Workaholics Beware: You Could Get Fired For Working Too Much

Being Punished for Being a Workaholic?

That is exactly the case for the employees at an HR Software company in Utah according to this article. The founders of the company have a strict "No Workaholics" policy that they enforce...complete with sanctions.

One worker was almost fired for regularly working more than 40 hrs a week. The company founders experienced first hand the havoc working too much can have on an employee. Work/Life balance isn't just a saying for this company but a priority.

The article is complete with research data to back it up.

Studies show that it is hazardous to you health.

67% increase in the risk of developing heart disease for people who work 11 hrs a day versus 8 hrs a day.

Those who work 50 hrs a week or more are three times as likely to develop an alcohol abuse problem

It is not productive

50% of employees are less effective because of the stress of their jobs.

I liked this article.

It defies the status quo. I love finding articles on how to do work better that challenge the conventional thinking. I have never been a 9-5 job person and for years I thought something was wrong with me. I am fine. I just prefer a different work environment. Taking a stand like these entrepreneurs let's me know that you can create a work culture that is based on valuing employees and their sanity as a strategic business decision.

It is a short article. Read it and tell me what you think?

Would you want to be sanctioned for working too much?

Would you feel better about your company if they had (and enforced) such a policy?

The One Thing Stopping You From Making Your Vision A Reality

Guest Blogger Ryan Bonaparte

This is a guest post by Ryan Bonaparte. He is a 20-something engineer, teacher, and aspiring inventor, and also dabbles in writing and learning about the world around him. He recently published a book, Crazy Enough To Try, and writes a blog about his searches for passion in his life and inspiring others to find theirs. 

Ryan interviewed me about my passion. Click here to read that interview.                                      
Sharing your passions is a great way to meet new people, to develop new ideas, and to just remind yourself why you do the things you do.

I've recently had quite a few conversations with fellow writers and creatives, as well as people in other fields about my projects, including Crazy Enough To Try. After each of these conversations, I've come away brimming with ideas. I've looked at how I approach writing, reading, creating, and any number of actions in a new light. I've refined my goals based on new insights. I've grown as a person and member of society.

During one of these particular conversations, I had a mini-revelation that really stood out. My friend was telling me about what she saw as the one of the largest advantages humans have over other species: the ability to communicate abstract concepts to each other.

From there my mind began to spin. It seemed like such a simple idea, but it really is quite extraordinary.

Introverts: 4 Things You Need To Know About Them

I write weekly for the Asmithblog.com. Here is a post I hope you will find helpful.

I didn't know I was married to an introvert. How do you communicate with an introvert if you are not one? It is simple. It starts with respect.

DISCLAIMER: This is not meant to be an exhaustive look at the communication practices of introverts.They are studies about that. Rather, this is designed to give you practical knowledge into how to connect with the introverts in your life.

Before we dive into the meat and potatoes, let's whet our appetite with some definitions and clarity.

Introversion is a psychological term used to classify personality.  Attributed to Carl Jung, introversion's technical definition, as made famous by the Myers-Brigg personality assessment, simply means one focuses on the inner world stimulation versus the outer world.

"People who are introverted tend to be inward turning, or focused more on internal thoughts, feelings and moods rather than seeking out external stimulation." Introverts get their energy and are recharged from spending time with their thoughts." (1)

In the early years of my marriage I didn't know my husband was introverted. The signs were there; I just didn't see them. I thought because he was popular, outspoken, and got along with just about everyone, he was naturally an extrovert like me. But, the real differences came to light every Friday night.

Read the full post here

6 Communication Skills You Need To Get Promoted

I contribute weekly to the Asmithblog.com. Here is a post that I am sure you'll enjoy.

Frank was a hard worker at this company. A new position opened up and Frank thought he'd be perfect for the job. He'd been with the company for 15 years. He constantly met and exceeding his job expectations. He'd won numerous performance awards. He was assertive and efficient. He thought he had a good shot at getting promoted.

He applied. He waited. Finally the announcement for the new manager was made and Frank's name was not called.

Frank was furious. He was certain his record was better than all the candidates. After work, with his supervisor who was also his friend, Frank decided to be bold and ask why didn't he get the job. His friend slumped his shoulders and said, "Honestly, Frank you do a great job. But your people skills suck! You would be horrible as a leader. You serve us best doing exactly what you are doing."

You can be really good at doing your job but that does not mean you will be promoted. When companies are looking for leaders they need people who are can rally people, lead people, and solve problems caused by people.

Read the full post here.

Why We Don't Give Compliments

I write weekly for Asmithblog. Here is a post I hope you'll find helpful.

Good communicators know the value of being generous with their compliments of others. The word compliment is a noun with four definitions, all of which indicate we need to be giving away more of them:

*An expression of praise, commendation, or admiration.

*A formal act or expression of civility, respect, or regard.

*A courteous greeting; good wishes; regards.

*A gift; present.



A few myths may be standing in our way.


Myth:  Recipients will get big heads.

Truth: Their egos are already inflated.

We fear that telling someone how good they are at something will somehow turn him or her into an egomaniac. In truth, if someone is an egomaniac, he or she probably got there without your help. Good communicators practice what is right regardless of the circumstances. In fact, withholding a well-deserved compliment is a sign of egomania. We need to change focus. Complimenting others reduces the risk that the giver will become self-centered. If someone is an egomaniac, does that negate the fact that he or she did something right or possesses other admirable skills and qualities?

Read the full post here

The Most Important Skill You Are NOT Using!

I write weekly for asmithblog.com. Here is a post I hope you'll find helpful.

• Less than 2% of the world’s population has ever had any formal training in this skill.
• 64% of workplaces offer training in this skill because they find their employees are sufficiently lacking it.
• It has been identified as the top skill employers seek in entry level candidates and for promotability.
• Even though students spend most of their day doing it, this skill training is not required in university education.
• 77% of doctors do it incorrectly.

So what is this skill that so many of us are paying no attention to?

Listening

What can we do about it?

Read the full post here

Why You Should Leave A Comment

 photo credit: Ѕolo via photopin cc

Leaving comments on blogs, articles, and other posts helps improve your communication skills! Didn't know that did you?

I recently came across a statistic about online engagement from the Neilson Norman Group study.

It said:

90% never contribute
9% contribute every now and then
1% contribute regularly.

These numbers are applied to blogging and comments too. I was shocked that 90% of blog readers are missing out on a chance to improve their communication skills.

What to do if you offend!

This post first appeared on Adam Smith Blog.

Offending someone happens invisibly but it has very visible side effects. Practicing how not to be offended is step one. What to do when you offend another is step two. If you offend, you have the responsibility to try to reconcile. Before that can happen you have to understand the nature of emotions. Most likely the offended party has a personal attachment to whatever was said or done. Though we can't turn ourselves into someone's therapist and attempt to solve their issues, we can act with care, professionalism, and great communication skills.

How NOT to Get Offended

I wrote this post for asmithblog.com. It appeared there first.

Image courtesy of freedigitalphoto.net

We live in a politically charged, politically correct environment and it can feel like we are all walking around on eggshells hoping not to offend anyone. Discussions about religion, abortion, race relations, sexual orientations, politics, and the role of government can all turn heated and ugly pretty quickly.

You may have asked why are people taking things so personally? As I mentioned in the It’s Not Personal. Its Business post, taking something personally doesn’t mean the receiver is weak. It usually means they have been offended. In this post, I am going to talk about why we get offended  and what to do about.

The It's Not Personal; It's Business Lie

This post was written by Julia Winston and first appeared on Asmithblog.com

“It’s not personal. It’s just business”

Most are familiar with the line from The Godfather (1972). Many have written praising this movie for its leadership lessons. Many have written denouncing this line as a lie, a farce, and problematic. Regardless of your stance, we want to believe it is true. In this article I’ll tell you why we want to believe it, even though it isn’t true.

Practice Your Message Before You Send It

Photo Credit: MikeBehnken via Compfight cc

Good communication is well thought out, planned, and practiced. Just ask Tony Kornhieser and Micheal Wilbon, hosts of ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption (my favorite show on ESPN). 

Since 2001, they have won awards and increased their viewership with every segment, argument, and yes, costume. But it isn’t all fun and games. Their seemingly spontaneous banter is anything but spontaneous. It is well thought and planned.

In an interview in 2011 with Sports Business Daily celebrating the show's ten year anniversary, when asked about his involvement in creating the show segments like: "Happy Time”     "Toss Up”   “What’s the Word”   “Over or Under”  “Mail Time”   “Something or Nothing”  “Report Card”  “Five Good Minutes”  “Good Cop/Bad Cop”  “Big Finish” Wilbon said, “I don’t have any interest in being involved in that because the device is the same. Whatever it’s called that day, whether we play “Oddsmakers” or “Toss Up,” it’s essentially just a way to get us into a discussion. I’m intimately involved in the discussion in terms of what we're going to discuss.”

Read the rest of my article on Adam Smith's blog

Communication Lessons Learned From Riding A Bike

I mentioned I was going to be a regular contributor to Adam Smith Blog every Sunday. My first post goes live today! Here is a snippet:

"Our communication skills are like riding a bike. We think we know how to do it because we learned "it" once. We know the mechanics of mounting the bike, pedaling, steering, breaking, and balance. But just because we know the mechanics does not mean we can do it well let alone teach another.

My husband and I discovered this recently when we gave our young kids their first bike lesson. We were just as excited as the kids. We imagined all the doors that would open once the kids learned to ride a bike. We pictured ourselves sitting on the porch watching the kids whiz by shouting," Mom? Dad? Watch this!" We imagined taking long family bike rides to and through the park. All we needed to do was teach them and then "oh the places we'd go".

The problem was we didn't realize that teaching our kids how to ride a bike would be so DIFFICULT. You would think since we knew how to ride a bike, we could teach our kids the fundamentals of riding a bike, right? WRONG!"

We makes these same assumptions about our communication skills. Read how the story ends over on Adam's blog