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Set the Example

By Miranda Wilson on Friday, March 5, 2010

It’s safe to say that everyone is tired of this economy. And, many of today’s workers are feeling the strain because of increased workloads, longer work hours, and decreased salaries. It’s no wonder everyone doesn’t always have the greatest attitude, right?

Although you can’t control how your co-workers feel or act every day, you’re in control of your own feelings and actions. YOU can be the example you want to see in the office. You can take the initiative to make your overall office environment better and be a good example for your fellow colleagues. How? Here are a few acts of kindness you can do around the office to help relieve tension and make the day a little brighter. And, the best thing about this is you don’t have to be in a leadership position to do this. Anyone can do this.

Send a word of praise. For this, buy a greeting card. You can write a kind note on it about someone you work with, telling them such things as they did a great job on a certain project, tell the funniest jokes, are a great cook, have a wonderful fashion sense, etc. This is just a little way of letting that person know you’re glad to be their co-worker. Then, present them with the card! After that, the person who received the card has to keep the good times going by writing another positive note to another teammate and presenting it to them.

Recognize the “Stars of the Week.” Every Friday, recognize a few individuals you feel have done a great job for the week. Each week, you can recognize different individuals until everyone has been recognized for something. Include in the e-mail why you’ve recognized them for the “star” award, and if it’s OK with management, send the e-mail to everyone on your team so they can check it out. If you want, you can also award small prizes.

Find out how things are going. Find out how your teammates are doing. What are their interests, how is their family doing, do they plans for the weekend? Make it a point to just chat with them and get to know them. If they don’t want to share information with you, that’s OK too. But, at least you made an effort to learn more about them and that will mean something to them.

Get away from the office for lunch. Plan a lunch outing for you and your co-workers. Take a vote on where everyone wants to eat, and go there for your ENTIRE lunch hour. It’s important to use your break to relax. Make it a rule for the outing that no one can talk about work during lunch.

Potluck, anyone? Everyone likes food, so why not have a potluck one Friday? You could either do a breakfast or lunch potluck. This is a cost effective choice instead of everyone going to a restaurant to eat.

Bring cupcakes, just because. Surprise everyone on your team with cupcakes just to help brighten their day.

Start a book club. Despite the economy, you and your teammates still have an opportunity to learn and advance your skills within your current job roles. Purchase books on leadership and strengths development and start a weekly book club. This gives you a chance to get to know each other more and grow your knowledge and skills.

These are just as few examples of things you can do to help create a more positive work environment and help generate some happiness. Do you have other ideas of things to do around the office to increase morale? We want to know!

At Work The Daily Grind Workplace Relationships

4 Work Habits to Save Your Career

By Jennifer Kenley on Friday, February 26, 2010

There are conflicting opinions on whether or not the recession is over. But, the nation’s economy is definitely seeing signs of a recovery and experts believe America’s jobless rate is improving. According to CareerBuilder’s 2010 Job Forecast, 20 percent of employers plan to add to their payrolls in 2010, up from 14 percent in 2009. So, what does this mean for the employees who held on to their jobs during the worst of the economy?

If you were one of the so called “lucky” ones who weathered the countless rounds of layoffs, you’ve probably been overworked and underpaid, leaving you exhausted and in need of a much deserved vacation. You might even be feeling a little frustrated and overwhelmed about the mounds of work lingering on your desk. But, don’t let your work ethic slip. With employers increasing their plans to hire again in 2010, they could just as easily find someone else who is refreshed and excited about the opportunity to have a job, no matter how much work it entails. So, check out these four work habits to help keep you safe in your career.

Be Flexible. No matter how slammed you are in your current position with a heavy workload, stay flexible. Be willing to rearrange your schedule to allow for new tasks that may be more important, even when you can’t find a minute to spare. If your boss is a good manager, they will see when your plate is full and will adjust accordingly. Also, don’t be afraid to schedule a meeting with your supervisor to discuss what projects can be put on the back burner for a while so you can focus on top priorities

Be Positive. Make sure that you always have a pleasant attitude, even if you want to pull your hair out. It’s imperative that your superiors don’t see you sweat the small stuff, or the large stuff, and that you exhibit a can-do attitude even in the worst case scenarios. Having a positive mindset will go far in your boss’s eyes and will help you get through stressful days a little easier.

Be Accountable. It’s easy to lose track of projects when there is so much going on and no one to hold you accountable. So make sure you hold yourself responsible for your tasks. You don’t want to be assigned a project and not get it completed because you assumed your boss would get with you on it later. Upper management is doing more with less time as well, so be accountable for your own assignments and don’t expect your boss to micromanage your workload.

Be Assertive. If you see something that needs to be done, don’t wait to be tasked with the project. Take initiative and tackle the assignment before you are asked. This will show your boss how valuable you are to the organization and that you are willing to work on tasks without being told to.

As the economy continues to improve, employers are strategizing to make a comeback by hiring more employees. But, don’t let the notion that your job is safe keep you from having a strong work ethic. With many job seekers ready to take your place, your employers may only be a big résumé stack away from finding someone who would be happy to fill your shoes. You’ve worked hard for so long, so don’t give up! Keep your career on track with these four work habits.

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Text Messages Crossing the Line?

By Brie Hobbs on Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Cell phone text messaging has changed the way we communicate, the way we operate, and even the way we do business. It’s direct and instantaneous. And, with more than a third of the world texting, it’s becoming a more prevalent and often preferred means of communication.

But, like most technological advances, text messaging can have some unintended consequences. According to experts, “textual” harassment or sexual harassment that occurs via text messages is on the rise in the workplace.

With text messaging becoming a part of everyday business more and more, is it affecting you at work?

poll by twiigs.com

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Professional Lessons from the Barnyard

By Brie Hobbs on Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Some days, the hustle and bustle of cube life doesn’t seem all that different from a barnyard full of animals. The gossip group around the water cooler sounds like a henhouse full of clucking chickens. Your cube-mate’s laugh breaks your concentration like the hee-haw of a mule. And, the papers stacking up around your desk make you feel like a tired work horse. But, despite the negative attributes your daily routine may share with a brood of barnyard animals, if you look closely, there are also positive characteristics you can learn from all creatures – great and small – to improve your work environment and career.

Not sure where to start looking? Follow theses examples to be a whole different kind of employee that companies need to lead the pack.

Be loyal like a dog. Learn an old trick from man’s best friend and be a loyal and dependable employee to your company, your supervisor, and your team. Employers know that loyalty can be a hard thing to come by, so they value trustworthy employees with devotion. By being loyal, you will stand out as top dog. You can prove your loyalty by keeping confidential information confidential, ignoring and avoiding harmful office gossip, and being a dependable employee everyone can count on.

Every dog has its day. So, choose to be reliable and faithful in your daily tasks, actions, and attitude and your loyalty will be rewarded with the affection and respect of your employer and your entire team.

Keep cool like a pig. Pigs don’t have functional sweat glands, so when things get hot, they have to cool themselves down with water or mud before they overheat. Losing your cool at work can be a career killer. So, it’s important to always maintain your composure in the office. When you’re faced with stressful situations, don’t sweat it. Instead, take a deep breath and take everything in stride, because reacting inappropriately or unprofessionally will only add fuel to an already hot fire.

Since rolling around in a mud hole is not an option, if you’re having trouble staying calm under pressure at work, take a break, find someone outside of work to talk to, or listen to music to improve your serenity and keep your cool.

Rule the roost like a rooster. No matter what your title or job position, you can be a team leader who motivates your co-workers to succeed. Start every day by rousing your colleagues with a positive and energetic attitude and outlook that is contagious. Be sure to crow loudly about your co-workers’ accomplishments and triumphs with sincere praise and celebration. Protect them from the sly predator of negativity by carefully guarding your own outlook and approach to life, work, and your company.

So, next time work gets a little crazy and messy like a pig sty, keep your cool, be a loyal and dependable employee who motivates your team, and you will be the needle in the workplace haystack.

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Who’s Spying on You Online?

By Miranda Wilson on Wednesday, October 28, 2009

With online networking websites continuing to grow at rapid speeds, doesn’t it sometimes seem that you have more friends/connections online than you know in real life? There’s that coworker you met very briefly at the companywide meeting. Another random person you met at the baseball game who has a LinkedIn account and works in your industry. Your sister’s best friend, her boyfriend, and his cousin. That guy who used to sit alone in your American History class in high school. This list goes on and on. Your online network could grow to hundreds of thousands of people, but would this allow for effective networking and relationship building?

Building a large network of connections is a good thing, and yes, that’s the purpose of most social media tools. But, it’s important to remember to be conscious of what information you do and do not post on your profile when using social media sites. Some sites, such as Facebook, are more heavily focused on socializing and staying connected to your friends. But did you know that many employers are hopping on the social media bandwagon too?

You never know who will see what you post online. It always seems there is someone who knows someone who knows you.To help you with your social media, here are a few basic rules to follow.

Learn about privacy settings. The first rule for using any social media site is to know what the privacy settings are. You might want to set your profile so that it can only be viewed by your friends. This way, once you have approved someone to be a friend, only then can they have access to your information and pictures. If they’re not a friend, they can’t access any information from you. This gives you some control over who sees your profile and who doesn’t.

After-hour pictures. Yes, everyone has a personal life outside of work, and what you do in your free time is your choice. But, realize that if you post party pictures, a co-worker or someone who interviewed you for a job might be able to see those photos. Another thing to keep in mind is that your friends can post things on your profile. On some sites like Facebook, friends can tag photos of you, so just make sure to do check-ups on your site to see what others might have posted about you. Remember that your networking profiles are a reflection of you, so use your best judgment when it comes to the featured content.

Spell check. Even if you are not a journalist or in a communication-related field, make sure you don’t have a lot of misspelled words on your profiles. Typos and misspellings could communicate a careless attitude or sloppiness – two things you don’t want to convey in the professional world.

Social media can be a great tool for staying connected, learning new industry tips, and showing that you are up-to-speed on current trends. In the digital age, personal and professional can overlap. So, use these tips to make sure you maintain a balanced online image. It’s always a good idea to put your best foot forward by always being professional, even in your personal life. To learn more, view our guide on social media for business leaders.

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The Mixed Signals Affecting Your Career

By Brie Hobbs on Thursday, September 24, 2009

We live in a world of perpetual communication. On average, men use more than 13,000 words a day and women use nearly three times that amount. We also send and receive information through nonverbal messages such as our body language, posture, facial expressions, gestures, and eye contact. Appearance, style of speech, and voice inflection can further communicate information to others. We communicate at work, at home, in social settings, through social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, through e-mail, blogs, instant messaging, phones, and more, all at an ever quickening pace.

What’s Your Message Saying?

We have a million things to say, and a million ways to say it, but with all that communication, the signals we send can get mixed. Sending mixed signals is sometimes unavoidable and is almost always done subconsciously, but could your mixed signals be hurting your career? What you convey verbally and nonverbally, and how you convey it can affect the way employers and co-workers perceive you. If you’re waiting on a promotion, worrying that you’re striking out during a job interview, or feeling misunderstood at work, it could be that you’re sending the wrong messages.

Understanding Misunderstandings

Misinterpretation is inevitable. Maybe your co-workers interpret your tendency to be introverted as you being cold or standoffish instead of just shy. Perhaps your enthusiasm, excitement, and passion at work make others feel overwhelmed or intimated. A relaxed personality can be interpreted as a lack of drive or just laziness. In your career and in life, it’s imperative to be aware of what you’re communicating and how that communication is received. To know what you’re communicating, you have to see yourself as others see you.

Know Thy Communication Pitfalls

Thomas Fuller once said, “No man is the worst for knowing the worst of himself.” So, while it may be uncomfortable, even a little painful, to learn you have a habit of talking over people and it’s driving your co-workers insane, or that your focused eye contact frightens the administrative assistant until she avoids you like she would a basilisk, knowing you have a disconnect in communication is half the battle. Soliciting feedback from others can equip you with the information you need to communicate more effectively. So ask a co-worker, mentor, respected leader, friend, or even the employer who choose not to hire you to provide feedback on the messages you send, and use that information to adapt your communication styles so you can be more clearly understood. You never know, what may seem like a small change could make all the difference. Maybe your next interview will be a home run, the next promotion a sure thing, or at the very least, maybe that administrative assistant won’t cower in fear from your death stare every time you enter the room.

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Think Positive About Your Current Work Situation

By Miranda Wilson on Wednesday, September 9, 2009

In the aftermath of a company layoff or cutback, your attitude about your current job might not be as positive as it once was. However, if you’re experiencing negative feelings about your work situation, you might be setting yourself up for disappointment – a.k.a. hurting your career or reputation. Negative attitudes reflect in all you do, and others can pick up on your negative feelings as well. For instance, do you dread getting up and going to work each day? When it’s Monday, are you only looking forward to Friday afternoon? If you answered yes to either of these, it’s time to change your way of thinking. Think about the positive aspects of your job – you owe it to yourself. Here are three steps to help re-focus your attitude.

1. Be grateful for the job you have. Even though you might be working someplace that you don’t like, keep in mind that at least you have a job. That is something to be grateful for today. You still have a source of income to pay bills and purchase the things you need.

2. Develop friendships at work. When you make connections with others in the workplace, the day tends to go by faster and your work performance to increase. Make it a point to say hello to your co-workers and maybe even go out to eat lunch. By doing so, you will not only be allowing some joy to come into your life, but you will also be adding joy to someone else’s life.

3. Focus on your strengths. There are things at work you excel at. You’re the expert at those things and they are a reflection of your strengths. Don’t lose sight of these stand-out qualities. Focus on using these skills throughout your workday so you feel a sense of accomplishment when it’s time to go home.

It can be easy to let your current work situation get you down, if you let it. Fight the urge to give in to a negative attitude. Try implementing these three tips into your life, and see if your days improve. Also, remember that attitude is contagious – would you want someone to catch yours?