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| Humor at Work |
ISSUE 493 - June 19, 2013 |
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E-mails Evoke Egad Effect! |
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Suffering from a little "e-stress"? You're not alone. A study reported in the Daily Telegraph found that employees in a study group became 83% more stressed while reading e-mails, rising to 92% while using e-mail and speaking on the phone at the same time. (The stress levels were measured using blood pressure monitors, heart rates, and saliva samples, which sounds a little stressful unto itself.) The most stress-inducing e-mails were those that arrived when inboxes were fullest and when the e-mails were irrelevant, interrupted work or required an immediate response. A few ideas that might help:
- Walk the talk. Encourage everyone to get off their duffs when possible; not only is face-to-face communication more effective, sitting is incredibly unhealthy for us bipeds so this is a twofer!
- Go on an e-mail diet. Some workplaces have e-mail-free days (or half-days) to help ebb the flow.
- Don't be so demanding! Stop expecting an immediate response to your e-mails.
- Avoid rush hour. Send critical e-mails at less busy times.
- Create a plan, Stan. Productivity experts suggest checking e-mails only 2 or 3 times/day.
- Remain relentlessly relevant. Only e-mail people who really need to see the message.
- Sweeten the deal. Add a little sugar to the e-mail medicine with a funny thought of the day or humorous quotation...something small to dampen the "egad effect!" |
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Mike's Fun at Work Tip |
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Tomorrow, June 20, is official Recess at Work Day, so plan a fun, spontaneous recess in your workplace that does exactly what recess is meant to do: Give all the kids in your office a chance to stretch, re-energize and play with each other. (Some offices do this already once a week, some even once a day, so once a year might be an easy starting point for some of you.) |
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Quote of the Week |
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"Silly is you in a natural state and
serious is something you have to do until you can get silly again." comedian Mike Myers
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It's a Wacky World |
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Today, June 19, is official World Sauntering Day, so don't forget to show off your best saunter. This Friday, June 21, is Cuckoo Warning Day, Go Skateboarding Day, Daylight Appreciation Day, Flip Flop Day and, last but not least, Take Your Dog to Work Day!
Speaking of which, more and more companies are creating dog-friendly workplaces. Rogers Insurance, based in Calgary, Alberta, was recently honored in Alberta Venture Magazine as a "Best Workplace for Perks and Incentives" - in part owing to their dog-friendly work environment where every day is take your dog to work day. The fabulous folks at Rogers say the dogs help lower stress, builds camaraderie and the clients love it. (Especially their dog clients, which I'm told are non-existent for now, but surely once word gets out...)
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Kelowna & Penticton: Several dates in July & the week of October 14.
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While speaking recently in Memphis, Tennessee I had the chance to get quacked up at the world famous March of the Ducks! | | |
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mike@mikekerr.com
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