Workplace Needs A No-Whine Zone
If your work environment is a pressure cooker about to explode, finding relief can be as simple as establishing a “no moan zone.”
Consultant Tim O’Brien pitches the idea as a way to get away from the roar, clamor and conflict of personalities in the typical American workplace. A break room is an ideal setting, though any place will do.
Complaining, rumors and negative comments are banned in the no moan zone. To be effective, there must be an agreement to abide by the rules.
O’Brien warns that enforcing the mandate can create dissent and even lead to the departure of some workers. But the payoff is a more serene work environment.
Training pays dividends
There’s a strong correlation between employee development and job satisfaction, according to a new study.
Here are some findings of the research by Development Dimensions International:
* Employees are more likely to stay with an organization in which they are continually learning and growing.
* Twenty-three percent of employees who received no training say they are dissatisfied with their jobs, while only 8 percent of employees who received six or more days of training felt this way.
* Only 14 percent of workers who received job-related training said they plan to change jobs within a year, while 24 percent of those who didn’t get such training are thinking about moving on.
The age factor
If you’re over 50 and out of work, you’ll have a better chance of landing a job if you can come across as creative and aggressive.
Steve Harrison, who is 60 and president of the employment firm Lee Hecht Harrison, says executives over 50 can appear out of date and less vital than younger counterparts.
While you can’t change your age, if you keep up with the latest business thinking and technologies and can show a prospective employer you have a passion for life, you can have a vibrant image, Harrison says.
Older job seekers “have to project energy, agility and a sense of urgency,” he says.
The high cost of absenteeism: Absenteeism cost U.S. businesses $1,150 per employee in 1998.
In response, more companies are developing a no-fault attendance policy whereby excessive work absences of any sort lead to discipline.