July 26, 2011
On the BBC website yesterday they asked the question, “Is it a good idea to measure stress?”. There are those that say you can’t do it, or it is unreliable, and others who say it is dangerous to do it because we then medicalize it! Let’s first define it. There is ‘pressure’, which is stimulating and motivating, whereas ‘stress’, is defined as ‘when the pressure exceeds an individual’s ability to cope with it’. Stress is less positive and can lead to ill health or anti-social behaviour.
The reality of life is that there are times when we are under excessive pressure which we are unable to cope with, ultimately leading to physical or psychological outcomes, mostly negative. If we can identify the sources of this stress, whether it is a dysfunctional relationship, being bullied at work or an overload of negative life events (such as death of a parent/spouse at a time when you have just lost a valued job), then maybe the individual can be helped to find an appropriate and positive coping strategy to deal with it. By acknowledging the reality of stress in our lives, we then enable people to talk about it, whether it is with a GP or close friend or relative. We need to de-mystify the concept and allow people to openly discuss their problems if they so wish, rather than bury their emotions, which may have longer term damaging effects.
The difficulty of measuring something like stress is that it comes in different forms, for some people they may get depressed or anxious, for others they may reflect a physical manifestation (e.g. irritable bowel syndrome) and for others it may lead to a change of behaviour (e.g. becoming more withdrawn or excessive alcohol consumption). The potential negative indicators, in whatever form, do however bring the issues to the surface, which can then be dealt with. So although measuring stress may be difficult, openly acknowledging it is necessary to confront the issues underpinning it.
For this reason it is important that stress be recognised – although not necessarily scored. The risk of responding with a ‘that’s life’ attitude is that people will feel unwilling or unable to seek help when they really need it.
1 Comment | 
pressure, Stress | Tagged: anti-social behaviour, BBC, dysfunctional relationship, GP, ill health, irritable bowel syndrome, measure, measuring, motivating, negative, pressure, Stress | 
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Posted by Cary Cooper
July 19, 2011
In the last couple of years we have seen a number of questionable ethical behaviours in the fields of business, politics and in society more generally. We had the investment bankers selling highly risky unsecured mortgages, leading to a major financial tsunami throughout the world; MPs misusing public money in the expenses scandal, leading to the public’s lack of trust in their political leaders; FIFA’s questionable process for selecting the host of the World Cup; and the News of the World hacking disaster, leading to questions about an uncontrolled and free press - and these are just the stories that have grabbed the headlines. But what has generated these shocking activities?
Is it that we, and much of the rest of the world, have moved too close to the American dream of the almighty buck, to being successful or affluent at all costs, without thinking about the consequences? It seems that Britain, among others, is striving so determinedly for personal success and material gain that we have left much of our ethical code in the wake of our unremitting ambition.
There are signs that with the collapse of the world economy and our financial institutions, we are now beginning to reflect on where we were going, whether we have made some mistakes along the way, and hopefully moving towards some sense of balance again. Perhaps we are beginning to come to terms with the fallout of a lifestyle so predicated on money and influence that it has had as profound effect on our quality of life, and the freedoms and relationships we hold dear to us.
In the workplace, business ethics was on the agenda after Enron and similar business failures, but then disappeared as we moved to the next level of materialism, and some would say greed. The time is now right to reflect on where we came from, and where we want to go.
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Tagged: American dream, economy, Enron, ethical, ethics, expenses scandal, FIFA, financial institutions, free press, hacking, lifestyle, material gain, materialism, mortgages, MP, News of the World, personal success, politics, relationships, society, World Cup | Permalink
Posted by Cary Cooper
July 18, 2011
The final
It’s all over – and there’s so much to talk about from last night that I’m going to divide this post in to two parts, come back later this week for some more general thoughts. For now I’m going to resist the temptation to launch into a review of the series as a whole and Lord Sugar as a role model, as today it’s only fair that we focus on the winner – congratulations Tom!
So, the nice guy with the worst challenge record came from behind to scoop the prize. I’m glad this year’s winner was someone who steered clear of the usual Apprentice patter (Jim!), and wonder whether this means we might have a few more ‘down to earth’ contestants next year?
But if I were Lord Sugar I’d also be a bit worried – this issue of Tom having moved on to the next idea before maximising the profit in the nail file could become a real problem. In the interview afterwards you could almost see the disappointment in Tom’s eyes when they discussed expanding on the nail file’s success. I would guess that the last thing Tom wanted to do with his exciting new business…was his old business. That’s because he’s more interested in the idea and its creation than the selling process – something we’ve seen time and time again in the tasks.
Admittedly, running a business doesn’t mean he’ll have to do all the selling (although they do say that the CEO should be out front as chief salesperson even if that is not an official part of their role). But £250k essentially means a small start up, so he will only have a couple of sales people at best and he’ll need to keep them motivated. Someone more interested in the product than the sale is unlikely to apply enough pressure to the sales process to make it a success (unless Jim is in the sales team!). And there’s a risk that if left to his own devices Tom will dilute the pressure through a filter of ‘niceness’ before it reaches the salespeople.
To make it work he will therefore be relying on channelling the pressure from Lord Sugar on this front. Karen Brady supported Tom on this basis, as she felt he would benefit most from the direction his new partner could provide, but how much will he see of the great man?
In fact, I think there are a lot of questions about how their relationship will play out. At the end of the show Tom made reference to both of them being on the same page, but will this actually be the case? Lord Sugar went on to joke about ‘always being right’, and if this is actually quite close to the truth it won’t make for a true partnership dynamic – which would seem to defeat the point of the new prize. I think it will depend partly on whether Tom will be able to inspire his respect, and generate the very different atmosphere that filled the boardroom when it was a meeting of experts rather than grovelling candidates.
2 Comments | Apprentice | Tagged: CEO, creation, final, idea, Jim, Karren Brady, Lord Sugar, nail file, partnership, relationship, role model, selling, The Apprentice, Tom, winner | Permalink
Posted by Cary Cooper
July 14, 2011
Episode twelve
With a programme like The Apprentice, where contestants open themselves up to criticism, it can be easy to focus on the negatives and the mistakes that we tell ourselves we wouldn’t make if we were in their position. But if we were in the thick of it – rather than on our sofas! – we wouldn’t be immune to a few slip-ups ourselves.
That’s why this week I’d like to praise the candidates for their resilience – and their ability to cope with the immense pressure that they have been under for 11 weeks. For a start, I thought last nights’ task was genuinely difficult! To create a fast food restaurant from scratch in 48 hours would be hard for any restaurateur, never mind a group of novices. And whilst the Caracas idea left a little to be desired, MyPy was a really decent effort.
What I find most interesting to see is that people ‘revert to type’ to get themselves through these final stages. There’s ‘Jedi’ Jim and his unerring self-confidence, and Susan with her immense sense of drive and purpose. Then there’s the person who has had his resilience tested more than any other – Tom. He has taken more knocks than David Haye in a title fight. But unlike his sporting counterpart, Tom has not given excuses – he has adapted to the situation, taken himself out of his comfort zone, and bounced back on every occasion. And judging by last nights’ performance, Tom can now be seen as a genuine contender.
It was a failure to draw on her personal traits that finally spelled the end for plucky Natasha. Throughout the competition her biggest strength has been her irrepressible levels of energy. However, perhaps there is only so long that someone can carry on at this pace, and it felt like Natasha burnt-out last night. Her energy levels finally faded, and other candidates did their best to point this out.
The final word must go to the one person in this process who has come through relatively unscathed, Helen. Cool, calm and collected in her approach, perhaps by luck some weeks, but often by skill – Helen has coasted into the final. For me, she is still the one to beat.
Leave a Comment » | Apprentice, Personal Resilience | Tagged: adapted, Apprentice, burnout, Caracas, contestants, criticism, David Haye, energy, Helen, Jedi Jim, mistakes, MyPy, Natasha, resilience, restaurant, Susan, Tom | Permalink
Posted by Cary Cooper
July 13, 2011
There’s no doubt we’re getting better at supporting mental health at work in the UK, but the figures are still shocking: The Centre for Mental Health report that 91 million days are lost each year due to mental health problems and the total cost to employers is a staggering £26 billion a year. With one worker in six experiencing depression, anxiety or problems relating to stress at any one time, mental illness has now become the largest category of occupational ill-health. (Source: The Centre for Mental Health)
With many organisations still governed by serious financial constraints and austerity measures, reducing the costs of staff sickness absence and driving up productivity remain firmly on the agenda. We also know that work is good for both physical and mental health and well-being, and whilst people with mental health problems have the highest levels of unemployment among any disabled group, they also have the highest ‘want to work’ rate (source: rethink). The challenge is huge.
So it’s always great to see new initiatives emerging to help tackle the problem and support mental health at work – I was particularly encouraged to hear that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is piloting a new in-work mental health support service targeted at employees and employers.
As well as providing crucial support to help more organisations develop and sustain mentally healthy workplaces; the DWP is also firmly reinforcing the message that mental health is just as important as physical health in terms of overall well-being and productivity at work.
What makes this service even better is that it’s funded by Access to Work and is free to the organisation. This innovative pilot is being delivered by Remploy in partnership with ProAbility. If you want to access the support on offer, or find out more, contact the team on 0845 146 0520 or email: proability@remploy.co.uk
1 Comment | health, Stress, Well-being | Tagged: Access to Work, anxiety, Department for Work and Pensions, Depression, DWP, mental health, physical health, ProAbility, Remploy, Sickness Absence, Stress, The Centre for Mental Health, UK | Permalink
Posted by Cary Cooper
July 11, 2011
“The Final Five” episode
The Apprentice is drawing to a close and last week’s special episode went ‘behind the scenes’ to include interviews with family, friends and former bosses of the five remaining candidates to uncover their backgrounds.
In truth, the episode left me wanting more information to draw any real conclusions about who is likely to be the right ‘fit’ for landing the quarter-million pound investment and a partnership with Lord Sugar – and, of course, I can only go on what the programme’s editors decide to air. Therefore, I’m not going to comment on each of the personalities, but I would like to summarise some thoughts about this on-going selection process…
Take a step back, and remember that Lord Sugar is using The Apprentice to boost his own brand and there will inevitably be candidates who are there because they appear super-confident and said some killer lines that make for good (or cringing) viewing. What we don’t know is how much the candidates thought they had to say some of these things simply to get on to the show, or how much they really believed in what they were saying. Also, we haven’t yet seen the candidate’s proposals for their business-plan in partnering with Lord Sugar – and there’s no shame selecting people who are super-confident, if ultimately the partnership with Lord Sugar requires these skills.
For organisations, all selection and assessment decisions should be based around some analysis of the job – you need to select a person based on their readiness (or likelihood to acquire) the necessary knowledge, skills and characteristics to perform in the role. In broad terms, the most important characteristics for personnel selection are cognitive ability (including general intelligence) and personality. The episode attempted to summarise the personalities of the candidates – but knowledge of someone’s personality is of no use to employers unless they have some way of knowing how this compares to the requirements of performing well in the role. For example, some jobs have become synonymous with extrovert personalities; successful sales people are usually extroverted. In The Apprentice, Jim has showed great qualities associated with this trait, including friendliness, gregariousness, assertiveness, cheerfulness, and a high activity level. But, until we know whether the job with Lord Sugar will need these qualities more than others, then it’s difficult to say if he is the best candidate.
I’d love to see The Apprentice use validated measures of general intelligence (ability tests) as well as trait factor-personality measures (we use the ‘big five’ framework) to make good predictions about the candidate’s likely success in the role. Alas, the show will always centre around what makes for good TV, and so far this has meant putting candidates outside of their comfort zone in “job-related” tasks – although sometimes the validity of these tasks is questionnable. Hopefully when we find out the business-plan for the partnership with Lord Sugar, we’ll be more confident in predicting which is likely to be the best candidate.
For more information about our personality questionnaire, and to receive your free i-resilience profile, which is a personality-based report related to key components of resilience, visit our website: www.robertsoncooper.com/iresilience
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: assessment, big five, brand, cognitive ability, editors, extrovert, general intelligence, interviews, Lord Sugar, partnership, personality, selection, The Apprentice | Permalink
Posted by Cary Cooper
July 7, 2011
Episode ten
In what seemed like the easiest task so far, both team leaders managed to get it completely wrong! Despite some fairly explicit instruction from Lord Sugar, the list of errors includes not restocking, buying untested products, trying to sell £25 watches to a pound shop and a four hour round trip for a potential profit of £90 (that wasn’t even realised!). We also saw an interesting Apprentice first, with Helen trying to usurp Melody as project leader part way through the task. On the positive side, Jim showed he can charm anything that moves, Tom stepped up and did some selling and Susan had a good idea with the bracelet sales.
It’s this last point that I’d like hone in on, as it was a bold display of initiative – that elusive but desirable trait; one of those things that lots of people claim to have on CVs, in cover letters and during interviews. It seems to be part of the ‘standard skill set’, usually accompanied with ‘ability to work independently’, while the flip side is covered by ‘also works well as part of a team’.
Presumably this is something Lord Sugar is keen on, particularly as he’s looking for a business partner rather than an employee. But is it always a good quality? Had Susan’s plan backfired I’m sure Natasha would have had a lot to say about it!
In the real world the practicality and desirability of initiative will obviously depend on the particular sector, industry and situation you are in. On an operational level you may not always want staff going off on a tangent and following their own agenda. But strategically, initiative can be encouraged in every workplace. This doesn’t mean just making decisions without consultation, I’m referring more to an alertness that results in employees recognising a better way of doing things and acting on it.
Inspiring this sort of effort requires a foundation of sustainable engagement, a supportive ideas culture and an effective communication strategy between management and front line staff – not something that can be generated overnight! But if you can get it right it will lead to a positively reinforcing trend, impacting on both individuals and the organisation. Employees who see their ideas come to fruition, and receive recognition for them, will in turn feel more engaged, motivated and committed. The organisation benefits from the idea itself, but also from the aggregation of this positive feeling among the workforce.
Leave a Comment » | Apprentice | Tagged: aggregation, bracelet, business partner, communication, cover letters, CVs, employee, foundation, fruition, Helen, initiative, interviews, Jim, Lord Sugar, Management, Melody, Natasha, operational, strategic, supportive, Susan, The Apprentice, Tom | Permalink
Posted by Cary Cooper
