brownbaggernov09

Brown Bagger

This section is set up to provide a ready-made Brown Bag Session for you to use with employees and/or managers. Use as is, or adapt this information for a general employee group. You may reproduce as many copies as needed.

Obsessing About the Recession?

Turning Negative Energy into Positive Solutions

By Jon Gordon hether you’re an employer or an employee, you’re undoubtedly experiencing stress and anxiety in the workplace. And no one can seem to get away from it.

Everywhere you go — the post office or the grocery store or your child’s school — people are talking about the recession.

They’re grimly reporting the latest tidbit of bad economic news. They’re making dire predictions about soup lines, crime waves, and banks collapsing. And even those not spouting doom-andgloom seem to be drifting around in a “dull fog.”

This national case of the blues not only feels bad, it actually perpetuates the dilemma the nation is in.

A society in a state of depression can’t think its way out of a crisis. Yes, we’re in a tight spot, and it’s going to take innovation to get out of it. But before we can even begin to tackle our economic and social issues, we have to get to an emotional place where we’re able to move forward. We have to be able to do our best work, and right now that’s not happening.

This has to change. The stress Americans are feeling is having serious consequences. The American Psychological Association says that as many as 80% of us are stressed about personal finances and the economy. A poll recently released by the American Sleep Foundation indicates that one-third of Americans are losing sleep over these issues. Too much stress and not enough sleep is a sure recipe for failure.

The next sections offer some general advice and insights, followed by additional advice the EAP can share with employers and employees alike.

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 Be positive, not negative. America needs an infusion of good old-fashioned positive thinking — followed up, of course, with positive action.

And I’m aiming my deceptively simple prescription at you. That’s right — you. Whether you’re a business leader, employee, or a temporarily-outNovember 2009

of-work job seeker, you need to stop all the naysaying and start being more positive. Doing so may not change the world, but it will change your world — in profound and often surprising ways.

I’m not talking about pollyanna stuff, I’m referring to the kind of resilience and mental toughness that leaders have drawn upon throughout history to overcome adversity. The research is clear: It really does pay to be positive, and the benefits include better health, happiness, career advancement, and more. Being positive is not just a nice way to live. It’s the only way to live.  We are the economy. We can make it whatever we want it to be. America needs to realize that the economy is not some abstract entity. The economy is us. Our thoughts, behaviors, actions, and moods collectively create it. In a nutshell, WE are the economy. Paying our mortgage helps the economy. Working hard helps the economy. Starting a business helps the economy.

Making a product the world needs helps the economy. And replacing our psychology of fear with a psychology of trust helps the economy, too.  Negativity is a major money drainer. In my book The No Complaining Rule, I lay out some thought-provoking statistics. The following are a few of them:  Negativity costs the U.S. economy between $250 and $300 billion every year in lost productivity, according to the Gallup Organization.  An estimated 90% of doctor visits are stress-related, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Moreover, the number-one cause of office stress is co-workers and their complaining, according to Truejobs.com.  Conversely, there is a proven link between positive energy and profitability. Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, says that a positive company with a positive corporate EA Report Brown Bagger 1

Brown Bagger culture will outperform its negative counterparts every time. The following are a few other facts I cite in my book, The Energy Bus:  Positive, optimistic salespeople sell more than pessimistic salespeople. (Martin Seligman)  Positive leaders are able to make better decisions under pressure. (Heartmath.org)  Positive people who regularly express positive emotions are more resilient when facing stress, challenges, and adversity. (Several studies)  Positive people are able to maintain a broader perspective and see the big picture, which helps them identify solutions, whereas negative people maintain a narrower perspective and tend to focus on problems. (Barbara Fredrickson) Try to envision the sheer volume of creative energy that would be generated if America’s workforce — even half of us, or maybe even a quarter of us — climbed on an energy bus. We’d roar right out of the recession so fast it would stun economic experts.  Great leadership can get us through this crisis. Based on my work with NFL coaches, and countless education and business leaders, I’ve come to realize that great leadership is really a transfer of belief. Great leaders share their belief, vision, and passion with others, and in the process they inspire others to believe and act. Great leaders are positively contagious and they instill confidence and belief in others. The words “Yes, we can” probably won Barack Obama the presidency. But you don’t have to be the president — or a politician — to help America believe in itself again.

For instance, great sales managers inspire their salespeople to believe in themselves and their product or service. Great teachers inspire and empower their students to believe in themselves.

Best of all, you don’t need a title to be a leader.

You just need to lead.  Just as the phoenix rises from the ashes, great ideas and new business ventures are born during economic hardships. Consider that GE, Disney, and Microsoft were all born during reces2 EA Report Brown Bagger

sions. It seems that when times are tough, people are more open to new ideas, new products, and new ways of doing things. For instance, smart political and business leaders are working on alternative energy, green technologies, and other innovative ideas. In other words, there’s never been a better time to think big, create a vision, and take action.

Consider that the Empire State Building, Golden Gate Bridge, and Hoover Dam were all built during the Great Depression. With more people living in fear and fewer people taking initiative, the rewards and recognition will be greater for those willing to work hard and dedicate themselves to building a great business, product, or service. Those with a positive attitude and great work ethic will shine.  We’re a nation of goldfish learning how to be sharks. I like to tell a story about a shark and a goldfish. Gordy the Goldfish lived a comfy life in a fishbowl where he was fed every day — until one day he was accidentally washed away into the ocean. He quickly realized that in his scary new home no one was going to feed him. Sammy the (friendly) Shark came along and told him he must learn to find food on his own. “Your problem is that you are a goldfish,” said Sammy. “You are waiting to be fed. That’s fine during the fat times when there are all sorts of people feeding you. But you’re in the ocean now. The free food has dried up. Times are a-changing. Things are a little tougher here. You have to work a little harder. You need to be a little smarter. You need to change your thinking. You need to become a shark.

Goldfish wait to be fed. Sharks go find food.”

Learning to make his own way in the ocean made Gordy the Goldfish wiser and more appreciative of the food he caught. The same is true for Americans. Life is a test. Adversity helps us grow. The following are some tips to try in your workplace:  Establish a no complaining rule. The rule is simple: you’re not allowed to complain unless you also offer one or two possible solutions. The key is to utilize complaining as a catalyst for positive change. Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a great example of this rule in action. Hospital leadership anticipated it’d have to lay off “a lot” of employees. Projected revenue November 2009

was far below projected costs. CEO Paul Levy confronted the problem at an “all employee” meeting, saying he didn’t want to have to lay off anyone. He asked hospital employees for their ideas and solutions. They included: 1) One nurse’s entire floor voted unanimously to forego a 3% raise. 2) Another nurse said she was willing to give up some vacation and sick time. (Editor’s note: See also the handout section on page 4.)

This situation is a great example of what we can accomplish when positive leaders bring employees and teams together and empower them to focus on solutions instead of complaints and problems.  Think like a golfer. When golfers play a round of golf, they don’t focus on all the bad shots they made. They focus on the one great shot. That’s what gets them addicted to the game.

They want to recreate that shot, so they play again and again. It’s the same thing in life. Instead of focusing on all the things that go wrong each day, focus on the one success — the one great meeting, conversation, or sale — and let that inspire you to create more success tomorrow.

Start a success journal, and write down your success of the day. When you start looking for success, you will find more of it. Jot down a few thoughts right now: ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________  Look at the opportunity, not the challenge. History reveals that a lot of people and companies make a lot of money during recessions.

The key is to find the opportunity. Where is the market heading? What do customers want and need? What will they want in the future? Now is the time to gain market share while others give up. Behind every innovation and solution is a story about someone who said there has to be a better way.

As in the previous point, put pen to paper while ideas are fresh in your mind. Then, discuss the best ones together as a team. Some ideas undoubtedly won’t work, while others may even be foolish. But the point is this: Whether the idea is good or bad, you’re setting a positive wheel in motion in which engaged thinking leads to more November 2009

Brown Bagger innovative thinking. Look again at the italicized questions above, and write down some thoughts below — but don’t think about them for too long.

Whatever readily comes to mind will suffice for the time being. ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________  Institute your own personal “No Complaining Work Week.” The idea is to eliminate mindless complaining and worry as much as possible by replacing them with positive thoughts and habits. The following are some ideas: Day 1: Make a gratitude list. Write a list of things you’re grateful for. When you find yourself wanting to complain, focus on what you’re grateful for instead.

Day 2: Take a thank-you walk. While you’re walking, think of all the things you’re grateful for.

Carry this sense of gratitude with you throughout the day.

Day 3: Focus on the good stuff. Praise others instead of criticizing them. Focus on what you get to do rather than what you have to do.

Day 4: Start a success journal. Write down all the great interactions and accomplishments you’ve had today.

Day 5: Let go. Make a list of things you usually complain about. Identify the things you have the power to change, and identify what is beyond your control. For the former, identify possible solutions. For the latter, write the word “surrender” next to the items on this list, and let them go.

Summary Maybe we can’t control when the nation will recover from the current recession (and it will improve), but we can control how we react to it.

Jon Gordon is a speaker, consultant, and author of “The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy,” “The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work,” and his newest title, “Training Camp: What the Best Do Better Than Everyone Else.” For more information, visit www.jongordon.com. Editor’s note: See also the March 2009 Brown Bagger, “Best Practices for Handling Layoffs & Downsizings in the 21st Century.”

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Brown Bagger H A N D O U T Surviving a Business Downturn & Coping Effectively with Layoffs

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ayoffs and other downsizings. Bailouts. Corporate scandals. It’s no wonder that optimism is lacking in today’s workplaces. However, difficult as it may seem, the fact remains that every organization’s leaders need to remain positive even in the midst of turmoil. As trainer and consultant Katherine Carol puts it, “You can focus on the sinking ship — or you can focus on floating. What you focus on is what you get.”

The following are a few suggestions:  Are layoffs a “done deal”? Are layoffs inevitable, or could they be avoided? Sometimes companies and other organizations overlook the fact that layoffs aren’t the only cost-cutting measure available to them. Before automatically letting people go, consider the following cost-saving tips: 3 Cut management perks — Reducing salaries and canceling bonuses sets a positive tone, leads by example, and sends the message that, “we’re all in this together.”

3 Cut expenses — For instance, trim unnecessary travel expenses whenever possible. Use phones, conference calls, and video conferencing as alternatives.

3 Seek solutions from staff — Ask people to come up with their own cost-cutting ideas, and reward them when they do. This is a very effective team-building exercise. The EAP could help facilitate.

3 Review staff salaries and benefits — Reduced hours and benefits (a 32-hour work week, for instance), if done as equitably as possible, may be sufficient to stop the bleeding of expenses. This measure can be tricky if the company has union employees, but workers may be willing to meet with management and vote on a new contract; even one that diminishes pay and benefits. Such concessions recently occurred at Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac, WI. The vote was controversial among union members, but it ultimately saved hundreds of jobs in the Wisconsin community.  If layoffs occur, rally the troops — and be as honest and upfront as possible. Positive attitudes and actions start with management. But being positive isn’t enough if it involves saying one thing with a smile on your face, and putting it into practice by being aloof or even dishonest.

Honest, open communication from management has never been more important than it is in today’s workplace.

Much of what begins as grapevine fodder — especially after a round of layoffs — is due to miscommunication. One misunderstood memo (or too many closed doors when employ-

ees are already worried) can create an avalanche of damage control and attitude issues.

Managers must rally the troops and openly discuss what’s actually going on. No one needs to be cold-hearted about bad news, but it’s better to be honest and tell people the facts than to allow rumors to run rampant. Honesty goes a long way toward re-establishing trust in the workplace. In addition, when employees have the information they need, they’re less likely to “fill in the gaps” themselves with rumors and gossip.  Set clear expectations. In a day and age when many workers are being asked to make do with less, work-related responsibilities seem to be changing more than ever. Just as good managers must openly and honestly communicate the changes going on (especially after layoffs), they must follow up and communicate everyone’s new job responsibilities.

Make a list of performance expectations for staff, and post it where everyone can read it. Pay particular attention to the requirements of individual jobs, and distribute those, too.

Avoid overwhelming already-stressed employees, and distribute workloads as evenly as possible.  Build a strong support team. Whether manager or employee, many times we’re overwhelmed at work largely because we’ve taken everything onto our own shoulders without asking for help. Pinpoint the people you need on your support team. They’re probably already there, but managers and employees aren’t asking them for help. The EA professional can consult, train, and/or advise to deliver recommendations to the problems your workplace is experiencing.

Summary Making it through the tough stuff builds character, but the organization must make it through this time to see the new character its employees now possess.

Sources: Paul Facella, CEO of Inside Management (www.insidemanagement.com); business consultant Monica Wofford (www.monicawofford.com); consultant Bob Gilson; and Morie Shechtman, author of “Fifth Wave Leadership: The Internal Frontier,” (http://fifthwaveleadership.com).

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