Monthly Archives: May 2017

Leading when you you feel lousy.

Mental Health, Topics in Leadership, Work

 

How do you handle a demanding day when your attention, your focus, your understanding, and your leadership are needed by your team and you are not feeling well? On Thursday I had that day.  I was tired and emotionally depleted having spent most of the previous day on the road traveling to and from a family funeral. I was leaving that Thursday afternoon​ for a long trip to my daughter’s graduation. That same day also happened to be the third in a row of labor intensive construction of a new electronic medical record at our agency. In addition, I had four different department meetings scheduled  to work through issues that required my best concentration and problem solving.  I was stressed and had a headache that felt like a vice grip from my shoulders up.

Days like this require an extra effort at self-control and self-awareness. I made this list of things I try to do on days I feel lousy while at the same time my focus and leadership are necessary.

  1. Decision making is one of the primary tasks of a leader. On a day you are feeling lousy give yourself more time to think through decisions. Tell your team you are considering options and need some time to think about it.
  2. When you feel lousy it may seem like everything is closing in on you. Find five minutes to go to your office, close the door, and do deep breathing exercises.
  3. When you are tired and stressed even little things can seem huge. Set up a mental rule to not respond to people who are making you feel irritated. Take deep breaths. Jot down a note about the thing that is irritating you and deal with it when you feel better.
  4. When you are stressed you may feel pressured to do something that in reality can wait. Go to a trusted coworker, tell them how you feel.  Ask them point blank if your thinking on a subject is clear and if a decision can wait.
  5. Drink a lot of water.
  6. Focus on simple tasks that take less mental energy.
  7. Go outside and walk around the building.
  8. When you are stressed it is easy to perseverate on the negative and make mountains out of mole hills. Have a positive, affirming verse, poem, or phrase to repeat in your mind when you became negative or feel overwhelmed.
  9. Think about what is going well so your view of problems gain some perspective.
  10. In order to use what energy you have where it is most important, reschedule any meetings that you can.
  11. Take care of yourself today so you can be at your best later.

Lessons from saying “thank you” to two long time employees.

Life, Mental Health, Topics in Leadership, Work

This week at work we spent time focusing on our staff. On Monday we had a staff recognition luncheon. We recognized staff for working at our agency for five, ten, fifteen, twenty and twenty-five years.  The big emphasis of the week; however, was on honoring the two staff members who have worked with the organization since it opened twenty-six years ago. Not only have they worked for the same organization since it opened but they have essentially been in the same jobs doing excellent work. They were each given their own special day.  They received awards, gift cards, flowers, and balloons to let them know how much their career long work is appreciated. We all wore buttons proclaiming the special day for each of the two and they got parking spots designated only for them. What made the week so uplifting was to see how much everyone enjoyed recognizing their co-workers. The two honored were all smiles and were genuinely appreciative. Here are some of the takeaways I had from being part of this:

  • It was fun to see the creativity, energy, and passion of the planning team.  They were committed to  making sure that our staff felt appreciated and honored for the commitment they make to be part of our agency. Being part of planning the celebration  meant a lot to the team.
  • The smiles and air of joy the two long term employees had on “their” day was awesome. It was planned as a surprise so when they saw the parking spots, the buttons, and the gifts  it was clear they were overwhelmed. Their smiles made everyone smile.
  • Staff recognized for their various lengths of stay felt acknowledged for reaching a milestone. It is important  to celebrate milestones.
  • The joy caused by showing someone how appreciated they are has a ripple effect.
  • It reinforced to me the fact that it takes a lot more than salary and benefits to make a good work climate. Most of us want to know our work has meaning and that we are making a difference. When the organization can give its members that feedback it improves the climate.
  • Celebrating achievements, both small and large, is essential for the morale of an organization.
  • Getting staff involved in planning shows them respect and turns out a better product. Diverse feedback and problem solving reduces the risk of negative unintended consequences or forgetting something important.
  • I often think about how blessed I am to have the great management team and staff around me that I do. I need to make sure that I tell people that when I think it.