Work place stress

Have you ever had a really stressful day at work? Now be honest. It is interesting - I have found in what I do, some days you just can't do anything wrong and, if you are fortunate, you will have very few high stress days at the office.

Here are some interesting facts from an IPSOS-Reid poll on stress-related incidents in the Canadian workforce:

12% of employees have kicked or hit the photocopier;

30% seriously wanted to;

30% are more likely to hit it if they have a post secondary education;

They are twice as likely to hit the photocopier if they are affluent;

40 km per year is the distance employees walk to the printer/photocopier.

(Those polled include just as many women as men)

I would hate to ask stats on printers! Unlike the Maytag man, the Xerox repair guys are busy dealing with the fallouts.

For every problem there is someone out there who is making a living. Workplace stress is a $300 billion a year problem within the corporate world, from stress related illness to lack of productivity. Thank goodness there are lots of thick skinned photocopiers hanging around the office. The key is to find one in a slightly dark, low traffic zone - and please don't use black shoes! In my opinion, it is better than kicking your boss or co-worker. You would most likely have to explain that one.

Here are some healthier ways to deal with your work stress:

1. Time out: Sometimes you need to get away from the office for a bit.

2. Read Dilbert: Scott Adams has an amazing way to put work into perspective.

3. Talk: It is a great way to get it out of your system and not carry the frustration.

4. Exercise: A proven way to reduce your blood pressure and work out the frustrations.

5. Get a dog: They keep everything in perspective.

Send me your stress stories (good and bad) at alan@careerjoy.com. We will have a draw for a copy of The Canadian Job Search Kit.

If you are feeling the itch to go a couple of rounds with the machine next door, give us a call. It's never too late to have a happy, low stress career!

This week's 10 Minute WORKout:

Get down to your favorite coffee hangout and treat yourself to a double stress free, non boss,extra long break!

Along the road with you,

Alan Kearns

CEO of RIM shares his career "secrets"

In last week’s WORKout I wrote about Lister Sinclair, and how he described his work at CBC Radio as a trip to the “fun factory” (if you missed last week’s WORKout, visit us online at http://thecareercoach.blogspot.com/2007/01/is-your-job-fun-tgim.html). Lister had the TGIM (Thank Goodness it’s Monday) syndrome.

At the end of the article, I mentioned that I had 3 ideas on how to find your very own “fun factory”. I must admit that I got these three ideas while sitting at the feet of Jim Balsillie, Research in Motion Chairman and Co-Ceo (well, maybe not his feet, but from a conversation that we had)! Here are Jim's 3 tips on having a great career:

1. Realise that you have choice: Jim says that "most obstacles are self-imposed - far more than we could realize". Many people talk about work in terms such as "Golden handcuffs". This speaks to their belief that they don't have control over their situation. Self-imposed views about choice can either help you or hurt you - you choose!

2. Be optimistic: "If you see the world as a dangerous place, you'll find danger. If you are optimistic, you'll find reasons to be", says Jim. Research proves that how you view the world of work is directly related to your ability to be happy and successful. This is not to say that you should ignore problems. I personally am a pragmatic optimist – I look for great, not perfect!

3. Be true to your values: "Real success is a matter of balance, balancing what you value and not the other way around". In the world of work there is constant tension between what others want and what you can live with. Bosses, managers, partners and coworkers all have their own agendas and, quite frankly, their ideas can often be out of line with your values. It is key to know what you value, and not to let external elements fundamentally shift your view.

One last pearl of wisdom from Jim Balsillie:

Accept Career Seasons: "It’s inevitable that careers will have highs and lows". I don't think Jim could have said it any better. We need to recognize that fun is not going to happen every day. It is when we can deal with all of the “seasons” in our career that we ensure sustainability.

This week's 10 Minute WORKout:

What would be your answer to the three principles?

Along the road with you,

Alan Kearns

Is your job fun (TGIM)?

Did you wake up this morning, and couldn’t wait to jump out of bed, finish your morning routine and rush off to work (TGIM - Thank Goodness It’s Monday) ? Do you look forward to getting to your office, smelling the fresh coffee, and seeing the smiling faces around your cubicle?

>
This past week I was listening to a podcast on CBC Radio about Lister Sinclair. Lister used to be a producer for one of the more interesting radio shows, Ideas. Ideas, to me, was like a Dr. Seuss book - the subjects ranged from A to Z and everything in between. Lister died at the age of 85, after having contributed to the broadcasting field for 60 of those years. One particular statement caught my ear; Lister called his work "The fun factory". Those two words are rarely heard together.

Fun: The therapeutic refreshment of one's body or mind.

Factory: The place to gather and concentrate resources — workers, capital and plant.

Lister had the “TGIM” bug. For most people, fun is reserved for the weekend, hence the widely accepted term “TGIF”, or “Thank Goodness It’s Friday”. The weekend is when you have fun and rejuvenate, in order to enable you to get through the week.
Is it possible for work to be like this? I believe it is possible. I calculated that if just 10% of the working population felt that way, 20 million people went to their "fun factory" this week. Yes, it is a small percentage, however, that is still a heck of a lot of people who are on the right track.

Lister had fun and we all benefited from this. When you are having fun, you are 60% more likely to have a long and healthy life.

Next week I will share 3 ideas on how to find your very own "fun factory". If you can't wait until next Friday, then visit us online at www.careerjoy.com to book a consultation. Life is too long and too short to spend it any other way!

Along the road with you,

Alan Kearns

This week's 10 Minute WORKout:

How would you describe your "Fun Factory"?