Glenora Psychology Tip Sheets

A successful retirement takes more than just enough money. You will likely live a long time after you retire and the most important factor of your retirement is going to be the quality of your life during all of those years. Not only will you need sufficient financial resources to sustain a lifestyle that support your needs and interests, you will also want to be healthy, happy, and engaged in life. Most people look forward to the time when they can leave the structure, responsibility, and demands of their daily work and enjoy the freedom of being able to do what they want to do, when they want to do it. Retirement seems as simple as setting a timeline, quitting work, and receiving your pension. If you want to enjoy the last third of your life, you have to do more than just financially plan for retirement. And this planning…

Psychology has long studied “ages and stages” we all go through during our lifespan, although social psychologists are now finding interesting differences between the generations. Differences between different “eras” of workers can lead to differing work and managerial styles, as well as to conflict in the workplace. Keeping in mind that any study of ages/stages or group characteristics speak in general terms, and exceptions are the norm. The following chart illustrates some key differences in work ethics and values within the work place: Traditionalists 1925-1945 Baby boomers 1946-1960 Generation X 1961-1980 Millennials 1981 – present PracticalPatient, loyal, and hardworking Respectful of authority Rule followers OptimisticTeamwork and cooperation Ambitious Workaholic ScepticalSelf-reliant Risk-taking Balances work and personal life HopefulMeaningful work Diversity and change valued Technology savvy   Each generation is influenced by the social, political and economic times in which they are raised. Examining the above chart shows each generation has positive…

Dr. Stephen Carter, R.Psych. Dr. Shirley Vandersteen, R.Psych. Definition: Workplace bullying is a form of violence in the corporate world. While workplace bullying rarely involves acts of physical aggression, the most extreme form can result in serious physical injury or death. Most adults know that it is a criminal act to physically assault another person so the majority of office bullies use non-physical means to threaten or intimidate subordinates or co-workers. Corporate bullies primarily engage in psychological violence. Workplace bullying is defined as “interpersonal hostility that is deliberate, repeated and sufficiently severe as to harm the targeted person’s health or economic status” (Gary Namie, 2003). Bullying includes those physical and emotional behaviours that are aggressive, often intentional, controlling, and hurtful. These behaviours include verbal or non-verbal forms of communication, deliberate acts of character assassination or sabotage, or other strategic acts of covert or overt hostility. Bullying creates a climate of…