Self Care Sunday’s Series; Burnout In The Workplace

Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and ineffectiveness in the workplace, and by chronic negative responses to stressful workplace conditions. 

Burnout is more likely when employees:

  • Expect too much of themselves.
  • Never feel that the work they are doing is good enough.
  • Feel inadequate or incompetent.
  • Feel unappreciated for their work efforts.
  • Have unreasonable demands placed upon them.
  • Are in roles that are not a good job fit.

In this article titled; “Workplace Strategies For Mental Health” by Canadian Life, the writer offers many signs that an employer should be aware of. Of course we all want the productive and happy employee’s in our workplaces. However; due to what’s been happening with the COVID 19 Coronavirus pandemic employers need to become more aware of their employee’s mental health needs.

On my Facebook page, I asked this question

If you’re still working, what’s your company doing to help boost mental health and moral?
What would you want to see from management that would let you know they care about you?

The comments were very interesting. One person stated,

” We were provided with company logo masks, disinfectant sprays, extra pay for the month of April”.

Some people are receiving an extra bonus for working during this time because they were deemed to be an essential worker, yet others left the impression that management was ignoring their health and well-being.

Recognize signs and symptoms

Your employees may not realize that they are dealing with signs of being burned out on the job.

Some of the signs and symptoms that an employee experiencing burnout may exhibit include:

  • Reduced efficiency and energy
  • Lowered levels of motivation
  • Increased errors
  • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Irritability
  • Increased frustration
  • Suspiciousness
  • More time spent working with less being accomplished

Severe burnout can also result in:

  • Self-medication with alcohol and other substances
  • Sarcasm and negativity
  • Debilitating self-doubt

Are you a Psychologically Safe Leader?

Take the assessment

Granted this article is written from the Canadian workforce perspective however, I find it can apply to any leadership team or managers anywhere.

As a manager where I work, I’ve found myself with feelings of frustration, inadequacy at times to perform the functions of my job, and anger at the owner and senior management for not showing the staff how anything they really care about them or their mental health.

Make your employees feel special

Leave your employees an email or little notes saying something like “Hey we are thinking about you and we’re doing everything possible to help all of us make it through this pandemic together”.

Don’t become one of those owners or bosses like an Ebenezer Scrooge.

Dig deep into your own pocketbook if you have to and show them you care!

Life is hard enough without having a pandemic in it. Choose to show kindness, understanding, and patience with your employees and make them happy and proud to be your employees.

Please leave a comment.

Gain The Advantage,

Alicia Osmera

Three Day Quote Challenge: Day 1

Three Day Quote Challenge

I was nominated by Sweta Ojha https://swetaojha.wordpress.com/2016/07/19/three-day-quote-challenge-day-1/ to participate in the three-day quote challenge.

Thank you for thinking of me Sweta Ojha.  Please stop by her blog site and check it out.

THE RULES SAY:

  • Pen down three quotes for three days
  • Nominate three blogs each day.  The nomination should not be repeated.
  • Thank the person who nominated you.
  • Inform the nominees.

 

Day One 

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Thoughts are important and can change our moods in an instant.

Today’s Nominee’s are:

  1. http://empowermentmomentsblog.com/
  2. https://wolf4915.wordpress.com/
  3. http://marketingofflineonline.net/author/kathrynruth/

These writer’s have a meaning and a purpose please check out there sites.

Gain The Advantage!

Alicia Osmera

 

Free Blog Sites vs. WordPress.org

I am fairly new to the blogging community.  I have two sites one  (www.connectwithalicia.wordpress.com) the one your currently reading and  (www.tradingdimesfortime.gblogger.com) after setting up both of these sites it was brought to my attention that there are paid blog sites.  Having a paid site makes a “true blogging guru” seen as a serious writer with a WordPress.org behind the name or any other paid blog site. 

 

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What is WordPress.org vs. WordPress.com?  

According to WordPress.com, Word Press was founded in 2003 and Word Press has grown to become the largest self-hosted blogging site in the world.  It is used by millions of people all over the world.   

What are the options one can use with the WordPress.com? 

This site is a free service which offers a beginning blogger ( like me) a chance to develop a site you can design on your own, and all with the added convince of being able to avoid paying the fees to having someone else build your blog site for you. 

Being a new blogger I have had challenges as I am sure you have too.   When you first establish your   name then you can proceed forward with developing your site.  The difference between a blog address   and a blog domain name gives you an edge in the development of the site with strategic solutions to meet your needs.   

WordPress.com gives you;  

Ecommerce, a Custom Site Address, Space, No Ads, Custom Design, Video Press, Premium Themes , Google Analytics, Support, 3 GB and it’s Free for Life. 

WordPress.com Premium gives you all of the above and 13GB, Direct email.   Costs $99 per year. 

 WordPress.com Business gives you all of the above with Unlimited Features, Live chat.  Costs $299 per year.

wordpress-blog

 WordPress.org 

Allows the blogger to set up a more professional website blog and have it hosted; which in turn gives the blogger more freedom to be creative with their content allowing them control what is being published. 

Features with WordPress.org include: 

 You’re the owner of your blog domain, Content Management System (CMS) software for free.  A CMS is a computer application that allows publishing, editing, modifying, and organizing, deleting, and maintaining content from a central interface (per Wikipedia). 

 Of course with the software comes the responsibility of hosting your site. 

 1 A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to make their website accessible via the World Wide Web. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server owned or leased for use by clients, as well as providing Internet connectivity, typically in a data center

Word Press has its own hosting site called Blue host.   Blue host is one of the largest and most trusted web hosting service providers.  

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Of course then you will need to set up your theme, your plugin’s, how a reader can contact you, email list (if you choose to do one).  With WordPress.org the author has full control over what they are publishing and creating.  With WordPress.com you are limited and they monitor the content that can be published.  You can’t use third-party advertising, you’re limited on storage space and no FTP access to your files. 

  Which Word Press should you use? 

 First I recommend looking at the layout you want to create and then decide if you’re writing more for pleasure, to attract business, marketing a product, or more for informational purposes. 

 The one thing I have found with WordPress.com is that I can upgrade to WordPress.org at any time and still design the site the way I choose.  

Secondly choosing how to write your blog depends on your style.  Are you a colorful person?  Photographs make your articles pop and stand out to the readers. Be creative with it, don’t  follow what other people are doing.   

 My final thought.  —- Do what’s best for you and not what other people are telling you to do This is your project!  

 Gain The Advantage! 

 

 

Disbelief!

DISBELIEF

One word will kill the  chances of ever finding success in network marketing.

DISBELIEF!

Disbelief  is defined as  the 1. Inability or refusal to accept that something is true or real 2. Lack of faith in something. *Webster’s Dictionary

Doubting  in yourself is going to hold you back and take you down a long and winding road! This is one reason all of the top successful network marketers tell us to work on self improvement.  Work on a positive mindset, be around successful and positive  influences because they will give you the ability to produce the successful results you’re seeking.

For example someone has offered you an unbelievable opportunity.  Yet you have seen all of the documentation, seen videos, talked to other people in the business and yet you still disbelieve “this one of a kind opportunity” exists.

In the book –  Napoleon Hill’s Keys to Success: The 17 Principles of Personal Achievement book there is a blurp about overcoming disbelief.   In this book he highlights three easy steps to obtain overcoming disbelief.

  1. Express a definite desire for the achievement of a purpose, and relate it to one or more of the basic human motives.
  2. Create a definite and specific plan for attaining that desire.
  3. Start acting on that plan, putting every conscious effort  behind it.

   https://books.google.com/books?id=c92GsiKaaIEC&lpg=PT51&ots=i7XYT4LUmI&dq=overcoming%20disbelief&pg=PT51&output=embed

Reading books like Napoleon Hill’s Keys to Success: The Principles of Personal Achievement,  How To Think And Grow Rich will aid in developing the proper techniques and mindset to gain success.

The more we clear our minds from the negativity filters, the better we become with believing we have the ability to accomplish the goals that we have set aside.  Clear your mind of all negative thoughts of poverty, unsuccessfulness, fear, regrets, and take the necessary steps to build your faith level up where it needs to be to achieve the success you seek.

Gain The Advantage!

Enthusiasm!

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What are you enthusiasts about?

A new business opportunity, Monday night football, your family?   Whatever it is you want to run, jump up and down, yell it from the mountain tops; “Hey world look at this I’m so excited to share it with you”!

Enthusiasm in it’s true form is contagious.  If you really think about it the last time someone was so excited around you, you just had to know why?  Then as they proceeded to tell you, you began to get excited about the same thing.

Do you wake up with enthusiasm about the start of a new day?  Ready to takle on anything the day brings?  Or do you wake up feeling unexcited, gloomy and depressed about yiur your situation?

No matter what happens you’re bound to run into somebody with a contageous and exciting enthusiasm about something.

“Act enthusiastic,  and you’ll be enthusiastic “!

Gain The Advantage!

 

That’s It!

That’s it, I’m done with all this “network marketing” junk!

Family, friends, co workers they all let me down. No one believes me anyway so I might as well be done! I’m just going to stay here in my comfortable little world and be miserable along with everyone else I know.

Sound familiar?

Working outside one’s comfort zone is hard. Without the proper support from other’s in network marketing, having a positive mindset and not seeing any results makes it hard to stay in this industry.

Are you aware that the “Network Marketing” industry is responsible for $182,000,000,000.00 in the world?

No one can tell me that this industry doesn’t pay. Does your industry allow you to trade dimes for time? Work when and how hard you want? Does it reward you for achieving certain levels in the company? Gone are the days of bonuses just because you’ve done a great job. Even Christmas bonuses, Christmas parties, oh no I didn’t just say Christmas? Yes I did! Holiday parties is not the way I was raised and I’m not going to conform to the political correctness today’s society.

With being a professional networking marketer we are recognized for achieving certain levels, working hard and appreciation is a given.

Done? No I’m not done I’m just getting started! In the words of Katy Perry, “Your gonna hear me roar, roar, roar”!

The Great American Dream, Is It Gone?

Have you ever sat down and thought to yourself;  “Where has the great American dream gone”? 

In the past 10 years the U.S. Government reports that more than 3.5 million jobs have been eliminated in the past 10 years! What’s more frightening is that an estimated 55% of jobs created in the next 5-10 years will be at or just slightly above minimum wage. The modern two income family earners are not able to provide and care for themselves or their families like their parents.

At age 50 — 75% of the population has less than $5,000.00 saved up for retirement. Not to mention that if they were to take ill who’s going to take care of them? Medicare, Medicaid is not enough. Once you have worked so hard all of your life to earn your pension unless you’ve made a sustainable amount then you’re stuck with state run care. (I will not get on my soapbox about that issue).

What’s happened to the middle class?

Today if you’re making more than $27,500 a year you are doing better than half of this country. Realistically that’s not enough to buy food, pay the mortgage, car payments and other needs. The fact is that this is one of the reasons why both parents are working in a two parent family. Sometimes both parents are working multiple jobs to just barely make ends meet. Over the last few years the cost of living has risen but not the paychecks!
Once upon a time, most American families could afford a nice home, two cars, a motorcycle, a boat and a nice vacation at least once a year. I remember taking at least two vacations a year with my parents when I was younger. We were middle class and we were happy. But now I ask you; “Where is the American Dream”? Has it dies right in front of our eyes? The middle class is getting screwed at every turn. We work hard for what we have and it’s still not enough! Does every American need to be at the poverty level or below? Does every American need to be at the upper class level or above it?

After World War II the American Middle Class was thriving. Men were returning home from war opening new businesses, employing more people and happy to be alive.  People wanted to work hard to earn what they had and keep it.
One of the biggest reasons that people come to America is to find the “American Dream”. It seems like now the illegal aliens that are coming to America are getting everything handed to them. But at what cost?

Some surprising facts:

According to a new CNN polls, 59 percent of Americans believe that is has become impossible for most people to have the American Dream.
The American Dream is impossible to achieve in this country.
So say nearly 6 in 10 people who responded to CNN Money’s American Dream Poll, conducted by ORC International. They feel the dream — however they define it — is out of reach.
Young adults, age 18 to 34, are most likely to feel the dream is unattainable, with 63% saying it’s impossible. This age group has suffered in the wake of the Great Recession, finding it hard to get good jobs.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 36 percent of Americans under the age of 35 own a home. That is the lowest level that has ever been measured.

Right now, approximately one out of every six men in the United States that are in their prime working years (25 to 54) does not have a job.

25 percent of all American adults do not even have a single penny saved up for their retirement.

The New Truth

We cannot survive alone here in America with a traditional “JOB” (Just Over Broke) or under whatever your case maybe. So what is the answer?

Donald Trump endorses network marketing as a great way to earn an awesome income from home. Now I know what you’re thinking it’s a scam. Really then …….
Why are women the top producers in network marketing? 89% of women are top earners. If network marketing was a scam then why is it so successful?

PLAN B IS NOW!

Have you got a PLAN B? Have you had the OPPORTUNITY? The time is NOW!
The opportunity is HERE! Find your PLAN B and learn all you can to create the financial freedom your family deserves today.

GAIN THE ADVANTAGE!

3 Deadly Mistakes In Network Marketing!

During a conversation I had with another network marketer it was brought to my attention that he didn’t really know my companies products, nor did he use them.   He proceeded to tell me that he bought the products and was familiar with all of them.  He only buys them, along with other MLM companies products to sell them to other families  so they can use them and make money.  I am still trying to figure out what the company might be?

When I asked him if he takes my companies starship product for himself the answer was, wait for it ……..”NO! Stop right their.  If you tell me that you’re buying products to “sell”; (Note to self I don’t sell products!  I provide a solution to problems. )  I am a problem solver!

To get back on track if you’re in a network marketing company and have products to sell, and you  don’t even know how they work on or in the body what are you doing?  Even if there is proven scientific research that is beyond the shadow of a doubt the real thing; then you’ve just made the first deadly mistake in network marketing.

▪ First and foremost— Know your companies product(s)!  It’s not enough to just “use” them but you have to be educated about them.  If you don’t know what they are che k with your upline, call customer service and g et information from them.  Research the products if you need to.  KNOW why your company stands out from all the rest!

▪ Secondly — Use the product(s)!  How can you truly endorse a product without using it?   Does Michael Jordan endorse Haines underware without using the product?  Well I hope that he does.  Lol.

Word of mouth is the most powerful tool we have in this industry.  Network Marketing is a word of mouth business!

▪ Don’t tell people you sell products — 99% of MLM ‘s, network marketing companies sell something.  When you’re approaching someone that knows nothing about your company, there products and compensation plan don’t tell them your selling them something.

Continue reading “3 Deadly Mistakes In Network Marketing!”

The Golden Circle

Have you ever watched the video by Simon Sinek titled, “Starts With Why”?  He makes interesting points to ponder on.

All great leaders think, act and follow the same way.  Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King and the Wright Bother’s for example.  They communicate the exact same way.  It is the complete opposite of everyone else and from what we are taught in sales and marketing techniques.  All Simon Sinek did was “codify” it.    What he did next totally made sense to me.  The light bulb in my head went on and I am approaching my business in the same way.

Draw a target on a piece of paper.  Make three circles,  one big, one smaller inside the big one and then another smaller one inside that one.  Then inside the smallest circle write in “Why” , the middle circle write in “How”, and in the outside larger circle write in “What”.

For example he talks about Apple and how they’re easy to understand and everyone gets it.  Most marketing and sales are done by things like, “We make great computers.  They’re beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly.  Want to buy one?

What’s the difference with Apple?  Here’s how they actually communicate.  “Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quot.  We believe in thinking differently.  The way we challenge the status quot is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly.  We just happen to make great computers.  Want to buy one?”

     Remember that people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it! 

If you talk about what you believe, you will attract those who believe what you believe! Market from the point of view to find out ‘why” they need your product or services not “what” they need.  How are you approaching your market place niche?  From the inside out or the outside in?  **Go to YouTube and watch the video ***  It will explain the Golden Circle in detail.

Leaders inspire us.  We follow leaders for ourselves, not for them.  Remember to ask yourself, “Why” you have the ability to inspire those around you or to find others who inspire them.

As Always,

Gain The Advantage!

Alicia Osmera

footnote  all materials were taken from the video by Simon Sinek titled “How Great Leaders Inspire Action”.