Daily Lessons from Life 28 October 2009

"Being the boss can take its toll on health
Health of people in higher positions is affected by work. -Wed, Oct 28, 2009 Reuters

NEW YORK - Being the boss might mean more money and challenging work but it can also take a toll on physical and mental well-being, according to a Canadian study.


For years studies have shown people in lower-status jobs generally have higher rates of heart disease and other illnesses and die earlier than those in higher-status positions while job authority has shown no association with workers' health.

But University of Toronto researchers, using data from 1,800 U.S. workers, found the health of people in higher positions is affected by work as they are more likely to report conflicts with co-workers and say work intruded on their home life.


However the positive aspects of having a power position at work, such as higher status, more pay and greater independence, seemed to cancel out the negative aspects when it came to people's physical and psychological health

"Were it not for their greater exposure to interpersonal conflict at work and work-to-home interference, individuals with higher levels of authority would tend to report fewer physical symptoms, symptoms of psychological distress, and less anger," researcher Scott Schieman, a professor of sociology, told Reuters Health.


"This isn't to suggest that having authority is 'bad' - in fact, we show it has benefits ... but it is important to identify the downsides and deal with them."

These latest findings, reported in the journal Social Science & Medicine, suggest that the pros and cons of authority positions essentially cancel each other out, giving the general impression that job authority has no health effects.

Schieman said conflicts with co-workers or intrusion of work into home life may chip away at physical and mental well-being by creating chronic stress."

An interesting research result though I am not sure how useful it is really in getting people at work - be it at a higher level or lower level - to deal with it.

Lessons for me are:

1. if you love what you do, you never work a day. So, it is important to find work that you love to do. At the same time, it can be impossible if you have too perfect an expectation for the perfect job! So, keep a dose of realism in our expectations of the 'ideal job' is a must have pre-requisite!;

2. how we deal with the imperfect part of our perfect job decides how well we are at work. If we have the realism in our dream job, we will know that the imperfect part of our dream job is a necessary evil. It is something that need to be done so we may as well do it with a positive mindset and enjoy it instead of 'cursing and swearing' while at it!;

3. to have a balanced life at work and at rest, we need to take a bigger and broader view of life and work. Equipping ourselves with the necessary Attitudes, Skills, Knowledge, Tools, Organization Structure and Culture, Processes (& systems) and Discipline (ASK for TOP D), we will be more likely to be successful at getting the balance right.

Personally whether we are working at a so-called higher- or lower-level job does not determine IF we will be healthier. It is mastering the ASK for TOP D that will really help!