How to Ditch the Doldrums

  Sun 6/30/2013

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Whether cold weather minimizes your motivation or a coworker’s pencil-tapping habit has become infuriating to the point of distraction, decreased engagement and productivity at work can affect anyone.

“It can happen at any point in the year, but for some people there really is a winter slump,” says Neal Chalofsky, author of “Meaningful Workplaces: Reframing How and Where We Work” (Jossey-Bass, 2010). “The technical term is disengagement – when employees feel disconnected from their work, are going through the motions and aren’t caring about any goal.”

Workers may experience slumps for many reasons, says Beth Thomas, author of “Powered by Happy: How to Get and Stay Happy at Work” (Sourcebooks, Inc., 2010). Difficult workplace circumstances, such as low morale due to layoffs, poor management or lack of intellectual challenge, or outside circumstances like relationship issues, a sickness or death in the family or financial problems can all pinch productivity.

Signs of a slump, Thomas says, include lack of motivation, procrastination, increased mistakes and a negative attitude. But for most in this economy, job security plays the highest priority in overall satisfaction.

So how can you make the most of your job and beat workplace woes this winter?

• Remember your purpose. What are you hoping to accomplish? How can this fit into your overall vision for your life? “Realize the perfect job may not materialize, but reflect and look for ways to do things that fit what you are interested in,” he says. “You can make a job meaningful by focusing on what you bring to the work and how you do the work.”

• Get organized. To boost productivity, make a list with short daily goals and feel more motivated with every check mark. Also, clean up your office space. Thomas says an unorganized workplace can cause a sense of being overwhelmed, which can be paralyzing.

• Build community. Good relationships at work can help associates stay engaged and productive. Compliment your boss, have a conversation with a colleague and seek out a mentor to help you stay interested and on task.

Chalofsky likens it to bringing the village concept into the workplace. “We need to make it a place where we enjoy being with each other and feel a sense of common purpose,” he says. “Since you spend eight or more hours a day at work, building community there can make the time feel more meaningful.”

 

Contact/Location

Julie Jones
Carson City, NV
715-857-5505