Have you found yourself thinking of starting your own business? Are you trying to climb the corporate ladder while the company is working through the recession? In other words, are you aiming to be a leader?
Well, behind every great leader, at the base of every great tale of success, you will find an indispensable circle of trusted advisers, mentors and colleagues. These groups come in all forms and sizes, and can be found at every level and in nearly all spheres of both professional and personal life. What they all have in common is a unique kind of connection with each other that I've come to call "lifeline relationships."
In order to build these all-important lifeline relationships, there are four core mindsets that can be learned and practiced, and help lead you on a path to personal and financial prosperity. They are:
Generosity
This is the base from which all the other behaviors arise. This is the commitment to mutual support that begins with the willingness to show up and creatively share our deepest insights and ideas with the world. It's the promise to help others succeed by whatever means you can muster. Generosity signals the end of isolation by cracking open a door to a trusting emotional environment, what I call a "safe space" -- the kind of environment that's necessary for creating relationships in which the other mindsets can flourish.
Vulnerability
This means letting your guard down so mutual understanding can occur. Here you cross the threshold into a safe space after intimacy and trust have pushed the door wide open. The relationship engendered by generosity then moves toward a place of fearless friendship where risks are taken and invitations are offered to others.
Candor
This is the freedom to be totally honest with those in whom you confide. Vulnerability clears the pathways of feedback so that you are able to share your hopes and fears. Candor allows us to begin to constructively interpret, respond to and grapple with that information.
Accountability
Accountability refers to following through on the promises you make to others. It's about giving and receiving the feet-to-the-fire tough love through which real change is sustained.
The real key to establishing close relationships with people you consider your trusted advisers in your career and in your personal life is how these four mindsets work together.
The process starts with generosity. It jolts people out of traditional transactional do-for-me-and-I'll-do-for-you relationships. Actively reaching out to and helping others gives us the opportunity and permission to take a relationship to a deeper level. This allows us to explore intimacy, ultimately to the point of being vulnerable and open with one another.
If we've created a safe space, a place where we feel safe enough to say candidly what we think and feel, we can take greater risks in the relationship. It can lead to making a commitment to mutually support one another through thick and thin and to hold one another accountable for doing the things that will allow us to achieve our dreams and destinies. Taking such risks can lead us to create more than just friendships -- we can create lifeline relationships to a better future.
This process is iterative: The more you give, the deeper you get and the more profound your sharing becomes. That strengthens your safe space, and provides more freedom to be vulnerable and candid -- which opens the relationship even more deeply. Trust builds incrementally, by stages, growing deeper and stronger as the mindsets are practiced more sincerely and passionately.
Once you work within the four mindsets, you will see it's a truly inspiring experience. Whether you're working with an experienced sales team or building a business from scratch, the lifeline relationships you build will become more than your colleagues or assistants. They will become you're a trusted circle of advisers and your peers.
That's worth repeating: peers. Equals. Even though one of them may have clear organizational authority -- and the title and decision-making power to go with it -- each member functions as a highly respected equal, offering up creative ideas, candid feedback and criticism voiced with authentic concern for the others' interests, and rigorous attention to accountability around goals, goal setting, follow-through and, of course, results. Each member has free, open and respectful permission to call the others out when they are falling short (because we all fall short, and most of us, as I know well, tend to do so repeatedly).
Do you want to be more successful in your career and more fulfilled in your life? Then let's get started.. Right now!!!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR SALARY
It happens all the time.
An employee marches into her boss's office demanding a raise. A college graduate looks forward to a high starting salary because he "deserves" one. A job seeker researches the average salary for a position she's interested in, expecting to automatically be offered something in the same arena.
Although salary information is one of the most important aspects of finding a new job, it's also the most under-researched. Unfortunately, with so many salary resources out there, there is always conflicting information and people who always disagree with, or don't understand, the information presented.
What you, the job seeker, must understand is that the information provided to you via salary information sites should merely be a starting point in your research. What you find as the average salary for a position doesn't guarantee that is what you will earn; there are too many other factors that come into play.
To help understand how you can analyze the salary information you find online and apply it to your situation, we've brought in compensation expert Jim Brennan, senior associate with the ERI Economic Research Institute, to help.
Q: How do starting salaries compare to median or average salaries?
Starting salaries are usually the lowest amount employers will pay for work, Brennan says. Companies expect new hires to know less about a new position, so they typically start them lower than someone with an established track record.
"Employers generally take care to assure that entry starting rates match the hiring-market requirement and that new folks will start at a lower salary than veteran job peers," he says.
Median salaries are the amount in the center between the lowest and highest compensation. If workers in an organization are paid $30,000, $45,000 and $50,000, the median salary at that company would be $45,000.
Average salaries are the product of the sum total of all the salaries, divided by the number of observations. With the above figures, for example, the average salary would be $41,666.
"Median salaries are better measures of 'normal' pay, being central values. Averages can swing wildly with the addition of extremely high or low values to the group," Brennan says. "No matter how high the high, or how low the low, the median is still the middle."
Q: How does my experience play a role in my compensation?
All else being equal, people with more years of experience at a company generally make more. Experience at the company where you currently work generally trumps experience elsewhere, Brennan says.
If you're new in a position, expect to be paid near the bottom of the scale; if you're a seasoned veteran who can hit the ground running, you'll warrant a salary that exceeds the entry rate.
Q: What exactly is cost of living and how will it affect my salary?
Cost of living is what you spend; a salary is what you earn. Your cost of living influences how much your salary will buy. Many workers assume that their employer is required to compensate for their cost of living. If you live in an expensive city, you'll be paid accordingly, right?
"Employers are too smart to base your pay on your expenses; if they did, everyone's pay would be different and we'd all spend like crazy and watch our salaries increase accordingly," Brennan says. "Employers don't care what you spend or how much it costs, as long as you are willing to work for the salary they offer."
Brennan says that companies pay what they do because the open market requires a competitive rate. Their "market" for workers is usually defined as commuting distance. Since many people don't live within walking distance of their workplaces, the cost of living where they work is different from where they live.
Ideally, we work where salaries are high and live where prices are low.
Q: How does education play a role in my salary?
"The role that education level plays in your salary depends on the nature of the job and the relevance of your education," Brennan says. "More formal education or advanced credentials in the specific field of work or occupational area will carry some weight in starting-salary offers."
A telemarketing candidate with a degree in communications, for example, would justify a higher starting salary because she would be productive immediately versus an applicant who would need training. If the same candidate applied as a suicide-prevention-line counselor, her communications degree might only meet the minimum requirements and therefore, she would probably earn less than an applicant with a master's degree in clinical psychology, Brennan says.
Q: How are wages and salaries set and how do they vary by organization?
Wages and salaries are set according to a unique blend of external market competitiveness and internal equity considerations at each employer, Brennan says. Every organization has its own way of paying people, and many variables -- such as organization revenue size, number of employees, profitability, pay history, corporate culture, geographic location, competitive labor analysis, benefits and perks, and ease of commute -- are factors.*
"Every enterprise has to compete in an open market for human talent. They all have to pay enough to attract, retain and motivate competent workers," Brennan says. "Those who pay too low fail to attract or retain decent workers and must either raise their entry salary or do without new hires. Those who pay too high will have long lines of applicants for every opening, but they better be much more profitable or more efficient than their competition or they may spend themselves out of business.
"Despite the basic truth that everyone pays according to what the market requires, no two entities pay exactly the same. Beyond the minimum starting rate, employers all vary in their practices, even for similar organizations of the same size within the same city and in the same industry," Brennan says. "No two will agree on exactly what their 'competitive market' is for all jobs, how it is defined or what their target pay should be. Once an employer has paid enough to hire someone, the cash paid above that amount is totally up to the entity. Pay always reflects a particular employer policy on the intended role of salary within their mix of total compensation elements, of which base salary is merely one."
Q: What is total compensation?
Compensation is more than base pay. If a high-paying job comes with miserable duties, no benefits or unsafe working conditions, you're probably better off in a job you like, getting paid less, with generous benefits, Brennan says.
Elements of your total compensation include*:
• Base pay (quoted in hourly, weekly, monthly or annual figures)
• Bonus pay (including individual performance programs, profit sharing, etc.)
• Premium pay (including hazard pay, geographic differential pay, holiday pay, shift differentials, etc.)
• Benefits (medical, dental, life insurance, payment for time not worked, tuition reimbursement, retirement plans, etc.)
Remember that compensation is only one part of the package when determining whether or not to accept a job. Hopefully, this will give you a starting point on knowing what you're worth.
"People don't work for bread alone, but the bread still better be right,"
An employee marches into her boss's office demanding a raise. A college graduate looks forward to a high starting salary because he "deserves" one. A job seeker researches the average salary for a position she's interested in, expecting to automatically be offered something in the same arena.
Although salary information is one of the most important aspects of finding a new job, it's also the most under-researched. Unfortunately, with so many salary resources out there, there is always conflicting information and people who always disagree with, or don't understand, the information presented.
What you, the job seeker, must understand is that the information provided to you via salary information sites should merely be a starting point in your research. What you find as the average salary for a position doesn't guarantee that is what you will earn; there are too many other factors that come into play.
To help understand how you can analyze the salary information you find online and apply it to your situation, we've brought in compensation expert Jim Brennan, senior associate with the ERI Economic Research Institute, to help.
Q: How do starting salaries compare to median or average salaries?
Starting salaries are usually the lowest amount employers will pay for work, Brennan says. Companies expect new hires to know less about a new position, so they typically start them lower than someone with an established track record.
"Employers generally take care to assure that entry starting rates match the hiring-market requirement and that new folks will start at a lower salary than veteran job peers," he says.
Median salaries are the amount in the center between the lowest and highest compensation. If workers in an organization are paid $30,000, $45,000 and $50,000, the median salary at that company would be $45,000.
Average salaries are the product of the sum total of all the salaries, divided by the number of observations. With the above figures, for example, the average salary would be $41,666.
"Median salaries are better measures of 'normal' pay, being central values. Averages can swing wildly with the addition of extremely high or low values to the group," Brennan says. "No matter how high the high, or how low the low, the median is still the middle."
Q: How does my experience play a role in my compensation?
All else being equal, people with more years of experience at a company generally make more. Experience at the company where you currently work generally trumps experience elsewhere, Brennan says.
If you're new in a position, expect to be paid near the bottom of the scale; if you're a seasoned veteran who can hit the ground running, you'll warrant a salary that exceeds the entry rate.
Q: What exactly is cost of living and how will it affect my salary?
Cost of living is what you spend; a salary is what you earn. Your cost of living influences how much your salary will buy. Many workers assume that their employer is required to compensate for their cost of living. If you live in an expensive city, you'll be paid accordingly, right?
"Employers are too smart to base your pay on your expenses; if they did, everyone's pay would be different and we'd all spend like crazy and watch our salaries increase accordingly," Brennan says. "Employers don't care what you spend or how much it costs, as long as you are willing to work for the salary they offer."
Brennan says that companies pay what they do because the open market requires a competitive rate. Their "market" for workers is usually defined as commuting distance. Since many people don't live within walking distance of their workplaces, the cost of living where they work is different from where they live.
Ideally, we work where salaries are high and live where prices are low.
Q: How does education play a role in my salary?
"The role that education level plays in your salary depends on the nature of the job and the relevance of your education," Brennan says. "More formal education or advanced credentials in the specific field of work or occupational area will carry some weight in starting-salary offers."
A telemarketing candidate with a degree in communications, for example, would justify a higher starting salary because she would be productive immediately versus an applicant who would need training. If the same candidate applied as a suicide-prevention-line counselor, her communications degree might only meet the minimum requirements and therefore, she would probably earn less than an applicant with a master's degree in clinical psychology, Brennan says.
Q: How are wages and salaries set and how do they vary by organization?
Wages and salaries are set according to a unique blend of external market competitiveness and internal equity considerations at each employer, Brennan says. Every organization has its own way of paying people, and many variables -- such as organization revenue size, number of employees, profitability, pay history, corporate culture, geographic location, competitive labor analysis, benefits and perks, and ease of commute -- are factors.*
"Every enterprise has to compete in an open market for human talent. They all have to pay enough to attract, retain and motivate competent workers," Brennan says. "Those who pay too low fail to attract or retain decent workers and must either raise their entry salary or do without new hires. Those who pay too high will have long lines of applicants for every opening, but they better be much more profitable or more efficient than their competition or they may spend themselves out of business.
"Despite the basic truth that everyone pays according to what the market requires, no two entities pay exactly the same. Beyond the minimum starting rate, employers all vary in their practices, even for similar organizations of the same size within the same city and in the same industry," Brennan says. "No two will agree on exactly what their 'competitive market' is for all jobs, how it is defined or what their target pay should be. Once an employer has paid enough to hire someone, the cash paid above that amount is totally up to the entity. Pay always reflects a particular employer policy on the intended role of salary within their mix of total compensation elements, of which base salary is merely one."
Q: What is total compensation?
Compensation is more than base pay. If a high-paying job comes with miserable duties, no benefits or unsafe working conditions, you're probably better off in a job you like, getting paid less, with generous benefits, Brennan says.
Elements of your total compensation include*:
• Base pay (quoted in hourly, weekly, monthly or annual figures)
• Bonus pay (including individual performance programs, profit sharing, etc.)
• Premium pay (including hazard pay, geographic differential pay, holiday pay, shift differentials, etc.)
• Benefits (medical, dental, life insurance, payment for time not worked, tuition reimbursement, retirement plans, etc.)
Remember that compensation is only one part of the package when determining whether or not to accept a job. Hopefully, this will give you a starting point on knowing what you're worth.
"People don't work for bread alone, but the bread still better be right,"
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
TIPS TO AVOID THE FLU AT WORKPLACE
Almost everyone has had the flu before. Incessant coughing, a sore throat and body aches are the pits, especially when you have obligations and deadlines to meet. But now, as the H1N1 virus threatens to infect people everywhere, it's even more important to try to stay healthy.
It's hard to do so, however, especially at work. Commuting via public transportation, pressing dirty elevator buttons, opening infected doors, reaching your hand into a co-worker's candy bowl and even using someone else's telephone or computer could expose you to germs.
A recent study by the authors of "Influencer," a book on behavior change, found that most people don't even know how to encourage themselves or others to do something as simple as wash their hands. According to the study:
• One in five adults don't wash their hands after using the restroom
• Only 15 percent of adults wash their hands after coughing or sneezing
• Three out of four adults don't wash their hands before eating
These statistics support the fact that spreading germs is easy -- especially at work.
"Influenza virus particles are carried up to six feet in the mucous drops produced by sneezing and coughing," says Dr. Margaret Lewin, medical director of Cinergy Health. "If the ill person coughs into his hand, that hand will transfer infectious viral particles to any object touched such as doorknobs, banisters and elevator buttons. Another person touching that surface and then touching his face will transfer viral particles to his respiratory tract. If the ill person coughs into his sleeve or a tissue, which is immediately thrown away, few of these particles reach other people."
Although workers are undoubtedly aware of how germs spread, it seems that they aren't doing their best to stop it. Donna Haugland, chief nursing officer for CVS MinuteClinic, says that the economy is not only causing some workers to not call in sick for fear of repercussions, but it is also contributing to the actual sickness.
"Workers are feeling much more pressure at work with longer hours, taking more work home and giving up much-needed vacation time. The added stress leads to bad lifestyle habits such as poor sleep and nutrition. This weakens workers' immune systems and puts them at higher risk for getting the flu," Haugland says.
"If you're in a supervisory position, make sure your employees know they will not be penalized if they are infected with the flu and choose to stay home. A sick or infected employee leads to mistakes and poor work performance. And if he or she spreads the flu within the office and others are infected, it can have severe impact on total office productivity."
Stopping the spread
Of course, the best way to halt the spread of germs and keep the office running smoothly is to stay at home when you're sick. But sometimes, deadlines must be met and meetings must be held, no matter what's going on in your immune system.
If you're sick but think you just can't miss a day at work, Haugland suggests considering whether you can do your job at home. If not, find a way to do your job in the office while avoiding contact with others as much as possible. Work in a closed room, or consider wearing a mask to prevent respiratory droplets from spreading to others.
Lewin also suggests avoiding "high risk" areas or situations where you have close physical contact with others, such as meetings, elevators, bathrooms and lunchrooms. You should also be careful in areas where you share equipment with others, such as microwave ovens, refrigerator handles, vending machine buttons, telephones and computer keyboards.
Practice prevention
As with any illness, prevention is crucial. Experts advise workers to get flu vaccines, when possible. In the meantime, however, Lewin and Haugland offer workers these 10 tips to stay healthy and lessen the spread of germs in your office:
1. If you know you're sick with the flu or another contagious illness, stay home whenever possible.
2. Get plenty of rest and eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. Proper nutrition helps to keep your immune system strong.
3. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and discard the tissue in the trash.
4. Cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands, when a tissue is not available.
5. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers and chlorine wipes and learn how and when to use them properly.
6. Minimize the need to interact face-to-face with your co-workers by using interoffice e-mail or hosting telephone conferences. Have meetings with boxed lunches, for example, rather than a buffet.
7. Refrain from touching your eyes, nose or mouth to minimize your exposure to viruses.
8. Health professionals advise getting vaccinated to defend yourself against various flu strains.
9. Try to keep yourself and your co-workers at least three feet from each other, but preferably more than six feet. If possible, split shifts to decrease the number of workers in close proximity at any given time.
10. Review your office sick policies and make adjustments as needed. Talk with your boss to ensure that you will not be penalized for staying home until you recover from the flu, or whatever illness you've contracted.
.
It's hard to do so, however, especially at work. Commuting via public transportation, pressing dirty elevator buttons, opening infected doors, reaching your hand into a co-worker's candy bowl and even using someone else's telephone or computer could expose you to germs.
A recent study by the authors of "Influencer," a book on behavior change, found that most people don't even know how to encourage themselves or others to do something as simple as wash their hands. According to the study:
• One in five adults don't wash their hands after using the restroom
• Only 15 percent of adults wash their hands after coughing or sneezing
• Three out of four adults don't wash their hands before eating
These statistics support the fact that spreading germs is easy -- especially at work.
"Influenza virus particles are carried up to six feet in the mucous drops produced by sneezing and coughing," says Dr. Margaret Lewin, medical director of Cinergy Health. "If the ill person coughs into his hand, that hand will transfer infectious viral particles to any object touched such as doorknobs, banisters and elevator buttons. Another person touching that surface and then touching his face will transfer viral particles to his respiratory tract. If the ill person coughs into his sleeve or a tissue, which is immediately thrown away, few of these particles reach other people."
Although workers are undoubtedly aware of how germs spread, it seems that they aren't doing their best to stop it. Donna Haugland, chief nursing officer for CVS MinuteClinic, says that the economy is not only causing some workers to not call in sick for fear of repercussions, but it is also contributing to the actual sickness.
"Workers are feeling much more pressure at work with longer hours, taking more work home and giving up much-needed vacation time. The added stress leads to bad lifestyle habits such as poor sleep and nutrition. This weakens workers' immune systems and puts them at higher risk for getting the flu," Haugland says.
"If you're in a supervisory position, make sure your employees know they will not be penalized if they are infected with the flu and choose to stay home. A sick or infected employee leads to mistakes and poor work performance. And if he or she spreads the flu within the office and others are infected, it can have severe impact on total office productivity."
Stopping the spread
Of course, the best way to halt the spread of germs and keep the office running smoothly is to stay at home when you're sick. But sometimes, deadlines must be met and meetings must be held, no matter what's going on in your immune system.
If you're sick but think you just can't miss a day at work, Haugland suggests considering whether you can do your job at home. If not, find a way to do your job in the office while avoiding contact with others as much as possible. Work in a closed room, or consider wearing a mask to prevent respiratory droplets from spreading to others.
Lewin also suggests avoiding "high risk" areas or situations where you have close physical contact with others, such as meetings, elevators, bathrooms and lunchrooms. You should also be careful in areas where you share equipment with others, such as microwave ovens, refrigerator handles, vending machine buttons, telephones and computer keyboards.
Practice prevention
As with any illness, prevention is crucial. Experts advise workers to get flu vaccines, when possible. In the meantime, however, Lewin and Haugland offer workers these 10 tips to stay healthy and lessen the spread of germs in your office:
1. If you know you're sick with the flu or another contagious illness, stay home whenever possible.
2. Get plenty of rest and eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. Proper nutrition helps to keep your immune system strong.
3. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and discard the tissue in the trash.
4. Cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands, when a tissue is not available.
5. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers and chlorine wipes and learn how and when to use them properly.
6. Minimize the need to interact face-to-face with your co-workers by using interoffice e-mail or hosting telephone conferences. Have meetings with boxed lunches, for example, rather than a buffet.
7. Refrain from touching your eyes, nose or mouth to minimize your exposure to viruses.
8. Health professionals advise getting vaccinated to defend yourself against various flu strains.
9. Try to keep yourself and your co-workers at least three feet from each other, but preferably more than six feet. If possible, split shifts to decrease the number of workers in close proximity at any given time.
10. Review your office sick policies and make adjustments as needed. Talk with your boss to ensure that you will not be penalized for staying home until you recover from the flu, or whatever illness you've contracted.
.
TIPS TO AVOID THE FLU AT WORKPLACE
Almost everyone has had the flu before. Incessant coughing, a sore throat and body aches are the pits, especially when you have obligations and deadlines to meet. But now, as the H1N1 virus threatens to infect people everywhere, it's even more important to try to stay healthy.
It's hard to do so, however, especially at work. Commuting via public transportation, pressing dirty elevator buttons, opening infected doors, reaching your hand into a co-worker's candy bowl and even using someone else's telephone or computer could expose you to germs.
A recent study by the authors of "Influencer," a book on behavior change, found that most people don't even know how to encourage themselves or others to do something as simple as wash their hands. According to the study:
• One in five adults don't wash their hands after using the restroom
• Only 15 percent of adults wash their hands after coughing or sneezing
• Three out of four adults don't wash their hands before eating
These statistics support the fact that spreading germs is easy -- especially at work.
"Influenza virus particles are carried up to six feet in the mucous drops produced by sneezing and coughing," says Dr. Margaret Lewin, medical director of Cinergy Health. "If the ill person coughs into his hand, that hand will transfer infectious viral particles to any object touched such as doorknobs, banisters and elevator buttons. Another person touching that surface and then touching his face will transfer viral particles to his respiratory tract. If the ill person coughs into his sleeve or a tissue, which is immediately thrown away, few of these particles reach other people."
Although workers are undoubtedly aware of how germs spread, it seems that they aren't doing their best to stop it. Donna Haugland, chief nursing officer for CVS MinuteClinic, says that the economy is not only causing some workers to not call in sick for fear of repercussions, but it is also contributing to the actual sickness.
"Workers are feeling much more pressure at work with longer hours, taking more work home and giving up much-needed vacation time. The added stress leads to bad lifestyle habits such as poor sleep and nutrition. This weakens workers' immune systems and puts them at higher risk for getting the flu," Haugland says.
"If you're in a supervisory position, make sure your employees know they will not be penalized if they are infected with the flu and choose to stay home. A sick or infected employee leads to mistakes and poor work performance. And if he or she spreads the flu within the office and others are infected, it can have severe impact on total office productivity."
Stopping the spread
Of course, the best way to halt the spread of germs and keep the office running smoothly is to stay at home when you're sick. But sometimes, deadlines must be met and meetings must be held, no matter what's going on in your immune system.
If you're sick but think you just can't miss a day at work, Haugland suggests considering whether you can do your job at home. If not, find a way to do your job in the office while avoiding contact with others as much as possible. Work in a closed room, or consider wearing a mask to prevent respiratory droplets from spreading to others.
Lewin also suggests avoiding "high risk" areas or situations where you have close physical contact with others, such as meetings, elevators, bathrooms and lunchrooms. You should also be careful in areas where you share equipment with others, such as microwave ovens, refrigerator handles, vending machine buttons, telephones and computer keyboards.
Practice prevention
As with any illness, prevention is crucial. Experts advise workers to get flu vaccines, when possible. In the meantime, however, Lewin and Haugland offer workers these 10 tips to stay healthy and lessen the spread of germs in your office:
1. If you know you're sick with the flu or another contagious illness, stay home whenever possible.
2. Get plenty of rest and eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. Proper nutrition helps to keep your immune system strong.
3. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and discard the tissue in the trash.
4. Cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands, when a tissue is not available.
5. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers and chlorine wipes and learn how and when to use them properly.
6. Minimize the need to interact face-to-face with your co-workers by using interoffice e-mail or hosting telephone conferences. Have meetings with boxed lunches, for example, rather than a buffet.
7. Refrain from touching your eyes, nose or mouth to minimize your exposure to viruses.
8. Health professionals advise getting vaccinated to defend yourself against various flu strains.
9. Try to keep yourself and your co-workers at least three feet from each other, but preferably more than six feet. If possible, split shifts to decrease the number of workers in close proximity at any given time.
10. Review your office sick policies and make adjustments as needed. Talk with your boss to ensure that you will not be penalized for staying home until you recover from the flu, or whatever illness you've contracted.
.
It's hard to do so, however, especially at work. Commuting via public transportation, pressing dirty elevator buttons, opening infected doors, reaching your hand into a co-worker's candy bowl and even using someone else's telephone or computer could expose you to germs.
A recent study by the authors of "Influencer," a book on behavior change, found that most people don't even know how to encourage themselves or others to do something as simple as wash their hands. According to the study:
• One in five adults don't wash their hands after using the restroom
• Only 15 percent of adults wash their hands after coughing or sneezing
• Three out of four adults don't wash their hands before eating
These statistics support the fact that spreading germs is easy -- especially at work.
"Influenza virus particles are carried up to six feet in the mucous drops produced by sneezing and coughing," says Dr. Margaret Lewin, medical director of Cinergy Health. "If the ill person coughs into his hand, that hand will transfer infectious viral particles to any object touched such as doorknobs, banisters and elevator buttons. Another person touching that surface and then touching his face will transfer viral particles to his respiratory tract. If the ill person coughs into his sleeve or a tissue, which is immediately thrown away, few of these particles reach other people."
Although workers are undoubtedly aware of how germs spread, it seems that they aren't doing their best to stop it. Donna Haugland, chief nursing officer for CVS MinuteClinic, says that the economy is not only causing some workers to not call in sick for fear of repercussions, but it is also contributing to the actual sickness.
"Workers are feeling much more pressure at work with longer hours, taking more work home and giving up much-needed vacation time. The added stress leads to bad lifestyle habits such as poor sleep and nutrition. This weakens workers' immune systems and puts them at higher risk for getting the flu," Haugland says.
"If you're in a supervisory position, make sure your employees know they will not be penalized if they are infected with the flu and choose to stay home. A sick or infected employee leads to mistakes and poor work performance. And if he or she spreads the flu within the office and others are infected, it can have severe impact on total office productivity."
Stopping the spread
Of course, the best way to halt the spread of germs and keep the office running smoothly is to stay at home when you're sick. But sometimes, deadlines must be met and meetings must be held, no matter what's going on in your immune system.
If you're sick but think you just can't miss a day at work, Haugland suggests considering whether you can do your job at home. If not, find a way to do your job in the office while avoiding contact with others as much as possible. Work in a closed room, or consider wearing a mask to prevent respiratory droplets from spreading to others.
Lewin also suggests avoiding "high risk" areas or situations where you have close physical contact with others, such as meetings, elevators, bathrooms and lunchrooms. You should also be careful in areas where you share equipment with others, such as microwave ovens, refrigerator handles, vending machine buttons, telephones and computer keyboards.
Practice prevention
As with any illness, prevention is crucial. Experts advise workers to get flu vaccines, when possible. In the meantime, however, Lewin and Haugland offer workers these 10 tips to stay healthy and lessen the spread of germs in your office:
1. If you know you're sick with the flu or another contagious illness, stay home whenever possible.
2. Get plenty of rest and eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. Proper nutrition helps to keep your immune system strong.
3. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and discard the tissue in the trash.
4. Cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands, when a tissue is not available.
5. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers and chlorine wipes and learn how and when to use them properly.
6. Minimize the need to interact face-to-face with your co-workers by using interoffice e-mail or hosting telephone conferences. Have meetings with boxed lunches, for example, rather than a buffet.
7. Refrain from touching your eyes, nose or mouth to minimize your exposure to viruses.
8. Health professionals advise getting vaccinated to defend yourself against various flu strains.
9. Try to keep yourself and your co-workers at least three feet from each other, but preferably more than six feet. If possible, split shifts to decrease the number of workers in close proximity at any given time.
10. Review your office sick policies and make adjustments as needed. Talk with your boss to ensure that you will not be penalized for staying home until you recover from the flu, or whatever illness you've contracted.
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