Archives for August 2009

We’re hearing so much these days about needing to strike a healthy balance between our work and personal lives. It’s starting to sound like that “Far Side” cartoon where the dog hears his master’s voice as “blah, blah, blah.” Do you really know anyone who pulls off the life/work balance thing successfully?As a corporate-world escapee, artist, psychotherapist and freelance writer, I’d love to tell you that I’ve achieved this balance. Well, kind of. Has it been from years of diverse work experience, clinical training and vast amounts of self-help/biz-book reading? Nah, I’ve picked it up from watching too much TV - not brainy PBS-type TV, but sitcoms, reality shows, etc. Here’s what I’ve learned...1. Have a definite demarcation between your work day and downtime. Let’s look at “Father Knows Best,” an ancient show about working Dad and stay-at-home Mom. Kind of like “Mad Men” without all … [Read more...] about 4 Work/Life Balance Lessons We Can Learn from TV

If it sounds too good to be true, it is! From: SHARLENE TamerE-mail: sharlenetameraia59iljp9@hotmail.comHello. We have a vacant position for You.Description:Part-time Service Manager - 20 hours a week (9am-2pm, four days a week).If you are interested in working with a strong leadership team, evolving our products and a team that feels more like a family than co-workers than this is the place for you! You will enjoy a business casual work environment, with fun and rewarding career advancement opportunities. Flexible scheduling possible.Requirements:High School required. PC and Internet, MS Office or compatible. Must have strong writing and communication skills.SALARY: 3,000.00 USD - 4,500.00 USD per month percent after each transaction.If you are interested, please reply to : kbboltongrove@gmail.comRegards,HR ManagerDaniel Moreno … [Read more...] about Fake Job Post of the Week

Work-related stress is on the rise in North America and with it has come an unprecedented spike in disease, disorders and discontent. Obesity has reached epidemic proportions, heart disease is soaring, divorce rates are mounting and "me" time is becoming obsolete.Depressed yet?According to WorkStress.net, some of the primary causes of workplace discontent are...- long hours;- incompetent leadership;- conflicting demands; and- lack of recognition.I'm sure you can sympathize with most of these things. Many of us have buckled under the pressures of strict deadlines, zero communication and bureaucratic red tape. Throw into the mix the bumper-to-bumper traffic that commuters are forced to endure and it's a wonder we're still standing, let alone reporting to the office.Forced to take on too many projects? Unable to move forward because you're busy fixing other people's mistakes? You’re not alone. These things wear us down eventually, that's for sure, but oftentimes it's the little … [Read more...] about Work-Related Stress Starts With You. Yeah, You.

Recently, I tweeted about how my last employer had a weird idea of employee appreciation. Once a year, we had an “Employee Appreciation Week.” During that week, the company had several types of activities that were supposed to show us how much they appreciated their slaves  workers. Want to hear some of the fun stuff? We had to take some of our paid leave to go to the activities. We basically had to pay for our own recognition program. Yippee. Well, recently I had the opportunity to speak with Cori from Baudville. They are turning employee recognition on its ear, and I couldn't be happier to hear it. Instead of those silly “appreciation weeks” or something done whenever the manager happens to remember the workers, Baudville promotes small, continuous feedback. And they don’t just want to provide the little signs of appreciation and feedback, but they also want to “introduce some levity that the workplace desperately needs right now.” I … [Read more...] about Baudville – Making Work Better Since 1983

I have long admired the free-wheeling minimalist approach to life that Chris McCandless embraced. The wondering genius, whom which the book and movie Into the Wild is about, gave up all of his material belongings after college and trekked to Alaska to see how he would fare living off the land. As you probably know, the story doesn't end well, but it is still a beautiful journey, one that holds valuable career advice.WHAT CHRIS DID WELLTook Risks - Anyone who is willing to walk out on a ledge without a safety net can tell you that taking risks is the ultimate rush. However, when you roll the dice at work, you are only rewarded when things turn out well, and that is a major reason why many organizations do not like to rattle the cage of the status quo. Overall, Jobacle believes that putting yourself on the line at work has a much greater upside. Sure, you can end up with egg on your face (or even out of a job!), but the personal growth that ensues is priceless. And the stakeholders who … [Read more...] about Are You INTO THE WILD at Work?