Bev's Tips for a Better Work Life

Tips for a more rewarding and resilient career

For almost 20 years, Bev has been coaching
professionals to thrive at work, navigate
transitions and grow as leaders.

workplace issues

Don’t let age bias limit your opportunities!

Posted by Beverly Jones on

Age Discrimination Starts Early!

These Strategies Can Help.

numbersWhile finishing her MBA at a top tier university, Sarah was enthusiastically recruited by a large company. She accepted their offer to join the marketing department. Once there, she connected with a powerful mentor who helped her snag plum assignments. For several years Sarah was the most junior professional in her group, and she enjoyed being treated like a young star.

After a few years, the growing company made a wave of new hires and Sarah began to feel neglected. She said she was stuck with routine workwhile the interesting new projects went to her younger colleagues.

Sarah was asked to supervise the internship program, but didn’t enjoy the work. She said the interns didn’t have the right work ethic and were obsessed by technology. One day as she entered the kitchen, she heard them making fun of her for being clueless about the power of social media.

When Sarah came to me for coaching, she complained that she was past her career peak. She felt like she was cut off from the company’s high potential challenges and might be too old to compete for another good job elsewhere. Sarah was 34 at the time.

Sarah felt she was the victim of age discrimination and to some degree her concerns were well founded. Ageism is rampant in the workplace and can be hard to fight. And even 30-something careerists like Sarah can find themselves sidelined by employers seeking fresh talent.

Sarah found ways to demonstrate her energy, talent and enthusiasm, and soon worked her way out of her slump. One thing that helped her was finding examples of older professionals whose age did need not seem to limit their success. She noticed that while some in her circle were dissed for being out of date, others seemed timeless despite their years.

If you’re facing a subtle age bias, a starting point for getting past it is to understand the negative stereotypes on which it’s based. Then make it clear that the stereotypes don’t fit you. Consider these strategies for minimizing the burden of ageism: [Read more…] about Don’t let age bias limit your opportunities!

Bored at work? Make new choices!

Posted by Beverly Jones on

Boredom isn’t productive.

So make some changes!

As I waited in a Post Office line, I watched the clerk.  She looked to be so deep into the doldrums that she could barely hear her customers. It seemed that, when she finally took in a request, she’d move in slow motion, lethargically searching through stacks of paper with her eyes half closed and her mouth half open.

As the minutes ticked on, I became annoyed.  Then I thought, “Oh, I’d hate to have her job.”  So I was feeling more empathetic when it was finally my turn.  By then, nobody was behind me in line, so I engaged her in conversation. 

I said I needed to mail my passport for renewal, and led her into a discussion about the safest way to send it.  I made a big deal about my worries, and soon she was lending me a pen and making gentle fun of my concerns.  And we were laughing together. 

The clerk may have been overwhelmed by the monotony of her job.  But she seemed to wake up when she connected with, and focused on the needs of, another person.  Shifting your attention to somebody else’s problems is a classic way to beat back boredom.

Photo of boards, by JMcreation_Fotolia.com
Photo of boards, by JMcreation_Fotolia.com

You know what it’s like to feel bored, don’t you?  When nothing seems challenging, and gradually you feel less and less creative?  When you’re bored, you might be keeping busy, and yet you’re not getting enough stimulation to stay interested.

On the job, unproductive boredom seems to be the opposite of what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has called “flow.” You’re in flow when your work is so absorbing you lose track of time. It’s like you are playing a game that is so much fun you forget about everything else.

Csikszentmihalyi, who has been studying the satisfying flow state for decades, describes it as a time when “action follows upon action according to an internal logic that seems to need no conscious intervention by the actor.”

You are more likely to find yourself in flow, and not bored, when: [Read more…] about Bored at work? Make new choices!

4 strategies for handling 9 types of annoying email

Posted by Beverly Jones on

Want to get a better grip on

email that wears you down?

 emailIt’s not just that you’re getting too much email.  A bigger deal is the way it can ruin your mood, contribute to a toxic environment and change the structure of your work life.

 From so many coaching clients, I hear growing frustration about how other people’s poor email etiquette can drain your energy. Would your days be better without email abuses like these? [Read more…] about 4 strategies for handling 9 types of annoying email

You can manage your “impostor syndrome”

Posted by Beverly Jones on

When they say: “You’re great!”

But you think: “Not so much!”

A client I’ll call “Jack” retired from his job as marketing VP with a high performing company.  After growing bored, he agreed to join the leadership of a large but struggling non-profit.  Once he had time to look around and assess the situation, Jack began to introduce changes that quickly revitalized the organization.  The board members was thrilled with what Jack was doing. When Jack took steps he regarded as basic, they called him a genius.  When he offered new suggestions, they rushed to agree.

At first Jack was pleased with his positive reception, but he became increasingly uncomfortable with the robust flow of praise.  On one hand, he feared the group would inevitably be disappointed in his ability, once he ran out of obvious ways to create improvements.  On the other, he began to doubt his colleagues’ judgment, thinking that “they must be awfully naïve if they think I’m that great.”

Fortunately Jack is self-aware, so he took steps to assure that his discomfort with effusive compliments would neither impact his attitude nor undercut his performance.  But a surprising number of high achievers find it difficult to respond well to praise for their work.   [Read more…] about You can manage your “impostor syndrome”

Know which tasks are Tier #1

Posted by Beverly Jones on

Need to get more done?
Set priorities & stick to them.
 
At Fortune Magazine’s recent “Most Powerful Women” dinner, Marissa Mayer, new Yahoo CEO, made news when describing how she juggles the demands of her big job and her new-born baby.

Mayer was asked, “What’s the most important thing that you do to get it all done?” She answered that you have to “ruthlessly prioritize.” Citing legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi, she said that her priorities are God, Family and Yahoo, in that order. [Read more…] about Know which tasks are Tier #1

How’s your calendar? Is it on paper or electronic?

Posted by Beverly Jones on

A nice long piece in the recent New York Times Sunday Style section looked at paper versus electronic calendars.  Writer Pamela Paul said “it would take cold hard cash” for her cross over from her paper-based personal organizer to a high tech version.

Paul described the growing shift toward electronic organizers, but said that, for herself, “I would rather live a life of 1,000 missed appointments.” [Read more…] about How’s your calendar? Is it on paper or electronic?