Warning: this post may contain writing hazardous to lazy attitudes! Why is that a much too large percentage of the workforce is scared to take a white-knuckled kung-fu grip on the reigns of their career? This, an often thought question in my mind, has bobbed along on the meniscus of my consciousness for years.

Now, everyone incurs times of need in which the help of others is necessary. Just today, for instance, an associate and I had to put our heads together for several hours in order to complete a rather difficult coding task. This is a healthy, natural, productive way to pool resources. Sitting around day after day, barely making an effort to advance an employer’s mission is not.

“Good lordy this guy is as tough as nails today… what gives?”

Please understand that I, known to you as “ModWork’r”, understand that my opinion and perspective on life and the workplace may not align with varied opinions and perspectives of other professionals and quasi-professionals, but hey, thus is the cornucopia of life we all dig, right? Perhaps.

If in fact reasoning should be laid out (and it probably should) for my stance on the mediocre crowd that gums up the gears of business and public service, it shall be disclosed. Quite honestly, I’ve had the pleasure of working with many top-notch people who are steadfast in their fervent dedication to whatever challenge is introduced before them. For this, I am thankful and appreciative. I would, however be lying if I said I have not had to supervise and motivate some wet shoelaces.

What I’m striking at on the hot iron (aka “blog”) is, that the focus to bring about successful qualities and dedication lies within everyone. And by that, I truly mean everyone. I’ve seen the potential brimming at the seams of hes and shes gone by, and always hope that the sound advice and direction I served up will stick to them. If only a little bit, then to help them to consistently take that next step forward in being a respectable, productive member of the greatest economy on this planet.

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Occasional pressure is part of any job, but how you deal with it is what matters most. Coworkers have shared many stress-busting tips with me over the years and I feel it’s on me now to pass them along to you. I’m a mellow guy, so I rarely have to turn to these, but they’re good to have in the arsenal of tension diffusers.

- Have a cup of water. Water is the essence of life and staying hydrated will help in calming nerves.

- Read a chapter in a book. Or if you’re not much of a novel page-flipper, turn to a favorite magazine. Reading different material other than work, helps to introduce new thoughts.

- Draw a stick figure. Think back to how much fun you had as a child drawing to your heart’s content. Acting childish through sketches boost creativity.

- Close your eyes. It’s far easier to clear one’s mind when the visual sense is shut off.

- Listen to a song. Queue your favorite Tom Jones track and drift off momentarily to a land of the imaginary.

- Eat a piece of fruit. Our bodies need simple sugars to function well. Fruit has these and so much more. The power of naturally-occurring vitamins is uber beneficial.

- Write a note to a friend. On break, take 5 minutes to take out a pen paper. Don’t turn to e-mail; make sure this will get licked, stamped, and mailed.

- Go for a walk. Exercise increases blood flow and iron levels; both of which boost energy.

- Visit a new corner of your floor. Monotony is a leading cause of frustration. Touring the neighboring department will open your eyes to something new.

- Look through a window. A different view (with natural light) will relax the mind.

Now obviously, just one or a combination of these may not completely rid your system of stress. But, you can be sure that they will always lessen the amount of immediate pressure you might be feeling during the day.

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Various surveys and studies show that Americans switch jobs between 10 and 15 times through their career(s). Joe Torre is an exception to this, as the majority of his professional path has been with the highly successful New York Yankees baseball franchise as head coach. In the light of an uncharacteristic season of poor performance, Torre is now in the final steps of finalizing a three year contact with the New York Dodgers. Talk about a sticky situation in terms of flipping sides.

Personally, I like change in professional sports and this move by Torre will be fun to watch when the new baseball season commences. I’m not sure however, that Yankees fans share my point of view. By the way, if you’re an NY local, I’d love to hear your take on this whole situation.

Now, back to that statistic I had mentioned previously. If you’re like me, you’ve switched jobs a few times already and know the pressures that ensue in these types of situations. The circumstances can further be pumped up if the switch is from one company to a competitor. There’s hardly anything wrong with this, but soon-to-be-former coworkers might feel betrayed. Follow these key points to gracefully switch jobs without the drama.

- Do not exalt your new position. Bragging shows disrespect and is just plain sloppy. It’s perfectly acceptable to be excited…on the inside.

- Be thankful for the opportunity to have worked at your soon-to-be former workplace. Gratitude is appreciated by everyone, and employers are no exception. Serve up the proper respect and never burn bridges. This is natural for true professionals.

- Give it 100% through the last day. Excitement about moving on to a new position is not a reason to slack at a current job. Continue on through your last two weeks as you normally would and hold up your responsibilities

- Clean our your work area, thoroughly. Make a clean break by not leaving remnants of your former self. Honestly, as much as people might love you, they won’t love what you leave behind.

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Don’t be the person with the barely recognizable voice, muttering incoherently into the receiver’s ear about how you somehow aren’t at your desk. Be clear, concise and friendly so you’re voicemail is a greeting and not a nightmare.

Honestly, it’s doesn’t take much to craft an effective, yet pleasant voice mail intro. As long as you’re hitting some or all of the following key points, you’ll establish your phone reputation as upbeat. A good attitude is essential in all aspects of being a professional, if you wish to succeed.

• Thank the person for their call
• State that you are unavailable (optional: why you are away/busy)
• Ask for info such as name and phone number
• If beneficial, provide an alternate co-worker as “immediate assistance”
• Close out the message

I realize this may be, well… mundane to some of you but effective voicemail greetings are an often overlooked part of maintaining a certain level of professionalism and courtesy in the workplace. Make the extra effort to review your current voicemail intro and determine if perhaps it’s time to clean house and refresh with something new.

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Across the pond from the U.S., postal workers in Liverpool, England were on strike for the past several day. Nine days, to be exact. The members of the Communication Worker’s Union (CWU) went on an unofficial strike last week apparently over the rights to local negotiations about flex schedules. As you can imagine, no deliveries of parcels can and does have a major effect on business. Surely, Liverpool is glad their mail men and women are back in the saddle today, as 90% of the striking workers voted to end the defiance.

Strikes are controversial being that unions are seen as a thing of the past in many people’s eyes. Personally, I’ve never been part of a union however I can see the disadvantages and benefits for the employees. I’d love to have your input on the matter, particularly if you or someone you know works directly or indirectly with a union-prevalent environment.

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