(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
Loading ...Laughing at your co-workers
How many times have you found yourself at odds with a co-worker in another department in your workplace? Its like they just don't get it or something. How could someone be so dense!!?? What is our HR Dept thinking? Next time that happens, try laughing. Laughing about how different someone can be and still have a job. Seriously, when you really think about it, it takes all kinds of people to make the world go around, and yet we continue to get frustrated with each other when that reality hits home with a co-worker.
There isn't much chance that you will never have a disagreement with someone at work. What will you do with it? If you verbally attack, you get looked at negatively from your Human Resources Dept. If you stuff the feelings, you bring it home and let it out there, or worse yet, never let it out and suffer internal stress. What I am suggesting is an alternative way of relieving the stress by laughing at the differences, and then letting it go. Now, I understand that some folks will say that its kind of tough when their lack of "whatever" will affect my job performance, promotion, or satisfaction. You may be right, but getting ticked won't help either. If you tried it, you have to admit it doesn't solve much. So, its time to get creative. Find a way to get what you need and help the other person get there too. You might have to ask some hard questions, and really listen to what they're saying so you can understand their point.
Whatever it is, YOU have the ability to control how you will react to differences in the workplace. Nobody else is in your head (hopefully), so make a choice to laugh about it. Then, find a way to work with it. Have fun working it out creatively!
Posted April 11th, 2008 by Aaron Witsoe - Posted in Human Resources, President's Post | | 0 Comments
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Does your office attitude encourage or discourage crude behavior?
After visting with some clients lately and listening to them talk about their office parties coming up, etc., I noticed something. The attitude of the owner/manager generally affects the attitude of the employees, very directly, when it comes to crude comments, behaviors, jokes etc. I thought I understood this before, but it was demonstrated so obviously to me, that I had to mention it today on my post. If you're a leader of any kind in an organization, your comments and attitude about how to act around other employees are carefully scrutinized by others around you, even those that are not answering directly to you.
I wonder what kind of environment makes people feel like its ok to tell crude jokes in mixed company. Somehow we feel comfortable speaking a certain way around certain people. What makes that comfort level high with some and low with others? The answer could be helpful in deterring employee conflict or harassment issues, perhaps.
Posted December 4th, 2007 by Aaron Witsoe - Posted in Human Resources, President's Post | | 0 Comments
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Friday afternoon productivity
Is it actually possible to stay as productive on Friday afternoons as you are through the rest of the week? Some people are because of internal programming, but most slow down mentally getting ready to relax on the weekend. I think America is so used to the Friday afternoon slow down, that even when there is work to be done, people have a tendency to push it to Monday. However, I am not sure there’s anything wrong with that. Humans are not made to be machines, pushed to the limit 100% of every hour. How do you measure whether employees are abusing their freedom, or if it is just a normal healthy slow down moving into the weekend? The opinions on this are diverse…can’t wait to hear what others think.
Posted October 19th, 2007 by Aaron Witsoe - Posted in Human Resources, President's Post | | 0 Comments
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Holiday Bonuses
I have heard a lot of people say that if you give employees year-end bonuses, they will start expect them regardless of their performance that year. I am not sure I have seen that play out in our company, but I wonder what you could do to keep that from happening. Should it be based on performance or just good will?
Posted October 16th, 2007 by Aaron Witsoe - Posted in Human Resources, President's Post | | 0 Comments
