April 17, 2006

Hi [[firstname]],

Imagine yourself in these two situations.

Number 1: It's the middle of the month; the end of the 
financial quarter and you should be 85% shipped to plan. 
You're only 50% shipped to plan and the factory is in 
total chaos trying to ship everything that's not nailed 
down. You're the manufacturing manager. The question is: 
"Can you handle the stress?"

Number 2: Your company is outsourcing and downsizing. 
Your job classification is going to be impacted. The 
question is: "Can you handle the stress?"

At one time or another, we are all subjected to a
situation that generates stress. If you want some tips 
on how to reduce workplace stress, be sure to read this 
weeks article.

Have a nice day, and stay connected.

Bill Gaw
Business Basics, LLC
Bg@bbasicsllc.com
760-945-5596

=====================================
MANUFACTURING BASICS & BEST PRACTICES BULLETIN

Now serving over 11,695 subscribers

Competitive Knowledge for Manufacturing People 

=====================================

HOW TO REDUCE WORKPLACE STRESS

The leading source of stress for adults is their jobs.

The workplace holds an excess of anxiety-producers. 
Many are from unpredictable sources such as sudden job 
losses, relocations, losing co-workers to downsizing 
or having multiple bosses in quick succession.

To reduce stress brought by such changes, employees 
need to assess their skills periodically, learn new 
ones, participate in professional or trade associations 
and stay current on industry trends. "By maintaining 
employability and support systems, you can be better 
prepared the next time your company downsizes, merges 
or changes focus," says Sue Aiken, chair of the 
graduate program in career development in the School 
of Management of John F. Kennedy University in Walnut 
Creek, Calif.

We can't eliminate stress, but there are ways to 
manage it. The following 10 tips can help you reduce 
your overall stress and ease specific sources of 
anxiety.

1. Maintain a sense of personal power. A study of 
high-pressure work environments by Essi, a San Fran 
research firm, shows one factor that predicts which 
employees would become ill and which stayed healthy: 
people's perception of their personal power or lack 
of it. Personal power is defined as how much control 
you feel you have over your life, your ability to 
function and express yourself.

Ideally, your work environment will be an organization 
where colleagues and superiors listen to your problems 
and solutions and you're consulted when your role is 
redesigned, given the resources and information needed 
to perform the job and can contribute your ideas.

2. Practice effective communication. Communication is 
essential for preventing and easing tensions. Whether 
you head a team or are a team of one, how effective 
you are at communication depends on how well you 
understand others' verbal and nonverbal messages. Pay 
attention to co-workers' gestures, tone of voice and 
posture.

3. Develop good working relationships. Trust, respect, 
understanding and compassion are necessary in any 
relationship. Co-workers have to function as a team and 
reach a common goal. But they often focus all their 
attention on their tasks and very little on how they 
treat each other.

Good work relationships will relieve stress and can 
buffer you from other stresses. Spend five minutes of 
each hour considering how to get along with your co-
workers.

4. Choose the right job. During interviews, ask the 
questions that help you make sure the job's right for 
you. Get a realistic picture of the company or 
department's culture, working relationships, problems 
and hidden agendas.

5. Be flexible. Recognize and accept that things change. 
If you need to hold on tightly to the status quo, you 
need to loosen up. Think of your organization as a 
space ship. It's constantly correcting its course "to 
go where no man has gone before" in the marketplace. 
You have to change with it. Be proactive. You're in a 
better position to maneuver if you are primed and ready.

6. Manage your anger. When you feel a surge of anger 
rising, back off and leave the scene as soon as you can. 
Repeat in your mind: "let go" or "relax." Breathe 
deeply until you feel your tension leave.

Ask what's the real reason for my anger? Gain 
perspective and plan your next step. Practice what 
you'll say and how you'll say it. Make sure you're 
calm and in control of your emotions. Approach the 
person with a win-win attitude and desire to resolve 
the problem and have a good working relationship.

7. Have realistic expectations. Don't set yourself up 
for disappointment or put yourself on an emotional 
roller coaster. Try to be optimistic and realistic at 
the same time. This outlook doesn't mean you shouldn't 
have desires or expectations. Just make sure you're 
not always longing for the impossible.

8. Adjust your attitude. Your attitude--how you make 
others feel about you and how you make them feel about 
themselves--can make or break your future.

How's your attitude? Do you complain the moment 
something doesn't suit you, or do you take things in 
stride? Try to see yourself through the eyes of others. 
Do you make others happy or miserable? If you need to, 
make an attitude adjustment.

9. Tie up loose ends. Not being able to finish a task 
can be unsettling to those who like to shut doors and 
end sentences with a period. Most people need some 
kind of closure on projects, even the little ones.

If you're on a treadmill where you're always beginning 
new tasks before finishing old ones, make a list of 
what's left hanging. This exercise can make projects 
seem more manageable. How can you structure your time 
to tie up those loose ends?

10. Take time to revive. People aren't built like 
machines. They can't run with their engines revved up 
continuously. Eventually they wear out. That's why 
there are coffee and lunch breaks. It's long been 
recognized that people need to take a little time off 
every few hours to revive. They return to their tasks 
with renewed enthusiasm.

If you can, try not to take work home. Every now and 
then a project may take some extra time, but work 
shouldn't be devouring your life. 

=====================================

Are you concerned about job security? 
Are you troubled by slow growth and earnings?
Are you worried about your company's performance? 

To help MBBP subscribers and their companies reach 
their full growth and earning potentials, I have 
produced seven training modules that are priced at 
only $67.00 each. Many modules have over 50 slides 
with commentary and "lessons learned" by yours truly. 
They are delivered same day via Internet download. 

An "ORDER NOW BONUS"... If you order during this 
special MBBP offer, we will include Enrique 
(PapaKaizen) Mora's e-Book, "The Power of Kaizen 
Events." Here's your opportunity to get into the 
mind of one of the country's leading "Kaizen Blitz" 
gurus. 

To review details, click on one or all of the 
Training modules below and take advantage of the
MBBP 30% discount:

LEAN MANUFACTURING:
http://bbasicsllc.com/e-lp-lm-MBBP.htm

VALUE STREAM MAPPING:
http://bbasicsllc.com/e-lp-vsm-MBBP.htm

KAIZEN MANAGEMENT:
http://bbasicsllc.com/e-lp-kci-MBBP.htm

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
http://bbasicsllc.com/e-lp-scm-MBBP.htm

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT:
http://bbasicsllc.com/e-lp-bsc-MBBP.htm

STRATEGIC PLANNING:
http://bbasicsllc.com/e-lp-sp-MBBP.htm

ISO 9000 2000 TOOL KIT
http://bbasicsllc.com/e-lp-iso-MBBP.htm

=====================================

You are welcomed to print and share this bulletin with 
your manufacturing teams, peers and upper management... 
better yet, have them signup for their own copy at:

http://bbasicsllc.com 

=====================================

Business Basics, LLC
6003 Dassia Way, Oceanside, CA 92056
West Coast: 760-945-5596

Manufacturing Knowledge you'll not find in the books 
at Amazon.com... neither in the APICS library 
nor in the Harvard Business School Press

Lean Manufacturing - Balanced Scorecard 
ISO 9000:2000 - Strategic Planning - Supply Chain 
Management - MRP Vs Lean Exercises - Kaizen Blitz 
Lean Six Sigma - Value Stream Mapping

All at one Website: http://bbasicsllc.com 

  STAY CONNECTED

To stay current on bullet-proofed manufacturing solutions, subscribe to our free ezine, "The Business Basics and Best Practices Bulletin." Simply fill in the below form and click on the subscribe button. 

We'll also send you our free Special Report, "Five Change Initiatives for Personal and Company Success."

Your personal information will never 
be disclosed to any third party.

 Manufacturing Cost Reduction for Winners

Manufacturing leaders have a responsibility to educate and train their team members. Help for developing a self-directed, World Class Manufacturing training program for your people is just a click away:

http://bbasicsllc.com/training-modules.htm

You are welcomed to print and share this bulletin with your manufacturing teams, peers, suppliers and upper management ... better yet, have them signup for their own copy at:

http://bbasicsllc.com/subscribe.htm

With the escalating spam-wars, it's also a good idea to WHITELIST our bulletin mailing domain via your filtering software or control panel: 

bizbasics@getresponse.com

This will help guarantee that your bulletin is never deleted unexpectedly.

Manufacturing Knowledge you’ll not find at offsite 
seminars nor in the books at Amazon.com

Lean Manufacturing - Balanced Scorecard 
ISO 9000:2000 - Strategic Planning - Supply Chain 
Management - MRP Vs Lean Exercises - Kaizen Blitz 
Lean Six Sigma - Value Stream Mapping

All at one Website: Good Manufacturing Practices

 Manufacturing Cost Reduction for Winners

COMPETITIVE KNOWLEDGE MENU
(Click on any subject below):

Your company can reach its full potential in all aspects of the business. All you need is the right knowledge and training. You will find much of it  it here, at the Business Basics' Website:

Competitive e-Knowledge for anyone ... anywhere ... anytime
Business Basics, LLC
6003 Dassia Way, Oceanside, CA 92056
West Coast: 760-945-5596