I’ve been an employee – and an observer of employee experiences – for three decades. Over the years, I’ve always been keenly attuned to the ways employees’ lives at work can be uniquely challenging. The Struggle to Contribute in a Demotivating Environment Through many conversations with many unhappy employees, I know lots of us have persisted ongoingly, feeling frustrated and often trying to come up with ideas for how to make things better at work…
I have wanted to set up support for employees in workplaces for a long time. I’ve had the idea and have been working on developing and testing it – and on my confidence to bring it forward – for quite a while. I’m hoping it’s an idea whose time has come. First: Workshops for Employees A while back, I designed a workshop series called Making Work Better aimed at helping employees in challenging workplace situations…
This is fiction. But it’s how work should be. Supportive Workplace I arrive at work a few minutes late. I don’t normally arrive late, but occasionally I do. No one sweats it. The bosses know I’m a dedicated worker who makes an effort to always get to work on time; but they know everyone’s human. They trust me. They also know that treating people with acceptance, despite their imperfections, makes them feel lucky to have the…
I read a tweet today by Mark C. Crowley, author of Leading From the Heart, who said, “I’m calling myself a failure. Gallup reports that #engagement [i.e., employee engagement] didn’t budge again in January. It’s stuck at a sad 32.5%”. He’s not the failure. He’s one leader who’s humble enough to want to re-examine what he does because he wants to make more positive impact, which is something we need more of. I tweeted back…
Is It Me? Being treated badly at work can damage our sense of self-esteem, especially if it’s ongoing. Even if we know not to put too much weight on others’ opinions of us, there can be some part of us that doubts ourselves, and wonders, “Is it me?” Most likely we do have things to improve – we all do; but if we’re treated badly by those around us, it makes it harder for us…
Shouldn’t your job help you unfold? Darn right it should. Never let a job keep you from your potential. I wrote the following while at a job I used to have: I Know What It’s Like Now They say having autonomy in one’s job increases motivation. I understand why that’s true more deeply now, because I know what it’s like to have that taken away. I was trusted to notice when there were needs at…
Managers often try to motivate employees for a reason that’s de-motivating – so you’ll work harder – not because they care about you or your potential. When a leader does care about those things, it’s motivating. Only a good leader cares about your needs as well as their own. Just wanting you to work harder, even if it’s for the company’s sake, is a self-interested motivation. It’s not a balance that includes your needs. It’s…
Some bosses are not great at listening. They’re busy; they’re pressured; and they believe their way is best. If your boss is like this, or you just need a confidence boost, here are 12 things to help you communicate effectively. Reframe Your Message Sometimes the way we deliver messages results in defensiveness, resistance and a negative answer. Reframing means re-wording so your message lands better. Brainstorm different wording, using the points below, and think about…
Are You Happy At Work? Have you been having a positive experience at work? Has your job increased your confidence and capacity to contribute, as a healthy workplace should? If your answer is no, then you are not alone. According to a recent Gallup report, only 18 per cent of current managers possess the talent required for their role, meaning upwards of 80 percent of employees are working in poorly run workplaces. Career *Happiness* Strategies Many…
They say when one door closes, another opens. Life is filled with cycles of death and rebirth. Holding onto things fixes them in the deadened part of the cycle and keeps new birth from happening. We can learn to live in a way where we always let go of the old and open to the new. This makes it easier to decide what we need to do next, including whether to leave a job or…
Confidence Crisis I haven’t blogged for a few weeks. I’ve been going through a chasm about my sense of confidence. But I’m starting to transform it. I’ve had this kind of ‘pit’ in myself my whole life. It puzzles the people I know. To them I’m intelligent, creative, and have great ideas about helping employees; but when I try to go forward with them, I get blocked by a ‘pit’ of low self-confidence. Low self-confidence…
A Great Resource for Employees I came across a great article today by Susan M. Heathfield. She is About.com’s HR Specialist and she writes interesting articles – some with a great understanding of the employees’ perspective. I recommend looking at her stuff if you’re dealing with challenging work situations. (I’ll blog about more of her stuff later!) In Susan’s article Bad to the Bone: Dealing with a Bad Boss, she makes several suggestions for what you can…