Saturday, August 23, 2008
Quote:- Environment & Friends You Choose
W. Clement Stone
Psychology:- How to Fight Depression and Anxiety
What's the best way to deal with depression and anxiety? Quickly and definitively. Whatever kicks them off, depression and anxiety both are maintained by styles of thinking that magnify the initial insult and alter the workings of the brain in such a way that the longer an episode exists, the less it takes to set off future episodes.
Anxiety and depression are probably two faces of the same coin. Surveys have long shown that 60 to 70 percent of people with major depression also have an anxiety disorder, while half of those suffering anxiety also have symptoms of clinical depression.
The stress response system is overactive in both disorders. Excess activity of the stress response system sends emotional centers of the brain into overdrive so that negative events make a disproportionate impact and hijack rational response systems. You literally can't think straight. You ruminate over and over about the difficulties and disappointments you encounter until that's all you can focus on.
Researchers believe that some people react with anxiety to stressful life events, seeing danger lurking ahead everywhere—in applying for a job, asking for a favor, asking for a date. And some go beyond anxiety to become depressed, a kind of shutdown in response to anticipated danger.
People who have either condition typically overestimate the risk in a situation and underestimate their own resources for coping. Sufferers avoid what they fear instead of developing the skills to handle the kinds of situations that make them uncomfortable. Often enough, a lack of social skills is at the root. Some types of anxiety—obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and social phobia—are particularly associated with depression.
The fact that anxiety usually precedes the development of depression presents a huge opportunity for the prevention of depression. Young people especially are not likely to outgrow anxiety on their own; they need to be taught specific mental skills.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) gets at response patterns central to both conditions. And the drugs most commonly used against depression have also been proved effective against an array of anxiety disorders.
Although medication and CBT are equally effective in reducing anxiety/depression, CBT is better at preventing return of the disorder. Patients like it better, too, because it allows them to feel responsible for their own success. What's more, the active coping that CBT encourages creates new brain circuits that circumvent the dysfunctional response pathways.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches people to monitor the environment for the troubling emotional landmines that seem to set them off. That actually changes metabolic activity in the cortex, the thinking brain, to modulate mood states. It works from the top down. Drugs, by contrast, work from the bottom up, modulating neurotransmitters in the brainstem, which drive basic emotional behaviors.
Treatment with CBT averages 12 to 15 weeks, and patients can expect to see significant improvement by six weeks. Drug therapy is typically recommended for months, if not years.
Exercise is an important adjunct to any therapy. Exercise directly alters levels of neurohormones involved in circuits of emotion. It calms the hyperactivity of the nervous system and improves function of the brain's emotion-sensing network. It also improves the ability of the body to tolerate stress. What's more, it changes people's perception of themselves, providing a sense of personal mastery and positive self-regard. It also reduces negative thinking.
However, just telling a distressed person to exercise is futile, as depression destroys initiative. The best thing a loved one can do is to simply announce: "Let's go for a walk." Then accompany the person out the door.
WebMD Feature from "Psychology Today" Magazine
Originally published on July 9, 2007
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
HR Policy:- What’s the Difference between Policies and Procedures?
We talk about policies and procedures all the time but what really is a policy and how does it differ from a procedure?
What's a Policy?
A policy is a guiding principle used to set direction in an organization. It can be a course of action to guide and influence decisions. It should be used as a guide to decision making under a given set of circumstances within the framework of objectives, goals and management philosophies as determined by senior management. But is it?
There are really two types of policies. The first are rules frequently used as employee policies. The second are mini-mission statements frequently associated with procedures. Think rules versus missions.
Employee Policies
An employee policy is a business rule you put in your Employee Handbook. This includes things like no smoking, no drinking, and other business practices like dress codes, vacation policy, or your company's codes of conduct. Clearly, employee policies are human resource policies about your office rules used to support your management philosophies.
Employee policies are used to set a standard for projecting your company image or to communicate regulations that apply to all personnel. What kind of image are you projecting as a company? They typically come from top management as a result of interpreting the company mission and vision statements, laws and regulations, or industry standards and practices.
Procedure Policies
Think of your procedure policy as a mini-mission statement. A mission statement contains the target user, the stated purpose, and some type of effectiveness measure to communicate how users know the procedure is working.
An example Inventory Counting Procedure Policy:
Warehouse personnel shall count physical inventory on a frequent basis to ensure the accuracy of the general ledger balance.
In the inventory counting policy you see the target user is the warehouse personnel. The stated purpose is to count inventory and the effectiveness measures are frequency and accuracy. The procedures will need to define the actual frequency and accuracy amounts. In fact, the amounts could be objectives for process improvement if there are inventory issues.
What's a Procedure?
A procedure is a particular way of accomplishing something. It should be designed as a series of steps to be followed as a consistent and repetitive approach or cycle to accomplish an end result. Once complete, you will have a set of established methods for conducting the affairs of your organization, which will come in handy for training, process auditing, process improvement, or compliance initiatives.
Procedures provide a platform for implementing the consistency needed to decrease process variation, which increases procedure control. Decreasing process variation is how we eliminate waste and increase performance.
The Difference between Policies and Procedure
A policy is a guiding principle used to set direction in an organization. A procedure is a series of steps to be followed as a consistent and repetitive approach to accomplish an end result. Together they are used to empower a process with the direction and consistency necessary for successful process improvement.
HR Policy:- What Is Your Policy?
Comedian Dimitri Martin repeats the old adage "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones." Then he adds "My policy is: No stone throwing regardless of housing situation."
That's a good policy. But as Dimitri points out, even the best of polices should have an exception. "If you are trapped in a glass house and you have a stone - throw it," he explains.
You Know Not to Throw Stones…
It would be nice if policy setting was as easy as this example, but setting good policies is difficult. They are also important, serving as guideposts that can help keep your organization on track. You can learn a lot about an organization's culture by reading its policies. How it feels about its employees, its customers, and where its priorities lie.
A quick reminder, though, that most organizations actually have two types of policies. The first are the employee rules maintained by the Human Resources department. These are necessary to ensure rules are applied fairly across the board so certain employees are not treated more favorably, in terms of attendance, discipline, or reimbursement, for example.
Policy as a Goal
The second type of policy, the one we are more interested in for our discussion, involves creating statements that serve as guidelines for executing the organizations strategies and priorities. If customer service is a priority, then company policies should state high-level customer service goals, such as answering calls promptly and resolving issues in a timely way. Then these high-level goal statements should then be fleshed out by department managers with specific objectives that fulfill the goals. For example, 95% of incoming customer service calls answered by the fourth ring, all customer questions or issues completely resolved within 1 business day, or same day shipping.
Good policies are usually developed by reflecting on how to operationalize strategies, set priorities, and address existing risks. An overlooked step in some organizations is clearly communicating the policies to the team members. Too frequently it is assumed that the meanings and motives behind a policy are obvious, but such assumptions are a mistake. Clear communication about the logic and importance (in terms of success) of policies is a key to creating buy-in, which obviously leads to better compliance.
But even more importantly, making sure employees understand policies thoroughly will also help them recognize when a situation calls for an exception. Being able to empower front line employees (especially those interacting with customers) is always a good thing, and the greatest impediment to good decision making is a lack of information. Training and communication on policies and policy development is one way to help alleviate this problem.
A Policy for Creating Policies?
So good policies are created by clearly stated company goals, and recall that our discussion of policy involves standards for achievement - not rules. Bad policies, on the other hand, can be a result of knee jerk reactions to a specific incident or occurrence. They are not well-thought out and are not based on fulfilling an over-arching strategy or priority. Some bad policies, however, are created because of misguided goals.
I read about a gourmet coffee chain recently, describing their policy of when the line of customers grew too long a staff member would take an order pad and pen out to the line and begin collecting orders from those in line and those queuing up. The odd thing about this policy was that it really didn't get drinks to customers any faster. There were still the same number of cashiers ringing up sales, and the same number of baristas making the drinks. In fact, one could argue it actually slowed the process down.
But it turns out the goal of this policy was not to reduce the wait for drinks. The real goal of the policy was to make customers coming in and getting in line to feel obligated to stay and purchase the drink. Having placed an order, customers were much less likely to ditch the long line and go somewhere else. How is that for a customer focus?
A useful policy here should be to serve drinks fast enough to satisfy customers, not to lay a guilt trip on customers to keep them from leaving (happy or unhappy). I can't help but think that if as much thought and effort was put into to creating the proper policy (backed by processes) to deliver drinks satisfactorily during a rush as was put into playing mind games with customers, a win-win situation would be created for customer and company. As is, this policy only benefited the company at the expense of the customer. While such policies might create a short term benefit, over the long haul it alienates customers and creates cynical employees.
So the question isn't really just "what is your policy," but "why is it your policy" as well. What is being accomplished? Who benefits? Who suffers? What message does it send? What direction does it take the organization? What does it say about your organization?
When it comes to understanding why, Dimitri Martin might say, "Because throwing stones isn't nice and someone could get hurt." Our goal should be to create policies that make as much sense.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Good Fences Make Us Rich
High achievers do one thing at a time. They are focused, determined and persistent (a polite word for stubborn). But more than anything else, success requires that we are not distracted, that we don't waste our time and energy chasing non-essentials. Most of us do too much of that and wonder why we don't achieve more in life.
This week I've had several conversations that brought this home to me. One friend laughed out loud when I asked him to set limits on his work and "just say no" to outrageous demands. He argued that he would lose customers, that he prides himself on responding to his clients and that, "I just couldn't do that." As a result, he works long hours doing trivial things that are "urgent" for other people! He's often exhausted and, of course, he is not building his own business.
I was reminded of Michael Gerber's famous dictum to "work on your business rather than in your business." In my friend's case, my fear is that neither his business nor his life will flourish because he spends so much time and energy on his clients' petty interruptions.
Highly successful people build tight fences around their work. They define what they do, decide what you won't do, and then stick to it.
A second essential is to "fence out" new opportunities. Yes, you read that right. We live in a world of endless opportunities. You can go to school, start a new business, go to China for the Olympics, or buy another house while they're on sale this year. Opportunities abound! Television may be our most common distraction, but I'm convinced having too many opportunities may be our most expensive distraction.
The key to success is to do one thing well. And do a lot of it. And sell it at a price that is a "bargain" for your customers and profitable for you. Failures are always chasing the "next big thing." They are experts at "starting over." Successful people are narrow-minded and they persist. They put good fences around "opportunity."
A final boundary is to put boundaries around our friends and loved ones. This is tough! And, obviously, I'm not talking about putting limits on the quality of our relationships. Love and friendship is what life is all about! But, I don't answer my phone every time it rings.
One of the toughest things in life is to be disciplined about how we balance our relationships and our work. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." We all know tragic stories of people who spent their lives working and ended up alone and bitter. Don't do that! In my work, however, I see more instances of people who are so caught up in their friends and family, their community or their hobbies that they fail to focus on their work. That, too, is a failure of boundaries.
We want to be "nice." We value our relationships, and our friends and family are wonderful people. No wonder we want to "put them first." That's a good thing! But so is doing your work, pursuing your passion and building your business. Balance and boundaries are the key.
Robert Frost observed that "good fences make good neighbors" and I would add that good boundaries make us rich, in every sense of the word. Boundaries are essential to build your business, to create and maintain healthy relationships, and to enjoy the life you truly want. Maintain your boundaries.
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"If you are clear about what you want, the world responds with clarity."
-- Loretta Staples
"It only takes one person to change your life - you."
-- Ruth Casey
"Enthusiasm finds the opportunities, and energy makes the most of them."
-- Henry Hoskins"
"I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it."
-- Jonathan Winters
Celebrate the Good
Are you tired of the conflict in your life and in your workplace? While conflict may be a "normal" part of our lives, it can be tiring. Conflict can happen anywhere and occurs among even the most "spiritual" of people with challenging results. What is a person to do???? The answer may lie in the following story.
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The head of a cloistered monastery became very frustrated with the bickering and conflict among the monks who were in his charge. He felt helpless in finding a solution to this ongoing problem. One day, he was brilliantly inspired with the right and perfect solution. Knowing that behaviors can change if there is a compelling reason to do so, he called all of the monks together.
He said, "I am so pleased to share this wonderfully exciting news with you today. I have learned that one among you is a divinely chosen and blessed being who is one of God's specially selected ministers. We are so fortunate to have this person among us. I know that each of you shares this excitement with me." With no further word, he turned and left the monks alone.
The monks sat for a moment and looked around at each other. The puzzlement and then the wonder in their eyes were evident as they looked to each other for some sign of the "blessed one." There was outer silence, but each monk experienced similar inner dialog. "I wonder who it is? Who among us seems most likely to be God's special being? I wonder if I have insulted the blessed one?..." On and on went the inner dialog.
The bickering among the monks seem to cease almost immediately as they did their best not to insult or antagonize the one who was held in special esteem by God. Since there was no indication of who the special monk was, all of the monks treated each other with respect, courtesy, and great fondness.
Weeks went by. The excitement and curiosity abated and the monks settled down into their usual routine. However, the habit of bickering had been replaced with the habit of respect, courtesy, and a willingness to explore solutions to their problems. There was peace in the monastery.
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This wonderful story reflects what actually takes place every day in the workplace. What if we treated our co-workers as though they are "divinely special beings" with our motive not being one of fear, but simply wanting peace in the workplace more than we want anything else?
When we begin to look at others with compassionate eyes, speak words of kindness, and think of others with a desire to understand them, we will begin to change. And, interestingly enough so will they. What goes around, comes around.
Affirmation:
"Just for this moment, this day, this week, I will look for the goodness in others, as I look for and celebrate the goodness in myself."
Sunday, August 17, 2008
10 Strangest Résumé Lies
It doesn't take a genius to know that lying on a résumé about being a member of Mensa, the international high-IQ society, is a bad idea. Yet, this is one of the résumé lies that a recent survey uncovered. Can you beat it?
CareerBuilder.com conducted a survey that found 49 percent of hiring managers say they have caught a candidate lying on their résumé. The most common lies hiring managers found involved embellished responsibilities (38 percent), skill set (18 percent), dates of employment (12 percent), and academic degree (10 percent).
However, some candidates took the fibbing to another level. While the candidates probably believed they were including information that would give them a leg up on the competition, you may be left wondering why they bothered.
One survey respondent, for example, said a candidate claimed to be a member of the Kennedy family. Another candidate submitted a résumé with a photo of someone else.
Survey respondents reported these other strange résumé lies:
- Included samples of work, which the interviewer actually did
- Falsely claimed to be Hispanic
- Claimed to have been a professional baseball player
- Listed military experience dating back to before he was born
- Claimed to be the CEO of a company when the candidate was an hourly employee
- Claimed to have worked for the hiring manager before but never had
- Invented a school that did not exist
The survey included 3,169 hiring managers and human resources professionals. CareerBuilder.com also conducted a survey among 8,785 employees. How many admit they have stretched the truth on a résumé? Only 8 percent. Do you think those 8 percent are submitting all of those résumés in which 49 percent of hiring managers have found a lie?
'Mr. Unstable' Becomes Mr. Unemployed
Timothy Tackett, 25, reportedly posted a video on his Myspace page featuring him enjoying a soapy bath in the sink to celebrate his birthday, WTHI.com reports . Tackett referred to himself only as "Mr. Unstable" in the video and later told reporters he wasn't naked, as some had thought, and said he was wearing a black Speedo. The video has since been taken down, although many sites have stills of the video showing Tackett playing in the soapy sink.
Tackett, who says he was fired after the incident, told reporters he regrets his actions because two other employers were eventually terminated--the one who allegedly filmed the bath and the manager on duty.
While the sink was sanitized after the bath, Burger King Corp. has ordered all utensils and kitchen tools be discarded, and is retraining the staff of the restaurant on health and sanitation procedures, WTHI.com reports.
Tackett, an aspiring musician, says that he is thankful for all the hits to his Myspace page. The page highlights his music as well as an upcoming performance with a national recording artist.
He also reassured customers of the Burger King that it is a clean restaurant, "It's totally a safe place to eat," Tackett told WTHI.com . "I would eat there still, but I'm not allowed."