The IT Girls Coach

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Tonight a client complained to me about the fact that she is unable to get any work done because people are always interrupting her. I asked her if she had ever considered putting a ‘do not disturb’ sign on her desk.

“I couldn’t do that” she replied in horror, “what would people think?”

I replied that someone we both know has a sign that she puts up on her office door when she does not want to be disturbed.

“Well that is o.k,” she replied, “she has an office.”

Huh, I said, “I wonder what makes it o.k. For someone who already has the protection of 4 walls and a door, to say they do not want to be disturbed, but it is not alright for someone who has only a desk or a cubicle, when they are in fact much more vulnerable to having their work disrupted?”

She is still thinking about that, so in the meantime, I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

~ Krissy

Any parent who keeps their children away from computers these days is doing them a grave dis-service, this little girl is not that unusual, and it is people like her who will shape our future.

You can read more about her on BNET

As a coach, working with clients who have been/are being bullied, and helping bullies to change their ways is just one of the things I do, when working with executive clients.

It is important to realize that bullying can take many forms:

* Having information withheld that affects your job performance - includes being excluded from business meetings and lunches
* Being exposed to an unmanageable workload - includes being given tasks with unreasonable/impossible deadlines
* Being ordered to do work that is humiliating or well below your level of competence
* Being yelled at and being repeatedly reminded of your errors or mistakes.
* Having your work stolen
* Having your opinions ignored or ridiculed
* Having your work excessively monitored
* Being humiliated or ridiculed with regard to your work
* Having insulting or offensive remarks made about you
* Having gossip and rumors spread about you.
* Dealing with passive aggressive behavior from colleagues
* Dealing with colleagues who put you down in order to elevate themselves.

Bullying can also cause people to feel physically sick, so is a contributor to sick days. If you dread going in to work on Monday mornings there is a good chance you are being bullied at work.

As you can see bullying takes on all kinds of guises and can be administered by all kinds of people, not just managers or supervisors. There is a lot being written about this topic as companies are beginning to realize just how this kind of behavior is affecting their bottom line.

If you are being bullied and feel powerless to do anything about it, get in touch with me and lets discuss your options. You do not have to live your life like this.

~ Krissy

Still not sure if you are being bullied or not? -read the following excellent article on Forbes.com:

In pictures, 10 signs you are being bullied at work.

Easter is upon us, and I wanted to send greetings with those of you who celebrate this holiday. I also wanted to reach out to those of you who don’t. I wondered how I might do this, and I finally decided that the best way would be to share a personal story.

I am not sure how religious I am. Now in my 40’s I am still trying to work that question out, mostly without much luck.

But Easter is special for me, and I thought today I would tell you why.

When I think of Easter, I can immediately smell hot cross buns.

I grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere in New Zealand, and we did not go to church that often, mainly because church was a tiny chapel in a nearby village and there were only services for Christmas, Easter, Weddings and Christenings.

I will never forget Easter Sunday though. We would dress in the morning, dad would find an excuse to disappear and the rest of us, my mother, me, my brother, and my two younger sisters would go to Church.  When we got home my mother would make hot cross buns. If we were good, and I hope, washed our hands, we could put the crosses on the buns.

Read full article here.