Psychology of Performance – 11 What happens when the C level is impaired?

As a business psychology firm, we get to consult and intervene with top performers in the C-Suite whose performance has dropped. There are many factors related to the performance drop. For this blog I am addressing those at the C level who are using enough alcohol that it affects their performance in overt and subtle ways. More than two drinks a day puts a person at risk for health and behavioral problems. It is not uncommon for one a C level person to get referred to us who is drinking 4-8 oz of alcohol per day and they report that they do not have a problem. How this shows up at work comes in the form of “fuzzy thinking”, just not as sharp as they used to be; missed deadlines (which at this level can be disasterous for the company; health markers deteriorting, which creates succession concerns; interpersonal behavior becomes unskillful or unwholesome such as kissing employees who do not want to be kissed, irritable outbursts, avoidance of difficult decisions; behavioral risks such as driving while under the influence, emabarrassing the organization at public functions. The costs to the company and the individual can be enormous. The good news is that the majority of alcoholics who are employed can get into treatment, return to sobriety and regain their previous level of performance. The motivation to get into recovery is provided by the employer requiring them to get help or lose their job. We have seen many successes. If you think you may fit any of these descriptions please contact your employee assistance program or if you do not have one, call us, we will help you get treatment.

Remember, I like you.

Bob

Robert A. Mines, Ph.D.

CEO & Psychologist

Mines and Associates

Parity Regulations Finally Released

For those of you who have been following The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) you’ll be delighted to know the regulations have been released.  You can view the full regulations here:

http://www.dol.gov/federalregister/PdfDisplay.aspx?DocId=23511

For those of you that don’t know MHPAEA is a federal law that provides participants who already have benefits under mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SU) coverage parity with benefits limitations under their medical/surgical coverage.

If you have questions or need help please contact us.

Posed by Ian Holtz, Sales Executive

Psychology of Performance – 8

As the new year approaches, this is often a time for people and organizations to review their performanace in the past year. How did you do compared to the goals you set? What did you do? What did you accomplish? What factors are interdependent with your success? What factors were interdependent with under performance or failure? What psychological autopsy do you need to do on the outcomes that were less than optimal as well as the successes? This might include a review of your assumptions, skills, systems, strategies, tactics and the “messiness” factors associated with resources, people, external events, internal events, resiliency and execution. The adherence and relapse information is also relevant on this point. The outcome is to learn what you can and move on in 2010 with a higher probability of success.  Where your mind goes, the energy goes…so set goals that are worthy of your attention and your organization’s attention.

Have a Happy New Year filled with prosperity, optimal health and equanimity.

Robert A. Mines, Ph.D.

CEO & Psychologist

HAPPENINGS FROM ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

Benefit Fair Finale

Thanks to all of you who hosted us for our 45 benefit fairs.  It was enjoyable to spend time with you and your employees.  We sure did give away a lot of bears!

 Welcome To:

Insurance Management Services and its client companies who joined us on December 1.  IMS was formed in June 1983 with a mission of offering unequalled service for the self insured health benefits market. They are locally owned and operated exclusively out of Amarillo, Texas.

Congratulations to:

 Box Studios – Lynn Coit, principal and founding partner, who received the 2009 Woman of Vision Benefactor Award from the Colorado Real Estate Women for using her professional skills to serve her philanthropic interests.

 The Rise of the Tide: New Findings

A study from Harris, Rothenberg International (HRI), takes a close look at the change reflected in the work environment in 2008 and 2009, analyzing the changes that are indicative of today’s economic environment. The report was developed following an intensive review of EAPs and work-life balance queries.   The report concludes that the common thread linking nearly all workplace programs and queries is the economy and its effect on finances.

The study determined that calls to EAPs in the past year have increased in intensity and need. In 2008, HRI reports, there was a nearly 10 percent increase in the number of calls coming into EAP counselors overall, with a corresponding increase in the number of queries (13 percent) about financial services. Additionally, work-life balance calls also became increasingly focused on general financial assistance, including information about and referrals for mortgage assistance, rent subsidies, child and adult care subsidies, prescription assistance programs and others.

 During the past year, there have been alarming trends in the intensity of callers’ duress and need for EAP and work-life balance services, specifically for counseling and emotional support, emanating from difficult financial situations. EAP counselors indicate that employees say they are working more and that people are more pessimistic. People who have lost their jobs or fear losing their jobs are calling for information about and referrals for career consulting, resume preparation, low-cost health insurance and other related needs. And statistics show that there have been increases in 401(k) hardship withdrawals.

 Judy Braun

Peggy Hill

Britney Kirsch

Account Management

Transcend – 9 Steps to Living Well Forever

According to a new book titled Transcend, by Ray Kurzweil there are 9 steps we can follow that create wellness and forestall aging and disease processes.  Here are the steps:

1) Talk with your doctor

2) Relaxation

3) Assessment

4) Nutrition

5) Supplements

6) Calorie Reduction

7) Exercise

8 New Technologies

9) Detoxification

You grew older today, but did you age as well?  If you drank a few cups of green tea, had five servings of fruits and vegetables, exercised for at least 30 minutes at your target heart rate, took nutritional supplements optimized for your age and health situation, spent quality time with close friends and loved ones, had a romantic time with your spouse or significant other, and got 8 hours of quality sleep, then you probably aged very little if at all.

Posted by Ian

Sales Consultant at MINES

Psychology of Performance – 6 Impeccable Sobriety

Impeccable sobriety is a phrase I first ran across in Carlos Castaneda’s work. To paraphrase, it is doing nothing that detracts you from reaching your goal. In the psychology of performance this is a powerful concept. We visualize what we want to achieve, see a process/plan for getting there, identify the resources we need to get there, attain the resources, and start. Impeccable sobriety implies that we do not deviate from this course. What happens to most people is that they run low on resources (i.e., dont get enough sleep and are too tired, did not work out and have less stamina, drank and were unfocused, did drugs, overate, let their high risk tendencies get them into situations that were not on track, let their risk aversive tendencies prevent them from effective action, let their all or none thinking get them into a relapse or untenable position, and so forth).  In Castaneda’s world, having less than impeccable sobriety for a shaman or an apprentice, would most likely get the person killed. What about your world, your dreams, goals and aspirations?

Have a day filled with compassion, sympathetic joy, loving kindness, equanimity and impeccalble sobriety.

Robert A. Mines, Ph.D.

CEO & Licensed Psychologist

Mines and Associates

Balancing Work and Life

Going from being a full-time student to being a full-time employee has been quite the transition over the past couple of months. With graduation just around the corner, I am now beginning to see that my life is headed for some big changes. While school felt like a full-time job, classes were spread out and my schedule was far more flexible. Now that Monday through Friday is fully scheduled, I have realized that balancing work and life is feeling more important than ever. Finding time for family, friends, and relaxation is not always easy, but the good news is that it’s possible. The following article from http://topten.org/public/BI/BI103.html presents some helpful steps when it comes to finding some middle ground between work and personal life.

There is no single formula for attaining a balanced life. It is a personal decision how one combines their career, spouse/significant other, children, friends and self into an integrated whole. The key is to develop creative solutions as you approach the challenges of balancing the responsibilities and joys of your multiple roles. Some of the same skills and strategies you use at work such as planning, organizing, communicating, setting limits and delegating can be used effectively on the home-front for achieving a satisfying, fulfilling well-balanced life both personally and professionally.

1. BUILD A SUPPORT NETWORK

Ask for help and allow yourself to be helped and contributed to. Get your children involved–work together as a team. Recruit friends, family, neighbors, bosses, work colleagues, etc. and ask for their support. Create back-up and emergency plans; always have a contingency.

2. LET GO OF GUILT

Guilt is one of the greatest wastes of emotional energy. It causes you to become immobilized in the present because you are dwelling on the past. Guilt can be very debilitating. By introducing logic to help counter-balance the guilt you can stay better on course.

3. ESTABLISH LIMITS AND BOUNDARIES

Boundaries are an imaginary line of protection that you draw around yourself. They are about protecting you from other people’s actions. Determine for yourself what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior from other people. Boundaries and limits define how you take charge of your time and space and get in touch with your feelings. They express the extent of your responsibilities and power and show others what you are willing to do or accept. Without limits it’s difficult to say “no”.

4. DETERMINE YOUR OWN STANDARDS

Get rid of the notion of being a perfectionist. Wean yourself off it by making compromises–figure out where the best places to make the compromises are without short-changing yourself, your spouse, your children, your boss, etc. Live by your own standards rather than someone else’s. Standards are about YOU and refer to the behavior and actions you are willing to hold yourself to.

5. CREATE TIME FOR YOURSELF

Being a good parent, partner and professional means being good to yourself first. Use your mind to make some affirmations for yourself. Find ways to relax, relieve tension and minimize stress. Taking some time off for yourself will not only benefit you, but it will benefit your family tremendously!

6. GET ORGANIZED.

Set priorities, work smarter not harder, delegate (and really let go!). Create lists and save them for re-use. Keep a main calendar centrally located to post everyone’s activities.

7. BE FLEXIBLE

Forgive yourself when things don’t get done. Understand that with children things change at a moment’s notice. Be ready and willing to assume responsibility for any of the tasks that need to get done at any time. Never get too comfortable, because as soon as you seem to get things under control, they change! Also, realize that in order to achieve success many women have had to give up their original goals and substitute new ones with different but equal challenges. Negotiate for what you need.

8. ENJOY QUALITY FAMILY TIME

Spend quality/focused time with your family. Give them your full attention. Develop rituals you can all look forward to. Create relationships with your spouse and children that are not incidental but rather instumental to your success.

9. FIND RELIABLE CHILD CARE

Leave your kids in capable hands. Find someone you feel comfortable and confident in. If you’re feeling ambivalent about working or about leaving your child, etc. do not show it–your child (at any age) will pick right up on it. Feel proud when you’ve found someone who fits into your needs. Get involved with your child’s care providers by communicating frequently and observing interactions between caregiver and your child.

10. ACHIEVE AN INTEGRATED LIFE

Keep things in perspective. Create harmony in your life–a mixture of work, family and friends. Remember, there is no single formula for balance. It is a personal decision how one combines spouse, children and career.

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About the Submitter

This piece was originally submitted by Natalie A. Gahrmann, M.A., Success Coach and Workshop/Seminar Leader, who can be reached at coachnatalie@rcn.com, or visited on the web. Natalie A. Gahrmann wants you to know: N-R-G Coaching Associates was founded to guide
professionals who have a career plus kids in creating a life that is more balanced, fulfilling, satisfying and successful. We are dedicated to helping working parents achieve work/life mastery. To subscribe to a free weekly newsletter for working parents, send a blank email to workingparenttips-subscribe@egroups.com.

 

Sarah Kinnel

Marketing Assistant

Stress in the Workplace

Hello MINES bloggers. My name is Sarah Kinnel and I’m the new Marketing Administrative Assistant. I have found an interesting and helpful article that I wanted to share with all of you. Stress in the workplace is something all of us deal with on a daily basis—the good news is there are many ways to cope with feeling overwhelmed. The following article entitled Stress at Work: How to Reduce and Manage Job and Workplace Stress focuses on key points that both employees and managers can implement in order to better communicate with one another. The article also brings light to self-awareness and how it can help aid in feeling more comfortable and relaxed, both in the office and life in general. I have included the beginning of the article here, and if you’d like to read more please visit http://www.helpguide.org/mental/work_stress_management.htm

Stress at Work

How to Reduce and Manage Job and Workplace Stress

In this difficult economy, you may find it harder than ever to cope with challenges on the job. Both the stress we take with us when we go to work and the stress that awaits us on the job are on the rise – and employers, managers, and workers all feel the added pressure. While some stress is a normal part of life, excessive stress interferes with your productivity and reduces your physical and emotional health, so it’s important to find ways to keep it under control. Fortunately, there is a lot that you can do to manage and reduce stress at work.

In This Article:

• Coping with work stress
• Warning signs
• Taking care of yourself 
• Prioritizing and organizing
• Improving emotional intelligence
• Breaking bad habits 
• What managers or employers can do
• Related links

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Coping with work stress in today’s uncertain climate

For workers everywhere, the troubled economy may feel like an emotional roller coaster. “Layoffs” and “budget cuts” have become bywords in the workplace, and the result is increased fear, uncertainty, and higher levels of stress. Since job and workplace stress grow in times of economic crisis, it’s important to learn new and better ways of coping with the pressure. The ability to manage stress in the workplace can make the difference between success or failure on the job. Your emotions are contagious, and stress has an impact on the quality of your interactions with others. The better you are at managing your own stress, the more you’ll positively affect those around you and the less other people’s stress will negatively affect you.

You can learn how to manage job stress

There are a variety of steps you can take to reduce both your overall stress levels and the stress you find on the job and in the workplace. These include:

• Taking responsibility for improving your physical and emotional well-being.
• Avoiding pitfalls by identifying knee jerk habits and negative attitudes that add to the stress you experience at work.
• Learning better communication skills to ease and improve your relationships with management and coworkers.

Warning signs of excessive stress at work

When people feel overwhelmed, they lose confidence and become irritable or withdrawn, making them less productive and effective and their work less rewarding. If the warning signs of work stress go unattended, they can lead to bigger problems. Beyond interfering with job performance and satisfaction, chronic or intense stress can also lead to physical and emotional health problems.

Signs and symptoms of excessive job and workplace stress

Feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed Apathy, loss of interest in work. Problems sleeping Fatigue, Trouble concentrating

Muscle tension orheadaches Stomach problems Social withdrawal Loss of sex drive Using alcohol or drugs to cope

Common causes of excessive workplace stress

• Fear of layoffs
• Increased demands for overtime due to staff cutbacks
• Pressure to perform to meet rising expectations but with no increase in job satisfaction
• Pressure to work at optimum levels – all the time!

 

Sarah Kinnel

Marketing Adminstrative Assistant

Psychology of Performance – 4

I just completed a very interesting book, “Born to Run” that my son and colleague, Matt Mines recommended. It is about long distance running, the Tarahumara runners, elite ultra marathoners such as Scott Jurek and most importantly, joy. There are many wonderful stories in the book. The most capativating were the stories of the runners who were in the moment, filled with joy and performing. The application to our world of work is clear as well. How often are we in the moment, filled with joy and happiness as we do our work? If not, what do we need to do to engage at that level? Where your mind goes, the energy goes!

Have a day filled with loving kindness, sympathetic joy, compassion, equinimity and impeccable sobriety,

Robert A. Mines, Ph.D.

CEO & Psychologist

Saving Money with Managed Care

A study published in July 2009 finds that employees on leave for mental illness return to work sooner when family doctor works with mental health professional…something we’ve been helping our clients realize for years.

Here are the details:

Individuals who are on short-term disability leave due to mental illness may return to work sooner when their family doctor actively partners with a psychiatrist or other mental health professional, according to a new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

When family physicians work collaboratively with specialists, the result seems to benefit both the employee and the employer, says study author Dr. Carolyn Dewa, Program Head for CAMH’s Work and Well-being Research and Evaluation Program at CAMH. Individuals on short-term disability are more likely to avoid transitioning to long-term disability, and to have a shorter disability leave, while employers see a cost savings in disability payments.

Estimates show that about ten percent of the working population is diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or other mental illness each year. In Canada, this represents about $17 billion in productivity losses to the economy.

Collaborative care

The demonstration project led by Dewa is the first study ever to evaluate the effect of partnering family physicians with a psychiatrist or other mental health professional when treating patients on short-term disability leave due to a mental health problem.

“One of the barriers to effective mental health treatment is the fragmentation that often exists between different types of health care providers,” says Dewa. “When people are in distress it is appropriate to go to their family doctor. Family physicians may refer their patients to specialists, but they are not necessarily partnering with the mental health professional. The result can be fragmentation of care. We wanted to see if a collaborative-care model could make a difference,” she says.

The demonstration study, published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, looked at employees on short-term disability leave over one year. Dewa and her team compared standard care – delivered by a single family physician who does not stay in active collaboration with the specialists – to a teamwork model that emphasizes availability of specialty mental health resources, increased communication between family doctors and mental health professionals, and follow-up care.

The Ontario government stressed the importance of collaborative care in its recently announced mental health strategy.

Cost savings to employers

Study participants receiving collaborative care returned to work at higher rates than those treated by a family physician alone, the study found. The average cost savings to employers was an average of $503 per patient.

“Our findings demonstrate that partnering or collaborative care is more cost-effective, increasing the amount of people who are able to return to work while decreasing the number of people transitioning to long-term disability. The cost of metal illness is a large burden on the economy, but if we are able to find new ways to work together, we can provide better care and decrease these losses,” says Dewa.

Eighty-five percent of participants treated in a collaborative-care team were able to return to work, compared to 63% who received standard care. Just 7% of those receiving collaborative care transitioned to long-term disability, compared to 31% treated by family physicians alone.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada’s largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital, as well as one of the world’s leading research centres in the area of addiction and mental health. CAMH combines clinical care, research, education, policy development, prevention and health promotion to help transform the lives of people affected by mental health and addiction issues. Individuals who are on short-term disability leave due to mental illness may return to work sooner when their family doctor actively partners with a psychiatrist or other mental health professional, according to a new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

When family physicians work collaboratively with specialists, the result seems to benefit both the employee and the employer, says study author Dr. Carolyn Dewa, Program Head for CAMH’s Work and Well-being Research and Evaluation Program at CAMH. Individuals on short-term disability are more likely to avoid transitioning to long-term disability, and to have a shorter disability leave, while employers see a cost savings in disability payments.

Estimates show that about ten percent of the working population is diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or other mental illness each year. In Canada, this represents about $17 billion in productivity losses to the economy.

Collaborative care

The demonstration project led by Dewa is the first study ever to evaluate the effect of partnering family physicians with a psychiatrist or other mental health professional when treating patients on short-term disability leave due to a mental health problem.

“One of the barriers to effective mental health treatment is the fragmentation that often exists between different types of health care providers,” says Dewa. “When people are in distress it is appropriate to go to their family doctor. Family physicians may refer their patients to specialists, but they are not necessarily partnering with the mental health professional. The result can be fragmentation of care. We wanted to see if a collaborative-care model could make a difference,” she says.

The demonstration study, published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, looked at employees on short-term disability leave over one year. Dewa and her team compared standard care – delivered by a single family physician who does not stay in active collaboration with the specialists – to a teamwork model that emphasizes availability of specialty mental health resources, increased communication between family doctors and mental health professionals, and follow-up care.

The Ontario government stressed the importance of collaborative care in its recently announced mental health strategy.

Cost savings to employers

Study participants receiving collaborative care returned to work at higher rates than those treated by a family physician alone, the study found. The average cost savings to employers was an average of $503 per patient.

“Our findings demonstrate that partnering or collaborative care is more cost-effective, increasing the amount of people who are able to return to work while decreasing the number of people transitioning to long-term disability. The cost of metal illness is a large burden on the economy, but if we are able to find new ways to work together, we can provide better care and decrease these losses,” says Dewa.

Eighty-five percent of participants treated in a collaborative-care team were able to return to work, compared to 63% who received standard care. Just 7% of those receiving collaborative care transitioned to long-term disability, compared to 31% treated by family physicians alone.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada’s largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital, as well as one of the world’s leading research centres in the area of addiction and mental health. CAMH combines clinical care, research, education, policy development, prevention and health promotion to help transform the lives of people affected by mental health and addiction issues.

Posted by Ian Holtz

Sales Executive

ipholtz@minesandassociates.com

(303) 953-4083