118. CT PB NOVEMBER 2008
John Miller conducted a Health Management program for The Group in November 2008.
10 people, 4 men and 6 women participants completed the following profiles: -
■ Health, Fitness and Wellbeing
■ Musculo-skeletal risk
■ Diet
■ Chemical intake
■ Stress risk
■ Career satisfaction
The results are presented in graphic format, with commentary.
Click here to read what the assessments are all about
HEALTH, FITNESS AND WELLBEING PROFILE
The Health, Fitness and Wellbeing profile provides people with a very good idea of how well the various systems of the body are functioning, particularly the
the mind
autonomic nervous system
immune system
digestive system
circulatory system
elimination system
musculo-skeletal system.
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Symptom |
None |
Not much |
A fair bit |
A lot |
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1. |
Headaches including migraines |
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10 |
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2. |
Lack of energy and vitality |
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10 |
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3. |
Candida - jock itch, thrush, tinea ... |
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10 |
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4. |
Poor sleep. If on tablets score 10 |
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10 |
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5. |
Snoring &/or sleep apnoea. Score 10 if using a mask |
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10 |
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6. |
Crook back, stiff neck, sore shoulders, dicky knee RSI ... |
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10 |
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7. |
Frequent colds, flu, sinus |
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10 |
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8. |
Unsettled stomach, reflux (Score 10 if on medication) |
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10 |
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9. |
Overweight - 1 point for every 2Kg |
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10 |
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10. |
Irritable bowel, constipation |
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10 |
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11. |
Asthma |
0 |
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10 |
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12. |
Low level of aerobic fitness |
0 |
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10 |
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13. |
Chest pain, palpitations |
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10 |
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14. |
Rashes, itchiness, skin outbreaks, psoriasis ... |
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10 |
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15. |
Mouth ulcers, cold sores |
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10 |
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16. |
Elevated blood pressure. Score 0 on pills |
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10 |
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17. |
Elevated blood cholesterol. Score o if on pills |
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18. |
Elevated blood glucose. Score 0 if on medication |
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10 |
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19. |
Shakes, nervous ticks, mannerisms |
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10 |
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20. |
Grinding teeth |
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21. |
Alcoholic drinks per day (2 pts/drink) |
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10 |
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22. |
Smoking. (1 pt/cigarette/day) |
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23. |
Caffeine (1 pt/cup per day) |
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10 |
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24. |
Anxious about life, insecure, apprehensive |
0 |
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10 |
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25. |
Sad or depressed (On medication, score 0) |
0 |
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10 |
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26. |
In wrong job for now |
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10 |
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27. |
Under-appreciated at work |
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10 |
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28. |
Have poor work/life balance |
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10 |
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29. |
Unhappy with family life |
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10 |
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30. |
Unhappy with financial status |
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Score |
The score of a normal, fit and healthy human being is less than 20
Higher scores are symptomatic of dysfunction of one or more body systems.
People with high levels of stress usually score well over 100.
For people with a score of more than 80, the background noise of their life is becoming louder and louder. It is hard to concentrate on your work when body systems are dysfunctional.
We know a fit and healthy group when we see the majority of scores below 40. This was not the case with this group. By and large higher scores are usually a reflection of
low levels of fitness
an inability to deal with what life and work are serving up to people.
Remember, it is not what happens, but how we deal with what happens that determines our level of stress.
Classification of average scores: Excellent - less than 40. Good - 41 - 50. Fair 51-60. Poor - over 60.
This profile is described as fair. The average score was 55. Anyone scoring more than 80 is putting up with a lot of 'background noise'.
HEALTH CLIMATE SURVEY
Based on scores received in the Health, Fitness and Wellbeing profile we've compiled a Health Climate Survey. Scores on each item have ranked - the higher the score the worse the problem. We added the scores for each item. The results appear in the table below.
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We registered those scores of 5 and over as being a symptom, issue or concern, the most pressing of which have been highlighted.
Perception
Based on people's perception (where they gave a particular symptom a score of 5 or more, and backed up by objective scores) the key issues are
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Obesity 25% of people said they were more than 10Kg over weight. It's a symptom of metabolic dysfunction and relates to high energy diets and low energy lifestyles. It's suggestive of elevated levels of insulin floating around the body, which is a precursor of all manner of body system dysfunctions - elevated blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, elevated blood glucose.
The recommendation, 25% of people need to get more exercise at lunch time and eat from the top of the Hourglass. |
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Snoring Nobody people said they snored.
Compared with other groups this is a good result.
The recipe for a good snore is to be male, be unfit and at least 20Kg over weight, to have high blood pressure, have a few drinks every night, be stressed out of their brain and sleep on their back. |
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Lack of energy Only 1 person said they lacked energy. Compared with other groups this is a good result. Low levels of energy come from many sources, including: - - lack of a good aerobic fitness training program - a diet high in wheat flour and sugar - dullness - ... |
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Fitness Only 1 person said they were not as fit as they would like to be. This is an excellent result fo9r the group. s
We recommend staff be given the greatest encouragement to leave the office at lunch time and get in some physical activity. One organisation we work for gives staff an hour and a half off for lunch, providing people exercise during that time.
Fitness has a significant bearing on the scores for low levels of energy, poor sleep, snoring, depression and headaches. |
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Musculo-skeletal dysfunction 25% of people said they had some sort of musculo-skeletal dysfunction.
Musculo-skeletal dysfunction goes with low levels of strength and flexibility. Those are greatest risk need encouragement to attend a strength and flexibility training program several times a week. |
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Rashes and itchiness Can be caused by a range of things: - - a body that's stressed producing too much cortisol - a toxic diet - a sluggish elimination system - itching to get away from something - ... |
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Headaches 33% of people said they regularly get headaches. Headaches are caused by - a diet high in wheat flour and sugar - caffeine withdrawal - lack of oxygen getting to the head - a sluggish elimination system - a head out of alignment due to tight and weak muscles - beating your head against a brick wall - ... |
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Colds and flu Symptom of a depressed immune system, one which can be strengthened by eating from the top of the Hourglass and getting plenty of aerobic exercise. |
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Under-appreciation at work 25% said they were under-appreciated at work.
Managers need to take note and put in train a series of measures to improve this score in say, 3 months time. This factor certainly needs addressing in more detail and re-evaluation. |
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Being in the wrong job
25% of people said they were in the wrong job.
There is usually a high and positive correlation between people being in the wrong job and people saying they are under-appreciated at work, this was the case with this group. |
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Diet A diet high in flour and sugar and low in fruit, vegetables and fibre leads to irritable and bowel, reflux. |
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Depression and anxiety There is an epidemic of depression in our community and we encourage all organisations to target depression. 1 people gave themselves a score of 5 or more on the depression question, indicating risk that need to be dealt with.
This person was on anti-depressant medication.
There is a significant core of depression that relates to poor health generally. All body systems are connected. It is important that these people be encouraged to have regular counselling - through the EAP or other counsellors - and be given encouragement to exercise at lunch time.
The best book about depression I've read, and what you can do about it, and one that I recommend highly is by psychiatrist, David Servan-Schreiber, Healing Without Freud or Prozac. |
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Blood pressure Nobody indicated they were on blood pressure medication.
Blood pressure is a symptom of body system dysfunction relating directly to
- lack of aerobic fitness - being over weight - being stressed. |
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Smoking Nobody smoked. |
MUSCULO-SKELETAL RISK FACTOR
Our musculo-skeletal risk factor profile looked at a range of parameters including mobility, strength and flexibility and whether people are training to keep themselves strong and flexible.
The musculo-skeletal risk factor profile is comprised of a mix of 7 objective and 3 subjective assessments.
Current musculo-skeletal condition
Abdominal strength test
Upper body strength test
Flexibility
Functional mobility the ability to sit down and stand up with ease.
Shoulder function
Dominant hand grip
Non-dominant hand grip
Flexibility training behaviour
Strength training behaviour
A score of 70% is attainable by those who have a regular and systematic training program.
Those scoring less than 70 are not doing sufficient in the way of strength and flexibility exercises. They are therefore exposing themselves to a high risk of musculo-skeletal dysfunction. (It would be bizarre for a workplace to offer to pay the rehabilitation costs of people who were not keeping themselves strong enough or flexible enough to do their job without succumbing to musculo-skeletal dysfunction, wouldn't it?)
This risk to The Organisation is much higher than the risk we see in other organisations. This is a poor result.
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A good result. 3 participants are experiencing mild pain and discomfort. Those scoring less the 6 need to be required attend a prehab/rehab program, for their own benefit and that of the organisation. |
As a group this is a better than normal result. Only 1 person indicated they were 10 or more kilos over their ideal weight. Being overweight greatly compromises mobility. |
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A excellent result. |
A very good result. Only 1 person failed the test. It is important to keep the strength of the muscles on the front of their body strong in order to keep their pelvis and spinal column in good alignment. |
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This is a good result. Only 1 person couldn't do one press up. They are leaving themselves open to upper back, shoulder and arm dysfunction.
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This is a good result. Everybody could touch their toes. As a rule, too many people have tight muscles along the back side of their body - calves, hamstrings, buttock and back. It's caused by two things - sitting down and not having a flexibility program. There is a high risk of lower back and neck dysfunction. |
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3 people had a mobility problem. Being overweight and having a game leg, bung hip and a crook back dramatically reduces mobility. |
With 1 exception a good result. |
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This is a much better result than we usually see. Most people have strength training program. Its usually the case, few people have a regular strength and flexibility program. The organisation needs to put in train a regular and systematic training program, on site, that includes
1. specialist prehab and rehab sessions for those at serious risk and those already dysfunctional.
2. daily strength and flexibility sessions for all staff. |
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Average score: 77. This is a good result. With 1 exception, tese people are in good shape. The risk of musculo-skeletal dysfunction is high due to low levels of strength and flexibility. There is a strong case for the organisation to implement an obligatory strength and flexibility program for those who scored less than 60 in this profile. |
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Lack of strength and flexibility is something that the Organisation needs to take seriously and monitor carefully and put in place an organisation-wide strategy to improve musculo-skeletal function. By far and away a high proportion of people do not have a strength and flexibility program. As a result they are getting weaker and tighter by the week, thereby exposing themselves and the organisation to risk.
When push comes to shove and people become dysfunctional, it will be The Organisation that ends up paying the high cost of an avoidable musculo-skeletal complaint. Click here to read the article from injury to dysfunction. Click here to read about swifties and fallacies.
In our opinion musculo-skeletal dysfunction caused by lack of a regular and systematic strength and flexibility program cannot be classified as an injury. Responsibility for musculo-skeletal dysfunction needs to be sheeted home to individual employees, though its unlikely to happen without the establishment of a culture within the organisation that supports, values and understands strength and flexibility.
We recommend a range of strength and flexibility classes that are readily available Australia-wide: -
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Posture and Flexibility |
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Yoga |
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Crookback Clinic |
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Tai Chi |
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Pontius Pilates |
The Organisation would place itself in the forefront of OH&S practice if it took the musculo-skeletal risk seriously and moved heaven and earth to educate all staff about this risk and encourage them to take part in a regular strength and flexibility program. Maybe The Organisation and its worker's compensation insurer could invest in a pilot program to increase staff strength and flexibility!
The lack of strength and flexibility training coupled with poor abdominal strength, upper body strength, flexibility, shoulder function and grip strength is a cause for concern and needs the attention of individual staff and managers.
Recommendation
We strongly recommend that the people who are in current poor musculo-skeletal condition, and who lack abdominal strength, upper body strength, flexibility, shoulder function and functional mobility, in particular those who scored less than 60 on the profile, be obligated to attend regular, in-house strength and flexibility classes.
The pressure on the organisation's workers' compensation costs is such that to do otherwise would, in our opinion be to abrogate a responsibility for the prudent management of the organisation's finances.
STRESS RISK PROFILE
Participants completed a simple stress and relaxation profile designed to assist them in making an assessment of how they were affected by stress. It is based on the habits of unstressed people.
If you do what unstressed people do you are less at risk of becoming stressed. Im yet to see someone who said they were highly stressed or depressed who got a high score on this profile. A good score is over 70.
How would you rate your current stress level
Do you get a good nights sleep?
Do you take your holidays?
Are you keeping yourself fit and healthy?
Is there balance in your life?
Do you take time off at lunch time?
How many hours a week do you work?
Are you good at giving back to your Self?
Do you meditate?
Are you happy with your family (and romantic) life?
The matter of stress always needs to be addressed by organisations as part of a personal development thrust, and aimed at all staff. If stress management type programs are to be conducted, all staff need to be involved, otherwise those at most risk and those who are currently most stressed (and too wrapped up in their own busyness) will not attend.
For those who spend long hours at work, I often wonder whether the behaviour is externally or internally driven. I suspect the latter. No body on their death bed ever said 'I wish I'd spent more time at the office.'
A few people are struggling with their family life. This is another fertile area for personal development and counseling programs. It's hard to concentrate at work when your home life is in turmoil
SCORING GUIDELINES
Excellent, scoring 8 or more
Good, scoring 7 or more
Fair, scoring 5 or 6
Poor, scoring less than 5
Pass mark on all parameters 7/10.
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With a couple of exceptions, this is a reasonable result. |
This is a mediocre result. 45% of the group don't sleep as well as they would like. The first casualty of anxiety and low levels of fitness is sleep. The first causality of anxiety is poor sleep. Find out the cause of the problem. Exercise more, drink less. | ||
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A poor result. Paul Pearsal in his book Superimmunity' said you need a 21 day away from home holiday every year. |
With a couple of exceptions, a good result. |
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With some exceptions this is a reasonable result. |
A patchy result. Some people are not taking adequate time off at lunch to switch off and get outside in the fresh air. This is a reflection of poor management - personal and organisational |
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This is a patchy result. No one on their death bed ever said 'I wish I'd spent more time at the office.' The people working the longest hours are women with young children who have a shift before work, a shift at work, a shift after work and the graveyard shift as well. |
Too many people are too busy to look after and nurture their Self. |
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Very few people meditate. The reasons to do so are compelling. |
Family life satisfaction is good for most people, but not for some. The tail suggests the organisation could encourage staff with family problems to go to the employee assistance program for advice and support. |
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Average score: 59. This is indeed an average sort of a score. People could do more to look after their Self. I recommend that people scoring less that 50 spend time with a counselor or life coach, or go to a personal development weekend to get themselves centred and grounded on looking after their Self - start doing the things unstressed people do to avoid becoming stressed. |
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CAREER SATISFACTION PROFILE
The parameters in the profile relate to a mix of factors influences by the participant, management and their colleagues.
How close are you to doing the job youd really like to be doing?
Are you in the right job for now?
Is work giving you life or sucking life out of you?
Are you focused on your career options?
Do you get good feedback from your manager?
Do you receive an appropriate financial reward?
Do you feel you and your work are valued and appreciated?
Do you work for an organisation that cares about people?
Do you enjoy the company of the people you work with?
Whats the level of morale like in your work group?
Normally, when results on the overall career profile are less than 70/100, people agree that theyre not in the right job. Certainly those scoring less than 60 have sufficient issues relating to career management as to seriously consider going somewhere else.
SCORING GUIDELINES
Excellent, scoring 8 or more
Good, scoring 7 or more
Fair, scoring 5 or 6
Poor, scoring less than 5
Pass mark on all parameters 7/10.
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This is a mediocre sort of a score - too many people are too far away from what they'd really like to be doing. It doesn't do much for vitality. My encouragement to people who scored less than 6 is to move heaven and earth to work out what it is they really want to do - and develop a plan to get there as soon as they can. |
This is a poor result. Good managers can find out who the people scoring less than 7/10 are and assist them to move to the job they'd really like to have. It could be within the organisation or somewhere else. OR the current job could become transformed with a vitality transplant. | ||
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Overall a poor result. Work is probably about as stressful as you want it to be. Walk away. Make appointments for your Self that allow you to get on with your work unhindered by interruptions. |
A fair result. Some people are not particularly focused. |
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This is a fair to middling result. 4 people are not getting good feedback from their manager. Of all our profile questions, this one is usually the worst answered. In this organisation there's some extra work for managers. For staff our recommendation is always to manage up. A lot of managers fall into the trap of getting on with their own work rather than seeing the principal function of their work being to manage their staff. Some don't have the personality, the confidence, the know-how or the aptitude. So, manage up. Take your manager out for morning tea once a month and talk about yourself and your work. Get some regular feedback. Don't wait for the big one at the end of the year. If you manager doesn't have time for you, get another one! |
These people are pretty satisfied with what they sell themselves for. If you're not happy, you're selling yourself short. Log onto Seek and get your suit dry cleaned! |
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By and large this is a good result. With 3 exceptions, work is valued and appreciated. |
With 1 exceptions, this is a very good score. The aim is to have all staff recording a score of 7 or more. |
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| This is a very good score. People like working with each other. We rarely see scores like this. | This is a good morale score. It's generally the case that our morale is good when my morale is good. The exceptions need to be dealt with. | ||
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Average score: 70. Compared with other groups, this is a good, result. For people who score less than 70, there is the whiff of a suggestion they're not in the right job. The situation is certainly redeemable. For people scoring less than 60 the smell is becoming distinctly stronger and below 50 it is very strong. Being in the wrong job sucks all vitality out of you.
For those who are in the wrong job there are several options; change your manager, change yourself or change your job. |
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The Buddha and Confucius both said 'Find the job you'd love to do and you don't have to do another days work in your life.'
RECOMMENDATIONS
See the generic list of recommendations that cover all our profiles.