Compartmentalizing

Within a busy schedule and a demanding environment, we have commitments to fulfil in order to get by. Sometimes it's completing a project on time, preparing documents for others to use or staying focused on providing good service. Some days are easier than others. Some tasks are tougher than others.

As professionals we value being productive and staying motivated. With all our goals we set, sometimes we're asked to prioritize. This often calls us to look at our values and our situations to determine the best course of action. In some cases we are asked to make sacrifices. When it comes to making a sacrifice, often it's at the expense of our emotions. We have to put them aside in order to get the job done. Sometimes this is the only option, and although it doesn't feel right, we do it so that we can eat every day.

After hours when we're winding down and taking a moment to ourselves, those emotions come up again. The few of us lucky people will be able to deal with them right then and there. However when things get too busy, these emotions build up. Small things can turn into huge things over time. They can wear away at our well-being and eventually cause unwanted reactions.

I'd like to address the way in which we manage these emotions and explore the best ways to maintain 100% in the game whilst being physically and emotionally healthy.

To be a balanced individual we've got to break down the walls between emotions and thoughts, and move past the assumption that work can be done best without emotions in the way. We all know that we work best when we're happy. It's a fact. Internationally organisations are looking into improving employee satisfaction is order to improve their company's profitability. This is having some effect on management styles. The research shows that employees with more power are more willing to contribute towards business success.

Within South Africa we still have to take these changes on board. Some initial changes have been made, however overall it seems like people are still heavily reliant on the top-down approach to management of employees in order to get things done. Naturally change takes time. Where does the change need to start though? Do employees need to take the first step by standing up to their peers and state how they prefer to be treated? Do managers need to discuss more openly their sharing of power?

To some extent we all want to be happier in our jobs, since we spend most of our lives doing them. What, qualitatively, would make a significant difference to your job satisfaction? What could you begin implementing that may spark the beginning of said qualitative change?