Comments on: Anger and Stress - the root of workplace unhappiness http://www.zenproductivity.com/2006/05/31/anger-and-stress-the-root-of-workplace-unhappiness/ Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:08:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 by: Shig http://www.zenproductivity.com/2006/05/31/anger-and-stress-the-root-of-workplace-unhappiness/#comment-299 Wed, 25 Apr 2007 01:39:34 +0000 http://www.zenproductivity.com/2006/05/31/anger-and-stress-the-root-of-workplace-unhappiness/#comment-299 Peter, Thank you for your honest comment. I'm all for making changes to improve our society. However, I think it takes a certain type of personality to turn their place of employment upside down or lobbying the legal and education systems and I'm not sure if that's necessarily me :-) Peter,

Thank you for your honest comment. I’m all for making changes to improve our society. However, I think it takes a certain type of personality to turn their place of employment upside down or lobbying the legal and education systems and I’m not sure if that’s necessarily me :-)

]]> by: Peter http://www.zenproductivity.com/2006/05/31/anger-and-stress-the-root-of-workplace-unhappiness/#comment-296 Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:56:24 +0000 http://www.zenproductivity.com/2006/05/31/anger-and-stress-the-root-of-workplace-unhappiness/#comment-296 I applaud you for at least trying to do something to curb the amount of unhappiness at work due to stress and anger. But I disagree with your approach, of course this is only my personal opinion. Since you graduated in 2001, you are a little young. I've been working in the corporate world for over 25 years and that is after getting my MBA, so I have seen and experienced a lot more things. The startling fact is that polls show that only 17-20% of people are happy with their job. That means there is an overwhelming 80% or 4/5ths of the work force that is unhappy. This is a scary statistic, especially when we all strive to support our families and get ahead. But with the non-ending corporate greed that continues, the incredible nonsensicle multi-million executive compensation packages, job losses, unemployment, ridiculous medical coverage costs, crime, global warming, the IRAQ war, senseless school shootings and the proliferation of guns, etc.., etc... its not hard to understand why people are so unhappy and stressed, And this is within the most prosperous and supposedly advanced country in the world. It makes you wonder if we are doing things right. I believe a lot of this has to do with the power and proliferation of mass media and the high level of consumerism which exists due to the advertisers. We have a "I want it and deserve it" now society. We see how some rappers who are criminals, movie stars who are drug addicts and star pro athletes who act like babies get paid millions and millions of dollars and our youth looks up to these figures as role models. You have to question if we have a proper and sustainable society. I think not. And I advocate that this has got to stop! I have been the victim twice now (once being terminated and once resigning on my own accord due to the stress) from overly-demanding, insecure, ego-driven, child-like bosses. Both were in "at will" states. I had absolutely no recourse. These things of course cause stress and anger in people. Within these two organizations there were a lot of egos and people trying to climb the corporate ladder and get more money at any cost. Why does this have to exist? I believe it exists because we are taught that the way to be admired and get recognition is to have the highest position possible and the highest salary. This is causing undue stress within the workplace. There is no win/win scenario, only I win at your expense. I believe the solution to this is not to enter into a complacent "zen-like" state but to make a stand and to take action within our legal and education system to make the necessary changes to improve our society. We must eradicate the selfishness and greed which permeates corporate America. We must teach people that management is an art and that it is a company's obligation to care and look after its employees. We must teach a global education and show how the rest of the world not only does not look up to us any more as a role model, they actually have better societies. I have been in over 75 countries doing business in my career and have seen many cultures. I can absolutely say that we are going down a perilous path right now. If we don't make dramatic changes now, I foresee the level of stress and anger will continue to the brink of a disaster...possibly a revolution. This has happened many times in world history. Too bad we don't learn from it. I applaud you for at least trying to do something to curb the amount of unhappiness at work due to stress and anger. But I disagree with your approach, of course this is only my personal opinion. Since you graduated in 2001, you are a little young. I’ve been working in the corporate world for over 25 years and that is after getting my MBA, so I have seen and experienced a lot more things.

The startling fact is that polls show that only 17-20% of people are happy with their job. That means there is an overwhelming 80% or 4/5ths of the work force that is unhappy. This is a scary statistic, especially when we all strive to support our families and get ahead. But with the non-ending corporate greed that continues, the incredible nonsensicle multi-million executive compensation packages, job losses, unemployment, ridiculous medical coverage costs, crime, global warming, the IRAQ war, senseless school shootings and the proliferation of guns, etc.., etc… its not hard to understand why people are so unhappy and stressed, And this is within the most prosperous and supposedly advanced country in the world. It makes you wonder if we are doing things right.

I believe a lot of this has to do with the power and proliferation of mass media and the high level of consumerism which exists due to the advertisers. We have a “I want it and deserve it” now society. We see how some rappers who are criminals, movie stars who are drug addicts and star pro athletes who act like babies get paid millions and millions of dollars and our youth looks up to these figures as role models. You have to question if we have a proper and sustainable society. I think not. And I advocate that this has got to stop!

I have been the victim twice now (once being terminated and once resigning on my own accord due to the stress) from overly-demanding, insecure, ego-driven, child-like bosses. Both were in “at will” states. I had absolutely no recourse. These things of course cause stress and anger in people. Within these two organizations there were a lot of egos and people trying to climb the corporate ladder and get more money at any cost. Why does this have to exist? I believe it exists because we are taught that the way to be admired and get recognition is to have the highest position possible and the highest salary. This is causing undue stress within the workplace. There is no win/win scenario, only I win at your expense.

I believe the solution to this is not to enter into a complacent “zen-like” state but to make a stand and to take action within our legal and education system to make the necessary changes to improve our society. We must eradicate the selfishness and greed which permeates corporate America. We must teach people that management is an art and that it is a company’s obligation to care and look after its employees. We must teach a global education and show how the rest of the world not only does not look up to us any more as a role model, they actually have better societies. I have been in over 75 countries doing business in my career and have seen many cultures. I can absolutely say that we are going down a perilous path right now. If we don’t make dramatic changes now, I foresee the level of stress and anger will continue to the brink of a disaster…possibly a revolution. This has happened many times in world history. Too bad we don’t learn from it.

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