I approach fear management from a mind/body perspective. Fear has a way of freezing us mentally and emotionally. We get locked into fearful thoughts and panicky feelings. It’s easy to “catch” fear like a cold.
To manage fear in a tight economy I recommend the following:
Increasing physical activity and exercise to release fear and other toxins from your body.
Reducing intake of negative information - it’s okay to be informed, but don’t scare yourself silly with doomsday media predictions.
Building your support systems. Stay connected to friends, fellowships, support groups, and associations that are positive, productive and proactive.
And, like Kathi said, this can be a very stressful time, so don’t forget to manage your stress.
To me, the way you manage your fear is to manage your resources. I’m known in the office (and at home) as cheap. But besides being cheap, here is my view on how to get through the fear that this weak economy generates in us. I recommend you stop spending wherever possible.
Stop buying the unnecessary. You don’t need the latest phone or gadget. And you can wait to buy that new beautiful ultra thin laptop.
Buy what you need not what you want.
Look to see if you can do things more cheaply. At times like this, everyone is offering deals so take advantage of them.
Negotiate where possible - your cell phone plan, your credit card interest rates.
These can be very stressful times, so don’t forget to manage your stress.
While it may be a great idea to Manage Up, it’s not uncommon to also feel very resistant to doing it.
Why is that?
The simplest answer is twofold:
1. You may be mad at your boss for being a lousy manager
2. Even if managing up could help, YOU JUST DON’T FEEL LIKE IT.
Perhaps you work for someone who is always on the run. This person shouts orders at you as he or she dashes out the door. When you send emails, your boss never responds. When you schedule a meeting, that time is always cancelled.
You look at the Managing Up practice of meeting weekly with your boss and think, “Do you know how many times I’ve tried to get my boss’ attention? It will never work.” You’re probably frustrated, mad, and tired of chasing your boss for face time. And deep down you believe that if your boss wanted a meeting, he or she would make themselves available for it.
We’ve found that your first job in Managing Up usually consists of doing whatever you can to release your (understandable) feelings of anger and frustration. Let go by “unhooking physically.” That is take steps to calm your mind, and release the negative energy that’s built up as a result of working for this person.
You can do anyone of the following: exercise, work out, do yoga, take a walk, bike, swim, take a bath, get a massage, play with your dog. The key is to engage in some form of physical activity to release the toxins.
If you’d like to Manage Up but you resist it at the same time, try unhooking physically first. It may take a while, but eventually you’ll feel clear enough to see how managing up can work for you.
Many people think that managing up means speaking up. In Working With You is Killing Me, we define Managing Up as a process of managing the people in positions of authority above you, especially the boss.
We offer 10 managing up practices that are sure to improve your experience with any boss. These include things like holding weekly meetings, bringing your own agenda, and keeping a pulse on your boss’ changing priorities. Each of our Managing Up practices involves some form of communication, but none of them is solely a “speaking up” tactic.
We believe that you take control of the boss/employee relationship when you are willing to be highly responsible while being proactive –not reactive — towards your employer. So what exactly do we mean when we say Highly Responsible and Proactive? We mean - take responsibility for everything that happens or does not happen at your job. Here is an example:
If you ask your boss for more responsibility and s/he does not give you more responsibility, instead of blaming the boss, think about it this way:
1. You may not have clearly communicated what you meant by “more responsibility,” or
2. You may have to prove to your boss that you are ready for more responsibility, or
3. Your boss may assume that you will go ahead and take on more responsibilities without his or her assigning them to you.
Managing Up in this situation would entail asking for more responsibility, AND getting clarity from the boss in terms of what this means. So the next time you go to point a finger, or blame your manager, think again. Have you managed up? Think about what you could have done differently.
In Everyday Leadership: Getting Results in Business, Politics and Life, author Dan Mulhern says there are no small leaders or small acts of leadership. Each of us, he says, whether we are a parent, a teacher or a CEO can make a difference in the lives of
others and move them to accomplish great things. At a time when political heroes and celebrity role models are sparse, it’s both comforting and inspiring to know that we each have the ability, and responsibility, to lead.
Everyday Leadership provides concrete strategies to obtain results and, at the same time, gives us permission to wrestle with the very human struggles of leadership like managing our ego and emotions, and doing the right thing even when it’s the hard
thing. Dan makes the reader realize that the decision to lead is available to us every moment, every day, and his practical tips, personal stories and real-life anecdotes make that decision easier to make.
For anyone pondering how to become a leader at work, at home or just in daily living, this is a great primer. Check out Dan’s blog for more information about leadership that you can apply everyday. www.danmulhern.com/wordpress
When the economy takes a dive our stress level about money and job security rises. Many of us worry about money; we stop spending and put vacations on hold. We stay at jobs we don’t like for fear of never being employed again.
These tough economic times require a different set of strategies, until the good economy returns.
1 – Look at your skills in a broad way. If you are in retail sales, consider sales in a bigger way, look at wholesales.
2 – Think differently. if you can’t find the perfect full time job, consider two part time jobs, or freelance work.
3 – When laid off – see if your company would consider hiring you back as a consultant.
4 – Network, network, network. People hire people they know.
5 – Take good care of yourself. If you have to let your gym membership go because of the cost, take up power walking or running.
As you take the external actions that Kathi describes, it’s also crucial to attend to your internal state. Here are some tips for building your internal strength during uncertain economic times:
1. Don’t buy into your mind’s fear — It’s common (and easy) to imagine the worst possible scenario in the future. This is because the mind, in an attempt to gain control, projects negative future images. You know how it goes: your mind envisions you losing your job, out on the street, homeless and friendless. DON’T GO THERE. Instead, take actions to…
* Ground yourself in the present.
Ask yourself, “What is happening NOW?” Then, write down your responses. For example, you might write:
Today is Tuesday. It’s 9:30 a.m. I’m sitting at my desk. I currently have a job. I just finished eating my breakfast. I have a report to finish. Whatever your situation, write down the specific facts about this moment so you can be in the present (not in the future or the past)
2. Use the breath to calm and soothe yourself.
Breathing is one of the simplest, fastest ways to calm yourself down and come back into the present moment — which is where you can take effective action on your behalf. Go to any quiet place, sit comfortably and close your eyes. Take five or six slow, deep breaths. With each breath, concentrate on some part of your internal body; feel the lungs go in and out, or feel your heart beating. If you can, sit a few minutes just focusing on your breathing.
3. Limit your intake of news and increase your intake of nourishing information. Listening to news forecasts, watching the stock market swing, and monitoring the mortgage crisis may be interesting for few minutes a day, but constant intake of negative events is not good for your psyche or your spirit. During tough times, it’s best to take in less news, and more constructive information — whether it’s literature of a spiritual nature, career advice, or a topic that you’re passionate about.
On Friday a group of graduate students studying Industrial Psychology at Brooklyn College interviewed us to learn more about what we do. It was an honor speaking to them. Thanks to Selasi Denu, Michiko Sato, Hila Adar-Katzir and Asad Ahmed for spending time learning our business and sharing their very astute insights with us.
Coffee clutches and cigarette breaks are out. Dog walks and games of Fetch are in.
More and more people are bringing pets to work which we think is a win win situation for everyone. Pets have been shown to reduce stress in the workplace so employees are happier and healthier (they take less sick days), which makes employers happier too. And the pets (usually dogs) get extra attention and TLC.
The company in this video partnered with an organization that brings in pets that are eligible for adoption. What’s your company’s policy regarding pets in the workplace?
Between the two of us, we can think of very few situations where gossip is a positive thing. For the most part, people gossip in order to feel a sense of control that they’re lacking, but in most cases gossip just fuels the very fear that they’re trying to quell.
Kathi says that gossip is a direct result of leadership not communicating. When leaders don’t communicate what is going on clearly and often, employees (out of need) will read what they think is going on, based on overhearing conversations, reading their bosses’ moods, and by taking a pulse on the office stress level, employees will put what they know together and talk as if it’s the truth (but it is only gossip).
“Gossip can be diminished or even avoided if the leader would have more staff meetings and communicate more frequently and directly.”
Katherine agrees, “Think of leadership as the parents in an organization, and staff as the kids. When parents don’t explain what they are doing and why they are doing it, kids will simply make stuff up. “If you don’t tell your staff what’s going on they’ll invent it. They invent the intention behind it and even the attitudes - which may or may not exist.” Once the gossip spiget opens, it’s hard to shut it and gossip can become viral.
