How Much Do You Like Your Job?

Since you spend at least forty hours each week on the job, how would you rate it? To give you an idea of how much you may like your job, answer the following questions with true or false:

1. I look forward to most Monday mornings.

2. No one at work gets under my skin.

3. I feel I contribute to the work effort.

4. I am a valuable member of the team.

5. I am comfortable with my work hours.

6. My work stimulates me.

7. I am kept informed in areas that affect me.

8. I have good relationships with my co-workers and boss.

9. I am satisfied with my compensation.

10. Off the job, when I talk about work, it is usually positive.

If you had 8 or more true answers, congratulations! You are more than likely quite happy with your job. If you had 5-7 true answers, you are teetering on the edge, yet still are positive about your job. If you had less than 5 true answers, you definitely have room for improvement!

Regardless of how you scored, you can increase your number of true answers and keep the same job! How? Read onÉ.

1. As soon as you wake up Monday morning, or any morning, think ahead to three things you are looking forward to happen that day at work. It may be simple, little things like, ÒI look forward to seeing John, completing my emails, and getting one hour of work done on my major project.Ó

2. While you may have no control over the person who bugs you, you have every control over how you react. Use a PowerWord, which is a positive verb like ÒSmileÓ or ÒRelax,Ó and say it to yourself whenever you encounter a negative person or action.

3. Look for opportunities to do more than the minimum. Find solutions and share them. Make sure you ask for explanations when your solutions are not embraced by others such as asking, ÒHow come?Ó

4. Be supportive of others. Look for win-win outcomes. Be inclusive of others especially when they have contributed to the project.

5. If your company does not allow flexible hours, plan ahead to minimize frantic rushes to and from work. Make sure you take a mid-day break to refresh yourself and your attitude.

6. Realize that what you do contributes to the whole. Visit other departments or plants to get a view of the bigger picture.

7. Encourage your boss to communicate through meetings, emails, and open door policies. Remember to ask very open questions to open up the person who has the information. Begin these questions with ÒHowÓ or ÒWhatÓ.

8. Realize that each person is different. Treat them the way they want to be treated. Study differences in behavioral styles and adapt how you interact with people based on their style.

9. Make sure you consider your benefits when you consider compensation. If it is below market value, request a meeting with your manager to find out what you need to start doing, stop doing, and keep doing to warrant a raise.

10. Except for one person that you use as a vent, only say positive things about your job. Focus on the positive and that is what will come out of your mouth.

Before you go through the time and disruption of changing jobs, change your job by changing how you look at it. After all, it is your job!

What Our Clients Are Saying

ÓI have already used several techniques from the seminar. [I] rephrase things before they create a problem. For me, this seminar has given me tools to tackle a potentially career-limiting habit.Ó

Irene LeCourt, Atlanta GA


ÓAt first I had reservations about attending the TLC training, but your course has helped me to open up more and be more comfortable with talking.Ó

Monica Roby, Atlanta GA

Now Available!

Two Sons; Two Choices
Ben Cairns, M.A.

One evening last week, I was approached by a man who said that he needed money. He gave me lots of information, digressing into the story of his life and how his abusive father had left the family in bad financial shape when he was very young. He described one hard luck blow after another. He asked me for money more than once. The verbal and nonverbal cues screamed Òdeception,Ó so I sent him away empty-handed. When I called the police station to report the incident, I found that the officer on duty knew the real story.

The man who approached me was a crack-cocaine addict with a long criminal record. The name he used was not his own. Everything he told was twisted just one step away from the truth. The officer paused for a moment in the telling of the story. ÒYou know, itÕs really sad. ÔGregÕ has a brother here in town who has a great job and is happily married. I wonder what happened to make them turn out so different?Ó What happens to one son, and not the other, so that one becomes a homeless crack addict and the other a respected doctor?

Think about your own life and job. What choices have you made? Most of us have good days and bad days. Mark Twain once said, Òyou can be happy or miserable just about anywhere.Ó The last few days, the two brothers kept surfacing in my thoughts. One loves life and the other canÕt keep a job. From a third person perspective, the choices they have made are obvious.

It has been said that opportunity knocks, but she doesnÕt open the door. ThatÕs your responsibility, and it is a choice. Choose to love your job, and you may find yourself loving life more, too!

What is O.K.?
Vincent Ivan Phipps, B.S.

How many times have you met someone and asked him or her what they do for a living? Chances are that when you asked them how they enjoyed their job they responded, ÒOh, itÕs O.K.Ó

Considering some responses could use more enthusiasm, where exactly did ÒO.K.Ó come from? Entomologists (people who study word and word origins) have debated over four different origins of O.K.

1. Our 17th President Andrew Jackson, who was poorly educated, had a habit of misspelling Òall correctÓ to Òoll korrect.Ó He would approve documents by abbreviating, O.K.

2. President Woodrow Wilson believed it came from the Choctaw Indian tribe. Their word meaning average and/or sufficient was Òokeh.Ó

3. The Jamaicans claim saying ÒO.K.Ó originated from their language, which is a combination of African and English. Their word is Òoh ki,Ó which means Òall right.Ó

4. In an 1800Õs presidential race, one of the candidates was named Kinderhook. An expression for this man, who was generally regarded with kindness, was ÒOld Kinderhooks, heÕs O.K.Ó ÒHeÕs O.K.Ó came to mean that a person was friendly and accepted. Who knows why Old Kinderhooks was never elected!

Experts really donÕt know which of these origins are correct and so far each has supporting evidence. Each of these explanations is okay, O.K.?

TLC Mission Statement

TLC exists to Promote the Importance and Use of Effective Interaction Among People,through our Individual and Group Training, Coaching, Facilitation, and Materials.

TLC Governing Values

CONFIDENTIALITY
We respect clientsÕ privacy by obtaining permission before disclosing information.

EXCEED CLIENT SATISFACTION
We work with clients into, through, and beyond challenges.

FAIRNESS
We celebrate our differences by treating each person fairly.

FAMILY ORIENTED
Behind every individual there is a family worthy of consideration.

FUN
Our environment reflects the enjoyment of the work, people and celebrations of our lives.

HONESTY
Because the truth can hurt, we deliver it with care.

INDUSTRIOUS DRIVE
Some say Òno.Ó We say Ònow!Ó

INNOVATION/CREATIVITY
We color outside the lines.

MOTIVATE/ENCOURAGE
We treat people as if they are what they ought to be, and help them become what they are capable of being.

POSITIVE ATTITUDE
Attitude is contagious. Ours is worth catching!

POSITIVE PUBLIC IMAGE
We believe that first impressions count and leave an indelible impact.

PROFITABILITY
We receive sufficient funds to cover all financial needs and rewards for accomplishments.

QUALITY
We are constantly in pursuit of achieving excellence.

RESPONSIBILITY
We fulfill our commitments.

SELF IMPROVEMENT
Start with part of you, end with all of you.

TEAMWORK
ÒAll for one, one for all.Ó

CEO Corner: "What Day is This?"

Every day is a different schedule for me. One to two mornings each week, I wake up in a hotel room. Now, I am not a morning person. It takes me about thirty minutes to get fully awake. My schedule does not always allow for this gradual awakening, so my first question each day is, ÒWhat day is this?Ó Miraculously, the answer usually comes within a few seconds of asking.

When traveling, I have a back-up plan for waking up. I set the clock radio to go off ten minutes before the wake-up call. That way, the departure from slumber is not as jolting. It also stems from my lack of confidence that I have managed to set the alarm correctly (it would be great if alarm clocks were standardized) or that the wake-up call will actually occur. A few weeks ago, I stayed in a new hotel. I was yanked from my dreams with the clanging of the phone. ÒThis is your wake-up call. Thank you for staying atÉ.Ó The fact that my body felt like lead weight was attributed to the noise from the hallway and parking lot that kept me awake for hours into the morning. I turned on the blinding light by the bed and quickly brought the pillow to my face to stop the pain of instant sight.

I had already asked myself the initial question so I proceeded with my morning routine. The hot shower and the affirmations including ÒI feel greatÓ and ÒI have all the sleep I needÓ did not relieve the dull ache in my body. As I re-entered the bedroom, the silence hit me. What happened to the clock radio? Upon inspection I found it had not only failed to go off, it had the wrong time. Man, I must have been really tired when I set it last night.

After dressing, I put on my jewelry and that is when I fully awoke. (I told you it takes me half of an hour!) The time on my watch matched the time on the clock. It was three a.m. in the morning!

Needless to say, I got a substantial discount on that nightÕs room rate from the hotel. I pride myself on learning from the past. Now when I wake up in a hotel, I not only ask, ÒWhat day is this?Ó, I add, ÒWhat time is it?Ó

I took the survey on the front page of this newsletter. I scored an eight. I would like to travel less and, like most people, I would like to earn more money. When away from home, I focus on exercise and playing the harp if I have been able to bring it with me. I strive to make the best of the travel and appreciate my family more when I am with them. Like your job. Live your dreams.

Ask The Experts

Dear TLC,

Annual performance reviews are coming up. I never seem to get the credit for all that I do. I donÕt like to get defensive, but that is usually what happens. Suggestions?

D. Fensive


Dear D.,

For the future, send your boss a quick email each time you accomplish something you think is worthy. This will keep your manager informed. Many times, he or she just doesnÕt know all that you do. For this review, ask open questions to get examples. Do not take issue with each area, rather, listen to everything and then select the issues you wish to discuss further.

Featured Service

Just how happy are your people with their jobs? DonÕt guess! Find out by having TLC complete a confidential survey of everyone in your department. The cost is just $15.00 per person and a detailed report is presented to management regarding the trends, needs, concerns, and specific feedback. Call 888-BECAUSE. Why? Because you need to know how your people feel!

All original materials in this newsletter are the copyrighted property of TLC, Talk Listen Communicate, LLC. For reprint information, please e-mail a request to tlc@talklisten.com.

TLC: The choice of those who expect to get results from their training, coaching, and facilitation expenditures.

Send your comments, questions and inquiries to info@talklisten.com

TLC, Talk Listen Communicate, LLC
842 South Germantown Road
Chattanooga, TN 37412-1743
Tel: 1-888-232-2873 or 423-622-TALK (8255)
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