Connect with Employees

Employers must strive to make employees feel valued and appreciated, regardless of race, age and designation

WHEN he was commander of the Pennsylvania State Police, Major Benjamin Brooks had an open-door policy at his workplace, but he noticed that no one ever came to see him.

When he tried to find out the reason, he discovered a startling reality. He was told that anyone who came to his door found it always closed.

It was a simply a case of sending out mixed messages. The closed door communicated to the employees that Maj Brooks was busy. In reality, he kept the door closed to ward off the noise in the office area. He immediately saw to it that it remained open thereafter.

What he realised was that though an open-door policy allowed an employee access to the manager, the employee had to be encouraged to utilise this procedure.

“Often, employees are reluctant to take advantage of this service because there’s a discrepancy between what the managers say and what they do,” he says.

“The biggest challenge for employers is to recognise that what worked in the past may no longer be appropriate, and that it’s time to make a significant shift in how business is conducted. Employers in this new millennium require different coping skills in order to effectively connect with the different generations in the workplace.”

Naturally, the employer who is aware of these changes, he says, will be able to compete better in the multicultural, global marketplace.

The next logical question is “how?”

Says Maj Brooks: “The best way for employers to handle these challenges is to recognise the demographic realities of the workplace.”

By recognising the need to be culturally competent and culturally flexible, the employer will not allow superficial differences to impede organisational progress.

It will also make better business sense when the employer realises that the organisation’s success will depend on the full utilisation of all of its available human resources, irrespective of their cultural or territorial differences.

In his career as a human resource (HR) consultant/presenter, Maj Brooks says he has spent a great deal of time on recruitment, retention and talent management, and by employing many of these strategies he was able to realise a greater return on investment in HR.

“This was measured by higher morale, and greater job satisfaction and as a result, realistic alignment of skill and job function. The biggest challenge was finally realising that we were in the people business. It was much easier to retain, develop, and manage our existing HR talents than to constantly hire new employees.”

The best way for organisations to retain and manage valuable human resources is to ensure that positive inclusion is an organisational philosophy, rather than a programme.

The importance of inclusion, says Brooks, is critical in today’s multicultural talent market more than ever before.

“It’s important because it ensures that the organisation will become more competitive in a multicultural marketplace. When employees feel that they’re an integral part of the organisation, morale is high, production increases and there’s a greater return on the organisation’s investment in its people,” he asserts.

But where do employers start? The best way for employers to connect with the employee is to undertake this simple principle: the key to learning is listening.

An employer must be able to bond spiritually or emotionally with the employee. Adds Maj Brooks: “If the employer can connect with the employee, it will be able to impact the employee. If it is able to impact the employee, it will be able to influence the employee. If it is able to influence the employee, it’ll be able to move the employee wherever it desires.”

However, he is quick to clarify that this will only happen when the employer is able to positively connect with the employee through his words, deeds, philosophy and emotion.

Research shows that when an employee is hired, 90 per cent of the emphasis for selection is on his or her technical skills. However, when an employee is fired, in 90 per cent of the cases, it is due to the lack of people skills.

Consequently, employers must become more proficient in the art of emotional intelligence. “This challenge becomes more acute, particularly when bridging the gap between veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation X-ers, and Nexters in the multicultural work place,” he explains.

- Source: Straits Times/Asia News Network

‘Karoshi kills’ – Watch It!

Are long hours stressing you out? Bill Lee-Emery has some work-life balance tips for busy people

Do you have a big enough reason to change your poor work-life balance habits? This is your starting point.

Is this you?

Some years ago, a close friend had an angina attack. He had been married for a few years and they had a young daughter. He was under extreme pressure in his job, long hours were common and he ate on the run, mostly fast food takeaways.

There was little work-life balance in his busy life. He was in his early 30s and being a father of a young child had an effect.

It scared him enough to realise he was not superhuman and he could face serious medical problems if he did not change what he was doing.

It is too easy to think that our bodies can cope with an unrelenting schedule and balance is unimportant. Our egos like to think we are indestructible. Clearly, we are not.

In Japan, they have a word ‘karoshi’, meaning ‘death by overwork’ when workers succumb to long hours, high stress with no let-up. In fact, around 10,000 Japanese workers a year die from karoshi.

However, it seems it is not the hard work that kills; it is the continuous and relentless pressure without adequate recovery time that poses the danger.

Have you thought who would be affected if you do not make work-life balance a priority? Do you have young children, a family, people who love and care for you?

I do not know anyone who, on their deathbed, would wish for another extra day at the office, over spending time with loved ones. What about you?

At risk

If your job is getting you down, check the hours you spend in the office. Researchers have found that an increasing tendency to work late may be making people sick.

Researchers in the United States surveyed 11,000 American employees, and found that those working overtime were 61 per cent more likely to suffer a work-related injury or illness, compared to those clocking off on time.

Surprisingly, the increased risks were not confined to the more dangerous industries. The results published in The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine indicate that workplace accidents may be largely due to fatigue and stress caused by long hours at work.

Workers were asked to detail their employment history, working hours and sick leave between 1987 and 2000.

Of the 110,236 jobs records analysed, 5,139 work-related injuries and illnesses had occurred, with over half affecting those in jobs with extended working hours. In real terms, working at least 12 hours a day increased the risk of injury or illness by 37 per cent.

According to anti-ageing expert Prof Avni Sali of Swinburne University in Melbourne, older Australians, especially those over 40, are in danger of being killed by the stresses of work.

“Those over 40 have the strongest work ethic,” he said. And he adds that Australians work the longest hours in the developed world.

Other patterns include too much eating, too much continuous stress, too little sleep, too much hostility and too little physical activity, which can all lead to higher incidences of illness and even death.

So, what about you? Do you have a big enough reason to change now?

– Source: Straits Times/Asia News Network

Bill Lee-Emery is a work-life balance coach who works specifically with entrepreneurs, executives and senior managers.

Super-Strategies for Workplace Success

Work is like a chess game. But what type of strategies does one need to ensure success at workplace?

by Molly Luffy

You know something? I’m constantly amazed at how many people I see plodding through their daily routine at work with barely a thought to their career happiness, growth potential and future. You've seen them - they're the ones who play the victims in life. They think everything just happens to them as if they have no part in their lot in life.

Another thing I've noticed about these corporate zombies is that they like to vocalize their workplace despair. They complain and carry on about all the bad things about their job and their company as if they have no control over their own circumstances and satisfaction. It’s unbelievable!

But not you, fair readers. You certainly don’t fit into the category of corporate zombie, do you? No, you understand that you do have control over your work life. You understand that you can make your day more productive and happier. So the Wiz is here to help with a quick list of super-strategies for workplace success!

First of all, if you want to be super-successful and happy at work, you need to make a commitment to your own workplace happiness. Some people will never be happy because they don’t understand that the need to work is a fact of life for most of us. If you've not reconciled yourself to this fact, it’s a good thing to do. Once you have that issue behind you, you will be in a better position to objectively look at your current job, job satisfaction and future potential. It’s a matter of the proverbial glass being half full or half empty. As yourself “What would I do, or where would I be without this job?” It could give you quite a different perspective and change in attitude.

Finding happiness at work

Make finding happiness at work a priority and an initiative in your life. So maybe you don’t love your job. So what? Is that a reason to be miserable? Find the things that you do like about your job and focus on them. Remember, you can choose your attitude just as easily as any other decision you make in your life, so why not choose to be happy and focus on the positive things?

To continue on your path to workplace success, set out on a course of becoming the absolute best at what you do. Why not become the departmental expert in your particular field? No matter what you do ˆ you can always aim for improvement. And becoming the departmental expert is a great goal to shoot for. Not only is becoming the expert a great way for you to solidify your current position in the age of corporate downsizing, but it helps you stand out as a star. Think about it…who are the people that seem to get picked for promotion? The best of the best, right? And who better qualifies as the best of the best than the departmental expert?

A good way to start becoming the expert is by joining your local professional association. These associations have lots of resources and information on the emerging trends in your profession. You can network with other people, attend workshops and gain a wealth of information.

And after you've joined your local professional organization, get involved. Join a committee and help make your association the best that it can be. It’s a wonderful way to meet and get close to other committed professionals. Your exposure to those emerging trends is even closer since you'll be in on all kinds of interesting discussions during your committee meetings.

After you’ve served your association well, shoot for becoming a Board member. This is a killer enhancer for the old resume and most bosses consider this a major sign of professionalism, leadership ability and commitment so it helps you look good at your current job too!

Becoming involved in a professional association not only provides you with valuable information, but helps you become recognized in your professional community as an expert. And along with that comes future opportunities!

These are just some of the ways that you can aim for workplace success. A positive attitude and professional enrichment offer a number of benefits that will have a positive and lasting effect on your personal satisfaction and your ability to climb those corporate ranks.

Now go out there and be a STAR!

Choose To Be Happy

WHAT makes people happy?

First, having a purpose – which means doing something in your life that has meaning for you, whether it is building a better company, raising happy children or helping to make the world a better place.

Second, having hope – which means you have something to look forward to. Even if your current circumstances are difficult, if you have hope that your effort will be rewarded and that things will improve, you can find happiness.

Happy people accept themselves as they are, so they have peace of mind.

And yes, last but not least, having someone to love.

It is your decision

Happiness is no accident – it is something we choose, says Andrew Matthews, international speaker and author of motivation and personal development classics, Being Happy! and Follow Your Heart.

He says: “Happy people make a decision to be happy in spite of their problems.

“They concentrate on what they have – not on what is missing. They count their blessings. They take maximum responsibility for their life and for their mistakes. They don’t blame others.”

Most importantly, he points out, happy people are more flexible. “They are able to say, ‘If my plane is early, I’m happy. If my plane is late, I’m happy.’

“Their state of mind is determined by their own thoughts, not by outside circumstances.”

Sounds utopian? Not if you can relate this philosophy to the corporate environment. And human resource (HR) departments can help in cultivating a happy people culture.

Says Matthews: “Encourage employees to develop life skills, not just work skills. Encourage healthy working relationships. Encourage honesty in the workplace, and encourage workers to speak openly. Make employees feel appreciated.”

HR can help to build a culture of happy people by introducing principles based on the Being Happy philosophy, he says.

"This can include helping staff to understand how their beliefs affect their experience, how attitudes impact relationships and how communication within an organisation improves as a result of improving how we see things."

Being Happy is infectious

Often, employers wonder if the Being Happy philosophy works in the corporate environment and what its effects are.

Matthews highlights the benefits: “Employees feel more fulfilled. They set personal and professional goals.

“They realise that they do their best not to please their boss, but to make themselves happier. They take responsibility and blame other people less. Companies retain their employees.”

It works by providing employees, managers and executives with the choice and skills to experience work in a happier way, he adds.

However, he admits that though it sounds fairly simple and practical, there are challenges that employers have to deal with.

He says: “One challenge HR may face while introducing the Being Happy culture within an organisation is ‘pushback’ from those who don’t understand the philosophy or value it.

“People tend to resist change. They say, ‘I’m OK. It’s my boss who needs to change.’ Some say, ‘There’s nothing wrong with my attitude.’

“Many people postpone happiness. For example, they say, ‘I’ll be happy when I get a pay rise” or ‘I’ll be happy when that stupid secretary is transferred to another department.’

“Pushback can be resistance simply to the unknown.”

If a HR practitioner experiences this when implementing the Being Happy philosophy, asking better questions will help identify the aspects of the process that are causing concern.

“Being Happy is not focused on fixing a short-term problem or issue. Being Happy is about living life and being excited about the life that we experience.”

Attitude counts

It is all in the attitude, says Matthews.

“I’ll give you an example. Two women turn 50. Mary says, ‘My life is over!’

“Julie says, ‘My life has just begun.’

“Who will be happier? Who will be more successful?”

The laws of happiness and success are like the laws of gravity. They are the same for everyone.

If you continue to see yourself as successful and keep on producing quality work, you will succeed, he concludes.

“See yourself as happy, look for good things in life and the people around you, and you will become happier.”

– Source: Straits Times/Asia News Network

Article contributed by author and international speaker Andrew Matthews.