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REFLECTION: A recent survey of 956 employed Canadians commissioned by ADP and conducted by Environics found that one in five Canadians are working harder than ever, skipping lunch, and putting in longer hours just to keep up. 

The survey also found that four in ten employees, who are putting in extra hours but not being compensated, are finding creative ways to reward themselves: leaving early, working at a more leisurely pace, faking being sick, taking longer lunch breaks, arriving late, etc. The survey calls these behaviors self-remuneration. 

I firmly believe that finding ways to take care of ourselves in the midst of the busyness is a healthy approach at any time. I call that self-preservation. That said, I’m neither a supporter nor advocate of lies and deception – like faking illness or taking advantage. 

Still, sometimes all may not be as it seems. (more…)

A large number of readers replied to last week’s Pause message titled, Risky Business. There were many thoughtful comments on how to handle the situation between the ‘reluctant to speak up’ employee and the procrastinating boss. Read on for a sampling of the replies, and feel free to add your own comments in response.

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D writes: I wish more people would speak up! Working in HR, I see that so many situations could be made better if the person with a concern/issue/problem would put away the fears (often unnecessary fears) and talk to the ‘offender’. I am outspoken about being outspoken – it has served me well!

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J writes:  I believe there may be another issue here. It sounds as though the boss is a bully and deliberately leaves things until the last minute and because the employee is too fearful of losing her job, says nothing and does the work.

I too work with an individual who has “bully-like” qualities. I have found that standing up to that person and saying that I am not taking it any more has worked. This individual is far from being the boss, but because no one wants to do her job and previous bosses have let her get away with things she has turned into to a bully whom most co-workers tiptoe around so as not to arouse her ire. (more…)

REFLECTION: In a recent discussion about the ins and outs of working with colleagues, one individual described her frustration with the delegation habits of her boss. 

The boss is a bona-fide procrastinator who seems spurred into action only by an imminent deadline, or the end of the week. When 3:00 on Friday afternoon rolls around, he is suddenly inspired to churn his way through the paperwork before the weekend arrives. And, of course, the fallout from his frenzy of activity lands on his assistant’s desk just minutes before closing time – often accompanied by urgent requests that things go out before the weekend. As a result she ends up staying late on Fridays to handle these last minute tasks.

To say the assistant is growing tired of the game is an understatement. Her frustration level is high, but apparently not quite as high as her level of fearfulness. (more…)

A few weeks ago, I posted to the blog a painting of the gondolas in the Grand Canal of Venice, inspired by a photo that I took from the vaporetto on the day of our arrival in the magic city.

If you’re interested in art, yourself, you might enjoy the backstory in the process of transforming the inspiration into a final product.

So, here are three images that tell the tale.

Firstly, the original photo snapped from the vaporetto as we floated our way towards our hotel.

Secondly, the pencil values sketch in black and white and shades of grey that I used to rough out a more edited composition and to work out the relative values of the darks and lights.

Thirdly, the final product – which of course contains a few surprises and diversions that unfolded as the paint went on the paper.

REFLECTION: Andrew Cawood, the CIO at Neilsen (the multinational marketing, trend tracking company) started the new year with a burr under his saddle (or a bug in his bonnet) over the efficiency-sapping impact of the Reply All email function. So determined is Cawood to shape up the email misbehaviour of Neilsen employees that he has order the Reply All function to be eliminated from the company’s Outlook software.

Now, most of us have been victims at one time or another of the over zealous copying of messages –  reluctant recipients of missives in which we had little or no interest whatsoever. Still, as tempted as I am to cheer Cawood’s decisive declaration, I doubt whether it will be all that effective.

After all, even without the Reply All option, misguided thoughtless souls can easily continue to torment others by adding them to Distribution Lists and popping the group addresses into the cc or bcc line of the message. For better or for worse, there are always fixes and work-arounds. (more…)

This will be the fourth year that I’ve contributed a painting to the Women’s Mid-Life Health Centre fund raising art auction. Dr. Vicki Holmes and her colleagues do a wonderful job of delivering mid-life women’s health services all year round; and the art auction committee delivers a lively annual event and an incredible selection of art.

This year’s auction is scheduled for Saturday, April 4th. If you’re in the Saskatoon area, be sure to check it out.

What you see here is a preview of my 2009 contribution: The Sun Seekers. It’s a bit of a departure from my usual style. Read on for the backstory to the painting…. (more…)

REFLECTION: When I first started writing and speaking about the power of pause and its ability to restore a rhythm of renewal to life, I discovered a couple of common objections.

First, people would immediately assume that pausing meant coming to a complete halt, seeking solitary confinement, and doing absolutely nothing. Wrong. Pausing really means stepping away from what drains your energy and engaging in something that fills your tank. Some times, for some people, solitude and silence do the trick; for others that approach just drives them crazy.

Secondly, people thought they needed to commit a BIG chunk of time to pausing for it to have any significant benefit. Wrong. Even a few seconds to reset the shoulders or the reset mindset can make a major difference in the flow of the day. (more…)

What better way to wile away a few hours on a cold Saskatchewan winter evening than by painting up a little main street Venice.

This painting: The Grand Canal – Waiting For The Gondoliers.

REFLECTION: So here we are in Vancouver, strolling along the walkway on English Bay near the Sylvia Hotel, headed to catch a ferry to Granville Island. Although it’s an overcast day and a bit on the cool side, there’s no rain and very little wind. It’s a great day to be alive and a fabulous day to be at liberty.

No sooner do I lift my eyes to the sky in appreciation, than … whack…smack…splat!  I’m assaulted full on (hair, cheek, chin, and neck) by a king-sized slimy torpedo of sea gull poop.

Apparently the gull was travelling at Mach One. The impact resembled a high-velocity stealth attack with a soaking wet dishrag. Any of you who recall having fought with siblings while you were supposed to be washing the supper dishes know exactly what I’m talking about!

It took me by surprise, to say the least. Sure, I’d noticed there were plenty of gulls in the air and pigeons in the trees. The possibility that one of them might have a contract out on me had never crossed my mind. (more…)

REFLECTION: Whose responsibility is it to create reasonable life and work loads? Yours, mine, ours or somebody else’s?

It’s a good question and one that was raised by a Pause reader who observed that some people deal with overload head on and try to change the situation by talking with superiors. Others believe that overload is just the way things are, and set out to try to do it all.

In the reader’s opinion, it’s a two way street. Others aren’t always going to know you, or know what you are capable of at the moment. So they may test capacity by pushing a certain amount, to get the best out of you, to move you beyond your boundaries. Still, when the load becomes too heavy for too long, its detrimental to performance and relationships.

And that’s when each one of us has to take responsibility and voice when it’s just too much. (more…)