Month: January 2017

RHM012 – How to Give Criticism at Work

rushhourSo you notice there is a problem at work, how do you bring it to your supervisor’s attention without being perceived as complaining? We discuss this question in this week’s solo episode on the Rush Hour Mentor podcast. Grab the episode here: bit.ly/rushhourmentor.

 

 

 

 

A few suggestions for giving criticism at work:

  1. Don’t make it personal. Once you bring personal politics into a work complaint, your conversation will shift to dealing with a person rather than an issue.
  2. Document, document, document! Your argument will be much stronger if you can provide proof. Get things in writing when you can, and keep track of dates and incidents.
  3. Offer solutions. An excellent way to avoid being seen as a complainer is to do the work of coming up with solutions.
  4. Get support. If you aren’t getting traction with your direct supervisor, brainstorm with other trusted colleagues. It’s possible that you aren’t the only one who has noticed an issue and that others are willing to support you in seeking solutions.
  5. Don’t take it personally. At the end of the day, if you’ve done everything listed above and still don’t receive the support you deserve, don’t internalize that feedback. You are responsible for yourself at the end of the day, and if others won’t listen to reason, it is not your fault.

Resource: A book that I recommend for navigating tough discussions is Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion by George Thompson.

Have you given criticism to your supervisors? What worked? What didn’t? Let me know your thoughts!

 

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RHM011-Keeping your integrity at work

integrityIn this solo episode, I dive into a listener question about an issue that many of us will encounter at some point: what to do when your integrity is challenged at work? (Check out the episode here) I offer a few suggestions for pushing back when you are asked to go along with something you don’t agree with:

  1. Know your values: You know in your gut when something is off about what you are being asked to do, listen to your intuition and trust that if you are receiving lots of red flags about something, you need to stop and take notice.
  2. Know that you have the right to stay above the fray: You are not responsible for jumping in to office gossip, or perpetuating anything that you disagree with. When your integrity is challenged, it’s important to remember that not going along with it is still a choice.
  3. Know your resources: If you need to escalate a situation, you should be prepared for the outcome, good or bad. If human resources isn’t a viable option for you, you may want to seek legal counsel (check out www.workplacefairness.org). You should also keep your resume updated and your network active, better to be safe than sorry!
  4. Know your worth: Don’t allow fear of losing a role be a motivating factor when it comes to standing up for what you believe is right. Positions come and go, but integrity is hard to replace!

How do you deal with integrity issues at work? Drop me a message below in the comment section!

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RHM010- Aisha Moore and Why We All Need Self-care

aishaIt’s the first episode of 2017, and I am sitting down with self-care expert Aisha Moore to talk about the ways stress can manifest, simple solutions for launching a self-care practice and why everyone needs a morning routine! Check out the episode here: bit.ly/rushhourmentor

For the past 15 years Aisha has worked at the federal level and in communities to create a more equitable society. She designs workshops to help public health leaders change their organizations to have a greater impact on the people they serve. Aisha has also spoken at conferences on the topic of public health leadership and community engagement. She is truly passionate about health and helping others.

Aisha shares how she became devoted to self-care after her own experience with burnout on the job. She suggests the following tips to get on track with a self-care routine:

  1. Determine if you have any “personal chaos” – There are lots of little things that can set us back from day-to-day that add up to a lot of stress. Do you find that you lose things frequently or are always late? Getting in control of personal chaos can go a long way to managing your overall stress levels.
  2. Take a media fast – We can cause ourselves real harm by consuming images and content that trigger negative emotions. Social media doesn’t have to be a bad thing, but we need to create healing for ourselves; we can do that by swapping consumption for creation.
  3. Get back to basics – You can only be at your best if your body is operating at its best. Make sure you prioritize the basics of getting enough sleep, drinking lots of water and eating well.
  4. Develop a morning routine – You need a routine to stay in control of your morning, and by extension the rest of your day. Develop your routine by checking in with yourself each morning and determining what you need to be successful. Aisha uses the Daily Word App,  which provides a short affirmation and Bible verse every day. She also employs yoga to deal with anxiety and take stress away. Restorative yoga is wonderful in particular for those who aren’t flexible (check out Yoga with Adriene on YouTube!)

You can find more from Aisha at selfcarebyaisha.com, where you can get a free gift to help you plan your own self-care routine. You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram under the handle: selfcarebyaisha.

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