Wednesday, April 20, 2011

FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO WORKED AT MCDO

McDonald’s: Jeff Bezos and 5 Other Famous Folks Who Worked There

By Amy Levin-Epstein | Apr 19, 2011

McDonald’s plans to hire 50,000 new employees today as part of a “National Hiring Day” initiative. These new employees join some pretty famous folks who have worked at Mickey D’s over the years. Here are 6 celebs who I vote least likely to have uttered the words “Do you want to supersize that?”
1. Jeff Bezos
The Amazon CEO says that he learned real life skills at McDonald’s — like how to cook breakfast quickly. He told Fast Company that ”one of the great gifts I got from that job is that I can crack eggs with one hand. My favorite shift was Saturday morning. The first thing I would do is get a big bowl and crack 300 eggs into it.” I wonder if he can still do it now.

2. Rachel McAdams
McAdams admitted she wasn’t an A-list employee during her stint at the Golden Arches: “I was slow — I would be organizing the sweet-and-sour packets in the customer’s takeout bag while the line snaked out the door.” Good thing (for her fans as well as potential customers) that she didn’t keep her day job.

3. Macy Gray
This soulful singer didn’t just work at McDonald’s, she called it her “first big break” in a 2006 ad for the company. And that’s not the only famous face that was featured in that ad…

4. Carl Lewis
Another member of that marketing moment? This 9-time Olympic gold medalist, who’s now running for a state senate seat in New Jersey, said in the commercial that his McDonald’s job was “my first race around the clock.”

5. Jay Leno
The late night host shared with Oprah that his local McDonald’s gave him a job, as well as his first taste of comedy success, when they hosted a talent show. Of all the people on this list, Leno seems to me like he’d be the most comfortable flipping burgers.

6. Pink

This pop star probably wasn’t a superstar in the eyes of her boss when she worked at the fast food chain in high school. She admitted in an interview: “I was horrible…I’d be tripping on acid…and I would say, ‘Could I have bathroom duty?’ And I would sit in bathroom and watch the tiles.” Perhaps her ex-manager will see this and her odd request will finally make sense?

Did you ever work at McDonald’s? What useful skills did you learn? Please sign in below and share.

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MY THOUGHTS

That's interesting news.  Shows us how something, which seems to be irrelevant and small, can actually open doors for big things.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

DO YOU HAVE A GOOD JOB?

Do you have a good job? Take the test


Today's job market favors employees. The attitude of most workers is that they should have a job that makes them happy. So it's no surprise that at any given time 70 percent of the workforce is job hunting, according to the Wall St. Journal.

Everyone is looking for the right position. But what exactly does that mean?

Here is something it's probably not: Prestigious. People who chase fame and prestige are generally not as happy as other people. If you're after fame, you are setting goals that are dependent on other peoples' approval. Conversely, goals about self-acceptance and friendship make you happy because you have more control over them.

You might think you're different – that you have a legitimate shot at fame. Ninety percent of young workers think they are in the top 10 percent of all workers, according to Business Week. Also, 40 percent think they will become famous. The reality is 1 or 2 percent ever achieve a modicum of fame.

A good rule of thumb when choosing a job to make you happy is to pick one that is based on the following list of attributes.

To test a job to see if it's good, give the job points for each attribute it has:

1. A short, predictable commute – 1 point

The problem with a long commute is that it is long in a different way each day. Sometimes it's the rain, sometimes there's an accident. Sometimes traffic is backed up for no apparent reason. Humans can acclimate themselves to a lot of traumatic stuff – even being a paraplegic, according to Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness. But you cannot acclimate yourself to something that is bad in a different way every day.

2. Workflow you can manage – 1 point

This is not about doing work. This is about managing your personal life, which you cannot do if you have no control over your workflow. You need to be able to predict when things will be difficult and when it's safe to focus more on your personal life. This is why management consultants are generally happy – they oversee their own schedule. But those who hold client-heavy jobs, such as lawyers or financial analysts, have to jump at a clients' whim.

3. Clear goals that are challenging – 1 point

Goals that are not challenging result in boredom, not happiness. But challenging work without a clear goal is a bad job waiting to happen because people want to know how they're doing. But you can't get feedback from a boss who does not set clear goals to manage your progress.

It is worth noting that the primary cause of workplace burnout is not the amount of time spent working, but whether the work you did can make a difference. For example, nurses on the pediatric burn unit have high turnover because it is exhausting to be taking care of children without being able to stop their suffering. Conversely, entrepreneurs are typically happy because they have so much control over workflow and goals.

4. Two co-workers you're close friend with – 3 points

If you have two good friends at work, you are almost guaranteed to like your job, according to Tom Rath, the author of Vital Friends. This is, in part, because you can process the bad parts of a job more productively with friends by your side to help you.

So finding a job you like or turning a bad job in to a good job might actually be totally under your control; you can decide you are going to be likable and make friends, or not.

Test results:

0-2 points, probably not a good job

3 points, probably a good job

4 – 6 points, probably a really good job

MY THOUGHTS

How did you fare? If you scored 0-2 points, don't go running off to another job. There are ways and ways to improve your lot - find a place nearer your work, manage your time and leave enough room for the unexpected, set your own challenging goals (if your boss won't do it for you), and go and forge those friendships. Two friends from a throng of people is not too much to ask. Unless you're with a bunch of freaks working in a dysfunctional organization.

Monday, April 11, 2011

TAKING IT EASY

Why You Should Be a Slacker
By Suzanne Lucas | March 29, 2011

If you want to get ahead, you need a Type A personality. Go, go, go. Right? The more stress you’re under, the better you perform. You can handle everything.

Sue Shellenbarger at the Wall Street Journal reported on a new study in the Journal of Applied Psychology. Researchers found that slackers actually handled life better than their go getter counterparts.

But in a finding that may baffle busy-bee readers, people who avoid problems – those we might call slackers in a different context — who withdraw and, say, lie down and take a nap instead of tackling dilemmas right away, actually do better with life conflict, and seem to have more energy, says the study.

The part about the “slackers” having more energy isn’t surprising. After all, they just took naps.

But, overall this makes sense. By taking some down time, they have time to evaluate whether this new problem is actually worth solving. How many of times have you had “urgent requests” become “oh never mind, we’re going another direction” an hour later? Look over your email after you’ve been stuck in an off site training all day without access to email? You weren’t there and magically some problems solved themselves.

In addition, you can often think of solutions when you’re not staring at a problem directly. Go for a walk, talk to a friend, do something other than dwelling on the problem you are currently facing.

More fascinating is the finding that people who seek out other people for emotional support reported more stress. These people probably take the stress into their relationships instead of using the relationships for an escape from problems.

So, stop complaining, and go take a nap. By the time you wake up, perhaps you’ll be less stressed and one of your type A coworkers will have taken care of three items on your to-do list.

MY THOUGHTS

Loosen up. Cut your self some slack. Relax. Re-energize. The world won't stop revolving because you took it easy for awhile.

Friday, April 8, 2011

KICKING THE MULTI-TASKING HABIT

How to Kick the Multi-Tasking Addiction
By Margaret Heffernan | March 3, 2011
www.bnet.com

Multi-tasking has become an epidemic. According to recent research, college students in lectures are opening, on average, 65 new screens per lecture - 62 percent of which are entirely unrelated to the lecture or the course. They’re also instant messaging and sending email.

Not surprisingly, the researchers found there is an inverse relationship between this multitasking and academic performance. Learning takes longer, involves more mistakes and may mean that learning isn’t retained for long.

Of course, executives around the world also behave the same way, hoping that, by doing so many things at once, they will somehow be more productive.

The evidence suggests otherwise. Here’s why:

* Multitasking is an urban myth: Cognitive scientists have demonstrated that we never truly multi-task; we merely task-switch (albeit very quickly.) Between each switch is, effectively, a blind spot. Information gets dropped, overlooked or under-valued. This is also why you can’t safely drive and talk or text on your cell phone at the same time; your intellectual capacity is worse than if you’re over the legal alcohol limit. Computers might be able to multi-task, but the mind cannot.

* Productivity isn’t a function of hours: We think by doing a great deal all the time that somehow we will get more done. This is an industrial revolution model of productivity: if you can make 10 widgets in an hour, you can make 100 in 10 hours, right? Wrong. Even in manufacturing it doesn’t work because you get tired and make mistakes. When it comes to intellectual processing, it is even more wrong. As we get tired, we lose the ability to discriminate and discern. We may keep going but the quality of our thinking declines. What creative work needs is a balance of focus and rest. That’s why you may often find you get your best ideas driving home.

Breaking the cycle

It’s hard to break our multi-tasking habits. And it’s even harder if you have a boss who loves multi-tasking and thinks anyone not working this way is a slacker. Is there any way around that? Yes. The most important argument to win is the productivity argument.

1. Make sure you’re measured on output, not hours. If you are rewarded for the quality of the work you generate, then you can reasonably argue that how you get that work done is your business.

2. Set the tone in the meetings you call: Don’t use your BlackBerry. You’ll also find the meetings might be shorter if you ask everyone not to bring their phones!

3. Don’t evangelize, even after you’ve found the new benefit of mono-tasking. Ultimately all those addicted multi-taskers will have to find their own way to kick the habit.

MY THOUGHTS

I used to brag about my multi-tasking capability. Until I realized I was wasting more time re-doing things because they were done haphazardly. Being mindful of what you are doing results to more quality work. How can you be mindful when you're doing 2-3 things at the same time.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Signs of Job Burnout

Seven signs of job burnout
By Janet Fowler, Investopedia.com

http://lifewise.canoe.ca/Investopedia/2011/03/29/17793221.html

With the current economy's move towards efficiency, many employees are facing greater demands for their time. Perhaps through downsizing in the organization or cutbacks in operating funds, many organizations are running leaner and employees are often feeling the pressure. When employees feel intense pressure in the workplace, this can lead to stress, anxiety and even burnout. Burnout comes when an individual faces prolonged exposure to stressors, leading to a state of physical, emotional or mental exhaustion. Many people don't even realize that they're experiencing burnout until they suffer health issues as a result. Use these signs and symptoms to help determine if you're experiencing job burnout.

1. Procrastination or Loss of Motivation

Do you remember the days when you were eager to get to the office and felt the satisfaction of meeting a major deadline? An important aspect of success in the workplace is feeling an internal desire to perform, and finding satisfaction in the work that you do. If you no longer feel the motivation to strive for perfection, find yourself procrastinating or simply putting in the minimal amount of work to meet deadlines, you might want to examine what's brought on the change in your motivation.

2. Absenteeism and Lateness

Calling in sick often? Constantly showing up late or leaving early? Employees who are often absent could potentially be experiencing burnout. If any excuse not to attend seems good enough, or if you're desperate to leave as soon as possible, it may be a good idea to investigate the reasons you're feeling this way. It is also a possibility that if you are ill more often that this could be related to burnout. People who are unhappy or stressed often have a weakened immune system.

3. Every Day Seems Like a Bad Day

Do you find yourself responding negatively every time someone asks you how your day was? If your negative feelings tend to revolve around your workplace and you're unable to think of anything positive that happened during your workday, this is definitely a symptom of job burnout. Taking some time to find the positives in each day may help to make your job seem more tolerable.

4. Isolating Yourself from Others

No longer taking lunch or coffee breaks with your coworkers? Trying to dodge out of the office without having to say goodnight? If the days of being the life of the office party are gone, perhaps you should step back examine the reasons. Isolating yourself from others can be a symptom of a much larger issue, such as anxiety, burnout or depression. If this behavior seems isolated to the workplace, this could definitely indicate job burnout; however, any time you notice yourself withdrawing from others, you should question what's brought on the change.

5. Cynicism

Feeling like things will never improve, or finding yourself questioning what you're even doing at work? Feelings of negativity, bitterness or resentment towards your job, or feeling like the work you do will never be good enough indicates job burnout. Take a moment to ask yourself if what you're feeling is rational. Are things really as bad as you perceive them to be?

6. Overreacting

Do you find yourself becoming angry or frustrated with almost everything your coworkers or clients say or do? If you have outbursts of anger over small issues in the workplace, job burnout could be the culprit behind this behavior. If your coworkers are walking on eggshells any time you're around, then you probably need to step back and reevaluate. Remember that your coworkers are just trying to do their jobs as well. Reminding you of a deadline, asking you to attend a meeting, or inviting you to chip in on the office lottery pool isn't an invitation to vent your frustrations.

7. Depression

At its very worst, depression can be the outcome of experiencing prolonged burnout. Depression can manifest itself in many ways. Changes in sleep pattern, increase or decrease in appetite, emotional outbursts, refusal to participate in social activities, and isolation are all symptoms of depression. Unexplained physical pains may also be attributed to depression. Depression, when left untreated, can cause individuals to take part in self-destructive behaviors, such as excessive drinking. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should speak to your doctor as soon as possible. (Job loss can be devastating. Learn how to anticipate it and quickly get back on your feet.

The Bottom Line

If you're experiencing a number of the signs and symptoms of burnout, you should examine the cause of your feelings and what you can do to change your workplace environment to make it healthier for you. Don't be afraid to address the issues that are making you feel stressed or unhappy. Ultimately, if you feel like a change of environment would be best, it might be time to start looking for a new job. If this isn't an option for you, there are other possibilities. Perhaps requesting a transfer, or asking for new job tasks that will revive your interest can help to improve your motivation.

Finding motivation or happiness in other parts of your life can help to improve your outlook at work as well. Making a point of spending your off hours on hobbies, taking a vacation, or being physically active may help to improve your attitude and ability to handle stress overall. If you are at the point where you are experiencing burnout to such an extent that you are feeling depressed or taking part in self-destructive behaviors, you should speak to your doctor about long-term risks to your health and wellness, or possible treatments.

MY THOUGHTS

Bottom line - one or two of the above is already a symptom of the worst to come. Don't wait until you have all 7 signs.