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3 Ways to Build Influence

By Rachel Rudisill on Wednesday, July 3, 2013

When considering change and development in your career, it’s important to factor in your sphere of influence. Before you can impact a decision or bring forth an idea, you’ll need to establish a respected and involved in the process. To help define your place, it’s important to take proactive steps to develop your relationships, skills, and knowledge. Your sphere of influence is your ability to impact decisions and actions. It’s about being trusted, respected, and having a say in the decision making process. So, here are three ways you can build influence.

Be Reliable
Your ability to influence a conversation or decision begins with trust. One of the best ways to build trust is to be reliable. This includes being on time, avoiding gossip, being honest, and being consistent. Respect is earned over time and you can gain that by consistently taking care of your workplace tasks well.

Be Knowledgeable
This can be the most fun and interesting part of building your influence. Staying on top of industry trends, changes in market conditions, and technology developments in your field can lead to some great opportunities to build your influence. Make sure you’re aware of current events, legal changes that may impact your business, and your company’s current progress on its goals. By sharing what you’ve learned with your manager or applying your knowledge to your projects, you’ll demonstrate your desire to add value to the business and develop your skills.

Be Connected
Your relationships at work with your vendors, and in your professional community not only create opportunities for you, but are an asset in your sphere of influence. Make sure you’re building a network within your company. If your manager can rely on you to complete a requisition form in a short deadline or process a large shipping order because you’ve built relationships outside of your department, your ability to connect and collaborate will no doubt be an asset to the company. Additionally, by having relationships in your community, you may be able to contribute to sales development for your company. The value of connections with others is not to be underestimated.

In regards to the ideas here, how do you work to demonstrate reliability, and stay knowledgeable and connected? Share in the comments section below your personal tips for developing influence.

Career Advancement Workplace Relationships

3 Ways to Earn Your Boss’ Trust

By Job Journey on Wednesday, June 26, 2013

In the world of workplace relationships, the one between you and your boss is probably the most influential and important. And like any essential relationship, it’s built on trust. As Robert Whipple, chief executive of Leadergrow Inc., a leadership development firm, told CareerBuilder, “Trust is the most important ingredient for a workplace to function correctly.”

There’s a lot riding on how much your manager can trust you. It can affect your career advancement, yearly reviews, and workload. So, here are three ways to help earn your boss’ trust and strengthen your working relationship.

Go Above and Beyond
Don’t just do exactly what your boss asks and leave it at that. Be a self-starter with a passion for personal and professional growth. Instead of accepting the status quo on your projects or work tasks, see how you can make them better and take them to the next level. Without being asked, take it upon yourself to learn and grow, whether it’s staying up to date on industry trends or learning new software. This shows you can be trusted to be responsible and do what needs to be done.

Ask Smart Questions
If you’re being trained in a new task, ask questions so you can understand the “why” behind it, not just the “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “how.” Or, if you’re in a meeting and hear an unfamiliar phrase, ask what it means in layman terms. By asking your boss well-thought-out questions, you show you’re paying attention and taking the initiative to understand your job responsibilities better.

Make a Judgment Call
There will come a time when your manager isn’t around and you have to make a decision in their absence. Making the right judgment call will instantly boost your boss’s trust in you, but in order to make the correct choice you have to start preparing yourself for that moment long before it arrives. In order to act and think like your boss would, you must take the time to observe them, learn their character, and focus on how they handle different decisions and situations.

Earning your boss’ trust will not only help you advance in your company and career, but also make work more enjoyable and fulfilling. What other ways have you proven your trustworthiness to your manager? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

At Work Workplace Relationships

Feel Appreciated at Work

By Jared Cole on Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Did you know that the first Friday in March was National Employee Appreciation Day? There may be several people with employers who took the special holiday to focus on employee appreciation. But, there are probably just as many, if not more, who never even knew the day existed.

The workplace can feel like a thankless place at times with shortening deadlines and increasing stress levels. So, what do you do the other 364 days of the year when it’s not Employee Appreciation Day? Here are some things you can do to feel a little more gratitude from co-workers and managers at a hectic workplace.

Appreciate Others
Many times, our interactions with other people can be boiled down to the famous line from the Beatles song “The End” that says, “And in the end, the love you take
is equal to the love you make.”

Basically, if you want to feel appreciated, try showing gratitude and giving out compliments to others. It might feel weird and out of place, but if you can influence your work culture with positive words, the appreciation will come back to you. Besides, doesn’t it feel good to make others feel good, too?

Take a Compliment
While complimenting and encouraging others is a great start to creating an environment of appreciation, you’re going to need to leave a little bit of modesty at the door. That means, you’ll need to be able to accept the compliments as much as you give them.

If you shrug off or deflect honest gratitude toward yourself, you could be discouraging others from showing their appreciation. If you just reply with “Just doing my job” or “It was nothing” you’re not giving co-workers or managers a reason to repeat the same gestures.

Toot Your Own Horn
If you want to talk to your manager about their lack of appreciation for your work, you might not get the results you are looking for with a negative attitude of, “I don’t feel appreciated for what I do.” Instead, create a positive environment by finding ways of making your boss aware of your accomplishments. Find clever ways of promoting yourself that aren’t blatantly directed toward yourself.

Focus on your accomplishments that have directly benefited your employer. What did you do to bring in more customers or clients? Did you do something that positively affected the company’s bottom line?

Respect the Routine
Sometimes you feel like there aren’t opportunities to demonstrate your good works when doing your job is business as usual. There might not be a negative standard to compare your greatness to. You don’t have to reinvent your place or role in the grand scheme of work, but little things like maintaining a positive attitude can quickly gain the attention of your co-workers and managers. They will know when you gave your workday 100% and will begin to wonder what your secret is.

Just because your employer may have skipped out on Employee Appreciation Day doesn’t mean you shouldn’t reward yourself. If you follow these guidelines, you can take pride in knowing that a job done well doesn’t go unnoticed.

At Work Workplace Relationships

Workplace Romance: Flirting with Danger

By Jared Cole on Friday, February 1, 2013

relationships at work It’s February, and millions of people around the world are making plans to celebrate Valentine’s Day with their significant others. In the spirit of the holiday, there may be a certain someone at your workplace you’ve debated whether or not to start a relationship with, and you’ve decided to take the plunge.

Hey, if it worked for President Barack Obama and Bill Gates of Microsoft, why can’t it work for you? But before you jump into things head first, take some time to consider these guidelines so you don’t get bit by something worse than the love bug.

Company Policy Should be Your First Love
With workplace relationships becoming more common and accepted among younger employees, the definition of sexual harassment broadening, and employers becoming more wary of sexual discrimination lawsuits, more and more companies are putting a real effort into developing “love contracts” or “anti- fraternizing” policies.

It’s a tricky subject employers are dealing with now or will be handling in the future, but it’s still best to review your employer guidelines to see if there is any information you should consider before starting a romantic workplace relationship. The most common things to look out for are rules about being in a relationship with someone who has been or is a supervisor to the significant other.

Put Work First
What you do outside the office is your own business, but when you’re at work, you are there to do a job. If at all possible, leave your personal romance at home and treat your partner as any other co-worker. It’s much more important to maintain an office relationship with that person developing your job.

You should also consider keeping your space with your partner. You do spend a large part of your day at work, and spending too much time with a significant other can not only lower your job performance, but it can also strain the relationship. In most cases, the phrase, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” is important to remember within a romantic relationship.

While workplace romances can be a very tight rope to walk, it is usually possible. As long as you remain professional and adhere to your employer’s guidelines, you could have a relationship with a co-worker that won’t interfere with your career.

At Work Workplace Relationships

Stand Your Ground Against Workplace Bullying

By Jared Cole on Wednesday, January 2, 2013

When most people think of bullying, they picture the high school football player stuffing the lonely computer geek in a locker or the elementary school tormenter forcing the new kid at the playground to give him some lunch money. What most don’t want to admit is that bullying goes beyond schoolyard antics. Workplace bullying is very real and can greatly increase stress levels, panic attacks, and even depression.

In a study in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 71% of respondents reported experiencing workplace bullying during the past five years. It’s easy to believe bullying in the workplace doesn’t exist because grown adults should be above those types of childish antics, but it happens more than you think. It happens in the form of aggressive communication like insults or threats, manipulation like withholding paid time off, sabotaging others, and avoiding contact, or acts of humiliation like spreading false rumors, playing harsh practical jokes, or talking bad about someone to make others look good to management.

If you’ve been bullied at work, you may feel like you have no means of defending yourself or have no idea where to go for help. It seems all too real that you receive punishment while the bully goes unpunished or without reprimand. But fear no more! Here are ways you can make a stand to overcome bullying in the workplace.

Check Policies and Procedures
It’s best to take your bullying issues to counselors or organizations that are trained in dealing with these types of issues. It’s important not to make claims or allegations about someone bullying you to those who are not involved with handling these types of situations. Depending on your industry, you might have a Contact, Grievance, or Human Resources Officer or Union Official. They should be able to handle your issue as quickly as possible in a no-blame, confidential manner.

It’s also a good idea to keep a written record of incidents involving the bully that includes date, time, persons involved and present, and what was said or done. The records shouldn’t be used as leverage against the bully, but may be useful later if more formal steps need to be taken.

You can also check whether your employer has a policy and complaint resolution procedure for workplace bullying. It may be available in your employer’s induction package, included in the in-house newsletters, or displayed on notice boards. Depending on your field, there may also be grievance procedures in your industrial award or employment agreement.

Mind Your Mentor
If you want to deal with the situation before it has to result in a formal complaint, you can always seek the advice from a trusted mentor or supervisor who has dealt with being bullied or managed employees who were bullies. Avoid using names when talking to your mentors so they don’t get involved with the situation. You should also avoid talking about it to fellow co-workers or recruiting them to your side. The way you handle the situation professionally and maturely will allow them to make their own judgment.

Confront With Care
If you feel safe and comfortable doing so, you can make it clear to the bully, in a professional manner, that the behavior is unacceptable and unwanted, and will not be tolerated. Sometimes not saying anything only fuels the continued torment and could possible get worse if you stay silent.

Don’t sink to a bully’s level – stay as calm as possible and refrain from yelling or threatening. This type of confrontation is what many bullies look for and it will encourage them to come back for more. Just because you avoid using the same tactics a bully uses doesn’t mean you should show weakness. Be confident and stern but also professional and courteous.

Spread the Word
Bullies are trying to tear you down for their personal gain. One way to fight that is to demonstrate how good of an employee you are. Let your managers know how your projects are going and share what you’ve accomplished in the past few months. Bullies often try to spread rumors about their victims underperforming, but will fall on deaf ears if your supervisors are aware of how much you’ve accomplished.

Your co-workers can also be a great support group. While you shouldn’t involve them in your conflict or rally them to your side, it’s important to foster and grow your workplace relationships so the bully can’t isolate your or make you feel isolated.

The days of schoolyard torment are over. You shouldn’t have to go to work in fear of other co-workers. It is a problem in many workplaces, but depending on your area, it’s illegal and you don’t have to tolerate it with these guidelines. What kind of bullies have you stood up to? Tell us your stories in the comments below.

At Work Workplace Relationships

Lies we Tell Our Boss

By Jared Cole on Friday, December 28, 2012

Lies we Tell Our Boss Sometimes we can’t help it. While we may not be the office Pinocchio, spouting lies while our noses get increasingly bigger. There may be times in our career we are tempted to stretch and bend the truth in little ways just enough to stay out of the hot seat with our boss.

This kind of dishonesty doesn’t come from bad, self-serving, or malicious motivations. It often stems from the desire to please others, even if it’s at our own expense. In the long run, these little lies, while made with good intentions, can not only interfere with your best interest, but also you co-workers’ and managements’ interest as well.

Sometimes lying can be so easy, we may not even realize we’re doing it until it’s too late. Here are some basic lies we tell our bosses and solutions in how we could better handle the situation.

No Questions Here
Remember that rush of excitement after receiving that first big solo assignment? There is also that sinking feeling when the instructions or guidance didn’t make any sense. The boss asked if there were any questions, but nobody wants to be that person who doesn’t understand what’s going on, so no questions were asked.

The problem is that if we have questions, we will need the answers in order to do the job right. If you are worried about sounding unintelligent, preface the questions with, “I just want to be certain I completely understand everything.” It’s better to clarify and do a great job than to appear competent and not meet expectations.

I’m on it
Sometimes it can be a normal workday with a full work load, then the boss walks in to ask one more favor or task to take care of that day. Instead of being honest with how much work that request adds to your work load, a whole hearted, “I’d be happy to” is heard with a giant grin.

The manager expects those who make promises to keep their word. If a new assignment interferes with other job duties, ask the supervisor which tasks have the highest priorities so the most important tasks are completed first. The boss may have just forgotten how much work is on each employee’s plate and can find someone with a lighter load.

Everything is Going According to Plan
For a while, this may be true. Project timelines and scheduled events may be perfectly on task, but life will always get in the way of even the most perfect of plans. It happens to the hardest of workers, but nobody wants to appear behind schedule. That’s why most workers who fall behind on their duties will wipe their forehead and say, “Everything is fine!” when the boss asks how the project is coming along.

Juggling multiple projects might not seem like a big deal as long as everything is finished by the deadline, but lying about the status leaves no room to act should something go wrong before then. There might be a moment when input from the boss is needed before proceeding with a project, but the lie could have kept any questions from being asked since the manager was told that the specific part had already been completed. It’s just better to be honest with a sincere, “I’m working on it.”

Little white lies may seem innocent and are often told with the best of intentions, but they can come back in the long run and disrupt the workplace before anyone realizes it. Honesty is always the best policies and managers are more forgiving when mistakes come from sincerity. What are some of the other big lies told to bosses that come back to wreak havoc on the workplace?

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Personal vs Work Life

By Rachel Rudisill on Friday, November 16, 2012

It’s always a good idea to ask yourself how much of your personal life do you feel comfortable sharing at work? Sometimes the better question to ask is, how much of your personal life do your co-workers want to hear? With increasing work hours and information sharing on social media, the line between your personal life and your work life gets thinner every day.

However, managing how your personal life bleeds into your work life can benefit your career by relieving some of the anxiety and stress you have at balancing your two worlds. Having healthy relationships at work can help you stay focused and excited about work, and can also be a strong support system for you when your personal life is challenging. Here is some advice on how to best handle personal situations with your circle at work.

Your Manager
While you may want to keep a personal struggle secret from your manager, informing them on some level clears up any suspicions about why you are out of the office or seem distracted, and may make it easier to work out a solution if you need time away from the office. You don’t need to go into detail, but it’s best to give a general statement about the type of struggle you are going through and the amount of time you think it will take to resolve it. For example, if you are going through a divorce, you don’t need to divulge relationship details, financial situations, or living arrangements, but you can say that you are going through a divorce and you expect it to be resolved within the next six months. Be honest that you may be taking scheduled time off for appointments with lawyers and court dates. While you may not want to share this with your manager, it’s best to be upfront about a situation that may result in needing time away from work so that your manager can help make that run smoothly for you. Sometimes keeping things too private can create more stress in your life, so when possible, share a very general bit of information to take away any assumptions.

Your Confidant
Hopefully, you’ve got at least one person at work that you consider a true friend, someone you spend time with outside of work and have developed trust with. If you feel comfortable, ask that person to go to lunch or meet up outside of work hours to share your situation. It can help to know you have a confidant at work that understands where you are coming from. For example, if you are struggling with caring for an aging parent it may be nice for you to have someone you see regularly that can lend you support and encouragement.

Your Co-Workers
While your co-workers may enjoy working with you, they are typically not on board for serving as your support system nor are they interested in all the details of your life. It can make things awkward for others if you share too much personal information. People like boundaries. Co-workers may notice you are distracted or taking extra time away from work, if you want to squelch natural curiosity and the rumor mill, share a general statement like, “I’ve got some health screenings I need to have done in the next month.” Or say “I am working on solving challenges with my son’s learning abilities; I’ll be out for a few appointments.” You shouldn’t feel any pressure to give away any details, but if you are under personal stress, you may need to share something to give people some perspective on what you are managing.

In closing, make sure you consider your social media profile and how that information may get shared with co-workers. With privacy settings changing and comments being shared among multiple lines of connections, it’s possible something you’ve tried to keep private from work could be shared inadvertently. If you want to keep something private, its best to keep it off social networks, no matter how private you think your account settings are.