Career Advice Blog

Some of us hopped on the green train back with Al Gore, some of us bought a ticket in the early 2000’s, and the majority of us begged to get on once gas prices skyrocketed.  Regardless of when you realized that we all have an impact on the environment, it can prove difficult to translate your lifestyle changes to work.  Certain changes are individualistic, while other may require approval by the company to transform. Here are some quickie reminders:1. RECYCLE.  This can be done on both an individual and company level.  As an individual, you can recycle the cans or plastic bottles of pop you purchase from the vending machine (or steal from the fridge; if you do steal, see the blog entry “Mind Your P’s and Q’s At Work").  At a company level, encourage your employer to put out recycle bins for the employees, bins for paper, and encourage them to recycle computers as well.2. UNPLUG THE CHARGER.  Whether at home or work, if you use a cell phone charger, be sure … [Read more...] about Quick Ways to Be Green at Work

Time might heal all wounds, but it certainly doesn't solve all business problems.  In the working world, most of us are at the mercy of the clock: punching in, lunch hours, time cards and so on.  Early in our careers we are trained to be as efficient as possible, cramming our hours to be multi-tasked to the max.  One lesson seldom taught in the power of inefficiency.  I've already talked about how the 'experts' waste time at work.  Today we're going to look at clock stoppers. These are bosses who know how to get your projects stuck in quicksand, and in the process, stop you in your tracks - or at least slow you down to a tortoise's crawl.Here's how they do it...DROWNING IN PAPERWORK. Paper has power. It can make things move forward or grind them to a halt. Usually, the more of it there is, the longer the delay. Any boss worth his/her salt knows the best way to get an employee off their back is to ask them to produce more paper.  It could be a memo that … [Read more...] about 5 Ways Your Boss Stops Time (and you in your tracks)

Ever have a new person start at your office who within a week is acting as if they own the place?  Don't blame the person, blame the organization (or your co-workers).Sure we want to make the rookie comfortable. Gone are the days of office hazing. (You know, stapling shrimp under a person's chair).   The same way we train a dog, it's important to establish ground rules with the newbie early on, and enforce them consistently.This might sound cruel, but it's especially important for people who work closely with the new hire. The logic is simple - assuming you aspire to grow within the organization, you will need the respect of your peers.  Plus, you'll make the transition easier when  you finally get that deserved bump. Redefining roles is a cumbersome workplace challenge. Why make things harder on yourself?  Including the rookie in every conversation and bringing them up to speed on every in-joke is a mistake.We leave breadcrumbs in all relationships, yet … [Read more...] about How to Treat the New Person at Work

Some sales men are hilarious. Yesterday, this dude was trying to sell me a 40" LCD television, even though I showed no interest what-so-ever. He had obviously just read some “how to” pop-psychology book on sales techniques, and was practicing his new found knowledge. His first “great idea” was to maintain eye contact, but in reality he just freaked the sh*t out me, because he was staring so much. At one stage I actually thought he was going to morph into Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs and slaughter me. Much to my pleasure...he didn’t. Anyway, this whole idea of eye contact is the basis of this article. Here is what I could find:  Fixed Eye Contact: This is the gaze our nutty salesman adopted. The problem with this gaze is that a lot of the time it can make the other person feel very uncomfortable. It is almost as if they are literally looking into your brain. This type of eye contact can often be seen in people in a position of power (or those who wish to be), and can be … [Read more...] about 4 Strategies to Look Into My Eyes

I am not a huge comic book/superhero fan, but I did enjoy The Dark Knight this past weekend.  While a posthumous Oscar for Heath Ledger might be a bit much, there is no doubt that strong acting, coupled with violent outbursts of action, made the film a smashing success.But I'm not here to lobby for Ebert or Roeper's old job.  Rather, I'd like to tell you why you are Batman and your boss is The Joker. Or the other way around.The prevailing theme throughout The Dark Knight is the dependency between the hero and the villain.  Without each other to fight, where would the other be?  The question to ask yourself is: how good would you be at what you do without a boss?The answer might seem simple: 'I'd be better off with no one to answer to!'  But let's look a little deeper.  Take a crack at these questions:Without a boss...- Who would you fight?- Who would motivate you?- Who would hold you accountable?- Who would you rally against?- How would you fill the time?- … [Read more...] about Are You Batman? Your Boss The Joker?