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(All material on
Your Office Coach is copyrighted to Marie G. McIntyre. All rights
reserved.)
Career Topics
Office Insights: Is Your Job Hurting Your
Health?
At work, stress is seldom
in short supply. Tight deadlines, cranky bosses, annoying coworkers,
demanding customers – every job has frustrating aspects. And we all
know that too much stress is bad for your health. But are some
stressors worse than others?
Researchers have found
that two factors seem to be most critical: “latitude” and “psychological
demand”. “Latitude” means the freedom to make decisions about how and
when to do your work. If your job allows you to be autonomous and
creative, you have high latitude. But if you’re chained to your desk
doing clearly-defined tasks, your latitude is low.
“Psychological demand”
combines complexity and time. Intellectually challenging work which
must be done on a tight schedule is high on psychological demand. Jobs
with simpler tasks or flexible schedules are less demanding. People
with high demand/low latitude jobs tend to experience the most harmful
stress. In one large Canadian medical study, the longer this high
stress lasted, the more cardiac symptoms were experienced by patients.
So if your work is
challenging, your deadlines are unmanageable, and your boss keeps you on
a short leash, you may need to employ some stress management
strategies. Or perhaps find a new job! (Source:
Harvard Mental Health Letter, January, 2008)
Helpful links related to this topic on Your Office
Coach:
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Office Insights: Which Jobs are the Most Satisfying?
How satisfied are you
with your job? That question was posed to 27,500 random workers over an
18-year period as part of a study conducted by the National Opinion
Research Center at the University of Chicago. The average satisfaction
rate for all positions was 47%, while the highest-scoring job had an 87%
satisfaction rate.
Which jobs turned out to
be most satisfying? Heading the list were members of the clergy (87%),
followed by physical therapists and firefighters (75%). The top 10 also
included educational administrators, painters & sculptors, teachers,
authors, psychologists, special education teachers, and engineers.
Apparently, a high
salary and prestigious title are no guarantee of vocational happiness.
Based on survey results, true satisfaction comes from creative pursuits
and from caring
for, protecting, or teaching others. (Source:
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 12, 2007)
Helpful links related to this topic on Your Office
Coach:
§
“Rate Your
Job on the Happiness Scale ” at
http://yourofficecoach.com/Topics/happiness_scale.htm
§
“What
Motivates You at Work?” at
http://yourofficecoach.com/Topics/what_motivates_you_at_work.htm
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Office Insights: Does Everyone Want a
High-Status Job?
Because managers desire
promotions, they often assume that everyone is striving for a
higher-level position. But many people work happily for years in
lower-level jobs. For these folks, their reward usually lies in the
contribution they make or the type of work they do.
Psychologists have found
that differences in status-seeking may have a biological basis. In
research studies, status seekers were found to have higher levels of
certain hormones. When hormone level and position status were
mismatched – that is, when high-hormone people were placed in low-status
jobs, and vice versa – study participants showed physiological signs of
stress.
This was initially a
surprise to researchers, who had assumed that everyone would find high
status desirable. But upon reflection, they realized that society
actually benefits from this mixture of motivations. Because there are
only a limited number of leadership positions, followers are badly
needed. Otherwise, people would constantly be fighting for power.
Smart managers recognize
that employees with different motivational profiles have different
career goals. Instead of assuming that everyone wants to be promoted,
they learn what each person finds rewarding and try to motivate people
individually. (Source: Monitor on Psychology,
July/August, 2006)
Helpful links related to this topic on Your Office
Coach:
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Office Insights: Six
Strategies to Boost Your Career
Does your career seem to
be stuck in third gear? If you’re suffering from the mid-career blues,
you may need to expand your thinking and try some new approaches.
However, any move with the potential to be a major career booster is
also likely to involve some risk. So if changes and challenges make you
nervous, perhaps you should just continue plodding along. But if you
want to get on a faster track, consider doing something different.
According to Fortune
Magazine, these six strategies may help to jump-start your career.
1. Find a growth
industry. Fast-growing companies provide more frequent
opportunities to advance.
2. Get international
experience. Even if you can’t actually go abroad, look for
opportunities to do international work.
3. Take a bigger job
at a smaller company. Positions in smaller organizations often have
broader responsibilities.
4. Acquire a mentor.
Get to know the higher-ups and look for someone who seems interested in
your development.
5. Find a mess to fix.
Solving the problem that is driving your boss crazy will increase your
visibility and reputation.
6. Work for yourself.
A period of self-employment can force you to develop new skills and
shift your perspective.
(Source:
Fortune Magazine, August 2006)
Helpful links related to this topic on Your Office
Coach:
§
“What
Should You Look for in a Mentor” at
http://yourofficecoach.com/Topics/what_should_mentor.htm
§
“Quick
Quiz: How Much Political Power Do You Have?” at
http://yourofficecoach.com/Topics/political_power.htm
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Office
Insights: Does Your Job Make You Anxious?
Have you ever experienced
“Sunday night dread”? That’s the sinking feeling in the pit of your
stomach caused by anticipating your return to the office on Monday
morning. Simply put, Sunday night dread is an anxiety reaction, which
can be caused by any number of things.
Anxiety-producing factors
at work include difficult assignments, mean-spirited coworkers,
unrealistic deadlines, and business downturns. Perhaps the greatest
source of worry and apprehension is a demanding and difficult boss.
Anything which makes us feel helpless can trigger an anxiety response,
so many people feel worried at work. We depend on our jobs for money,
recognition, meaningful activity, and social relationships. But job
security can easily be threatened by malevolent managers, uncooperative
colleagues, or unpredictable business and political events.
Dr. Richard Zinbarg, who
directs a university panic treatment program, says that regaining a
sense of control is the key to managing anxiety. At work, this means
taking the actions necessary to sharpen your skills, get your projects
organized, develop good communication with your boss, get along with
your colleagues. And the ultimate feeling of control comes from knowing
that you have the skills and contacts necessary to get another job if
something should happen to this one. (Source:
Monitor on Psychology, March 2006)
Helpful links related to this topic on Your Office
Coach:
§
“Rate Your
Job on the Happiness Scale” at
http://yourofficecoach.com/Topics/happiness_scale.htm
§
“Trust &
Betrayal at Work” at
http://yourofficecoach.com/Topics/trust%20and%20betrayal%20at%20work.htm
§
“How Do
You Spot a Toxic Workplace” at
http://yourofficecoach.com/Topics/toxic_org.htm
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