priorities

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This morning, some odd inversion weather patterns have many of us in Jersey (and most of the NYC boros) working under a cloud - part moisture, part smoke from a fire burning about 70 miles south of here at Wharton State Forest.  Add to that a combination of cold and allergy symptoms which kept me up WAY past my bedtime last night, and I'm moving slower than normal this Monday morning.

I'll spare you the selfie of the bags under my eyes.  After all, I'd prefer you continue reading <grin>

How many of you have gone to work when common sense regarding your illness would dictate staying home that day?  How many times have you run in fear from a co-worker exhibiting obvious signs of contagion, hoping to avoid catching whatever?

There's a term for this:  presenteeism.

David Chenoweth, writing for the Society for Human Resource Management, describes presenteeism as "being at work but not fully functioning due to illness or other health condition."   

The reasons for company policies and corporate cultures that encourage presenteeism are numerous, just as are why some of us choose to go to work when maybe we shouldn't.  I would enjoy hearing of your experiences - feel free to comment below, or reach me directly at parentehrg AT gmail.com if you prefer some anonymity.

As a management and HR consultant, I have the gift of flexible work hours most of the time in the comfort of my own home office.  On those days I'm scheduled to be onsite with a client when I'm under the weather, I often leave the decision for me to show up with my germs on their company doorstep up to them.  Luckily, today isn't one of those days.

In the meantime, I'll keep that box of tissues and mug of herbal tea close by.

Is it naptime yet?


 Interested in how my management and HR consulting services can help your organization?
Contact me at parentehrg AT gmail.com.

 

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With the Sochi Winter Olympics coming to a close, I’m noticing that a particular piece of information shared about many of the athletes is stuck in my head:  “S/he is now coached by …”.  

Why would an elite athlete change things up in the face of prior success?  For the same reason we change – to achieve a different and / or better result.  

In my case, I needed to make some adjustments to how and where I spend my time.  I needed to re-capture making myself a priority, to find a better balance for better outcomes.  

To that end, I made the crazy decision to travel to Minnesota in December (who does that?) to spend time with Jane Kise and Ann Holm as they shared their wisdom with those of us participating in the inaugural Intentional Leadership Coaching Certification session.  That small (and significant) change in how I spent my time led to two others, one of which was an entirely unexpected outcome.  

First, I finally made it a priority to complete my certification to administer and interpret the EQ-i® (Emotional Intelligence) instrument.  It’s been on my personal development list for some time, and my use of the Intentional Leadership Audit™ helped me to achieve that goal.  

The other?  Spending time in the sub-zero, snow-packed Minneapolis-St Paul area forced me to buy new snow boots upon arrival in Minnesota.  With the bizarre winter we’ve had here in New Jersey, I’ve been more than prepared.  

Go figure!

Outside our conference room at the Minikahda Club.
Post-conference gathering before heading homeward.

I was able to capture this image in my back yard while traipsing about in my Minnesota snow boots.

Interested in how my coaching and consulting services can help you
focus on change?  Contact me at parentehrg AT gmail.com.
EQ-i / EQ-i 2.0 are registered trademarks of Multi-Health Systems, Inc., Toronto, Ontario CN.
Intentional Leadership Audit is a trademark of Differentiated Coaching Associates, LLC.,
Minneapolis, Minnesota US.