Yesterday was the first weekday in over nine months that I did not post a new blog entry on the Jobacle blog. It was a nice streak while it lasted. It was just one of those work days where everything was just nuts. I won't bore you with the details. However, I also endured a week from hell with the contractor from hell. Who knew so many things could go wrong in a 25 square foot bathroom! With that in mind, choosing The Forward of the Week was a breeze!The Trouble Tree The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence.On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door he underwent an … [Read more...] about Forward of the Week: The Trouble Tree
Blog
Is Your Office Drowning in Bottled Water?
He got his start laying pipe for the Atlas Water and Sewer company. Eventually, he climbed the ranks, becoming responsible for a staff of 800 and annual revenue exceeding $120 million. His name is Victor Kipling. This is his weekly column.Hydrophobia, aka Rabies, is a devastating, dramatic and yet rare disease in America today. The name stems from Latin, meaning ‘fear of water’; which aptly describes one of Rabies primary symptoms. The poor victim, though suffering extreme thirst, is at the same time afraid of the very water he craves. By the way, it’s also almost always fatal.Yet, office workers today seem to suffer from the very opposite illness; that is fear of NOT drinking enough water. Because everywhere you look, almost everyone has a bottle of water handy. Strolling down the office hallway to see a colleague - or to simply attend a meeting - hardly merits taking a 24-ouncer with us. The risk of dehydration is assuredly very remote. After all, … [Read more...] about Is Your Office Drowning in Bottled Water?
WorkHack: Saving Your Eyesight
If you're an office slave like me, odds are you spend a huge amount of time sitting in front of a computer monitor. If that's the case, you are probably already suffering from double vision, burning and headaches - all signs of eyestrain. You my friend, need to improve your eyesight.Now I certainly don't pretend to be a doctor, (though Dr. Andrew G.R. has a nice ring to it), but there are several common sense type things you can do to save yourself from pushing your eyes to the limit and eventually needing eyeglasses, lasik surgery - or worse!1) Contrast is your enemy. One of the biggest causes of eyestrain is a dark computer screen with a bright background behind it. If you have a bright light or window behind your monitor - do what you can to darken the area around the screen.2) Think long. Given the name "eye STRAIN" you would think long distances would be the culprit. Not true. Close viewing is the problem. Your goal should be to keep all items … [Read more...] about WorkHack: Saving Your Eyesight
Office Rant: Haircut RAGE
Yesterday I arrived at work with a spankin' new haircut. Ok, so it's pretty short - but is it necessary for everyone to comment? I HAD to vent. Hence the audio blog below. Be warned, I might drop an F-bomb or two cause I was not a happy camper. Hopefully today will be better than yesterday. Click on "Haircut RAGE" to listen. … [Read more...] about Office Rant: Haircut RAGE
Keep Enemies Close, Your Boss Closer
Back in school I was the guy who sat in the next to last row. Maybe it was my little way of raging against the machine. Or maybe I just wanted to be able to doodle without my teachers seeing. I dunno. But recently, when I attended a meeting at work, and my boss asked me to "move up," my blood began to boil. It was a reminder that nothing changes. The reality is, 20 years later, I'm still being told what to by a "superior."After a few deep breaths, clarity began to set in. I mean, c'mon Andrew G.R., you're 31 now and maybe it's time you actually did the unthinkable and sit NEXT to your boss.As tough as it is to rid yourself of the instinct to sit away, here's how sitting next to your boss around the conference room table could impact your career in a positive way. We recommend you try it at least a few times (unless of course your boss has offensive breath!).Better Comprehension. You might look like a kiss ass, but there's no denying that … [Read more...] about Keep Enemies Close, Your Boss Closer
Leave Comments. Win Prizes!
One of my goals when I started the Working Podcast (and eventually Jobacle.com) was to create a community of real people who had hit some career roadblocks and were ready to take positive action. I am beyond thrilled at how the Web traffic has grown - particularly over the past six months. However, I'd still like to see more blog comments and podcast feedback. Here's your chance to help me accomplish that goal - and possibly win some cool prizes.From now until October 15...- You are entered once for every public blog comment you leave on ANY post. It should be relevant, intelligent and pithy. Basically, anything but obvious spam.- You are entered twice for leaving an audio comment that will be used on a future episode of the Working Podcast. This can be a quickie job tip, feedback or anything else career-related. Heck, even give your career Web site a plug. Leave a message @ 888/786-1080.- You are entered three times by linking to us from … [Read more...] about Leave Comments. Win Prizes!
Office Popcorn Could Kill Us All
We recently complained about "popcorn nukers" in our Office BINGO game. The smell wafts through the air, causing a distracting paralysis. Often, you can set your watch to this activity.Well, now we know that this behavior is not just irritating - but potentially deadly as well! The culprit seems to be diacetyl, a buttery-tasting chemical that causes coughing, shortness of breath, and eventually bronchiolitis obliterans - an obliteration of the tiny airways in the lung.Not fun. Popcorn Lung is no laughing matter.Apparently, Wayne Watson, the deceased popcorn victim ate TWO bags a day (poor co-workers!) and tended to huff the steam since he liked the smell.Every office has at least one popcorn nuker. You can learn more about the case from The Pump Handle, the blog that brought this disturbing story to light.As soon as someone in the office opens that bag of popcorn and the fumes escape, I have to go outside because I cannot stop coughing, choking and clearing … [Read more...] about Office Popcorn Could Kill Us All
How to Stop Nightmares About Work
I have several recurring dreams that have followed me for the past 10 years.1) I'm driving a car. Suddenly, I'm no longer in the car, yet somehow I'm still driving it (kind of like a remote control). Inevitably, the car leaves my field of vision and I'm driving through roads that I can no longer see. Serious control issues, eh?2) I'm in Las Vegas. The reasons why change, but the one constant is that I wind up standing next to a bank of slot machines. I never play, yet I always recall drifting from casino to casino. Weird.3) I'm at work. It's just a regular day. There's office small talk and random meetings and all of those little mundane things that drive me nuts. And that's it! I wake up after nothing substantial happens and have to do it all over again. It's like being at work without getting paid.While I'm not really fan of any of the above dreams, I'm particularly determined to get the work ones to stop. If I'm gonna spend … [Read more...] about How to Stop Nightmares About Work
Forward of the Week: Lessons From Warren Buffet
Warren Buffet is the the second richest man alive. He has donated $31 billion to charity. Here are some interesting aspects of his life:1. He bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started too late!2. He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.3. He still lives in the same small 3-bedroom house in mid-town Omaha, that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence.4. He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.5. He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world’s largest private jet company.6. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis.He has given his CEO’s only two … [Read more...] about Forward of the Week: Lessons From Warren Buffet
Ode to an Office Boy
He got his start laying pipe for the Atlas Water and Sewer company. Eventually, he climbed the ranks, becoming responsible for a staff of 800 and annual revenue exceeding $120 million. His name is Victor Kipling. This is his weekly column.The red light bulb blinked-blinked-blinked its silent warning; and the office boy hustled over and pulled the large black lever, opening the pneumatic slot. A series of glass and metal tubes eagerly began to cascade out; each encasing a yellow telegram message. As he opened each one, he worked rhythmically to time stamp, then sort and finally place each in a separate envelope for routing. Messages for honchos from all the corners of the world; some even hand stamped with a red 'urgent' or even 'eyes only'. There was, he had to admit, a certain satisfaction in answering the call of the unyielding red light.But no sooner was he absorbed in this mindless work then he was awoken from his reverie by shouts of "you there, boy!" It … [Read more...] about Ode to an Office Boy