Career Advice

Manipulative people can be tricky to deal with at the best of times. Dealing with a manipulative person at work can be particularly hard when your job and professional reputation is involved. Here are some tips that can help you to deal with a manipulative co-worker. Trust Yourself Often when people come across a manipulative person at the beginning they give the benefit of the doubt. This isn’t a bad thing in itself, everyone can behave off par at times and we don’t want to not be able to trust anyone. However, if a behaviour or pattern continues and alarm bells are ringing, listen to them! It is possible to be too understanding. Don’t keep giving the manipulator the benefit of the doubt because you don’t want to confront the problem or really believe what is happening. Trust yourself and don’t keep allowing bad behavior. Be Upfront Many manipulators get away with manipulative behaviours because no-one calls them on it. It can be hard to do, but it is worth being upfront … [Read more...] about How To Deal With A Manipulative Colleague

Criticism can be hard to deal with especially in the workplace, but if you can learn to handle criticism you have learnt a great skill. If we let it, criticism can help us to learn more about ourselves and how we do things and grow as people. Is It Fair? Is the criticism fair? Being criticized is one of those things that triggers emotions in most people. If you are able to take a step back and look at the criticism alone it will help you to look at the situation in a more balanced way. There is usually a grain of truth in most things, so see what you can take from this feedback. It Is Actually A Compliment? Sometimes, what people criticize you for is actually a compliment! If someone thinks you are too kind (for example), look for yourself and see if it is actually a problem for you. If you do feel out of balance with this area of life, then the criticism can be used as a reminder. However, if you are happy with how you are then you can let the criticism wash over you – it is … [Read more...] about How To Deal With Criticism

Having a good atmosphere at work makes a huge difference to the day to day experience at work. Here are a few tried and tested ways to create a good atmosphere at work: Say Good Morning Saying good morning to your colleagues is an easy and important way to start the day well for everyone. Most of us will have had the experience of being greeted by a grunt (or ignored) by a colleague or boss and know it is never a nice way to start the day. Do your part and say good morning to everyone you encounter at work. Smile Smiling is free and makes a difference! Be aware of your body language and the effect it has on those around you. Be Thoughtful You could bring some cookies in to share or some of your old magazines for colleagues to read in their break. Little habits like this trigger reciprocity and help contribute to a caring atmosphere at work. Don’t Gossip Gossiping is one thing guaranteed to create negativity in the workplace. Not gossiping and staying out of other peoples gossip … [Read more...] about How To Create A Good Atmosphere At Work

A good office prank lightens the office mood and unites coworkers. From hiding a coworker’s chair to decorating a manager’s office, pranks often elicit a hearty chuckle from instigators and their targets. However, how much is too much when playing jokes on coworkers? Have you or your coworkers pushed the unspoken limit and suffered repercussions? An office joke taken too far can offend coworkers and may lead to management intervention. While occasional jokes can keep everyone in the office in good spirits, the following are signals of when office pranking may have gone too far. Keep it Lighthearted Office pranks should never be mean spirited. If you feel the urge to mess with a coworker’s space or a manager’s desk, keep the joke lighthearted. Even a joke meant to be innocent played against a coworker you’ve had previous rifts with can come across as confrontational and passive aggressive. As such, only play pranks on coworkers you’ve known for a long … [Read more...] about Office Pranks: How Much is Too Much?

Be nicer to coworkers. Find a more challenging job. Earn an advanced degree. Many employees establish work resolutions with each New Year but very few actually achieve them. At times, New Year resolutions fail because of unforeseen obstacles. However, more often, work resolutions aren’t achieved because employees don’t fully understand the process needed to accomplish them. The following are steps to consider taking to set New Year work resolutions and actually achieve them. Create Attainable Goals While it’s important to push yourself with New Year work resolutions, you must also be realistic regarding what you can and can’t accomplish. For example, hoping to earn a management position within in the next year when you only just landed an entry level position likely isn’t realistic and will only leave you disheartened when the goal isn’t achieved. Just as setting overly ambitious goals can lead to failure, so too can creating simplistic resolutions. Make a list of the workplace … [Read more...] about How to Set New Year Work Resolutions and Actually Achieve Them

Many businesses are still keeping a heavy hand on their budgets, cutting out traditional holiday bonuses to weather the tough economic times. If you’re one of the few employees lucky enough to receive a bonus this holiday season, you may be tempted to use the extra funds for impulse spending. While you may be eager to blow the cash on the latest gadget or on a whirlwind holiday getaway, you’d be better off considering other options. The following are three suggestions to get more from this year’s holiday bonus. Pay Down Debt The holidays are often the season when people rack up credit card debt by charging holiday gifts. Turn the tide this year by paying down your debt rather than accumulating more of it. Even a small holiday bonus can bolster your debt repaying efforts, costing you less in interest and stress over time. If you have several forms of debt, direct the bonus towards the debt with the highest interest rate or the one that’s causing you the most stress. If you planned to … [Read more...] about Effective Uses for Your Holiday Bonus

How you start your work day can make a big difference to your experience and productivity for the rest of the day. How do you start your day? Is it usually a rush or do you have time to prepare and start the day well? Here are a few ideas of ways to help you start your work day well: 1. Eat Breakfast Breakfast is often called the most important meal of the day so make sure you start the day with some nutritious and tasty food. I am a big fan of porridge for its slow energy release. Experiment and find foods that work well for you, both on the taste front and the health front! 2. Be Prepared It may seem obvious, but have everything you need ready the night before.  Iron your clothes, get your lunch ready and prepare anything that needs preparing.  Though it means spending some time the night before getting prepared, this will save you rushing around in the morning and enable you to start the day in a more positive state of mind. 3. Meditate Starting the day with meditation is a … [Read more...] about 6 Great Ways To Start Your Work Day!

Office work and fitness may not seem to be natural bedfellows but with a little discipline and creativity, it is possible to work in an office and stay fit throughout the day. 1. Stretch Taking the time to stretch is vital to staying fit in the office, particularly if your work involves being on your computer for long stretches of time. Experiment and see how you could incorporate some simple stretches into your work day. I sometimes take the opportunity to do a few stretches when I am making a cup of tea! 2. Move Around Make sure you are taking time out to just stand up and get away from the desk. When running errands, it is worth taking the stairs instead of the lift. There are usually many opportunities within the workday to move and walk if we take the time to find and do them. Incorporating some walking up stairs is a great way to get your heart pumping as a natural part of your day. Walking to the shops at lunchtime instead of jumping in the car can make a big difference to … [Read more...] about 6 Ways To Stay Fit in the Office

It's tough, truly tough, to get through the workday without inundating your glands with caffeine, but you'll find yourself better off if you do. Why? Caffeine gives you false energy. Drinking a bunch of coffee, for example, is like getting dressed up with nowhere to go. … [Read more...] about Getting Through The Workday Without Coffee