More Engagement is the Answer to Workaholism

Posted in Appreciative Coaching Blog, Appreciative Inquiry, De-stress, Dr. Lynn K. Jones Events, Goods for a Cause, Organizational Culture, Positive Psychology, Productivity, Social Work, Socially Responsible Organizations, Team Work, Team Work and Leadership, Time Management on 7:51 am

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” ~Confucius

More Engagement is the Answer to Workaholism

Conventional wisdom suggests that being a workaholic is bad for you and also bad for your company. And for many, that is the case.

But not for all. New research, reported in the LA Times has found that some workaholics not only don’t perish, but flourish.

Are you a “good” or “bad” workaholic?

Are you chained to your desk?

Classic workaholics, (that is the “bad” one, in case you are wondering) have an inner compulsion to work hard, self-identify with its outcome — positive or negative — and their self-esteem depends on it. (See the Infographic below for more info about the classic workaholic and what to do about it.)

Whereas the “engaged” workaholic, is driven to keep working at intensely high energy levels out of a love of the job. So why does that make it OK? The difference seems to be the engaged workaholic doesn’t experience the high level of stress that the classic workaholic does. Engagement serves as a healthy buffer to the stress that typically accompanies workaholism.

“Put differently,” the researchers write, “classic workaholics are ‘pushed’ to their work, whereas engaged workaholics are ‘pulled’ to their work.”

The Gallup Poll has been studying worker engagement for the last 10 years. They have found that only a quarter of workers are engaged, 55% are not engaged (just putting in time) and 19% are actively disengaged (unhappy and spreading discontent).

The bottom line: Whether you are a workaholic or not, increasing your engagement is worth the effort, increasing your productivity and protecting you from the stress of the job. The Gallup poll’s research has found that a key to work engagement is the extent that you use your strengths on the job. In fact, people who operate from their strengths are six times more likely to be engaged in their role.

Would you like to know what your strengths are and how you can use them to be more engaged and productive? Email [email protected] to get a free Strengthsfinder assessment and coaching session to learn how you can leverage your strengths.

Coaching Questions to Ask Yourself: Do you feel like work is a grind and that it is an uphill push? What would you need to do to relieve your stress at work? What would you need to do to feel that more of your time at work was spent in engaging and stimulating activities? What price are you paying for not being fully engaged?

P.S. Thanks in advance to anyone who chooses to add their comments to the discussion or wishes to forward the blog link!

Appreciatively,

Dr. Lynn K. Jones, Certified Personal and Executive Coach, BCC

Your Mojo Maven
http://LynnKJones.com

Dr. Lynn K. Jones is a Board Certified Coach based in Santa Barbara, California and a sought after coach and consultant for organizations and individuals across the US. Her doctoral work completed at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University concerned organizational culture; she coaches, consults and trains organizations on what they need to do to create organizational cultures that are aligned with their vision and values using a process of Appreciative Inquiry. She coaches individuals on achieving their reflected best selves. Dr. Lynn K. Jones, MSW, DSW, BCC, teaches Human Behavior and Social Environment and Leadership at the USC School of Social Work Virtual Academic Center.