We've already established that work friends are not a good enough reason to stay at a crappy job. But as long as you spend time working in an office environment, you WILL form relationships. The question is, how far will you let them go? Many annoying coworkers and difficult coworkers are not born overnight. In fact, sometimes, they take you by surprise. Before you become work buddies, consider these five reasons to take things nice and slow.TOO MUCH, TOO SOON. I am a big believer that when it comes to relationships of any kind, it is impossible to go backwards. Think about it. If you see your girlfriend every Saturday night for a year and then on week 53 decide to make other plans, she will be upset. The same goes for your work buddies. If you meet Ken in advertising for lunch every day, how are you going to explain when you suddenly decide you can't take his smelly tuna sandwiches and trivial whining any more?PREMATURE … [Read more...] about 5 Reasons to Take it Slow With a Work Friend
Reality TV Is Not an Acceptable Quit Letter
Cue the sky-writing plane and put HR on notice, Steven Slater, the former JetBlue employee making bosses sweat around the world could be getting his own reality show. The show would revolve around angry employees handing in resignations spectacularly.This guy will NOT be tuning in.In the same vein that athletes are "paid" to sign autographs, folks working in the customer service industry are paid to swallow sh*t. It's not fair, it's not right, it's just the way it is, and it's the way it will always be, no matter how many workers quit in crazy ways.There is a way to carry yourself, no matter how others treat you - and there's a right way to quit a job. (Try starting with a quit letter).If we celebrate people who have a 'take-this-job-and-shove-it' mentality, we are not respecting the people who do the right thing - or the ones who aren't working.At the rate we're going, these could be quitting headlines from the future:- Doctor Takes Patient Off Life Support, Tells Chief of … [Read more...] about Reality TV Is Not an Acceptable Quit Letter
5 Money-Saving Tips for Your Food Budget
The old saying, "Necessity is the Mother of Invention" is a very truthful and revealing statement. But in today's economy it might be better read as "Frugality is the Mother of Survival". During hard economic times people will resort to all sorts of ways to save money and spend less. One of the areas often targeted is the food budget. Simply buying less and therefore eating less may be a good thing for those trying to lose weight, but it can also be unnecessary. There are many ways a person can eat well without sacrificing the quality of food. Here are a few tips:1. Look For CouponsTypically, every week the major newspaper in your town will come out with all the weekly ads and coupons for local stores and businesses. Take the time each week to look through every coupon and cut out any items which you might be in need of - either at the present moment or the future. Even if there is no present need for a food item, … [Read more...] about 5 Money-Saving Tips for Your Food Budget
The Worst Wedding I've Ever Been To
Weddings usually suck, unless it's your own. Sorry ladies, that's just the way it is. But every now and then you attend a wedding that stands out from the rest. Unfortunately, it's often for all the wrong reasons. Bad food, a sh*tty DJ and horrendous service are all part of the equation, but there was one thing missing from the affair that I attended that made it a total disaster...THERE WAS NO Maître d'!That means there was no coordination; an event without a face. No one to deliver orders to the staff; no one to be held accountable. Without someone driving the bus the sequence of wedding events is broken, creating a feeling of chaos - and holy matrimony and chaos should never be uttered in the same sentence - there's a whole lifetime for that!So what does this have to do with work and your career? Today we want to tip our cap to the Maître d' and give him/her the respect that they deserve.Who is the Maître d' at your job? … [Read more...] about The Worst Wedding I've Ever Been To
Job Lessons Learned From Steven Slater: How to Avoid Emergency Slides
This is a guest post by Ronn Torossian, president and CEO of 5WPR, one of the 20 largest independent PR firms in the U.S.Businesses are accustomed to regular employee horror stories, yet CEOs worldwide must be terrified by the recent response to JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater’s choice of how and when to resign. Many have come to his defense, stating, “It’s hard working daily with people” and “you easily get agitated by constant traveling and servicing annoyed passengers,” but did anyone ask if he still cashed his paychecks?Launching a foul-mouthed tirade on the plane's PA system, deploying the emergency chute, grabbing a beer, then jumping out onto the JFK Airport runway and shouting, "That's it, I've had it,” are the stuff movies are made of. One must wonder how many workplaces can survive if employees are made heroes for this sort of behavior. What sort of trouble are businesses in if we define workplace bravery by Slater's … [Read more...] about Job Lessons Learned From Steven Slater: How to Avoid Emergency Slides
5 Business Card Tips
The death of paper was announced prematurely; love 'em or hate 'em, business cards are here to stay. Business card mistakes are abound. In your quest to create an unusual business card or a green business card, be sure not to overlook these five business card tips. LOOK DIFFERENT. Basic marketing commands that your product stands out of a crowd, but at the same time, appeals to a broad audience. That's perhaps your greatest challenge when designing a business card to promote yourself. This advice is not unique; recent cards have undergone a color and size transformation. In fact, if you want to stick out, ironically, you might want to consider sporting an old school, standard-size, plain white business card! DON'T JUST SAY WHAT YOU DO. Your business card should clearly state what it is you do. (Andrew Rosen, Pro Blogger) But that's not enough. When someone is thumbing through a stack of business cards 10 months from now, there needs to be a tagline that supports what you … [Read more...] about 5 Business Card Tips
JetBlue Meltdown: Do You Salute or Shun Steven Slater?
Ever Tempted to "JetBlue-Over-and-Out?"Who knew a flight attendant having a meltdown at work would draw so much media and public attention? If you’re under a rock and missed it, a JetBlue employee unleashed an expletive-ridden tirade at passengers, quit and exited via the emergency chute. This Wall Street Journal article by Sean Gardiner, "Flight Attendant Grabs Two Beers, Slides Down the Emergency Shute" describes what happened. Steve Slater, the flight attendant, was arrested on several charges and faces a possible seven-year prison sentence.What’s really interesting to me as a mental health professional is how much Steve Slater’s actions are resonating with the public - and that the reactions are weighted heavily in his favor. Here’s a sample comment on the WSJ article, “I think the only way this story could’ve been better is if the guy cracked both beers and did the Stone Cold Steve Austin pre-wraslin’ beer chug before he peaced … [Read more...] about JetBlue Meltdown: Do You Salute or Shun Steven Slater?
The "Odd" Interview Question You NEED to Ask!
We spend around 25% of our time at work. For those of us with an office job, that's a helluva a lot of time breathing recycled air and baking under fluorescent lights.When looking for a place to live, we tend to check out several places before choosing one. It's a rare occasion when someone agrees to live somewhere without seeing the lay of the land first. Depending on our degree of thinking (or over thinking), we might even come up with a list of pros/cons on why one home is better than another. My point is that analysis is required. However, when it comes to work - a place where we spend more time than at home - we often never ask to see where we will be placed, and that could be a big factor in employee happiness and employee performance.If a job meets our salary/benefits requirements, we sign up, and don't see our workspace until day number one. Well, I believe that's a mistake. A biggie!In no way am I suggesting that it should be THE factor, but it … [Read more...] about The "Odd" Interview Question You NEED to Ask!
7 Ways to Impress the Boss (Including how to say no to your boss)
Making and leaving a positive impression that sits well with your boss is a sure-fire way to steadily move up within a company. Knowing your fundamental duties and acknowledging your own limitations is the ideal way of initially handling any position given to you. But how do you subtly move up the corporate ladder without ruffling too many feathers? How do you stand out in the crowd without being too overbearing? Follow these simple guidelines and you're sure to leave a lasting impression on your boss.Honesty is the best policy. Whether you're speaking to the boss about needing some extra time off work or explaining why a certain project wasn't complete on time, always be honest. Without your integrity and honesty, your credibility as a valuable and efficient employee and coworker is shot. If you can't be honest and open about the small, mundane things, how is your boss supposed to move you up trusting that you can handle larger … [Read more...] about 7 Ways to Impress the Boss (Including how to say no to your boss)
Angry JetBlue Worker Quits, Curses Out Passengers
Steven Slater needs to learn how to quit a job the right way. The (former) JetBlue flight attendant cursed out a plane full of passengers and exited via the inflatable emergency evacuation slideIronically, Slater was part of JetBlue's "in-flight values committee." Ha!Allegedly a passenger ignored Slater's warnings and reached for his luggage from the overhead compartment. The suitcase ended up striking Slater in the head and chaos ensued."To the passenger who called me a m---f--er, f--- you," he ranted over the intercom.Who wants to bet we'll see a "temporary insanity" claim? Perhaps the luggage struck his head and caused the outburst. Whatever the case, it's safe to say Mr. Slater is done with the friendly skies - whether he likes it or not. … [Read more...] about Angry JetBlue Worker Quits, Curses Out Passengers