Quote from Forum Archives on March 19, 2001, 9:38 am

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

I just happened to come across this message by viewing a link I
received this morning in LifeMinders Today, an Email message I
receive, which contains my local news, weather, a link to
Guideposts magazine, and sometimes a few other things. The
Guideposts articles certainly come with a Christian perspective,
but I was not expecting to see such good advice in a "career
builder" article.

I encourage you to read this. The article really is about a lot
more than just doing a job. This advice can also be helpful when
raising a family, or simply in dealing with others. I also
believe that if you measure this advice against what scripture
teaches, you would find that it follows the best advice from the
Bible.

Do you ever get frustrated with what you are doing? If so,
perhaps this advice will be helpful, maybe even today. May God
bless your life, your family, and your career, as you put Him
first in all that you do, even ahead of your own interests.

Brother Brian

By Kathy Simmons
www.careerbuilder.com/subcat/wst/gwst030109.html

Readers from the South are, no doubt, familiar with kudzu-a
prolific vine that wraps itself around other vegetation,
strangling the life out of it. Does this sound like what your job
is doing to you? Rather than helping you to blossom, is your job
running you over like a lawnmower? Stop the madness! You spend
too much time at work to be miserable. You can cut through
"career kudzu" by putting the following advice into action.

Be Honest With Your Boss

Your boss may be talented and inspirational, but probably not a
mindreader. If you are frustrated at work, speak up. Your boss
has a right to know if you are feeling undervalued, burned out,
or desperately in need of a more flexible schedule. There are, of
course, ways to conduct this talk so that you don't sound whiny
or hopelessly confused. Many companies now offer training to
employees, helping them to understand their personal values and
what their "dream job" really is. This training teaches employees
how to instigate and prepare for development discussions with
their boss.

You may be more appreciated and have more options than you
thought. A good boss can give you strategies to pull your
attitude out of a funk. Give it a chance, and be honest in your
discussion.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By forgiving abusive jerks, you are actually giving yourself a
break.
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Let the Job Bring Out Your Best

If you have a job that matches your skills poorly, you'll end up
hating it. For example, sales jobs are not for everyone. An
introverted, quiet person is likely to feel uncomfortable chasing
down some sales quota. Your job should fit like a glove, not
force you to be something you are not. Ill-fitting jobs cause
stress, according to psychologist Bill Crawford, author of All
Stressed Up & Nowhere to Go!. Stress is a signal that something
needs to change. "Suffering is when we don't make the change,"
Crawford explains, "Often we don't listen to the signal of stress
in our lives until it becomes a severe problem." If your job is
not fulfilling, get creative. Drastic changes are not always
necessary. Arlene S. Hirsch, author of Love Your Work and Success
Will Follow, tells the story of a banker with strong financial
analysis skills who was experiencing great job dissatisfaction.
He recaptured his love for music by accepting a job as CFO for a
symphony orchestra. Smart move!

Acknowledge Your Anger

If you really hate your job, it's likely that you are fired up
about something. Pinpointing the source of your anger is a
crucial first step. According to Dr. Hendrie Weisinger, author of
The Anger Workout Book, there are 5 main anger-provoking work
situations:

Being left out. Not being accepted by your peers severely limits
how effective you can be on the job, and shakes your fundamental
need for acceptance. Critical bosses. Nitpicking bosses are
infuriating. To add insult to injury, the anger and frustration
you feel toward these nitpickers cannot really be expressed. Not
getting promoted. You bust your butt and it's never acknowledged:
Who wouldn't feel cheated? Most people handle this perceived
injustice poorly by turning into negative, angry martyrs. Being
maligned by co-workers. As Dr. Weisenger points out, "being
victimized by false rumors is a consistent anger arouser. It is
abusive and unjust." Incompetent bosses. Employees want to admire
their leaders and follow them cheerfully. An incompetent boss can
stifle your enthusiasm and torpedo your chances for job
satisfaction.

Get Rid of Grudges

When people work together, hurt feelings, misunderstandings, and
cross words are inevitable. If you are mistreated at work, you'll
be tempted to get even. Be careful: Making enemies can lead
straight to job misery. Even if you have been treated unfairly,
you can take the high road. While practicing forgiveness may be
the last thing you want to do, it is often the wisest move.
Offenders may not deserve your kindness, but you do. By forgiving
abusive jerks, you are actually giving yourself a break. Sure,
you can quit your job in a huff and seek greener pastures
elsewhere. Find a place where people treat you with the love and
respect that you deserve. Right? Wrong! You'll find "challenging"
co-workers wherever you go. They just look different and have
different names. You'd be better off finding ways to live in
peace with people with various value systems.

Above all else, try to keep your perspective. We all hate our
jobs occasionally-the trick is to keep those times few and far
between. Putting these tips into practice will help you gain
greater satisfaction at work. And when you consider that happy
employees are more likely to get ahead, isn't that a goal worth
smiling about?

Kathy Simmons, assistant vice president at a major U.S. insurance
company, has written many career articles for The Wall Street
Journal, Working Woman, Executive Update, Succeed, Career
Magazine, and other publications. As Kathy reminds her readers:
"We are all capable of change and growth; we just need to know
where to begin." (Blaine Lee)

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/
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