Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Less commercialism, advertising. I take some time to be on my own to focus on those aspects of my life, the people in my life, the wealth of adventures and experiences, and feel thankful, really thankful.
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Stress is a normal part of most workplaces. A little stress can be good but stress can easily become dysfunctional and cost time, money, and energy. Estimates for the annual cost of dysfunctional stress in U.S. organizations range as high as $300 billion. Managers play a big role in determining the amount of stress is in the workplace. If you are a manager, how well do you help reduce stress in the workplace? Or do you unnecessarily increase stress in the workplace? Here are six questions for managers to reflect on. 1. Do I inadvertently support stress-inducing norms? Every workplace has formal and informal rules. Some informal rules or norms become well established even though they may be dysfunctional.
2. Do I consider the potential negative impact of my behaviors on others? Some managers behave inconsistently such that employees are not sure what to expect. A manager gives instructions on Monday, changes them on Wednesday, and changes them again on Friday. Others assign work to be done at the last minute and expect immediate results. 3. What information do I provide to my employees? Often managers tell employees what employees need to know but not necessarily what employees want to know. They may not need to know the context of a decision but where that context can be provided, it may be helpful. It is also good to avoid surprises. As soon as possible, stop rumors, especially those that may have a negative impact. 4. Am I really a good listener or do I just think that I am? I am continually surprised by the number of managers who think they are great listeners but aren’t.
5. Do I support my employees? Easy to answer “sure” but do you?
6. Am I a good role model? The leader sets the example.
Stress impacts the bottom-line through health care costs and lost productivity. If you are a manager, assess your impact on stress in the workplace and adjust as best you can. For those not in managerial positions, think about your supervisors. How would you size them up on these questions? Modified from my original article published online, September 2, 2015, in the American Management Association's Playbook and modified from my blog 3/11/2019. © John Ballard, PhD, 2024. All rights reserved. Image, "stress-management", by Mohamed Hassan. Obtained from https://pixabay.com/illustrations/angry-businesswoman-conflict-3233158/ _____________________ Decoding the Workplace “Is this a must-have for managers and would-be managers? Yes.” Academy of Management Learning & Education, June, 2018. Available as ebook, hardback, paperback, audiobook, and audio CD. The best-selling audiobook, and CD, are narrated by Timothy Andrés Pabon. Does the age of a leader affect our perceptions of that leader’s effectiveness? Are there differences in how we view older leaders versus younger leaders? Age and leadership is a subject not often surfaced except occasionally around U.S. presidential elections. To consider age in personnel actions is usually discriminatory. But how do we, admittedly or not, think about leaders and age?
Spisak, Grabo, Arvey, and van Vugt addressed this question in The Leadership Quarterly in 2014. They discussed two functions of leadership that may be seen as age-related: exploration and exploitation.
In three interesting experiments, the researchers examined preferences for leadership in different business-related situations. The participants were undergraduates at VU University Amsterdam. Participants were given scenarios and shown faces of older and younger people. In two of the experiments researchers used software to morph young faces to older faces. Spisak et al. designed each experiment to assess preferences for change leadership versus stability as associated with older and younger faces. Across all three experiments the results supported their hypothesis:
My take-aways: 1. Spisak et al. used an evolutionary perspective to suggest human groups have developed these preferences from our experiences over history – a preference for youth when new opportunities and exploration are needed, a preference for older leadership when things are going well and incremental change is fine. The authors argued these are not stereotypes. 2. Regardless of theoretical orientation, their results point to possible biases in how we think about leaders, both on the large stage and in organizations. Do we really prefer younger leaders where change is imperative? Are we inclined toward older workers where things are going well and change is not imperative? Spisak et al.’s participants (university undergraduates) may limit how much we can conclude from their report. Even so they raise interesting questions about how we may view age and leadership in different situations. Spisak, B. R., Grabo, A. E., Arvey, R. D., & van Vugt, M. (2014). The age of exploration and exploitation: Younger-looking leaders endorsed for change and older-looking leaders endorsed for stability. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(5), 805-816. Image of "businessman" by PaliGraficas. Obtained from https://pixabay.com/vectors/elegant-businessman-manager-3176410/ Image of "strong man" by TheAZShow. Obtained from https://pixabay.com/illustrations/man-strong-man-masculine-serious-8308094/ Modified from my blog 10/21/2014. © John Ballard, PhD, 2024. All rights reserved. _ A life-long amateur astronomer, I imagined I would become an eclipse chaser, researching and traveling to parts of the world where I could stand in the shadow of the moon during total solar eclipses. But life brought different priorities. In July of 1991 I backpacked up Mauna Loa on The Big Island of Hawaii with my friend Richard Bilodeau. On July 11 I experienced my first total solar eclipse in a volcanic wilderness. Richard and I wrote a Kindle e-story based on Richard’s experience. The beginning of that story is told here. I described my experience of that eclipse in this blog many years later. I experienced my second total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017, the first of two Great American eclipses. My wife and I ventured to western Nebraska. The story of that eclipse is told here.
For seven years it was with great anticipation I awaited April 8, 2024. Once again a Great American Eclipse would sweep the nation, this time southwest to northeast. Significantly for my wife and me this time fate offered a special gift. On the afternoon of April 8 the shadow of the moon would pass over our house in Beavercreek, Ohio. We could observe the eclipse from our yard. 2 minutes of totality. However the shadow would also pass over Greenfield, Indiana, where dear friends had invited us to observe with them. Almost 4 minutes of totality. View from our home or view with special friends? We chose Indiana. From our friends’ backyard we watched as the sky grew darker, night lights came on, birds ceased to chirp and sing. Suddenly the diamond ring appeared and there was the silver corona. Two solar prominences glowed red. Venus shone below and west of the Moon/Sun. Jupiter above and to the east. For almost four minutes we shared this wondrous celestial event. For our friends it was their first total solar eclipse experience, an experience mystical and moving. For the third time in this lifetime, as I stood in the shadow of the moon, tears formed in my eyes. Nothing compares with a total solar eclipse. Even if the sun is 99.9% covered by the moon, there is no comparison. As I once read, a partial eclipse is like riding in an airplane. A total solar eclipse is like jumping out of an airplane. Having jumped from planes in my youth, I can wholeheartedly agree with that statement. Experiencing a total solar eclipse is unique. In the year leading up to the eclipse I encouraged friends and acquaintances not to miss it, explaining how to view before, during, and after totality. In the weeks after the April 8 eclipse many people told me how it was so much more amazing than what they had expected. In this modern era it can seem somethings are overly hyped. For most people you cannot overhype a total solar eclipse. On August 2, 2027, a total solar eclipse will cross north Africa. At maximum totality the moon will cover the sun for over six minutes, the longest totality in the lifetime of those alive today. The next Great American Eclipse is August 12, 2045, a path from northern Californian to Florida. My guess is for that one I will have exited this body and be on to new adventures. 2045. If you are around, try to stand in the shadow of the moon. Eclipse image (2017) by bdabney. Obtained from https://pixabay.com/photos/eclipse-great-american-eclipse-2017-2794194/ © John Ballard, PhD, 2024. All rights reserved. _________________________ Decoding the Workplace “Is this a must-have for managers and would-be managers? Yes.” Academy of Management Learning & Education, June, 2018. Available as ebook, hardback, paperback, audiobook, and audio CD. The best-selling audiobook, and CD, are narrated by Timothy Andrés Pabon. Are you happy? What kind of person tends to be happy? In their classic study in a 1995 issue of Psychological Science, David Myers and Ed Diener reported studies have consistently identified five characteristics associated with happy people. Do you have a propensity toward happiness? Ask yourself these questions based on Myers and Diener. -- Do you like yourself? Happy people tend to agree with statements such as “I am fun to be with.” They believe they are easy to get along with and feel good about themselves. They have high self-esteem. Happy people like themselves. -- Do you feel you have some personal control in your life? Studies show that people deprived of control have lower morale. Consider people trapped in poverty, people in repressive regimes, people held prisoner, people in poor health. -- Are you an optimist or a pessimist? People who come at life expecting good outcomes and success tend to be happier than people who are pessimistic. Research supports numerous benefits derived from an optimistic approach to life. -- Are you more introverted or extraverted? Extraverts tend toward more happiness than introverts. The authors speculated that it may be due to extraverts having more social contacts and relationships. In general the positive benefits of relationships outweigh any negatives. -- Are you religious or spiritual? People who are religious or spiritual tend to be happier. One Gallup poll found “the highly spiritual were twice as likely to say they were ‘very happy’.” Happy people: good self-esteem, a sense of personal control, optimistic, extraverted, religious or spiritual. Myers, D. G., & Diener, E. (1995). Who is happy? Psychological Science, 6 (1), 10-19. Image of Mount Edgecumbe. © John Ballard, 2013. All rights reserved. Modified from my blog 8/28/2013. © John Ballard, PhD, 2024. All rights reserved. _________________________ Decoding the Workplace “Is this a must-have for managers and would-be managers? Yes.” Academy of Management Learning & Education, June, 2018. Available as ebook, hardback, paperback, audiobook, and audio CD. The best-selling audiobook, and CD, are narrated by Timothy Andrés Pabon. Do you have a formal job description? If so, how closely does it match what you actually do? How much flexibility do you have to alter how you do your job, or what you do? Amy Wrzesniewski (Yale) and Jane Dutton (Michigan) studied people who cleaned hospital rooms. They found two groups: one did things by the book, the other added tasks or made other adjustments to their jobs that made their jobs as hospital cleaners more meaningful. Wrzesniewski & Dutton (2001) coined the term “job crafting”—“the process of employees redefining and reimagining their job designs in personally meaningful ways.” For nearly two decades they have led research on job crafting. So how do people alter their jobs? Here is a summary in a nutshell:.
My take-aways: 1. Early in my professional career I did work analyses across multiple locations. I learned quickly that there were significant differences between tasks and responsibilities in job descriptions and what people actually did. As Wrzesniewski and Dutton found, some people adjusted to their positions by emphasizing certain aspects over others. Intentionally or not, they made their jobs more interesting. Many times they were not aware of how they had changed their jobs. 2. My guess is that individual differences play a large role here. Some people are going to find ways to make their jobs more meaningful. Others are just going to do what they are assigned to do, the way they were trained to do it. We craft our jobs by the choices we make, and the choices we are allowed to make. 3. Leadership can play a role. While many employees will shape their jobs to add meaning, others will not unless it is made clear by managers that they do have some flexibility. Also, people doing the same job may do the job differently. Meetings where this information is shared may improve performance for others – or avert potential problems. Job crafting should be a topic in which leaders are well versed. Berg, J. M., Dutton, J. E., & Wrzesniewski, A. (2013). Job crafting and meaningful work. In B. J. Dik, Z. S. Byrne, & M. F. Steiger (Eds.), Purpose and meaning in the workplace (pp. 81-104. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Wrzesniewski, A., Berg, J. M., & Dutton, J. E. (2010). Managing yourself: Turn the job you have into the job you want. Harvard Business Review, 88(6), 114-117. Wrzesniewski, A., & Dutton, J. E. (2001). Crafting a job: Revisioning employees as active crafters of their work. Academy of Management Review, 26(2), 179-201. Graphic image by RoadLightt. USAF photo. Obtained from https://pixabay.com/illustrations/remote-work-office-home-office-5491794/ Modified from my blog 4/30/2018. © John Ballard, PhD, 2024. All rights reserved. _________________________ Decoding the Workplace “Is this a must-have for managers and would-be managers? Yes.” Academy of Management Learning & Education, June, 2018. Available as ebook, hardback, paperback, audiobook, and audio CD. The best-selling audiobook, and CD, are narrated by Timothy Andrés Pabon. One of the most useful psychological constructs I encountered in my graduate studies was functional fixedness. Through the years it has often popped up in my thoughts in different situations. The classic experiment demonstrating functional fixedness is Duncker (1945). Functional fixedness: We see something as being used for one thing and that precludes us from seeing how it could be used in other ways. The Pearl Jam concert was over. I found my way to my car, started the engine, and headed toward the exit. One car was in front of me. But the car in front of me could not get into the exiting line. Cars from elsewhere in the parking lot continued to fill the exit line. The car in front of me was stuck. I noticed the entrance to the parking lot was not being used. Who is going to come into an emptying parking lot after a rock concert? Besides, at some venues patrons are encouraged to exit using both the exit and entrance. So I moved around the car to exit the parking lot using the entrance lane. A policeman stood there. He halted me and the exit lane for a moment and then signaled both of us to move out into the street, directing my car to the outer lane of the street, the exit lane to the inner. I was out of the parking lot and out of the congested area within minutes. So why did others not seen the parking lot entrance as an exit to the street? Functional fixedness. An entrance is an entrance. An exit is an exit. We see something as being used for one thing and that precludes us from seeing how it could be used in other ways. In his classic experiments Duncker had people try to mount a candle or candles on a door. Some people had a box of candles, matches, and a box of tacks. Others were given a box of candles, matches, tacks on a table, and an empty box – and they solved the problem more often and more quickly. Why the difference? The first group perceived a box as a box, something that holds items. The second group saw the empty box as something that could be tacked to the wall to hold a candle. Because the empty box was not being used as a box, it was more easily reframed and repurposed. Anyone who has seen the movie Apollo 13 (based on actual events) has seen the concept of functional fixedness turned on its head. Problems had to be solved. The landing module became the main cabin. Round holes had to take square pegs so carbon dioxide could be removed from the air. Things had to be used for purposes other than those intended. My take-away: How often do we frame something, someone, some situation in only one way? There are times when if we “let go” of seeing that one way, we might see more effective, more efficient ways. Some people have skills and abilities that do not get used because that is not how we see those people. We do not provide them opportunities to show their skills. Sometimes we need to think about the meanings we are giving, the perceptions we have formed – and perhaps see things anew. Duncker, K. (1945). On problem-solving (L. S. Lees, Trans.). Psychological Monographs, 58 (5, Whole No. 270). King, M. J. (1997). Apollo 13 creativity: In-the-box innovation. Journal of Creative Behavior, 31(4), 299-308. Image of me at Pearl Jam concert. © John Ballard, PhD, 2016. Image by T. Takemoto from http://www.flickr.com/photos/nihonbunka/5817226337/ Used with permission: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.en Modified from my blogs, 10/21/2013 & 8/27/2022. © John Ballard, PhD, 2024. All rights reserved. _________________________ Decoding the Workplace “Is this a must-have for managers and would-be managers? Yes.” Academy of Management Learning & Education, June, 2018. Available as ebook, hardback, paperback, audiobook, and audio CD. The best-selling audiobook, and CD, are narrated by Timothy Andrés Pabon. Last week I streamed the FIRST Robotics World Championship held in Houston, Texas. FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. It is a global non-profit stimulating interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in young people through team-based robotics competitions. I was especially impressed with the number of young women on teams at the world championship.
There is no question that women are underrepresented in STEM. Stereotype threat may be one factor. Stereotyping by others is another. In 2006 Karen Scales, Mary Ann Edwards, and I published a study about women in IT. Several studies we reviewed addressed socio-cultural assumptions:
Women are underrepresented in CS/IT. But there are factors we can address individually and institutionally – assumptions about women in IT, the role of teachers, the role of fathers, the way we market computer science and IT. For references for the above cited studies, see Ballard, J., Scales, K., & Edwards, M. A. (2006). Perceptions of information technology careers among women in career development transition. Information Technology, Learning, and Performance Journal, 24 (2), 1-9. Image from my screenshot of competition at FIRST World Championship. © John Ballard, PhD, 2024. All rights reserved. Modified from earlier blog, 4/18/2019. _______________________ Decoding the Workplace “deals with principles and practices that are timeless . . . Is this a must-have for managers and would-be managers? Yes.” Academy of Management Learning & Education, June, 2018. How do you define success? How would you characterize success at work, at home, in life? All things being equal, to a large degree we determine our own success however we may define it. There are psychological factors that are related to being successful and these vary from person to person. Two stalwarts of psychology addressed this topic in the September 2017 issue of Perspectives on Psychological Science: Angela Duckworth, known for her work on grit, and Martin Seligman, known for his work on learned helplessness. Their article focused on the importance of self-control but it summarizes concisely three psychological factors affecting success:
My take-aways: 1. Many factors contribute to success. Your definition of success may be very different from another’s. I knew a local rock band that were truly outstanding, but when given the opportunity for national, even international exposure, they declined. Making music was a joy – not a lifestyle calling. Being a “rock star” was not part of their individual definitions of success. What does success mean to you? 2. I see self-control and grit as important factors for individual success in any part of life. Grit is not necessarily predictive of organizational success unless the goal is somehow tied to the organization. Given headlines about sexual harassment in the workplace, we can probably agree that self-control should have a greater emphasis in our training and conduct. How long can you go without looking at your smartphone? 3. On the other hand, conscientiousness is of great organizational and personal significance. We can measure conscientiousness, correlate with organizational outcomes, and design into selection systems. It is the most important trait affecting health and success that you may have never considered. 4. Lumped or separated, these three factors offer a good self-assessment as to your success.
Duckworth, A. L., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2017). The science and practice of self-control. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(5), 715-718. Image: My graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy many years ago. Believe me, that achievement took grit, self-control, and conscientiousness. Modified from my blogs, 10/31/2017 & 3/31/2023. © John Ballard, PhD, 2023. All rights reserved. ______________________ Decoding the Workplace “Is this a must-have for managers and would-be managers? Yes.” Academy of Management Learning & Education, June, 2018. Available as ebook, hardback, paperback, audiobook, and audio CD. The best-selling audiobook, and CD, are narrated by Timothy Andrés Pabon. Steve Jobs delivered the commencement address at Stanford in 2005. Here I summarize three of his insights with a few thoughts of my own.
"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards." Jobs described how a calligraphy class he just happened to take at Reed College, after he had dropped out, influenced the design of the Mac. You never know how your experiences and knowledge you learn today are going to shape events in your future. In my opinion this underscores the value of life long learning and an education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences. It also underscores the importance of relationships and how one comes at the world. You never know whom you will meet again and under what circumstances. "It's a small world after all." Every experience holds within it the possibility for growth. "The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it." I think the key is the last sentence. True, pursue what you love, pursue what you enjoy, and let the rest follow. And it probably will -- but not always. Jobs talks about being fired from Apple but the real lesson is how he gave it meaning, embraced the "lightness of being a beginner." Jobs knew what it is like to be downsized but he continued to pursue things he loved and the rest is history. Even in positions that may not be the perfect person-job match we can find tasks, projects, activities that allow us to have moments of satisfaction, even great satisfaction. Celebrate those moments. "Live each day as if it were your last" -- because one day it will be. Jobs discussed death and the finality of time. Make each day count. As one who has already been within hours of his last breath, I can relate. Jobs said it so well: "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. . . Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." I would add, hug those you love. You never know when it might be the last one. _____________________________ Image of Steve Jobs by waldryano. Obtained from https://pixabay.com/illustrations/steve-jobs-technology-illustration-1249665/ © John Ballard, PhD, 2024. All rights reserved. Modified from my blog, 8/29/2012. _________________________ Decoding the Workplace “Is this a must-have for managers and would-be managers? Yes.” Academy of Management Learning & Education, June, 2018. Available as ebook, hardback, paperback, audiobook, and audio CD. The best-selling audiobook, and CD, are narrated by Timothy Andrés Pabon. |
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