Archive for March, 2008
How Toyota Became #1 and a Peek into the Short Interview with the Author
“How Toyota became #1.” A book that has great tidbits for any manager or owner. David Magee, the author, talks about the various ideologies that are ingrained within the Toyota culture. The Toyota Production System (TPS) which cuts waste and improves efficiency, is a large part of Toyota’s success. Every employee is expected to help improve every aspect of the business. If a suggestion is implemented they will receive between $5 and $2,000 depending on the value of the suggestion. In 2005 99% of employee suggestions were accepted, which totaled to almost 600,000 accepted suggestions.
“Dig deeper into Toyota’s history and one finds steady growth, much-better-than-industry-average shareholder returns, off-the-charts consumer loyalty ratings, and some of the happiest employees in the world.”
Not every company can implement the same concepts. Ford tried to create a new inventory system that was supposed to surpass Toyota and failed because they didn’t have the infrastructure. Toyota uses the pull technique when building cars, which means they only build as many cars as their customers demand. Toyota actually had to change their system somewhat in America because customers buy their cars off the lot. In Japan they are ordered then built for the customer – the customer pulls for the car and Toyota builds it. In America they had to build cars to sit on the lot, but they still only build to fill that next space that was taken by a customer. Ford uses the push technique – they build the cars then push them out to the dealers. The dealers have to sell them and if they can’t sell them fast enough they go on sale, which means less profit.
Ford thought they could implement the TPS system into their factories because it worked for Toyota. They didn’t look at their strengths and try to implement a concept that would fit in with their culture.
Understanding The Company’s Culture
Businesses bring in consultants that spit out ideas that have worked for other companies, but don’t tailor the ideas to the company’s culture. The excitement and money flows through the organization, at first, but eventually everything goes back to the way it was because they weren’t ready for such a shake up.
Working happy is so much more than refining a perfect system like Toyota’s; it’s understanding the culture of the the employees. When Ford tried to implement a TPS system, it shocked the employees. They were probably overwhelmed and they didn’t understand how to make it successful. My guess is they were probably told to do something a certain way, but never understood the reason behind it. They didn’t understand why and how it would help. I’m not sure about Ford’s commitment to their employees, but it did fail and it’s probably due to a lack of communication. A company’s poor communication is one of my biggest pet peeves. Every company I ever worked for rarely told me why we were making certain big decisions. They just did it and expected us to follow.
The world is evolving and businesses have to adjust their manager-employee relationships. A company like Toyota who shares their vision with their employees and gives them the ability to improve the company at every level will only get stronger. The employees understand what direction the company wants to head in and can make decisions accordingly.
“The Toyota system is teaching people to think [for] themselves and find a better way to do the job…to take individual ownership.”
- Dennis Cuneo from How Toyota Became #1
Companies have studied Toyota since the 1970’s and still have trouble implementing their ideas. I believe they don’t get the same results because they don’t look at their company’s strengths. They don’t customize the ideas to fit their own company’s culture. They want concepts that they know will work, but the problem is that these patchwork ideas don’t fit because they aren’t built for their company.
Make Small Changes
My suggestion to struggling companies is to start small and make changes in increments. Create a philosophy that doesn’t revolve around money. Focus on the employee then improve from there. Employees that understand why they do what they do and enjoy doing it will make profits.
“Simply put, winning means listening to and responding to the customer, not just telling them what they need or should want.”
I’ve owned a Toyota Corolla and loved it. It lasted until 204,000 miles. It’s still is my most cherished vehicle in my fifteen year driving span. I would buy another Toyota in a heartbeat and that’s the loyalty companies strive for and Toyota has achieved throughout the world.
Toyota is #1 in the car making world because they empower their employees to make their work better. GM, Ford, and Chrysler don’t even come close to creating the enjoyable work environment that Toyota has accomplished. Not every employee fits into their culture, but the ones that do thrive. Toyota doesn’t force their ways on the American employees. For instance, in Japan, Toyota has a morning exercise routine for all their employees. They tried to implement an exercise routine for the Americans and they resisted so Toyota canceled it.
Toyota’s Excellence
Toyota adapts to what the customer wants as well as the employees. There are many companies that try to do the same thing, but fail to make both happy. Toyota understands that they must create a mutually beneficial relationship with their employees, customers, and suppliers to continue their success. Toyota has built cars for over 50 years without an employee strike. They also work with suppliers to reduce costs when needed, looking for a solution that benefits both parties.
The book is well worth the read and shows the accomplishment a company with a long-term vision that doesn’t just focus on profits, but on the customer’s satisfaction.
The author David Magee was kind enough to answer a couple of questions. Tomorrow I will post the short interview.
The questions he answered was…
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Toyota has a knack for encouraging their employees to stay engaged by empowering them to improve the company. Why do you think American companies struggle to implement such a process?
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In your book you write that Toyota thinks about long term instead of short term gains. How do you think America companies can change their culture to embrace the long term value instead of quarter to quarter success?
So check back in tomorrow and see how he responded.
You can also check out his book at Amazon or go to his website.
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Check out the short interview here:
How Toyota Became #1 and a Peek into the Short Interview with the Author
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Positive Belief
It’s not positive thinking that makes people have a good outlook on life. It’s positive beliefs that build happy people. A person can think all the positive thoughts they want, but if they don’t truly believe them then they aren’t true for that person.
You’ve probably met people who are good at what they do and the only thing that matters is happiness. Whatever it is that made them confident goes to the core of their being. You’ve probably also met people who seem to be confident and content, but then you see their dark side. They lash out in a tough situation or maybe they give up right in the middle of a project. False confidence will always show it’s true face if you stick around long enough.
Real vs. False Truth
There is a big difference between real and false truth. They both look similar at the outset, but eventually it all flushes out.
There are many different kinds of fake confidence: covering an insecurity, trying to copy others, lack of talent and thousands of others.
There are many different kinds of real confidence: knowing and trusting choices, being creative and unique, talent, and thousands of others.
Real and false confidence are not easy to distinguish, but by watching and learning as people go along in their lives, you’ll see whether their beliefs come from their core or if it is just a façade. Some people have fooled me for many years. I had a boss that yelled at people when they weren’t doing a well and didn’t have any problems speaking his mind. At first I was impressed and tried to do my best, but after a few months his aura of confidence faded. It wasn’t anything he did differently; it just took a little observation to learn that he covered up his insecurities with yelling and micromanaging.
Real confidence comes from within a person and flows out naturally. It’s like a little kid who knows the answer to a test because she studied her butt off. The confidence just comes out because of all the hard work. The thing is many people can study hard and know all the answers, but they still don’t have the confidence to put themselves out there because they’re fearful of the consequences. They’re afraid to fail because the people around them will criticize their mistake. When a person is not afraid to make a mistake then true confidence will shine through. A mistake can be forgotten if done with good intentions, but a mistake out of fear is harder to forgive.
How do you cultivate true confidence?
By doing the best you can. That is all you and the world should ask. Only you know if you are doing your best. When I write these articles and blogs I’m putting all the effort and energy that I can into the work. Some are better than others and that’s just the fluctuation of being human. When I work on a report, I edit it once on my computer, print it out and edit it again, give it to a co-worker for inspection, and then read over it one last time so I know that it’s as clear and smooth as possible. I have gone overboard at times because I was feeling insecure and edited the report into the ground. On the other side, there have been times I haven’t taken the time to edit a report as thoroughly as I should because I was too confident.
Confidence is a daily balance that you’ll have to find as you go along in any business or personal relationship. The best way to develop your true confidence is by being compassionate and patient with whatever you are doing. Compassion will allow you to forgive yourself for your mistakes. Patience will help you learn from your mistakes and make the next try a little better.
I lacked confidence in my ability to speak publicly (that’s why I joined Toastmasters and I’ve improved by leaps and bounds, but still need more work); investing the family’s money (and again I’m not afraid to do it, but I’m learning by reading and talking to professionals); designing a good blog (and once again, I’m working on my skills); meditating well (I practice everyday); designing a great advertisement (I’m always looking at magazines for inspiration) and there are so many more things that I could improve, like playing the guitar and dancing. But I must tackle a few things at a time. When I spread myself too thin I get frustrated.
I’m confident in many areas like my marriage, my ability to write a well thought out idea, my smile, my conversation ability, laughing at a good joke, making a good joke, creating new ways to reach new customers and many other things. I may be confident in all these things, but I am still improving on a daily basis. We must always keep improving our skills, even the most basic things like writing a good email. When we improve in one area that we already feel comfortable in then we realize how we can always keep growing.
“If you are called to be a street sweeper, sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”
- Martin Luther King
There are only so many things that you can be good at and perform with confidence, so pick your battles and knock them down one by one. I have my list of things that I’m looking to build my confidence in. What’s on your list?
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Inside-out Shirt Day
It was the end of the day and a guy in the collections department gave me a weird look. He asked me if my shirt was on inside out. I looked for the buttons on the front of the shirt and they weren’t there.
I was wearing my golf shirt inside out.
“Wow…all day long.” I smiled at Tim, lifted the shirt over my head (I still had an undershirt on) and turned it back around. “Thanks.” I chuckled.
“Yeah. No problem,” Tim said.
It was a silly mistake and that’s it. I wasn’t mad at myself. I’ll definitely check my shirts from now on, like I checked the one I’m wearing now. I wasn’t embarrassed. I’m not perfect and I’m not striving to be perfect. I’m striving to enjoy situations just like that one.
“Inside Out Shirt Days” will happen; we just have to learn from them and move on.
Guest Posting
I’m trying to get my writing and name out there, so I’ve been guest posting. Check out the articles…
At The Positivity Blog:
How the Fear of Losing My Job Helped Me to Grow
Working for a company that might be cutting jobs can force the energy right out of you if you don’t take some steps to set your perspective on the positive.
There are usually three perspectives that dictate our emotional outlook.
- Relaxing in the now.
- Imagining that things will get better.
- The problem itself.
Out of the three options, which one do you think will only make problems worse?
Maybe the question is a little too easy, but why do so many people keep doing it?
Click here to read the full article.
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At Change Your Thoughts:
How to become a better person at work
A job is so much more than helping a corporation or a boss earn more money. There are many levels to work that people miss out on because they’re too caught up in their goals. I don’t advocate blowing off your goals, but I encourage everyone to find other aspects that help them enjoy their work and become better at their job.
Most people want to accomplish the tasks that they are assigned, but there are many ways to get the job done as well as increase your enjoyment at work.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
The Five Most Important Things You Need to Know About Working Happy
Working happy is not a mystery. You know that when you are using your superpowers at work, you work happier. The tricky part of working happy is enjoying all aspects of a job – from the mundane to the exciting. Every job has its pitfalls. You may love interacting with the people at work, but struggle with the customers or vice versa. Whatever your job entails, it’s up to you to extract as much joy from it as possible.
We think that we will work happier if we have more money or an understanding boss. They will help, but they aren’t the most important things that make us feel happier at work. In this article I will discuss the five most important techniques that you need to maximize your work happiness.
To begin I must preface that we all have the ability to increase our enjoyment of work with a little dedication and change of perspective. These ideas are meant to be used on a daily basis. The more you actively use them, the more your work enjoyment will increase. Let’s begin with the most important one…
#1 Working in the Moment
Whether you are an administrative assistant or the CEO, the only joy that you can extract from work is in the present moment. The past can be appreciated, but only in the present moment and the future is just guess work. Yes, a well thought out plan can bring us joy, but it is only in the present moment that this joy can be experienced. Most of us don’t appreciate the present working moment because we’re too caught up in what we want the project to be or we’re complaining about something that happened yesterday.
There is a Chinese proverb that goes like this…
A meditation master of the highest rank was sitting at his patio table sipping tea and reading the paper. A disciple noticed his teacher and interrupted his morning routine.
“Excuse me. I’m sorry to bother you, but since I’ve been here you always tell me to focus on what I am doing and nothing else. You said when walking, walk; when eating, eat.”
The master knew what the student implied and replied, “Yes I did and I was right. When drinking tea, drink the tea. When reading the paper, read the paper. When drinking tea and reading the paper, drink the tea and read the paper.”
We can type an email and enjoy the process. We can also enjoy combinations of things, such as the sound of the phone ringing as we finish a sentence within the email. The key to working in the moment is to relax while you are accomplishing your tasks. There is no need to rush because rushing usually causes mistakes. It’s up to you to figure out what your most pressing need is and how it should be addressed. Is the phone call more important than the email? If the email is more important then finish and call the person back after you are done. Rushing to get that sentence out so you can answer the phone will most likely crude up the sentence and cause you to answer the phone in a frenetic state. When you understand your choices, you can pick which task is most important and do it completely. When the meditation master took a sip of tea he focused on that sip then went back to reading. If you can’t shut your door and ignore all disturbances, then you can be in that moment when answering the phone, then you can focus back on the email.
You can try to eliminate all distractions like the phone, email and your boss (for you bosses that’s the client or customer), but I don’t think this will help your working enjoyment. When you’re interrupted by a phone call that you must answer, try using the distraction as a way to go deeper and enjoy the work. Answer the phone and totally be there in the conversation then allow that distraction to boomerang you back into a deeper focus to help you finish your project.
#2 Take Nothing Personally
This is a great life lesson and not just for work. It’s vital to doing a good job and staying motivated. When a person takes someone’s words, personally then the emotional swings are grand and tough to control.
We sometimes take comments or actions personally because we fail to see the big picture. The work environment is a whole system of complex and emotional experiences. We can allow every little thing to bother us or we can choose to view the experience from a myriad of angles.
If someone calls you stupid, do you feel stupid? We all have insecurities and when someone denigrates our intellect we fall for it almost every time. We take a look at ourselves and recall something stupid that we said or did and it reinforces that person’s comments.
We all have stupid moments throughout the week or even a day, but if we step back and look at the whole picture we can see some really smart choices too. We know that we aren’t stupid. We are all smart, weird, funny and awkward at some time or another. I still say weird things that just pop out of my mouth. I’m trying to be funny, but it comes across as awkward. I know that my words make up a small part of my character, so if I say something stupid, it doesn’t wreck my day.
I’ve survived many attacks, wise cracks, and down right dirty comments by seeing the person’s remarks as a take on how they view themselves.
Whatever comment hits that soft spot, you can let it eat away at your thoughts or you can take a different angle and feel compassion for that person. If they feel that an attack on you will make them feel better about themselves then it’s not you that has the problem. It’s them.
You have the ability to turn any personal remark into a moment that might initially hurt, but that gives you an understanding of the person who says such mean things. When we let other people bring us down we allow them to dictate how we feel. Use those comments as a way to make yourself emotionally stronger. Sometimes co-workers never get out of the high school mentality and it’s up to you to rise above it by getting a little perspective that keeps you working happy.
#3 Emotional Intelligence Encourages Happiness
In the previous example “Take Nothing Personally” you can use your emotional intelligence (EQ) to become a stronger person who is capable of learning from a situation instead of letting it drag you down. There will always be events that will frustrate, anger, and sadden us, but it’s what we do with these feelings when they first enter our consciousness that truly matters. Have you ever been in a situation where your job is grinding on your last nerve and you want to quit?
I think we’ve all been there. What most likely happened is you used your EQ to calm your emotions and gain some perspective on the situation. You didn’t allow one instance to wreck your career.
Developing your EQ is probably not your favorite past time, but it’s necessary to make your work life more enjoyable. You can keep falling into the same traps over and over again and create the same emotional roller coaster, or you can watch, learn and adjust.
When you become aware of your emotional habits, you can cut them off at the beginning with a simple redirection. I was always frustrated by co-workers who wouldn’t listen to my ideas. I believed that my idea would have helped the company, but my voice fell on deaf ears. After two years I finally began to see the pattern. That’s the vital first step: seeing the pattern and working with it.
The first time I began working with my frustration was during a staff meeting. I proposed an idea and it was quickly dismissed. I felt the onset of frustration creeping in. My inner dialogue attacked these people with a vengeance, cursing and berating their intelligence. Why didn’t they understand what I was saying? They are dumber than I thought. And the dialogue continued until my anger rose so much that I knew I would either snap or have to storm out of the room, either of which would be unprofessional. I would only make my co-workers feel like they were right in dismissing my comments. I needed a new approach.
The meeting continued and I walked out of the room. I calmed myself, went to the bathroom, grabbed a bottle of water and headed back into the meeting. When I went back in I tried a different technique. When the time was right I stood up and told my coworkers my idea. Everyone was shocked by my bravado and they stopped and listened. Some liked the idea while others didn’t, but at least I was heard.
You can try other techniques that help give you their attention, like creating a Photoshop image to express your idea or buying donuts and attaching a note to each one. You must be creative when working with your emotions.
When you notice similar situations causing anger or other difficult emotions then acknowledge your feelings and redirect yourself to a more emotionally stable response. You always have options when dealing with your emotions. Try a few different techniques to see what works best and I know that if you keep trying, you’ll find a great way of dealing with your emotional turbulence.
#4 Engage and Succeed
Feeling connected to your work is fundamental to working happy. Individuals who are engaged with their work care about the outcome. They may want to make a sale or write a great report because they want to succeed. Some people have this ingrained within their working soul.
We’ve all seen people who live and breathe their job, but there needs to be a work/life balance, otherwise the stress becomes too much to handle. Workaholics become consumed by their work and can’t stop thinking about it. That’s why I’m using the word “engaged” instead of obsessive.
An engaged employee cares about the outcome, but possesses emotional stability to not let it take over his or her life. Most of my corporate coworkers have fallen on the dispassionate side because they don’t feel like they are appreciated. When someone doesn’t feel like their work matters, it’s difficult to engage in performing quality work.
I taught at a school that educated mentally challenged kids. They rarely showed appreciation for all the hard work that went into each lesson plan. They even went so far as to curse and strike at a teacher when they would encourage them. My co-workers and I were still engaged because we understood that our students couldn’t show the same emotions that emotionally stable kids could. The teachers found angles that kept them interested in doing a good job. They read into the child’s response because they were trained to understand the emotional roller coaster these kids were on. If a child threw a tantrum because I was pushing them a little too hard, I would take it as a sign that I was helping them. I understood that frustration meant they were trying to solve the problem. Some of the days weren’t easy and I felt like walking out of the building on many occasions, but I knew that they needed me.
You can learn to stay engaged at your job even when your manager doesn’t show an appreciative response. You just need to read into the sign that you are given. But if the signs keep pointing at anger and frustration then there is only so much you should have to put up with. Certain people are not meant to work together and if that means that you must find a new job, then so be it.
If you are willing to stick through some tough times because you know your manager means well but he just doesn’t know how to deal with his emotions, then you may be rewarded because you’ve stayed engaged and helped the company succeed. If not, then revisit the paragraph above and find a job that will engage your talents and reward you appropriately.
#5 Relax and Enjoy
A job should not feel like you are sitting in a cage with an angry ostrich. Your work should be enjoyable on many levels. No matter what happens you should always be able to step back for ten seconds and appreciate the nuances of your job.
I used to be a nervous worker. I thought that if I stayed anxious I would be ready to tackle any difficult situation. My stomach would always be upset and I thought it was the food that I ate. I never realized that I should relax and enjoy myself.
Whenever I would get all worked up over an email or a project, I taught myself to take a few seconds to breathe into my belly and find one thing that was enjoyable about the situation. Whether I was in a meeting or talking to a vendor on the phone, I would settle myself and feel the situation that I was in. This goes back to rule number one. Working in the present moment makes work more enjoyable. The second part is this step here: Give yourself a theme to work with that allows you to direct your thoughts toward enjoying work instead of worrying about the outcome of whatever you’re working on.
You can use this step when you’re in the middle of a meeting and you’re worried about sales for the quarter or working on a project with a deadline. Just give your thoughts a chance to see the fun in the work and not what the future will bring.
Working Happy Top 5 Review
- When you are working in the moment you are experiencing life in the now.
- Taking nothing personally will help you keep everyone in your working life in perspective.
- Emotional intelligence wins because you are working smart instead of allowing your thoughts and emotions to dictate your actions.
- Engage in your work and you will succeed. If your managers and co-workers don’t give you the respect you need, then go to a different company where they will appreciate your hard work.
- Relax and enjoy the work that you are doing because it’s so much easier on your health and happiness when you look for the joy.
You have the ability to change your life by applying these five techniques to your working life. I would suggest to start with just one because if you try installing too many ideas at the same time you’ll overload your system. Try working in the moment next month and concentrate on making it become a habit, then move on to step two the following month and so on. When you work happy, your life is easier to enjoy.
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Stress Management Journal
Everyone stresses out about something every now and again, but do you stress out about the same things over and over? If you do it’s probably a pattern that’s hard to break. One of my most productive tools was a stress journal. I documented everything that kept stressing me out. If my mom called complaining about her health I would write it down. If my boss piled a bunch of work on me I would write it down. I skewed a lot of my memories to fit my needs. I wrote everything down so I wouldn’t forget. I wanted to remember how I felt in every stressful situation down to all the tiny little details. This required me to be as honest as possible so I could learn to improve my emotional state.
As the months passed I began to see patterns in my stress. I became stressed out when I was driving (especially my commute to and from work), when I felt work was unfair, when I was late to a meeting or a doctor’s appointment, during a tense sporting event, while watching a high energy movie, and at social parties such as Christmas work gatherings.
Instead of resigning myself to feeling stressed out in these situations I began working with my relaxation skills. Whenever a technique was successful, I documented how it worked and how it helped me release my stress and stay relaxed. When my jaw tightened during a stressful project I reminded myself to relax and massaged my jaw for ten seconds. I did this over and over again until it started setting in. Eventually I stopped tightening my jaw and began to feel relaxed during even the most stressful moments. When I got saddled with extra work, my brow would normally furrow. When I recognized this reaction I focused on taking deep breaths in and out to calm myself down. I made a plan to help organize my situation get everything done or I talked to my boss about needing help. I learned to cut the stress off before it piled up too strong and overwhelmed me.
Using a stress journal can help you obtain a better understanding of what stress you out, but it doesn’t keep the stress away. You must do that by working with your emotions. Take the time to notice what causes your stress, then apply the stress relieving techniques that work best for you.
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Emotional Intelligence Improves the Workplace
The “Emotional Tools” that we learn from work, parents and each other can make the difference between success and failure. Your emotional intelligence can be gauged by how you process interactions with friends, family and strangers. If someone corrects your mistake, do you get angry or do you use that knowledge to improve?
We all know the phrase, “fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.” We need to adapt to the work environment that we are in. Even when fooled twice, do you own up to the mistake or do you hide it from your co-workers? Enron fell into this trap and imploded because of it.
Emotional intelligence (EQ) gives us a way to talk about how people navigate the world. Far more important than IQ in most settings, emotional intelligence can be learned, but it rarely is. My take is that not only is it important for dealing with work and personal situations, it also makes you a better consumer of marketing.
- Seth Godin
Seth is an entrepreneur/blogger a head of his time. The reason he is successful is because of his emotional intelligence. All the profits earned at Squidoo goes to the Squidoo Charity Fund, which supports non-profits such as NPR, March of Dimes, and Save the Children. He knows that he has to give back to the world that helped him become successful.
That is why so many people can work hard for a company. They are rewarded by the company for their efforts. They don’t mind double checking that extra report because they know it’s appreciated. The first feeling I experienced when I was assigned to do a task that was outside of my normal duties was anger. I didn’t want to do the work that someone else was too lazy to do. If you are being taken advantage of, you must speak up. However, if your skills are needed to complete the task, then do it right. Using your EQ to settle your thoughts to work on that report and make sure it’s done right can make the difference between a promotion or disappointment from a manager or co-worker.
We should never stop adding tools to out “Emotional Toolbox” because we will be rewarded with a better experience. Stress will be lowered, creativity expanded and enjoyment will be extracted more easily from every day work life. I know this because I’ve seen emotionally stable people receive the promotions at work and they seem to create a more enjoyable environment for the rest of the staff.
Over the next few months Work Happy Now! will be exploring the foundation of the emotions and how they relate to work. Stay tuned for great ideas on how to improve your emotional outlook at your job.
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Work Bullies are Stressful
Sometimes the boss stresses you out and other times it’s a co-worker who’s a bully, but no matter what it is you must face it in order to relieve the anxiety that a difficult situation creates. Dumb Little Man wrote an excellent article, How to Deal with a Workplace Bully. I’ve had mild cases of being bullied. Some people just like to push themselves on to you. They might not even realize that they are making you feel uncomfortable. Try talking to them and making them aware of how they are acting and most likely they will stop. If they don’t, then try reading this article and see if you can use some of his tips.
Bullying is a deliberate attempt to control or undermine you. It typically happens over a prolonged period of time and it can severely damage your self esteem and confidence. It can be subtle or overt. It can take place in private or in front of others. The circumstances can vary greatly from person to person. Here are some examples of bullying behavior at work:
A co-worker or supervisor constantly complains to other team members that you aren’t pulling your weight. They make jokes at your expense and accuse you of making mistakes you haven’t made. In private they constantly belittle, insult and even threaten you. You feel frightened, angry, ashamed and embarrassed.
Most of our stress doesn’t come from the work itself; it’s the people who we are involved with that cause our stress. Please be aware of how other people are making you feel, and if they aren’t treating you right then stand up for yourself or find help.
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Journalism Needs a Work Happy Make-Over
I read an article over at Duct Tape Marketing, “Will Social and Journalism Ever Work Together?” As I first began to read I scoffed at the idea because I see blogs on almost every major newspaper’s site, from NY Times to Wall Street Journal. As I read through the next paragraph I began to understand the disconnect between management and journalist. A lot of the writing lacked passion. In most cases it was probably because of the support systems that these writers need, but aren’t given.
“Some of this is due to a lack of information in an “old school” mindset, but a great deal of it is due to the fact that journalists are being asked to embrace these new tools (without a raise in pay) and do so under the umbrella of the paper’s CPM ad model. In other words, go blog, we won’t give you the tools or support to actually do it well, we won’t give you a reason to have a voice and enthusiasm for building a conversation, and, by the way, here’s your page view quota.”
- John Jantsch at Duct Tape Marketing
Check out full article here.
Being able to work happy is so much more than doing what we love. It’s also about having the right support in place. Management knows that they have journalists in a spot where they want the opportunity to influence people with their words. The management doesn’t have to pay them as much as they are really worth because the journalists have a chance to do something they enjoy. I’m fine with that because the journalists chose that occupation, not for the money, but for the type of work. If the market doesn’t demand that they get paid more then so be it. That being said, if they do have more work on top of their regular work then they should be compensated or management will end up with work that isn’t up to its readers’ standards. The readers aren’t going to keep coming back. They’ll go to a source that truly cares about its topic. There are plenty of other options.
What I really get upset about is the lack of support that the journalists receive from management. They should be given the opportunity to take classes, extra pay for anything beyond their regular work, and bonuses for exceeding certain goals. If the writers feel like they are appreciated, they will put out better content. They will work happy because they see that management is trying to work with them.
They don’t have to be rewarded with monetary bonuses, but maybe company sports tickets or extra time off. It’s the little things that management can do to make up for their lack of support.
Journalists understand the game they are in, but this situation seems similar to the TV writers’ strike because they want to be rewarded for the work that they do, even if it’s a small percentage of the actual take. This is my advice to all paper conglomerates – start helping your team work happy otherwise there will be a backlash.
This is one of the major reasons that newspapers are dying out. They used to have writers by the neck. Where else could they write? Now these great writers can go out and create a blog, making a successful business to support their lifestyle. Most writers don’t want to be bothered thought; they just want decent pay and the support that they need so they don’t have to worry about marketing, budgeting, and all those worries. They want to write. If newspapers give them support the writers will help make newspapers successful online.
What are your thoughts on major newspapers’ blogs? Do you read them or go to smaller blogs for your topic of choice?
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8 Mental Boosts that Never Fail
Most people can accomplish a lot of work when they are feeling good, but being able to be productive during a lazy day is a learned skill. I know that I’ve struggled with my motivation, especially after being yelled at for a mistake.
There is one rule that you must keep in mind:
You’ll rarely ever be as productive on a low motivational day
as you would on a motivated day. Accept this and work with
the attitude you have.
If you can remember this rule then you can feel successful on low motivational days. There have been days that have started slow and I’ve been able to get my internal motivation excited and it turns into a highly productive day, but this is rare and never seems to last the whole day through. Working with the flow of my mind, I’m able to maximize its ability.
It doesn’t matter if you work for a company, yourself, or if you’re jobless; there are always days that never go quite the way you want them to. I’ve been refining eight mental tricks that I’ve used over the past couple of years to turn a low motivational day into a productive one.
Work Happy Now! – Eight Mental tricks:
1. Make it a game.
I’ve dealt with many low motivational days and the first one that comes to mind is the day I call “Why is everyone yelling at me.” I was yelled at by the President of the company for a small mistake on an important report and for missing a meeting, by a co-worker for being too pushy, by a driver who I accidentally cut off, by a lady who didn’t like my dog sniffing up on her, and my mom in an email I read before bed. I had to think of all these mistakes and realize that they are moments that I can use. Like a character in a video game or a baseball player coming out of a slump, I can learn to use my mistakes to improve my next move.
After I was yelled at for the third time I began to see that it was mostly my mistakes that were causing my low motivation. I knew that I had to release these errors or my motivation would sink even lower. I looked at myself from the third person, as if it wasn’t me getting yelled at, but just my character I was controlling that day. All this yelling couldn’t hurt me if I was just a character in a game. It would only make me stronger and improve my ability to make a better decision.
2. Watch your emotions.
Waking up and knowing that the day will be a struggle is a feeling I now revel in. The last time I awoke with low motivation I actually smiled. I saw the emotional possibility in front of me.
Sitting at my desk I drank a cup of caffeinated tea to spark my motivation. Nothing happened. My energy level felt lower. I knew that the day was going to be a challenge. I was lucky that on this day I wouldn’t need a lot of energy. I could just take my time and do each job methodically. I felt like I was in a haze. I had to read a report four times before it finally sank in. By watching how I reacted and not trying to force myself to snap out of it I was able to cruise through the day and get many things accomplished.
o Stuffing marketing bags
o Writing an email to a co-worker
o Setting up a few appointments
o Enjoying a lunch outside
o Reading a report and summarizing it for my boss
After the day was done I realized that just watching my mood and going with the feelings allowed me to be more accepting of my circumstance. I didn’t push myself into a further grumpy state and the day ended up being one of average productivity that was probably better than some of my highly motivated days.
3. Enjoy the external show.
Sitting through a two hour meeting is never fun, but it can be enjoyable. Although it’s difficult to focus, it is possible to cajole my attention. There was a two and a half hour meeting that I got roped into because they wanted my input. The meeting was only 10% relevant to me, so I was stuck and unable to participate for most of it.
I looked at this meeting as an opportunity to study people’s facial expressions. I am usually so caught up in meetings, trying to get my point of view in, that I miss a lot of the show in front of me. This time I made sure to watch each smile, wrinkle of the eye and nervous habit. I got so into the meeting that when it ended I felt disappointed. This technique also allowed me to listen in a different way and I came away with new ideas and respect for people that I had never really given a chance.
4. Immerse yourself in low motivation.
Dive into the sand of low motivation and bury yourself and see what happens. Sometimes I have trouble getting out of the emotional weight, but this technique can work. During one particularly rough Sunday when I had to mow the grass, write a blog, clean the kitchen and cook dinner, I immersed myself in the low motivational feelings.
I sat down on the floor and let out a large breath. I knew I could not ignore this mood, so I dove in and felt everything that was going on within me. My sluggish thoughts, the negative emotions, and the desire to close my eyes, lean back and take a nap on the floor. That’s what I did. I fell into the low motivation, letting my thoughts and feelings take me where they wanted. I set a timer for twenty minutes and gave myself that time to just relax and allow the feelings to do what they wanted. After the timer woke me up the feelings were gone and I could sense my energy rising. I was able to get all my tasks done and I also wrote two emails to a couple of friends.
5. Compromise with yourself.
When I’ve been stuck in a day where I need to get certain things done, I made sure to give myself opportunities for mental breaks throughout the day. I created a little plan to keep my motivation balanced.
8:30 – 9:00 I relaxed and drank some coffee while reading my enjoyable emails.
9:00 – 10:00 I got to work on my report.
10:00 – 10:30 I went for a walk around the office and stopped by John’s cubicle to talk for a little while
10:30 – 12:00 I got back to my report and finished the first draft.
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 2:30 Edited the report and finalized its content
2:30 – 3:00 Walked around the office building and read an article about marketing that I saved on my computer
3:00 – 4:00 Reviewed the report and sent it to my boss
4:00 – 5:00 Coasted through the rest of the day by cleaning up my desk and talking to my wife on the phone.
Not every day can be a sprint through work; you have to compromise on those days that your body is just begging for a break. You’ll be less likely to burn out.
6. Tackle the easy stuff.
Allowing myself to work at a more compassionate pace has helped me use low motivational days to my advantage. I usually get monotonous and time draining work done, so when I am motivated to tackle the big projects I don’t have to worry about tedious stuff.
Every job has its tasks that require mind numbing focus. I have to stuff marketing bags and fill in forms, jobs that any middle school student could do, but since I must listen to the boss’s wishes I have to get it done. When I have low motivational days I am able to get the tedious stuff accomplished. The bonus is that I look busy and productive to my boss and I get the work done that I normally put off for later. During low motivational days I’m just not able to focus on the difficult stuff, so stuffing bags and writing emails is the best way to get through the day and then be able to relax at home.
7. Know that the next day won’t be as bad.
Some days are just rough on the psyche. Instead of thinking of the day as fixed in stone, I imagined myself getting tougher after each setback.
Every time I tried to work on a report I would get interrupted, or if I tried to do some research into our competition I was blocked by my company’s Internet filter, or I just couldn’t get the right words out to get my point across in an email. Everything I was trying to do failed. I used each stumble or failure as a stepping stone to alter my feelings. I imagined the mental drain leaving my brain, converting into energy, and entering my muscles, storing up for the next day. I saw the next day as a highly motivated day because I had built up all this extra energy. It worked. I plunged through the day. The next day was high energy and productive.
8. Give in.
There’s nothing you can do; you’ve tried the seven mental tricks from above and you can’t get out of your funk. Go with it and stop fighting your feelings.
The last time I felt like this I had some time off with pay, so I used it. I couldn’t be in the office any longer, so I told my boss that I wasn’t feeling well and I needed to go home. I had to take a mental health day or I was going to explode. I watched a movie that I’ve been putting off for weeks and I cooked dinner for my wife. That smile on her face perked up my day and I could feel the sluggishness oozing out of myself.
Each day has its own challenges, no matter how brilliant you are. These mental tips can be applied in almost any circumstance. Give your mind a new perspective and apply one of the tips to make any low motivational day into a productive one.