Coffee Date Interview 14 - James Heydon

Name: James Heydon

Job Title: Analyst Programmer 


1. What drives you crazy at work?

How long have you got? At the moment I'm being driven crazy by teams of people who collect meaningless statistics about what we do to prove that we are either more or less efficient than we should be / used to be / want to be. I find these measures often totally miss the point.

2. What’s the first thing you do on arriving at work?

Get my colleagues a round of teas and coffees and catch up on what everyone is up to.

3. When the going gets tough......?

I tend to knuckle down and get on with it - quite often when actually what I should be doing is asking for help!

4. How do you relax / wind down after a hard day at work?

I find my 20 minute walk home is a great start to shrugging of the work day. On a Wednesday night I got straight from work to choir and there is no doubt that making music is one of the most relaxing things you can do.
Falling asleep in the front the fire at about 9pm also seems to feature quite regularly....

5. When you were little, what did you want to be?

A train driver (yup, really!).



6. What eats up most of your time at work?

Questions and problems from other people. I love that bit of my job but it does tend to interrupt the work I am supposed to be getting on with.





7. What’s the best advice given to you?

It relates to having children. Someone said to me to make sure you enjoy every stage they go through - even the bad ones - because all too soon you are on to the next one.

8. What are the 3 “always” in your life?

Family
Music
Sense of humour

9. Night in or Night out?

Night in

10. Jamie Oliver or Gordon Ramsey?

Honestly? Neither! But if you're going to make me choose Jamie Oliver.

11. Del Boy or Rodney?

Del Boy - I have an awful lot of big ideas that never really turn out quite how I'd hoped!

12. Countryside or Seaside?
Seaside every time!

Hannah Fox's Diary 17- The Big Meeting

Back in the office today and was called in for a meeting with Clive. He was full of praise for all the work I did to make the Kitchen Yard sales launch such a success.  On one hand I was pleased to get some recognition but on the other hand I am still annoyed at Clive for all the times he has gone off on freebies without telling me. The point is that I am becoming more annoyed with the situation and I don’t want it to affect everything else.

I had taken time to plan what I was going to say as I knew this opportunity would come up at some point.  I decided to just focus on how I was feeling about the Kitchen Yard contract rather than bringing up a host of other things, like Clive expecting me to spend extra time chasing the client satisfaction surveys and dumping extra work on me a moments notice... It was quite daunting as these things are important but I needed to be specific and it would be easy to get side tracked if I wasn’t careful.  I decided to use the Fact Feel Want method.

FACT
"I began talking to the sales team at Kitchen Yard after they contacted me 6 months ago. I did a lot of groundwork to find out how the company worked and did a lot of scene setting of how Maxisales could manage the account by giving them a comprehensive breakdown of the different POS options."

I took the file copy so I could show all the stages I went through. I then went on to say about the perks Clive attended without telling me that I was invited as well. I showed him the emails they sent saying how it would have been nice to have met me.

FEEL
When I went on to the feel bit I did feel a bit shaky and emotional, I had spent the previous 5 mins doing a calming breathing exercise and felt relatively in control, also I practised what I was going to say in my head a few times so I did feel relatively calm and just began telling Clive, 

"I feel hurt, undervalued and quite insecure. I also feel like I'm not respected and backed into a corner, as I would never be unprofessional and say anything to the client."
At this point Clive went in on the defensive and jumped in and said,

“I didn’t make you feel like that”. 

I responded with,

“That’s not what I said Clive, I said this is how I feel, not that you are making me feel this way".

Clive continued to say that he wasn’t undervaluing me so I reiterated that I felt undervalued.  I found it really hard and still felt quite emotional but I think he was getting my ‘dripping tap’ message so in the pause I went on to the want part.

WANT
The want bit was easier than I thought as I kept it specific ….I said,

"I am the National Account Manager and want to be included and recognised for doing all the hard work in building the relationship with Kitchen Yard . This means that in the future we should present a united front at events and either take turns or both go. Also I would like to invite Kitchen Yard to our offices and host the event so they can meet me and see that I’m in charge of the account."

Clive thought about my proposal and said he had already thought I should go to the next launch of their new outlet opening (really!) but wanted to co-host the event here with me. I was willing to meet him half way on this so we wound up the meeting on good terms.

Clive said he was glad we had this chat because he’d noticed I was not looking too happy and disappearing at lunch time and thought it was because of the smell of Graeme's lunch. He then went on to say he may have made a mistake buying the microwave for the office and would I like to have a word with Graeme about not cooking curries.

Mmmm looks like I will have to find an innovative way of saying NO!

Work
Happier now I’ve tackled the problem.

Family 
Amelia is sticking to her promise to look after the guinea pig and so far so good. Rita is very cute!

Social 
Out with Darren tomorrow night as he is not working away.

Well-being 
Enjoying my walks at lunch times – feeling a lot fitter.

Hannah Fox is a character.  She is based on our years of experience working for a national mental health charity supporting people facing stress in the workplace.  The names and characters are not based on any one person and all similarities are purely incidental.  However, hopefully we can all see a little bit of ourselves in Hannah.

Point to Ponder

Do you have anything that's really getting to you that a Fact Feel Want conversation might help? 

Midweek Motivation - 27th May 2015

Coffee Date Interview 13 - Karen Mayell

 

Name: Karen Mayell

Job Title: Research Nurse


1.  What are the 3 “nevers” in your life?
Never knowingly hurt anyone.
Never pass a toilet
Never leave the house with odd shoes on

2. Best light bulb moment?
That was so long ago I can't really remember. I think someone has turned the dimmer switch on.

3. What one thing would you change about your job or place of work?
I would change the car parking regulations so I do not have to get in so early in the morning.

4. What are the 3 “always” in your life? 
Always care
Always clean your teeth 
Always leave home in clean underwear

5. What made you laugh this week? 
I know I have laughed but for the life of me I can't remember what about. Should I be worried!!

6.  What’s your top tip for staying on top of things and getting stuff done?
Try to be organised and always do the toughest jobs first to get them out of the way. 

7.  When the going gets tough......? 
Think hard about what to do next. If you can talk the problem over with someone they can often give you a different perspective. Finally don't panic and just deal with each problem as it arises rather than trying to solve the whole thing.

Ness the Nurse - Nick Sharatt

8. Did you have a career plan or just meandered your way into your present job?

Always wanted to be a nurse for as long as I can remember.

My career path has been dictated to a certain extent by where I live and family issues but always wanted to be at the sharp end.






9. Mary Berry or Delia Smith?
A touch of both.

10. Pudding or Cheese and Biscuits?
Pudding usually but depends on my mood.

11. Night in or Night out?
Night in.

12. Wine or Beer?
Definitely wine particularly NZ Sauvignon Blanc or Argentinian Malbec.

Capita Health and Wellbeing Event

Work Smart Work Savvy had a great time yesterday at the Capita Health and Wellbeing Event sharing the room with many fitness clubs, gyms, the National Trust, a choir, beauticians, charities and more...

Recent research has shown that greater productivity is more likely to come when employees feel happy and well supported in their work rather than when a bumper bonus carrot is dangled in front of them. 
(The Times 30/10/14)

Work Smart Work Savvy posed the question to the staff visiting our stand;

WHAT FLOATS YOUR WORK BOAT?

Autonomy Feeling you have control and the freedom to be creative

Money Feeling that you will be paid a bumper bonus for the work you're doing

Purpose Feeling that you're contributing to something worthwhile

Mastery Feeling you have the time and resources to improve and excel

Each visiter to the Work Smart Work Savvy stand was given a small boat with which to vote!  The Capita staff gave the options plenty of thought and quite often a fair bit of discussion before choosing which port (bucket!) to float their voting boat! 

I can now reveal that the results for this very exciting and hugely scientific survey have been checked and independently verified....drum roll......

Ta da!!

45% of staff stated that their main motivator at work was Purpose, (feeling that you're contributing to something worthwhile).

In second place with Capita staff was  Money with 29%, (feeling that you will be paid a bumper bonus for the work you're doing), choosing this as their top motivator.  Although many admitted that they felt they were unlikely to get a "bumper bonus", many did say that it was the salary that was the motivator to get them out of bed in the morning and into work.

Autonomy, (feeling you have control and the freedom to be creative) was next with 14% of the vote.

Closely followed by Mastery, (feeling you have the time and resources to improve and excel) with 12% .

Thank you to everyone at Capita who took part in the "What Floats Your Work Boat?" survey, who stopped for a chat and who took a Work Smart Work Savvy postcard.

Hannah Fox's Diary 16 - Guinea Pigs and Pop Stars

 

Came home last night to a surprise, Darren has only gone and bought a guinea pig for Amelia! It seems that’s what the two of them were planning last week. I can’t believe he has gone ahead without even discussing it with me ………..  and no doubt, at some stage I'll be the one looking after it when Amelia gets bored.

He said Amelia deserved a treat because she had done really well keeping her room tidy and helping around the house. I agree she has done what we asked of her but personally I think a treat is an outing to the cinema or a riding lesson not a pet that will need looking after for the next couple of years. Also I know she wanted a guinea pig as she reasoned that if she proved she could look after a pet she would be able to have her real goal, which is to have a dog, something I’m really putting my foot down about. I have nothing against dogs at all but I just don't want to take on anything else at the mo.

Darren then announced he would be away for 4 nights next week so it seems he won’t be getting too involved in feeding and cleaning out little Rita.

We've called the guinea pig Rita as she has long white hair and she does look a bit like Rita Ora.

To be honest she is very cute but it’s just another thing Darren squeezed in as if I wouldn't even notice.

I left them to move her into the garage as I think they guessed I wasn't too happy, I quickly knocked up a Guinea Pig Task Sheet to organise the feeding and cage cleaning. Amelia is a bit disappointed that her name is down for all the tasks!

I reminded Darren it was his Mother’s Birthday next week and he asked me to get her a card and her favourite perfume.

What is it with men?! It’s the only birthday card he actually buys except mine and he can’t even think to get it in advance. 

OK I know I'm in a grump and probably being unfair but.....aaaaargh!!!

I am really going to struggle next week because both the kids have outings and sleepovers arranged. I have resigned myself to being a taxi service. Darren and I were going to go out for a meal with Katie and Shaun but I guess he has forgotten that.

Mum phoned and offered to help while Darren was away……but to be honest it would be easier if I just get on with things myself. Why do people wait until you are on your knees before they offer help?  And why does everything have to be so complicated?

Oh and no news from the work well-being survey- how surprising!

Well-being
Stress is starting to build up again

Work
Had another conversation with Kitchen Yard about supplying more POS material and I have been mentioned in dispatches. A feather in my cap.

Social
What social life?  I have a feeling me and Rita will be enjoying some evenings in together!

Family
Mum is a bit off with me because I refused her help.

Hannah Fox is a character.  She is based on our years of experience working for a national mental health charity supporting people facing stress in the workplace.  The names and characters are not based on any one person and all similarities are purely incidental.  However, hopefully we can all see a little bit of ourselves in Hannah.

Midweek Motivation - 20th May 2015