“Why Are We Working Harder
And Enjoying It Less?”
Michael Heitt, Psy.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FASAP)
Johns Hopkins University and Hospital
410-955-1220
heitt@jhmi.edu
What’s the problem?
Demands for increased productivity,
performance, and quality of services...
with limited or reduced resources.
When you do a job well, you are
“rewarded” by being asked to do more.
“Don’t tell me how hard you
work. Tell me how much you
get done.”
-James Ling
What are the effects of this?
Resentment
 Feeling undervalued
 Job burnout
 Workaholism
 Professional jealousy.

What are the effects of this?
(cont’d)
Loss of staff/job turnover
 Sabotage, hostility, acting out
 Imbalance between work and life
 Damage to relationships at home
 Decreased productivity/absenteeism
 Stress, anxiety, depression
 Health problems.

“Executive Monkeys”

J. Brady, 1958
“Hard work spotlights the
character of people: some
turn up their sleeves, some
turn up their noses, and some
don’t turn up at all.”
-Sam Ewing
Why does this happen?

Bottom line ... $$$

Technological “conveniences”
– E-mail, voicemail, faxes, overnight delivery
Competition
 Organizational politics and bureaucracy
 Organizational change.

Why does this happen?
(cont’d)
Understaffing
 24-hour service delivery demands
 Multiple customers

– Patients, students, faculty, employees, etc

Appropriate displacement of demands
from the top down

... and because you are competent,
reliable, and valued.
“Change is such hard work.”
-Billy Crystal
“Can anybody remember when
the times were not hard, and
money not scarce?”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Brief Discussion:
“What can I do to minimize these
problems and increase my job
satisfaction/enjoyment?”
What can I do about it?
Create balance between work and life
 Schedule non-work down-time activities
 Take time off

– Vacation, sick leave, etc

Find rewards from work

Develop a stress management plan.
What can I do about it?
(cont’d)
Prioritize demands
 Set appropriate limits and boundaries
 Learn how to say “no”


Set regular meetings with your
supervisor to reassess and reinforce
these.
What can I do about it?
(cont’d)
Develop/refine organization skills
 Use scheduling aids

– PalmPilot, Franklin Planners, etc
Anticipate and plan for the future
 Develop/refine problem-solving
strategies and techniques.

What can I do about it?

(cont’d)
Train your staff
– Cross-training, skill-building
Delegate tasks
 Have someone screen your emails and
voicemails
 Develop and strengthen a strong team
 Communicate with your staff
 Consider flex-scheduling, work-at-home,
and other flexible practices.

“Wheel of Life”

Copyright 2000 The Dwyer Group
“If you want something done,
ask a busy person to do it.
The more things you do, the
more you can do.”
-Lucille Ball
Faculty and Staff Assistance
Program (FASAP)
The Faculty and Staff Assistance Program is the
employee assistance program for the Johns Hopkins
Institutions. FASAP provides confidential services to
employees and their dependents and significant
others. FASAP provides consultation and training to
supervisors and work organizations through
confidential, timely problem identification and
assessment to improve employee job performance
and productivity. FASAP is a personnel benefit of the
institutions, providing compassionate care and
respecting the diversity that reflects our community.
410-955-1220 or 410-516-3800
http://www.jhu.edu/~hr1/fasap/fasap.htm