Preventing Psychological Injury seminar

Accumulating workplace and life stresses, taking people beyond their capacities to adapt, are now well recognised as significant factors contributing to the steep increase in psychological injury claims.

One day seminar - Melbourne only:

From the morning session, you will gain knowledge about:
* Defining health and psychological health
* Legal requirements OHS Act 2004 and recent court decisions
* Scale of Injury, incidence, time, costs
* More than Stress – Mortality, Morbidity - international research findings
* Validated Tools for early self identification "at risk"
* Benefits of early intervention
* Steps and Key Factors in effective program design

From the afternoon session, you will learn how to:
* Develop the essential skill of staying focused, motivated and calm
* Let go of worries, release pressure, induced physical tension in the body
* Effectively deal with difficult people
* Use self management and relaxation strategies, be present and engaged with your family

NOTE: These practices improve communication skills, preserve and build your health and wellbeing, prevent burn out, increase morale, motivation, stamina and productivity.


Limited Seating.
Wednesday 24th June (Melbourne only)
The book your seat, visit:

http://www.bouncebackfast.com/forms/PreventionofPhychologicalInjury.pdf

Follow Not The Crowd

Economic doom and gloom, less jobs, tighter markets, less sales - there are plenty of reasons for workforces to fall into a sea of negativity and helplessness. The psychology of crowds tells us that people often follow the actions, opinions and mindsets of the majority of people. Sadly, history has shown us that crowds can often get it (very) wrong.

Follow Not the Crowd

Economic doom and gloom, less jobs, tighter markets, less sales - there are plenty of reasons for workforces to fall into a sea of negativity and helplessness. The psychology of crowds tells us that people often follow the actions, opinions and mindsets of the majority of people. Sadly, history has shown us that crowds can often get it (very) wrong.

We know that pessimism in the workplace can lead to reduced productivity and under utilization of skills. If your work culture has been in the habit of complaining and being negative about the future, will you take the easy road and join them, or will you be able to rise above it? Perhaps a quick lesson from a Star Wars Jedi can shed some light...

In the Star Wars saga, the Jedi are a peacekeeping organization known for their observance of 'the Force' and their mental discipline. The Jedi mind needs to remain strong and focused at all times so not to be seduced by the elements of the 'dark side', being fear, hate, greed and selfishness.

Whether you like it or not, you are affected by the people around you.

Medical science has shown that if you take three women and asked them to live together, after a few months their menstrual cycles would start to align with one another. The last time you went to a professional football, soccer, or baseball game, did you feel a sense of excitement in the air when the crowd becomes engaged in the game?

We are affected, in some way, by other people.

If your work culture has become negative or defeated, then it can affect your personal morale, work flow, and focus. The more one focuses on how difficult, unfair or upsetting something is, the less action they are likely to take to overcome it.

Overcoming a negative work culture doesn't come from trying to resist or fight the crowd. Rather, you need to look beyond the crowd and stay in focus with your goals, aspirations and positive attitude. To draw the analogy, a true Jedi fights evil not by destroying it, but by staying mentally focused so that evil doesn't become part of them.

Gandhi's famous saying "become the change you wish to see" does not refer to 'talking' about change, but demonstrating the change within yourself. The 'lead by example' principle is asks that you embody all your words of wisdom and become the product of your advice and ideals.

This is not a technique, but rather a courageous step to say what you mean and do what you say - so that you don't blindly do, say, and become the same as everyone else.

My 5 year old son, Zackary, is fanatical about Star Wars. He knows all the characters and often sleeps in his Jedi costume (he actually believes that he is a Jedi Master). At his friend's 6th birthday party, the children's entertainer had 25 kids running chaotically in circles to dance music for 10 minutes. The kids were having a ball. He suddenly yells 'stop! (surprising, the kids actually stop and listen). He yells "a tree is about to fall onto this building, everyone get down on the ground and cover your head". All the kids, screaming with excitement, hit the ground and cover their heads.

All except one.


Zack remains standing and is looking at the window. He arms are now outstretched so that his palms are facing the window. His face has a look of intense concentration. The entertainer looks at Zack in bewilderment and asks "what are doing?? A tree is falling - you need to get down!" (hoping that Zack would comply so that he could get on with the activity). Zack, totally unphased by the fact that he is the only one standing, maintains his focus on the window and says...
"don't worry, I am a Jedi. I can use the force and save you all".

My question to you is this...
'will you be able to rise above the crowd when needed or will you accept the negativity, and become part of it?' Will you be more committed to staying focused, positive and enthusiastic - even if others are not? What are you able to do to keep your mind focused and positive?


FINAL THOUGHTS
"Yes, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware of the dark side. Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will..." - Yoda, Jedi Master


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Michael Licenblat is a Resilience Expert and Professional Speaker who builds Pressure Proof workforces and Resilient Professionals.

To have Michael speak to your team or deliver a seminar, contact us at http://www.BounceBackFast.com

You can download Michael's e-book '7 ways to prevent becoming over worked, run down and stressed out' from http://www.BounceBackFast.com

Resilience Breeds Intelligence

In a business environment that is only going to get tougher, people are now under greater pressure to do more and be more than ever before. They will face more situations of having to deliver bad news on issues such as redundancies and salary reductions, and will be faced with some seemingly impossible targets (given the current economic condition) - all of which takes an emotional toll...

Resilience breeds intelligence

In a business environment that is only going to get tougher, people are now under greater pressure to do more and be more than ever before. They will face more situations of having to deliver bad news on issues such as redundancies and salary reductions, and will be faced with some seemingly impossible targets (given the current economic condition) - all of which takes an emotional toll.

Since this sort of pressure isn't likely to change over the next 12 months people need to be armed with the right skills and abilities to handle it if they are going to stay productive and effective.

Simply being 'smart' will no longer be enough to get results. Your team will need to develop resiliency and pressure mastery skills if they are going to continue to thrive in the new economic environment.

Developing workforce resilience is not about team building activities or giving pep talks. Rather it is about building their mental, physical, emotional intelligence and capacity to be able to flow with, and stay in control of, their pressures.

" In a corporate environment that is changing at warp speed, performing consistently at high levels is more difficult and more necessary than ever. High performance depends as much on how people renew and recover energy as much as on how they expend it... on how they manage their lives, as much as on how they manage their work. When people feel strong and resilient - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually they perform better, with more passion for longer. They win, their families win and the corporations that employ them win!"
Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz,
Harvard Business Review, January 2001


Some of the key resilience principles that will help are you team thrive, include:


a. Emotional hardiness

High adrenaline levels from stressful or emotional situations can impair logic and lead to poor decision making. Staff need to take control of their emotional reactions to situations so that they stay clear headed regardless of whether they are building rapport with clients, delivering a report, or letting staff go. Emotional hardiness includes:
* Setting boundaries
* Not being everything to everyone
* Not taking people personally
* Controlling your emotions


b. Communication clarity

People are always anxious when receiving feedback, assessment, or bad news. Being able to say what you mean, clearly and concisely, without clouding your message with emotion, whilst listening to your team is a critical skill. Communication clarity includes:
* Speaking straight
* Effective listening (to your staff and clients)
* Concise message
* Empathy without responsibility


c. Personal leadership

Aspiring to meet target and deadlines will compel the dedicated staff to exert more energy and sacrifice personal needs such as rest, family time and exercise. Managing time and energy will be the currency of success in tough times. Creating working stamina comes from being able to correctly allocate and regenerate personal * Energy management
* Mental toughness
* Work-life integration
* Time effectiveness


FINAL THOUGHTS:
"These days smart companies, large and small, are viewing work-life initiatives not as favors but as strategic business tools that help keep valuable workers and make it easier to attract new ones....and the bottom line impact can be quite dramatic."
Karol Rose, Fortune Magazine, 2005


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Michael Licenblat is a Resilience Expert and Professional Speaker who builds Pressure Proof workforces and Resilient Professionals.

To have Michael speak to your team or deliver a seminar, contact us at http://www.BounceBackFast.com

You can download Michael's e-book '7 ways to prevent becoming over worked, run down and stressed out' from http://www.BounceBackFast.com

Reward effort - not just outcome

Motivation is harder in today's business climate.

Not because people are under more pressure (people will always be under pressure - that's not new), but rather because the pressure is different and it is eliciting fears and uncertainty within people that they haven't experienced in a long time (if at all).

Reward Effort - not just outcome

Motivation is harder in today's business climate.

Not because people are under more pressure (people will always be under pressure - that's not new), but rather because the pressure is different and it is eliciting fears and uncertainty within people that they haven't experienced in a long time (if at all).

Just over a year ago, many professional industries had a steady in flow of work. Now, that work flow has slowed down and, in some cases, stopped.

In response, professionals are now required to be proactive with their existing clients, become involved in lead generation, attend networking functions, upgrade their sales/rapport building skills, and get back on the phone.

Since the market is tighter, clients are more frequently responding with 'no', 'not right now' or 'we are waiting to see what will happen first' before spending their evaporating budgets.

Less work, less leads, and (a lot) more rejection are now a daily pressure...and many people are not prepared to handle it. The main symptom is an increase in personal frustration and a reduction in motivation. Not only does this measurably impact productivity and profitability of the organisation, but it also impairs the morale and motivation of the culture.


To spark motivation to achieve something, people need to feel
that their efforts are bringing them closer to their targets.


The traditional approach of setting a target and providing incentives to reach it, won't be enough in today's climate. This was fine when the goals were attainable. Now, the effort (and resilience) required to reach those targets is exponentially bigger, making them feel unreachable and, thus, people are giving up on ever being able to reach them.

For people to feel motivated, they need to feel a sense of accomplishment even when they aren't achieving the outcome they want. Therefore, the focus needs to shift from only 'rewarding outcome' to include 'rewarding effort'.

People need to feel a sense of accomplishment for the consistent effort they put in regardless of the outcome. For example, if you need to contact 50 clients with enthusiasm, your 47th call needs to emanate the same enthusiasm as your first call did - even if you have faced 46 replies of 'no'. This only is achieved if you are feeling a sense of accomplishment just for making the calls - regardless of the outcome.

Here are 2 ideas on rewarding effort:

1. Reward goal-focused activity
Set an activity goal. Whether it is making calls, contacting clients, etc., if the activity brings you closer to your target, it can be measured and rewarded. Ensure that people feel a sense of 'moving forward' based on the activity they are generating.

2. Reward attitude and ambition
Negativity can spread like a virus through your work place. It is easy to become part of the doom and gloom and form a culture based on self pity and whinging. We need to reward those who are prepared to break away from the negativity and stay committed to their vision and sense of purpose (targets).

a. Encourage each person to write a one paragraph mission and vision
statement for themselves.

b. Reward positive attitude, helpfulness and motivation with awards
and small gift incentives.


FINAL THOUGHTS:
People who can build their resilience to hearing 'no', handling rejections and stay self-motivated and focused, in tough economic times, are going to become your company's greatest asset over the next 6-12 months.


About the author:
Michael Licenblat is a Resilience Expert and Professional Speaker who builds Pressure Proof workforces and Resilient Professionals. Download his e-book '7 ways to prevent becoming over worked, run down and stressed out' from http://www.BounceBackFast.com

Resentment Kills Business

Stewing over problems, replaying arguments or continuous worrying can lead to high blood pressure and later health problems, according to a UC Irvine-led study. [1]
So how do we build resilience in the workforces and when our media, news and culture is addicted to whining about how terrible the world is and how bad our problems are?

Culture is often an external reflection of the internal mindset of the individuals.

I recently bumped into a good friend whom I haven't spoken to in almost 6 months.
Whilst I was really happy to see her, she seemed somewhat reserved and uptight.
After a few minutes of catch up conversation, she plucked up the courage and said:

"I have to clear something up with you. Six months ago you said something that really upset me (...she then went on to explain what it was). I felt very hurt for a while, and that's why I have been a little distant".


At this point my head does a '360'.
I had no idea all this was going on - I just assumed she was busy with life. I had a sudden swirl of emotions going through me - should I apologise for what I said? Should I show compassion and empathy for their pain? Should I become angry and defensive and argue with her over who is right/wrong?

No. There was a bigger issue here. Instead, I blasted her with these three issues:

1. What a waste of emotional energy!
Of all the things she could have been focusing her energy and time on, why would she
choose something as unsubstantial and negatively consuming as this?
Of all the creative ideas, innovations and positive thoughts that could be taking up space in her head, she chose to fill it with pain and resentment. What a waste of time!

2. What was the purpose of holding onto that?
Why would you let something like this go on for so long and impair a good friendship?
What did you gain from holding onto resentment? Self righteousness? The need to be right? The ability to justify your anger and blame someone for your problems? What was the point?

3. Was it worth it?
What did all that nonsense cost you? You could have had a friendship, connection
created memories, and had a lot more fun. Was the resentment worth giving all of that away?


Think about how this applies in your own professional-business life.
How often do you, and the people around you, fall into the trap of behaving like children by holding onto resentment.

In a business world that keeps getting busier, more demanding, and intense - a world that allows us to become isolated with our computers and email, it is more important than ever to not waste time and energy in unnecessary emotional tension.

Think about these three points


1. Where are you wasting emotional energy?
Do you have clients who have been rude or impolite to your team? Rather than be resentful, forgive them for being self absorbed and move forward.

Do you work with people who intimidate through power or status? Rather than holding
onto your anger, forgive them for being childish and emotionally immature.

Stop investing time and energy into pent up emotions that only hurt you.
In business, relationships are everything. You cannot afford to let your emotional immaturities obstruct your professional effectiveness.


2. Let go of the benefit
You get something out of being resentful. That is one of the reasons it can be
difficult to let it go. Holding onto resentment may allow you to be 'right', or it may justify your misery (allowing you to stay stuck, but blame someone else for how you feel) and hence may give you permission to be negative, disengaged, or unsuccessful.

EVERY behavior you have has a payoff. Know what your is.

Your image, relatability and approachability are all reliant on your emotional 'togetherness'. To lead, connect, build rapport and work effectively with others, you need to let go of your emotional hang-ups that can your professional reputation.


One of my favourite pieces of advice (and one that i find most difficult to follow) is 'you can be right or you can be free'.


3. Realise the cost
This is akin to the old saying 'cut off your nose to spite your face' and 'win the battle, but lose the war'. Step outside your situation and look objectively at how your resentments have impacted on your relationships in your personal and professional life. What relationships have you walked away from because of unspoken tension? All that time and effort you invested into building that relationship all lost in one miscommunication.

Friendships abandoned, networking opportunities lost, business connections forfeited, strong teams never realized because of emotional tension that is not dealt with.

Consider the monetary cost of a non cohesive work-team, an unhappy customer,
a unsatisfied client, or misunderstood manager. Step up and have the courage
to address issues before they disappear under the carpet forever.


REFERENCES:
[1] http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/09/020926070006.htm

Also, make sure you watch this video on
'building resilience' at http://www.PerfectPressureGroup.com

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