How to Turn Your Office Enemy into an Ally
By Margaret Heffernan | August 26, 2010
Being professional at work implies not letting personal likes and dislikes enter into our relationships with co-workers. It’s a high ideal that can be hard to achieve, especially when you encounter the colleague who, quite simply, just doesn’t like you.
That’s the situation a fine executive at GE encountered some years ago. For obvious reasons, she will remain anonymous -– but you can trust me, it’s a true story.
Carol, let’s call her, joined a new division and, being smart and experienced, dared to make a comment at her first meeting. “I disagreed with a comment one of my colleagues made about a strategic issue,” she told me. “After the meeting was over, he said, ‘Carol, don’t you know you’re just the cunt at the table? No one cares what you think.’”
What’s impressive is the way Carol responded. “I wanted to scream, but I didn’t. And I didn’t run around telling everyone what he said, even though I really wanted to. I knew he would use every opportunity he could to disparage me, sabotage me and hurt my credibility. Instead, when he made good suggestions in other meetings, I endorsed them. If my department was doing something that helped his, I let him know. And if I disagreed with him, I let him know that, too. Gradually he saw I was really good at what I did. He saw that my department could make him look good. He became an ally.”
“A few years later, he left to become president of another company. He called to ask me to be his COO. And no, I didn’t consider it for a moment.”
What’s impressive about Carol’s story is that she was able to see that the wasn’t about her; it was about her colleague. And while he might not always be professional, she always was. In other words, she seized the moral high ground and held it.
This is very tough to do. But it’s essential. You will, at some point in your , encounter someone who just doesn’t like you -– because you’re male, female, short, tall, fat, skinny or because you remind them of a former failed relationship. You won’t be able to change whatever history has formed their impression. What you can do is determine the level of your response.
“It’s really important to recognize that insulting, degrading, ridiculous comments aren’t about you -– they’re about the person saying them,” Carol explains. “Don’t take the remarks personally but do take them seriously, because you need to know what’s really going on.”
Encounters like Carol’s occur at every level in an organization, from the print room to the C suite. You can’t stop them happening; all you can influence is your own response.
MY THOUGHTS
if the workplace is full of machines and not people,i doubt there would be a term as 'workplace stress. but the minute you enter into an office, you encounter a guard, a receptionist, HR people who will provide you with orientation. there won't be a day in your work life when you will just sit in front of your laptop and not deal with people. you're in front of your laptop because you're dealing with email. and your emailing people. so, this article is such a welcome reminder. when i encounter difficult co-workers. the real ____holes. i pray.i pray for guidance.i pray that God will help me turn this enemy into a teammate. better yet,a friend.my best friends are still those i have formed bonds with while at work. some of these friendships started out badly. and i don't mind having more friends. even if you don't even want to hear this person's name in the beginning.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Want to Avoid Workplace stressand be more productive? Stop Working
How to Be Productive: Stop Working
By Margaret Heffernan | August 10, 2010
Industrial companies put a lot of effort into “asset integrity” — which really just means protecting critical plants and machinery from damage and wear and tear. At companies like BP, it’s clearly more of an aspiration than a reality, but anyone trained in a manufacturing environment learns that asset integrity is a top priority. But what about service industries — companies where the only assets are the brains of the people who work there? Shouldn’t they worry about asset integrity, too? Astonishingly, most of them don’t. Instead, financial services, consulting, the law and even the medical profession perpetuate working hours where all-nighters are heroic, driving with jet lag is the norm and anyone who actually has lunch risks becoming lunch.
But, they argue, we’re in the midst of an economic downturn, the worst recession in our lifetimes. Shouldn’t we all be working as hard as we can? Who has the luxury of time? What do you mean weekends aren’t for working?
Well, for the last 100 years, every productivity study in every industry has come to the same conclusion: after about 40 hours in a week, the quality of your work starts to degrade. You make mistakes. That’s why working 60 hours may not save you time or money: you’ll spend too much of that time fixing the mistakes you shouldn’t have made in the meantime. That’s why software companies that limit work to 35 hours a week need to employ fewer QA engineers: there isn’t as much mess to clean up.
In a knowledge economy, where thinking and creativity are the raw materials from which products and profit flow, brains are assets. They need to be cherished, nurtured and protected, not abused. Leaders need to take seriously a century’s evidence that 1) overwork doesn’t make us productive, it makes us stupid, 2) looking away from a problem is often the best way to solve it, and 3) burnout is what happens when people are asked to work in ways that obliterate all other parts of their lives.
Also: we need to hammer the last nail into the coffin of multi-tasking. No, you can’t safely drive and hold conference calls, nor can you text while driving. And checking emails while in meetings means you may as well not be there. What modern businesses need isn’t distracted Blackberry addicts but human beings who haven’t forgotten the gifts of focus, concentration and mindfulness.
When the cognitive scientist Dan Simons looked at the vast mountain of evidence that demonstrates the futility of multitasking, he was inevitably asked whether there were anything we could do to enlarge the capacity of our minds. The answer was an emphatic “no.” There are hard limits to what our brains will do, and no amount of Baby Mozarts or Brain Trainers will alter that. Practice, Simons says, will improve specific skills but not general abilities. Doing Sudoko will make you better at Sudoko; it won’t raise your GMAT scores.
Is there anything that truly enhances cognition? Yes, says Simons: exercise. Experiments by his colleague Arthur Kramer showed that walking for a few hours a week led to large improvements on cognitive tasks. Stretching and toning exercises had no cognitive benefits, but aerobic exercise, which increases blood flow to the brain, did. Seniors who walked for just 45 minutes a day for three days a week showed better preservation of their brains in MRI scans. Exercise, Simons concludes, improves cognition broadly by increasing the fitness of your brain.
Care about asset integrity? Get out of the office and go for a walk. And make sure the people who work for you do, too.
MY THOUGHTS
the short but brisk walking helps. i walk around the block sometimes if i need to work well into the night. clears the brain, relaxes the muscles and makes me more productive.
By Margaret Heffernan | August 10, 2010
Industrial companies put a lot of effort into “asset integrity” — which really just means protecting critical plants and machinery from damage and wear and tear. At companies like BP, it’s clearly more of an aspiration than a reality, but anyone trained in a manufacturing environment learns that asset integrity is a top priority. But what about service industries — companies where the only assets are the brains of the people who work there? Shouldn’t they worry about asset integrity, too? Astonishingly, most of them don’t. Instead, financial services, consulting, the law and even the medical profession perpetuate working hours where all-nighters are heroic, driving with jet lag is the norm and anyone who actually has lunch risks becoming lunch.
But, they argue, we’re in the midst of an economic downturn, the worst recession in our lifetimes. Shouldn’t we all be working as hard as we can? Who has the luxury of time? What do you mean weekends aren’t for working?
Well, for the last 100 years, every productivity study in every industry has come to the same conclusion: after about 40 hours in a week, the quality of your work starts to degrade. You make mistakes. That’s why working 60 hours may not save you time or money: you’ll spend too much of that time fixing the mistakes you shouldn’t have made in the meantime. That’s why software companies that limit work to 35 hours a week need to employ fewer QA engineers: there isn’t as much mess to clean up.
In a knowledge economy, where thinking and creativity are the raw materials from which products and profit flow, brains are assets. They need to be cherished, nurtured and protected, not abused. Leaders need to take seriously a century’s evidence that 1) overwork doesn’t make us productive, it makes us stupid, 2) looking away from a problem is often the best way to solve it, and 3) burnout is what happens when people are asked to work in ways that obliterate all other parts of their lives.
Also: we need to hammer the last nail into the coffin of multi-tasking. No, you can’t safely drive and hold conference calls, nor can you text while driving. And checking emails while in meetings means you may as well not be there. What modern businesses need isn’t distracted Blackberry addicts but human beings who haven’t forgotten the gifts of focus, concentration and mindfulness.
When the cognitive scientist Dan Simons looked at the vast mountain of evidence that demonstrates the futility of multitasking, he was inevitably asked whether there were anything we could do to enlarge the capacity of our minds. The answer was an emphatic “no.” There are hard limits to what our brains will do, and no amount of Baby Mozarts or Brain Trainers will alter that. Practice, Simons says, will improve specific skills but not general abilities. Doing Sudoko will make you better at Sudoko; it won’t raise your GMAT scores.
Is there anything that truly enhances cognition? Yes, says Simons: exercise. Experiments by his colleague Arthur Kramer showed that walking for a few hours a week led to large improvements on cognitive tasks. Stretching and toning exercises had no cognitive benefits, but aerobic exercise, which increases blood flow to the brain, did. Seniors who walked for just 45 minutes a day for three days a week showed better preservation of their brains in MRI scans. Exercise, Simons concludes, improves cognition broadly by increasing the fitness of your brain.
Care about asset integrity? Get out of the office and go for a walk. And make sure the people who work for you do, too.
MY THOUGHTS
the short but brisk walking helps. i walk around the block sometimes if i need to work well into the night. clears the brain, relaxes the muscles and makes me more productive.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
workplace stress? find out if you have a good job
Do you have a good job? Take the test
Today's job market favors employees. The attitude of most workers is that they should have a job that makes them happy. So it's no surprise that at any given time 70 percent of the workforce is job hunting, according to the Wall St. Journal.
Everyone is looking for the right position. But what exactly does that mean?
Here is something it's probably not: Prestigious. People who chase fame and prestige are generally not as happy as other people. If you're after fame, you are setting goals that are dependent on other peoples' approval. Conversely, goals about self-acceptance and friendship make you happy because you have more control over them.
You might think you're different – that you have a legitimate shot at fame. Ninety percent of young workers think they are in the top 10 percent of all workers, according to Business Week. Also, 40 percent think they will become famous. The reality is 1 or 2 percent ever achieve a modicum of fame.
A good rule of thumb when choosing a job to make you happy is to pick one that is based on the following list of attributes.
To test a job to see if it's good, give the job points for each attribute it has:
1. A short, predictable commute – 1 point
The problem with a long commute is that it is long in a different way each day. Sometimes it's the rain, sometimes there's an accident. Sometimes traffic is backed up for no apparent reason. Humans can acclimate themselves to a lot of traumatic stuff – even being a paraplegic, according to Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness. But you cannot acclimate yourself to something that is bad in a different way every day.
2. Workflow you can manage – 1 point
This is not about doing work. This is about managing your personal life, which you cannot do if you have no control over your workflow. You need to be able to predict when things will be difficult and when it's safe to focus more on your personal life. This is why management consultants are generally happy – they oversee their own schedule. But those who hold client-heavy jobs, such as lawyers or financial analysts, have to jump at a clients' whim.
3. Clear goals that are challenging – 1 point
Goals that are not challenging result in boredom, not happiness. But challenging work without a clear goal is a bad job waiting to happen because people want to know how they're doing. But you can't get feedback from a boss who does not set clear goals to manage your progress.
It is worth noting that the primary cause of workplace burnout is not the amount of time spent working, but whether the work you did can make a difference. For example, nurses on the pediatric burn unit have high turnover because it is exhausting to be taking care of children without being able to stop their suffering. Conversely, entrepreneurs are typically happy because they have so much control over workflow and goals.
4. Two co-workers you're close friend with – 3 points
If you have two good friends at work, you are almost guaranteed to like your job, according to Tom Rath, the author of Vital Friends. This is, in part, because you can process the bad parts of a job more productively with friends by your side to help you.
So finding a job you like or turning a bad job in to a good job might actually be totally under your control; you can decide you are going to be likable and make friends, or not.
Test results:
0-2 points, probably not a good job
3 points, probably a good job
4 – 6 points, probably a really good job
MY THOUGHTS
so, do you have a good job or not? remember,happiness is a state of mind. if you're ready to be happy, then you will be. don't make a mistake of leaving your job because it sucks. you'll find the next job sucks,too. why? the problem is not out there.
Today's job market favors employees. The attitude of most workers is that they should have a job that makes them happy. So it's no surprise that at any given time 70 percent of the workforce is job hunting, according to the Wall St. Journal.
Everyone is looking for the right position. But what exactly does that mean?
Here is something it's probably not: Prestigious. People who chase fame and prestige are generally not as happy as other people. If you're after fame, you are setting goals that are dependent on other peoples' approval. Conversely, goals about self-acceptance and friendship make you happy because you have more control over them.
You might think you're different – that you have a legitimate shot at fame. Ninety percent of young workers think they are in the top 10 percent of all workers, according to Business Week. Also, 40 percent think they will become famous. The reality is 1 or 2 percent ever achieve a modicum of fame.
A good rule of thumb when choosing a job to make you happy is to pick one that is based on the following list of attributes.
To test a job to see if it's good, give the job points for each attribute it has:
1. A short, predictable commute – 1 point
The problem with a long commute is that it is long in a different way each day. Sometimes it's the rain, sometimes there's an accident. Sometimes traffic is backed up for no apparent reason. Humans can acclimate themselves to a lot of traumatic stuff – even being a paraplegic, according to Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness. But you cannot acclimate yourself to something that is bad in a different way every day.
2. Workflow you can manage – 1 point
This is not about doing work. This is about managing your personal life, which you cannot do if you have no control over your workflow. You need to be able to predict when things will be difficult and when it's safe to focus more on your personal life. This is why management consultants are generally happy – they oversee their own schedule. But those who hold client-heavy jobs, such as lawyers or financial analysts, have to jump at a clients' whim.
3. Clear goals that are challenging – 1 point
Goals that are not challenging result in boredom, not happiness. But challenging work without a clear goal is a bad job waiting to happen because people want to know how they're doing. But you can't get feedback from a boss who does not set clear goals to manage your progress.
It is worth noting that the primary cause of workplace burnout is not the amount of time spent working, but whether the work you did can make a difference. For example, nurses on the pediatric burn unit have high turnover because it is exhausting to be taking care of children without being able to stop their suffering. Conversely, entrepreneurs are typically happy because they have so much control over workflow and goals.
4. Two co-workers you're close friend with – 3 points
If you have two good friends at work, you are almost guaranteed to like your job, according to Tom Rath, the author of Vital Friends. This is, in part, because you can process the bad parts of a job more productively with friends by your side to help you.
So finding a job you like or turning a bad job in to a good job might actually be totally under your control; you can decide you are going to be likable and make friends, or not.
Test results:
0-2 points, probably not a good job
3 points, probably a good job
4 – 6 points, probably a really good job
MY THOUGHTS
so, do you have a good job or not? remember,happiness is a state of mind. if you're ready to be happy, then you will be. don't make a mistake of leaving your job because it sucks. you'll find the next job sucks,too. why? the problem is not out there.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Everything You Know About Productivity is Wrong
Everything You Know About Productivity is Wrong
By Jessica Stillman | February 17, 20
Want to get more done at work? You need to buckle down, work consistently and hard for longer hours and quit procrastinating, right? Only if you work on a factory floor, counters blog Chief Happiness Officer from author and consultant Alexander Kjerulf. And as you’re reading a blog right now, you probably don’t work in an industrial job.
“For knowledge workers,” asserts Kjerulf, the old ideas about productivity “are not only wrong, they’re actively harmful.”
Instead, he suggests five new rules of productivity:
Your productivity will vary wildly from day to day. This is normal. In an industrial setting, you know that if the plant operates for X hours tomorrow you’ll produce Y widgets. For knowledge workers, you can’t possibly know in advance whether tomorrow will be a day where you reach a brilliant insight that saves you and your team weeks of work, or the day where you spend eight hours gazing dejectedly into your screen. This variation is normal -– if a little frustrating. You shouldn’t judge
your productivity by the output on any given day but rather by your average productivity over many days.
Working more hours means getting less done. A client asked me to conduct a study on the effects of work hours on productivity and errors, my findings were quite simply that… productivity decreased by half after the eighth hour of work. This may be counter-intuitive but it’s important to grasp: for knowledge workers there is no simple relationship between hours worked and output!
Working harder means getting less done. In an industrial environment, you can most often work harder and get more done. For knowledge workers, the opposite is true. You can’t force creativity, eloquence, good writing, clear thinking or fast learning -– in fact, working harder tends to create the opposite effect and you achieve much less.
Procrastination can be good for you. Sometimes you’re in the mood for task X and doing X is ridiculously easy and a lot of fun. Sometimes doing X feels worse than walking barefoot over burning-hot, acid-covered, broken glass and forcing yourself to do it anyway is a frustrating exercise in futility. Sometimes procrastinating is exactly the right thing to do at a particular moment.
Happiness is the ultimate productivity enhancer. The single most efficient way to increase your productivity is to be happy at work. No system, tool or methodology in the world can beat the productivity boost you get from really, really enjoying your work.
For me, selling accomplishment without sweat and pain is a bit like selling snake oil. Writing, creativity and learning sometimes do involve beating your head (metaphorically) against the screen for hours, and every burst of inspiration is backed up by hours of donkey work. Still, I agree with Kjerulf’s point that outright misery is counter-productive and that allowing for humans to actually be human (quirky, variable, susceptible to exhaustion and inspiration) is essentially productive. It’s all a matter of balance. Do you agree?
MY THOUGHTS
"it's all a matter of balance". and this balance has to flow from the top. how can people below balance things when the demands given to top management are unrealistic. naturally, the domino effect would be unrealistic demands (and work hours) for people way down below. this is the biggest challenge for middle-management though. you don't really have control (not very much) on the supposedly strategic goals. you can influence it. but at the end of the day, your job is to implement what has been decided upon. so, if the the demands are unrealistic from way up, middle managers task is to ensure that demands are less unrealistic for the staff. otherwise, you're bound to lose people. and then top management will get your hide. and so, the unrealistic demand will be on your shoulders. and dno't say you don;t have a choice. you do.
By Jessica Stillman | February 17, 20
Want to get more done at work? You need to buckle down, work consistently and hard for longer hours and quit procrastinating, right? Only if you work on a factory floor, counters blog Chief Happiness Officer from author and consultant Alexander Kjerulf. And as you’re reading a blog right now, you probably don’t work in an industrial job.
“For knowledge workers,” asserts Kjerulf, the old ideas about productivity “are not only wrong, they’re actively harmful.”
Instead, he suggests five new rules of productivity:
Your productivity will vary wildly from day to day. This is normal. In an industrial setting, you know that if the plant operates for X hours tomorrow you’ll produce Y widgets. For knowledge workers, you can’t possibly know in advance whether tomorrow will be a day where you reach a brilliant insight that saves you and your team weeks of work, or the day where you spend eight hours gazing dejectedly into your screen. This variation is normal -– if a little frustrating. You shouldn’t judge
your productivity by the output on any given day but rather by your average productivity over many days.
Working more hours means getting less done. A client asked me to conduct a study on the effects of work hours on productivity and errors, my findings were quite simply that… productivity decreased by half after the eighth hour of work. This may be counter-intuitive but it’s important to grasp: for knowledge workers there is no simple relationship between hours worked and output!
Working harder means getting less done. In an industrial environment, you can most often work harder and get more done. For knowledge workers, the opposite is true. You can’t force creativity, eloquence, good writing, clear thinking or fast learning -– in fact, working harder tends to create the opposite effect and you achieve much less.
Procrastination can be good for you. Sometimes you’re in the mood for task X and doing X is ridiculously easy and a lot of fun. Sometimes doing X feels worse than walking barefoot over burning-hot, acid-covered, broken glass and forcing yourself to do it anyway is a frustrating exercise in futility. Sometimes procrastinating is exactly the right thing to do at a particular moment.
Happiness is the ultimate productivity enhancer. The single most efficient way to increase your productivity is to be happy at work. No system, tool or methodology in the world can beat the productivity boost you get from really, really enjoying your work.
For me, selling accomplishment without sweat and pain is a bit like selling snake oil. Writing, creativity and learning sometimes do involve beating your head (metaphorically) against the screen for hours, and every burst of inspiration is backed up by hours of donkey work. Still, I agree with Kjerulf’s point that outright misery is counter-productive and that allowing for humans to actually be human (quirky, variable, susceptible to exhaustion and inspiration) is essentially productive. It’s all a matter of balance. Do you agree?
MY THOUGHTS
"it's all a matter of balance". and this balance has to flow from the top. how can people below balance things when the demands given to top management are unrealistic. naturally, the domino effect would be unrealistic demands (and work hours) for people way down below. this is the biggest challenge for middle-management though. you don't really have control (not very much) on the supposedly strategic goals. you can influence it. but at the end of the day, your job is to implement what has been decided upon. so, if the the demands are unrealistic from way up, middle managers task is to ensure that demands are less unrealistic for the staff. otherwise, you're bound to lose people. and then top management will get your hide. and so, the unrealistic demand will be on your shoulders. and dno't say you don;t have a choice. you do.
Friday, September 24, 2010
7 Signs You're Creating Your Own Workplace Stress
7 Signs You're Creating Your Own Workplace Stress
By Steve Tobak | July 2, 2009
Quick, by a show of hands, how many of you have workplace stress? Almost everybody, great. Now, how much of that stress do you think is self-imposed? What, no hands? Well, I’m not surprised, but you may be in for one.
You see, most people make their own stress. Why do they do it? How should I know? I’m not a shrink. So how do I know it’s true? I don’t; you tell me if any of these 7 Signs You’re Creating Your Own Workplace Stress resonate with you:
1.Not making enough money? Join the club. Nobody, I mean nobody makes enough money. Work hard, be smart, do great things, learn how to negotiate, and the money will come. That’s how it works.
2.Underappreciated, nobody loves you? Boss treats your co-worker better than you? Did you ever think maybe it’s you? Maybe you’re always whining. Maybe you treat them like crap. Maybe you never grew up. Who knows?
3.Your group gets no respect. IT is always getting dumped on. Sales and marketing has it easy. Guess what? The other group probably feels the same way. It’s called Silo behavior and it’s destructive, period. Grow up.
4.You have a psycho boss? An abusive self-hating jerk who acts out his childhood drama on poor unsuspecting employees. That sucks, but the unemployment rate is 9.5 percent, so you don’t get to pick your boss. Fighting battles you can’t win generates stress.
5.Too much work, too little time. This is usually self-imposed. Are you sure your deadlines are real and not just you feeling self-important, pushing yourself too hard because you haven’t got a life outside work? Slow down; what’s the worst that can happen?
6.Peer problems. There’s a coworker you just don’t get along with and it’s really stressful, right? Well, guess what? I’ll bet she feels the same way about you. It happens to everybody. Try a little detente. Offer an olive branch. Swallow your pride and give in. It won’t kill you.
7.Executive management doesn’t listen or care. Did it ever occur to you that executive managers are people too? They have their own issues and they’re not perfect. Some companies are well managed, some are managed by idiots. On the outside chance they’re not idiots, did you ever think that maybe, just maybe they know more than you do?
If you think this post oversimplifies things, think again. You may be overcomplicating things.
Try a little experiment: If you experience an issue or two and it changes when you jump companies or groups, then you were probably in a dysfunctional workplace. Welcome to the real world. Don’t whine and complain. Don’t give in and don’t give up. Be optimistic. Continue your search for a passionate, fulfilling job at a great company. You’ll find it.
But if it doesn’t change, if it’s always the same, then it’s probably you. You might want to see somebody about that.
MY THOUHGTS
nope. this does not oversimplify things. we do tend to complicate matters. by not responding in a mature, professional, and yes, most importantly, in a christian manner. it's not easy but it can be done.
By Steve Tobak | July 2, 2009
Quick, by a show of hands, how many of you have workplace stress? Almost everybody, great. Now, how much of that stress do you think is self-imposed? What, no hands? Well, I’m not surprised, but you may be in for one.
You see, most people make their own stress. Why do they do it? How should I know? I’m not a shrink. So how do I know it’s true? I don’t; you tell me if any of these 7 Signs You’re Creating Your Own Workplace Stress resonate with you:
1.Not making enough money? Join the club. Nobody, I mean nobody makes enough money. Work hard, be smart, do great things, learn how to negotiate, and the money will come. That’s how it works.
2.Underappreciated, nobody loves you? Boss treats your co-worker better than you? Did you ever think maybe it’s you? Maybe you’re always whining. Maybe you treat them like crap. Maybe you never grew up. Who knows?
3.Your group gets no respect. IT is always getting dumped on. Sales and marketing has it easy. Guess what? The other group probably feels the same way. It’s called Silo behavior and it’s destructive, period. Grow up.
4.You have a psycho boss? An abusive self-hating jerk who acts out his childhood drama on poor unsuspecting employees. That sucks, but the unemployment rate is 9.5 percent, so you don’t get to pick your boss. Fighting battles you can’t win generates stress.
5.Too much work, too little time. This is usually self-imposed. Are you sure your deadlines are real and not just you feeling self-important, pushing yourself too hard because you haven’t got a life outside work? Slow down; what’s the worst that can happen?
6.Peer problems. There’s a coworker you just don’t get along with and it’s really stressful, right? Well, guess what? I’ll bet she feels the same way about you. It happens to everybody. Try a little detente. Offer an olive branch. Swallow your pride and give in. It won’t kill you.
7.Executive management doesn’t listen or care. Did it ever occur to you that executive managers are people too? They have their own issues and they’re not perfect. Some companies are well managed, some are managed by idiots. On the outside chance they’re not idiots, did you ever think that maybe, just maybe they know more than you do?
If you think this post oversimplifies things, think again. You may be overcomplicating things.
Try a little experiment: If you experience an issue or two and it changes when you jump companies or groups, then you were probably in a dysfunctional workplace. Welcome to the real world. Don’t whine and complain. Don’t give in and don’t give up. Be optimistic. Continue your search for a passionate, fulfilling job at a great company. You’ll find it.
But if it doesn’t change, if it’s always the same, then it’s probably you. You might want to see somebody about that.
MY THOUHGTS
nope. this does not oversimplify things. we do tend to complicate matters. by not responding in a mature, professional, and yes, most importantly, in a christian manner. it's not easy but it can be done.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
What Matters More than Money? Stamina
What Matters More than Money? Stamina
By Margaret Heffernan | April 1, 2010
What is it that entrepreneurs most need? When I ask that question at business schools, the answer is always “money.” But when I ask it of entrepreneurs themselves, the answer is something else — and it’s always the same: “stamina.”
I’ve interviewed successful business owners around the world, and that’s always the answer I get. When you think about it, the reason is obvious. If you quit, the game’s over and you know the outcome. But if you can keep going, you still have a chance. The question is, How do you keep yourself going? The answer may surprise you.
Liz Elting, who runs Transperfect, one of the world’s largest translation companies, vividly remembers an all-nighter she and her co-founder Phil Shawe pulled for a prestigious new client: “I remember one Christmas Eve that Phil and I were doing a job for Goldman Sachs, and we were in there working through the night. When it was done, we were late (and exhausted!) for our own personal family celebrations… In the first few years, there was a lot we gave up.”
James Dyson of vacuum cleaner fame spent twenty nerve-wracking and nearly bankrupting years bringing his revolutionary design to market. Chronicling the lawsuits and betrayals he went through, Dyson’s autobiography Against the Odds (one of the few great business autobiographies) is exhausting to read. It chronicles years of dishonest dealing, corrupt business practices and sheer bad luck as Dyson bulldozes his way through business deals that always seem to explode at the last minute.
And I’ll never forget Karla Diehl’s laughter when her firm Edison Automation made it into the Inc. 500. What was the big joke? “Everyone’s congratulating me as though we just arrived,” she said. “But we’ve been trying to figure this business out for nearly twenty years!”
What all business founders learn is that success rarely occurs overnight, and the triumph, when it arrives, does so when you’re too tired and battle-weary to celebrate. But what they’ve all learned along the way is that keeping going is the ultimate test. So where does that stamina come from? A colleague once asked me how I’d outlasted the 40 other CEOs in my corporate group, who’d all quit somewhere along the way. I realized that since I had two small children at the time, I had to go home at 6 p.m. Getting out of the office had kept me in the game.
It’s counter-intuitive, but stamina comes from having the courage and discipline to step away from work. Here are three ways to start:
1.Go home before everyone else does. It gives your employees permission to go home, too. Unless you’re in crunch mode, they’re much smarter when they’re rested than when they’re fried.
2.Give everyone a break after hitting big milestones. Otherwise the milestones become meaningless.
3.Be honest about family commitments. Most people don’t work for money; they work for their families. They’ll be more committed if you reduce the conflict they feel between work and family.
All success requires stamina. So why do we persist in thinking long hours are good for us? If you’re running a marathon, why try to maintain a sprinter’s pace?
MY THOUGHTS
i promise. i promise to go home before my staff. so they'll go home, too. maybe there is crunch time because we get too tired.
By Margaret Heffernan | April 1, 2010
What is it that entrepreneurs most need? When I ask that question at business schools, the answer is always “money.” But when I ask it of entrepreneurs themselves, the answer is something else — and it’s always the same: “stamina.”
I’ve interviewed successful business owners around the world, and that’s always the answer I get. When you think about it, the reason is obvious. If you quit, the game’s over and you know the outcome. But if you can keep going, you still have a chance. The question is, How do you keep yourself going? The answer may surprise you.
Liz Elting, who runs Transperfect, one of the world’s largest translation companies, vividly remembers an all-nighter she and her co-founder Phil Shawe pulled for a prestigious new client: “I remember one Christmas Eve that Phil and I were doing a job for Goldman Sachs, and we were in there working through the night. When it was done, we were late (and exhausted!) for our own personal family celebrations… In the first few years, there was a lot we gave up.”
James Dyson of vacuum cleaner fame spent twenty nerve-wracking and nearly bankrupting years bringing his revolutionary design to market. Chronicling the lawsuits and betrayals he went through, Dyson’s autobiography Against the Odds (one of the few great business autobiographies) is exhausting to read. It chronicles years of dishonest dealing, corrupt business practices and sheer bad luck as Dyson bulldozes his way through business deals that always seem to explode at the last minute.
And I’ll never forget Karla Diehl’s laughter when her firm Edison Automation made it into the Inc. 500. What was the big joke? “Everyone’s congratulating me as though we just arrived,” she said. “But we’ve been trying to figure this business out for nearly twenty years!”
What all business founders learn is that success rarely occurs overnight, and the triumph, when it arrives, does so when you’re too tired and battle-weary to celebrate. But what they’ve all learned along the way is that keeping going is the ultimate test. So where does that stamina come from? A colleague once asked me how I’d outlasted the 40 other CEOs in my corporate group, who’d all quit somewhere along the way. I realized that since I had two small children at the time, I had to go home at 6 p.m. Getting out of the office had kept me in the game.
It’s counter-intuitive, but stamina comes from having the courage and discipline to step away from work. Here are three ways to start:
1.Go home before everyone else does. It gives your employees permission to go home, too. Unless you’re in crunch mode, they’re much smarter when they’re rested than when they’re fried.
2.Give everyone a break after hitting big milestones. Otherwise the milestones become meaningless.
3.Be honest about family commitments. Most people don’t work for money; they work for their families. They’ll be more committed if you reduce the conflict they feel between work and family.
All success requires stamina. So why do we persist in thinking long hours are good for us? If you’re running a marathon, why try to maintain a sprinter’s pace?
MY THOUGHTS
i promise. i promise to go home before my staff. so they'll go home, too. maybe there is crunch time because we get too tired.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Work Stress Can Kill You - Don't Let It
Work Stress Can Kill You - Don't Let It
By Steve Tobak | March 2, 2010
I just read a report that Intel executive VP Sean Maloney suffered a stroke. Intel says the 53 year-old executive’s prognosis for full recovery is excellent and he’s expected to be back at work after a few month’s medical leave to recuperate. I’ve never met Maloney, but he’s been a rising star at Intel for nearly two decades and some consider him the leading candidate to take the reigns from current CEO Paul Otellini.
According to Real World Technologies analyst David Kanter in a Reuters article, “It was pretty clear that he [Maloney] and Dadi [Perlmutter] would be running the company together when Otellini steps down. The bigger question is, long-term, is this something that Sean says, ‘Maybe I need to slow down? Or maybe I’m not the right person to step up and be CEO.’”
That got me thinking about how we work ourselves to death on a stress treadmill, often of our own making, expecting some beautiful oasis at the end. But that’s not the way it works. Here’s how it really works:
A couple of years ago I had dinner with a long-time friend and associate who was in town from Dallas. After dinner, he mentioned he had a headache. Neither of us thought much of it. I went home and he went to his hotel. That night he had an aneurism. Luckily he’s fine now, even after a scary two week stay in the intensive care unit.A few years before that, my dad died after a long bout with heart disease and strokes. He used to worry about everything. Now he has nothing to worry about.
In 1997, a good friend in his late 30s had a stroke. That was a real shock. Who gets a stroke in his 30s? When I asked him why he thought it happened, he came clean and told me that he spent a good percentage of his brain cycles worrying about stuff. Who knew?
I get crazy migraine headaches when I’m stressed out. When the attacks are really bad, they can last for days. I know folks who get them much worse than that. It’s nuts.
I can’t speak for Sean, but everybody else in this story, myself included, is or was a stress monster.
Look, I know you folks like to hear about positive things that can help your careers; I don’t blame you. But let’s be honest, does any of that really matter if you stress and worry and push yourself so hard that you can’t enjoy it when you “make it,” either because you’re debilitated or not around. Morbid, I know, but it is reality, folks.
Want to know why I gave up a lucrative executive career at only 46? I think you can figure it out. But you know what? I rarely get those headaches anymore, maybe twice a year. I used to get them all the time.
Here’s the question: are you a stress monster? Sure, we all learn our own techniques to manage as best we can, but we also intuitively know when we’ve gotten to a point where things are starting to get out of control. When that happens, do yourself a favor: look in the mirror and ask yourself if it’s worth it. More importantly, if you think you’re stuck, ask yourself if you’re on a treadmill of your own making. More often than not, you are. And that means only you can stop it.
One more thing. There’s no beautiful oasis at the end. The journey is the oasis, every minute of every day. Enjoy it while you can.
MY THOUGHTS
the nagging question still is why? why kill ourselves working? why stress ourselves out? when you have the repsonisbilities, it's so hard to just call it quits and stop. afterall, there are things that need to be done. on the other hand, if you get sick Or die), life foes on and some other person will just take over the responsibilities. it's true, we do make the decision to get on that treadmill we even create the treadmill. but the treadmill has speed dials. and time dials. and you can't be running 24/7. just not possible. and not worth it.
By Steve Tobak | March 2, 2010
I just read a report that Intel executive VP Sean Maloney suffered a stroke. Intel says the 53 year-old executive’s prognosis for full recovery is excellent and he’s expected to be back at work after a few month’s medical leave to recuperate. I’ve never met Maloney, but he’s been a rising star at Intel for nearly two decades and some consider him the leading candidate to take the reigns from current CEO Paul Otellini.
According to Real World Technologies analyst David Kanter in a Reuters article, “It was pretty clear that he [Maloney] and Dadi [Perlmutter] would be running the company together when Otellini steps down. The bigger question is, long-term, is this something that Sean says, ‘Maybe I need to slow down? Or maybe I’m not the right person to step up and be CEO.’”
That got me thinking about how we work ourselves to death on a stress treadmill, often of our own making, expecting some beautiful oasis at the end. But that’s not the way it works. Here’s how it really works:
A couple of years ago I had dinner with a long-time friend and associate who was in town from Dallas. After dinner, he mentioned he had a headache. Neither of us thought much of it. I went home and he went to his hotel. That night he had an aneurism. Luckily he’s fine now, even after a scary two week stay in the intensive care unit.A few years before that, my dad died after a long bout with heart disease and strokes. He used to worry about everything. Now he has nothing to worry about.
In 1997, a good friend in his late 30s had a stroke. That was a real shock. Who gets a stroke in his 30s? When I asked him why he thought it happened, he came clean and told me that he spent a good percentage of his brain cycles worrying about stuff. Who knew?
I get crazy migraine headaches when I’m stressed out. When the attacks are really bad, they can last for days. I know folks who get them much worse than that. It’s nuts.
I can’t speak for Sean, but everybody else in this story, myself included, is or was a stress monster.
Look, I know you folks like to hear about positive things that can help your careers; I don’t blame you. But let’s be honest, does any of that really matter if you stress and worry and push yourself so hard that you can’t enjoy it when you “make it,” either because you’re debilitated or not around. Morbid, I know, but it is reality, folks.
Want to know why I gave up a lucrative executive career at only 46? I think you can figure it out. But you know what? I rarely get those headaches anymore, maybe twice a year. I used to get them all the time.
Here’s the question: are you a stress monster? Sure, we all learn our own techniques to manage as best we can, but we also intuitively know when we’ve gotten to a point where things are starting to get out of control. When that happens, do yourself a favor: look in the mirror and ask yourself if it’s worth it. More importantly, if you think you’re stuck, ask yourself if you’re on a treadmill of your own making. More often than not, you are. And that means only you can stop it.
One more thing. There’s no beautiful oasis at the end. The journey is the oasis, every minute of every day. Enjoy it while you can.
MY THOUGHTS
the nagging question still is why? why kill ourselves working? why stress ourselves out? when you have the repsonisbilities, it's so hard to just call it quits and stop. afterall, there are things that need to be done. on the other hand, if you get sick Or die), life foes on and some other person will just take over the responsibilities. it's true, we do make the decision to get on that treadmill we even create the treadmill. but the treadmill has speed dials. and time dials. and you can't be running 24/7. just not possible. and not worth it.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
What To Do When You Hate Your Job
What To Do When You Hate Your Job
By Alison Doyle, About.com Guide
I hate my job. I hate my company. I hate my boss. Many people do hate something or other about their work and I can't keep track of how many times I've seen those phrases lately.
That's not good, for a couple of reasons. First of all, it's tough to go to work every day when you hate it. Secondly, it really isn't good to broadcast the fact that you hate your job all over the Internet.
That doesn't mean you have to keep it. There are steps you can, and should, take to move on if you hate your job and you're not happy at work. We spend too much of our time working to stay in a job or work environment we hate, or even dislike. Besides being happier, you'll do a better job if you're working at a job you love, or at least like.
Keep Your "I Hate My Job" Thoughts to Yourself
Even if you do hate your job, keep it to yourself and your family or close friends. Don't tell the world, because the wrong person is probably going to see what you posted. Search Twitter for "I hate my job" to get an idea of what I mean.
Employees aren't the only ones using social networking sites. Employers are there, too, and if you say it someone will probably read it. Tweets, for example, show up in Google search. And, if you aren't careful about your Facebook privacy settings, you're opening yourself up for the wrong person to see it there, as well.
You don't want to lose your job before you start looking for a new one, just because you complained about it. Instead, it makes more sense to strategically plan your exit from the company.
Hating Your Job
Being in the situation where you're the person saying "I hate my job" can happen to any of us. It happens. The job might not be what you expected. Or, the job itself may be okay, but your boss or co-workers are awful. Perhaps you don't like the schedule or your customers, or whatever.
If you've reached the point where you have acknowledged that you hate the job, it's actually not a bad place to be at. At least you know and you can figure out what to do next.
Options for Staying
Don't just quit your job. You don't want to resign in haste and repent in leisure if you can't find another job fast. Begin by considering options for making the job work. Is there anything you could be doing different to be happier at work? Could you ask for a transfer or a shift change? Is there anything that would make a difference and convince you to stay?
Consider the alternatives, before you make a decision to leave. Finding a new job isn't always easy, if there's a fix, it's worth pursuing.
Get Ready to Job Search
If there's no way you can stay, that's fine, too. Again, at least you know. Don't quit your job yet though, regardless of how much you hate it. It's easier to find a job when you have a job and you probably won't be eligible for unemployment if you quit.
Instead, take the time to create or update your LinkedIn profile. Update your resume. Get some references lined up. Build your network by connecting with everyone you know on LinkedIn and the other top networking sites.
The more prepared you are before you actually start looking, the easier your job search will be.
Start a Job Search
Start a job search, quietly and discreetly. Don't broadcast the fact that you're job searching for the same reasons you're keeping quiet about about hating your job. You don't want your boss or someone else to know that you're planning to leave until you're ready to share the news.
Use the job search engines to see what jobs are available for candidates with your background. Then test the waters. Start applying for jobs and talking privately (via email, Facebook and LinkedIn messaging, etc.) with your contacts about the fact that you are seeking a new job.
These ten steps to finding a job covers everything you need to know to get your job search started and to keep it on track. Do keep in mind that it might take a while to find a new position, so be prepared for the long haul.
Moving On
When it's time to resign, I know that you probably want to shout it to the rooftops, but still don't broadcast the fact that you hated your last job. Companies check references. They ask about previous employers in interviews and what you say matters.
One applicant I interviewed spent the entire time talking about how much she hated her last job and the company she worked for. That company was my client's biggest customer. There was no way I was going to hire anyone with that big a chip on her shoulder for a job where she'd have to work with an employer she had disliked so much.
Resign Gracefully
Resign gracefully, giving two weeks notice. Offer to provide assistance during the transition and leave, as best you can, the company behind with no hard feelings.
Besides not being worth what it might cost you from a career perspective, it's also not worth the time and energy. You'll be better focused on your new job and how you can have a better experience, this time around.
MY THOUGHTS
There are days when we don't like our jobs. But when we hate our jobs, this is another issue altogether. This article is a very useful reminder. We may get to that point where we might hate our jobs - but there's professional way of dealing with the situation. never never never burn your bridges - you just don't know when you may need to cross that bridge again.
By Alison Doyle, About.com Guide
I hate my job. I hate my company. I hate my boss. Many people do hate something or other about their work and I can't keep track of how many times I've seen those phrases lately.
That's not good, for a couple of reasons. First of all, it's tough to go to work every day when you hate it. Secondly, it really isn't good to broadcast the fact that you hate your job all over the Internet.
That doesn't mean you have to keep it. There are steps you can, and should, take to move on if you hate your job and you're not happy at work. We spend too much of our time working to stay in a job or work environment we hate, or even dislike. Besides being happier, you'll do a better job if you're working at a job you love, or at least like.
Keep Your "I Hate My Job" Thoughts to Yourself
Even if you do hate your job, keep it to yourself and your family or close friends. Don't tell the world, because the wrong person is probably going to see what you posted. Search Twitter for "I hate my job" to get an idea of what I mean.
Employees aren't the only ones using social networking sites. Employers are there, too, and if you say it someone will probably read it. Tweets, for example, show up in Google search. And, if you aren't careful about your Facebook privacy settings, you're opening yourself up for the wrong person to see it there, as well.
You don't want to lose your job before you start looking for a new one, just because you complained about it. Instead, it makes more sense to strategically plan your exit from the company.
Hating Your Job
Being in the situation where you're the person saying "I hate my job" can happen to any of us. It happens. The job might not be what you expected. Or, the job itself may be okay, but your boss or co-workers are awful. Perhaps you don't like the schedule or your customers, or whatever.
If you've reached the point where you have acknowledged that you hate the job, it's actually not a bad place to be at. At least you know and you can figure out what to do next.
Options for Staying
Don't just quit your job. You don't want to resign in haste and repent in leisure if you can't find another job fast. Begin by considering options for making the job work. Is there anything you could be doing different to be happier at work? Could you ask for a transfer or a shift change? Is there anything that would make a difference and convince you to stay?
Consider the alternatives, before you make a decision to leave. Finding a new job isn't always easy, if there's a fix, it's worth pursuing.
Get Ready to Job Search
If there's no way you can stay, that's fine, too. Again, at least you know. Don't quit your job yet though, regardless of how much you hate it. It's easier to find a job when you have a job and you probably won't be eligible for unemployment if you quit.
Instead, take the time to create or update your LinkedIn profile. Update your resume. Get some references lined up. Build your network by connecting with everyone you know on LinkedIn and the other top networking sites.
The more prepared you are before you actually start looking, the easier your job search will be.
Start a Job Search
Start a job search, quietly and discreetly. Don't broadcast the fact that you're job searching for the same reasons you're keeping quiet about about hating your job. You don't want your boss or someone else to know that you're planning to leave until you're ready to share the news.
Use the job search engines to see what jobs are available for candidates with your background. Then test the waters. Start applying for jobs and talking privately (via email, Facebook and LinkedIn messaging, etc.) with your contacts about the fact that you are seeking a new job.
These ten steps to finding a job covers everything you need to know to get your job search started and to keep it on track. Do keep in mind that it might take a while to find a new position, so be prepared for the long haul.
Moving On
When it's time to resign, I know that you probably want to shout it to the rooftops, but still don't broadcast the fact that you hated your last job. Companies check references. They ask about previous employers in interviews and what you say matters.
One applicant I interviewed spent the entire time talking about how much she hated her last job and the company she worked for. That company was my client's biggest customer. There was no way I was going to hire anyone with that big a chip on her shoulder for a job where she'd have to work with an employer she had disliked so much.
Resign Gracefully
Resign gracefully, giving two weeks notice. Offer to provide assistance during the transition and leave, as best you can, the company behind with no hard feelings.
Besides not being worth what it might cost you from a career perspective, it's also not worth the time and energy. You'll be better focused on your new job and how you can have a better experience, this time around.
MY THOUGHTS
There are days when we don't like our jobs. But when we hate our jobs, this is another issue altogether. This article is a very useful reminder. We may get to that point where we might hate our jobs - but there's professional way of dealing with the situation. never never never burn your bridges - you just don't know when you may need to cross that bridge again.
Friday, July 23, 2010
what do you do when your boss is wrong?
5 Things to Do When the Boss is Wrong
By Suzanne Lucas
July 21st, 2010 @ 3:15 am
So, it turns out that Apple knew about the antenna problems with the new Iphone, but CEO Steve Jobs liked the design. I don’t presume to know what went on internally at Apple, but I do know this: when a HIPPO (Highest Paid Person’s Opinion) appears, prepared to be trampled. I do have a few tips for avoiding the trampling. Here are 5 steps when a HIPPO threatens your project:
1.Say, “Great idea Boss! We’ll test it.” This comes directly from Jim Sterne who introduced the term to me through my BNET colleague, Sean Silverman. This gives you some time.
2.Test with an Open Mind. So, it turns out that some of those people at the top of the food chain got there because they are smart. Just because it seems stupid to you, doesn’t mean it’s stupid. So, test the HIPPO’s idea. You may be surprised. But, if you’re not and it’s a bad, bad, bad idea then…
3.Document, Document, Document. A casual stop by the CEOs office to say, “So, Sally, we looked into that rubber-snake-designer-jeans idea you had and, well, nobody likes it. See you later!” will not fly. Actual numbers will. Focus group data that says, “Gee this antenna problem is a BIG DEAL” is much more convincing. Make sure you have your data and present it professionally. But if the HIPPO still wants this solution then…
4.Don’t Whine, Problem Solve. In my experience, HIPPOs want what they want, dang it, and sometimes they just won’t listen. So, figure out how to solve the problem. So, you’ve tested it and the results show problems. It’s time to problem solve. CEO and BNET writer Margaret Heffernan has a rule that all complaints must come with a solution. So, don’t complain. Come up with a solution and be prepared to present all the costs involved in the solution.
5.Get on board. Unless the HIPPO’s idea is illegal or immoral (in which case you should blow the whistle), you’ve made your case and now you need to get on board. You’re being paid to work for the HIPPO, so after you’ve done your best, you need to do what he or she wants. I know it’s unpleasant, but it’s the reality. If it’s just so terrible that you can’t support it, then it’s time to leave the company.
Following these steps can often stop the stampede–or at least lessen the impact. Just be prepared whenever a HIPPO walks into the room.
MY THOUGHTS
as a boss, i make mistakes, for sure. a lot. that's because as bosses, we don't know everything. but we are HIPPOs (not necessarily the highest paid in the organization, but should get higher pay than the staff) because we should know how to take risks. taking risks means, sometimes making mistakes. and when we do, i would love having staff who can do steps 1-5. for staff who seem to think trhey are better than the boss, no. 5 will be difficult. it will take maturity, and wisdom, to realize and accept that even if the boss is wrong, he's still the boss. as a subordinate, it's still a responsibility to give the boss some warning. at the end of the day, he decides, we obey.
By Suzanne Lucas
July 21st, 2010 @ 3:15 am
So, it turns out that Apple knew about the antenna problems with the new Iphone, but CEO Steve Jobs liked the design. I don’t presume to know what went on internally at Apple, but I do know this: when a HIPPO (Highest Paid Person’s Opinion) appears, prepared to be trampled. I do have a few tips for avoiding the trampling. Here are 5 steps when a HIPPO threatens your project:
1.Say, “Great idea Boss! We’ll test it.” This comes directly from Jim Sterne who introduced the term to me through my BNET colleague, Sean Silverman. This gives you some time.
2.Test with an Open Mind. So, it turns out that some of those people at the top of the food chain got there because they are smart. Just because it seems stupid to you, doesn’t mean it’s stupid. So, test the HIPPO’s idea. You may be surprised. But, if you’re not and it’s a bad, bad, bad idea then…
3.Document, Document, Document. A casual stop by the CEOs office to say, “So, Sally, we looked into that rubber-snake-designer-jeans idea you had and, well, nobody likes it. See you later!” will not fly. Actual numbers will. Focus group data that says, “Gee this antenna problem is a BIG DEAL” is much more convincing. Make sure you have your data and present it professionally. But if the HIPPO still wants this solution then…
4.Don’t Whine, Problem Solve. In my experience, HIPPOs want what they want, dang it, and sometimes they just won’t listen. So, figure out how to solve the problem. So, you’ve tested it and the results show problems. It’s time to problem solve. CEO and BNET writer Margaret Heffernan has a rule that all complaints must come with a solution. So, don’t complain. Come up with a solution and be prepared to present all the costs involved in the solution.
5.Get on board. Unless the HIPPO’s idea is illegal or immoral (in which case you should blow the whistle), you’ve made your case and now you need to get on board. You’re being paid to work for the HIPPO, so after you’ve done your best, you need to do what he or she wants. I know it’s unpleasant, but it’s the reality. If it’s just so terrible that you can’t support it, then it’s time to leave the company.
Following these steps can often stop the stampede–or at least lessen the impact. Just be prepared whenever a HIPPO walks into the room.
MY THOUGHTS
as a boss, i make mistakes, for sure. a lot. that's because as bosses, we don't know everything. but we are HIPPOs (not necessarily the highest paid in the organization, but should get higher pay than the staff) because we should know how to take risks. taking risks means, sometimes making mistakes. and when we do, i would love having staff who can do steps 1-5. for staff who seem to think trhey are better than the boss, no. 5 will be difficult. it will take maturity, and wisdom, to realize and accept that even if the boss is wrong, he's still the boss. as a subordinate, it's still a responsibility to give the boss some warning. at the end of the day, he decides, we obey.
Friday, July 2, 2010
11 Ways to be Productive When You're Brain Dead
11 Ways to be Productive When You're Brain Dead
By Steve Tobak
Ever have one of those days when you wake up but your brain doesn’t? Come on; tell the truth. Hell, it happens to me all the time. There are dozens of causes: overwork, overstress, lack of sleep, too much fun the night before, temporary depression, sick of a never-ending project, or just plain lazy, to name a few. Sometimes the old noggin just doesn’t want to work. Do you blame it?
On days like that, you essentially have four choices: Stay home, try to have a normal day and probably screw it up, exercise, or adjust. Since I don’t consider the first two choices real options, at least not for me or most executives, and when I don’t feel like thinking I sure as hell don’t feel like exercising, I decided long ago to find ways to adjust, to make the most of those days when my brain’s on autopilot.
As it turns out, there are certain types of tasks that most of us either have to do or should do, even managers and top level executives, that don’t require you to be at the top of your game. Of course, you may have to crank up your willpower to get started, but the point is that, once you do - get started - you’ll cruise right through these ….
11 Ways to be Productive When You’re Brain Dead
1.Work on the graphics, special effects, or slide show timing of a Powerpoint presentation. Creative work that doesn’t require intense thought.
2.Hold one-on-one meetings with your staff or peers, ask them how you can improve, and really listen to what they have to say.
3.Let your mind wonder and brainstorm. You see, when you’re conscious mind is tired, your subconscious sort of kicks in and takes up the slack. You’d be amazed at what you can tap into. I get some of my best ideas when I’m half asleep or not even thinking.
4.Walk around, talk to people, let your guard down, be yourself.
5.If you happen to be writing something, do an outline. The final product always turns out better that way and outlining is methodical work that doesn’t require a lot of brainpower.
6.Check out what the competition is doing. Do a little digging, call some contacts to get some competitive G2.
7.Try a change of scenery, like working outside for a change.
8.Schmooze with some vendors or partners. No, I’m not saying completely waste people’s time, I’m talking about checking in and asking open questions that you usually don’t ask.
9.Take your administrative assistant or favorite employee out for a long lunch and really get to know them.
10.Do your expense reports. Yes, my least favorite too, but it is more or less brainless work.
11.Clean off your desk. Granted, this one really sucks, but you feel such a sense of accomplishment when you’re done, it almost makes it worthwhile.
Now, assuming that each one of you has a brain, which I sincerely hope isn’t too much of a stretch, and that’s it’s not always operating at peak efficiency, what do you do to make the best of it?
MY THOUGHTS
of course it happens - your brain just stopped working. and quite often when you're not happy about what you're doing. or when there are just too many things happening at the same time. it's good to know there are at least 11 ways of switching on your brain that went somewhere. personally, i think it's good to be brain dead once in a while. just for the overworked brain to rest. but not when you have a board meeting the next day and you end up fouling up your report. that's not gonna be brain dead. that's gonna be simply - dead!!!!
By Steve Tobak
Ever have one of those days when you wake up but your brain doesn’t? Come on; tell the truth. Hell, it happens to me all the time. There are dozens of causes: overwork, overstress, lack of sleep, too much fun the night before, temporary depression, sick of a never-ending project, or just plain lazy, to name a few. Sometimes the old noggin just doesn’t want to work. Do you blame it?
On days like that, you essentially have four choices: Stay home, try to have a normal day and probably screw it up, exercise, or adjust. Since I don’t consider the first two choices real options, at least not for me or most executives, and when I don’t feel like thinking I sure as hell don’t feel like exercising, I decided long ago to find ways to adjust, to make the most of those days when my brain’s on autopilot.
As it turns out, there are certain types of tasks that most of us either have to do or should do, even managers and top level executives, that don’t require you to be at the top of your game. Of course, you may have to crank up your willpower to get started, but the point is that, once you do - get started - you’ll cruise right through these ….
11 Ways to be Productive When You’re Brain Dead
1.Work on the graphics, special effects, or slide show timing of a Powerpoint presentation. Creative work that doesn’t require intense thought.
2.Hold one-on-one meetings with your staff or peers, ask them how you can improve, and really listen to what they have to say.
3.Let your mind wonder and brainstorm. You see, when you’re conscious mind is tired, your subconscious sort of kicks in and takes up the slack. You’d be amazed at what you can tap into. I get some of my best ideas when I’m half asleep or not even thinking.
4.Walk around, talk to people, let your guard down, be yourself.
5.If you happen to be writing something, do an outline. The final product always turns out better that way and outlining is methodical work that doesn’t require a lot of brainpower.
6.Check out what the competition is doing. Do a little digging, call some contacts to get some competitive G2.
7.Try a change of scenery, like working outside for a change.
8.Schmooze with some vendors or partners. No, I’m not saying completely waste people’s time, I’m talking about checking in and asking open questions that you usually don’t ask.
9.Take your administrative assistant or favorite employee out for a long lunch and really get to know them.
10.Do your expense reports. Yes, my least favorite too, but it is more or less brainless work.
11.Clean off your desk. Granted, this one really sucks, but you feel such a sense of accomplishment when you’re done, it almost makes it worthwhile.
Now, assuming that each one of you has a brain, which I sincerely hope isn’t too much of a stretch, and that’s it’s not always operating at peak efficiency, what do you do to make the best of it?
MY THOUGHTS
of course it happens - your brain just stopped working. and quite often when you're not happy about what you're doing. or when there are just too many things happening at the same time. it's good to know there are at least 11 ways of switching on your brain that went somewhere. personally, i think it's good to be brain dead once in a while. just for the overworked brain to rest. but not when you have a board meeting the next day and you end up fouling up your report. that's not gonna be brain dead. that's gonna be simply - dead!!!!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
are you a procrastinator or an incubator?
The 11th Hour: How Working Under Pressure Can Be a Strength
By Robert Biswas-Diener
Original Content | January 12, 2010
Waiting until the last minute to tackle important projects doesn't mean you're a procrastinator—it could just mean that your mind works better under pressure.
As a university instructor, the close of each academic term is always the same for me: I get a flurry of apologetic e-mails from panicked students who have put off their homework and term papers until the last possible moment. They beg for an extension. Procrastination is a phenomenon that is familiar to everyone, even outside of academia.
Who really likes to wash laundry, balance checkbooks or fill out complicated tax forms? Most folks put these activities off in favor of more pleasant pastimes like socializing, going out to eat or reading a good book. Procrastination is the result of having very little motivation for a boring or unpleasant activity and it is something everyone experiences. The real problem is that procrastination can sometimes overshadow a hidden strength.
Incubation Is Not Procrastination
I once coached an extraordinary young man, whom I'll call Mark. Mark was at the tail end of his training at a prestigious medical school. When we met on a Monday of his last week, Mark told me he felt the stress of a number of weighty assignments, all of which had pressing deadlines. He had only a handful of days to write applications for internships, turn in final papers and secure letters of recommendation. It was a tremendous amount of difficult work to be completed in a short period of time. Mark asked me to check back with him midweek to crack the whip and make sure he was still making progress on his work. When we spoke again on Wednesday, Mark had fallen into a deep funk. Not only was there no progress, but he had frittered away hours in meaningless pastimes like downloading music and walking in the park.
Mark uttered the all-too-familiar phrase, "I am such a procrastinator!" He vilified himself for checking e-mail, having lunch with his wife and other activities that appeared to be in the service of avoiding his more pressing tasks. Something about the word "procrastinator" just didn't fit with what I was seeing. Here was a young man about to graduate from an elite medical school with a flawless academic record extending back into his middle school years. My instincts told me that it was not a lifetime of chronic procrastination that led Mark to his current situation. On a hunch, I asked him a crucial question, "When you get around to completing your work—and we both know that you eventually will—how will the quality be?" My client seemed taken aback by the question. He answered with confidence, a single word: "Superior!"
The 11th Hour: How Working Under Pressure Can Be a Strength
By Robert Biswas-Diener
Original Content | January 12, 2010 Comment (1) Email Print Share I Like It I realized, in that moment, that there may be a subtle but important difference between the "back burner" mentality I saw in my client and the traditional way a procrastinator works.
Procrastinators may have a habit of putting off important work. They may not ever get to projects or leave projects half finished. Importantly, when they do complete projects, the quality might be mediocre as a result of their lack of engagement or inability to work well under pressure. What Mark presented was something qualitatively different: a clear sense of deadlines, confidence that the work would be complete on time, certainty that the work would be of superior quality and the ability to subconsciously process important ideas while doing other—often recreational—activities. I realized I was looking at a strength, one I called "incubator." When I shared this term with Mark, he felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders.
What Does Incubation Mean?
One of the greatest difficulties with identifying an incubator is that they often look like procrastinators. People with both work styles tend to put off work until the last moment, and both seem to be best motivated by external pressures such as deadlines. Importantly, people with both work styles are likely to be hard on themselves and consider themselves lazy. In a pilot study with 184 undergraduate university students, we were able to isolate specific items that distinguished incubators from the rest of the pack. Incubators were the only students who had superior-quality work but who also worked at the last moment, under pressure, motivated by a looming deadline. This set them apart from the classic "good students," the planners who strategically start working long before assignments are due, and from the procrastinators, who wait until the last minute but then hand in shoddy work or hand it in late.
For most incubators, having a label that is less pejorative than "procrastinator" can be a breath of fresh air. Incubators tend to be bright, creative people with an amazing gift to work hard under pressure. As such, they can be very dependable in work situations that require last-minute changes or tight deadlines. The other side of this coin is that they can be frustrating to work with because they appear to sit idle for so long. For incubators, it can be as helpful to appraise friends, family members and co-workers of your natural work style so the people around you can adjust their expectations accordingly. Setting realistic expectations for yourself can let you off the emotional hook as you appear to waste time, solid in the knowledge that your projects will be completed when they need to be. My former coaching client, Mark, actually built in "incubation time" during which he could watch movies, listen to music or other goof-off activities, knowing that—below the surface—his mind was preparing for work and that he would snap into action when the time was right. As for my students requesting extensions for their term papers, they should have planned ahead! Are You an Incubator? Use the scale below to answer the following questions:
4 - Perfectly describes me
3 - Describes me somewhat
2 - Does not really describe me
1 - Does not describe me at all
A. _____ I always get my work completed on time.
B. _____ The quality of my work is superior.
C. _____ It takes a looming deadline to motivate me.
D. _____ When I finally get to work, I feel highly engaged.
E. _____ I surprise myself by moving into action at the last minute.
F. _____ I do my best work under pressure.
If you scored a 20 or higher, you may be an incubator.
Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener is widely known as the Indiana Jones of Positive Psychology because his research on happiness has taken him to such far flung places as Greenland, India and Kenya. He currently sits on the editorial boards for the Journal of Happiness Studies and Journal of Positive Psychology and is the author of Practicing Positive Psychology Coaching, Happiness: Unlocking the mysteries of psychological wealth and Positive Psychology Coaching.
MY THOUGHTS
If I don't watch it, I can be an incubator. Working under pressure has always been part of my job description. years of practice can make you think you're an expert. because you are able to deliver, somehow you thing you're good. that it's a competency you should be proud of.like everything else incubation has its downside. ad our works tyle affects everyone else - at home and at work. so, incubation should be a style we use only sparingly and not all the time.
By Robert Biswas-Diener
Original Content | January 12, 2010
Waiting until the last minute to tackle important projects doesn't mean you're a procrastinator—it could just mean that your mind works better under pressure.
As a university instructor, the close of each academic term is always the same for me: I get a flurry of apologetic e-mails from panicked students who have put off their homework and term papers until the last possible moment. They beg for an extension. Procrastination is a phenomenon that is familiar to everyone, even outside of academia.
Who really likes to wash laundry, balance checkbooks or fill out complicated tax forms? Most folks put these activities off in favor of more pleasant pastimes like socializing, going out to eat or reading a good book. Procrastination is the result of having very little motivation for a boring or unpleasant activity and it is something everyone experiences. The real problem is that procrastination can sometimes overshadow a hidden strength.
Incubation Is Not Procrastination
I once coached an extraordinary young man, whom I'll call Mark. Mark was at the tail end of his training at a prestigious medical school. When we met on a Monday of his last week, Mark told me he felt the stress of a number of weighty assignments, all of which had pressing deadlines. He had only a handful of days to write applications for internships, turn in final papers and secure letters of recommendation. It was a tremendous amount of difficult work to be completed in a short period of time. Mark asked me to check back with him midweek to crack the whip and make sure he was still making progress on his work. When we spoke again on Wednesday, Mark had fallen into a deep funk. Not only was there no progress, but he had frittered away hours in meaningless pastimes like downloading music and walking in the park.
Mark uttered the all-too-familiar phrase, "I am such a procrastinator!" He vilified himself for checking e-mail, having lunch with his wife and other activities that appeared to be in the service of avoiding his more pressing tasks. Something about the word "procrastinator" just didn't fit with what I was seeing. Here was a young man about to graduate from an elite medical school with a flawless academic record extending back into his middle school years. My instincts told me that it was not a lifetime of chronic procrastination that led Mark to his current situation. On a hunch, I asked him a crucial question, "When you get around to completing your work—and we both know that you eventually will—how will the quality be?" My client seemed taken aback by the question. He answered with confidence, a single word: "Superior!"
The 11th Hour: How Working Under Pressure Can Be a Strength
By Robert Biswas-Diener
Original Content | January 12, 2010 Comment (1) Email Print Share I Like It I realized, in that moment, that there may be a subtle but important difference between the "back burner" mentality I saw in my client and the traditional way a procrastinator works.
Procrastinators may have a habit of putting off important work. They may not ever get to projects or leave projects half finished. Importantly, when they do complete projects, the quality might be mediocre as a result of their lack of engagement or inability to work well under pressure. What Mark presented was something qualitatively different: a clear sense of deadlines, confidence that the work would be complete on time, certainty that the work would be of superior quality and the ability to subconsciously process important ideas while doing other—often recreational—activities. I realized I was looking at a strength, one I called "incubator." When I shared this term with Mark, he felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders.
What Does Incubation Mean?
One of the greatest difficulties with identifying an incubator is that they often look like procrastinators. People with both work styles tend to put off work until the last moment, and both seem to be best motivated by external pressures such as deadlines. Importantly, people with both work styles are likely to be hard on themselves and consider themselves lazy. In a pilot study with 184 undergraduate university students, we were able to isolate specific items that distinguished incubators from the rest of the pack. Incubators were the only students who had superior-quality work but who also worked at the last moment, under pressure, motivated by a looming deadline. This set them apart from the classic "good students," the planners who strategically start working long before assignments are due, and from the procrastinators, who wait until the last minute but then hand in shoddy work or hand it in late.
For most incubators, having a label that is less pejorative than "procrastinator" can be a breath of fresh air. Incubators tend to be bright, creative people with an amazing gift to work hard under pressure. As such, they can be very dependable in work situations that require last-minute changes or tight deadlines. The other side of this coin is that they can be frustrating to work with because they appear to sit idle for so long. For incubators, it can be as helpful to appraise friends, family members and co-workers of your natural work style so the people around you can adjust their expectations accordingly. Setting realistic expectations for yourself can let you off the emotional hook as you appear to waste time, solid in the knowledge that your projects will be completed when they need to be. My former coaching client, Mark, actually built in "incubation time" during which he could watch movies, listen to music or other goof-off activities, knowing that—below the surface—his mind was preparing for work and that he would snap into action when the time was right. As for my students requesting extensions for their term papers, they should have planned ahead! Are You an Incubator? Use the scale below to answer the following questions:
4 - Perfectly describes me
3 - Describes me somewhat
2 - Does not really describe me
1 - Does not describe me at all
A. _____ I always get my work completed on time.
B. _____ The quality of my work is superior.
C. _____ It takes a looming deadline to motivate me.
D. _____ When I finally get to work, I feel highly engaged.
E. _____ I surprise myself by moving into action at the last minute.
F. _____ I do my best work under pressure.
If you scored a 20 or higher, you may be an incubator.
Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener is widely known as the Indiana Jones of Positive Psychology because his research on happiness has taken him to such far flung places as Greenland, India and Kenya. He currently sits on the editorial boards for the Journal of Happiness Studies and Journal of Positive Psychology and is the author of Practicing Positive Psychology Coaching, Happiness: Unlocking the mysteries of psychological wealth and Positive Psychology Coaching.
MY THOUGHTS
If I don't watch it, I can be an incubator. Working under pressure has always been part of my job description. years of practice can make you think you're an expert. because you are able to deliver, somehow you thing you're good. that it's a competency you should be proud of.like everything else incubation has its downside. ad our works tyle affects everyone else - at home and at work. so, incubation should be a style we use only sparingly and not all the time.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
The 11th Hour: How Working Under Pressure Can Be a Strength
The 11th Hour: How Working Under Pressure Can Be a Strength
By Robert Biswas-Diener
Original Content | January 12, 2010
Waiting until the last minute to tackle important projects doesn't mean you're a procrastinator—it could just mean that your mind works better under pressure.
As a university instructor, the close of each academic term is always the same for me: I get a flurry of apologetic e-mails from panicked students who have put off their homework and term papers until the last possible moment. They beg for an extension. Procrastination is a phenomenon that is familiar to everyone, even outside of academia.
Who really likes to wash laundry, balance checkbooks or fill out complicated tax forms? Most folks put these activities off in favor of more pleasant pastimes like socializing, going out to eat or reading a good book. Procrastination is the result of having very little motivation for a boring or unpleasant activity and it is something everyone experiences. The real problem is that procrastination can sometimes overshadow a hidden strength.
Incubation Is Not Procrastination
I once coached an extraordinary young man, whom I'll call Mark. Mark was at the tail end of his training at a prestigious medical school. When we met on a Monday of his last week, Mark told me he felt the stress of a number of weighty assignments, all of which had pressing deadlines. He had only a handful of days to write applications for internships, turn in final papers and secure letters of recommendation. It was a tremendous amount of difficult work to be completed in a short period of time. Mark asked me to check back with him midweek to crack the whip and make sure he was still making progress on his work. When we spoke again on Wednesday, Mark had fallen into a deep funk. Not only was there no progress, but he had frittered away hours in meaningless pastimes like downloading music and walking in the park.
Mark uttered the all-too-familiar phrase, "I am such a procrastinator!" He vilified himself for checking e-mail, having lunch with his wife and other activities that appeared to be in the service of avoiding his more pressing tasks. Something about the word "procrastinator" just didn't fit with what I was seeing. Here was a young man about to graduate from an elite medical school with a flawless academic record extending back into his middle school years. My instincts told me that it was not a lifetime of chronic procrastination that led Mark to his current situation. On a hunch, I asked him a crucial question, "When you get around to completing your work—and we both know that you eventually will—how will the quality be?" My client seemed taken aback by the question. He answered with confidence, a single word: "Superior!"
The 11th Hour: How Working Under Pressure Can Be a Strength
By Robert Biswas-Diener
Original Content | January 12, 2010 Comment (1) Email Print Share I Like It I realized, in that moment, that there may be a subtle but important difference between the "back burner" mentality I saw in my client and the traditional way a procrastinator works.
Procrastinators may have a habit of putting off important work. They may not ever get to projects or leave projects half finished. Importantly, when they do complete projects, the quality might be mediocre as a result of their lack of engagement or inability to work well under pressure. What Mark presented was something qualitatively different: a clear sense of deadlines, confidence that the work would be complete on time, certainty that the work would be of superior quality and the ability to subconsciously process important ideas while doing other—often recreational—activities. I realized I was looking at a strength, one I called "incubator." When I shared this term with Mark, he felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders.
What Does Incubation Mean?
One of the greatest difficulties with identifying an incubator is that they often look like procrastinators. People with both work styles tend to put off work until the last moment, and both seem to be best motivated by external pressures such as deadlines. Importantly, people with both work styles are likely to be hard on themselves and consider themselves lazy. In a pilot study with 184 undergraduate university students, we were able to isolate specific items that distinguished incubators from the rest of the pack. Incubators were the only students who had superior-quality work but who also worked at the last moment, under pressure, motivated by a looming deadline. This set them apart from the classic "good students," the planners who strategically start working long before assignments are due, and from the procrastinators, who wait until the last minute but then hand in shoddy work or hand it in late.
For most incubators, having a label that is less pejorative than "procrastinator" can be a breath of fresh air. Incubators tend to be bright, creative people with an amazing gift to work hard under pressure. As such, they can be very dependable in work situations that require last-minute changes or tight deadlines. The other side of this coin is that they can be frustrating to work with because they appear to sit idle for so long. For incubators, it can be as helpful to appraise friends, family members and co-workers of your natural work style so the people around you can adjust their expectations accordingly. Setting realistic expectations for yourself can let you off the emotional hook as you appear to waste time, solid in the knowledge that your projects will be completed when they need to be. My former coaching client, Mark, actually built in "incubation time" during which he could watch movies, listen to music or other goof-off activities, knowing that—below the surface—his mind was preparing for work and that he would snap into action when the time was right. As for my students requesting extensions for their term papers, they should have planned ahead! Are You an Incubator? Use the scale below to answer the following questions:
4 - Perfectly describes me
3 - Describes me somewhat
2 - Does not really describe me
1 - Does not describe me at all
A. _____ I always get my work completed on time.
B. _____ The quality of my work is superior.
C. _____ It takes a looming deadline to motivate me.
D. _____ When I finally get to work, I feel highly engaged.
E. _____ I surprise myself by moving into action at the last minute.
F. _____ I do my best work under pressure.
If you scored a 20 or higher, you may be an incubator.
Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener is widely known as the Indiana Jones of Positive Psychology because his research on happiness has taken him to such far flung places as Greenland, India and Kenya. He currently sits on the editorial boards for the Journal of Happiness Studies and Journal of Positive Psychology and is the author of Practicing Positive Psychology Coaching, Happiness: Unlocking the mysteries of psychological wealth and Positive Psychology Coaching.
By Robert Biswas-Diener
Original Content | January 12, 2010
Waiting until the last minute to tackle important projects doesn't mean you're a procrastinator—it could just mean that your mind works better under pressure.
As a university instructor, the close of each academic term is always the same for me: I get a flurry of apologetic e-mails from panicked students who have put off their homework and term papers until the last possible moment. They beg for an extension. Procrastination is a phenomenon that is familiar to everyone, even outside of academia.
Who really likes to wash laundry, balance checkbooks or fill out complicated tax forms? Most folks put these activities off in favor of more pleasant pastimes like socializing, going out to eat or reading a good book. Procrastination is the result of having very little motivation for a boring or unpleasant activity and it is something everyone experiences. The real problem is that procrastination can sometimes overshadow a hidden strength.
Incubation Is Not Procrastination
I once coached an extraordinary young man, whom I'll call Mark. Mark was at the tail end of his training at a prestigious medical school. When we met on a Monday of his last week, Mark told me he felt the stress of a number of weighty assignments, all of which had pressing deadlines. He had only a handful of days to write applications for internships, turn in final papers and secure letters of recommendation. It was a tremendous amount of difficult work to be completed in a short period of time. Mark asked me to check back with him midweek to crack the whip and make sure he was still making progress on his work. When we spoke again on Wednesday, Mark had fallen into a deep funk. Not only was there no progress, but he had frittered away hours in meaningless pastimes like downloading music and walking in the park.
Mark uttered the all-too-familiar phrase, "I am such a procrastinator!" He vilified himself for checking e-mail, having lunch with his wife and other activities that appeared to be in the service of avoiding his more pressing tasks. Something about the word "procrastinator" just didn't fit with what I was seeing. Here was a young man about to graduate from an elite medical school with a flawless academic record extending back into his middle school years. My instincts told me that it was not a lifetime of chronic procrastination that led Mark to his current situation. On a hunch, I asked him a crucial question, "When you get around to completing your work—and we both know that you eventually will—how will the quality be?" My client seemed taken aback by the question. He answered with confidence, a single word: "Superior!"
The 11th Hour: How Working Under Pressure Can Be a Strength
By Robert Biswas-Diener
Original Content | January 12, 2010 Comment (1) Email Print Share I Like It I realized, in that moment, that there may be a subtle but important difference between the "back burner" mentality I saw in my client and the traditional way a procrastinator works.
Procrastinators may have a habit of putting off important work. They may not ever get to projects or leave projects half finished. Importantly, when they do complete projects, the quality might be mediocre as a result of their lack of engagement or inability to work well under pressure. What Mark presented was something qualitatively different: a clear sense of deadlines, confidence that the work would be complete on time, certainty that the work would be of superior quality and the ability to subconsciously process important ideas while doing other—often recreational—activities. I realized I was looking at a strength, one I called "incubator." When I shared this term with Mark, he felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders.
What Does Incubation Mean?
One of the greatest difficulties with identifying an incubator is that they often look like procrastinators. People with both work styles tend to put off work until the last moment, and both seem to be best motivated by external pressures such as deadlines. Importantly, people with both work styles are likely to be hard on themselves and consider themselves lazy. In a pilot study with 184 undergraduate university students, we were able to isolate specific items that distinguished incubators from the rest of the pack. Incubators were the only students who had superior-quality work but who also worked at the last moment, under pressure, motivated by a looming deadline. This set them apart from the classic "good students," the planners who strategically start working long before assignments are due, and from the procrastinators, who wait until the last minute but then hand in shoddy work or hand it in late.
For most incubators, having a label that is less pejorative than "procrastinator" can be a breath of fresh air. Incubators tend to be bright, creative people with an amazing gift to work hard under pressure. As such, they can be very dependable in work situations that require last-minute changes or tight deadlines. The other side of this coin is that they can be frustrating to work with because they appear to sit idle for so long. For incubators, it can be as helpful to appraise friends, family members and co-workers of your natural work style so the people around you can adjust their expectations accordingly. Setting realistic expectations for yourself can let you off the emotional hook as you appear to waste time, solid in the knowledge that your projects will be completed when they need to be. My former coaching client, Mark, actually built in "incubation time" during which he could watch movies, listen to music or other goof-off activities, knowing that—below the surface—his mind was preparing for work and that he would snap into action when the time was right. As for my students requesting extensions for their term papers, they should have planned ahead! Are You an Incubator? Use the scale below to answer the following questions:
4 - Perfectly describes me
3 - Describes me somewhat
2 - Does not really describe me
1 - Does not describe me at all
A. _____ I always get my work completed on time.
B. _____ The quality of my work is superior.
C. _____ It takes a looming deadline to motivate me.
D. _____ When I finally get to work, I feel highly engaged.
E. _____ I surprise myself by moving into action at the last minute.
F. _____ I do my best work under pressure.
If you scored a 20 or higher, you may be an incubator.
Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener is widely known as the Indiana Jones of Positive Psychology because his research on happiness has taken him to such far flung places as Greenland, India and Kenya. He currently sits on the editorial boards for the Journal of Happiness Studies and Journal of Positive Psychology and is the author of Practicing Positive Psychology Coaching, Happiness: Unlocking the mysteries of psychological wealth and Positive Psychology Coaching.
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