Monthly Archives: June 2009

Coach 4 U Blog, Job Satisfaction

Free pizza for higher job satisfaction

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Recently, I read in the newspaper that some companies provide free pizza or ice cream to their employees to keep them happy in face of the still dismal economic situation.

In these days many companies are reducing the size of their workforce and also are cutting benefits. The remaining employees are left to deal with two pressures: the anxiety that the next round of layoffs will include them and with an increased workload because they inherit some of the tasks of those who got the pink slip.

Therefore, morale is down in many companies and management is looking for new ways to lift the spirits again. Free pizza or cook-outs are supposed to show appreciation and foster loyalty to the company during bad times.

I’m wondering whether this is really working. Personally, if I felt that my job is not secure and I might get laid off, no free pizza would keep me from looking for alternatives. On the other hand, if I’m satisfied with my job and the company in general – and one criterion for me would be fairness in regards to the whole lay-off process- I wouldn’t need free pizza to boost my work morale.

Money Savers

Gender gap in financial wisdom

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Today, I heard on CNN NEWS about a study researching a gender gap in financial wisdom. According to this study, women look for help and advice when they are already in financial troubles while men seek out financial advisors to avoid those troubles and plan for the future. Men follow the developments on the stock markets at a higher rate than women and men also are more likely than women  to pay off their credit card bills in full every month.  

It seems that many women could really benefit from the services of a Money (Life ) coach.

The study was done by Financial Finesse, a provider of financial education programs. Read more details  .

Christiane is Life Coach and teaches Psychology at a Community College in Massachusetts. Her website is www.coach4u.net. Sign up for her newsletter.

Money Savers

Grow your own fruits and vegetables

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Although we are already in June, it’s not too late for many regions to start a vegetable garden and save some bucks. Garden centers still offer inexpensive lettuce and young tomato, pepper, squash and pumpkin plants. You might even get now some good sale offers.

If you are inexperienced with gardening and therefore prefer to start small, you may want to choose only one kind.  For gardening rookies, I recommend tomatoes. Tomatoes are quite pricey on local farmers markets, however they don’t require care by someone with a green thumb.  Provide  good soil, lots of sun, water regularly and stake when the plants are getting tall, and you will harvest several pounds of fresh, sweet and juicy red fruits from each plant.

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In regards to fruits, start planning for next year: Plant raspberries and blackberries, which will bear fruits next year. Ask in your garden center what types of fruits may grow in your region. You may be surprised about the possibilities. When we  planted a peach tree in our garden  near Boston, we were concerned that it might not survive the first winter. Well, it did and every year we get to enjoy more peaches. Last year we harvested about 50 pounds – at farmers market prices of almost $ 3 per pound a good return of investment:

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Christiane is Life Coach and enthusiastic gardener. Her website is www.coach4u.net. Sign up for her newsletter.