Economy Blues? Refocus, and Get Busy!

Q. With the tight economy and apparently no sign of letup in layoffs, our department’s morale is low. People are worried. Should I start looking for other options? —Jack S.

A. If you think your job is in jeopardy—and your boss is hinting that it is—then by all means look for a better situation. But if your concern is a normal—something anyone is likely to have in a tight economy, then look for the pluses in your job, career, and company, and try not to buy into the bad morale. Better: Focus on your own talents, energy and goals. Step up your productivity and your positive energy. In other words, act as if you owned the company. (If you did own the company and your business was down, wouldn’t you work harder to find out why—and do what you could to keep your company strong?) That same outlook also makes sense when you’re working for someone else. And you do have a big stake in it—it’s your company—and your job.

One of the nation’s greatest motivational speakers—Zig Ziglar—once observed, “Positive thinking won’t help you to do anything. But it will help you to do everything better than negative thinking will.” I can’t argue with that logic. So step up your efforts, stay positive, re-energize yourself, and find ways to become even more productive.” This is a powerful way to combat low morale. Consider: If everyone stayed positive and energized, we’d have a nation of people constantly looking for ways to be more productive and deal with a sluggish economy. Try these action steps to focus on the positive, and get more done, better and faster—while you keep your daily enthusiasm high.

Plan Your Day

Successful people plan their lives, whether it’s with a formal day planner, or a to-do list they update each day. The important thing is to have goals for the day, week, month, and year. Knowing where we’re going gives us a sense of purpose, and helps us stay focused. And when we’re focused, we have less time to fret and wallow in low morale.

Set a Worry Limit

Worry is a natural feeling of fear, anxiety, or concern. It’s a natural reaction to a threat that’s real (possible loss of job). But the only practical thing to do with a worry is to take the time to analyze it, weigh its seriousness, consider your options to protect yourself and then move on—take action to get back on track. Many people get stuck in the early steps, and never get to the important one—taking action. So set a time limit for the worrying: an hour, a day, a week. But move on to action steps that focus on your goals, and don’t go back and start worrying all over again. It’s a waste of time, and a terrible psychological trap.

Indulge Yourself in Positives

Look for opportunities to be positive and share it with others:

• Saying “Hi” or “Good Morning!” enthusiastically, and with a smile.

• At meetings, say what can be done, instead of complaining what can’t.

• Practice more out-of-the-box thinking than usual. It’ll keep your outlook fresh.

• Look for opportunities to compliment others openly—and yourself quietly.

• List what you’ve accomplished, and what you’re proud of, each day.

• Use the phone or e-mail at least once a day to thank someone at work who helped you out.

Share Your Successes

Each Friday before you leave, write a brief message to your boss summarizing what you accomplished for the week; what you’re doing to meet your goals; your priorities for the following week. It shouldn’t be a long report—no more than a page. But it will send a clear signal that you’re on top of things, that you’re an asset to the department and that you know where you’re going and why.

Look for Innovation/Suggest Ideas

Several times throughout the day, look for newer, better ways to do what you’re doing. Can you do it better, faster, easier, at less cost? When you discover a good idea, pass it along to your boss and others. Position yourself as someone who’s looking forward to tomorrow’s opportunities with eagerness and hope, not backward to yesterday’s mistakes with discouragement.

Grow In Your Field

Look for new, low-cost ways to increase your skills and grow in your field: Internet sites and courses; trade journals; books and audiotapes you can borrow from the library; company-sponsored training courses. The opportunities for growth are endless. Consider re-adopting the attitude you had the first day you started your current job: you were probably eager to pursue a great future full of promise. That promise is still there, but you may have to re-invent yourself to discover it. Good luck.