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Introducing Joel…
by Juliet Funt

So here’s a lesson in not fighting the river. I hurt my hand and can’t type, and my assistant to whom I might dictate is traveling. For days I’ve been fighting with voice recognition software to get this Summer newsletter out before the pumpkin season. And then I thought, what a terrific opportunity to ask for help.

I am pleased to introduce my fabulous and talented friend Joel Zeff who has graciously contributed this wonderful article.

Five Ideas to Reduce Stress and Have More Fun at Work
By Joel Zeff

It’s hard to have fun at work during stressful times. Your stress builds after each media report about the recession. You start hearing whispers of a merger, layoff or the all encompassing “restructuring.” Your manager doesn’t listen. Your customers don’t listen. The guy that sells sandwiches in the lobby doesn’t listen. Maybe it’s just easier to be cranky.
But we need to stop worrying and relax. Give yourself a break. Stop letting the media feed your fears with the dreaded “r” word. Even during an “r” people work. Companies manufacture, transport, distribute, sell, market, advertise, produce, grow, research, develop, entertain, build and purchase. We have to figure out a way to do it without being cranky and stressed. Yes, we need to have more fun. More importantly, we need to motivate and energize our employees to have more fun and increase their passion.

Here are five simple ideas to reduce your stress, help motivate your employees and create a foundation to have more fun:

1. Take a break. A simple idea but something that has very real results. Ever try assembling something from the store? Ever get frustrated? Ever throw the directions across the room in frustration? Stop, take a break, and then reassess. Just a few moments away will give you the energy to move forward. Take a minute out of the day and recognize a manager or employee for having fun and creating spirit. Give them a funny spirit trophy. As a surprise, take five minutes and have everyone walk around the building. Even a break that lasts only a minute will refresh our minds and give us the energy and motivation to take on the next task.
2. Tell your co-workers you appreciate them. We all want positive support at work. When we don’t receive appreciation and thanks, we are not very happy. You know how you feel when someone says, “You made a difference,” or “Great job,” or “I really appreciate your help.” You get an incredible feeling right in the middle of your chest. Giving that feeling is a gift. And it doesn’t take a budget, plan or approval; it just takes a few seconds from your day. When you go home from work, think about all of the people you had contact with that day. Did you give all of them the appreciation and positive support they deserved? If you didn’t, there is always tomorrow.
3. Create opportunity. We all want the same things from our jobs: opportunity and positive support. We may want the opportunity to be creative, be a leader, help people or make more money. When we don’t receive opportunity and positive support, we are not very happy. Figure out what kind of opportunity you want from your job. Make sure your employer understands what you need to be happy. Again, stand up and say something. As a manager, talk to your employees about the opportunities they want today, next month and next year. Together, figure out a way to give them those opportunities.
4. Be flexible to change. When change happens, ask yourself two important questions: Does this change affect my ability to be happy and successful in my job? Does this change affect the ability of those around me – my family, colleagues, clients and vendors – to be happy and successful in their jobs? If both answers are no, then you know the change is not worth creating stress. No matter what happens to the economy, there is going to be change. Most of these changes are out of your control. We may not control the change, but we always control our reaction and attitude. Help your employees take ownership of their attitude and reaction to change.
5. Stay in the game. Anyone can quit. You don’t even have to go to school to learn how to quit. And I am not talking about quitting your job. I am talking about quitting goals, challenges and initiatives. Think about your role models. Think about the great men and women of history. They all dealt with mistakes, failures and challenges. The difference is how they dealt with those issues. They didn’t quit; they stayed in the game. There are many issues during a recession, and the only way you are going to fail is if you quit. If you stay in the game, you might have to communicate, work harder, find common ground, learn something new or get out of your comfort zone. If you stay in the game, the only thing you have to look forward to is success.

I hope these five ideas will help you reduce your stress and motivate each other to have fun. Fun helps create the energy and passion that fuels our productivity, creativity and effectiveness. Without fun, we don’t have any fuel. Just like everything, fun is a choice. We each have to take responsibility and ownership of our fun and our goal to reduce stress. Remember, it is always your choice.

Joel Zeff creates energy. His spontaneous humor and vital messages have thrilled audiences for years. As a national workplace expert, speaker, author and humorist, Joel captivates audiences with a unique blend of hilarious improvisational comedy and essential ideas on work and life. He has shared his experience and insight on creativity, communication, work/life balance, leadership, teamwork, passion and fun with more than 1,500 companies and organizations. His new book, “Make the Right Choice: Creating a Positive, Innovative and Productive Work Life” is consistently listed as one of the top work/life balance books on Amazon. To learn more about Joel, visit his website at www.joelzeff.com.

Watch Donny Deutsch give Joel a shoulder massage during his appearance on CNBC's The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch.

You can order his book here: "Make the Right Choice: Creating a Positive, Innovative, and Productive Work Life."

Micro-Meditation: Present conversing

In the challenge of our busy lives it’s hard to press pause on the frenzy and let our poor little adrenal glands take a time-out. Twenty minutes or so of meditation would certainly do the trick, but few of us can make that happen in real life. So in the following section you will find what we call Micro-Meditations, little bite-sized chunks of peace, perfect for your on-the-go life.

When one is taught to meditate, there is a basic outline of behavior regardless of the style. The first step is to concentrate on something – a candle, your breathing, a point in the room – and then create a habit of acknowledging and dismissing the inevitable thoughts that come to distract from that point of focus. An obvious mistake is to think that the goal of meditation is to eliminate the stream of thoughts – that’s impossible. A common technique that helps is Labeling. When you are trying to concentrate but notice a thought creep in, take a moment to label inside your head “I am thinking,” or simply “Thinking,” and then return to the point of focus. Conversation is a wonderful place to work on this skill. Try your best to listen to someone, and when a thought pops in such as what you will say in response or the fact that you forgot to buy grapes at the store, simply say to yourself “Thinking” and then return to being a present listener.

Parenting Corner: Politeness delayed (Ages 0-5)

It’s a lovely feeling to watch your little one interact politely with adults. When a very young child says “Please” and “Thanks” appropriately, we are charmed. But if you want your child to grow up with a more authentic relationship with those words, you will have to delay gratification for yourself. Refrain from coaching with phrases like “What do you say?” or “What’s the magic word?” Simply model in your home what you wish they would do, and soon they will. You will find that when they come around naturally to those habits of kindness, it will be with the sentiment of a feeling person and not with the mimicry of a parrot.

Meeting Planner’s Corner:  Be bedazzled

Whatever the occasion or event, there’s always an excuse to add a little BEDAZZLE! Bedazzle My Bonbons is the hottest edible glitter chocolate of the season. From corporate gifts, party favors, gift baskets, centerpieces and even customized colored glitter bonbons, everyone is finding an excuse to use Bedazzle. So whether it’s bulk bonbons for a unique dessert display or parting gifts for your guests, Bedazzle My Bonbon has something for everyone!

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