...i had a very similar experience, even to the PTSD
Retirement is a wonderful thing, but i still miss the (legitimate) challenges
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Eventually, the PTSD fades.
What am doing is that I have all sorts of projects I never got to: Learning in depth HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, JQuery, C#; thousands of 35mm slides I need to get digitized (I have the equipment to do so); going through decades of junk and cleaning it all up; writing articles. I figure there's several thousand years of work to do. It's a glorious world of discovery.
As the poet said: The world is so full of things, we should be happy as kings.
It takes discipline to avoid the James Thurber version: And you know how happy kings are these days.
What am doing is that I have all sorts of projects I never got to: Learning in depth HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, JQuery, C#; thousands of 35mm slides I need to get digitized (I have the equipment to do so); going through decades of junk and cleaning it all up; writing articles. I figure there's several thousand years of work to do. It's a glorious world of discovery.
As the poet said: The world is so full of things, we should be happy as kings.
It takes discipline to avoid the James Thurber version: And you know how happy kings are these days.
What you need to establish at interview is:
What are the attrition rates
Can you take more than three weeks holiday in a row
If you go on holiday will someone do your urgent work for you?
What percentage retire from the company at 65 ?
Can you work from home or have some flexibility to look after family?
Can you buy more holiday?
Above discribes a company on the edge of collapse
May need strategic or leadership change
High attrition rates usually accompany low retention of intercultural capital in the business
Innovation and customer responsiveness usually suffer
A low quality uncompetitive product or service is produced.However if this is the public sector all these maybe imbedded in its culture.
It will be interesting to find out the negative impact on productivity the location of the work place has on the bottom line of the company? Has Google got answers?
What are the attrition rates
Can you take more than three weeks holiday in a row
If you go on holiday will someone do your urgent work for you?
What percentage retire from the company at 65 ?
Can you work from home or have some flexibility to look after family?
Can you buy more holiday?
Above discribes a company on the edge of collapse
May need strategic or leadership change
High attrition rates usually accompany low retention of intercultural capital in the business
Innovation and customer responsiveness usually suffer
A low quality uncompetitive product or service is produced.However if this is the public sector all these maybe imbedded in its culture.
It will be interesting to find out the negative impact on productivity the location of the work place has on the bottom line of the company? Has Google got answers?
Of course we're going to feel more stress at work than anywhere else! If we feel that much stress at home, we have problems.
Work, meaningful work, should be a challenge. That's where all that great Feeling Of Accomplishment comes from. Challenges are stressful.
As for all those causes of stress -- yep! There they are. Is there, by chance, a solution for any of them? No? Well, you know the old saying: if there is no solution, there is no problem. The fear of being fired and the feeling we are underpaid are what drives us to constantly improve and take on more responsibilities, i.e. take on more stress. These aren't problems -- they're motivational factors that we use to make ourselves better and better.
So be careful what you complain about. Men who retire and suffer no more stress than locating the remote tend to die quickly. Stress keeps the heart pumping.
Work, meaningful work, should be a challenge. That's where all that great Feeling Of Accomplishment comes from. Challenges are stressful.
As for all those causes of stress -- yep! There they are. Is there, by chance, a solution for any of them? No? Well, you know the old saying: if there is no solution, there is no problem. The fear of being fired and the feeling we are underpaid are what drives us to constantly improve and take on more responsibilities, i.e. take on more stress. These aren't problems -- they're motivational factors that we use to make ourselves better and better.
So be careful what you complain about. Men who retire and suffer no more stress than locating the remote tend to die quickly. Stress keeps the heart pumping.
If you want to build muscle, you stress the ones you have
If you want destroy your body, you OVERSTRESS them.
When you grow up, you won't have to be told that.
If you want destroy your body, you OVERSTRESS them.
When you grow up, you won't have to be told that.
I agree in being surprised that this isn't ranked higher. I see as an increasing trend, especially in the IT world, is to require an individual to what should actually be several separate jobs. What I see as the prime example (though I may be biased, as I am a sysadmin) is the system administrator. If you take a casual scan of job postings, those few you can find, they want you to be a multi-OS admin, a Cisco expert, a DBA, a web expert, a programmer, a VOIP specialist, etc, etc, etc. If you are actually working, you find that more and more responsibility is dumped on you as downsizing and "lean" decimates the workforce.
The low pay issue factors in here as well, as they only want to pay you helpdesk wages for all of the above requirements...
The low pay issue factors in here as well, as they only want to pay you helpdesk wages for all of the above requirements...
In 1854 Henry David Thoreau wrote, " The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation." What's changed?
Good Analysis. In countries like Pakistan, the main root cause for workplace stress is boss, contributing more than 50%.
I previously worked for a company that paid very well, but then wouldn't take no for an answer when it came to added work load. Finally my stress level got so bad I had to see a counselor. This was the best thing I could have done. The counselor advised me to quit and I did. While it took a while to adjust I feel it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I work for less money now, but the work load and stress levels are much lower and I am much happier.
A lot of stress in our environment is often caused by folks observing what they feel is certain employees being treated better (or just different) than others. this leaves certain employees feeling like they are not worth as much, and contributes to low morale. It also contributes to a LOT of gossip.
but on the whole our management does a pretty decent job. Thanks for the article!
but on the whole our management does a pretty decent job. Thanks for the article!
and if the treatment is based on that, it's logical and fair, and should not be a cause of stress.
Now if it's based on "best asskisser" or "sexiest body", dissatisfaction is justified.
Check the want ads, 'cause you're not going to have you boss fired.
Now if it's based on "best asskisser" or "sexiest body", dissatisfaction is justified.
Check the want ads, 'cause you're not going to have you boss fired.
I find this both interesting in the traits described are so common in the work place and sad in that they are completely avoidable... Here's my point, people aren't working at a place they hate because they WANT to, they do it because they feel they NEED to. Let's analyze this like the real IT people we are... The SOURCE of the stress is not likely from the job or work, the job is maintained because they need income, why do they need income? To pay for things... MOSTLY from requirements outside of the employer, more so from our own home. Its from having an outrageous mortgage, outrageous car payment, outrageous bills, and often outrageously EXPENSIVE gadgets and waste of money habits ($650 cell phone? and how about $150 bottle of wine anyone?). NONE of which is the responsibility or the problem of the employer. So we can surmise that the biggest problem being stress is NOT from the job at all its from the people making dumb a$$ decisions with thier money and thier lives. The problem is ignorance, and its easily remedied by learning to manage money and expenses more wisely specifically setting a goal to invest for income, or learn to put thier money into options that EARN more money OUTSIDE of the work operation they would find themselves in a position in which they can remove their dependancy on an employer and the entire super stressed working staff could simply say I DONT NEED THIS, I'M OUT. But since 95% of the people are completely diluted into believing they MUST have to have bachelors or masters degrees to land a career where they can earn 35k+ a year, they spend and spend what they have and then credit spend, and credit spend until they are COMPLETELY employer dependant because SOMEONES gotta pay the credit card bills. Don't treat the symptom by saying oh we need less stress at work; Cure the disease by educating people in investing strategies and teaching kids the same.
...and don't want to wait till their portfolio has grown for forty years before they can buy a bottle of good wine, or own a home instead of wasting money on rent.
Most people want a fair wage for their work, and don't want to kill themselves in the process. People don't quit a job easily mainly because they are'nt so sure things will be better at the next place.
...and if one had a BS or MS and expected 35K, they need more than a good job, they need a *real* psychologist!
Most people want a fair wage for their work, and don't want to kill themselves in the process. People don't quit a job easily mainly because they are'nt so sure things will be better at the next place.
...and if one had a BS or MS and expected 35K, they need more than a good job, they need a *real* psychologist!
What we want or don't want is absolutely irrelevant. It's all what we are willing and able to work for. And by "work," I include deferring gratification now for some better results in the future. If you "don't want" to do that, fine. Just don't complain that the world isn't fair. No one's going to listen.
As president of my Condo I am personally attacked by irrational old goats that can't even think clearly. Add Zero pay, an annoyed wife that wants all my time on her projects. And a City that needs input from civic groups. It's worse than the old corporate zoo. And it's harder to cope.
I'm gonna have to die to get away from the stress.
I'm gonna have to die to get away from the stress.
It sounds to me like you need to quit jumping from frying pan to frying pan...
He let his wife become president instead.
So should we print the poster and put it on the wall next to the federal minimum wage poster?
The folks here are pretty smart -- brilliant, in fact... well, most of them anyway.
So bad management makes the IT job miserable.
Have you ever considered (and I've done this a time or two -- the ethics of it can go hang) that every occasionally you can be the one to stress the incompetent dysfunctional managers?
It takes some thought; it takes some planning; it must be done with care... but not only can it be done, it can be rewarding and satisfying and even, sometimes, a manager or two may reflect on their insane behavior and shape up.
And no, giving you examples won't help, because 1) each situation calls for different strategies and 2) any manager who sees the examples given here will be ready for a counter, should you try something similar.
The writings of Machiaveli are highly recommended
It isn't living well that is the best revenge, it's everybody learning their lesson.
So bad management makes the IT job miserable.
Have you ever considered (and I've done this a time or two -- the ethics of it can go hang) that every occasionally you can be the one to stress the incompetent dysfunctional managers?
It takes some thought; it takes some planning; it must be done with care... but not only can it be done, it can be rewarding and satisfying and even, sometimes, a manager or two may reflect on their insane behavior and shape up.
And no, giving you examples won't help, because 1) each situation calls for different strategies and 2) any manager who sees the examples given here will be ready for a counter, should you try something similar.
The writings of Machiaveli are highly recommended
It isn't living well that is the best revenge, it's everybody learning their lesson.
my only problem with this graphic is the comedic presentation of a serious problem...
Yeah Timbo, that's the status of IT personel now that 80% of the work is outsourced.
I can relate! And most of the people around me agree; too many changes at one time affect the quality of the work. At some point it will be noticeable.
We're in a situation right now where the CEO of this small company is not only demanding unreasonable goals, he's demanding that we do things the software isn't capable of. When we try to explain "It doesn't work that way" or "This isn't possible" his response is "That's not an acceptable answer. We're smart people. We can make it work the way I want it to work."
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