Career Advice

Good communication skills are vital for us to thrive in (most) work places, but how well do we really communicate? Answering this question and working on the areas that need attention can pay big dividends. Self Assessment If you would like to enhance your communication skills, take some time to honestly assess yourself. This can be a difficult task and may involve a lot of soul searching however getting honest with yourself will give you the opportunity to transform the way you communicate at work and in other areas of your life. Some questions you could consider are: How good are you at really listening?  (Note: Real listening is not just waiting for other people to finish talking so you can say what you want to say) Do you ask for what you want or do you complain instead that you can’t get what you want? Do you answer other people’s questions directly or ramble off topic? Do you use positive or negative language? Do you over explain or give limited information to others? Do … [Read more...] about Enhancing Communication Skills at Work

If you’ve read my posts, you know that I've always had trouble following the rules, especially rules in the workplace. I discovered in some recent reading that many workplace experts agree with me. Wow, I never thought that would happen! So here are some rules I suggest you break:  1.      Don’t say “I don’t know” or “I made a mistake.” – We learn early on at work that it isn’t viewed positively if you admit you don’t have the answer. But the problem with faking it is that invariably it will catch up with you later. So own up to it and say you’ll research the issue until you have an answer. Confessing that you made a mistake is also really risky. As we all know, blame has to be assigned somewhere. Step up and admit you made a bad call. Do what you can to make it right and learn from it.  2.      Don’t go out on a limb at work – Tell me if this has happened to you. You and your colleagues go into a meeting where you can tell your boss about an issue that’s causing you all problems. … [Read more...] about 6 Rules to Break at Work

I slept in till 9:30 a.m. this morning. I hate doing that because it perpetuates the myth that we who work at home are slouches. Normally, I get up around 7:15 and hit my desk by 8-ish. But the thermometer said 46 degrees and I wasn’t going to move out of that bed. Welcome to fall!Favorite SeasonA lot of people tell me fall is their favorite season and I agree, especially after the scorching summer we’ve had. I like the cooler weather, but I notice my SAD (seasonal affective disorder) starts to kick in. I’m way more interested in fats and sugar, feel down on cloudy days and have trouble getting motivated.I would imagine that even those of you without SAD are feeling distracted at work, maybe even a bit down because summer’s over and the days are getting shorter. How do you shift gears and head into fall without that affecting you? Take some steps to regroup with the change of season.Take InventoryTake note of what you didn’t accomplish over the summer. … [Read more...] about Happy Fall! Shifting Gears at Work for Autumn

The temp industry is booming, with these workers filling essential roles in many organizations. From filling a spot left open by a mother on maternity leave to completing short-term projects, the organizational reliance on temps is evident. However, while many positive aspects surround this workforce, such as avoiding the payment of benefits by employers, a darker side often looms. Many employers and staffing agencies are struggling to keep highly educated temps motivated and on task in their workforce. Often, these temps, who should be the most competent and able employees, are those that fail to meet productivity standards and just aren’t with it when it comes to being part of an organization’s culture. So, is this workplace dilemma caused by highly educated temps not being as highly educated as employers assume? If only the answer was that easy. Rather, the reasons why highly educated employees often make the least desirable temps are slightly more complicated, as shown … [Read more...] about Why Highly Educated Employees Make the Worst Temps

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit. Aristotle When we start a new job we are often filled with good intentions; we might promise ourselves that we will get to work in plenty of time, really give 100% and make the best of the role we are in. It feels good to do our best and we look forward to the clean slate and opportunity to start afresh. However, as time goes by in a job, it can be easy to slip into bad habits. Bad habits can erode our sense of self esteem and even our enjoyment of our work and the worst thing about them, is that often we don’t realise we are doing them! Whether you work cleaning jobs or accountancy jobs, here are some ways to blank the slate and help yourself to grow and reach your potential at work. Assess Yourself Take the time to do an honest assessment of yourself at work; your strengths and weaknesses and your positive and negative habits. What are you good at? What do you struggle with? What habits support you and … [Read more...] about Making a Fresh Start in Your Current Job

Seventy-nine. That's how many times I was interrupted at work the other day. Even keeping the tally was a distraction, but the research was for a good cause.In the modern workplace, where we wear so many hats that our hats are wearing hats, interruptions are commonplace. From people stalking us immediately after hitting the send button ("Did you get my email?") to bosses calling us into their offices every hour on the hour, something has to give.[See Tips for Breaking Up With a Job.]After making several mistakes at work, I decided it was time to re-evaluate the way I was working. My conclusion: I am being interrupted far too frequently. Plagued by a similar problem? Try these quick fixes.Make yourself unavailable. Even at the turn of the century, doctors were letting us know whether they were in or out of the office with signs. The same way you wouldn't interrupt a radio deejay when the 'on air' light is illuminated, you should not address coworkers when they are clearly engrossed in … [Read more...] about Work Interrupted: How to Limit Distractions

The way we feel about ourselves goes a long way into defining the person we are and the person that we are becoming. People with positive self images are more adventuresome, confident, outgoing, hopeful, and have a stronger belief in their ability to realize all of their potentialities. Yet, a positive self-image is not a given for all of us. Some of us have to work on developing a positive self-image. You must be actively engaged in the process of improving your overall self-esteem. An effort must be made to recognize why your self-esteem may be faltering and then additional, prolonged effort must be made in an effort to reverse these patterns. I am a strong believer that major changes should be done in a piecemeal fashion. It is hoped the following suggestions will be implemented into your life and serve as a platform for more holistic changes in your life aimed at increasing the positive nature of your self-image. 1. Defining Self-Esteem - Before we can acquire a more positive … [Read more...] about Improving Self Esteem in Four Steps