Archive for June, 2010
At The Oxygen Plan, we define "stress" as what we experience when the demands placed upon us exceed our ability to cope. We experience symptoms or even illness and disease when our ability to cope is taxed severely or steadily over time. Interestingly, the same holds true for organizations! No surprise really, when you consider that organizations are defined by its people. Also no wonder then that some corporations are starting to think about organizational performance in these terms — beyond looking strictly at productivity measures, edicts to do more with less and wellness initiatives.
Consider Sony Pictures Entertainment and how it gets more out of its people by demanding less ("The Productivity Paradox" by Tony Schwartz, Harvard Business Review, June 2010, pages 65-69). Sony Pictures understands that people don?t work like computers, operating continuously at high speeds. Rather, Sony Pictures understands that human beings perform best only at intervals between periods of rest, or at sub-peak performance more consistently over longer periods of time. The author correctly posits that "employees can increase effectiveness by practicing simple…methods that refuel their energy", such as taking a daily walk and turning off email at certain times to improve concentration. The author concludes that if companies "allow and encourage employees" to do this, "they will be rewarded with a more engaged, productive, and focused workforce (p. 67)."
At The Oxygen Plan, we couldn’t agree more! The HBR article derives its assumptions and conclusions directly from the human performance curve, a widely accepted and understood principle that states as performance demands and/or stress levels increase, human performance will inevitable suffer.
Understanding and appreciating this curve is the responsibility of any organization’s leadership if that organization is to thrive. At The Oxygen Plan, we’ve integrated behavioral science and business to develop tools that help individuals and organizations better manage stress toward improved performance, with employees becoming more engaged and focused. Or as we like to say, we help people and companies "live in the green." Sometimes, less IS more!
Mother Nature has a very determined way of taking us from season to season, often ignoring what the calendar says and the plans we’ve written on it. Even though it’s now early June, in many parts of the country temperatures are gently warming, skies are clearing, trees are blooming, breezes are milder. It just feels like summer is impatiently waiting to arrive
Of all the seasons, spring and especially summer, hold the promise of good times to come in the greater outdoors (or in a place with refreshing AC!). Depending on what and who your “oxygenators” are, the balmy days of summer invite us to do our green things in the green, literally.
The onset of summer also signals the longest school break in the year, for kids who are counting down their last official days in the classroom.
Yet, when the thrill of not having to go to school for roughly two months begins to wear off, parents will invariably hear the universal sound of boredom coming from the mouths of their little darlings: “THERE’S NOTHING TO DO!”
This is actually a cry for oxygen; for mobility, for diversion; for nurturing and fun experiences that differ from those found in school books or classrooms.
The first step for any parent who values their sanity is to sweetly reply, “Sure there is!” (Just make sure you have back-up plans in your bag of tricks.) If you’ve just begun The Oxygen Plan, this may be the perfect time to set or review your Life Rules!
Arranging play dates for your kids would seem to be one of the first, less stressful things you can do, rather than embarking on full-fledged, cross-country camping expeditions. You know what you and your kids can handle!
When kids play with their friends, they are participating in solid, green opportunities to imagine and pretend without having to hurry home and do homework. If you or a neighbor has a backyard pool, consider the fact that your kids are not just flopping around and splashing water on dry adults, but that they are also exercising muscles in a different way and absorbing the benefits of inhaling and exhaling oxygen in a natural way, in a natural setting.
Schedules ‘ yours and theirs ‘ necessarily change, and so do eating habits. Chances are you’ll be cooking on the grill more and relying on simple fare at meal time. Eating outside, or anywhere that is not the kitchen, is a fun change for kids. Make it fun for you and your grown-up friends, too! Indulge in some delicious cooling drinks or whip up a new mango salsa.
Think of days spent at the zoo or the local park as educational experiences. (Just don’t tell the kids that they might learn something if they go. That’s a sure-fire way to sabotage their enthusiasm.) If they do go to summer camp and like the experience, they’ll be absorbing life lessons every day, anyway.
And if there are visits to friends and family on the horizon, remember that you love your kids, but cannot always obsess over what they will say, when they will say it and to whom! There’s no excuse for outright bad manners, but they are young and preciously unworldly!
Your own Oxygen Plan for the summer should, above all else, give you the green experiences which have nurtured you, all along. Summer break can be challenging for parents, but it doesn’t have to be a test of endurance; nor does it have to be action-packed each and every moment.
Remember your commitment to yourself; to live in the green and welcome refreshing experiences that enhance the best you! Whatever gets you there will keep you there this summer and all year round.
Workplace Suicides in the U.S. on the Rise
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010Importantly, the article with the title above was posted on MSNBC.com yesterday. Sadly but equally importantly, the article puts real names and faces to the billions of dollars stress costs US employers. As noted in the article, the media continue to report that the economy is turning around yet there are stark human statistics telling us the any such turnaround hasn?t yet reached most American households.
At The Oxygen Plan, we note that Stress displays itself in a number of physical and emotional ways, including sharp changes in mood and demeanor; changes in appetite and bodily appearance; muscle tension and body aches; changes in sex drive; general fatigue, migraine headaches, upset stomachs and gastric illnesses.
We also note that stress is also linked to the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, cirrhosis of the liver, accidents, and sadly, suicide. We are also dedicated to helping individuals and companies reduce and better manage their stress, effectively reducing economic and human costs.
Thank you to MSNBC and author Eve Tahmincioglu for publishing the article. Take a look: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37402529/ns/business-careers/
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