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Tag: Your Attitude Needs An Adjustment

Deloitte Survey: If Everyone Would Get Passionate About Their Job, This Economic Recovery Would Be a Cinch

Doesn’t it sometimes feel like we’re thisclose to breaking out of the economic doldrums? If we just got a little push we’d be back to the McMansions and mall marathons in no time. What’s holding us back, you ask? Ourselves of course!

It’s your lack of enthusiasm about your very own job that is keeping this country from being great again. Forget about Democrats, Republicans (although, it is fun hating both of them, isn’t it?) or quantitative easing (no one really knows what it means, anyway). You have the power deep inside you to change your attitude about being stuck in a gray cubicle for 12+ hours a day in an office with a bunch of jerks and have only limited access to the bathroom.


Deloitte’s survey gets all Tony Robbins on us without the price tag:

According to the Shift Index, the solution lies in empowering passionate employees, those who feel truly engaged with their work and constantly push the performance envelope, by accelerating institutional innovation and driving corporate growth. However, Deloitte’s 2010 Worker Passion Survey – one of several separate studies that feed into the overall Shift Index report – reveals that only 23 percent of U.S. workers are passionate about their current jobs.

“By squeezing resources tighter in response to the near-term downturn, companies risk losing passionate employees,” said John Hagel, co-chairman, Deloitte Center for the Edge. “These individuals will play a critical role in sustaining the extreme performance improvement required for firms to survive and succeed beyond the recovery. Unfortunately, as the recovery picks up steam, these very employees are likely to be the most at risk for fleeing for better employment platforms.”

Right then! And you know what gets people impassioned? Social media of course! Your constant desire to be networking 24/7 with people that are as excited about [insert] as you are. You don’t need to meet a person in the flesh:

“Passionate workers actively seek like-minded people using digital tools and social media to advance dialogue, learning and collaboration,” said Hagel. “Their urge to connect fuels inter-firm knowledge flows, which often go unrecognized but are a vital part of any organization that wants to be successful in today’s hyper-competitive environment.”

So until you’re ready to get drenched in passion for whatever it is that gets your blood boiling (former Jets sideline reporters don’t count) you’re holding this economy back. Hope you sleep well knowing that.

Does Your Work Attitude Need an Adjustment?

For the majority of the time you’re at work, what’s your attitude? Gung-ho and get-it-done? Excitement? Just happy to have a job? Get through the day so you can go home?

I started thinking about this after reading self-described Chief Happiness Officer Alexander Kjuerulf’s examination of “What the heck is work anyway?”

• If work is simply what you do because you have to, then happiness at work is almost impossible by definition.

• If work is only what you do for money, it eliminates all volunteer work.

• If work is only what you do for a purpose, then all aspects of your job that are not productive are no longer work.

I’m not claiming to have the answer yet, but as I see it, here are some elements of a definition of work that is conducive to happiness:

• Work is something you choose to do. You may not have a choice of whether or not to work, but you have choice in what work you do.

• Work is something you’re valued for. Either someone pays you for your work or someone takes the time and resources to organize your work.

• Work is an activity where you make a positive difference for someone else.

Whether or not you agree with where Kjuerulf is going with this, he is absolutely correct that work is a choice. You can choose not to work (and face the consequences on your lifestyle), and you can choose the work you do.

But there is a critical element that Kjuerulf leaves out – you also can choose your attitude. If the work you do every day is not something you love, you can choose to do it with an attitude that expresses your desire to do a good job, deliver an excellent end product, and respect those around you.

Even if you tend to love the work you do, but occasionally get an assignment you don’t enjoy or teammates who rub you the wrong way, you can still choose your attitude.

It’s that ability to choose that sets us apart. Those around us (bosses and colleagues, alike) make it easier to choose a positive attitude by appreciating our efforts and the attitude we demonstrate in accomplishing our goals.

What attitude will you choose today?

About the author:
Derek Irvine is a seasoned, internationally-minded management professional with more than 20 years of experience working across a diverse range of industries. An authority on the topics of employee engagement and recognition, he is a regular speaker at indus try and professional group conferences worldwide and is frequently published in leading media. He is coauthor of Winning with a Culture of Recognition.

Reprinted with permission from HR.com.

Let’s Try and Forget About Money

half full.jpgWe realize that might sound like kooky-talk but we said try you twerps.
Ajilon Professional Staffing released its salary guide for 2010 and is predicting a decrease in salaries of 0.85% overall. CFOs and Treasurers are expected to take the biggest hit with an expected drop of 7.7%.
Now before you all start belly-aching about less money, the report does indicate that because of regulatory and compliance changes the scope of positions for those with backgrounds in accounting and finance will broaden.
More survey results after the jump


Additional findings:

• The majority of accountants (86%) believe that the convergence from U.S. GAAP to International Finance Reporting Standards (IFRS) will have a positive impact on the finance/accounting profession.
• The demand for financial analysis, budgeting and forecasting due to the recession will be the #1 driver of job opportunities for accounting professionals, followed by the transition to IFRS and the economic stimulus package.
• No surprise, nearly 60% of accountants say they have been spending more time on cost-cutting initiatives as a result of the recession and financial crisis. Some of the things they have been doing to reduce expenses include: cutting discretionary spending; taking a harder look at business lines, product and sourcing; and increasing attention to driving reported earnings and cash flow.
• Fifty-one percent (51%) of accountants said they have imposed across-the-board spending and capital freezes as a result of the recession.

So the last two bullets probably are of most interest because, you know, some of you are intimately familiar with them.
Nevermind that though, it’s in the past. IFRS, even if it’s a DeLorean ride away and government overhaul fever will create jobs for you and you’ll all be back in your McMansions in no time. At least attempt to channel some of that Tony Robbins shit.
Or continue being bitter, whichever.
Ajilon Professional Staffing releases 2010 Salary Guide [Press Release]