the 51% zone.

  •  Give yourself permission to take a break or lunch.  Start by affirming that it’s okay to take move away from the desk.  No one will get hurt in the process.  My teammates can go on without me for 15 minutes or more.  When you come back, look around.  Is everything the way you left it?  More than likely, yes!
  • Take the steps to move from floor to floor.  This will move you one step closer to any fitness goals you have established.  The immediate benefit is that your burning more calories and getting you circulation moving.  Hey, you may even meet some really interesting people that you haven’t seen for awhile in the stairwell.
  • Start your own personal walking program even if you need to do it alone.  We had a parking garage on the lot where our building was located.  I would walk up the garage levels (creates resistant) and take the garage steps (increases cardio) in 32 degree weather or above.  Why 32 degrees and not ALL degrees?  Basically, I didn’t want to have to deal with ice in more ways than one.  The benefit is that I lost weight!
  • Graze on healthy alternatives during the day.  Suggestions would be left over salad, nuts, fruit, or 100 calories healthy snacks.   Your local grocery store has alot of healthy offerings.  It’s a matter of taking the one time and discovering what’s available. 
  • Be in silence.  When it just gets too much go to a quiet place in your office building or complex or even your car to be in silence.  Sometimes we need to quiet all those demands in the form of people and projects to get ourselves in shape for the next round of meetings.  Silence helps us sort-out the real from the imaginary and helps us take control of our attitude.

 These are all suggestions we have heard or read before over and over again.  It’s time to make the commitment to take control of our daily health.  Small changes will not impact you negatively but will allow you to keep in the race longer.  They will increase your productivity and health a little more each day.

Be healthy and fabulous!

Sandra

January 21st, 2008 - Posted in ABC's, occupational, performance, physical | | 1 Comments

(C)ommuicate Away From Conflict To Become A Millionaire

True Story.  A colleague of mine had an interdepartmental meeting with two of his team members.  As the meeting progressed, so did the challenges as they went from from a neutral starting point to a one-sided heated discussion with one of the team members.  All of a sudden, this person got up, open the door, walked out and launch his tablet across the department hitting a cubicle wall.  On the other side was someone intently working.  The situation escalated from the meeting room to also include the person on the receiving end of the tablet launch.  What happened to open and honest communication?   It appears there was a breakdown.

In today’s workplace, emotions can run high as more demands are put on our limited time without additional resources.  We begin to feel overwhelmed and out of control.  I know of a women that would hyperventilate when it just got to be too much for her.  Communication in the workplace begins and ends before any situation has a chance to escalate or even start.  A breakdown in communication is the result of how we should be stepping it up to better our communication methods.

Organizational conflict cost the company money in the form of stress related illness, lost time at work due to avoidance, as well as lower morale and productivity.  It also may cost the organization in legal fees if employees feel threatened or harassed by co-workers.  What are the solutions?  How can we take out an insurance policy on organizational communication?

Solutions range from

  • professional coaching
  • conflict training
  • team building
  • anger and crisis management
  • work/life balance training

The million dollar answer is  knowing how to communicate effectively where both people are respected in the disagreement.  We need to develop skills that become a permenant part of how we deal with others.  This will help us form a collaborative environment coming to the best solution even though it may not be in our favor.

If these points earn you $250,000 each, would you pursue them with passion and intensity?

Be an active listener more than an active talker. 

Visualize yourself with HUGE elephant ears to stay focus on the message.

Ask questions. 

When we ask the right questions at the right time, we come across as a person who truly cares and wants to learn more about us.  What is the “right” question?  Any question that stays on point of the conversation.

Don’t let your body language give you away. 

If we listen intently, ask the right questions but we stand there with clenched fist and a puzzled look, we are communicating that we truly have no desire to be there or learn more.  Be conscious of your body language and the suttle ques your facial expression and tone may be transmitting.

Be truly concerned.

If you can’t be concerned or aren’t interested in another’s ideas, do yourself and the other person a favor…. get off the project, move out of the department or assign someone else to take your place.  Otherwise, the cost to your business could be in the thousands or millions depending upon the eventual negative outcome.

A small investment in ourselves and a conscious effort to see others point of view, goes along way in increasing our professionalism in the workplace.  People see us as friendly, easy to work with, and easy to deal with.  Eventually, this leads us to a positive increase in our professional back accounts. 

Be healthy and fabulous!

 Sandra

January 18th, 2008 - Posted in ABC's, communication, intellectual, occupational, social | | 0 Comments

(B)usy Is Not Always Productive

Do you work with people who are completely exasberated.  They are so busy they didn’t have time to take a lunch.  When approached, their desk looks like Fort Knox with piles of paper and books, their face glowing red as they talk on the phone, instant message and write frantically on tablet paper.   At the end of the day, where did the time go since what they accomplished was not productive.  They retire to sleep for the next day only to find that their mind is swimming with the to do list that was never accomplished.  Then awake to a headache and a body that feels like they had a date with a Mac truck.

Sound familiar.  We’ve all been there and done that.  The physical results are headache, migraines, increased blood pressure and stress hormones as well as insomnia wrapped up in a to do list a mile long.  Is this busyness healthy?  Is it productive in the long term?

Some organizations breed this type of busyness into their culture.  “That’s just the way we do it around here”.  On the flip side, we are responsible for bringing it onto ourselves. At the workplace, time is of the essence.  As we are ask to do more and more each day to achieve personal and professional goals, we don’t have time to waste. 

Below is a partial list of what we can be doing to improve our mental and physical workplace wellness state.  The list also includes the famous WIIF (what’s in it for me).  Read on.

  • I set specific “next day goals” at the end of each day (phone calls, meetings, followup, desk-time, etc.)
    • Setting goals for the next day clears our mind of all that happened today, allows us to move forward daily to monthly/quarterly/yearly goals and sets us up for a running start when we return the next morning.
  • I have an easy filing system so that I don’t waste time looking for things.
    • Easy is the key.  Folders that indicate the content and its use all within easy reach.
  • I have a level of calmness when approaching a task, meeting or person.
    • Productive people tend to approach an event with calmness as if it was the only thing they were doing.   This helps them keep their focus and organization skills at a high level without a rushed or angry feeling.
  • I use effective time management techniques to block out time or batch similar tasks.
    • Developing time management skills keeps our focus and limits the distractions we are willing to allow into our day.
  • I evaluate non-managerial request for my time in the form of formal, desk and conference call meetings as well as additional job responsibilities.  If they do not fit into my overall goal for my position, department and company, I kindly decline.
    • Some of our co-workers have a habit of wanting our time in workplace events that have little or nothing to do with our job accomplishments.  Set boundaries you are willing to stick to.  Then list your job responsibilities and know what is important to get the job done.  Afterall, that’s the job we are being paid for.  Everything else needs to be evaluated against this list for productivity and time constraints.
  • I have a “perfectionist percentage” I am willing to be satisfied with.  Instead of 100% this level allows me still to feel accomplished and productive.
    • Alot of us have a perfectionist streak when it comes to our job responsiblitiles.  If it can’t be done at 100%, then we feel that we have failed in someway.  Productive people want to strive for 100% but have an alternate percentage so their focus and professional selfworth are still positive.

We hear the term “busy as a bee”.  Bee’s are busy and productive at the same time.  They have one driving goal.  To seek out nectar and bring it back to the hive so honey can be made.  They are driven with a sense of gentle urgency. 

Be the bee!  Develop a gentle sense of urgency in your workplace.  Take control of your busyness and turn it into productive professional time.

 Be healthy and fabulous!

Sandra

January 12th, 2008 - Posted in ABC's, emotional, occupational, productivity | | 0 Comments

(A)ttitude - Negative Attitudes Are The #1 Career Killer

What is the #1 warrior for or killer of your career and opportunity for advancement?  Your attitude.  Do you work with someone that when they walk in a room, their attitude walks in before them?  Do you have a particular person in mind?  Is it pleasant at the thought or make you wince?  Let’s look at both the warrior and killer.  Also known as the ying and yang., the postive and negative, and the good and bad.
 
A bad attitude is the #1 killer of your your career.  Yes, I said career, not promotional opportunity.

People who are slowly killing their career for the long haul look like this.  

  • They are negative, uncooperative, argumentative, nasty, or gossipy.  
  • They have an air of superiority knowing the job and company better that even the founders.  
  • They specialize in chaos and reck havoc in meetings.
  • They stymie projects and processes, dig their heels in and go on a personal temper tantrum.
  • They try to take over all situations turning it into their personal mission for the sake of the company taking hostages along the way.

And the best part is that in their own mind, they are the #1 employee of the company and think they deserve to be promoted over others.  

This is the type of attitude that everyone LOVES to talk about long after your have both left the company.  Its a “war wound” that has been inflicted upon us long ago.  When we are in the right situation, it’s a natural conversation piece. 

Why is this a #1 killer of our career?  Because it’s a small business world.  Your attitude and reputation will follow you across the globe.  You would be surprised at the number of people who globe trot companies only to find that some of the same people they use to work with 10 years ago are now apart of the current organization.  For a personal example, please see my website video on “Business Etiquette” (www.sandralarkin.com).

So how can we insulate ourselves from the negative in our work environment to help establish a positive attitude?  QTIP!  Quit Taking It Personal. 

When we stop taking it as a personal dig or insult here’s what it looks like when we walk in a room.

  • We are positive, supportive, cooperative, and learn to evaluate the request or relationship based on the goals of the department, project or company.
  • We seek out an involve others because we don’t know everything about the past company or project experience.
  • We help gain willing cooperation from others in a team atmosphere because this is where most progress is made.
  • We involve others and do not discount their advice.  We realze that people have a variety of experiences from other organizations.  
  • We look to further projects and goals even if it’s not in our best interest but in the interest of the bigger picture.
  • We guide people and support them in their efforts towards success.

This type of individual leaves a legacy of positive support and encouragement not only for the company but for its people.  We are not leaving “war wounds” but a sense of value to each person we deal with.  Fast forward 10 years working with  former co-workers, what kind of comments will they make to the new management about our past attitude, reputation and behavior?

Stay on the high side of your career.  Enlist the warrior to help make your professional life easier, productive, fun and profitable.

 Be healthy and fabulous!

Sandra 

January 10th, 2008 - Posted in ABC's, attitude, emotional, social | | 0 Comments

26 Days of Workplace Wellness

There are a variety of ways that we can impact our own workplace health in the areas of social, intellectual, physical, emotional and occupational health.  I am dedicating the next 26 post to give insight into your personal “ABC Workplace Wellness Plan” (TM) 

 Enjoy!

January 10th, 2008 - Posted in health | | 4 Comments

Emotional Wellness: Stop, Drop and Roll

Elementary students learn the basics of fire safety as the local fire department pulls their shining red trucks up to the school parking lot.  “How do you put out the fire?” and ”Are you afraid?” are standard questions each class ask.  The fire personnel teach the students fire safety one of which is “stop, drop and roll”.

 In the workplace, we have situations or days where we feel like we’re on fire.  Our emotions run up and down the flag pole as things get chaotic or go terribly wrong.  What we need is a good dose of emotional wellness.  Here is a quote from my website under emotional wellness ”Our emotional well being can be compared to circus juggling. When all is going smoothly, the areas of our life are juggled with ease, creating synergy and stability. When life events tip our emotions, these same areas can get out of sync and life appears unbalanced. Emotions such as anger, worry, and grief are a part of life. When one or more of these begin to consume our thoughts and our days, they can damage our personal relationships with friends and family as well as seriously hurt our professional associations.”.    We can use the same lesson that firefighters teach.  The stop, drop and roll.

#1  STOP what you are doing and go to a quiet place.  Remove or excuse yourself from the situation to gain control of your emotional well being.

#2 DROP any interpretations of the situation or your version of the story or event.  In other words, gain perspective of the facts.

#3  ROLL over to the professional mode instead of the personal mode.  This is not really about your abilities but more about the process, time and place. 

When we make the effort to gain consistent control of how we handle these situations, people will see us as professional, productive and resilient.  Resilient people can be depended on for results and increased responsibility’s.  Be the role model for emotional wellness in your workplace.

Remember, when your hair is on fire (sorta speak) STOP, DROP and ROLL.

Be healthy and fabulous!

Sandra

January 7th, 2008 - Posted in emotional | | 1 Comments

Change Is In The Air

Everyday we work in a transitional state towards a new direction or from a current challenge. This can be transitioning from being ill to well, career change, stress on the job, marital status such as divorce or business growth and development. The way in which we approach these transitions is through flexibility. 

Flexibility determines successful results for the long term and produces attraction for more positive ones in the future.  When we are flexible in attitude, we set ourselves up for a long term positive impact on our working relationships as well as promotional goals.  No one wants to work with a person who digs their heels in and refuses to work out project or people difficulities.

I have been through a number of transitions over the past two years. I resigned a long term position and gave up a 20 year corporate career, created a successful business, right-sized my health by participating in a physical fitness boot camp and worked through the rough spots on discovering who I am and where I want to be. This process has taught me that I needed to stop making decisions based on what my preset boundaries where at the time. I learned to physically stop, plant my feet firmly, look at the opportunity, evaluate it with a new set of eyes and sometimes take a chance by risking the outcome.

If you watch a willow tree in a storm or when high winds blow, you will see that it remains flexible to move through its current chaotic state. When the wind blows, it moves in the same direction of the wind ultimately standing up right when the storm passes. Nature has its way of teaching us to move through these transitional periods of our life. Technically, they come and go with little negative impact we somehow seem to manifest in our own minds.

The next time a storm moves in where you live, take a look outside and watch nature move through the transition from sun to dark and back to sun again. You will see that nature remains consistent with its ability to weather the storm.

As we move through the many phases of our life, look to nature to teach you that you can make good and sound decisions by remaining flexible, moving beyond your comfort zone and sometimes just taking a chance. You have everything it takes to make the wrong right and the positive even better consistently.

Be healthy and fabulous!

Sandra

January 5th, 2008 - Posted in Professional Education, change, emotional, occupational, productivity | | 1 Comments

Starting Over

January 2nd is a depressing day for some people as they head back to work after a l-o-n-g holiday vacation.  We return to possibly hundreds of emails trying to get into the swing of things with people and projects.  Unless we have made a “to do” list before we left, it can be a confusing and daunting task trying to “find ourselves” back at the ranch.  We belly up to the bar for a stiff drink of time management as the new year rings in new goals for the company and ourselves.  But herein lies the opportunity to start over.

What are we going to do differently than we did last year?  How can we infuse a wellness activity into our busy day to make it our own and make a difference?  

Move away from the desk - One suggestions is  to get away from your desk at lunch at least 3 times per week.  Daily is best but for some of us it’s hard to break the habit or addiction of eating and working at the same time.  Can we really digest nutritious food that our body needs to live by and be under pressure of a deadline at the same time?  My personal answer is NO since I experienced a number of health related issues by doing just that.  

The lunch hour is a great time to build relationships in the workplace.  How so?  I know a women who would intentionally gets to know her peers during this one hour period each day.  It’s funny how she is chosen to be on the hottest projects or ask her professional opinion on company related ventures.  She made it a point to be interested in other people.  She gained the trust and loyalty of her peers to move on to bigger and better professional projects.  Hummm….all of this during lunch.

Use the lunch our to start over again and again.  You’ll not only gain personal health satisfaction but possibly a better professional standing.

 Be healthy and fabulous! 

Sandra

January 3rd, 2008 - Posted in change | | 1 Comments