Miserable call centre staff take the most sick days

As far as jobs go, it can be very stressful dealing with irate customers, dull having to make the same call minute after minute following a script and generally a little soul destroying having to cold call people as they sit down for dinner. So it comes as no surprise then that call centre workers take the most days off sick according to new research. What I did find fascinating though is that

some call centres will go through 100% staff turnover each year! 100%. Now if that isn't an indicator of a job that no one really wants I don't know what is. With stats like that, perhaps it's impossible to improve life at work for these people - after all the pay is lousy and the perks are non existent. 

The problem I think with call centre work is being treated and received like a machine. You're never really treated as a person and your virtual anonymity makes it easier for customers to lose their tempers and shout. Also, your responsibilities are reduced to targets and numbers on a computer screen - not happy people smiling at you or getting to see the fruits of your labour. 

A bit of a dog's life really. 

It's interesting then that the jobs that have the lowest levels of sick days are those with the highest responsibilities - air traffic controllers and pilots.

Oh, and train drivers too - but I think that may be more related to the fact that they get over 37 days holiday a year.

Read more on this article here.

So when was the last time you called in sick?


Photograph by vlima.com (flickr)

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Is your lunch writing off your afternoon?

We've all had that feeling. It occurs sometime around 3pm. You start to feel drowsy and your concentration is nil and you would even consider bribing a colleague to cover for you whilst you sleep under your desk for half an hour.

Its the most frustrating and unproductive feeling but maybe your office is to blame.

With more proof emerging that the healthier the food choices offered at work, the more productive teams are, what is your company waiting for?

If you have a canteen in the office, chances are they offer plenty of fried foods and curries and lasagna. One token salad and one token veggie option and that would be about it. But some forward thinking companies are embracing healthier choices and providing their staff with only healthy options to encourage the wellbeing and performance of their staff - and it's working. Its a simple change that doesn't cost any more and some companies have reported a 20% increase in productivity.

Eating well is the first major step in feeling energized and focused and this can only ever be a good thing for your company.


See the rest of the article here and read about the success stories.

Want to know more about how you can energize your staff and get them feeling focused and recharged? Contact us.

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Can you see when your employees are stressed?

So what are you going to do about it? Business large and small are feeling tense at the moment and some are rising to the challenge whilst others have descended into tension filled spaces. Can you spot if your employees are stressed?

Here are some signs to look out for.

1. Increased gossiping - office gossip is a way of life in most organizations but the level I'm talking about here is much higher. Lots of whispering behind closed doors and furtive looks. This is likely because of job insecurity with the current climate but whatever the reason, its destructive if it continues and can add to the tension.
Solution - be more open with employees about what's happening and keep them as much in the loop as you can so you reduce the amount of speculation. Initiate a group outing - even if it's just a quick get together after work or a lunch.

2. Tension in the air - you can feel it when you walk into certain workplaces and it's almost tangible. When people feel insecure and unhappy, the atmosphere is pretty toxic for everyone else. The problem is when clients pick up on the low morale, it can only reflect badly on your company.
Solution - Talk to your employees or get a manager to keep talking to them so they feel valued and appreciated. Morale can be raised easily with a little recognition.

3. Lack of productivity - is productivity down? Are your employees a little unfocused? Lost their drive?
Solution - Kick start the competitiveness amongst your teams again with some 'friendly' sports and games. Confronting competitiveness directly can seem a little intimidating and sports is the perfect way to get people to unleash it without feeling so self conscious. Get your teams working as teams again.

4. Absenteeism up - or performance down. When employees get sick, it can have a real knock on effect to their work schedules but when they feel guilty about being off sick, it can sometimes be just as disruptive if they are not well enough to be in the office and are under performing. Keep your office a healthy, motivated place.
Solution - organize yoga classes after hours or in lunch times which help to relax, de-stress and refresh your employees. these can be easy and cheap to set up and with discounted rates for your teams, they'll feel valued and invigorated.

If you think your business could benefit from any of these wellness suggestions, please contact Jeff at The Tonic.

Photograph by programwitch (flickr)

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Why your boss behaves like an animal

This new report will come as no surprise to anyone who works with a male boss who is partial to a bit of preening and showing off in the office. Real I Am The Man behaviour.

"a boss who struts around the office, preening himself and puffing out his chest, showing off a splash of colour – perhaps a red tie? According to a study of male managers, he is behaving like much of the animal kingdom, particularly monkeys and chimpanzees."

So what does it say about them and what's the best way to handle a boss who's a chest thumper?

You know the kind of boss -

"they have bigger chairs than everyone else, speak more loudly and interrupt more frequently. They lace their conversation with management jargon and acronyms, in order to confound people. They spend most of the day in meetings, jealously guard their personal space (office with view), and show off their superior gadgetry, including cars and mobile phone."

But why do they behave like this? According to this new report, they do it because it's in their genes. They have a need to preserve themselves, defend themselves and let other potential threats know who's boss - just as monkeys in the wild need to protect their tribe.

My advice on how to handle these office peacocks? 

1. Play them at their game. 

2. When they talk about how much they know, they need an audience so listen and nod in the appropriate place. 

3. When they interrupt you when you're talking, let them and wait for a suitable moment to finish your point. They will interpret this as respect.

4. Flatter them when you can. 

All of this may feel a little fake but what it will do for you is remove you as a threat to them as they'll feel they've enchanted you and then, they'll most likely ignore you and let you get on with what you're really paid to do. Trust me, it works.


Photograph by Ben30 (flickr)

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Too busy for a sick day?

Gone are the days of high absenteeism going unchecked. Companies are now clamping down so much on days off sick that a new survey has revealed that three quarters of employees still turn up for work when they could legitimately have stayed home sick.

The main causes of this are fears of letting colleagues deal with the workload, too much work piling up on your desk if you're not there and the fear of getting a bad record at work for absenteeism. Either way, sick people in offices ....where will this lead?

The report claims that the majority of us, some 71% still go into the office when we are unwell. The research also revealed that:

People working in marketing, advertising and PR were most likely to go into work if they were feeling unwell, whereas those in the charity sector and graduate trainees were least likely to soldier on. Women were more likely than men to go into the office if they were ill.

What this tells me is that the amount you are paid could be linked to your sense of obligation to the job (charity work and graduate trainees are not normally high earners), money can buy a sense of loyalty and that women appear to be more wary of being judged so ignore their poor health.

Either way, it is very frustrating to be sitting next to a clearly unwell person in the office who is kindly sharing their germs with you but perhaps now you can see why they're there.

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Office life is getting tense - lighten yours up

It's impossible at the moment to switch on the news without hearing about banks closing, mortgage houses collapsing and doom, doom and more gloom where money and the future is concerned.

This is bound to effect the attitude people have to work and employees can start to look around for safer bets. Staff turnover is always higher than any organisation would like but it's costly too. Now is the time to be motivating staff to feel happy and secure where they are and incentivising them to choose to stay put rather than be tempted elsewhere. But how can you do this without throwing more money at the situation? Remember, pay rises don't always get loyalty.

There are many great ways to make employees feel valued and wanted by an organisation and sometimes, it's easy to miss the point and just give a small pay rise or a change of job title. If you're looking for something that will cost you less but inject your business with a bit of buzz, why not try one or all of the following:

1. Wellness Program - a heath, fitness and relaxation program offered to staff is a great way of telling them you value their well being, you want them to be less stressed and you want them to have fun with their colleagues whilst achieving a great personal health goal they may have. Anything from yoga classes to relaxation sessions, running club to team football. These perks will always leave your staff feeling indulged and valued. Find out how to organise events like these for your teams.

2. Get Flexible - Work and Life work well together when they are balanced but when one demands too much at the cost of the other, the individual caught in the middle always suffers. Why not allow staff to work from home once a week with clearly set out targets and a lot of trust. This change can achieve staff loyalty in next to no time and is usually rewarded with hard work - not slacking. Review this each month so both parties know it is working.

3. Start Listening - personal Development Reviews are sometimes ignored by companies but it is the only official time that employees feel listened to so start doing them regularly and make sure issues and gripes get listened to an acknowledged. When employees leave companies, it is often because they feel like a number. Address that issue once and for all by being pro-active. You'll gain their respect.

Photograph by The Flooz (flickr)

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How to squeeze in a 5 mile walk without leaving the office

I work from home and I also have a gym membership. I get to the gym at least 3 times a week and manage to go running at least twice a week but some weeks are so busy, I don't get the time to work out and this makes me feel stressed. I always perform better when I exercise and work more efficiently and so a few months ago, I started walking whilst talking and even tested it out on a pedometer to see how far I was going. I have never looked back. but what if you could walk 5 miles without leaving your desk? Sounds good doesn't it?

Here's how you can squeeze in 5 miles of walking into your day - saves going to the gym after work and means that you'll get fit, deal with stress and stay healthy without having to travel to the gym.

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Why your boss should feed you well

Food and mood and very tightly bound.

Eat junk food and you feel rubbish 10 minutes later; eat healthily and you feel energized and virtuous. So is it any wonder that eating badly when you're in the office can impact on how you feel for the rest of the day and overall? You are only as good as the fuel you run on and this is something a lot of businesses can help out with if they want to get the best performance out of their employees.

So what can organisations do to make it easier for employees to stay healthy and fired up whilst in the office?


We all know what's good for us (deep down) but sometimes, getting caught out is a great excuse for eating poorly. 'I didn't have the time to get anything so I just grabbed a chocolate bar'. 'These crisps are the only thing they had in the vending machine so I'll make do till I have dinner tonight' or 'I haven't got time to go out for something so I'll just have another coffee to keep me going'.

But what if your boss made it easier for you? There's a great reason for them to do so with new figures revealing that 97 million working days are lost a year in the UK because of employees poor eating habits. Here are some ideas to feed back to them and they may just get them thinking....

1. Fruit bowl
A large fruit bowl which is replenished daily for all the office to eat - not just decorative green apples in reception. Doesn't cost the earth but send the message to employees that you care that they have a healthy option.

2. Vending Machine with variety
Don't just fill it with sweet snacks - vary it up with nuts and seeds, low sugar health bars, yogurt drinks, bottled water etc. The less temptation there is in the way, the less people will fall for it.

3. Discount Vouchers & Coupons
Offer discount vouchers for using the local smoothie bar or health food store. Its a great incentive for staff to choose healthy over their normal choice. Again, this sends a loud message out that you want them to feel good.

4. Revamp the Canteen
If the office has catering, introduce healthier options that are desirable, Gone are the days of offering a token salad or sorry looking baked potato. Make sure you provide healthy options that are high on taste and filling.

5. Practice what you preach
All these healthy moves only work if the boss isn't seen chowing down on a burger at lunch time with a bag of crisps. Leading by example is always the best incentive for staff to jump on the band wagon.

So next time you're tempted to eat badly at lunch, do it and monitor how it makes you feel afterwards - and remember that feeling. Afternoons don't have to feel like a struggle to stay awake....

photograph by cackhanded (flickr)

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Employees Asked to Work Naked

Okay - just when you thought your office was bad, this should tell you that it could be so much worse. Are they working at the Federal reserve? Or a diamond company? What could possibly have prompted and employer to ask their employees to come into work with nothing on?

Not what you'd think.

Seems that the British company, Lush, were not going to let modesty stand in the way of a genuine statement about packaging. Take a look.

Wonder if sales went up just from curious browsers?

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3 Ways to Stop Falling Asleep at Work

How did you sleep last night? Badly, tossing and turning and mulling over the state of your bank balance? Well, according to a new report, 75% of workers aren't getting enough sleep and bringing their tiredness to work with them the next day. They blame it on the Credit Crunch - the most depressing and overused term of the last year or so. But worrying about money (or lack of) and the cost of commuting which is now even more expensive thanks to fuel prices and job security can feel very real at 2 in the morning.

So what can you do to stay awake and alert in the office after a rubbish nights sleep?

Sleep is so important to every organisation whether they acknowledge it or not. Your workforce is only as productive as the quality of their sleep. We work with a few organisations who are on top of this - usually because they have a lot of shift work which disrupts even the best of sleep patterns. We help them by showing their staff how to manage their state of mind and be able to relax when they need to. We spend a lot of time helping them understand how to focus and be effective when they're busy and then also how unwind and still the mind when they need to focus or recharge their batteries. 

Here are 3 key themes we teach:

1) Breathing and stretching techniques to invigorate the body and sharpen the mind for the day ahead.

2) State management strategies to help busy workers move between a variety of daily tasks without losing focus

3) Relaxation techniques to clear and refresh the mind during the day and aid quality sleep at night

What do you do to help yourself focus when you're tired and relax when you need to?

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Hate your Job? 6 Ways to fix it

Is it Possible to find a job you enjoy?

The reason I ask is because I know more people who don't like what they do than those who do. That will probably come as no surprise to you but I still find it slightly depressing that so many people spend the majority of their lives doing something they don't enjoy. But is that the way it has to be?

I don't think so. It is possible to find a job you like the majority of the time, but it requires some effort on your part to get there. Here's how:


1. Don't throw the towel in - For many people, they decide very early on that the job isn't right for them and start dreading it, stop going in and pretty soon, leave. This can become a pattern and a very dangerous one so it's always worth setting a decent deadline to which you will make every effort to fit in, work hard and see how it all works out. No ditching before then. If after 3 months there's no sign of improvement, then that is acceptable to start looking around for a new job.

2. Learn your Lesson - If you know you've got 6 or 7 jobs on your CV in the last 2 years, chances are that you are either very unlucky or you are not thinking enough about whether the job is right for you before you accept it. Never apply for a job that you don't want. If you get yourself into a desperate - mortgage in arrears situation - then you may have fewer choices but you should still take a moment to think it through. Can you see yourself going in there everyday? Is the stress the job will cause you worth the money you'll be bringing in? Can you afford to take the time to look around for what you'd really like? Having so many jobs on your CV in a short space of time doesn't send out the right message but you don't have to list them all. Don't lie, but don't declare your lack of commitment on paper.

3. Look around you - Take inspiration from the people you know love what they do. In what ways are they so different from you? Could you adopt any of their attitude or have you ever asked their advice. What are their coping mechanisms for when a job goes wrong - how do they handle it? There is never a better place to learn than from someone who is living it and doing it everyday.

4. The Job isn't everythingg - often if you don't make time in your life for anything other than your job and looking after family or supermarket shopping, it can mean everything to you when the job goes wrong. Just 2 hours a week doing a hobby or having time to go to the gym - something that allows you clear head space is good for you. Work is important but work and nothing else is putting too much emphasis on work being good. When it's not good, your world can feel like its out of control. Time to take the control back and get a new hobby.

5. Get writing - not job applications but write down the 6 things you really want from a job - it can include salary, good mates at work, responsibility, career development etc. Whatever is important to you, write it down. Sign up with lots of agencies and tell them that you you would be happy if they could find you something that had at least 4 out of the 6 things you've listed. Chances are, that the next job you get will be one that fits your needs and desires - doesn't that sound much better?

6. It might be you - Sometimes, you have to accept that if you keep leaving jobs and getting fed up of what you do that it's a sign you are ignoring. Why not try doing it yourself and thinking about what business you could run and be your own boss. Not everyone is made to work in an office. Think about it - is there something you have always wanted to do?

What are you waiting for?



Photograph by pereiraalexandre20 (flickr)

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Ever Lost Your Temper in the Office?

For many people, losing your temper in the office isn't something that they would even consider. If anything, they would be more likely to lose it outside of the office after biting your tongue all day about something.

But some people don't have a problem with blowing a fuse at work - they think it's OK. They think that screaming at colleagues will get them respect (read: fear) and get the job done quicker (deluded).

Here's 5 reasons why losing your temper in the office makes you the only loser


1. Shouting at colleagues motivates them
It only motivates them into making more mistakes because you've scared and intimidated them. That's all. You've lost your temper over a mistake and this will only make people around you nervous that you'll do it again. Its now more likely than ever that another mistake will be made and you can guarantee that morale has been shot.

TIP - Why not try dealing with mistake calmly and after you've had 5 minutes to think it through rather than reacting to it. Take a deep breath, walk away and think. When you know what you want the outcome of your 'talk' to be, then you're ready to face your team. Worse, it absolutely kills morale. No one wants to work for a temperamental jerk, especially if it begins to feel like the jerk is just manipulating you

2. You've Lost your Talent
If you get angry and lose your temper with your colleagues, the most talented team members will eventually start job hunting. When people are good, they usually want respect and give respect and you've lost yours with every temper tantrum. If you shout at people then you are making it personal. Swearing, insults, sarcasm and aggressive body language are a huge turn off for the very people who you hired to make you look great. So curb it.

TIP - It's very hard to respect someone with little self control so work on that aspect of your personality. Start yoga classes or get into a routine of long walks after work to help you unwind. You need to learn little tricks to help you get calm when you feel an outburst coming. Do your homework or risk the high price you'll eventually pay for not doing so.

3.I'm only angry because I'm passionate about what I do!
Don't confuse passion with anger. Its good to be passionate about your job and each and every task but when you start using it as an excuse to lose your temper when someone makes a mistake, then you are really saying that you're not confident and not in control. You're letting your feelings get in the way of your thinking and that's not what people expect in an office. If you're a creative type and work in a creative environment, it can be tough to curb need to express yourself but shouting and getting angry with colleagues only sends out the wrong messages. I'm no longer in control.

TIP - Try to be clear with colleagues about your high expectations at the start of a task and open the road to communication early on. Limit the likelihood of things going wrong by letting it be known people can ask questions. A culture of fear always creates more mistakes because people are too scared to ask and then it's too late.

4. Anger Management
Some people are just really angry and lose their tempers over anything. They get labeled as having anger issues or a short fuse. No one wants to be around people like that and its a reputation that sticks. Is this you?

TIP - If so, acknowledge it and get help with it and change it. Get some balance in your life. Get more in your life than work and have an outlet for your frustration. Some swear by running whilst squash is the game of choice for others. Whatever it takes, do it because it's a destructive trait for you and those around you.

5. You are what you eat
When a toddler behave the way some people act in the office and has a full on tantrum, everyone always asks about what they've been eating. We all know junk food and additives send kids temporarily off the rails but bad food and bad eating habits does the same for adults. If you find yourself angry in the office all the time, look to your diet.

TIP -
Limit your coffee intake to 2 a day.
Eat fruit and nuts for snacks and not crisps and chocolate.
Don't skip breakfast and overeat at lunch.
Try not to eat hot meals at lunch time - they only make you sleepy and this makes you less patient.
Drink plenty of water
Avoid drinking alcohol at lunch time - for obvious reasons.
Your mood will stabilise and you'll have fewer highs and consequent crashes.


Does this sound like you? Have you worked with people who lose it in the office regularly?




photograph by Jekkyl (flickr)

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Healthy Staff = Healthy Bottom Line

It seems obvious to point out that the more healthy your staff, the less time they spend off sick and the more profitable your company is running with all hands on deck.

Unhealthy staff means absenteeism figures are higher than you would like, motivation is low, the remaining employees inherit all the workload and no one is happy or productive. Many large and small companies are realising that you get out of staff what you put in and as this is an issue close to my heart, I've just written an article about this for
HR Zone. The ways to get your workforce feeling loved and healthy by you is so straight forwards and this is one of those areas in life where a small gesture can go a long way. Have a look at the tips and see if you couldn't implement one of them this month.

The article is worth reading - but I would say that wouldn't I! But seriously, there are many different ways to injecting a bit of health and fitness into your staff and they all work. So what's stopping you trying one out today?

Did I miss any corporate health and fitness ideas out? Let me know.


Photograph by blue_gazelle

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Don't hate your co-workers just because they're not you

In the office, a little self-awareness goes a long way.

An article in last weekend's Sunday Times had some interesting statistics on the attitude of holidaying business people to their gadgets that keep them in touch with the office. A whopping 97% of people surveyed took their mobile phones with them on holiday and 68% took either a laptop or a Blackberry.

The article, quite rightly, outlines that mobile communications can either be a help or a hindrance depending on how you manage them and while some people need a complete break while they're away, others find it less stressful if they keep in touch with work so they know they're nothing ominous brewing or awaiting them on their return to the office.

When we work with business people, we encourage them to take various steps to understand in greater detail how they work best. It sounds obvious but frustrations in the workplace and compromised efficiency crops up time and time again when people either don't know what their strengths and weaknesses are, or, they know what they are but they don't cater for them carefully enough.

There are 3 main areas where knowledge of how you perform best can save you time, energy and reduce office stress levels.

1.Communication
Some people like to write and some like to talk. Those who like to read emails, reports, project updates and instructions don't like people who process information verbally and see lots of meetings and chats as a waste of time. Those who learn by talking things through can't understand why the visual learners won't stop for a chat.

Tip - You can spot those who process information verbally - they'll often say things like 'I hear what you're saying' or lean their heads to one side or the other when they are listening to you. Those who learn visually will say things like 'I see what you mean' and look up a lot when they're talk as they visualise what they're saying.

For a smooth running office, all learning and communication styles must be catered for. One is not better than the other.

2. Larks versus Owls
Some people perform best first thing in the morning while others take a while to warm up and are at their best later in the day. Knowing when you perform best and when the rest of your team is at their most effective allows you to schedule important meetings when you're sure you'll get the best input from all those attending.

Tip - You usually can't change people from one group to the other so getting frustrated at a colleagues lack of attention in a morning meeting will only wear you down. Compromise and do it in the afternoon to make your life easier.

3. Details vs. Bigger Picture
Everyone in the office deals with information in different ways. Some can't perform unless they know all the finer details of a project. Others hate detail but are brilliantly efficient as long as they know what they are contributing fits into the wider purpose of the team or the company. Knowing which style you prefer allows you to manage your workload effectively. Knowing which style your team prefers enables you to manage them effectively.

Tip - Pair up small stuff people with bigger picture people to get tasks completed faster.


What role do you play in the office and how do you manage it?

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The Secret to Finding Good People

Michael Gerber, founder of The E-Myth Worldwide has a simple belief

"Systems run the business and people run the systems."

It's a straightforward approach but very obviously correct. As ever, the crucial part of the equation is the people. Michael's recent article on his blog The Secret to Finding Good People is well worth a read.


And for those of you who'd like more on the idea of how to set up efficient systems for business success, try reading Michael's book The E-Myth Revisited.

I know many people, working in businesses of all sizes, who have used ideas from this book to make their working conditions simpler and more efficient for themselves and their colleagues and I'm certain that you'll find something useful too.

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Too Busy in the Office?

Do you hear yourself saying 'Where does the time go..?' or 'I feel like I haven't got anything done?'

Every day around the world a common complaint in the office is that there just isn’t time to get everything done. The result of packed schedules is that workers don’t achieve everything they’d like to during their time at work or they don’t perform to the standard they feel is right for them.

Here are 3 ways to get more done each day, leave work on time and go home satisfied you've achieved a huge amount without being frazzled at the end



1. Set time limits
Rather than starting a task and allowing it to take as long as it takes, decide in advance how long you are willing to spend on each activity. If you’re clear with yourself with what time you want a job completed by, you’ll focus and avoid distraction to make sure it’s done in time. Emails could take no more than 5 minutes; calls no longer than 10 minutes and meetings no longer than half an hour. If you don’t set time limits you can find yourself at the end of a day still trying to complete something you started first thing.

2. Take breaks
If you arrive at work in the morning and the day stretches out ahead of you as one big block of busy-ness, you can feel overwhelmed. Planning regular breaks means you’ll work effectively in short sharp bursts of productivity punctuated with slots of doing something that takes your mind off work and clears your head ready for the next round of activity.

3. Move on quickly
One person we worked with had a 40 minute time limit for everything he did during a day. Whether it be proposals, costings, meetings or lunches; whatever he was doing, he’d move on to the next task after 40 minutes. He claimed that after this time he stopped having useful thoughts on each task so he’d move on to re-energise his brain. He also built in a slot during each day to return to any tasks with thoughts that came into his head while he was thinking about other things.

The key to success with getting more done is to maintain energy and focus throughout each day. This is best achieved by making progress so always keep in mind how each task you take is moving you forwards. If at any stage you feel your not making progress, your energy and motivation will wane and results will slow. You're at work to get things done and achieve a something, but you don't want to spend all your time there and hours thinking about the office when you get home.
Do it, Get it Done, Get home.

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How to cope with a negative appraisal

It's that time of year for many organizations - appraisal time. The very thought of it is enough to make most people feel like they're 10 years old again. But worse still, what if the appraisal throws up some negative feedback you weren't expecting.

There isn't one of us who likes to hear negative things about ourselves because I think fundamentally, we're all people pleasers. And why not?

So how do you cope with hearing things that sting? How do you not take it like a personal attack and how do you learn to accept it as constructive, address it and move on without being paranoid your boss doesn't like you? Here are some tips that may just help.

1. It's a 2 way street
Appraisals are not just for you to hear what your boss thinks but for your boss to hear how you're feeling. If the issue raised by your boss is one that you think can be explained, this is the time to be open and explain what you think might have happened. Bosses can't read minds and it's a wonderful opportunity for them to hear what's going on with you so don't waste it by thinking it won't matter anyway.

2. Be Positive
Rarely will you get a 100% bad appraisal and still be at your company. They'd have fired you a long time ago. If you have a couple of issues come up, then don't ignore all the other great things that have been recorded and look at the wider picture. Feel good about the things you have excelled at and the progress you have made at work and don't lose sight of this just because 2 things were less good. You're only cheating yourself.

3. Be Honest
Unless you have a genuinely unethical situation going on, your boss' feedback is probably relevant. before you fly off the handle and bitch to you co-workers about what's been said, think about it. have you been late maybe a few too many times? Have you been slow to hit deadlines? Have you made no sales when everyone else has succeeded despite the current climate? Have an honest moment with yourself and then vow to make it right.

4. Get Competitive
The way negative feedback has made you feel should encourage you to make sure you this doesn't happen to you again. Apply yourself fully and move forwards giving everything you can to make sure your boss is left impressed with your attitude. Don't ignore any issues that have been raised - make them history. If you see a deadline approaching that you can't make, let your boss know in advance with clear explanations. Raise your game and get competitive with yourself.

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3 Ways to Make Your Office Better

Office life, when it's fun and productive, you don't mind being there at all. And you're earning money as a bonus. When it's tense, boring or worse, bitchy, it can be hell on earth. And no amount of salary can make it feel OK. 

So what can you do to turn your office into a more appealing place to be without firing the boss and all the people you don't like?

Here are the 3 most successful methods we've used to turn the atmosphere and productivity of an office round in the past. With advice on how you can do it for your work space.

1. Start a Softball Team / Soccer Team
We introduce team sports to office and organize tournaments. Softball is usually the most successful because unlike other sports, not many people are 'experts' and it is as inclusive for men as for women. It's a fun game which means that although it gets competitive, there is still lots of laughing and camaraderie. We manage the whole even for organizations but if you were to try this in your office, the key to making these tournaments work is appointing someone in the office to be the Chief Tournament Officer. They put up the print outs detailing game dates and league tables etc. There is always someone in the office who loves a bit of a spreadsheet! Bosses love this because it creates a unity amongst staff, it's a real leveller - CEO plays alongside junior exec etc. and it promotes a feeling of loyalty to the company.



2. Relaxation Sessions
We usually train staff to get fitter and help them to unwind and manage their sleep and stress. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how well stressed out (men in particular) take to the relaxation and yoga sessions we offer. We learned pretty early that by labelling the sessions as yoga, the employees would always arrive skeptical about it all. When we called them Relaxation sessions, everyone was motivated to give it a go. Despite it being the same thing. The most successful has been sessions the day before employees have to do presentations or run important meetings. It seems to take the nerves away and leave a sense of calm. So perhaps try organizing these in your company the day before a pitch or AGM.

3.One to One Sessions
OK - these tend to be a more costly benefit offered to lucky employees but they are hugely effective in helping employees increase confidence, self esteem and balance home life and work life so much better. most people get pushed and pulled in all areas of their life and always feel that something suffers. It doesn't have to be this way and simple coaching techniques and analysis of their current situation often leads to a light bulb moment for people. They rarely slip back into their old habits.
If you were to try and do something similar for your office, perhaps start mentoring programs that deal with life as a whole and not just career progress.

I hope you get to try one of these options - or all of them - with your office and I'd love to hear your questions and feedback. Every office can be made better - I haven't come across one yet that couldn't.

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Nice Co-Workers Means More than Salary

According to a new report out this week, a good salary isn't what makes us happiest about going into the office everyday. It's getting on with our co-workers that makes the job the most rewarding. The Happiness index also concluded that workers increasingly need work to be stimulating and interesting. Getting paid isn't enough of a reward. This is great news

For a long time now, I've believed that people who talk about work life balance and struggling to make it work are looking at it the wrong way. Work and Life shouldn't be completely separate because each is of huge value. Work is important to making us feel that we are contributing something to the world, adding value to something and getting rewarded for it.

The perfect situation would be a job that gives us a greater sense of self and makes us feel good at something and a home life that is stimulating and relaxing in equal measure. The people that manage to achieve this are those who work hard in both areas of their life rather than see home as a refuge from the office.

This report claims that good relationships with your co-workers is more important than salary in terms of making you feel happy at work. It can even influence people staying on at a company. (read: reduce recruitment costs) Some of the workplaces I've visited with work, the happiest firms are always the places where there is a camaraderie amongst staff and a belief in why they are all there working so hard. The least happy work environments have been those where hierarchy reigns and employees have never even met their big boss. We're all human beings and thrive on relationships. Why should work be any different?

One final interesting point to come out of the study was that the happiest worker profile in the UK was Female, over 60 years old, beauty therapist living in the North East England; The unhappiest was Male, 40-49 year old, builder living in Northern Ireland. take from that what you will but I think the fact the one job is very nurturing, all about human contact and pleasure giving speaks volumes.

Read the full report here.

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Watch your back in the office

More than two thirds of workers now suffer from repetitive strain injury, according to a new study by Microsoft. They attribute this to so many more employees using laptops and mobiles for longer than ever. It seems that the more 'electronic' our work becomes, the less well we cope physically. And working on trains, planes and wherever we want has meant we're more reliant on technology. So what can we do to make sure we stay injury free and ache free? And how can you get rid of 'Blackberry Thumb' when it strikes?


RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) occurs when you type too much, sit awkwardly at your desk and allow your posture to slide after lengthy hours in front of the screen. It's all self inflicted but can be fixed if you abandon your old habits and adopt some new ones.

The report recommends the following tips to help minimise and relieve Repetitive Strain Injury:

1. Go Hands Free - if you use the phone for much of the day, stop cradling it between your neck and shoulders and order a headset.
2. Learn to touch type - This will take the strain off your fingers and will help to improve your posture as you won't need to be hunched over your keyboard.
3. Learn Shortcuts - This will shorten the amount of typing you do. Some common ones are CTRL + a = select all : CTRL + c = copy : CTRL + x = cut : CTRL + v = paste: CTRL + s = save : CTRL + z = undo : CTRL + p = print
4. Attach a keyboard to a laptop -This way you can maintain better posture when typing.

Read the full article here.

When we go into businesses that are predominantly desk-based, one stretch which always helps to relieve the strain on the back is this one. Give it a go right now and get into the habit of doing it once a day.

And here are some more general desk based stretches I devised for a fitness magazine. Try these to target those aches and pains. 

P.S. - the way to get rid of Blackberry thumb is to be super disciplined about when you switch it on and check your emails. Try limiting yourself to checking once every 3 hours. If you have it on all day and check it constantly, you'll not only add strain to your neck and fingers but you're working too hard! What did you do before you had it? Exactly. Don't become too dependent.



Photograph by Dave77459 (Flickr)

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How to stay fit when you travel with work

Many of the business people we work with travel a lot. Some can be away from home for up to 10-months in the year! Even for those who are on the move for a few weeks each year, keeping a healthy routine can be a challenge. Or at least that’s what they tell us. Others report that they actually find it easier to stay healthy when they’re on the road with hotel swimming pool and gym open 24 hours etc.

So how can it be easy for some and hard for others?

It's all about the way you look at it. Here’s a selection of top tips to keep busy executives sharp and energised while traveling for work.

1.Plan ahead
Always book hotels with fitness facilities or a swimming pool, or preferably both. Hotels in areas close to parks are also great. Keep a resistance band and a couple of ideas for hotel room workouts in your suitcase at all times and never leave home without your trainers. Simple truth is if you don’t plan for fitness it won’t happen. Business travel can be demanding and any obstacle to exercise can put you off. The best case scenario is that your trip provides you with some different options for exercise. That way you’re looking forward to trying something new – running or cycling in a new city for example. Safety first - always check with the concierge about the best running routes in cities you don't know.

2. Be experimental
While away you’ll be eating in hotels and restaurants but this needn’t be a problem. The great thing here is that someone else is doing your food shopping and cooking and you just have to make the right choices. So, while someone else is preparing your food for you, take the opportunity to try something new. It may be a completely new food or a familiar food cooked in a new way but any new dish will provide the chance for your body to experience some new tastes and nutrients.

3. Pace yourself
Busy executives have a habit of packing their schedule on every trip so they can fit in as much as possible. A difficulty with this is that trips will be tiring and you can return home feeling shattered. Every trip should have some rest and recovery time built into the schedule. This can include a massage or a yoga session, both of which can be booked in advance of your departure. Make these appointments that will recharge your batteries, and protect the slots as you would for your client meetings and you’ll find that your trip will feel more balanced.

4. Get creative with routines
People often think they can't plan routines and patterns when they are traveling. But chances are that business trips eventually fall into their own routine of location, hotel type, meeting schedule and eating patterns. As you get to know the patterns of your business travel, learn to plan around them and know when you’ll take exercise, what you’ll eat and when, how you’ll relax and how you can sleep best. The more you can follow tried and tested successful strategies for staying healthy on the road,, the easier every trip will be. You might even return home feeling better than when you left!

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Surfing the net is good for the office

They used to call them tea breaks. And some folk call them fag breaks. But for the majority, it's all about E-breaks. That 10 minute surf online to get your banking done or read emails on Facebook. These mini breaks have become a life line to people in offices and helps to break up the day but as more and more companies block Facebook and other social networking sites, have they made a mistake?

According to a new report, surfing the internet actually makes workers more productive because it boosts morale and helps reduce stress.

Seemingly, the right length of break to surf the internet can be even more beneficial than the good old fashioned English tea break which has always been at the heart of successful British working culture.

This research illustrates something that we've known for a long time which is that there are two key factors to creating the ideal workplace.

1. Make sure every single person within the organisation is catered for when implementing staff benefits and incentives.
The tea break appealed to everyone in the past because:
a) everyone drank tea and
b) it was a legitimate time away from the work station. E-breaks are popular because most people either enjoy surfing social networking sites or appreciate time to take care of some personal admin online. Other popular incentives such as flexible working hours and trading hours worked for extra holiday work well because they will appeal to the majority of the workforce at some time, whether it be now or in the future.

2. Make sure benefits and incentives do actually benefit the staff and the organisation.
Every single individual likes to be recognised and appreciates being valued. Providing workers with a benefit that is all about them is the best way in the world to encourage them to think positively about you as an individual in your role in the business and to feel valued by the business as a whole. If they experience these feelings regularly, they will perform to the best of their abilities for the majority of the time. In short, the right incentives, delivered the right way mean everyone's a winner.

When we work with our clients we make sure that participants in our programmes have the opportunity to receive help and advice on all aspects of their health, fitness, diet and lifestyle. We never forget that people have equally important roles to play in their lives as well as being employees. We always try to ensure that employees have the opportunity to work on personal issues both from the workplace and in their wider world, meaning they can develop skills that benefit them personally as well as the business.

And this is the kind of feedback that tells us we got it right...

Since we began the programme, the impact to the participants at both a personal and business level has been fantastic and we're seeing a real improvement in motivation, happiness and quality of work - thus impacting on the service to customers.

If you're interested to read more about how we can achieve such results, visit our website

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Don't Hate the Office, Work It!

There's so much more to be gained from going to the office everyday (salary aside). You can learn so much - and get paid for it. Confused? Okay, let me explain. When it comes to learning new skills at work, what do you think employees value the most? Mastering power point presentations or perhaps Leadership training? Well, a report published last week in the Human Resources Magazine listed the things at work that employees learned which they found most valuable. The list included:

• Communication Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Team Working
• IT Skills


It’s clear from the above list that what people most value from their time at work is their ability to develop life skills. There’s not much emphasis on learning specific tasks, systems and procedures, but there is great importance attached to learning skills that make you better able to work with or manage the people responsible for the tasks, systems and procedures.

This comes as no surprise to me.

It is consistent with the business people that we work with on our programmes. By teaching people how to look after their health and wellbeing, we provide them with all the resources they require to maximise their energy, increase their mental capacity and improve their focus and efficiency. These skills are invaluable in the workplace but also enable people to operate more effectively in every area of their lives. Learning these skills within the working environment means staff view their employer positively. Sometimes, people struggle to see how looking after staff wellness can transform the performance they get. To answer that, here’s a quick run down of the top three tips for keeping staff engaged and fully motivated.

1.Every day is learning at work day
Everyone needs to work but fewer and fewer people these days are motivated by just earning a living. They want to learn some thing new every day and always feel as though they are growing and developing. If you can ensure that your employees go home to their families feeling positive and saying, ‘guess what I learned today at work’, you’ll have a much more lively workplace than if employees simply report that work was 'Oh, you know, same old same old' or, worse than that, 'I don't want to talk about it.'

2. Keep it simple
Communication skills, interpersonal skills and team working are all things that you might think would come most naturally to anyone in the workplace but, as our list suggests they are areas that people most appreciate having the opportunity to work on.

The same goes for eating well, taking exercise and managing stress. You might think that handling these areas is easy or that they’ll take care of themselves but they are often the areas that are most overlooked. Offering staff simple, practical and consistent information and advice ensures they can make easy progress in these areas. It also sends a very strong message that being at work doesn’t mean putting the rest of your life on hold, rather you can learn new information at work that has positive implications for the rest of your life. Not so much work – life balance, more work as part of life balance.

3. Make it relevant
When it comes to health and wellbeing, the message you deliver to staff is all important. If staff think that all you’re interested in is keeping them healthy so you can drive them harder then you’ll have trouble motivating them towards even the most exciting initiatives.

If they understand that what you’re offering them is designed to help energize them and upgrade how they feel while they’re at work while also injecting them with energy and enthusiasm for what ever they choose to do outside of work, they’ll be much more likely to view your initiatives favourably.

Show this post to your boss, it may just get them thinking.
And if you are the Boss, what are you waiting for?

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Don't Let the Office Get You Down!

Office life can make you angry, frustrated, bored and this in itself can bring out your inner child. Like this guy.

But that's pretty subdued compared to this guy!!



Happy weekend!

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How To Stay Calm When Giving A Presentation

Giving a presentation at work can be the most daunting exercise. You feel sick, you know you'll go red and your hands will probably shake along with your voice. The days leading up to a presentation can be the worst with sleepless nights and utter fear. But it's a good skill to develop for your career and an important challenge to be able to face. Here are 7 tricks and relaxation tips that will make it so much easier for you and you never know, you may find yourself enjoying them.

1. Practice, practice, practice - do it in front of a mirror, in the bathroom or as you walk around the park. Do it 3/4 times but don't overdo it because then your talk will feel flat and robotic. Just get your self to the stage where you're familiar with how it will go from beginning, middle to the end. then, the likelihood of it going badly is massively reduced. Every great public speaker believes in this rule.

2. Be Positive - be aware of how you sound and try to add some levity and interest to the tone of your voice. Don't just drone because your audience will zone out. Try focusing on the positive energy that you want to project, it will take your mind off your nerves.

3. Stand still and don't over gesticulate. It's distracting for people trying to listen to you and you want their concentration to be on what you're saying not your nervous tics. Practicing in front of the mirror should help you spot you habits when you get nervous and once you are aware of them, you can stop yourself. If you feel nervous, no one will ever be able to tell.

4. Be inclusive - you want people to really get something out of the talk you are giving so remember to try and engage them with anecdotes that bring your subject to life or by speaking in a way that addresses what they will be thinking.

5. Breathe. In and out slowly. This will not only calm you before you start to speak but you should remember to breath deeply throughout. Know about the 3 P's? Pitch, Pause and Pace. This is your Pause.

6. If you have a tendency to go red when public speaking, the breathing will help but I also once heard of a great tip which is useful if you are giving a powerpoint presentation. Make sure your screen writing is in green and that works wonder with the red hue of your face and to the audience, there is no visible blush! Oh an wear a green top too or tie. All helps.

7. Last but not least, the most common advice given to combat public speaking nerves - focus on one person in the audience to the left and one to the right and when you speak, speak just to them so you have two positions and it looks like you are addressing the whole room and you can blank out the other 100 people.

P.S. - Giving presentations truly does get easier the more you do so see everyone you give as a step closer to being the type of person who says "oh, I enjoy public speaking' and mean it.



Photograph by hfb (Flickr)

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How to Deal With Low Self Esteem at Work

Having a negative self image is a really distressing state to be in. You feel isolated and insecure, paranoid and angry all at the same time. The worst place for low self esteem to rear its head can be in the office where you can feel most vulnerable and judged by those around you. It doesn't always have to be this way you should not accept living with it. It takes time to change your mind about yourself but once you do, your life will be so much easier.

Here are some tips to help you cope with your negative self image. Give them a go rather than dismiss them because you think you may have tried everything. Being open to a solution is the first step to getting past your self esteem problem.

1. Support Network - Think about all your friends and work colleagues. Write down a list of those who make you feel good about yourself and those who you're friendly with but they always make you feel bad about yourself. As difficult as this may be, try spending much less time with those people who bring you down. Toxic Friends or Toxic Work Colleagues are plentiful - most people have them and sometimes you just need a clean out. Spend time with people who are positive and you can start picking up their good habits.

2. Don't Overreact - you'll need strategies in place that will help you to put things into perspective. You can't crumble everytime a colleague is rude or the boss is dismissive. Try asking yourself questions about what's just happened so you don't automatically take it so personally and use it as an excuse to out yourself down. What's going on here? Why is this happening? What does this mean? If your boss has just snapped, it could be that they are under pressure themselves, they may be distracted by something in their personal lives, you may have interrupted them when they were trying to get some work done. Focus on the FACTS and not the FICTION in your head.

3. Pass the Buck Buck- Don't accept responsibility for everything. Feel free to pass it back to others when it needs to be. If you're having work dumped on you, say you're too busy, politely point out that it's theirs to do. Stop helping people out in the office all the time because you want them to like you. You have all the rights in the world to be there and you don't need to keep apologising for it. Look at how much work your colleagues (whom you respect anyway!) do and compare it to your load. Now feel confident getting on with what you need to.

4. Try Something New - Take on a new hobby or have something else in your life apart from work to keep you busy. Life is so much more than just work but most people fall into the trap of letting work consume their minds. Be different and take up kick boxing or dancing or commit to a 10k run. Do something that you can focus on and you'll fantastic once you finish it. You'll realise that you could do it and start to feel good about yourself.

5. Set New Rules - Smile instead of getting cross; Ask questions instead of storming off to moan about what's just happened; From this moment on, you are not allowed to say I Can't....it's a forbidden sentence starter; People judge you by the way you judge yourself so don't put yourself down and say how rubbish you would be at something because then they will think the same about you. Just as putting yourself down is a bad habit, 'bigging' yourself up is a good habit and one you need to get into.

These tips are straight forward but with practice and a little time, you can start to feel better about yourself. You are as good as everyone else, it's only you that doesn't think so. Remember that next time you lay into yourself.


Photograph by xoxoryan (Flickr)

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Why Your Boss Should Let You Work From Home

Today is National Work From Home Day and it’s estimated that 5 million British workers will be avoiding the commute and the constant interruptions in the office by sitting down to some power working from the comfort of their own home.

As we pointed out earlier this week, many people claim to be far more efficient when working from home despite the fact that the term ‘working from home’ is still often accompanied by a wry smile or a cheeky wink.

So why do so many people work more efficiently away from the office and how can some of that efficiency and positive energy come back back into the office with them? The answers aren't always as obvious as you'd think.

1) Working in your pyjamas
For some people simply getting dressed for work can be stressful. Putting on their ‘uniform’ means getting ready to brave the masses on the journey to work and then go into combat with a day of meetings and projects. The occasional break from getting ‘suited and booted’ can change your outlook completely, allowing you to tap into the creative side of your brain rather than the business-like logical side you use for following routine.

Try This:
Pyjamas don’t work very well in the office but Dress Down Fridays or Dress Up Fridays do make a difference to the atmosphere of many businesses. Allowing staff to dress appropriately for each day’s working requirements will change the way they view their working day and can improve their performance.

2) Being the Boss for the Day
Nobody likes being told what to do or when to do it and a rigid structure can stifle the performance of many workers.

One company director I spoke with told the story of how his staff were complaining that their working hours were too long. He listened to their observations and implemented a new strategy whereby those who worked longer hours from Monday to Thursday could take Friday off or, if they chose to work on Friday, would be paid for it as an extra day. The result of the scheme was that most of the staff chose to work on Fridays and actually ended up working more hours in a week than previously. Clearly their original issue was nothing to do with the number of hours they worked and more to do with it being their choice to work these hours.

Try This:
Working from home provides more freedom for workers to plan what they do and when they do it. This is a strategy that bears fruit in the workplace too. Just because someone can be seen in the office doesn’t mean they need to be managed too closely. Allow people to take responsibility for their own workload and you may be pleasantly surprised at how they perform.

3) Taking regular breaks
People in offices are wary of being seen to be taking breaks but the natural daily rhythms of your body mean there are times for performing with maximum efficiency and times for slowing down a bit. When working from home people are much more comfortable with taking a stroll, flicking through a magazine, watching TV News, taking time out to exercise or prepare a healthy snack, running an errand, or even taking a short nap. These short bursts of different activities keep your brain fresh throughout the day.

Try This:
Allowing people to take catnaps in the office may seem like a step too far – though it does exist in some offices – but being creative about how workers can divide their day up leads to better time management and increased productivity. Establish the rules of give and take and everyone knows what's expected of them.

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How to Deal With Your Annoying Co-Worker

Hell is other people. Or the person in the next cubicle who talks so LOUDLY on the phone!

One of the most common issues for employees around the world is dealing with office politics. At some point in their career, most people find themselves spending more time and energy working the system in their office than working at their job. Every office has one, the annoying co-worker who can get under your skin and adversely effect the atmosphere of an office. These problems in an office are not only stressful but they are costly. For those who get to work from home occasionally or from a different site report getting twice as much work done with half the stress when they are away from their usual environment. But what if you can't escape the office?

There are a few jobs that are totally self-sufficient and allow complete autonomy and responsibility. Most people need to be able to work as a team player. The majority of workers want to do their best and feel they are making a valuable contribution when they are at work so if other people are getting in your way and preventing you from achieving this, each day can be very frustrating.

Even the most efficient businesses and people can have periods where office politics take their toll. Here are 4 examples of how we work with our clients to minimise the possible impact of tension between people.

1. Get Active
If people are regularly frustrated at work their stress levels will rise. Feeling stressed releases adrenalin into the system and if this happens repeatedly, they run the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. Employees who have the opportunity to regularly take walk breaks, attend lunchtime exercise sessions, or head to gym after work are able to use the adrenalin in their system to fuel their activity which prevents their stress levels building over time and helps them maintain their calm in awkward situations.

2. Eat Right
What you eat really does impact on how you cope with stress inducing people. Too much caffeine and sugary snacks create energy peaks and troughs and low energy troughs can make it difficult to deal with other people. If you’re feeling tired and sluggish in the office, it’s because your blood sugar is low. If someone does something to upset you at this point, chances are it may tip you over the edge. To stabilise energy levels, limit caffeine to two drinks per day and snack on nuts, seeds, dried fruit or chopped vegetables. You will be able to cope with so much more if you're in control rather than wired.

3. Breathe
Learning to master your mind and manage your mental state is a valuable workplace skill. You need to be able to stay focused and effective no matter what’s going on around you. Workers who have access to techniques such as yoga and meditation have consistently lower levels of stress and better coping strategies than those around them. Have you ever noticed how some of your colleagues just let annoying things in the office wash over them? They very likely have their own coping mechanism - it's time you got yours.

4. Get Busy
If work is all you do with your life, then when things aren’t going your way in the office, you’ll feel that your whole life is out of control. Make sure you have plenty of things on your schedule that aren’t work related. If work is just one part of a varied lifestyle, you’ll be better positioned to deal with office based challenges. Make time for family and friends, hobbies, gym going, quiet time and have plenty of things in your weekly schedule that you really enjoy.

Take a look around your workplace and look at the fittest, healthiest person you know. Chances are they’ll be taking these measures and as a result they’ll have fewer bad days at the office than anyone else.

Stress is caused by feeling out of control but with tried and tested plans for exercising, eating well, managing your mind and living a varied lifestyle you will always feel in control of your situation and will be able to deal with anyone no matter how awkward and frustrating their character or personality.



Photograph by passiveaggressivenotes (Flickr)

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Avoid Office Burnout

Blogging yesterday about the benefits of making workplaces healthier and the impact that has on the corporate bottom line as well as the...erm, employee bottom line is nothing new to me. It's what I do in my day job but it's always great to see the message being spread elsewhere too. I read this article last night and it completely backs up everything I wrote in my post.

More and more companies, both large and small are finally realising that they need to address the problem of their staff health. Its fine to expect staff to work hard and deliver for you but that can come at some cost if they feel burnt out and stressed. So much absenteeism is as the result of musculo-skeletal damage and stress from working in highly pressured environments and sometimes dysfunctional atmospheres. This can be addressed in different ways depending on the exact needs of that company.  For example, some of the clients we work with in highly pressurised industries have wanted us to teach their employees how to relax & focus their minds during the day and unwind after work (yoga/relaxation sessions).  Others have opted for a broader approach to health and wellbeing in their workplace and we've run nutrition workshops and food diary analysis alongside group fitness courses which help their staff eat and feel better.   This always raises energy levels and morale but staff loyalty increases too and so staff turnover drops.  

Read the article if you get a moment but this particular comment I felt was worth mentioning.
Ben Wilmott from Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) says

"Employers shouldn't try to get into the leisure industry, it is about communicating the message and providing opportunities."

This is absolutely right - workplaces are for working but without offering an opportunity for staff to recharge and unwind, productivity will only ever decline. 

It depends whether businesses want to have it all or if they want to keep pushing and pushing and dealing with large employee turnover.


Photograph by meyshanworld (Flickr)

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How Fit is Your Office?

Look around your office right now. How do your colleagues look? Fit, toned, energized, 'match ready'? And what about you? You feeling fit and healthy at the moment and on top of your game?

Chances are that the answer to these questions is no. But it's not a gym so what does it matter what shape your office in.?

Well, that's where you're wrong.

Businesses lose billions each year because of poor health amongst their employees either because of rising absenteeism or because of the increased cost of providing health care. In short, the less healthy your employees, the more likely they are to away from the office (costing businesses money). But people get sick sometimes, that can't be helped. What can be helped is making changes in offices to help people deal with stress and other ailments that lead to absenteeism and bring those numbers right down. Not wishing to simplify this complex issue too much, small changes can make a huge impact to businesses if employers engaged a little more with their staff.

Try these suggestions out on your employees:

1.Introduce sporting events that are inclusive and not just 'all about the boys'. Think beyond soccer tournaments and get mixed teams together. This really brings out the healthy competitive spirit amongst staff, promotes loyalty to the company and energises the workforce. Try buying a company Wii Fit and start a tournament and see how quickly people get into the spirit.
2. Supplying a daily fruit bowl in the office - small thing but it sends out the message that your employees health is your concern and you want them to eat well and be well and you're paying for it.
3. Reconsider some of your current employee benefits and perhaps shift the budget into more useful areas. Subsidised on-site back massage; personal training sessions for groups; installing a bike rack and showers to encourage staff to get out of their cars.
4. When working with our clients, we always try to do one-to-one consultations to get to the root of what each employees life is like beyond the office. Then we can suggest quick fitness and relaxation tips that fit around their busy lives rather than dump them with an unrealistic plan that will never work in the long term. Listening to employees is key to making the changes stick.
5. Offer yoga or relaxation classes - these have a HUGE effect on eliminating staff stress and sends the message that you take some of the responsibility of helping your staff unwind after work.
6. Be authentic. Gimmicks always sounds like gimmicks and employees see right through them. The company should embrace and support healthy changes they introduce and managers should drive these forward. Be flexible with employees so they can take part in the schemes you set up. Perhaps reward a day off for winners of a tournament.

These changes may not sounds revolutionary but they will have a positive effect on staff attitudes, attendance and productivity. Your company is only as fit as your workforce after all.


Photograph by Joe Hoover (Flickr)

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Hunchbacked at your computer? Try this.

When I saw my client Simon last week and he told me he was becoming increasingly worried that he was getting stuck in what he called 'the hunchback' position at his desk simply because he spent so much time working at his computer. He felt he never quite got properly straightened up, felt lethargic as a result of this and often suffered back pain.

As part of his programme I showed him a quick chest stretch that he could do throughout the day that would fix this.


Simply stand upright, wedge one arm against a wall or a doorframe and twist your body away in the opposite direction. Then repeat on the other side. The stretch opens up the chest and the front of the shoulders, both areas that get tight when we work at a desk or spend a lot of time driving.

When we met up again this week, Simon was full of praise for the stretch (well as much as you can be for a stretch!). He claimed that of all the exercises in his routine, this one makes the biggest difference. By practicing the stretch throughout the day he feels taller, energised, more focused and much more comfortable.

Try it for yourself and see how it feels.




Posted originally at instantfeelgood

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Free Donuts For The Office

Does your company offer great benefits?

We're not talking about the basic, core plans that most companies give you like Pensions, Life Assurance and Health Care.

We're talking about the extra perks. The kind of benefits that would attract you to a job, the kind of benefits that you brag about to your friends and the kind of benefits that may just stop you leaving that company.

The gym and yoga workouts and other wellness services we offer out clients always go down well but take a look at some of the other perks we've come across over the years.

The Indulgent
Bacon sandwiches on Fridays
Weekly Donuts / Bagels
Cakes on your birthday
Beers All Round on Friday afternoons

The Downright Useful
Subsidised Car Parking
Language Courses
Advanced Driving Lessons
Lifestyle Management services
Executive Coaching (could save on therapy bills)
Duvet Days

The Unusual
Subsidised pole dancing classes (this is real -a TV company I know paid for their PA's to go along to these classes)
Padded room for staff brainstorming

Does your company offer anything that can beat these?


Photograph by François @ Edito.qc.ca (Flickr)

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