The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By: Christine Hammond, LMHC The name Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) often gets confused with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) but it is definitely not the same.   It is however the same in that there are obsessive and compulsive traits, thoughts, and actions.   For instance, OCDs are obsessed with being clean and therefore do compulsive behaviors such as excessive hand washing.   Generally speaking the OCD is limited to a few areas or environments.   OCPD is not and as a personality disorder it is pervasive in nearly every environment. So what is OCPD?   Here is the technical DSM-V definition: ·       Identity:   Sense of self derived from work or productivity ·       Self-direction:   Rigid, unreasonably high, and inflexible internal standards of behavior ·       Empathy:   Difficulty understanding the ideas, feelings, or behavior...

By: Christine Hammond, MS, LMHC It’s easy to be a jerk at work.   When something doesn’t get done the way it should because it’s late, incomplete, or missing essential details, it’s easy to get upset and fly off the handle.   After all, you have invested your valuable time, energy and effort only to be left with sub-standard work from your co-workers.   It’s not right, it’s not fair, and you are entitled to be frustrated.   So you become more ‘jerky ’ with each disappointment only to wake up one day and realize that you have become something you don’t really like.   There is a better way to handle things at work that can produce excellent results without compromising your standards. Be Patient .   Promotions, projects, and promises don’t happen overnight so be patient for your opportunities to shine.   Don’t be so eager to do everything that you miss the chance to do one thing exceptionally well.   Be Kind.   Too often kindn...

  By Chris Hammond You understand your personality profile and can now see how the pieces fit together to form a whole functioning group.   So now the struggle becomes how to communicate effectively with each other.   Effective communication is difficult under normal circumstances but try complicating it with different strengths, weaknesses, needs and motivations and you are likely to feel a bit overwhelmed.   Worse yet, do this for an entire team of different profiles and watch your time disappear.   Instead of resorting back to the way things were before you learned all of this information, try incorporating a couple of these tactics the next time you have a team meeting.   Remember you can meet the needs of all your personalities in one meeting at one time which in the end will save you time and energy while reducing stress and frustration. Project Outline. In order to better understand effective communication, the same exam...

By Chris Hammond You have completed the tests and have a better understanding of yourself through the DISC personality profile having gained new insights as to your strengths and weaknesses. But how does your profile fit with others?   How does it relate to your spouse’s profile, your co-worker’s profile or your child’s?   How can the pieces fit together to form a functioning group dynamic? Each personality profile in DISC: dominating, influential, steadfast, and conscientious, are different pieces of a whole package.   The goal is not to become all things rather it is to recognize the value in each part, utilize your strengths to achieve results, and supplement your weaknesses by working with people who are strong where you are weak.   When you do this you will discover how much more enjoyable life can be, how much less anxiety you will have, and a huge reduction in everyday stress as you will no longer be trying to be something that you are not.  ...

Brian M Murray, MS, IMH Over the past 11 years our nation has been at war. As of 9/30/2011 the Department of Veteran Affairs reported there is an estimated 22,234,000 United States military veterans. To put this in perspective the world’s largest military force according to the CIA Factbook, China, has 2,250,000 active duty personnel. The United States has an all active duty personnel at 1,450,000. The point is the United States has an enormous veteran population and most people know someone who has served or know someone associated with someone who has served. The United States Army is reporting that in the first part of 2012 that suicide rates are at an all time high. This impact is being felt among all ranks and all socio-economic-cultural backgrounds. This is not limited to the guys on the front line trading bullets. The impact, stress and trauma of 11 years of war are deep and are reaching upper echelon. It would behoove the Veterans Administration to have a contin...

By Chris Hammond, MS, IMH Every now and then you get a chance to witness teamwork operating at its finest. Usually this is found in sophisticated work environments or in places where adults have known one another for a long period of time. I however have found it at a high school with a group of seniors who have come from a variety of backgrounds with enormous variations in economic and social status. As a group, there is nothing special that stands out among them as evident in their number of 29 with the majority of them being males. With the exception of a few, they are not the most intelligent, athletic or popular class. Their personal interests are varied from medical school to marines, from marine biology to hunting, from football to dance, and from art to engineering. Yet they get along with surprising contentment for their differences. How? There are three observations as to how they have accomplished this task. Servant leadership. One of the most striking featur...

By Chris Hammond, MS, IMH I love weddings but I love strong marriages even more. Once the wedding and celebration is over, the marriage begins but where do you begin? What comes next? Here are ten simple steps that are easy to implement the first day and lay a good foundation for a healthy marriage. 1. You are part of a team now with your coach being God. There really is no point in working against each other, trying to compete with each other, or holding resentment towards each other. Each of these behaviors destroys teamwork. Rather your marriage should be a pattern of working together as members of the same team. 2. Forgiving the small things such as the things that annoy you or frustrate you lays a pattern for forgiving the large things. In every marriage, there will be large things that you will need to forgive and if you have been forgiving the small things all along, the large things become easier. 3. Don’t just remember what you love about your spouse, but regularly comm...