Corporate Survival 101

We may be pulling out of the recession, but the army of workers that you are doing it with in your organization may have decreased dramatically. The “Less is More” strategy or “Do More with Less” mantra may have you feeling like you are on a treadmill of activity that is hard if not impossible to complete. I like to call my business strategy during these turbulent times “Selective Neglect”. It is okay to give in to the chaos, and learn to prioritize very well so that you are doing the right things right, not just succumbing to endless activity. But what happens when the months of endless piling on doesn’t seem to have an end in sight? Many workers have been tackling large workloads for months. How do you keep from loosing your swagger? How do you keep from loosing your get up and go? If routine assignments begin to take on mammoth proportions, long work hours, and relentless deadlines, take some defensive measures to prevent burn out. How do you keep on the strong track to prevent low morale and eventual reduced productivity? First pay attention to the warning signs and be honest with yourself and your coworkers. Do you:

Have trouble getting out of bed and getting out the door
Arrive late frequently
Feel withdrawn and bad about your performance
Watch the clock
Allow work stress to spill over into other areas of your life
Get into frequent disagreements with your manager or co-workers
Feel that you are making little progress in spite of great effort·
If these symptoms sound familiar, it may be time to make some changes. Here are some strategies to help you renew your enthusiasm and get your career back on track:

1. Own the Outcome, not all the workMeet with your supervisor and get a workable strategy with in a reasonable time frame. Try not to be a hero or a martyr here. Delegate and share work with others that own the outcome. Work is always easier and more fun when you share it with your team. Set some timelines and celebrate your victories together too!
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2. Assess your time management Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day so be smart with your work hours to stay on target. The way you manage your time also can affect your ability to rebound from job exhaustion. Not sure how to do this? Try keeping a diary of where you spend your time at work for a few days and break it into categories. You will probably uncover some real time wasters that you can dismiss and allow refocus for better investment.

3. Don’t Bring me DownThe OZ principles talk about keeping things positive. Do you have an issue or challenge? Certainly bring it up, but make certain that you do it with a solution in mind. The psychology of this is powerful, and it will help insure that you feel in charge and not a victim.

4. Find Your Tonto A common symptom of burnout are feelings of isolation so don’t be the Lone Ranger. I know how much we all like to think that we are indispensable, but if there is one thing that this economy and downsizing has shown us it is that everyone can do more and everyone can be replaced. This is a harsh reality, but good to know. In fact, now may be the perfect time to train someone on the skills needed to work at a higher level and then set some expectations of group performance. Asking for help does not make you a complainer when it is done in the right way.

5. Check out mentally when you need to for some down timeI guarantee the work will still be there when you get back, and yes you will be missed. Use your vacation to recharge. Take a lunch away from your work or desk, get out of the office and walk around. Time away will give a fresh perspective and separate you from some of the distracting minutia that may be causing your stress.

6. Find the FunThis is really the most vital part. Life is too short to work all the time, so put some fun into it for sure! My Team recently submitted their favorite songs that get them motivated and we had everything from AeroSmith to Big and Rich to the Beastie Boys. A Team member downloaded the music, copied it to a Team CD, and now we have music to inspire us when the chips are down. A great team theme may just give you the “Skills to pay the Bills!”