Tag Archives: Workplace

Jan4

Five Workplace Trends To Watch Out For In 2022

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Five Workplace Trends To Watch Out For In 2022

After 2 years of being in the “new normal”, we have gotten a better idea of what the future of work is shaping out to be. There has been a shift in business priorities and a huge change in how work gets done. More focus is given to business continuity plans and building resilience. In 2022, here are 5 trends to expect from the modern workplace.

  1. Greater focus on skills vs roles – The traditional workplace focused on roles which mostly relate to how an individual is placed in the overall organizational structure or hierarchy. The modern workplace will see this shift to a focus on skills. This ties neatly into the business goal of “future-proofing.” Roles give priority to staffing for efficiency, while skills give priority to staffing for resilience.
  2. Work-life balance – work-life balance is not a new concept and has always been the goal of every working individual. However, the pandemic has led us to explore what work-life balance means for us, personally. Each person has a unique concept of what this harmony will look like, but the prevailing concept is the same for everyone: a good balance between accomplishing work responsibilities and personal time. The introduction of schedule flexibility has the modern workplace taking full advantage of work-life harmony more than any era in our history. It gives the workforce the ability to do work but also have the time to take care of personal responsibilities. 
  3. Diversity and inclusion – Due to the necessity and growth of remote working teams, most businesses can now capitalize on having a lot more diversity in their organizations. Businesses can now hire from anywhere, expanding their talent pool. Diversity, for business, means having a wealth of new and unique ideas. Not only will businesses get a more inclusive culture, they can also reap the benefits of having a more innovative, creative, and engaged workforce.
  4. Workplace wellness and mental health – The pandemic has everyone thinking about their health and wellness. In fact, health and wellness have moved higher on everybody’s list of priorities since the start of 2020. Organizations are now fully aware that wellness and mental health have a direct correlation to the productivity and performance of their workforce. This reiterates the fact that: individuals with a sound mind and body outperform others. Now that they see it as essential, employers do not offer health and wellness packages just as a perk but an included employee benefit.
  5. Hybrid work – With localized lockdowns and closed borders, businesses have learned to take the hybrid approach to working. Gone are the days when centralized working was the norm and decentralized or remote working was exclusively reserved for freelancers, contractors, and consultants. More businesses are willing to accommodate a hybrid model with staff working from home on some days and going back to the office on other days.

What trends do you foresee for the modern workplace in 2022? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Mar15

Is It Wise To Vent In The Workplace?

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Is It Wise To Vent In The Workplace?

Maybe today is the day when you’re about to join a Zoom meeting and the neighbors decide to practice their drumskills. Maybe today is the day when your internet connection decides to get persnickety. Maybe today is the day that a project deadline has been moved up by a few days. In short, maybe today is not your day. 

Most of us take a moment to vent. The instant release of emotion, afterall, is an acceptable way of coping with this particularly frustrating scenario, right? You take all of 5 minutes to vent, and then return to work and go about your day. 

We can all agree that venting is a healthier option than keeping all your feelings inside. It’s different from complaining because complaining tends to be chronic, while venting is temporary and situational.

We all have good and bad days in the workplace – be it in the office or working from home. Sometimes, you just want to scream into an empty office or ping a colleague to talk about your frustrations. However, is there a way to vent responsibly that won’t land you a visit to the HR department? These are the dos and don’ts of venting in the workplace.

Don’ts

Don’t use group chats or office communication. Many workplace horror stories have been told about sending messages to the wrong recipient. Imagine how awkward it would be to complain about the behavior of a colleague and accidentally send it to that colleague. Also, be careful about email communications. Your IT department has access to internal communications, so don’t send something that could result in serious implications for your role or work relations. 

Don’t vent to just about anybody who is within earshot. Choose who you talk to. Ven to someone you trust and not the intern or the gossip girl from that other department.

Do’s

Document your emotions. Journaling is scientifically proven to reduce stress. Writing down your feelings on paper makes them a bit more tangible and less abstract. It also makes them more actionable. 

Vent with a non-work friend. Video call a friend and ask if they have the time and mental space for a quick chat to vent. Always ask if they have the bandwidth to help you through. Venting with a non-work friend removes the possibility of accidentally sending an incriminating message to the wrong party. 

Get up and walk away from your desk. It’s time to take a breather. Take a few minutes to breathe and gather yourself. When people are stressed, their breathing quickens. Being mindful of your breathing will help you relax and think more clearly. Stepping away from your desk also helps you relax and less inclined to throw your coffee mug at a wall out of frustration.

How about you? How do you handle frustrations in the workplace? What are your venting techniques? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Nov11

What is Social Loafing and Why it Shouldn’t be Tolerated in the Workplace

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What is Social Loafing and Why it Shouldn’t be Tolerated in the Workplace

So you were on your way to the office pantry and noticed that the coffee maker wasn’t working. Like a professional representative from any tech support company ever, you try the universally tested troubleshooting standard of plugging and unplugging, turning the thing off, waiting 1min, then turning it on. The pesky thing still isn’t working so you just walk away knowing that you’ve tried the best you can in a maximum effort to fix the coffee machine. You walk away thinking “well, I tried to fix it. It’s not my job to make it work.”

But did you really give your best effort in fixing the coffee maker? Was there anything else you could’ve done to fix it? Did you try to report it, maybe? Be honest, did you really do your best?

Social loafing is the social psychology phenomenon of low performance and reduced productivity. It’s when someone makes fewer contributions to a group effort than they would if they were solely charged with the responsibility. In this case, you didn’t try to fix the coffee maker because you’re confident that someone else will. In other words, it’s not doing your best or doing just the bare minimum because you think someone else will deal with it. Basically, when any number of people can potentially take it upon themselves to fix the coffee machine, social loafing says a high percentage of individuals in the group will assume that someone else will pick up the slack and try to fix it. Hence, the social loafing phenomenon.

How do you get rid of it at the office?
Social loafing is inevitable. It will occur in team projects and anywhere teamwork is required. Some will always try to get away with being a “free rider”. The way to discourage it is to empower the employees. When employees feel that they can make decisions and have free agency over how they do their work, they will naturally take initiative in working toward completing tasks and projects.

Managers should trust their team to make the right decisions – that will reduce social loafing in itself. Hire smart people and people you can trust – then get out of their way and let them do their work. Most social loafers are that way because they think they don’t have the capacity to make big decisions. They won’t take the steps to introduce new ideas to a team or suggest new ways to attack a difficult project because they think that’s not their job. But if managers give them the power to decide and trust their judgment, they will see many more people stepping up and taking the necessary steps towards improving team projects.

Are there any instances of social loafing in your office? How do you address that? What tips do you have to reduce social loafing at the workplace? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to stay humble and hustle hard.

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp