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Monthly Archives: September 2021

Work Making You Anxious? Thinking Of Quitting?


Each minute of our life is a lesson but most of us fail to read it. I thought I would just add my daily lessons & the lessons that I learned by seeing the people around here. So it may be useful for you and as memories for me.

We all join jobs to earn a good salary which is required for good living. But the pace we are working and living today causes stress. We all know our capability but when the workplace expects to deliver beyond our capability then stress at work occurs. Stress affects a lot of people, and can influence your health. And also we come across colleagues with Anxiety and Depression in team.

Stress and anxiety may seem similar, but they’re not the same. The difference? Stress is a response to daily pressures or a threatening situation, while anxiety is a reaction to the stress. Anxiety, which has no clear cause, tends to last longer and be more difficult to treat. Anxiety can make you feel like a failure and it may make you feel stupid and feel stressed out.

Are you alone getting stressed out in the workplaceHave you ever checked with your friends, how they are feeling in their job? Ask any of your friends, you will get the common answer that “We are all stressed at work”?

Whoever is working, they are feeling the pressure of work-related stress, irrespective of age, experience, gender, and position. Only the level of stress varies from person to person. It’s impossible to get a completely stress-free work environment today.

In today’s work environment, office politics is very common. People are pulling each other’s legs to show-off and make them significant. Frictions happen between employees and it never goes away.

You would have heard that “there is no married relationship without some fights”. In the same way, “there can be no office without politics”.

In earlier days once we leave the office and go home, work did not follow us. But now we have an option to be fully connected to our work, 24 hours a day. It’s your choice to allow it or not.

People who struggle with anxiety often find themselves struggling with low self-esteem. They may have poor confidence in themselves or think they are worthless.Feeling worthless often involves a sense of hopelessness and insignificance. Such feelings are often a common symptom of depression, but can also arise due to things such as low self-esteem, neglect, abuse, trauma, or difficult situations that pose a threat to a person’s sense of self.

A small amount of anxiety helps your body to perform at its best.  An adrenaline kick starts you every morning and keeps you alert throughout the day. However, too much of this stress hormone can exhaust you. Everybody has bad days at work. But if you dread waking up every Monday through Friday, or you regularly find yourself sitting at your desk on the verge of tears, you probably have a more serious problem on your hands. Feeling worthless can create significant distress and make it difficult to function normally in daily life.

Workplace issues does not stay at work. It creeps into every part of a persons life and can change their whole perception of themselves. It can destroy the self worth of even the most confident people – especially if the workplace does not have the right support systems.

1. Your Skills Are Being Underutilized. Management doesn’t acknowledge that you have more to offer than what you’ve been contributing for a significant amount of time. Perhaps you’ve been passed over for promotion – or your repeated attempts to take on more challenging assignments have failed.

Just be cautious – you should still perform to the best of your ability so that you will have those all-important references for the future.

2. You’re Not Following Your Passion. If you’re not doing what you love, you will never tap your true potential. It will just continue to be “a job,” and eventually each day will seem more of a grind. If you’ve tried re-inventing yourself at the company with a lateral move – or changing your job description to no avail – then it’s time to go back to the roots of what you love. First, however, brush up on your skills to ensure that they are current and marketable.

3. The Boss Keeps Behaving Badly. If you’ve tried everything under the sun to “Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant” boss or co-worker; talked to your boss; your boss’s boss; Human Resources; and your work life is simply unbearable, then it’s time to visit your favorite job board. Just make sure you’re not going from the frying pan into the fire. Through job interviews and other sources, become a sleuth: try to determine how your prospective new boss and employer operates, the culture and management style.

4. The Company is Tanking. The firm has managed to stay afloat during several downsizings, management changes and reorganizations. But if the company consolidates anymore, they could collapse. Recently you heard another department is closing or about another mass exodus. There’s no need to go down with this ship. Put on your life preserver and get in the water.

5. You’re Not Being Fairly Compensated. Downsizing has moved your team into double time, but certainly no where near double compensation. You’ve been made to feel lucky to receive a paycheck. The company might even be performing well, but that is not reflected in your salary or other rewards. You can’t even get an evaluation or your evaluation is not consistent with your true work performance. Perhaps clients have given you excellent feedback, but that is not reflected in your compensation. It may be time to think green (as in more money) or make like a tree and…article continues after advertisement

6. Your Values and the Company’s Are a Mismatch. You feel that there are ethical or moral differences in how the company and you believe the firm should operate; cultural differences; work ethic clashes, and so on. Perhaps its latest product is bad for the environment for example, and you are an avid environmentalist. Whatever the issue, you’re morally misaligned with your employer, and it’s an uncomfortable workplace setting.

7. You Aren’t Being Heard. You can’t seem to: get time with the “powers that be”; get approvals; or get acknowledgment for great work; and over time, projects are no longer coming your way. There may be a changing of the guard at the top; you’re being edged out of projects; or the entire position seems at risk for political or other reasons. Essentially you are being ignored out of a job.

8. The Job is Making You Sick. Instead of jumping out of bed first thing raring to go to work, you feel immobile. You think of ten reasons why you should call in sick because you are sick. Stress, fear or lack of enthusiasm can drain your energy and hurt your performance, creating a lose-lose proposition. When work starts affecting your health…physical, mental, or both, consider taking time off. While you conduct your job search, immediately find healthy ways to reduce stress levels.

9. You’re Surrounded by Egregious Behavior. If you’re the victim of bullying, sexual harassment or other egregious behavior, you should certainly keep an eye out for other positions, regardless of what corrective measures you’re taking. Always consult an employment attorney on such issues. But remember that you should never feel uncomfortable in a job, and that may occur in the long run even if you “win the current battle.” Health does comes first.

10. You Feel You Have More to Contribute Elsewhere. You are in a personal growth mode while your position is stagnant. You’ve been thinking in directions that seem miles apart from the work you’re currently doing. You spend your time imagining what your life would be like “if only.” When you know you have more to offer the world, don’t second-guess yourself – get ready for change.

If you’re facing one or more of these red flags, make sure you’re prepared. Know how to leave gracefully and without burning your bridges. You don’t want to be exposed to unflattering tweets or poor references in this world of instant communication.

“You don’t need anyone’s affection or approval in order to be good enough. When someone rejects or abandons or judges you, it isn’t actually about you. It’s about them and their own insecurities, limitations, and needs, and you don’t have to internalize that. Your worth isn’t contingent upon other people’s acceptance of you—it’s something inherent.” ~Danielle Koepke

If you need a change but feel stuck and are unsure of what to do, you’re not alone. The fear of letting go of a steady paycheck, a predictable routine, and the people and surroundings you have grown accustomed to—warts and all—can be a paralyzing feeling.

The truth is that there will never be an ideal time to say goodbye to your old job and start over. It is almost impossible to create the perfect conditions you think you need in order to start reaching for your career and personal goals. Here’s an analogy: If you believe that every light at every intersection along your journey must be green before you can set out, you’ll be stuck at home forever. The lights are never all green at the same time. That’s just the way life is. But if you venture out to the first intersection and then to the next and then the next, you’ll eventually get to your destination.

Tips Before You Decide to Quit

  • Before you make a decision to quit your job, make sure that you have actually identified the real problem at work.
  • Ask yourself what goals quitting your job will help you achieve. Will the decision to quit bring you closer to your goals?
  • Don’t overestimate or underestimate your capabilities.
  • Give yourself time to think through your decision to quit your job.
  • Make lists. Think of 10 things you can do instead of quitting your job. Then ask yourself if any of those alternatives would be better suited to your current financial or emotional situation.
  • Use mind maps, pens, papers, post-it notes, and file cards to explore your options. Lay the alternatives out on a big table. Move them around. Organize them according to importance.
  • Give yourself credit for making the best decision you can with the information that is available to you.

There is nothing wrong with the way you feel. Judging our emotions is like running into the rainstorm with anger and demanding the sun come out—in other words, a total waste of energy. Instead, use this time wisely. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, even if it seems far away. Often, it is much closer than you think. Use these reminders and practical ways to shift perspective to create some much-needed breathing room.

“Dreams can come true, but there is a secret. They’re realized through the magic of persistence, determination, commitment, passion, practice, focus and hard work. They happen a step at a time, manifested over years, not weeks.” – Elbert Hubbard

Be kind to yourself. Minimize the chatter of the inner critic. Unplug from the negativity and chaos of the world and make small steps in the right direction. As you do, celebrate tiny progress along the way while remembering you are worthy and you have plenty of proof to show yourself that.

As time passes, you’ll wake up and back in a thriving state. You’ll wonder what took you so long to get over this feeling and be equipped with a new perspective and empathy.

CC: @Lynn Taylor

Please feel free to share your story and any lessons you learned, you experienced, you came across in your life in the comments below. If you enjoyed this, or any other other posts, I’d be honoured  if you’d share it with your family, friends and followers!

If you wish to follow my journey outside of my writing, you can find me on LinkedIn and Facebook

 

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Great Teams are made of Great Characteristics


Each minute of our life is a lesson but most of us fail to read it. I thought I would just add my daily lessons & the lessons that I learned by seeing the people around here. So it may be useful for you and as memories for me.

Over the years, as teams have grown more diverse, dispersed, digital, and dynamic, collaboration has become more complex. But though teams face new challenges, their success still depends on a core set of fundamentals. 

All team dynamics are different. Teams depend on the personalities of the members, as well as the leadership style of managers. However, the ingredients for what makes a successful team are similar across the board. Having mutual respect, common and aligned goals, open communication, and patience can all help make for a successful team.

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”… Aristotle

Much of the work done in many organizations, is done collaboratively by teams. The team is the molecular unit where real production happens, where innovative ideas are conceived and tested, and where employees experience most of their work. But it’s also where interpersonal issues, ill-suited skill sets, and unclear group goals can hinder productivity and cause friction.

To have a great team, there is no surefire recipe for success. A combination of solid leadership, communication, and access to good resources contribute to productive collaboration, but it all comes down to having people who understand each other and work well together. Not every team needs that one superstar player to excel. Having the right mix of trust, ambition, and encouragement among your team members is crucial.

A good team is the foundation for any high-performing business. Superficially, a thriving team looks very much like any other. Here are characteristics to create a great team:

Communication. Arguably the most important component of the group. Effective communication is central to every facet of an organisation. A thriving team has open and honest discussions, sharing their thoughts, ideas and opinions. They engender a meritocracy, ensuring no-one is above anyone else and allowing everyone to feel as though they can contribute freely. Creating this sort of culture is one of the fundamental foundations of a successful team.

Problems that emerge in groups can often be traced back to issues with communication. Poor communication leads to crossed wires which in turn can lead to inefficiencies in performance and even conflict! Effective communication is imperative.

Trust and Respect. Every thriving team relies on a high degree of trust. When you know that your colleagues are reliable and competent, you can trust them to work independently toward the team goal. Knowing each other’s accomplishments and work experience plays a key role in relationship development, the catalyst for a strong team. Before a new team begins work on a project, have them meet for an extended period of time to establish familiarity and to bond. As the teamwork progresses and conflict arises – an unavoidable part of collaboration the team that has respect for each other will be able to move past conflict towards resolution and, ultimately, completion of the goal.

Specialization. Just like a team of athletes working together in different roles to win the game, good teamwork comes from members combining their specialized talents to achieve an end goal or resolution. While one may excel at writing, another may boast superior organizational skills, while another is great at presenting to decision-makers or the art of rhetoric. Figuring out who works best where will come naturally as the team spends time together, but it is important not to suppress individual talents. Allowing each person to make their own unique contributions will lead to less conflict and a superior outcome.

Establishing objective. If the goal of the project, whether small or long-term, isn’t clear from the beginning, many hours will be wasted in frustrating meetings that go nowhere. The very first step should be to describe a clear outline of work and the projected end result. Change is always necessary along the way, and this is where our next tip comes into play. Each individual member is accountable and has responsibility for the team’s overall success.

Let's Work Together

Adaptation. Being flexible is a key trait of any team player. Confronting and resolving crises, rushing to meet deadlines, or picking up the slack for an absent or dismissed colleague are all problems that require adaptation. If someone on a team is unable to change gears and refocus, odds are more issues will arise to further complicate the workflow process.

No finger pointing. When a big mistake is made, it is easy for members of a team to find a scapegoat or individual to lay the blame on. This will only lead to distrust and low morale. It is possible that if one person keeps making critical mistakes, they should no longer be a part of the team, but that is not always the case. The entire team should accept the responsibility for the mistake and move forward to correct it and make sure it does not occur again.

Diversity and Heterogeneity: Thriving teams value diversity. They recognise each individual’s strengths and their preferences to assign tasks, and ultimately to boost performance. Each team member is valued for their unique talents and skills. Collectively, a diverse skill set, way of thinking, experiences, idea generation and problem solving helps to create an effective team and enhance results.

Admission of failure when necessary. This tip can go hand in hand with number five. If the desired outcome of a project has setbacks or is predicted to be a complete disaster, it is better to admit failure and start over rather than giving up or presenting a flawed product. A good team will roll with the punches, recognize that each step is essentially an experiment, and stay positive even when facing serious setbacks.

Patience. Working with others requires the most the most difficult trait of all: patience and tolerance. We all strive for it, but few people are truly unflappable. Patience will keep a team motivated and allay conflict.

Delegation of duties. A capable leader will know one of his most important jobs is to delegate responsibility. One or two team leaders should never be saddled with all the grunt work. Instead the workflow should be spread out evenly and each person given a reasonable amount of projects and adequate access to resources.

A natural-born leader. As noted earlier, a team does not need a superstar to excel. But they do need a self-assured, trustworthy, ambitious leader that keeps morale high and knows when to rally the troops. A good leader will listen constructively, act as a mentor, monitor the quantitative and qualitative results, provide consistent feedback, and maintain a good rapport with all team players.

Competitiveness. A healthy dose of competition is fuel for inspiration. When you are working on a team, all your cards are on the table, so it is easy for people to become jealous or possessive of each other’s attributes or contributions. And this motivates others to work harder and develop even better ideas, because it makes people ask themselves, if he came up with this, can I create something even better?

Manage Conflict.This is an essential component to aiding team growth. It is important that when issues arise they are not avoided or ignored. When managed effectively there are a plethora of benefits to be seen including: the quality of decision-making; improved creativity; increased scope of view; increased participation from team members and more effective communication. It is also important for the team leader to differentiate between a culture of challenge/disagreement and blame/criticism. If the environment empowers team members to challenge one another in a constructive and open manner, then the working relationship within the team is likely to be more creative and productive.

Being in the right team is important for one’s future relevance, because, like in the Aristotle quote, the whole can be more powerful than the sum of its parts. Even if you are a freelancer or a tiny team, you work in collaboration with others – be it the same company or with extended teams of partners. These same ideas apply to those situations as well.

All teams, naturally, are different. All teams, too, will be fluid and evolving structures; people come and go (including team leaders); challenges or priorities change; the dynamic constantly adjusts. To that end, creating a thriving successful is something that, as a leader, is never ‘done’ or completed.

Nevertheless, successful, thriving teams do tend to share a range of characteristics and attributes. To cultivate, share and embed these in your team is now your mission.

Collaboration has become more complex, but success still depends on the fundamentals.

I encourage you to think about this. For further reading, check out Google’s page on these results.

Please feel free to share your story and any lessons you learned, you experienced, you came across in your life in the comments below. If you enjoyed this, or any other other posts, I’d be honoured  if you’d share it with your family, friends and followers!

If you wish to follow my journey outside of my writing, you can find me on LinkedIn and Facebook

 

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