"What does a "boss" really do? I mean really, my boss really doesn't do anything. He comes in late, goes to the hospital, hob-nobbing, and gives me all of his things to do...even his mail...so my new goal...should it be to become..........a boss?" A quote from my dear friend who is a Physician's Assistant. She has is a legitimate concern and she got me thinking. What does a boss really do?

Well...... from my experiences they:

• Come in late (some) and turn around and leave early. They even lie about staying late, "working all hours of the night" yeah right. Failed attempts to trick you into believing it, as they make sure they are still there when you leave but in reality are seconds behind you out the door.
• Ask you to do useless tasks unrelated to your career goals such as "preparing an overnight envelope for their personal use" or "going to the soda machine to get them a Pepsi".
• Speak aggressively in a meeting about what actions they are going to take with a project only to impress the VP. You are even impressed at how your boss is going to develop and launch that wonderful idea and then when you least expect it, their exciting idea and the work involved gets dumped on you with a very limiting deadline to deliver; All the while never letting you forget that this is a deliverable of theirs. "Then you should make sure it gets delivered!" is what I want to say!
• Bring in lunch for the department - we're not stupid, we know we are now on a "working lunch". We end up not getting a break at all, while they take 2 hour "business" lunches.
• Lastly, ride your back to meet goals that affect their bonus. Going as far as to make you stop meaningful work that affects your performance review, to have you work on labeling a drawer (something they could do themselves) so that they can pass the office audit and get upwards of tens of thousands of bonus dollars, while we suffer for low pay and get nothing but another paid for lunch that we end up working through.

So to answer April's question - "Should her new goal be to become a boss"?

I say noooooo, don't sell your soul to the devil, don't turn to the dark side, save your character and good will. We shall overcome!

"Siesta, Siesta"

My recent work week schedule includes, working late, staying up even later once I get home to complete my errands and chores, and rising early to start the cycle all over again. I began to think that all who experience the same pain of sleep deprivation and unsightly dark circles and bags beneath their eyes as I, should ban together and demand "Nap rooms" be built for employees to take mid day naps to catch their second wind thus being more productive and better decision makers.

Those in the medical field have the privilege to take naps when working their long, most of the time around the clock hours - understandable. It's only people's lives and health that they are responsible for - which is the reason they need sleep. Medical professionals need to make sure they are in their right minds when making life altering decisions. But what about those who work in a manufacturing environment, running gigantic machines, cutting materials, welding metals, and assembling parts - can you say "Worker's Comp". In my corporate career path, I had to make sure I wasn't hiring thieves to work in banks, allowing benefits to be offered to ineligible dependents or negotiating inconsistent pay rates and benefits that could drive the company into bankruptcy affecting the financial health of the company. No matter what job you have being sleepy ~ is being sleepy and being too sleepy is a risk to the company and those it serves.

The Blueprint:

I imagine rooms designed at job sites similar to smoking areas mixed with the private phone booths at the airport with choices of windows/no windows lite or darkened to your liking. If you are like me, you are concerned about the sanitary aspect of this "Nap Room" endeavor, but to participate in this benefit, employees would need to bring their own bedding, sheets and pillows. Disinfecting of the rooms will take place between use by a mechanism that sprays disinfectants from the ceilings and walls. A locker room will be available to store bedding to prevent the inconvenience of lugging items to and from work. There will be timers that serve as alarm clocks only allowing one to sleep 15 to 30 (maximum) minutes a day. Once time is up - a loud buzzer sounds and the room illuminates with bright lights indicating your siesta is over and its back to work. Thirty minutes a day is the maximum allowed. Each employee needs to have a card with a code in which their time spent in the "Nap Room" is documented. It can work similar to a debit card- where you only spend what is on the card. Employees must charge up their cards in order to use it. Restrictions include: charging will take place once a week and there is no rollover time allowed. You must use it or lose it. Lastly, this would require a "Nap Time Coordinator" position to be created and added to ensure no one abuses this benefit, and is present to trouble shoot any glitches, malfunctions and discrepancies.

Ahhh - I'm getting sleepy thinking about it. I think I am going to take a nap.

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Crazy in Work!

I often joke that working makes me "crazy" or "insane", but a recent USA Today article reports on particular jobs that actually are a threat to one's mental health. I would have to say that I am not surprised as there are many professions and fields of work that requires its incumbents to engage in one's personal dilemmas and situations, take responsibility for the health and well being of others and make crucial and critical decisions that affect a company's bottom line.

During my senior year of undergrad, the last requirement of the psychology program was to intern at a Mental Health clinic for a period of 6 weeks. It was in my fourth week that I realized that a career filled of patients with bipolar disorder, hallucinogen-induced disorders and depression would in turn cause me to develop an anxiety disorder. That experience led me to choose a career in Corporate America which ironically still resulted in the development of anxiety!

The article states "People who tend to the elderly, change diapers and serve up food and drinks have the highest rates of depression among U.S. workers." I was surprised by the latter professions - food and drink servers, as their jobs rely on them being very social, friendly and customer focused, but I suppose it could be a ficade. Having a depressing job not only affects the employee but the company as the article points out that "Depression leads to $30 billion to $44 billion in lost productivity annually."

Check out the article!

http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2007-10-13-depressing-jobs_N.htm

Long time - No see.... No Talk.... No Write...., etc. I've been either voicing or hearing some rendition of that phrase since signing my name to the corporate dotted line - all while subjecting myself to the development of bags under my eyes, working through lunch or skipping it all together. This is what you get when you step into the real world and start on your many years towards seniority.

In the midst of our busy season at my job - as each industry has one ~ it's times like these I think back to my senior year in college when I was finished with my psychology major coursework and only taking electives, eagerly awaiting graduation, getting out of school and starting an adult life. My two best friends and I would sit up late at night ( as seniors we were smart enough to schedule late morning classes) in deep discussions about how "over" college we were, tired of stupid freshman and how much better life would be when we started our careers. We partied frequently, maintaining our academic scholarships all four years, shopped with our parent's money each weekend, and travelled during breaks - summer, Christmas, spring, Thanksgiving ~ there were so many.

Ironically all 3 of us - progressed on to achieve masters degrees in the 2 years following undergrad - while one is currently pursuing a doctorate degree, so much for entering the real world immediately. But, for 2 of us - 3 years after graduate school, 3 years of work experience under our belts when we finally get to talk once or twice a month (on the weekends of course) we like to reminisce about the best times of our lives - back in undergrad. We find it hilarious how naive we were. After 45 minutes to an hour of discussing what's new in our lives and all the details of our careers, the 2 of us who aren't in school find joy in ending our call with the PhD candidate saying- "stay in school, don't join the rat race!"

~ Week in Review ~

Does anybody really want to work?

Week of September 17th

I've been out of graduate school and working for about 3 years now.... and this week I seriously questioned, "Does anybody really want to work"?

Once I arrive to work on Monday mornings I either encounter or over hear greetings and responses from coworkers and other building dwellers:

"Good morning" with 2 possible responses 1) "its Monday!" or 2) "As good as it gets for a Monday" in a rather disgruntled, even irritated tone. What a way to start the work week. I mean, Mondays are rough for me too, but I try to fake it till I make it ~ through the day that is. With the 2 day weekends not being enough time to fully recuperate from the previous 5 day work week, it is understandable to be agitated at being back at work again. But I say - FAKE IT, people, don't bring everyone else down. Some people are actually trying to hype themselves up.

We then move on to Tuesday mornings; I'm in the the break room making my usual morning cup of oatmeal and in comes a fellow building mate, I say, "Good Morning" - they say - "Is today only Tuesday?" Did you honestly think it was Friday already you lazy bum - how much work did you get done yesterday that has you thinking its the end of the week already?

Wednesday becomes "Hump Day" because we are now getting over the hump and on a downward spiral towards the end of the week. I've noticed at this point employees are trying to put some pep in their step and get positive and motivated to make it to the finish line, we call "Friday".

Thursday takes people to the point of desperation, begging for the weekend. I hear numerous times a day, "I can't wait until Friday" and "I wish it were tomorrow already, like if its said enough we will time travel at warp speed into Friday at exactly 4:59pm.

If one just so happens to make it to Friday, everyone is thanking God and Goodness because they have survived the week. I hear cheerful voices greeting and shouting "Happy Friday" as I walk throughout the building.

Let us try to be a little more positive people. Apparently we have to work otherwise we wouldn't be subjecting ourselves to this torture every week.

.....Better Luck next week!