Feature Article – By Bruce Sullivan:
Doing the Unnatural Act… How to
Maintain the Balance Between Work and Lifestyle!
Have you ever been stuck at work wishing that you were somewhere else?
Do you ever find yourself out of time to do the things that you really want to do?
And then you finally get the time, you don’t have the energy left to do it anyway?
The world appears to be out of control and many people are wrestling with the dilemma
between work and lifestyle. The common argument goes something like this; "In order
to advance my career and therefore my wealth, I have to be seen to be "putting-in".
However the trade-off is an immediate and longer-term impact on my lifestyle. So what's
the answer? Work less, miss out? Work more, miss out?"
Current research continues to suggest that we are trending towards longer hours at work
with even more unpaid overtime. We also continue to witness the breakdown of
relationships and the individuals’ capacity to cope at an alarming rate. So how do we
arrest the trend and recreate a healthy balance between work and lifestyle?
This paradox will be at the heart of this series of articles. Each issue will look at some
simple, practical and effective strategies for putting your life back in your hands.
The first step in learning to take back control is LEARNING HOW TO SAY NO without
feeling guilty and without losing your job!
Our lack of willingness to say no stems mostly from our early childhoods when we learnt
that if we said no to a parent or caregiver we would often receive “negative” feedback.
Our desire for approval then emerges as more important than saying no! Lets face it…
even as adults we have all done something that we really did not want to do!
In moving past this here is a tip that may work for you!
Step 1.
Eliminate the word “should” from your vocabulary! I should do this… I
should do that… all we end up doing is “shoulding” all over ourselves. “Shoulds” rob us
of our self-esteem. When we say we should and we don’t then we tell ourselves
unconsciously we are not worth it.
Step 2.
Replace should with the following three words… will, won’t, commit.
You don’t even have to say no! Imagine you are asked to drinks on Friday night after
work. You had already planned to have dinner with your family. Tell the person… “Look
I would love to come, thanks for the invite however I WON’T be able to make it this time,
I WILL be elsewhere on Friday, I have already MADE ANOTHER COMMITMENT!
If someone asks me what my other commitment is I will always tell them the truth. In this
example, I made a commitment to my wife and children to be home for dinner that
evening. People will often ask me if this is used regularly then will people stop inviting
you to things? Yes I will reply enthusiastically! That means that I will have more time to
do things that really matter most.
If I don’t go to drinks that one night there may be a few people upset at me for a couple
of days. If I don’t make it home for dinner then there may be a few people upset at me
for a lifetime!
If you are ever unsure about when to say no… think about who will be turning up at your
funeral! 
Good luck on your journey!
Bruce Sullivan
Resource Review:
In this book, Blanchard outlines, through the use of practical examples, some
techniques in dealing with the everyday “Monkeys” that often stop us from doing
what we should be doing.
A monkey is not a project or a problem; the monkey is whatever the next “move”
is on a project or problem.
I like to think of monkeys when I have a discussion with someone about the next
step and I end up saying “ Look, leave it with me and I’ll get back to you.” How
many times have you heard yourself say something like that?
If I were truly managing that monkey I would work through the rules on
managing them as Blanchard describes:
Rule 1: Describe the Monkey: The dialogue must not end until appropriate ”next
moves” have been identified and specified.
Rule 2: Assign the Monkey: All monkeys shall be owned and handled at the
lowest organisational level consistent with their welfare.
Rule 3: Insure the Monkey: Every monkey leaving your presence on the back of
one of your people must be covered by one of the two insurance policies:
1. Recommend, Then Act
2. Act, Then Advise
Rule 4: Check on the Monkey: Proper follow-up means healthier monkeys.
Every monkey should have a check-up appointment.
The reason for the rules? To help ensure that the right things get done the right
way at the right time by the right people! A really terrific concept!
He also looks at how to become supervisors of time, energy and talent –
especially your own! There is lots in this book that you may find really useful if
you find that you would like to be spending more time “On” the business rather
than “in” the business!
I find these books to be great particularly because they are short and easy to
read! Oh – and cheap! Around $15 or so – great value. I also know of lots of
people, not just Managers who have adopted these rules which has really made
a difference in their working lives as well as giving them more time at home!
Another useful outcome!
Happy reading!
Jump Start Your Brain:
Clues:
The man does NOT like the exercise. A rainy day provides an
accessory which allows him to use the elevator the whole way.
Solution:
The man is extremely short, so on any ordinary day he cannot
reach further than the button for floor #10 in the elevator. When it
rains, he can use his umbrella to reach the elevator button #20…
Client Profile:
June Lense
Snr Learning & Development Coordinator
Customer Services
Community & Customer Services Division
Brisbane City Council
Interests
My daughter Emily is the priority and focus of my life Passionate about customer
service and adult and workplace learning My home and garden Keeping fit going to the gym Love going to the beach My friends are important to me
Customer Service
Brisbane City Council has a proud history of providing excellent customer service
to the people of Brisbane. The establishment of our 24 x 7 Call Centre in 1996
transformed both the way our customers contact Council and the way we
organise ourselves to provide efficient service. Our vision is to be a customer
focused organisation. Customer Focus means to view our products and services
from the customer's perspective and redesign what we do to meet customer
requirements. We will place more importance on understanding key customer
segments rather than the current "one size fits all" approach. On line transactions
will further enhance customer access to Council but we will continue to strive to
provide choice and to accommodate the requirements of special groups in our
City. Our customers want to receive consistent information regardless of how
they contact us and they want services delivered in a "seamless" manner
regardless of organisational borders. The knowledge, competence and
friendliness of our staff are highly regarded by BCC's customer. As a matter of
priority we will support staff right across Council to continuously learn and build
their capacity to meet the challenges of the 'e' environment.
The Customer Service Program brings together the cross-council strategies and
initiatives that provide a customer service focus for the organisation. Responsive
customer service is one of Councils' highly held values and has become an
integral part of our Council Culture. The Customer Service Program provides the
following training initiatives to challenge staff to increase their knowledge and
develop a better understanding of Council's customer needs within our 2010
vision.
Cooking Recipe:
Quiche (without pastry!)
Ingredients
1/2 cup of Self Raising Flour
4 Eggs
1 1/4 cups of Milk
1 cup grated cheese
1/3 cup of melted butter
salt & pepper to taste
Your choice of ingredients (however I can highly recommend the following
combination!)
2-3 rashes of bacon diced
3-4 Shallots diced
1/2 Capsicum diced
1/2 cup Mushrooms diced
185g tin of Tuna broken into small pieces
Other ingredients which are great are
Ham, Asparagus, Tomato, Onion
Method
Pre-heat oven to 200c or 400f
Grease a pie/quiche dish with butter thoroughly (don't skimp on the butter here as it
helps to form the base of the quiche!)
Mix Flour, Eggs, Milk and Melted butter in an electric mixer on low.
Chop all of the ingredients and add to the mixture, leaving a little cheese to sprinkle
on the top.
Pour mixture into the dish and cook in the oven for 40 minutes or until golden
brown.
Allow to cool for approx 5-10 minutes prior to serving, so that the base is forms.
Serve with Salad!
Serves 4-6!