A standard operating procedure, or SOP, is a very clear, written document that describes the steps needed to complete an activity. It comes from you watching what procedures are done in your business, every tiny procedure, and writing those down step by step, very simplistically. You should break them into the smallest possible tasks, write them, and put them in a written manual, so that you can train and teach other people to do the tasks.

I recommend you write very, very simply. Be sure that you explain every detail and don’t assume that anyone will know how to get the job done unless the details are there. Look at every aspect of your business and write an SOP for each and every aspect. This way, your business will be heading standards and you will know that things are done as they’re supposed to be done in a timely and effective manner. Standard operating procedures and taking the time to write them will save you a lot of time and energy in the future. Get busy.

All you have to do is post a VIDEO TESTIMONIAL (on Youtube) saying how you have used my products and how it has helped you.

The only rule is you must state the name of the report, information, book, program, audio, video, whatever, in the testimonial and refer to where you found it – and the website name you need to type in the description box is:

http://www.TerriLevineRecommends.com

This is where I now keep all my products and this is where you will find any products you’ve purchased in the past that may have been on a different site back then.

Then send the testimonial video URL to me at t@coachinstitute.com so I can go check it out.

If it is good, you will win a Flip Video Camera.

How easy is that!

T

Depending on who you ask, you will get varying answers to the question of whether working overtime is worth it or not.  The general consensus of opinion is negative, with research finding that working overtime has been linked to anxiety and depression. Yet clearly, not everyone who works overtime suffers either of these conditions… so what gives?

In pretty much every country in the world, workers are busy working overtime, whether it is staying at work longer, taking work home with them during the week and on weekends or even taking it on holidays with them.  When you work overtime, you are missing out on precious time you could be spending with family and friends or doing activities that make your life fulfilling and enjoyable and that contribute to your physical and mental health and wellbeing. Working overtime can also provide valuable extra income or flexible hours when you can take time off during the day when you need to, that is, provided you have a mutually satisfying agreement with your employer to enable that.

A business will most likely never ask you to stop doing overtime if they don’t have an agreement with you in place to compensate you, because the extra productivity they are getting at your expense costs them nothing!  The extra productivity helps them move towards their goals more quickly – they’re not about to complain.

The problem is what are you getting out of doing all that extra overtime?  What goals of your own are being worked towards or achieved, such as a promotion… payrise… bonus… etc.

Doing overtime is not a problem if it is something you rarely need to do and when you do it, you are compensated in some way.  It becomes a problem when you are doing it regularly for no more reward and your own goals are not being achieved.

Some people are required to work extra hours as part of a productivity agreement, but with this there is known  and mutually agreed compensation, however, what about those people who are doing overtime because they are overloaded with work and this is the only way they can keep on top of things? When this occurs constantly and there is no easing up, this will lead to anxiety and poor  health.  For your physical and emotional well-being, you need “time out” to relax and recharge your batteries. If you don’t, you will suffer burn out.  Not only is this detrimental to the individual, it will wreak havoc with their productivity at work.  In the long run, requiring an employee to continuously work overtime will backfire.

Some people are natural work horses and thrive on working extra hours in their career, regardless of whether the extra time is acknowledged and compensated for or not.  These are people who are also climbing a ladder of sorts, hoping for promotion, salary increases, time off, etc. or maybe they have other vested interests – either they are a part owner or shareholder.  Most other people are not programmed that way and need a more even work/life balance.  Even when compensated, too much overtime requirement is enough to lead to stress and loss of job satisfaction and productivity.

Those who are not particularly interested in their work in the first place are very likely to suffer anxiety and stresses when required to spend longer hours doing the very thing they dislike.  On the other hand, those who love what they do and maybe don’t even consider what they do “work”, are happy to put in the extra time with no ill effects.  Either way, it is only right that the benefits be mutual.

So, if a company wants to reach its goals quicker by getting more productivity out of its workforce and they are not prepared to put on extra staff and expect their existing staff to work overtime, what needs to be done? Compensating employees for extra productivity is a whole other article and it stands to reason that businesses must negotiate with their staff.  On an individual level, however, if an employee is suffering anxiety and stress having to do overtime, what do they need to do? 

A serious problem exists if employees are going into work early, working through breaks and staying back late on a regular basis because it is expected of them to do what it takes to get the job done. If this is rewarded and doesn’t happen every week and the employee is able to enjoy a healthy work/life balance for the majority of the time then there is no problem.  However, if this occurs regularly and the extra overtime isn’t putting a dent in your to-do list and you are not being recognized or rewarded, it’s time to speak up and review your situation. If you don’t, you are working for nothing.

When we start to arrive earlier, work through breaks, and stay back late, we often create a rod for our own back, especially if we say nothing.  You will be taken for granted and the company will think you are quite okay with what you are doing and may not even be aware you are working such long hours.  If you have created this habit for yourself, it is up to you to break it otherwise the extra time you are putting in will be expected from the company as opposed to being appreciated (and rewarded!)  Speak to your managers, explain you have created an unhealthy work/life balance for yourself and will be reverting to normal working hours in future, while making it clear they can still rely on you to meet deadlines and you will be there and put in the extra time when it is really needed – but not just as an everyday “habit”.

A common problem is getting management to notice that you are working overtime. After all, how can you expect any recognition and reward for doing overtime that only you know about? You can’t very well keep telling them how many long hours you are working without them wondering if you are cracking up!  You let them know subtly.  For example, if you hand over a report, when your manager says thanks, or if he makes a comment about how you made the deadline, just smile and casually say you stayed back to ensure its completion.  Another subtle way to announce the hours you are working is to send emails to your bosses from your work email while you are there working late.  This will prove what time you were at work because of the date/time of the email.  Likewise, respond to emails from your managers during these extra hours of overtime because again, it provides evidence by the date/time of your email.

If your overtime is a problem that needs your workload to be addressed by management, or you want to negotiate for a promotion or a payrise (or even an assistant to help you!), you will need more than subtle evidence to support your claims. If you are not required to use a timesheet, create your own record.  Keep note of the extra hours you work each day/week, and what you did during those hours – what you achieved. Companies will not be prepared to compensate you if you are just doing overtime to look impressive – they want to know you are really being productive for their benefit. You should not be doing daily overtime just to cover unimportant detail – overtime is for important and/or urgent activity. Keeping a record is also useful when review time comes around.

Now, if you are working overtime that is necessary and you are not being compensated for those extra hours, you must speak up – but do it in a non-aggressive, non-threatening manner.  Don’t barge into your boss’s office demanding extra pay “or else!”  With your overtime record in your hands, negotiate. If you are an unfortunate employee whose company refuses to reward you for the extra time and they give you the message if you don’t like it, leave… you have the option of looking for a new job of course, but also of just not working overtime in future.  You cannot be sacked for working the hours you are paid to work, and while some agreements actually do cover the requirement for some overtime when needed, the emphasis here is on “some overtime when needed” – not overtime every day for no extra compensation.  If productivity suffers and your workload begins to get behind, you have evidence that something is wrong and that you brought it to their attention. It is up to the company to negotiate with you if you are willing to work a certain number of extra hours to keep up, or whether the workload needs to be redistributed more evenly.

When you are seen to be working 50 hours a week instead of the 40 hours you may be hired to do, it doesn’t stand out to management who become used to seeing you do that and they may even think you’re happy with that because you’ve not spoken up.  You also run the risk of having management think you are not competent or capable of achieving what they may consider a reasonable workload in the hours they pay you to achieve it.  Instead of looking productive, they may see you as a time waster who has to work later because you’re not smart enough! When you do overtime on a regular basis, even when it probably isn’t really necessary, you diminish the effect of working overtime in terms of company recognition.

When you want management to see you as leadership material, going the extra mile when needed, will help you achieve that.  You don’t want “Oh, that’s Jack working late… it’s okay, he’s always here at that time.” You want “Oh, wow… look at Jack working late tonight. Isn’t he a reliable guy!”  It’s not fair, but that is often how it can pan out – when you do it every day, it becomes the norm… and ignored.

So in a nutshell, keep a record, let it be known subtly, and speak up and negotiate… because you deserve it.

It’s not all bad news, however, because there are businesses that flourish and rake in high profits regardless of the economy.  Some of these entrepreneur owners didn’t know what to do either, but they learned. It doesn’t matter what you do in life, if you want success, you do have to put in some effort. It isn’t handed to you on a plate.

You can be successful too, if you avoid these 5 mistakes:

Mistake #1: Failure to have a Marketing Plan with a Marketing System to accomplish the marketing plan. Not having a marketing system that consistently, predictably, and profitably brings in new customers/clients who are eager to purchase what the business has to sell is the ultimate downfall of a small business. If you want to survive, you must have a marketing system. You can’t expect your business to grow if you don’t create an effective marketing system.

Mistake #2: Not knowing who your target market is and offering services and products to any audience who might buy. You must target your market. If you aren’t clear and focused you will not attract the clients you want. Without leads your business is dead. Leads are your potential customers. Some potential customers turn into money spending customers. That is the sequence for making money in any business. If your business doesn’t solve a specific problem for a specific highly targeted audience, you won’t make much money.

Mistake #3: Not using “leverage”. Successful biz owners leverage everything. Don’t spin your wheels creating a document, having conversations, and going to a workshop or anything else that doesn’t allow you to leverage all your resources. Think about how you can leverage your time, money, relationships and learning. Develop a system that helps you accomplish more in less time and make more money from applying the system. Many Entrepreneurs suffer from the “The Lone Ranger Syndrome” and try to handle everything themselves. This sets them up to fail because they eventually run out of time, money, health… and suffer from burnout. No one that is successful does it alone. Consider connecting with other Business owners and join a Mastermind group.

Mistake #4: Getting discouraged and not sticking with your business in full force. When the going gets tough and there are setbacks, getting stuck dwelling on what is lacking and what is going wrong is your downfall. Successful business owners know that persistence and determination are the keys to success. Look at the beliefs, behaviors and patterns in your business that are keeping you stuck and start on a plan, step by step, to make changes. Another way to increase your personal determination is to increase your knowledge. When you have more knowledge you can have the confidence to try out of the box ideas.

Mistake #5: Believing you don’t have to sell. Successful business owners know they are in the business of selling their products and services. They have dealt with any issues they have about selling and sales reluctance. They are clear on what exactly they sell including the features and benefits and how to language what they sell to others. They take selling actions every day and create business and opportunity as their main function.  Many people HATE to sell. They feel like they are manipulating others or being pushy.  If you’ve got an idea, be proud to sell it. If we have an attitude that people who sell are bad people, we’re not looking at the needs of people. Pretty much everything you have was bought. There is no manipulation, and you’re not forced to buy anything. Likewise, those who are interested in what you offer will be willing buyers. You are meeting a need.

It’s only if you hold a gun to their head, or threaten them or lie to them that you need to be ashamed of making a sale!  If you are coming from a place of honesty and integrity and wanting to serve others, you are doing people a real service!

Of course, treating the cause is the way to remove your blockages, but we know that can take time and meanwhile you have to do something about the everyday symptoms. So here are 10 ways to help relieve your stress and find some more get up and go:

1. Talk to Someone.
A problem shared is a problem halved… or something like that! It’s another well known fact that those who “get it off their chest” recover more quickly. Tell somebody how you are feeling. Maybe share with a colleague or friend over lunch. Keeping it to yourself is not a healthy alternative.

2. Listen to music.
Wherever you are, chances are you have access to a radio or an Ipod… pick your fave station or music, chill out and listen to it for a few minutes. A couple of tunes should be all you need to refresh your mind… you just need to give your mind a short holiday for it to feel refreshed!

3. Get moving.
Exercise has been known to help stress and it is has other health benefits. You don’t have to head for the gym and spend hours working up a sweat. Even a 10-20 minute walk during your lunch box, inside or outside, will make a huge difference to how you feel mentally and physically. Try it.

4. Clean Up your Act.
Literally. There is nothing more demoralizing than sitting amid piles of mess and disorganization where you don’t know where anything is and most of it is unnecessary but adds to the bulk which to you represents ALL the work you have still to get through. No wonder your get up and go got up and left! Who wouldn’t! Clean up. Make neat piles of things you MUST have on your desk, file the rest.

5. Granny naps and catnaps.
Grannies and cats have it right… grab a few mins and put your head down. You will awaken refreshed and ready to get going. Sometimes your mind just needs that little break… better to take 15 mins for a nap then waste a couple of hours in a brain fog that prohibits productivity!

6. Food for Thought.
Does your car run well on empty? No… and neither do humans. Don’t skip meals – and small healthy snacks throughout the day makes for great ongoing fuel. Take a snack break. Do something special and enjoy your fave beverage and relax while you enjoy it… it doesn’t take hours to enjoy a latte and fruit muffin, for example, but the benefits will last!

7. Pat Yourself on the Back.
I’m talking rewards here. Reward yourself. When you have worked very hard or achieved something special, or even if you haven’t and you are overworked treat yourself occasionally. You know what they say about all work and no play, right? Enjoy a nice restaurant meal… get a special haircut… see a concert… go away for the weekend… buy a new outfit. Do something just for you.

8. Do Something Different.
Ever practiced an instrument and kept making errors until you played something different and when you returned to the original tune you played it perfectly? Work is like that. If you’re blocked stop what you are doing and do something else for a bit. Choose something that holds more appeal at that moment – when you go back to the other task you’ll be in a better mood to do it.

9. Have a Routine.
When you are all over the place and don’t know what you should be doing, when, it hardly helps get you in the right frame of mind at the right time in your day. Have a routine. This doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t break your routine occasionally, just that if you have none at all, it makes it difficult to get organized and can lead to stress and lack of confidence because you don’t know where you’re at and have no way to gauge how far off you might be.

10. Get away.
Sometimes taking a few minutes out of the day isn’t enough. Sometimes when things have become too bad you have to take stronger measures… take a real break. Go away for a weekend – take a plane trip somewhere or a train ride. If you must, take some urgent work with you – you may find sitting on a beach or a pleasant holiday resort type environment gives you that little something that makes doing the task more palatable. Being in a relaxed environment can work wonders!

You may have heard of the expression “be the change you want to see occur in the world”. Yes, it can be a challenge in a world where a percentage of people do not understand the concepts of being considerate, honest or helpful, being in it only for themselves. One of the problems is that some people simply do not see themselves as others see them. They are not aware of their own shortcomings because in their minds, they don’t have any shortcomings.

How do you know if you fall into this category? No offence, but none of us can progress if we are not aware of our shortcomings, because without this knowledge, there is nothing to work with. So let’s quiz Joe Bloggs and if you find yourself identifying with the responses, you may have a little work to do on your self-development… :

1. Being judgmental. I’m always on the look-out for the bad in people so I don’t get taken for a ride. You’ve got to know your enemy! And face it, the world is full of rotten people doing rotten things and I want to spot them before they spot me! You can’t trust anyone. I didn’t get to my position without being a good judge of character. I’m an authority on people. And I know when I’m right. If you don’t agree with me, that’s simply because you’re wrong!

2. Disrespectful. From where I stand, this is MY life and so, only MY rights count in MY life and people need to respect that and respect me. I don’t have to respect them, because they’re all rotten. They’re either richer than me and think they’re better than me and so many of those rich people are conniving ripoff artists, or they’re poorer and they can’t be trusted either because they’re always trying to rip you off, too.

3. Not Being a Good Listener. Who’s not listening now? Didn’t I just say that I don’t have to listen to you? Who are you, anyway? Do you live in my street? I don’t care what unimportant, little thing you have to say. You’re not at my level so how can you have anything to say that’s worth listening to? Go away and stop bothering me!

4. Be interested – not interesting. Who said I’m not interested? I’m interested in the stockmarket, my new car, my next overseas holiday, and my kids’ impressive achievements. Ha, you should hear what we did last holidays, and this suit I’m wearing cost me a fortune, and what about my facelift, now there’s something interesting, and let me tell you about the new contract I won all by myself… oh and did I tell you about little Jimmy getting on the swim team… let me tell you about me, me, me because I’m sure I’m much more interesting than you!

5. Respond from Your Heart. Listen, we didn’t get our trendy suits and our highrise offices by listening with our hearts! I respond with my head… if that makes me a cold unemotional fish, tough. I don’t care what effect that has on you – you’re not my problem. There’s no place in business for ‘hearts’. Home is where the heart is and should stay… did I tell you about my new holiday home, oh, and my new car… now that car has heart!

6. Be truthful. Are you for real? I’m sorry, there’s a time and a place for the truth and you won’t find a time or a place for it in the real world. You can’t go around telling the truth! Nobody tells the truth! Where do you live? Never-Never Land? You certainly don’t live in my street! You want the truth? You’re wasting my time with this drivel.

7. Be helpful. I am helpful. I paid for my secretary’s plastic surgery – this is a win-win – now she looks ten years younger and I have someone to impress the clients with when we go out for dinner… of course, this leaves my wife with more time to spend at home with the kids, which is also important – see? I’m not only helpful, I’m considerate.

8. Maintain Your Integrity and Your Dignity. You won’t find a more dignified person than me. I’m rich. I’m successful. I have the proud bearing of a very dignified person and all that gossip about my bad temper and rudeness in board meetings is just jealous talk. And of course our staff can trust me… I didn’t actually lie to those people who lost their jobs during the company merger… I just thought it better not to tell the whole story!

9. Go the Extra Mile. I jog every morning – we have big houses in our street, and I jog one extra house length each week… What? That’s not what you meant? Well, the extra mile costs time and money… you want I should dip into my profits for someone I don’t even know?

10. Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say. You better believe it! I mean it if I tell you I’m having you removed from the building and if you’re not gone within 60 seconds I’m calling security! And don’t run! It’s undignified! Even for you!

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, anxiety is

1 a : painful or apprehensive uneasiness of mind usually over an impending or anticipated ill b : fearful concern or interest c : a cause of anxiety
2 : an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (as sweating, tension, and increased pulse), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one’s capacity to cope with it

Approximately 13.3% of the adult population in the U.S. is affected by an Anxiety Disorder.  We agree, Coaches are not therapists or psychiatrists, and it is not our role to treat these disorders.

The anxiety I am talking about is that suffered by everyday workers, going about their business in a state of stress and discomfort.  This work related anxiety is persistent and causes you to worry excessively about events or activities or circumstances at work which may, or may not, even happen… but the fear is very real.

Stress feeds anxiety.  For example, in a day when job security is no longer guaranteed, quite often it doesn’t take much to turn a “worry” into an anxiety, bringing with it a string of very real physical (and mental) health symptoms.

Before I suggest some tips to help prevent anxiety, it might be helpful to know some kinds of situations that are known for producing anxious moments:

Potential causes include:

• being overworked
• working longer hours
• lack of clear instructions from employers
• new management techniques
• performance related benefits/pay increases
• fear of losing your job/redundancies
• Harassment or bullying in the workplace

Clearly, if a stressful situation is prolonged, the more likely you are to become anxious about it, especially if you feel powerless to do anything about either the situation causing the stress, or the outcome that you fear will befall you.  You’ll know the difference between ordinary stress and an anxious state by the accompanying physical symptoms, which may include sweaty palms, irregular and shallow breathing patterns, heart palpitations, to name a few.

So how can you possibly avoid the type of situations described above?  Well, it may not be possible to avoid them as such, but with a bit of practice, you may be able to live with them without the accompanying unpleasant symptoms!  So here are some tips to get you started…

• At work, when you’re feeling overwhelmed, go somewhere quiet and take six deep breaths – breathe in deeply, filling your lungs with air, and breathe out slowly.
• Consider the consequences of whatever you do, and don’t do anything that might lead you to tell a lie about it afterwards or indulge in any other kind of cover-up.
• Don’t rely on memory – write it down.  An Old Chinese proverb says, “The palest ink is better than the most retentive memory.”
• Don’t stress or rush – take the time to ask directions or get clear instructions.
• Know the difference between “needs” and “preferences” and don’t get too hung up with “preferences”.
• Take up meditation or Yoga or some other form of relaxation program – make it a part of your life and find time to practice at least one relaxation technique every day.
• Learn to say no!
• Don’t fool yourself into thinking you are “weak” – watch your “self-talk” – keep it upbeat and positive.
• Make a list of the things that worry you or cause you stress.  Look at each item realistically – list the real or imagined outcomes you associate with each item.  Study them carefully – what, if anything, can you do about any of the things you’ve noted.  Check back to your list each week and note any changes you feel regarding each item.  Many times, writing it down helps and produces clarity.  You will soon be able to discern which fears are foundless, and for the other fears, you will be able to brainstorm ideas that will allow you to tame them, if not conquer them.
• Don’t be scared to speak up if there are situations at work that are causing you sleepless nights. You could keep going, trying to tolerate it, but this will merely add to the pressures on you and increase the stress you are already enduring, and before you know it, you are in anxiety mode.  Choose somebody in a position to help you and with whom you feel confident to share your concerns, and express yourself clearly and calmly.

Remember, what we focus on is what we attract into our reality.  So concentrate your focus on the things you do want in your life, rather than the things you don’t want.  “Positive thinking” is not merely a catchphrase.  You deserve an extraordinary life, but it is up to you to achieve it.

Will you allow me to explain?

The routine is that most people go to school and then go to college, and then get a JOB.  This is the average person who is now on a merry go round.  What is this merry go round?  It is waking up, getting dressed and going to work, then going home, then maybe a bit of TV and then off to sleep, and then once again up, work, home, sleep…would you agree it’s a merry go round?

I was one of those going round and round till I was nearly dizzy and became unhealthy and tired.

Then I jumped off the merry go round and ran across the fair and decided to get on the roller coaster.  It was a bit scary… there would be hills and highs and turns and flips and lows…yet I wanted the thrills, can you understand that?

Wouldn’t you like to get off the merry go round?  Aren’t you ready to join me on the rollercoaster?  Are you right now on the most exciting ride or are you spinning and spinning and dazed and dizzy and confused as heck on the merry go round?

Seriously, I ask you, will you trust me to tell you the rollercoaster is the most joy-filled ride?

If you are still on the merry go round and are ready to choose the roller coaster ride then jump on!  Do you agree you’ve been complaining and in your heart don’t you know you want freedom and happiness and to be untied to a JOB?

Are you committed to living your life vs. working a JOB?

Need I say more?

To connect to others with ease we first quiet any conversations going on in our minds.  As our minds get still and open we then pull our focus on the client.  We listen and don’t worry about what to say and we allow the other person to fully complete what they want to say before we respond.  We hear fully and deeply.  We also listen for the gifts and greatnesses and strengths and other positive aspects the speaker has.  We don’t judge – we simply listen and fully accept what is being said.

I believe that if everyone learned coaching skills and if we started coaching curriculum at early ages in our schools, people would be happier.  Being heard is a human yearning.  When we are heard we feeeeeeeeeeeel accepted.  People who feeeeeeeeeeeeel accepted don’t have as many problems as they have a strong sense of self-esteem.  I bet marriages would last; we’d have more friends that we really felt connected to and overall we’d be healthier mentally, emotionally, spiritually and perhaps physically.

What I want for my readers is to open their ability to tune in and to connect with others.  It is a gift that you can give to yourself and those around you.