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Culture Duck Tales
November/December 2002 Taking Stock This is the time of year for celebration and good will, but it’s also a time for reflection and change. And by change, we don’t mean jotting down a list of resolutions that are nearly impossible to achieve. We mean taking stock of our lives, replenishing energy and creativity, and rediscovering our passion for work and life. Leaders cannot continue to achieve goals and inspire others if their own passion is dormant.
A Work in Progress If you could make any three wishes, what would they be? True happiness? Greater success? Being a better person? You don’t need a genie in a bottle to make your dreams come true. What you do need is the willingness to “reinvent” yourself—to think of yourself and your life as a “work in progress” that can be revised and improved at any time. If you’re ready for change in your life, consider these techniques to reinvent yourself:
Change From Within A lot of time and dollars are spent addressing burnout among today’s workers. Whether it’s a company-sponsored stress workshop, or a weekly visit to a yoga class, employees are hungry for solutions to this ongoing problem. But some experts say the answers may not be a simple weekend getaway or a time management class. Employees have to dig a little deeper to determine why they are experiencing burnout and the accompanying stress. One psychiatrist and executive coach says a primary cause of burnout among workers today is disappointment in themselves or others. Even success can bring on burnout. A major promotion can lead some employees to the door if they fear their own success. In other cases, workers may still be performing admirably, but their heart and soul left the job a long time ago. While some workers think the only answer is to move out of the organization, other solutions may not be so drastic. Instead of changing jobs, these workers may simply need a different position or a different team to work with. Some employees tend to ignore the warning signs of burnout because they feel they have too much invested in a job or project. But experts say if your gut is telling you to do something else, listen closely. Fit to Work? We’ve heard of the weekend warriors and the armchair athletes, but what about the corporate athletes? That’s the term author Jack Groppel uses to describe people who can perform optimally under any circumstances and still be energized when the day is done. Author of the book, The Corporate Athlete, Groppel says the only way to improve performance after you reach a certain skill level is to improve your health and happiness. Companies spend billions of dollars on improving skills, but to little avail, contends Groppel. To truly improve, you must make lifestyle changes. Some lifestyle principles Groppel espouses are:
Joyful Work How many people wake up each morning begrudgingly, less than anxious to begin a new workday? Unfortunately, the answer is probably millions. Yet work does not have to equal stress and burnout. Here are some simple ways you can bring joy into everyday work: (1) Brighten someone’s day. Some of the greatest joy comes from doing good for others. Take time each day to make your colleagues’ work more joyful. It can be a simple thank you, a bouquet of flowers, or donuts for the entire department. The end result will be the same—both you and the recipients will feel more joyful. (2) Choose to be happy. If we can choose to be disgruntled or angry, we can also choose to be happy. It may sound overly simplistic, but choosing to begin your workday with a positive attitude will go a long way to making everyone’s day more enjoyable. (3) Commit yourself. Are you committed to a paycheck or to the vision and mission of those you work with? Share your mission and visions with others. It will help others feel inspired as well. It’s Never Too Late Most of the man’s life had been one hardship after another. In the military, he suffered a battlefield injury that rendered his left arm useless. He then was captured by the enemy and held in prison for five years. Later, when he finally succeeded in landing a government job, he failed at it. The same thing happened with his next job. At 53, he found himself in prison—again. With plenty of time to spare, the man decided to try his hand at writing. He spent years writing a novel with no idea how it would be received. But he needn’t have worried. His book is considered one of the greatest ever written. For more than 350 years, Don Quixote has enthralled the world, and when people hear the author’s name, Miguel Cervantes, they think of his literary masterpiece, not of his failures. From Cervantes, we can learn that the door of opportunity never closes—it is up to us, however, to push it wide open and step through. We each are endowed with more gifts and possibilities than we realize. Too many of us underestimate our potential or shy away from the risk involved in growth. But if we, like Cervantes, remain optimistic and believe in our own possibilities, we are certain to achieve great things. Wishing you happy holidays and a joyous and safe new year. |
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