Presence at Work

With the advent of mobile technology, you can work almost anywhere and anytime. Being present at work does not mean you are productive. Getting things done can also happen at home, a park, on a plane, Starbucks, and more.

Presenteeism is a problem in the workplace. You might be present and in your cubicle, but your mind is somewhere else. According to a study in Canada, lost productivity from presenteeism was 7.5 times greater than productivity loss from absenteeism.

I am not advocating that you completely disappear; just that work can be done away from the office. If your boss expects you to be in your seat all the time, they are not a very good 21st Century leader.

Obviously, if you are the receptionist, you cannot great people in Starbucks. There are some limitations to this work philosophy.

We need to take advantage of the array of benefits from mobile technology. One of the benefits is the ability to stay connected anytime. This can be a pain and intrusion into your life if you allow it, or you can use it to be more productive.

My recommendation is that you be productive wherever you are. Stay focused, make a list of action items and tackle them. Mornings at home, while drinking coffee, before going to the office are my most productive time. It allows me to hit the ground running when I land in my office.

You should also make time to have fun in the workplace. Develop great working relationships with the people in your office. This will also help you and your people to be productive too.

Arianna Huffington, a very successful billionaire entrepreneur, once stated her best ideas have never happened in the office.

My advice? Just get’r done wherever you are.

Compassion at Work

Research shows one of the most important needs employees desire at work is recognition. I submit that employees also desire compassion at work. They want to know when a mistake occurs, and they will make mistakes, management will see the issue from the employees point of view.

When mistakes are made, the priority is not to berate the employee for making the error, the priority is to determine a solution. Management, however, often prioritizes their focus on determining who is responsible for the mistake and making them feel guilty.

Blame accomplishes nothing.

Showing compassion while determining a solution creates an environment of partnership with your employees. Compassion means you deal with people with grace.

Having a spirit of grace in the workplace does not mean if an employee continues to make the same mistake, we should overlook the issue. The first mistake requires a joint approach to finding a solution. The second time the same mistake happens, more intensive coaching is required. The third same mistake becomes a serious issue.

Continuous mistakes, however, will be very rare with proper coaching and a spirit of compassion.

Compassion works at work.

Welcome!

You spend eight or more hours a day at work. Your projects and day-to-day responsibilities, along with personal interactions with leadership and fellow employees, impact your life. As you walk down the halls, spend time in meetings and work in your office, you experience both positive and negative interactions.

Experiences at work, both positive and negative, follow you from the parking lot, into your car, and all the way home into your living room.

This blog is about and these issues; how work impacts life and how life impacts work. I want to help you and make a positive difference as you encounter life at work.

Blessings to you,

Kevin Kennemer, LifeatWork