Solution Leader Ezine July 1, 2004




	July 1, 2004 A free Ezine sent to you monthly by Glen Rediehs, Ph.D.: Personal Coach, Corporate Coach, Organization Development Consultant Web site: www.SolutionLeader.com E-mail: Glen@SolutionLeader.com Solution Leader Ezine will give you solutions for your personal life and the people side of your business. Every issue is filled with practical strategies plus a little humor. If you received this Solution Leader Ezine from someone else and would like your own free subscription, click on www.SolutionLeader.com. Subscribe -- it's free! Try it! TO UNSUBSCRIBE To unsubscribe from this Ezine, just click reply to this email, place Unsubscribe on the subject line and your email address will be removed. Please note that this procedure helps us to determine the e-mail address that you used to subscribe to Solution Leader Ezine. That's the only way we will recognize that it is you. Thank you. IN THIS ISSUE: How to Get a Good Night's Sleep A Little Humor Thought for the Day Stop Playing Games At Work HOW TO GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP According to National Sleep Foundation surveys, over half of Americans report occasional sleep problems. Twenty-two percent report that they have trouble sleeping every night. Sleep problems include difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings during the night, trouble getting back to sleep, waking too early, or waking feeling un-refreshed. Insomnia occurs more often in women than men and is more common among those over 65 years of age. Causes of Insomnia Insomnia can be acute - just for a few days or maybe a week. It can also be chronic, lasting for more than a month. Causes include stress, anxiety, depression, illness, pain, medications, sleep disorders and poor sleep habits. Consequences of Insomnia Insomnia has serious consequences. Inability to concentrate, difficulty problem-solving or making decisions, increased injury rate on the job and car accidents are among the results. Professor Max Hirshkowitz, a sleep expert, has said, "If you take all the people that die on the highway from falling asleep at the wheel in a week and you add them up, that's the equivalent of a major fully loaded airplane crashing every day." Direct economic costs have been estimated at $14 billion a year and indirect costs up to $100 billion annually. Tips to Improve Your Sleep Watch what you eat and drink. Cut back or eliminate caffeine from coffee, teas, chocolate, cola drinks, etc. Some people lose sleep from as little as one cup of coffee in the morning. Alcohol may help you get to sleep initially, but it tends to disrupt you sleep during the night. Drink less or none at all - especially later in the day. Don't eat heavy meals late in the day - especially foods that cause you heartburn. If waking during the night to go to the bathroom is a problem, restrict fluids late in the day. Regular exercise helps sleep. But, you should exercise three to six hours before bedtime. Nicotine is a stimulant. Reduce or stop smoking. Again, this is especially important late in the day. Make your bedroom an inviting place for sleep. Most experts claim that a slightly cool room is best. It should also be dark. If noise is a problem, experiment with ear plugs, white noise machines, relaxing music, etc. The mattress you sleep on makes a difference. Make sure that it gives you the comfort, support and space you need. Use your bedroom only for sleeping, sex and changing clothes. This will cue your brain that it is time for sleep when you go to your bedroom. Set yourself up to sleep well. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Have a relaxing routine for an hour or so before bedtime. Stop all work, phone calls and other activities that can stimulate you. Read, listen to relaxing music, take a warm bath, meditate, etc. No napping - especially late in the afternoon. If you do nap, make sure it is no longer than 15-20 minutes. If you don't sleep long enough, start by setting your alarm to get up after the number of hours of sleep you currently get. Then, gradually increase the time you allot for sleep by 15 minutes every few nights. If you wake and have difficulty getting back to sleep, try this: When you don't fall asleep within 15 minutes, get out of bed and engage in another relaxing activity until you are sleepy. Then go back to bed again. Laying in bed awake for long periods disrupts your body's association between bed and sleep. If you lay awake worrying about things, put a "Worry Book" on your bedside table. Write down what you are worrying about and tell yourself that you will take care of it in the morning. Think relaxing thoughts about times or aspects of your life when you are soothed, calmed, peaceful, etc. If stress about some situation is keeping you awake, take care of the source of that stress. See a counselor if it will be helpful. You may want to take some relaxation training. If insomnia continues to be a problem for you, see your physician. It is likely that he or she will prescribe medication that will help you. If necessary, you may be referred to a sleep center for treatment. Be cautious with the use of over-the-counter drugs. They are usually not as effective as prescription medications. Many of them are mostly antihistamines that can create undesirable side effects and risks. These include dangerous interaction with other drugs, prolonged sleepiness in the morning, intensified effects if used by someone who also drinks alcohol, etc. Sleep is important for good health and quality of life. See your physician if the suggestions in this article don't help you. There are many causes of insomnia and many appropriate treatments. Your health care professional can help you get the sleep you need. ©2004 Glen Rediehs, Ph.D. *What's the next step in your life? In your business?* What do you want to achieve? What do you want to change? Coaching will help you reach your goals! Let's work on your future together. You can make it happen! PLEASE CALL ME at 704-788-9184 or Email me at Glen@SolutionLeader.com A Little Humor I've Gotten Old I've sure gotten old. I've had two by-pass surgeries, a hip replacement, new knees. Fought prostate cancer, and diabetes. I'm half blind, can't hear anything quieter than a jet engine, take 40 different medications that make me dizzy, winded, and subject to blackouts. Have bouts with dementia. Have poor circulation, hardly feel my hands and feet anymore. Can't remember if I'm 85 or 92. Have lost all my friends. But ...Thank God, I still have my Florida driver's license! _______________ New Restaurant Did you hear about the new restaurant on the moon? Great food but no atmosphere. _______________ Sixth Grade History (actual test answer) Abraham Lincoln was America's greatest precedent. Lincoln's mother died in infancy, and he was born in a log cabin which he built with his own hands. Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves by signing the Emasculation Proclamation . On the night of April 14, 1865, Lincoln went to the theater and got shot in his seat by one of the actors in the moving picture show. They believe the assinator was John Wilkes Booth, a suposingly insane actor. This ruined Booth's career. Thought for the Day Why God Created Children Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children. After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was "DON'T!" "Don't what?" Adam replied. "Don't eat the forbidden fruit." God said. "Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey Eve! We have forbidden fruit!" "No way!" "Yes!" "Do NOT eat the fruit!" said God. "Why" "Because I am your Father and I said so!" God replied, wondering why He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants. A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He was ticked! "Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit?" God asked. "Uh huh," Adam replied. "Then why did you?" said the Father. "I don't know," said Eve. "She started it!" Adam said "Did not!" "Did too!" "DID NOT!" Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed. There is reassurance in this story. If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself. If God had trouble raising children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you? (Author unknown) STOP PLAYING GAMES AT WORK When was the last time that you and your colleagues tried to work together - but, little was accomplished. You met in order to make a decision, design a process, plan a project, or whatever - and it was a frustrating failure. Despite hours of work, nothing came of it. Everyone in the meeting was participatory and civil. The group was just ineffective. Consider the possibility that the people in the meeting (even you??) were just playing games. Unintentionally, of course, you may have been sabotaging yourselves. While you were going through the motions of doing the group's task, the people around the table may have been much more concerned with looking good, protecting themselves, avoiding hot issues or unmentionable topics, and pretending that they knew things they didn't know. The private agenda of each participant may have been the real, but unrecognized, agenda. The task was just the "ball" for the "game." Chris Argyris, a professor at Harvard and respected expert in organizational behavior, calls such behaviors "defensive routines." People pursue their own purpose stay in unilateral control of themselves and the situation maximize winning and avoid losing by advocating their personal position act invulnerable and suppress emotions avoid the appearance of incompetence by covering up problems and bypassing errors In Masterful Coaching, author Robert Hargrove reports interviews with Roger Schwarz, an organizational psychologist, and Robert Putnam, an acclaimed professor of public policy. They suggest several ways to get beyond games and defensive routines: Ask questions that surface and test assumptions. When people cover up their mistakes, attribute negative motives to others, or draw illogical conclusions - ask questions. Helpful questions will inquire without accusing. For example, "When you take the position that … , it sounds as if you are assuming … . Is that correct?" Or, "What led you to the view that … ?" Or, "When you claim … , what are the data you are using to reach that conclusion?" If you are in a leadership role or facilitating the meeting, you may choose to bring to people's attention how defensive routines are dominating the group's work and describe the constructive conversation that you want. Encourage new norms: Note mistakes and learn from them instead of covering them up. Share the potentially helpful thoughts you have that you might normally keep to yourself. When people advocate a position, check out the evidence, assumptions, conclusions, and beliefs behind the position. Is the conclusion warranted? Value and explore diverse views. Listen to understand. Discuss the previously unmentionable. Etc. As leader or facilitator, be sure that you are observing these norms yourself. Failed and frustrating group work certainly can be the result of many factors. But, the next time you are having an unproductive joint effort, look for patterns of defensive routines. Act within your role to raise the level of conversation and collaboration. ©2004 Glen Rediehs What is the best example of working together - without playing games - that you know about? How have those people managed to accomplish this level of interaction? Send your stories, quotes, thoughts. As space permits, I will try to publish them. Send them to Glen@SolutionLeader.com. *What's the next step in your life? In your business?* What do you want to achieve? What do you want to change? Coaching will help you reach your goals! Let's work on your future together. You can make it happen! PLEASE CALL ME at 704-788-9184 or Email me at Glen@SolutionLeader.com. FORWARD THIS EZINE Please forward this Ezine to anyone you think might enjoy it! It's free! GET YOUR OWN SUBSCRIPTION If you received this Solution Leader Ezine from someone else and would like your own free subscription, click on www.SolutionLeader.com. Subscribe -- it's free! Try it! TO UNSUBSCRIBE To unsubscribe from this Ezine, just click reply to this email, place Unsubscribe on the subject line and your email address will be removed. Please note that this procedure helps us to determine the e-mail address that you used to subscribe to Solution Leader Ezine. That's the only way we will recognize that it is you. Thank you. PRIVACY POLICY AND DISCLAIMER Click here for Privacy Policy and Disclaimer COPYRIGHT You may share, replicate or forward this Ezine or sections of it as long as the attribution, copyright notice and contact information are included. PAST ISSUES Past issues of the Solution Leader Ezine are available at my web site: www.SolutionLeader.com. CONTACT ME Contact me at Glen@SolutionLeader.com. Got a suggestion for a future topic? Thoughts about the Solution Leader Ezine? Want to submit an article? Other questions or comments? I'd love to hear from you. CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE Find out more about me and my services at: www.SolutionLeader.com. ©2004 Glen Rediehs. All rights reserved.