staying strong at work

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STAYING STRONG AT WORK STAYING STRONG AT WORK A STAFF PRESENTATION A STAFF PRESENTATION BY KATHERINE GORDY LEVINE BY KATHERINE GORDY LEVINE " " There are only two roads that lead to something There are only two roads that lead to something like human happiness. They are marked by the words like human happiness. They are marked by the words . . . love and achievement. . . . In order to be happy . . . love and achievement. . . . In order to be happy oneself it is necessary to make at least one other oneself it is necessary to make at least one other person happy. . . . The secret of human happiness is person happy. . . . The secret of human happiness is not in self-seeking but in self-forgetting." not in self-seeking but in self-forgetting." Dr. Theodore Reik Dr. Theodore Reik

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When I took over management of a larger group, a found many were gossiping about who had recently been fired and why. I share this at a staff meeting. It seemed to have a positive effect.

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Page 1: Staying Strong At Work

STAYING STRONG AT WORK STAYING STRONG AT WORK A STAFF PRESENTATION A STAFF PRESENTATION

BY KATHERINE GORDY LEVINEBY KATHERINE GORDY LEVINE

""There are only two roads that lead to There are only two roads that lead to something like human happiness. They are something like human happiness. They are marked by the words . . . love and marked by the words . . . love and achievement. . . . In order to be happy oneself achievement. . . . In order to be happy oneself it is necessary to make at least one other it is necessary to make at least one other person happy. . . . The secret of human person happy. . . . The secret of human happiness is not in self-seeking but in self-happiness is not in self-seeking but in self-forgetting."forgetting."

Dr. Theodore ReikDr. Theodore Reik

Page 2: Staying Strong At Work

AGENDAAGENDA

AnnouncementAnnouncement

Staying Strong at WorkStaying Strong at WorkKeeping your jobKeeping your jobImproving your lifeImproving your life

Page 3: Staying Strong At Work

STAYING STRONG STAYING STRONG INVOLVESINVOLVES

1.1.Coding reality accuratelyCoding reality accurately

2.2.Comforting oneself in Comforting oneself in “wise” ways when reality “wise” ways when reality hurtshurts

3.3.Knowing your optionsKnowing your options

4.4.Exercising the wisest optionExercising the wisest option

Page 4: Staying Strong At Work

REALITY CHECKREALITY CHECK

Our jobs are difficult:Our jobs are difficult:

We work with the most difficult We work with the most difficult populations.populations.

Our work is undervalued at Our work is undervalued at multiple levels. multiple levels.

Our jobs are under funded.Our jobs are under funded.

Page 5: Staying Strong At Work

REALITY CHECK continuedREALITY CHECK continued

Our jobs are only going to get Our jobs are only going to get more difficult:more difficult:

Fund sources are seeking to Fund sources are seeking to cut budgets—more will be cut budgets—more will be expected; less will be given.expected; less will be given.

All contracts are moving All contracts are moving toward performance based toward performance based renewal.renewal.

Page 6: Staying Strong At Work

WE HAVE MANY WE HAVE MANY STRENGTHSSTRENGTHS

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STRENGTHSSTRENGTHS• Has a personal life Has a personal life

affirming missionaffirming mission• Is more happy than not Is more happy than not

with jobwith job• Knows strengths and Knows strengths and

weaknessesweaknesses• Has a one year, three Has a one year, three

year, five year planyear, five year plan• Comfortable with Comfortable with

people from different people from different races, sexual races, sexual orientation, ethnic, orientation, ethnic, religious groupsreligious groups

• Treats all with respectTreats all with respect• Hard workingHard working• HonestHonest• Can admit when wrongCan admit when wrong• Stays away from Stays away from

negative influences negative influences • LoyalLoyal• Team playerTeam player

• Dresses professionallyDresses professionally

• Behaves professionallyBehaves professionally

• Plans ahead. sets Plans ahead. sets prioritiespriorities

• Takes good care healthTakes good care health

• Stands up for self/othersStands up for self/others

• Makes use of supervisionMakes use of supervision

• Works to advanceWorks to advance

• Keeps desk orderlyKeeps desk orderly

• Keeps confidential what Keeps confidential what should be confidentialshould be confidential

• Takes care of own and Takes care of own and the agencies the agencies possessions.possessions.

• Learns from mistakesLearns from mistakes

• Creative problem solverCreative problem solver

• Goes above and beyond Goes above and beyond

Page 8: Staying Strong At Work

WE HAVE SOME WE HAVE SOME PROBLEMSPROBLEMS

Page 9: Staying Strong At Work

GOSSIPGOSSIP

Two or more people Two or more people talking bad about an talking bad about an absent third person.absent third person.

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WHY WE GOSSIPWHY WE GOSSIP

1.1.Amusing, fun Amusing, fun

2.2.Gets negative feelings out Gets negative feelings out

3.3.Good intent – Good intent – misinformation misinformation

4.4.Poor use and choice of Poor use and choice of complaint partners or complaint partners or confidantsconfidants

Page 11: Staying Strong At Work

WHY WE GOSSIP WHY WE GOSSIP (Continued)(Continued)

1.1.A need to tell, not the other A need to tell, not the other person’s need to knowperson’s need to know

2.2.Diverts attention from own Diverts attention from own problemsproblems

3.3.A passive/aggressive power A passive/aggressive power playplay

4.4.Own issues handled poorly: Own issues handled poorly: projection, transference, projection, transference, rationalizationrationalization

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1.1.Don’t.Don’t.

2.2.If you must, gossip about If you must, gossip about Beyonce or Oprah or ParisBeyonce or Oprah or Paris

3.3.If you must, make your dog, If you must, make your dog, your cat, your stuffed your cat, your stuffed animal your gossip partner animal your gossip partner

4.4.If you must, make your If you must, make your higher power your gossip higher power your gossip partnerpartner

SUGGESTED GOSSIP RULESSUGGESTED GOSSIP RULES

Page 13: Staying Strong At Work

5.5.If you must, gossip to If you must, gossip to someone who doesn’t know someone who doesn’t know the person, will never know the person, will never know the person.the person.

6.6.If you must, pick the other If you must, pick the other person carefully: make it clear person carefully: make it clear you are venting and what you you are venting and what you say should not be repeated.say should not be repeated.

7.7.Don’t say anything in public, Don’t say anything in public, you don’t want repeated, hard you don’t want repeated, hard core gossips have big ears.core gossips have big ears.

GOSSIP RULES GOSSIP RULES (Continued)(Continued)

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1.1. If someone tells you something not If someone tells you something not so nice about another person. Think so nice about another person. Think about why you are being told. Are about why you are being told. Are you being used? you being used?

2.2. Urge those with constant complaints Urge those with constant complaints about a third party to deal directly about a third party to deal directly with the person being talked aboutwith the person being talked about..

3.3. If you overhear people gossiping, If you overhear people gossiping, ask if they really want you to hear ask if they really want you to hear what they are saying? what they are saying?

WHEN SOMEONE ELSE WHEN SOMEONE ELSE GOSSIPSGOSSIPS

Page 15: Staying Strong At Work

JUMPING THE CHAIN OF JUMPING THE CHAIN OF COMMANDCOMMANDThis is a form of gossip. It trips everyone up. This is a form of gossip. It trips everyone up.

You are trained communicators, please You are trained communicators, please communicate directly. If you have a communicate directly. If you have a problem with someone:problem with someone:

1.1. Tell the person nicely. Tell the person nicely. 2.2. Tell the person bluntly.Tell the person bluntly.3.3. Tell the person that if things don’t Tell the person that if things don’t

change, you will have to go to the change, you will have to go to the next level. next level.

4.4. Go to the next level but with the Go to the next level but with the other personother person. .

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Rumor has it people are afraid to go up Rumor has it people are afraid to go up the chain of command because they the chain of command because they fear being labeled as complainers who fear being labeled as complainers who will be targeted and eventually fired. will be targeted and eventually fired. No one gets fired by me for No one gets fired by me for complaining. complaining.

People do get fired. Some are given an People do get fired. Some are given an opportunity to resign. Some people opportunity to resign. Some people resign as I have in my past jobs for resign as I have in my past jobs for personal reasons and leave. I thought personal reasons and leave. I thought it might be helpful to list the reasons I it might be helpful to list the reasons I have fired people. have fired people.

REASONS PEOPLE GET REASONS PEOPLE GET FIREDFIRED

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REASONS PEOPLE GET REASONS PEOPLE GET FIRED (Continued)FIRED (Continued)1.1. People get fired for being dishonestPeople get fired for being dishonest

2.2. Stealing petty cashStealing petty cash

3.3. Falsifying cashFalsifying cash

4.4. Driving the company car and getting Driving the company car and getting a ticket in New Jersey while on a a ticket in New Jersey while on a Saturday date. Saturday date.

5.5. Falsifying case records Falsifying case records

6.6. Saying you are on a home visit, Saying you are on a home visit, when you are home raking your when you are home raking your lawn. lawn.

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REASONS PEOPLE GET FIRED REASONS PEOPLE GET FIRED (Continued)(Continued)

7.7. Filing your car with gas with the Filing your car with gas with the company credit card.company credit card.

8.8. Pocketing client’s possessions. Pocketing client’s possessions. 9.9. Double dipping: being paid for Double dipping: being paid for

working for one company while also working for one company while also being paid by someone for the same being paid by someone for the same hours. 9. Taking kickbacks or bribes.hours. 9. Taking kickbacks or bribes.

10.10. Abusing, harassing or assaulting a Abusing, harassing or assaulting a client or employeeclient or employee

11.11.Covering up a fellow employee’s Covering up a fellow employee’s criminal acts. criminal acts.

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REASONS PEOPLE GET FIRED REASONS PEOPLE GET FIRED (Continued)(Continued)

12.12.Sleeping on the jobSleeping on the job13.13.Documentation problemsDocumentation problems14.14.Can’t meet level of servicesCan’t meet level of services15.15.Excessive lateness or absencesExcessive lateness or absences16.16.Insubordination-refusing to do your jobInsubordination-refusing to do your job17.17.Creating a hostile workplace—offensive Creating a hostile workplace—offensive

jokes, cartoons, pictures, language, not jokes, cartoons, pictures, language, not paying attention to boundariespaying attention to boundaries

Most of us can read the writing on the wall; Most of us can read the writing on the wall; we just assume it's addressed to someone we just assume it's addressed to someone else.  else. 

Ivern Ball, Poet and authorIvern Ball, Poet and author

Page 20: Staying Strong At Work

I AM TOLD FAVORITISM I AM TOLD FAVORITISM IS ALSO A PROBLEMIS ALSO A PROBLEM

I favor those who:I favor those who:

•Are generous, are tolerantAre generous, are tolerant

•Are reliableAre reliable

•Treat all with respectTreat all with respect

•Deal with problems openlyDeal with problems openly

•Offer more solutions than Offer more solutions than complaintscomplaints

•Are workers not shirkers Are workers not shirkers

Page 21: Staying Strong At Work

THE THREE YEAR JOB PLANTHE THREE YEAR JOB PLANFIRST YEAR: Learn the job, get good at it. End FIRST YEAR: Learn the job, get good at it. End

the year creating a balance sheet. What is the year creating a balance sheet. What is good, what is bad. What you want to good, what is bad. What you want to change.change.

SECOND YEAR: Work toward changing what SECOND YEAR: Work toward changing what you can.you can.

THIRD YEAR: Create another balance sheet. THIRD YEAR: Create another balance sheet. Are you satisfied with change, set new Are you satisfied with change, set new goals. Not satisfied, decide if you are going goals. Not satisfied, decide if you are going to keep working for change where you are to keep working for change where you are or change jobs or positions. or change jobs or positions.

Page 22: Staying Strong At Work