Episode 7: Mailbag

Is there really such a thing as “work/life balance”, and how does the lack of balance contribute to burnout? In this episode, the Consultants discuss growing problems in the workplace...balance, burnout, and mental health challenges.  Questions to consider: 1. How you allocate your time, talent, and treasure is a good measure of what’s most important to you.  If you look at what gets your attention, does that align with your values? 2. What do you say you enjoy doing, but don’t really allocate time to? 3. As a leader, what are the human and financial costs of burnout on your team? 4. When you try to keep the different parts of your life separate, what’s the end result? 5. If you focus all your energy on your work, what’s left for the people around you?

Change at the organizational level is often messy and full of conflict. Not only do you need to manage the pain points associated with the change (training staff for new procedures for example), but you also need to manage the personalities of everyone involved with the change. Those personality differences often cause real conflict as opposed to simple pain points. Join us as we discuss everything workplace conflict, including the root causes, possible strategies to reduce conflicts, and using conflict as a catalyst for productive change. Questions to consider In your organization or team, what are the root causes of conflict? Does your organization or team create both good conflict and bad conflict? What are some examples of both? What is the line that separates good conflict from bad? What can you do to create a culture where people aren’t afraid to voice their opinions to create positive change? How does your organization prevent personal conflicts from becoming professional? Conversely, how does your organization prevent professional conflicts from becoming personal? Can it be constructive to set up opportunities for conflict to come to the surface?

Episodes 1-6 were fun, and listeners sent us many questions they wanted answered. Enter the "Mailbag" episode, where we read our mail and answer your questions. 

What makes a good mentor? How about a good mentee? And why do we need mentors in the first place? The Consultants answer those questions and more as they probe the difficult, but necessary relationship.

Once you've got them, how do you keep them (talented employees that is)? The Consultants discuss the role of open communication, culture, and more in this episode. IMPORTANT LINKS: Mike mentions the "If you knew me" game. Read more about this from his blog by clicking HERE. Mike mentions The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle. Find more information about Daniel and his book by clicking HERE.

Attracting talented employees is essential, but how do you do it in a tight labor market. The Consultants look at the issue from a slightly different perspective. 

The final episode of our "Landing the Job" Series examines the role of your personal network in helping you navigate the job search process. 

Your application documents (resumes, cover letters, etc) need to stand out from the crowd. But how do you do that? The Consultants have a few tips to turn your boring resume into a "marketing document" for You, Inc.

PGA Career Consultants discuss ways to improve your performance in an interview.