Oh, Valentine’s Day – that over-commercialized holiday designed to pad the pockets of flower shops and jewelry makers. In the world of romance, Valentine’s Day is a chance to express your innermost passion, to charm your mate. However, in the workplace, it’s a day often resulting in coworker confusion and claims of sexual harassment. While many coworkers will see the lightheartedness and holiday spirit in office valentines, in today’s often oversensitive world, you simply can’t be too careful. The following are a few tips on what to give coworkers this Valentine’s Day and what to avoid. Keep it Platonic If you wouldn’t give it to your child, don’t give it to coworkers. While you may think that giving risqué valentines to coworkers would be a fun prank, the gesture would more than likely be misunderstood. When giving valentines to coworkers, remain platonic by passing out treats or by giving cards imprinted with fun, yet straightforward sayings. Give to One, Give to All Unless … [Read more...] about The Office Valentine: What to Give and What to Avoid
Career Advice
Advance in Your Career – Go Back to School
More Americans are pondering if going back to school could be their ticket out of unemployment, a way to transition to a new career field, or an enhancement to their chances of getting the salary they truly deserve. Fact is that this question does not have a hard and fast answer. According to the 2010 census, 18% of Americans have a Bachelor’s degree and only 6.9% have finished graduate school. Being part of that small percentage of Americans will help to set you apart from the rest of the workforce. Reasons for Going Back to School The idealistic argument for going back to school is that it shouldn't be undertaken solely for the purpose of career advancement. The reason for your return should also include the desire to want to advance in your life by taking the appropriate steps to keep moving forward. Understanding that returning to school can be a stressful time is important, but recognizing that that end is near will help you through this time. A positive attitude that … [Read more...] about Advance in Your Career – Go Back to School
Work Shy? How Timid People Can Succeed at Work
Work shy? Everyone is shy at work sometimes, but if you feel great trepidation anticipating or during business situations on a regular basis, read on! Workplace interactions can lead to discomfort, awkwardness and inhibition in people who are naturally shy. If you’re shy, chances are you’ve experienced challenges with networking and giving presentations. Shy people may also feel difficulty in being heard and making a contribution to the organization. The good news is that by boosting your interpersonal skills, you can overcome shyness, perform to your capability and achieve your full potential. These easy-to-follow tips can help shy people succeed at work, each day and throughout their careers. 1. Practice With People You’re Comfortable With Networking is an important activity for most professionals – but shy people dread the idea of walking into a room full of strangers. Before your next networking event, enlist the help of a trusted friend or family member to help you … [Read more...] about Work Shy? How Timid People Can Succeed at Work
Improving Your Performance at Work with Supplements
Have you ever gone through a stage at work when your performance levels drop? Most of us have and no matter what industry you work in, it can be hard to turn things around. There is hope though, and the solution is easy to accomplish. By eating well and taking the right supplements you may find yourself improving, and efficiency can be higher than it was before you hit a slump. Helping Your Memory As you get older our brains won’t function the same way. Some people suffer from severe memory loss and Alzheimer’s can cause serious issues. But while we’re at work it’s the smaller aspects of memory loss that may cause our performance levels to drop. Forgetting that vital statistic when your boss is listening, or leaving your files on a hard drive at home may land you in hot water. To reverse this cycle of forgetfulness many doctors suggest a supplement that includes Folic acid. In a study of over 800 people, aged between 50 and 70, researchers found that folic acid significantly … [Read more...] about Improving Your Performance at Work with Supplements
The Power of Taking Bite-Sized Actions
A quiet consistency often trumps erratic enterprises. We’ve all heard the sayings: “Little by little does the trick” or “Little by little sinks the ship”; and they’re both wise allusions to the cumulative power of taking simple actions. This unapparent force can strengthen or erode our accomplishments each and every day, depending on how we relate with it. And yet we often neglect the power of doing a little every day, rather choosing to struggle to get things done - invariably getting caught up in procrastination. This article is an invitation to do otherwise. After reading this, you will hopefully be inspired to tap into the huge potential of action that is yours to command, by breaking down your goals into tiny minute steps. How to get things done without even noticing Do you know why so many people fail to accomplish their self-imposed goals? There is a fundamental motif to such scenarios: unrealistic expectations. Most people just cannot manage to set up a manageable action … [Read more...] about The Power of Taking Bite-Sized Actions
5 Ways To Impress Your Boss On Your First Day
Starting a new job can be a nerve-wracking experience. Given the lack of knowledge and familiarity, the first instinct you may have is to simply survive. If you are the ambitious type, however, this approach can at best be unproductive and at worst make a bad impression on your boss. Your first day should not be a time of survival but rather one of opportunity, a chance to convince your boss you are someone worthy of paying attention to. Here are 5 ways to impress your boss on your first day: 1. Be an Early and Well-Dressed Bird The first thing people will notice is what you are wearing and what time you clocked in. Showing up early and dressing professional will set the foundation for how your boss views you going forward. It fosters an impression of loyalty, service, and preparation that can be built upon by your actions in the office. From there you can create a habit of greeting your boss as they enter the office. Eventually you want your boss to conflate the picture of you hard … [Read more...] about 5 Ways To Impress Your Boss On Your First Day
5 Ways To Cultivate A More Positive Attitude About Your Job
"Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so." William Shakespeare 1. Stop Complaining We all get into bad habits sometimes but consistently complaining saps our energy (and other peoples) and can drain our energy and affect our attitude to work. There is of course a difference between letting off a little steam and being a consistent complainer. It is worth noticing how much we complain about things at work and nipping it in the bud if it is a bad habit we have fallen into. 2. Be Proactive Following on from the first point, being proactive and doing something about those things we want to change at work is a healthier approach than complaining. We can turn complaints around by doing something about them. It is easy to complain when something isn’t how we would like it, but taking the initiative and trying to make a change though harder, is more rewarding in the long term. 3. Stop Gossip Gossiping usually makes everyone involved feel worst at some level. Stopping gossiping … [Read more...] about 5 Ways To Cultivate A More Positive Attitude About Your Job
The Coworker Crush Is GOOD for the Office
I am a fan of the coworker crush. Sorry managers, CEOs, and company presidents, it's the truth. Before you start lecturing me on the hundreds of lost hours as workers canoodle behind the copy machine...and scare everyone about expensive sexual harassment lawsuits...hear me out. Workplace attraction, if held in check, can benefit the company in several ways. Let's get romantic this Valentine's Day and look at a few ways that a crush on a coworker can be a plus to all parties involved. - Work harder. You want to show the object of your affection that you're more than just a pretty face. So when you have a coworker crush you will go out of your way to succeed at your job. This can have a spillover effect and impact the company in a positive way. Perhaps you're burning the midnight oil to land that client that will impress your crush (and the boss!). - Dress better. Workers who are trying to impress their colleagues tend to spend more time on their appearance. In turn, … [Read more...] about The Coworker Crush Is GOOD for the Office
4 Super Bowl Performance Lessons That Translate to the Workplace
The big day is approaching. A day of strategy, gameplay and a raw talent for outmaneuvering the other side. No, I’m not talking about Valentine’s Day. I’m talking about the Super Bowl – the culmination of months involving shouting at the TV screen and checking Fantasy Football stats. As the big day approaches and both teams prepare to showcase their top skills, I can’t help but think of some parallels that can be applied to your workplace performance. Capitalize on Your Talents To claim a Super Bowl victory, each player must put their full talent on the line while also relying on their teammates’ talents. In the workplace, certain employees are more proficient at some skills than others. Rather than trying to outshine coworkers on every task and project, learn what you’re truly good at and capitalize on those talents. In the process, you’ll learn to coordinate your skills with those of coworkers to create higher level results. Make the Most of Each Play Super Bowl players can’t … [Read more...] about 4 Super Bowl Performance Lessons That Translate to the Workplace
Staying Busy and Motivated During Your Winter Job Search
Like other mammals, humans have a knack for hibernating in the winter. When the winter season crosses paths with your job search, this temptation can be even more appealing. Not only is it below zero and snowing, but everywhere you look there is another advertisement for Christmas sales that remind you of all the presents you still have to scrounge up for friends and family. Besides the shopping, most companies are just counting the days to their holiday breaks and aren't exactly welcoming to new applicants, so if you’re in a job search in the winter time, things may look grim. Let's admit it: job searching in the winter can sometimes make you just want to go home and chug some egg nog until you pass out, but deep down you know you've got to keep that resilient searching spirit alive. If your job progress is frozen this winter, consider the following tips to heat things up. - Consider alternative money-making opportunities Before you get desperate enough to put on a Santa suit, grab … [Read more...] about Staying Busy and Motivated During Your Winter Job Search