Managing Millennials and Other Human Beings

Recently, I was wandering around the produce section at my local Walmart Superstore. An African American male, about 50 years old, was talking to a couple of the young men working for him. They clearly had a lot of produce to put out and it looked like they might be busy for a while. I couldn't hear his instructions, but at the end I heard him say: Thank you, guys. I really appreciate you.


It took me by surprise. I think I had a few stereotypes going for one thing. Men of that age seem to use the, "Do it because I said so" management technique or "You get a paycheck. Why should I have to tell you that you do a good job?" I have battled those types of managers in my workshops on feedback and coaching. I get push-back to my suggestion that you should give positive feedback to ensure a repeat performance. This suggestion has often met with the response that it seems too hokey or it's pampering the employee. I finally had a stroke of brilliance after being so agitated with this common response, that fashioned a comeback: Well, if that's your reasoning, then why don't you dock their pay when they aren't doing it right and ask them to figure out on their own what they did wrong?


With four generations in one workplace today, we see the parenting style of these generations influencing the response to all authority figures, including management. For instance, Baby Boomers are known for extreme loyalty and team (family) is everything. They like collaboration and group work and will work until the job is done whether there is monetary reward or not (workaholism being the extreme outcome to this type of worker).

The Gen X'ers were raised without a lot of parental oversight. Therefore, they like to work alone. They also don't want management weighing in on their performance as it's seen as judgmental or micro-managing. Authority only really interfered in their childhoods when they had done something wrong (latchkey kids created by two working parents and higher divorce rates).

Finally, the Millennials: they had parents who not only said that they were the most important thing in their lives, but the ONLY thing in their lives. They received lots of attention and lots of praise. Therefore, they expect similar responses from their management.

You don't have to like modifying your management style to accommodate your employees' generation...but this approach does happens to work, should that be of interest. If you are saying to yourself as you read this that this advice is nonsense or only coddles those without a good work ethic, that's really YOUR generational filter talking. We all have one. We tend to think the people born before us are techno-phobes and the people born after us are moving too fast and have bad work ethic. But OUR generation has struck just the right balance.


Uh huh.


I don't know if my produce manager had any formal training or he was just following his instincts. Either way, I was impressed by his kindness and his sincerity and I bet his employees remember him long after they stop working there. What else is there to accepting a management job in the end? Isn't the goal to make those people better employees than they were when you found them? The rest of the job is usually riddled with complications and people problems and customer service escalations. The only "gold" is leaving a little of your value system with someone who is coming up the ranks. If your value system is "Speak Not Unless Someone Screws Up," then I guess your legacy is going to be one of cover-ups and deleted emails and anxiety when you are present. Why? Because perfection isn't possible. The expectation of perfection always creates a culture of deception. Humans simply can't maintain such an unrealistic standard.


Here's my advice. Tell someone, "Thank you, John...I appreciate you..." tomorrow at work. I dare ya. But I bet you will get at least a smile if you do.



See Stephanie's site Work Stress Solutions for more information like this.

MAGNESIUM - FROM MENSTRUATION TO MENOPAUSE

MAGNESIUM - FROM MENSTRUATION TO MENOPAUSE


In just a few weeks, we celebrate motherhood. The work mothers do in raising children – nurturing, disciplining, exercising endless patience or sharing in the excitement of each success small and large – is invaluable.


But the contributions mothers make are also physical. Our bodies do enormous work preparing for pregnancy, building new life inside of us and then helping it get out into the world. And to do this tremendous job, our bodies need specific nutrients. One of them is magnesium. Says practicing naturopathic doctor Kris Somol, ND, "Magnesium has worked wonders with many gynecological complaints I have encountered."1


PMS - THE HORMONAL LINK


You probably already know too well the outward effects of the hormonal swings our bodies go through on a monthly basis – moodiness, cravings, headaches, and irritability. Well, these rude reminders that earn menstruation the nickname "the curse," can indicate hormone-induced nutrient depletions inside the body.

According to a study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, estrogen and progesterone, the hormones that ebb and flow with our monthly cycle, affect the levels of magnesium in our bodies.2 High levels of estrogen and progesterone are linked to significant drops in magnesium levels – as much as a 30% decrease.3 One reason for this magnesium depletion as Dr. Somol explains, is that magnesium is also necessary in the metabolism or breakdown of estrogen. The more estrogen, the more magnesium used up to break it down.4


And these two hormones peak right around that dreaded premenstrual syndrome (PMS) time, resulting in especially low magnesium levels.


So this explains quite a few things. How about pre-menstrual chocolate cravings? Ounce for ounce chocolate is probably one of the more magnesium-rich foods.5 Yearning for the dark stuff is clearly our body writing its own prescription. Some women also develop a yen for dark leafy greens at this time, another food rich in magnesium.6


HEADACHES, MOODINESS, AND CRAMPS



If headaches – even migraines – plague you right before your period, low magnesium levels may also be to blame. Statistically, more of these sledge-hammer headaches hit women right before menstruation. With hormone levels high, magnesium levels drop in the smooth muscle cells surrounding the blood vessels in your brain. Without adequate magnesium, these muscles spasm and cramp, restricting the flow of blood, causing premenstrual migraines or even increasing the risk for a stroke.7


Even pre-menstrual moodiness may be linked to low magnesium levels, according to one small double-blind placebo-controlled trial conducted in Italy.8 Additionally, magnesium is essential for helping your body make use of another natural mood-buster, omega-3 fatty acids.9


Finally, magnesium continues on to provide relief during menstruation when cramps hit. Explains Dr. Somol, "[Magnesium] is essential in the process of muscle relaxation after a contraction. This is why it is useful for menstrual cramps," as well as prenatal leg cramps and labor.10


MAGNESIUM FOR A HEALTHY PREGNANCY


Unquestionably, adequate magnesium is essential for a healthy pregnancy. Clinical trials have shown that mothers who take magnesium supplements have healthier babies and fewer pregnancy problems.11


GOOD FOR MOTHERHOOD AND BEYOND


Menstruation and pregnancy mark the active phase of our reproductive lives. Yet even with menopause, magnesium can help ease the transition. Dr. Somol uses it frequently to help with hot flashes.15


To get your magnesium, Dr. Somol recommends eating lots of leafy greens, nuts, whole grains, legumes and drinking hard water. Yet with magnesium-depleted soils, these foods may have less than we need. For that reason, magnesium supplementation may be necessary. Says Dr. Somol, "I have used magnesium supplementation with many patients," listing a lengthy number of health issues women face – from gynecological complaints to cardiovascular issues. She notes, "There are many times when magnesium has been sufficient to correct certain symptoms."16


So honor your womanly body – at whatever stage – and care for it. Inside magnesium's simple mineral package lies health benefits equal to at least a dozen hand-picked bouquets and several Mother's Day brunches.



Jigsaw has a slow release formula that is essential to avoid the laxative effective of magnesium as an easy and effective way to get the magnesium the female body craves. Magnesium Tables @ Jigsaw Health

P.S. Enter FREESHIP in the coupon code section for free shipping.


CITED SOURCES

Personal interview Kris Somol 4/21/09
Muneyvirci-Delale O. et al. Sex Steroid Hormones Modulate Serum Ionized Magnesium and Calcium Levels Throughout The Menstrual Cycle in Women." Fertility and Sterility. 1998 May;69(5):958-62
Muneyvirci-Delale et al.
Somol interview.
Carolyn Dean, The Magnesium Miracle. Ballantine, New York. 2007, p. 136.
Somol interview.
Dean, p. 134.
Facchinetti F. et al. Oral magnesium successfully relieves premenstrual mood changes. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 1991 Aug;78(2):177-81.
Dean, p. 137.
Somol interview.
Dean, p. 142.
Dean, p. 141.
Smyth, RM et al. Magpie Trial in the UK: Methods and additional data for women and children at 2 years following pregnancy complicated by pre-eclampsia. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2009 April 14; 9(1): 15. and Magpie Trial Coordinating Center. The Magpie Trial follow up study: outcome after discharge from hospital for women and children recruited to a trial comparing magnesium sulphate with placebo for pre-eclampsia. BMC Pregnancy And Childbirth. 2004 March 8; 4(1):5.
Doyle LW, et al. Magnesium sulphate for women at risk of preterm birth for neuroprotection of the fetus. Cochrane Database Syst. Rev. 2009 Jan 21; (1)
Somol interview.
Somol interview.





See Stephanie's site Work Stress Solutions for more information like this.

Magnesium and Stress: The Relaxation Mineral

When you are chronically stressed, you can become magnesium deficient even if you eat magnesium-rich foods regularly. The complex relationship between magnesium and stress explains why many people require magnesium supplements, because even a nutritious diet does not correct their magnesium deficiency.








Magnesium plays an important role in biochemical reactions all over your body. It is involved in a lot of cell transport activities, in addition to helping cells make energy aerobically or anaerobically. Your bones are a major reservoir for magnesium, and magnesium is the counter-ion for calcium and potassium in muscle cells, including the heart.



If your magnesium is too low, you can experience muscle cramps, arrythmias, and even sudden death. Ion regulation is everything with respect to how muscles contract and nerves send signals. In the brain, potassium and sodium balance each other. In the heart and other muscles, magnesium pulls the load.











Magnesium is an old home remedy for all that ails you, including "anxiety, apathy, depression, headaches, insecurity, irritability, restlessness, talkativeness, and sulkiness."




In 1968, Wacker and Parisi reported that magnesium deficiency could cause depression, behavioral disturbances, headaches, muscle cramps, seizures, ataxia, psychosis, and irritability - all reversible with magnesium repletion.



Stress is the bad guy here, in addition to our woeful magnesium deficient diets. As is the case with other minerals, stress causes us to waste our magnesium like crazy.



Magnesium Deposits and Stress

Several studies have also looked how stress levels affect magnesium. They found that during periods of extreme stress, magnesium is often used up by the body.


That means that not only is a significant portion of the country magnesium deficient, potentially leading to anxiety – there may also be a high number of people that use up their magnesium reserves as a result of their anxiety, thus contributing to more anxiety and more stress. This creates a loop effect where stress and anxiety are experienced without an external factor of causation.


Doctors know potassium deficiency is a danger for people on diuretics but they don’t acknowledge that magnesium is also flushed out in equal measure. Magnesium deficiency goes undiagnosed and unrecognized because until recently there was no accurate blood test for magnesium.



Magnesium is not as readily available as potassium; it’s deficient in the soil and most fertilizers don’t contain magnesium, so most foods are lacking. Also cooking and processing foods depletes magnesium. It’s found in whole grains, greens, nuts and seeds, but most people don’t eat much, if any, of those foods.


And yet, for some reason doctors think that we get all our nutrients in our very SAD, Standard American Diet and they don’t recognize the need for nutrient supplementation. It all stems back to a medical education that is funded by drug companies that have no vested interest in promoting nutrients. Vitamins and minerals can’t be patented and are relatively inexpensive.


Research shows that all the metabolic processes in the body, ALL OF THEM, depend on vitamins and minerals, which act as necessary co-factors. Magnesium itself is a co-factor and responsible for the function of 325 enzymes; is an absolute requirement for calcium to be incorporated into bone; keeps toxic chemicals out of the brain; dances with calcium to create nerve impulses and muscle impulses; keeps muscles relaxed, including the heart and blood vessels, and triggers dozens of health conditions if it is deficient.


Studies prove up to 70 percent of people are deficient in magnesium. Magnesium deficiency can trigger or cause many health issues including the following:

• Anxiety
  
• Asthma
  
• Blood clots
  
• Bowel disease (from constipation)
  
• Cystitis
  
• Depression
  
• Diabetes
  
• Fatigue
  
• Heart disease
  
• Hypertension/high blood pressure
  
• Hypoglycemia
  
• Insomnia
  
• Migraines
  
• Kidney stones
  
• Musculoskeletal conditions
  
• Fibromyalgia
  
• Chronic neck and back pain
  
• Fibrositis
  
• Nerve problems
  
• PMS
  
• Infertility
  
• Preeclampsia
  
• Osteoporosis
  

Everyone could benefit from extra magnesium. The only problem I encountered, is the laxative effect. If you are unable to absorb magnesium for whatever reason (alcohol, smoking, stress, poor diet, IBS), then you will not get enough of this enzyme and you will be on the potty and still experience all of the symptoms listed above! I found one product that works that doesn't create a laxative effect. It's not really that expensive either. It tastes too salty, if you ask me, so I put it in things that need salt: I put it in my food after I have cooked something that needs a salty flavor or even in a beer! My back pain and anxiety are GONE. And when I get a twinge in my lower back, I know I need to put more magnesium in me!
Here is my favorite caplet form, plus free shipping if you enter FREESHIP into the shipping code section.
Magnesium @ Jigsaw Health
Jigsaw says, "We are not the cheapest. There, we said it. We spend a great deal of our own money to partner with companies whose products work and who do business the way we want to do business. That means only the highest quality ingredients, each carefully researched and hand-selected to ensure the greatest potency, from the most reputable labs and manufacturers. We will not compromise the effectiveness of our products or your health to save a few dollars. This approach is the reason why so many families place their trust in Jigsaw Health. A responsibility we take very seriously."
From Steph: But it's still just $39 and 249 tablets per bottle is .15 per tab! And NO LAXATIVE EFFECT!
PLUS Here's the coupon code for 10% off when you checkout :
10percent

Go to Jigsaw Health.Com for non-laxative magnesium tablets.

The only other magnesium I have found that does not create a laxative effect is a liquid sold by Dr. Carolyn Dean called ReMag. But it's VERY salty and I have a hard time taking the dose because of it. It costs $29, but only lasts about a month. So, the folks at Jigsaw are actually very competitive.

Still not sure it's magnesium you need? Here's an article by Dr. Mark Hyman called "Magnesium: The Most Powerful Relaxation Mineral Available." See Stephanie's site Work Stress Solutions for more information like this.

Females Suffer More in Workplace

Female Employees 1.5 Times More Likely Than Males to Suffer Stress in the Workplace

By Hollie Mantle

A recent data analysis by health and safety consultants, Arinite, has found that workplace stress rates are 1.5 times higher in female workers than in males. This analysis reflects data over a five year period between 2009 and 2014. The number of females reported to be suffering from stress caused or made by worse by work has been substantially higher year on year compared to reported levels of stress amongst male workers.


What Counts as Workplace Stress?


According to Bryan Richards of Arinite, “there is a clear distinction between pressure which can create a ‘buzz’ and be a motivating factor and stress, which can occur when this pressure becomes excessive.” Each year in the UK half a million workers experience work-related stress at a level they believe is making them ill. Despite increasing awareness of the negative physical impacts of stressful working lives on the body, the analysis reveals that whilst the number of other workplace issues such as injuries and fatalities have either declined or remained steady over the past five years, stress levels amongst UK workers is on the increase.


In 2014, for example, 487,000 incidences of work-related stress were reported – an increase of 87,000 since 2011. An illustrative example of this health and safety data analysis can be seen here. Why are women more likely to suffer from workplace stress?


In a report titled, ‘Work, Employment and Society’ by Haya Stier of Tel Aviv University, participants from industrialised countries worldwide revealed that the quality of working environments for women appeared to be significantly lower than for men. The study focused on areas such as feelings of stress, tiredness and flexibility. Male respondents indicated that they felt levels of stress and exhaustion at work that were on average 5% lower than females. Their responses also suggested that opportunities for advancement were perceived as higher in males than females, and male workers also tended to respond more positively than females when discussing their feelings of job security.


On top of an inferior sense of wellbeing at work, women are still subject to a discriminatory pay gap which allows men, on average, to take home an additional £100 per week in the UK. These figures, based on statistics from the ONS, suggest that men can expect to earn on average £5,200 more than their female counterparts per year, whilst maintaining a higher level of mental wellbeing (see below for US statistics on pay gaps between the genders).


Implementing a Stress Management System


Overall, female workers experience higher levels of exhaustion, have less job security and earn lower salaries than male workers in the UK. This may go some way to explaining why the ratio of female workers suffering from work related stress or anxiety is 1.5 times higher than males.


Health and safety consultant Bryan Richards suggests that this issue is one that must be tackled by employers. Richards says, “Employers need to acknowledge this gender gap and make a point of addressing it when implementing a stress management system in the workplace. Where possible, employees should be given control over the pace of their work. There should also be a system in place so that employees are able to raise concerns about the working environment as and when they arise. “Considering females appear to suffer more when it comes to workplace stress, there needs to be a sufficient support system in place to provide help to this demographic. Employees should be able to raise concerns privately or anonymously, and then employers should brainstorm with workers as to how these issues can be dealt with. Bringing a neutral party to assist with these exercises can ensure employers are being fair.”


Tackling Gender Inequality


Stress is one of the biggest causes of sickness absence in the UK, with those suffering averaging a total of 30.1 days off per year. Considering sickness absence costs employers a whopping £495 per year per employee, it’s high time business started taking stress management seriously. Tackling gender inequalities in the workplace and ensuring female workers are fully supported is one step in the right direction.


Check out Arinite's Health and Safety Tracker Here:

http://www.arinite.co.uk/arinite-health-safety-tracker-infographic



Hollie can be reached via email at h.mantle@accuracast.com.




*Women in the US are paid .70 on the dollar to their male counterparts. Obama enacted the Fair Pay Act as one of his first bills once elected to office, but there is no current process for rectifying this gap.


See Stephanie's site Work Stress Solutions for more information like this.

Your Vibration

From Stephanie:

'My job is take the complicated and make it clear for YOU. Simplification of the perplexing is my goal. So, with that in mind, let's start with EVERYTHING.'

The Theory of Everything

If there is any "theory of everything" that can describe the whole universe, it is M theory, according to Hawking and Mlodinow. This model is a version of string theory, which posits that at the tiniest levels all particles are fundamentally little loops of string that vibrate at different frequencies. And, if true, all matter and energy would follow rules derived from the nature of these strings.
~Stephen Hawking

Everything that I think that I need to do, is all only in order to propel me to some place, that when I get there I think I will be happier. So, everything that I am doing, no matter what it is, all of my lists of rights and wrongs, are all about me getting to a manifestation, that I believe I will then be happier...So, why don't I take a short cut and just be happy?
~Abraham Hicks

The discipline that we would like you to exercise is to make a decision that nothing is more important than that you feel good, and that you are going to find thoughts that feel better.
~Abraham Hicks

How? How about THIS WHOLE BLOG! Go...surf...find something on here that raises your vibration!


See Stephanie's site Work Stress Solutions for more information like this.

New Page on My Website: Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence is FIVE TIMES a better indicator for workplace success than IQ. The good news is unlike IQ, EI can be increased intentionally. Go to my new website page for ways to deepen your EQ.





See Stephanie's site Work Stress Solutions for more information like this.

How to Focus a Wandering Mind

Great article on why it wanders and how to get control of it; should be good for meetings, etc.

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It’s not surprising—this kind of repeated mental exercise is like going to the gym, only you’re building your brain instead of your muscles. And mind-wandering is like the weight you add to the barbell—you need some “resistance” to the capacity you’re trying to build. Without mind-wandering to derail your attempts to remain focused, how could you train the skills of watching your mind and controlling your attention?

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FULL ARTICLE



Reading all this might make you think that we’d be better off if we could live our lives in a constant state of laser-like, present moment focus. But a wandering mind isn’t all bad. Not only can we leverage it to build focus using FA meditation, but the capacity to project our mental stream out of the present and imagine scenarios that aren’t actually happening is hugely evolutionarily valuable, which may explain why it’s so prominent in our mental lives. These processes allow for creativity, planning, imagination, memory—capacities that are central not only to our survival, but also to the very essence of being human.

See Stephanie's site Work Stress Solutions for more information like this.

Opening the Chakras - It's Child's Play

You may have heard the term "chakra" and dismissed it as new-age nonsense. But chakras are very real. This video, a cartoon excerpt, explains them very well (and enjoyably). Take a minute and enjoy this introduction to chakra clearing for better physical and emotional health.

Link directly to video or watch here (below):



See Stephanie's site Work Stress Solutions for more information like this.

Anger: What Is It Good For?

Answer: Absolutely nothing.

Maybe. I'm obviously paraphrasing Bruce here...but let me fill you in on my reasoning.

In my work, I've followed the research on anger most of all. Anger is the thing everyone signs up for my classes to avoid or remedy. It's the main theme for ALL of the interpersonal skill programs. How to avoid this result. The damage it does.

At first, the literature said: Let it all hang out; don't hold back. It's bad for you, it's not healthy. So, we all did. And that got a result...one most of us did not appreciate. One that did damage, esp. in the workplace. Lately, the research says the opposite: To indulge your anger, creates adrenaline neuropathways, that BEG to be fed, once laid down. And then we create situations to allow ourselves to anger/rage. It feels good at the time. And we all know how it feels afterward: mostly shaming, regretful, left cleaning up the consequences.

I've been thinking about this for some time now. I've noticed my relationships have only suffered, never repaired to their former state, much more damage done than benefit found.

I'm not sure what I want any of you to do with this. I'm just noticing the evolution in myself. I'm gonna continue to notice and will report anything I find that works for me...as always.

I can recommend just about EVERYTHING that Albert Ellis wrote. He wrote a lot..so that should keep you busy. He's got several books on anger and how to unplug from it.

See Stephanie's site Work Stress Solutions for more information like this.

Approval Seeking: One Way We Create Stress and Anxiety

Many people struggle with the "Disease to Please," and this blog entry by Adam Pearson is very helpful in sharing why we do it, what is behind it and how to stop it.

Here's a taste:

If we don’t feel worthy by default, then we need to lovingly cultivate the belief that we are worthy. We need to treat ourselves with the same respect that we offer to others. We need to recognize that we, like everybody else, deserve to be loved and to belong. We need to realize that we have value within us that does not need to be externally validated, that we are enough, and that we can find our value in ourselves. And we need to see our own worthiness so clearly that we no longer need to go hustle others for approval because we already approve of ourselves. We no longer need others to validate us because we already validate ourselves. If you’re in the midst of shame, this may sound like a distant reality from what you are experiencing, but as a recovering approval seeker, let me tell you that it is achievable. You’re not alone. You can do this.

He shares the antidotes to approval seeking as well: Shame-Resilience, Compassionate Self-Talk, and Cultivating Worthiness. Check it out. This may be just the thing to lower the stress levels and anxiety that comparison and people-pleasing can generate.

Silencing The Praise

See Stephanie's site Work Stress Solutions for more information like this.