We can stop the panic pandemic!

July 30, 2009

At the weekend the Health Minister, Andy Burnham, warned of the danger of a ‘panic pandemic’ in relation to swine flu as thousands of people, who are either healthy or just have colds, present themselves at hospitals and Doctors’ surgeries. The risk is that the NHS is pushed to breaking point, that those in real need of medical care could miss out on treatment for swine flu and suffer needlessly. 

You have to praise the government and the NHS for setting up call / information centres and extra medical support so quickly, but this is only half the battle. The other half is psychological. The population of this country (and indeed that of the wider world) have a responsibility to receive and process the information from the government and the media in the right way. Even in normal circumstances colds and flu are often confused by those affected, but now more than ever it’s critical that we take a moment to consider whether we really have the full blown influenza virus.

It’s a fine judgement because we all care about our own health and that of our families. Sure, if we genuinely suspect we have swine flu we have to follow the guidance and see a health professional, but if it’s borderline or just a sniffle our collective reactions as a nation of individuals could determine whether the government’s response is seen as a success or a failure when this is over.  The temptation is particularly strong to see a GP when young children are involved, but there have been assurances that they too will recover after a few days and again, a realistic and holistic mindset is what’s required from parents.

When faced with this difficult decision, it’s worth considering a reality check that will test whether you are thinking rationally about the situation – ask yourself, “Would I go to the doctor about this if I’d never heard of swine flu?” if the answer is ‘no’ then you should think twice about doing so this time. I’ll leave the last word to Andy Burnham speaking in the Observer newspaper last Sunday:

“It’s very important for people to keep a sense of perspective. It has been a mild virus in the vast majority of cases, with relatively mild symptoms from which people recover fully fairly quickly….If people are made unnecessarily anxious it makes the lives of NHS professionals, who are already under enormous pressure, far more difficult… ”

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Posted by Cary Cooper

Who is our Nelson Mandela?

July 24, 2009

Last week saw Nelson Mandela’s 91st birthday, and an outpouring of emotion for someone who is now seen as an example to us all. Since leaving office in 1999, he has become an internationally recognised ‘elder’, dedicated himself to fighting causes such as the fight against AIDS, poverty and championing the rights of children. In doing so, he has become a role model for millions across the globe to look up to.

According to Michelle Thieriault in the Guardian, such is the admiration for Mandela in South Africa that people celebrated his birthday by emulating him in performing good deeds throughout the day. These included reading to the blind, distributing blankets to the homeless, painting school buildings and refurbishing homes for AIDS orphans. He asked the country to spend the first ‘Mandela Day’ doing good and they responded – that really says something about the man and his reputation.

Elders like Mandela play an important role in creating the well-being and identity of a nation. They represent a set of values for the population to come together around, as well as demonstrating positive behaviours to be emulated by citizens. It set me wondering whether we in the UK would ever find ourselves looking up to someone in this way, and if so, who and how?

Someone like Princess Diana springs to mind – certainly she was much admired, and the collective national reaction to her untimely death revealed a real depth of feeling for her. However, this was less apparent during her lifetime, and she may not actually have ‘done’ enough to warrant a ‘Diana Day’, or be the same kind of national and international role model that Mandela has become. The fact is that these days we tend to look up more to celebrities than we do politicians (this was only perpetuated by the expenses scandal), and our admiration is often more the result of marketing and hype than anything else.

I would like to think that we could come together around a Mandela figure here in the UK, but maybe it’s not possible – after all, we don’t have someone who has suffered the perceived injustices as him. If this is the case, it may be that Nelson Mandela is unique in our time. He is certainly an international hero – so maybe we have to be content to look to the real thing for our inspiration while he’s still around. I’ll leave the last word to Khumo Bojanyane of Soweto who owns a construction company and was quoted in the Guardian: “We were motivated by the man himself. We’re so encouraged by his life, by his selflessness and sacrifices.”

Read the full Guardian at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8615693

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Posted by Cary Cooper

How do you value your job?

July 13, 2009

We have heard a great deal recently about the Equal pay issue, as the government considers whether employers should be prepared to reveal their ‘gender pay gaps’.  With women being paid on average about 20% less than men, fairness demands equal pay for equal work - but pay is only one element of the ‘calculation’ that employees do when they put a value on their jobs.

The subject of pay is an interesting one though, because it is the most explicit and obvious way for employees to measure how their contribution is valued by their employer. Salary is such a big part of our language and culture that many employees will see the amount they get paid as the key, maybe only, indicator that matters.

However, research shows that this is only one aspect of the work arena that determines an individual’s overall job satisfaction, motivation and general well-being. Many happiness surveys and well-being audits have shown that having good work relationships, a good work-life balance, being trusted and having a manageable workload are all considered higher up the scale than cold, hard cash in the bank. So it seems that money really isn’t everything when it comes to work.

A company can pay an employee thousands of pounds per month, but if he/she is unsupported, works 7am – 8pm every day and has an overwhelming workload no amount of pay is going to make him/her engaged, productive and happy at work. I’m sure the majority of employees and employers simply wouldn’t be willing to work this way, but my point is that it’s important to think about the benefits that aren’t in our contracts. Not everything needs to have a pound sign next to it to be valuable and softer benefits like working somewhere fun where you can control your hours and workload carries real value. Try working somewhere with these benefits and then moving to a new job where they are absent – you’ll soon be reminded of the value!

I’d be interested to know what you think, is pay the most important factor, especially during a recession or is enjoying your job and not dreading Monday morning your driver? Think really carefully before you answer that!!

2 Comments | Engagement, Leadership, Management, Motivation, Personal Resilience, pressure, Productivity, Recruitment and Selection, reward and recognition, Talent, Well-being | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Cary Cooper

Wimbledon – Pressure as a privilege

July 6, 2009

Billy Jean King once made a comment on the stresses and strains of tennis in which she remarked that “pressure is a privilege”. She was indicating that pressure is a crucial ingredient for achieving peak performance in the game, and that those who can harness and cope with it effectively usually end up winning. I think we saw a great example of that in the men’s final at Wimbledon yesterday as Roger Federer defended five set points, when he was already one set down, to come back and win his record-breaking 15th major. Time and time again he has shown an ability to cope better than his opponents when the pressure is on – and that is to take nothing away from Andy Roddick who did a great job of handling the strain of playing the world’s best on the biggest stage in tennis. This battle of wills was what led to such an enthralling final.

Another example of the constructive power of pressure from the last two weeks has been the performances of an astonishing young man, Andy Murray, who had to endure enormous expectation in every match as he moved towards the semi-finals.  You could see his determination and drive to not only compete, but also to draw on his reserves of energy and grit when seemingly down and out – especially against Warwinka.  Yes, he was driven by his own need to achieve, but also by the fans who have supported and nurtured him throughout the tournament.  Rather than suffer the ‘expectational’ stress of many of his Brit predecessors, he seems to thrive when he knows that the fans are there to help and support him—indeed he encourages them to do so by his gestures.  When he does this it creates pressure for him to deliver what they want – victory! Like Billy Jean King he craves the pressure to help him perform at his highest level.

There are many people out there in the wider world of work who perennially experience excessive pressure – and they could learn a great deal from Andy Murray. First, by understanding that it is partly up to ‘you’ to cope with what happens to you in life.  We all have a responsibility to do whatever we can to cope and sometimes we have to ‘dig deep’ to handle what is thrown at us at work or in life more generally. Second, we can draw on the support of our colleagues at work, our friends, neighbours and relatives at home.  Tennis players have strong support networks around them – e.g. ‘Team Murray’ – so it pays to think about who is in ‘Team You’.  We can only cope with so much alone time, and at some stage we all need the strength, love and support of others to go that extra mile – to cope with excessive pressure, to deal with that bully at work, to handle that unusually heavy workload, to cope with the fear of losing a job or the worry about a child’s health problem. 

The trick is knowing when and how to use the pressure as a source of energy and motivation and when to acknowledge that it is excessive and that you need to replenish your resources. There is a fine line between peak performance and burn-out and you alone can work out where your line is – indeed, you have to look actively to find it.

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Posted by Cary Cooper

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