People are affected by events that naturally occur, like births and deaths, and we expect that emotions will rise and fall accordingly. People become emotionally volatile during times of stress. Having babies, planning weddings, buying homes, dealing with divorce or separations, wage cuts or rollbacks, and employment layoffs, are all reasons people feel stress. It seems that this year the economic uncertainty we all faced created a heightened sense of nervousness in people that were normally pretty stable.
It is an interesting study in human behavior to watch employees spread the sense of panic amongst friends, family, and co-workers. Before the wage cuts, or the layoffs, employees worry about losing their homes, and not being able to afford Kraft Dinner. Strange thinking the worst, as things do generally work out for most people.
The bosses have been volatile as well, concerned about keeping staff, paying bills, cutting costs, problem solving, and maybe keeping their personal expenses in check. The world is volatile, but if we all keep our emotions in control, we’ll all work through it. The emotional stress factors of life will actually hold most people back from moving forward. Instead of becoming more effective, efficient, and productive at work, some employees shut down, do less, and worry more. For others, the terrified nature of “what if” creates a fight or flight reaction, which kicks them into action.
Managing emotional volatility, especially in an unsure work environment, is nearly impossible. However, information is power. Getting as much knowledge as possible, and making a plan for any type of volatile situation will mitigate the fear factor, if nothing else, which is pretty freeing.
Personalities will be what they are, dealing with the emotions of stress events. What we know for sure is that life will continue, the economy will have to start moving forward, and people will continue to marry and separate.
Keep the emotions under control; it affects people more than the actual event!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Time for recovery
The word recovery means so many different things to so many people.
There is physical recovery, psychological recovery, financial recovery, and of course economic recovery. I’ll admit that economic recovery is the most prevalent right now for a bunch of us, as we struggle along, trying to make financial cuts, and deal with day to day expenses. But, the economy has also created a need for physical and psychological recovery too.
Stress has taken its toll on so many who have been laid off, or cut down, or overworked to compensate for others who’ve been laid off. This kind of recovery can take a lot longer to get over than the financial kind.
Business owners deal with recoveries differently than employees. Employees can collect Employment Insurance which they and their employers paid into for such things as a recession and its recovery. Employees also get Employment Insurance or some disability compensation when taking time off for surgeries or serious illnesses. Guess what small business owners get to recover? Nothing, nada, zero, zip. My business needs to recover from a downturn in the economy, so I don’t get to take one year off to recover; I get to go to work to recover! Ah, yes, the word recover means so many different things, depending on if you are an employee or a business owner.
We all choose what we want, the risks we are willing to take, or not take. We choose to believe in our own abilities to make things happen. I believe in my company, About Staffing. About Staffing staffs offices with people, temps and direct hires, so having people working for me or my clients is my business. We need employees and business owners. We need big business and small business. We are all recovering in one way or another, for some, in a few ways.
Without our health, we have nothing. Without our finances, we don’t eat. Without our sanity, we can’t function. But, if we turn it around, and support each other, both business owners and employees, we can manage our stress, cut unnecessary expenses, plan for the positive in the word recovery, and make it through the second half of 2009!
There is physical recovery, psychological recovery, financial recovery, and of course economic recovery. I’ll admit that economic recovery is the most prevalent right now for a bunch of us, as we struggle along, trying to make financial cuts, and deal with day to day expenses. But, the economy has also created a need for physical and psychological recovery too.
Stress has taken its toll on so many who have been laid off, or cut down, or overworked to compensate for others who’ve been laid off. This kind of recovery can take a lot longer to get over than the financial kind.
Business owners deal with recoveries differently than employees. Employees can collect Employment Insurance which they and their employers paid into for such things as a recession and its recovery. Employees also get Employment Insurance or some disability compensation when taking time off for surgeries or serious illnesses. Guess what small business owners get to recover? Nothing, nada, zero, zip. My business needs to recover from a downturn in the economy, so I don’t get to take one year off to recover; I get to go to work to recover! Ah, yes, the word recover means so many different things, depending on if you are an employee or a business owner.
We all choose what we want, the risks we are willing to take, or not take. We choose to believe in our own abilities to make things happen. I believe in my company, About Staffing. About Staffing staffs offices with people, temps and direct hires, so having people working for me or my clients is my business. We need employees and business owners. We need big business and small business. We are all recovering in one way or another, for some, in a few ways.
Without our health, we have nothing. Without our finances, we don’t eat. Without our sanity, we can’t function. But, if we turn it around, and support each other, both business owners and employees, we can manage our stress, cut unnecessary expenses, plan for the positive in the word recovery, and make it through the second half of 2009!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Are we done Stompin' yet?
Sure, Stampede is now over. Some of you might be thinking about all the work you have to do this week to make up for the lack of productivity last week. We all expect that 10 days of Stampede means nothing gets done except for absolute priorities and things in the hospitality industry. I am sure we will all catch up shortly as there has been a lack of work to do this whole year, for most of us. So many business owners and managers I know have been spending their time this year panicking, or cutting, or working 10x harder trying to find a way to manage without the normal range of business. We need to do something about it.
We have just slightly less than 6 months to change our stompin' attitudes, to try to save people’s jobs, and create new work flow; we need a new outlook as a whole! This has been a pretty crappy year for most people. Our morale has been stomped, our hope has been stomped, our skills have been questioned and stomped, our investments and cash have been stomped, and our physical and mental well being has been stomped. I really am speaking to the majority, as those who are really booming, loving life, making good money, enjoying no stress, and having a ton of fun are comparatively non-existent.
Businesses as a whole have lost so much money, most paying out in expenses more than they are making in revenue. For employees, that means lay-offs, or cuts in other forms in order for the businesses to keep the doors open. This year we have seen industries across the board close, claim bankruptcy, lay off employees, experience wage roll-backs, cut benefits, cut worker hours, stock options dissipated, and I am sure I am missing some of the other workplace stompin’ that has been happening, like the psychological effects on employees and employers. No one person or business has been safe, worldwide actually, except for government. They got raises and bonuses. Those not working in government live and work in fear. Enough! We’ve had enough!
So, let us cease with the stompin’ that started last fall. Let’s get back to being creative, making some money, being open minded to new ideas, and start anew! It is a new day to start the year over, one without any more stompin’!
We have just slightly less than 6 months to change our stompin' attitudes, to try to save people’s jobs, and create new work flow; we need a new outlook as a whole! This has been a pretty crappy year for most people. Our morale has been stomped, our hope has been stomped, our skills have been questioned and stomped, our investments and cash have been stomped, and our physical and mental well being has been stomped. I really am speaking to the majority, as those who are really booming, loving life, making good money, enjoying no stress, and having a ton of fun are comparatively non-existent.
Businesses as a whole have lost so much money, most paying out in expenses more than they are making in revenue. For employees, that means lay-offs, or cuts in other forms in order for the businesses to keep the doors open. This year we have seen industries across the board close, claim bankruptcy, lay off employees, experience wage roll-backs, cut benefits, cut worker hours, stock options dissipated, and I am sure I am missing some of the other workplace stompin’ that has been happening, like the psychological effects on employees and employers. No one person or business has been safe, worldwide actually, except for government. They got raises and bonuses. Those not working in government live and work in fear. Enough! We’ve had enough!
So, let us cease with the stompin’ that started last fall. Let’s get back to being creative, making some money, being open minded to new ideas, and start anew! It is a new day to start the year over, one without any more stompin’!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Work vs Stampede
Ok so let’s face reality here! It is Stampede week; does anyone actually get any work done in this city? How do we focus on work when we can barely focus on our hangover?
As a boss, I am here to say, I do expect some work to slide this week. I expect some workers to drag in wearing the same clothes as the day before. I expect employees to take longer lunches than usual, and most likely, there will not be a sales person in sight. That said, there are some things bosses will still be expecting from staff.
We will expect that the phones will be answered, the doors will be open for business on time, and someone will be at the workplace to greet customers. We expect that hygiene will remain a priority this week at work, regardless of whether the employee has made it home yet. We expect punctuality, no different than any other workday, which by the way, if not adhered to is cause for dismissal, regardless of Stampede week festivities. We expect that future work related goals and aspirations will remain a focus, even if the focus is fuzzy. We expect that whatever work is not done this week will still need to be done double time next week; deadlines are deadlines.
As bosses, we expect that if the employee is representing their company, in any way, at any type of event, the employee will behave respectfully. We expect the employees will remember workplace priorities, and attend to them first, before the beef on a bun and beer event takes them into the never land we call Stampede. We expect employees to communicate honestly with bosses, organize priorities, ensure position coverage, and most importantly, have a fun and safe Stampede week.
As a boss, I am here to say, I do expect some work to slide this week. I expect some workers to drag in wearing the same clothes as the day before. I expect employees to take longer lunches than usual, and most likely, there will not be a sales person in sight. That said, there are some things bosses will still be expecting from staff.
We will expect that the phones will be answered, the doors will be open for business on time, and someone will be at the workplace to greet customers. We expect that hygiene will remain a priority this week at work, regardless of whether the employee has made it home yet. We expect punctuality, no different than any other workday, which by the way, if not adhered to is cause for dismissal, regardless of Stampede week festivities. We expect that future work related goals and aspirations will remain a focus, even if the focus is fuzzy. We expect that whatever work is not done this week will still need to be done double time next week; deadlines are deadlines.
As bosses, we expect that if the employee is representing their company, in any way, at any type of event, the employee will behave respectfully. We expect the employees will remember workplace priorities, and attend to them first, before the beef on a bun and beer event takes them into the never land we call Stampede. We expect employees to communicate honestly with bosses, organize priorities, ensure position coverage, and most importantly, have a fun and safe Stampede week.
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