The following is an article “When Work No Longer Works” by Marc Primo.
Getting up early every day for work can sometimes burn us out. It’s not that we’re not grateful for our jobs, but the excitement of going to the office can often wane from all the stress that comes with the daily grind. There may be times when we wonder if we really belong inside our cubicles, or if we chose the right career path. Unfortunately for many, this is the reality.
Though this year’s figures from the national survey are positive with 85% of Americans saying they are happy with their jobs, some companies still suffer due to the lack of established employee engagement programs for sustainable performance.
If you’re part of the 15% who think that work no longer works, below are some reasons why a day in the office can sometimes be too taxing, and suggestions on how to turn things around for increased productivity.
Bad time management. Employees usually frown on unreasonable workloads that eat up their time and capacity. Everyone needs to create a balance between work and their personal lives, and expending all your time and energy in the office can make you more inefficient. Employees tend to deliver substandard work when stressed so you’ll need a system that lets you manage your time effectively. Consider creating an ‘Eisenhower Box’ wherein you list down tasks according to four categories: urgent and important; urgent but not important; not urgent but important; and not urgent and not important. From there, you’ll be able to determine which ones you need to accomplish for the day and set aside others that are less important for another time.
Bad leadership. Nothing contributes more to employee attrition than bad bosses. Bad leadership doesn’t only apply to ill-tempered bosses but also to those who fail to communicate company goals to their employees. If you have such a boss, don’t be afraid to create discussions with your Human Resources Officer or your colleagues so that miscommunications can be addressed. Sometimes,employees can teach leaders a thing or two as well, and not just the other way around.
No empowerment. Office workers need their core needs recharged from time to time and some companies fail to meet them. Companies who don’t regard their employees’ physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs see little to no improvement among their workforce. Don’t let a company like this stop you from empowering yourself. Try to find ways to gain back your energy by taking time to rest every 90 minutes of work. Emotional health is equally important so constantly reward yourself with a good meal or movie tickets for a job well done. Maintain your mental focus by applying the ‘Eisenhower Box’ for proper time management. Lastly, feed your spirituality with moments of meditation and prayer. Empowering yourself means taking care of your core needs so you can improve and be more productive.
No motivation. Another thing that exhausts employees is the lack of motivation given by their superiors in the form of relevant training and workshops. When employees find themselves struggling to keep up with the latest developments in the corporate world, business also suffers. Keep your motivation high by brushing up on the latest trends online and engaging in discussions on how you can improve your workplace systems. Knowing the right things about your job and industry will also give you an upper hand in creating realistic goals for yourself.