Work Place Tips

Motivation Equation and Orientation

2006-04-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

While the inspiration approach is certainly the more appealing of the two motivational methods, sometimes there has to be an element of “desperation.” I don’t mean that you want to cause your team members to feel despair, but sometimes things that push us away have to be present just as much as things that draw us near. The main reason for this recommendation is that if inspiration isn’t quite enough, your prospects may just simply fall into inactivity. That is, they fall into a comfort zone.

I’ve developed a grid that maps out the different motivators, their varying degrees and the effects they have on others. Draw a horizontal and an intersecting vertical axis on your paper. On the left of the horizontal axis, write “Desperation.” On the right of the horizontal axis, write “Inspiration.” At the top of the vertical axis, write “Internal” and at the bottom of the vertical axis, write “External.” In the Internal Inspiration quadrant, write the letter “A.” In the External Inspiration quadrant, write the letter “B.” In the Internal Desperation quadrant, write the letter “C.” In your last quadrant, External Desperation, write the letter “D.”

The central region is the comfort zone, where we experience complacency. How do you get someone on your team to move outside the middle? Let’s start with the short-term, easy form of motivation, quadrant D, where we find external desperation. You apply an external pressure to force someone into action. In other words, your team members must do what you say or they’re fired. “Hit these numbers or pack your bags.” Sure, it will work temporarily, but long-term consequences will result.

The next area of the Motivation Equation is quadrant C, where we find internal desperation. Desperation motivation can be made internal if you can use your prospects’ sense of duty or obligation to get them to move. Internal motivation works something like this: “I’m getting paid, so I guess I have to do this. If I don’t do this, the team will miss its quota.” You can see that in both of these examples, the person is acting of her/his own initiative but only out of obligation or to avoid a worse consequence.

So, is there a place for either of these latter two motivational approaches? Yes, but use them sparingly. Most teams will not put up with this treatment unless they know it is tough love. Every once in a while, when other things have failed, you can use these types of motivation. You have to let your team know not only that there are positive consequences for their actions, but if they don’t perform, there may be negative consequences as well. There has to be a baseline or a standard from which to evaluate the situation. Your team members can’t think that no matter what they will always have a job. Let’s face it—sometimes we all need a kick in the pants. When we do resort to this approach, it’s usually a negative circumstance based on desperation. Just don’t go overboard or take it to the extreme. Make sure before you use any negative reinforcement that your sales rep has the tools s/he needs to get the job done. Does s/he need more training? Does s/he know exactly what you expect and how to do it?

The next quadrant is quadrant B, where we find external inspiration. Here, it is still external factors that influence you, but this time in a positive way. You are inspired and energized rather than acting simply to avoid pain. External inspiration is getting on the right motivational track because it can grow into internal inspiration. Sometimes, this quadrant is referred to as “borrowed light.” It’s OK to be guided and inspired by borrowed light until you’ve lit your own flame. At least this kind of motivation keeps you progressing in a positive way. Even with external influences, this type of motivation can produce long-term effects because it is inspiring and thus begins to tap into your inner emotions.

The best type of motivation is internal motivation, as shown in quadrant A. This quadrant is what we call passion. There’s no stopping the person who has found inspiration that is purely internally driven. You can wind her/him up and s/he’ll go on forever.

Hopefully, this chapter has given you lots of ideas on how to help individual team members as well as your team as a whole feel more motivated. As I said earlier, this material will apply to certain people in certain situations and will help them learn to find the right tools. The point is, you possess the knowledge and are equipped to take on any situation. Review this chapter anytime you need to give your team a boost, or even just to keep current momentum going. Of course, any of these suggestions may be adapted to suit your team’s specific needs.

Questions

1. Why is the mindset of your sales force the foundation of your success?

2. What are three ways in which you can praise and recognize your team? How will you implement these strategies?

3. Gallup Consulting Group has spent more than two decades interviewing hundreds of thousands of salespeople in an effort to help corporate clients form and develop their sales teams. Its findings suggest that the top four qualities of top-tier producers are: 1) solid closing skills; 2) self-motivation; 3) strong work ethic and

4) excellent people and relationship skills. How can you implement these four qualities into your sales team?

Kurt W. Mortensen is one of America's leading authorities on persuasion, motivation and influence. Kurt spent 15 years researching personal development and motivational psychology and is currently a professor on the university level. He offers his speaking, training, and consulting programs nationwide, helping thousands achieve unprecedented success in business and personal endeavors. Kurt is author of Maximum Influence a bestseller and is endorsed by Stephen R. Covey, Brian Tracy, Robert Allen, and Mark Victor Hansen. Go to http://www.prewealth.com/iq to find out where you rank in your ability to persuade or email askkurt@persuasioninsitute.com.

Managing Conflict In The Workplace

2006-04-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

This is not what you bargained for when you started managing people, is it? I mean, you're dealing with professionals aren't you? You know, adults? So why are you being expected to get solve every single personality clash?

Well, it may not seem right, but managing conflict in the workplace comes with the territory of managing people. You are, after all, managing people.

So what do you do when staff don't get along? Well, firstly, don't assume that it's your responsibility to make sure everyone gets along. Yes, you read that correctly. You do not have to shoulder everyone else's problems!

If one of your team members has a problem with someone else, it's her problem...

Unless it's having a substantial, negative impact on your team's results.
Which may well be the case... leaving you with two choices:

You either:

1. Identify the cause of the dispute and encourage them to resolve their differences, or

2. Forget about trying to find out "why", and simply get them as far away from each other as possible!

I like the second approach for its simplicity. After all, you're a manager -- not a counselor!
So if you can restructure the work so that neither person has to deal with the other very often or at all, then you may be able to solve the problem without getting involved in the dispute.
However, this approach may not work if the conflict is more than just a work-related dispute. If it's more like a "personal vendetta" -- where the two people in question are likely to go out of their way to hinder each other -- then restructuring the work won't help.

Also, in many cases, you can't separate people! You might need them to work together, or at least to have them co-exist in a small work environment.

In this case, I suggest you identify the cause of the dispute, if only to work out whether you can fix it or not.

So... is the dispute due to:

* Some kind of misunderstanding * Professional differences * Contrasting values, attitudes or beliefs, or * A "wrong" that one of the parties has somehow inflicted on the other?
If the conflict is due to a genuine misunderstanding, you may be able to clear it up to everyone's satisfaction.

You may also have a chance at fixing the problem if it's due to professional differences.
For example, if two people simply work differently, you may be able to make small -- but significant changes -- to how the work is done to minimize the chance of conflict.
I mean, if you have someone who loves coming up with big ideas and someone who's naturally critical -- it's probably best not to invite them both to a brainstorming workshop!
Instead, let the big ideas person do the brainstorming, and then after he or she has finished, invite the critic to voice his or her concerns.

However, if there are fundamental differences in values, attitudes or beliefs -- or some kind of irrevocable "wrong" has been committed -- all your efforts may be in vain.

In that case, it's time to get tough. The fact is, if the conflict is negatively impacting on your team, then you need to get rid of one or both of the people responsible.

Just make sure you don't do this without warning them -- in fact, a warning may be what you need to force them to cooperate -- and make sure you comply with all legal, corporate policy and ethical considerations.

Anna Johnson is the author of the How To Manage People System, including her book, How To Manage People (Even If You're A Control Freak!). Get Anna's FREE 12-page report How To Be An Outstanding Manager -- The 8 Vital Keys To Managing People Effectively

E-Sourcing – Choosing the Right Tool and Category is Vital to Success

2006-04-03T21:20:00.000-07:00

e-Sourcing is the use of internet technology used by purchasing professionals to find suppliers and negotiate prices or reduce cost for a wide range of goods and services. A variety of online negotiation tools are used – including RFI (Request for Information, RFQ (Request For Quotation), RFP (Request for Proposal) and electronic auctions.

It is important to understand when and how each should be used to achieve the best results. Incorrect use can bring about unsatisfactory experiences and can lead to “bad press” for e-Sourcing.

This article focuses on the criteria which should be applied to determine the most appropriate e-sourcing tool to use.

Strategic importance of the category

An auction is generally recommended for those products with a high value and a minimum or small risk. High spend, low complexity is the ideal scenario for this type of price negotiation. The level of spend which will attract suppliers will differ from category to category but as a rough benchmark we generally look at spend over £150,000. In nearly all other cases, requests for quotations (RFQ), requests for proposals (RFP) manual negotiations will be much more appropriate.

Is the specification clearly defined?

Clear and unambiguous requirements must be specified so that suppliers are competing on a ‘like for like’ basis and not working to different assumptions. A clear set of requirements (commercial, technical, logistical etc) will allow suppliers to work out the cost of servicing the account prior to the auction. If requirements cannot be clearly specified then the RFP is likely to be more appropriate.

Are the market conditions favourable?

An auction requires competition in the marketplace. The more potential suppliers there are available, the more likely a good auction result will be achieved. Also consider the marketplace dynamics – are there new entrants eager to win market share? How profitable is this sector to suppliers? Depending on the category these conditions may change quite frequently so holding the auction at the right time is crucial. If the category does not pass this test, other sourcing strategies will be more appropriate and will probably involve the need to work closely with suppliers to secure supply and will focus less on price but on total cost.

Cost/risk of changing supplier low?

A category may not be suitable for auction if the time taken to change supplier, the risks associated with change or the cost of changeover is high. Switching costs should be clearly understood in relation to the length and value of the contract.

It is possible to auction certain complex categories but this is generally done after a thorough tender / requirements definition process has been undertaken. This ensures that both parties understand the cost and implications of doing business. Good e-sourcing platforms will cover both the tender and auction aspects and allow suppliers who have passed the non-price evaluation be ‘rolled over’ into the final auction.

In summary, e-sourcing can bring considerable benefits to optimising purchasing costs. Certain categories will work well by simply running an auction, other categories will require a more detailed tender process and others will rely on more traditional purchasing techniques. By considering the criteria above, buyers should be able to make an informed decision.

Lisa Bryan is a director of e-sourcing solutions provider Select Sourcing Ltd. She has worked in the field of procurement for many years having ‘hands on’ experience in industry (private and public sector) and in consulting. She has been working in the emerging field of e-sourcing for the past 5 years. The team at Select Sourcing have delivered over 350 e-auctions and projects across a wide range of direct and indirect categories.

Office Politics: Survival of the Savvy

2006-03-28T21:39:00.000-08:00

There’s one skill everybody at work wishes they were better at, but you won’t find it taught in MBA courses: office politics.

Tales of political sabotage, power plays and turf wars are part of any organization’s history. Nonetheless, political competence is the one skill everyone wishes to have more of—but no one admits to it.

Political competence is the “ability to understand what you can and cannot control, when to take action, who is going to resist your agenda, and whom you need on your side. It’s about knowing how to map the political terrain and get others on your side, as well as lead coalitions,” according to Prof. Samuel B. Bacharach who wrote Getting Them On Your Side, 2005.

Many individuals have good ideas that, if implemented, could yield positive results for their companies. Sometimes these ideas fail because the leaders who propose them cannot gain support from key people.

Defining Political Savvy

It’s naive to suggest that all office politics are destructive and unethical. If you define politics in such a narrow and negative way, you overlook the value of political awareness and skill. When political astuteness is combined with ethics and integrity, it can produce positive results for you, your team and your organization.

By avoiding or denying its existence, you underestimate how political behavior can destroy careers, a company’s reputation and overall performance. If you define politics in only negative terms, you are naively under-political, which leaves you vulnerable to overly political, self-serving individuals.

Three Phases of Political Competence

Political competence can be developed in an ethically sound way with this three-phase process:

1. Map Your Political Terrain
First, identify all stakeholders—anyone who has an interest in, or who would be affected by, your idea—and how they will react. Some resistance is inevitable. You must anticipate others’ reactions, identify allies and resisters, analyze their goals, and understand their agendas.

2. Get Others on Your Side
Build your coalition—a politically mobilized group committed to implementing your idea because doing so will generate valued benefits.
How do you win support? You need to be credible. You communicate credibility by letting potential allies and resisters know about your expertise, demonstrating personal integrity, and showing you have access to important people and information. Through informal conversations, meetings and office drop-ins, you need to explain your position.

3. Make Things Happen
You must win others’ buy-in by making it clear there’s a payoff for supporting your effort and drawbacks for not joining your coalition. Show how implementing your idea will ease their workload, increase their visibility within the organization, or help them cut costs in their unit.
Once you’ve persuaded people to join your coalition, you’ve established a base that will legitimize your idea. Coalition members will then use their networks to evangelize for you.
Mastering only certain parts of the three identified phases will not yield success. Some people sabotage themselves by failing to complete all three phases when attempting to generate and implement change.

Reducing Risk through Politics

There are risks with any course of action you take. You sometimes have incomplete or inadequate information when making a decision. Building a coalition through dialogue with its members pushes valuable information to the surface.

You are open to criticism and politically vulnerable whenever you make a decision. Politically competent leaders reduce risk by getting as many people as possible on their side. Building a coalition is a search process for the best solution.

Building a coalition, bringing people together and solidifying/expanding your base will leave you less vulnerable to criticism. It’s more difficult to attack a leader who has built a large base of support throughout the organization.

Resources on Office Politics

Bacharach, S. 2005. Get Them on Your Side. Adams Media Corp.
Brandon, R. & Seldman, M. 2004. Survival of the Savvy: High-Integrity Political Tactics for Career and Company Success. Free Press.
Kleiner, A. 2003. Who Really Matters : The Core Group Theory of Power, Privilege, and Success:. Doubleday.
Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D. writes articles for business and executive coaches and consultants. She provides articles on leadership and executive development for sale, and formatted into customized newsletters. Get Patsi's Secrets of Successful Ezines 7-Step Mini-Course to learn what you need to know to publish a successful ezine. http://snipurl.com/Ezine_MiniCourse

Communication is Needed at Each and Every Level

2006-03-28T21:35:00.000-08:00

Communication means exchange of information and ideas. It acts as the nervous system of any business organization, which means transmitting data from one organisation to another, one person to another or a combination of both. It is a two-way process. It doesn’t mean sending message to receiver but it is also important to get feedback, so that the sender may assure that the message has been successfully transmitted.

Sender – Message – Receiver.

This model shows how communication process works. There are different types or ways of communication: formal, informal, internal, external, verbal, written, diagonal, vertical, visual, non-verbal, upward and downward.

In small business, there is less number of employees working in it, which makes possible for the employer to talk directly with them and this type of communication is known as informal communication. When the message is transmitted via official channels, this type of communication is known as formal communication. The different ways through which internal communication becomes possible are statements, newssheets; fax machines, mails, telephone, memorandum, computers etc. Verbal communication means talking directly with each other. It includes face-to-face communication, telephone etc. Non-verbal communication means when we use different signs or body language to express our views. When message is in written form, it is known as written communication for e.g. letters, e-mail etc.

There is need of communication at each and every place whether it is office, home, school, college and any other. The various communication systems, which makes communication possible include: people-to-people communication, people-to-machines communication, machine-to-people communication and machine-to-machine communication.

Communication plays a key role in all types of managerial functions. If there is proper flow of communication, the employer is able to coordinate and control the activities of its employees. Communication helps individuals to know that what is expected of them.

There are certain barriers to communication, which creates problem in proper understanding of message. Some of the barriers include inappropriate selection of words or language, misunderstanding of body language, noise pollution, recipient distortion, perceptual biasness, cultural differences etc.

About author: Author presents a website on communication. This website provides information about meaning and types of communication, communication process, importance of communication. You can visit his site about network management tools

The High Cost of Poor Listening

2006-03-28T21:29:00.000-08:00

At about 3:00 on Thursday, Jack the division program manager says to the four members of his team,

"Have your proposals ready for discussion by Friday afternoon."

What did the employees hear him saying? What did they do as a result?

The following day Jack called the team members one by one and asked that they come to his office with proposal in hand.

Employee #1 arrived with a 5-page typed budget proposal on the department’s annual giving campaign.

Employee #2 stepped in and told his manager that he thought the proposals were due next Friday

Employee #3 handed Jack two-pages of analysis about the giving campaign.

Employee #4 greeted Jack with, "I’m glad we’re finally going to sit down and talk about this…I have some great ideas about what we can do."

Obviously something went wrong. Were they listening? Was the message clear?

Many will say that Jack was not clear in communicating expectations -- partially true. Don’t underestimate the role of the listener. Whether through verbal or non-verbal cues, it is the listener that actually directs the conversation.

In the example Jack said what he wanted to say and with no questions, objections or comments he had no way of knowing that there was any disconnect. Well… not until time had been spent and he was still without the important campaign information.

The listener has a responsibility to check in with the person speaking. Not one of the employees asked a question for clarification. Why not? They thought they heard what Jack was saying (assumed) and understood what he wanted in return.

The speaker can have his say but if the listener can not accurately interpret what the speaker is trying to convey there is no communication. The best communicator with great verbal skills can not overcome the failure of a poor listener. Dialogue quickly becomes a monologue. Conversely in a conversation between a great listener and a poor speaker, the listener will work with the speaker to draw out and clarify the message.

Think of how many times you have misinterpreted instructions, heard a problem incorrectly, or missed out on business opportunities. Poor listening can lead to challenges in relationships, lack of credibility, lost contacts, inaccurate reporting, rework, dissatisfied customers and lowered productivity.

Did you know...?

It is estimated that more than 50% of our work time is spent listening.

Immediately following a 10-minute presentation the average person retains about half of what they hear and only one quarter of what they hear 48 hours later.

60% of all management problems are related to listening.

We misinterpret, misunderstand or change 70 to 90% of what we hear.

When misunderstandings occur the implication is that whoever was delivering the message somehow missed the mark, that the speaker didn’t deliver a clear message. But, communication is not just is said it is what you hear someone saying. Listening is considered the most frequently used but least exercised and effective communication skill.

More Than Words Can Say

We've talked about the listener's role in relation to the speaker but there is a third component of communication -- the message itself. It is said that the 500 most commonly used words in English have over 14,000 different dictionary definitions. As I said earlier, communication is a two-way street but it has many off ramps.

Using a simple word like "office" filtered through differing:

perceptions,
assumptions,
exposure,
experiences,
relationships,
knowledge,
agenda, or
attention

might cause one to envision corporate headquarters, cubicles, corner suites with a great view, a position held, a government agency or even a team of workers.

Even under the best circumstances, the path of communication is not a direct shot between the speaker and the listener. The speaker sends a message that is filtered by the listener and sent back again. As this path continues without clarification and stop points the message becomes muddled and strays further from the original intent. Extra effort is spent trying to figure out how the message was sidetracked, frustrations rise and meaning is lost or distorted.

Listening is Priceless.

There are no shortcuts to becoming a great listener and the price tag for poor listening is high. Listening well can cut down on misunderstandings, miscues, damaged relationships, missed opportunity and disagreements while building strong alliances, increasing knowledge and delivering better results faster.

To truly listen is priceless because listening is the key to another’s thoughts, motivation,and behaviors. Dealing with customers, employees and managers, it is the listener’s responsibility to make the adjustments toward understanding. Whether your next interaction is with a customer, a friend, or a co-worker remember how easily a misunderstanding can occur. Focus on the goal of the communication and build toward the message.

The better your listen, the more you allow both people to develop shared meaning, learning, agreement and improved results.

Valarie is CEO of Think 6 Results -- a knowledge broker passionate about learning and improving performance in organizations. She’s a writer, presenter, and executive coach on a mission to get every employee and organization focused on and thinking about the SIX business driving goals that matter.
Contact Valarie at washington@think6results.com or by calling 630-705-1189. Visit us at http://www.Think6Results.com

The Top 10 Hiring Mistakes

2006-03-27T21:35:00.000-08:00

Hiring a new employee is something that professionals often postpone as long as possible. It is important to find the right person to fill the vacancy. The hiring process takes time and effort. There is a big temptation to add someone who is available at that moment and looks like they have the skills to do it. This is often a mistake. Here is a list of other hiring mistakes that professionals frequently make:

1. No job description – By writing down in detail the tasks that this employee will be required to do the hiring manager will be able to see clearly the qualifications a person will need to do this job.

2. Hiring someone without the necessary skills – It will be clear from the job description what skills are necessary for the job. Testing the candidate to be sure that his or her skills are current is also important. (Use a Proof reading, filing, or grammar skills assessment.)

3. Hiring someone without having the person take a behavioral assessment – The assessment will help you see if this person will fit into the office and compliment the skills of the other people. It will also help you to communicate with the person in a way that that person will hear. Most managers tend to hire people like themselves when in fact they may need someone who can do some of the things that the manager doesn’t enjoy.

4. Hiring someone whose temperament or personality is wrong for the job – Some positions require people who are talkative and friendly and others require people who enjoy working by themselves. Certain tasks require a detail oriented person while others need some one who sees the big picture. Knowing the personality type and temperament that is best for the particular position will help the manager find the right person.

5. Hiring friends and/or relatives – Often people hire friends or relatives to be kind or to do a favor for someone. If the decision turns out to be a bad one, the situation can get really uncomfortable. It is often difficult to give feedback to friends or relatives and they often resent being put in a position where they have to be grateful for the opportunity but are really angry with you for the criticism.

6. Not interviewing the candidate – To really get to know if you can work with someone you need to speak with him/her directly either face to face or by phone.

7. Not preparing for the interview by creating a set of questions that you ask everyone – Spending time preparing a set of probing questions for the candidates will help you to determine which candidate most closely fits your job description.

8. Not posting the job, advertising it in the paper and/or using a recruiter so that you get multiple candidates giving you a choice – Some are tempted to hire the first applicant. If you advertise for candidates in multiple ways and use a recruiter too, you should have a variety of candidates to interview and select from.

9. Not screening the candidates so you interview everyone – Once you have a group of candidates it is easiest to have screening interviews to weed out those who are definitely inappropriate. Often screening interviews are done by phone but also could be done in email.

10. Not checking references and background – It is tempting once you have settled on a candidate to hire him/her on the spot. It is worth taking the time to check references and background to be sure that this candidate has honestly presented him/herself.

About Alvah Parker
Alvah Parker is a Business and Career Coach as well as publisher of Parker’s Points, an email tip list and Road to Success, an ezine. To subscribe send an email to join-roadtosuccess@go.netatlantic.com.
Parker’s Value Program© enables clients to find a way to work that is more fulfilling and profitable. She is both a Practice Advisor and Coach to attorneys, managers, business owners, sole practioners, and people in transition. Alvah is found on the web at http://www.asparker.com She may also be reached at 781-598-0388

Top 7 Tips to Avoid the Top 7 Mistakes Small Business Owners Make

2006-03-27T21:22:00.000-08:00

Small business owners numbered over 5.5 million in 2001 and generated over one billion in annual payroll. Sam Walton was quoted as saying "There's a lot more business out there in small town America than I ever dreamed of." and looks like Sam was right.

During the last five years as THE small business coach in the Chicago area, I have discovered 7 mistakes that small business owners consistently make. These small business help tips should guide you as the small business owner, entrepreneur or executive around these pitfalls as you work to dramatically improve your business results.

Work on your business not in your business Mistake: Most new business owners and many experienced business owners are so busy working in their business, they fail to work on their business and demonstrate the leadership that the business demands. In the book, It’s Not the Big that Eat the Small, But It’s the Fast that Eat the Slow, the authors revealed that executives spent less than 15 minutes each day thinking about the future of their business because they were so busy dealing with yesterday and today’s events.

Assess your business both externally and internally Mistake: Don’t presume that you know what is going on in your business. Take the time honestly and objectively to assess your business both externally and internally. Using an organizational assessment or survey based upon proven criteria such as Baldrige may help you to focus on the directionally correct actions.
Develop a strategic plan Mistake: If you don’t have a plan, you are on someone else’s plan. A strategic plan indicates who does what by when. Remember, hope is not a strategy.

Work your plan Mistake: Pay for a plan and leave it on a shelf or in a desk drawer. A plan’s purpose is action. Without action, the plan is useless and the dollars invested in creating the plan are wasted.

Invest in your people Mistake: Spending dollars on things such as technology and not people. People make the business. They create the loyal customers or disloyal ones. Employees don’t come to work thinking how they can mess up the company. Invest in people development and watch your investment quickly multiply.

Pay yourself first Mistake: Wearing all the hats and not paying yourself what you are worth. Entrepreneurs wear many hats when they establish their business. As time progresses, they continue to wear these hats because money is tight and they believe that they can do things better. The end of the year approaches and the company made a profit. By paying yourself first, you will focus on what you do really well and delegate those other activities to others at a far lower rate.

Keep balance between your personal and professional lives Mistake: You are too busy to take the time with your family or friends. By attending to your work life balance as well as your personal and professional development, you will see incredible results happen within your business.

These 7 tips will help you catapult your small business in warp time. Of course, if you like where you are now, then ignore these tips. However, can you be sure your competition will also ignore these tips? And what would happen, if they just implemented one tip less alone all 7?

P.S. In future articles,as the small business coach, I will provide some additional coaching advice by expanding each tip so that you and your business can reach incredible heights.
Leanne helps individuals, small businesses and large organizations to double performance in real time. Click here to learn the Secret of Success and sign up for a free monthly newsletter. If you truly don't believe doubling your results is possible, read some case studies where individuals and businesses took the risk and experienced unheard of results.

One quick question, if you could secure one new client or breakthrough that one roadbloack, what would that mean to you? Then, take a risk and give a call at 219.759.5601 to experience incredible results.

Top 10 Tips On How To Stay On The Straight And Narrow

2006-03-27T20:54:00.000-08:00

Do you ever wonder where the hours have gone? I sometimes do. There are times when I find it all too easy to be, as the song says, “busy doing nothing”. Well, not exactly nothing, but not exactly the activities that are the most important; the ones that would serve me and my business most at that point in time.

One of the strengths of an entrepreneur is the ability to be self-motivated, to get out there and make things happen. On the flip side… our enthusiasm for all things interesting and new, can mean that we risk going off at a tangent and spending time on things that are not really key at that point in time… the next thing we know two hours have disappeared from out day. Is it just me, or does this sound familiar to you sometimes?

So, here are some tips to help you stay on the straight and narrow and maximize the time you spend at work.

1. Plan your day around high pay-off activities
What is the most important thing for me to do today? How am I going to make money from this activity? These are two great questions to ask yourself. However, when deciding what’s most important to do today, don’t forget to include any personal things that are important to you e.g. helping your child with homework, buying a birthday card for a friend, exercising… things that will make you feel good about yourself.

2. Stay focused
Allowing yourself to be distracted prevents you from experiencing that great feeling of accomplishment… you know… the one you have when you have completed a task without getting distracted. The easiest way to stay on track is by keeping the end result in clearly mind.

3. Set specific deadlines
Have you ever noticed how things that don’t have to be done usually aren’t? If an action doesn’t merit a deadline then it might not merit a place on your to-do list at all?

4. Divide projects up
A huge project can seem too daunting to achieve, but it isn’t. Break your large projects into bite size chunks, or steps, and list each step in the order it needs to be done. Nothing will seem overwhelming ever again if you do this.

5. Use your “peak time”
Some of us are at our best in the morning, some of us in the afternoon; I even know someone who comes ‘alive’ at midnight! Whatever time of day you usually feel at your brightest and most creative… that’s the time to attack your top priorities.

6. Get help
You can do it all alone BUT it will take you longer and be much, much harder. We all need some help at times. Someone to bounce ideas off, someone to do the tasks that you hate to do; someone to do the things that need to be done, but not necessarily by you. That way you get to focus your time on what it is you do best!

7. Reward yourself
We are always ready to praise others for a job well done, but usually forget to give ourselves a pat on the back. So from now on, give yourself a pat on the back when you’ve achieved something positive and come up with some great ways to reward yourself from time to time… go on… treat yourself… it’s great for your self-motivation.

8. Feed your mind, body and spirit
Eat healthy foods, take some regular exercise, read some good books or listen to uplifting tapes, and don’t forget to take some time out for YOU. You’ll feel all the better and be all the more productive for it.

9. Don’t neglect important relationships
The relationships you have with your colleagues, friends and family are an important part of you life. The quality of these relationships is directly related to your success.

10. Be realistic
Being realistic means being aware of your limitations and your abilities. I’m all for thinking big and being bold, but allow yourself a cushion, don’t set yourself up to lose.

Anne Duncan “The Reluctant Salesperson’s Coach” shows Service Professionals how to explode their business by creating a killer marketing message and getting it in front of 1000s of their ideal clients fast. Get your FREE tips now at http://www.TheReluctantSalespersonsCoach.com
© Anne Duncan 2006. All rights reserved. May be distributed if full attribution is given and copyright notice is included.

Seven Reasons Organizational Culture Matters

2006-03-27T20:41:00.000-08:00

We spend 40 . . . or 45 . . . or 50 . . . or more hours at work each week. Many of us spend more time with those we work with than we do our families. For us to be content and fulfilled people, that time must be valuable for more than a dollar. . .

We want to be engaged in our work. We yearn for work that is enjoyable, meaningful and engaging. When we are engaged we are safer on the job, more productive and more willing and able to delight Customers.

It is for these basic reasons that organizational culture matters. It is the right thing for an organization to do - to think about the work environment, working relationships and “how we do things here.”

Focusing on building and sustaining an organizational culture is one way of showing that people are the organization’s most valuable asset.

There are of course many other bottom line business reasons to focus on and build organizational culture. Here are seven of those reasons.

A strong culture is a talent-attractor. Your organizational culture is part of the package that prospective employees look at when assessing your organization. Gone are the days of selecting the person you want from a large eager pool. The talent market is tighter and those looking for a new organization are more selective than ever. The best people want more than a salary and good benefits. They want an environment they can enjoy and succeed in.

A strong culture is talent-retainer. How likely are people to stay if they have other options and don’t love where they are? Your organizational culture is a key component of a person’s desire to stay.

A strong culture engages people. People want to be engaged in their work. According to a Gallup survey at least 22 million American workers are extremely negative or “actively disengaged” – this loss of productivity is estimated to be worth between $250-$300 Billion annually. Your culture can engage people. Engagement creates greater productivity, which can impact profitability. Need I say more?

A strong culture creates energy and momentum. Build a culture that is vibrant and allows people to be valued and express themselves and you will create a very real energy. That positive energy will permeate the organization and create a new momentum for success. Energy is contagious and will build on itself, reinforcing the culture and the attractiveness of the organization.

A strong culture changes the view of “work.” Most people have a negative connotation of the word work. Work equals drudgery, 9-5, “the salt mine.” When you create a culture that is attractive, people’s view of “going to work” will change. Would you rather see work as drudgery or a joy? Which do you think your employees would prefer? Which will lead to the best results?
A strong culture creates greater synergy. A strong culture brings people together. When people have the opportunity to (and are expected to) communicate and get to know each other better, they will find new connections. These connections will lead to new ideas and greater productivity - in other words, you will be creating synergy. Literally, 1 + 1 + right culture = more than 10. How is that for leverage?

A strong culture makes everyone more successful. Any one of the other six reasons should be reason enough to focus on organizational culture. But the bottom line is that an investment of time, talent and focus on organizational culture will give you all of the above benefits. Not only is creating a better culture a good thing to do for the human capital in the business, it makes good business sense too.

Hopefully this article has helped you see that time spent enhancing your organizational culture will be time wisely invested. Regardless of your current culture, it is never too late to enhance it and to begin creating the benefits described above.

What are you waiting for?
Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company. To receive a free Special Report on leadership that includes resources, ideas, and advice go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/leadership.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.

The Game, and How You Play It!

2006-01-12T03:46:00.000-08:00

By Don Doman

In the seventies I worked in an office, and although we were fairly busy, there was downtime. When things got quiet, several of us would play “the game.” We didn’t have a real name for it, but we all knew what “the game” was.

At the merest suggestion of quiet time, we would immediately pull out a lined tablet and beginning with a line at the top we would write an “A” at the far-left and continue down the page to “Z” with each line representing a letter of the alphabet. Then we would divide the page into columns. If there were three of us playing, there would be six columns. It there were four of us playing, there would be eight columns. Each column would be given a heading like “rivers” or “politicians.”

Before starting “the game,” we would agree on a time limit. We would take turns answering the phone. We would all stop when work had to be done, so that no one had an advantage.

The object of the game would then be to write down as many rivers as we could that began with the letter “A” then “B” and so forth down the page. The winner would be the person who had the most correct answers. We all acted as a judge and we threw out all duplications. If two of us wrote down “Amazon River” neither one of us got credit. This was incentive to go beyond an easy answer.

Choosing the heading for the column was always important. Each person got to choose two headings. Generally, you want to choose a subject that you are familiar with, so that you have an edge in playing the game. For example, one friend had spent much of her early life in Eastern Washington, so she would sometimes choose “Washington counties” or “small towns in Washington.” In Washington State the Cascade Mountains divide the state into Western Washington and Eastern Washington. Most of the population is located in Western Washington along Puget Sound where I grew up, but the larger geographic area is Eastern Washington.

Two friends were older than I, so I would sometimes find myself trying to come up with “popular songs from World War II” or “radio programs.” What’s interesting is that after playing “the game” for a while, you learn the answers . . . and even obscure headings become familiar. You can learn much from playing a simple game. And I remember fondly our quiet time busily filling up the pages of lined tablets.

Since playing “the game” I have used it as a brainstorming tool. When my wife and I began selling business training products in 2001, I was overjoyed to find a three-ring binder, Pen and Paper Games For Training, which contains forty different games and activities that can be used for business training, or as the binder suggests, “Putting the Fun into Learning.” The very first activity listed is “A to Z.” It’s “the game!” The description says, “This is a fun and interesting way to brainstorm by finding words starting with every letter of the alphabet. It can be used to explore definitions and ideas.”

The Game has changed little in the last thirty years, but it has become a little more detailed. “A to Z” comes with Aims and Objectives, Overview, Applications, Trainer’s Role, Participant’s Role, Game Techniques, Resources, Step-By-Step, and Variations.

“A to Z” can be played during workshops, seminars, team meetings . . . and even during downtime. It can be used to find solutions for problems you never even knew existed. This is a great learning experience, and of course it doesn’t really matter if you win or lose, but rather . . . how you play “the game” that counts.

Author Don Doman: Don is a published author of books for small business, corporate video producer, and owner of Ideas and Training (http://www.ideasandtraining.com), which provides business training products. Don also owns and Human Resources Radio (http://www.humanresourcesradio.com), which provides business training programs and previews 24-hours a day.

3 Keys to a Great Working Relationship

2006-01-12T03:44:00.000-08:00

By Deborah Cast

The key to a good business relationship is being clear and detailed up front - this includes when asking for a proposal or hiring an employee. Any business relationship can benefit from clarity and details.

Many business relationships are put in place with little planning or little conversation. A good relationship takes a little up front work from both sides. It is not merely the business has a job that needs to be done and the vendor/consultant has the skills or products to fulfill that need. A business relationship that is not well defined up front can lead to many problems as time goes on.

Amazingly too many businesses set out to look for a consultant or a vendor with little or no real thought into the details of the project.

A great working relationship needs to have three basic items.

1. Objectives:

What are the objectives of the project? What do you want this consultant or vendor to accomplish? You decide that you want to understand how the company has grown to its current size and what is needed to grow to the next level. You decide that current staffing does not allow for this to be done in house and you want a fresh set of eyes so you decide to hire a strategic management consultant.

The objective is appears fairly obvious. But then again, it may not be. Is the owner looking for a simple overview report that gives some basic guidelines and direction or are they looking for specifics like how much money it will take to grow the company, what types of staffing levels and expertise are needed, will additional technology be needed, new products that can be added, additional third parties that can be brought in to assist or a multitude of other items.

Ultimately, a business needs to take the time to outline their objectives and make them as clear and even specific as possible. The objectives should be refined as conversations and negotiations with the vendor/consultant take place to put them into a realistic perspective.

2. Expectations:

Expectations are the next most important element. Now that we understand the clear objectives of management, the next is to understand their expectations. This starts to get into the deliverables. These expectations are for both parties. This includes when things are to be accomplished, if this is to be on-site or not, payment schedules, key dates, confidentiality, and other important items that both sides expect of the other.

Expectations can also be utilized in the contract negotiations for bonuses and penalties. If the management report is expected by a certain date, it can be written in the contract that bonuses will be given if it is completed early or penalties for late reports. California started utilizing this system for private contractors for road repairs. Setting clear expectations also makes certain that misunderstands are less likely.

3. Responsibilities:

Once management and the vendor are clear about the objectives and the expectations, now both parties must agree on the responsibilities. This is pretty clear because of the roles each plays. For example, let’s look at a management consultant hired to help management understand why the company is not growing as fast as its competitors. The responsibilities of management includes granting access to all staff, needed books and records, being truthful and honest, and important third parties. It may also include office space or use of a computer. The responsibilities of the consultant includes setting up meetings with staff in advance, confidentiality, professional attire while in the office, and not representing themselves as a employee of the firm.

Both Parties:

Although many of these seem obvious, the more that can be outlined the better. With these items, a vendor or consultant understands what you are trying to accomplish, how you want it accomplished, and what he or she is responsible to do. Management also understands what the consultant or vendor can accomplish and if the objectives of the firm need to be altered because some of their objectives or expectations were unrealistic.

Objectives, expectations and responsibilities – detailing as much as possible all of this allows for a better relationship, a better contract, and a better proposal. Although it is the responsibility of management to start the process and be as clear and detailed as possible in the beginning, it takes both parties working together, to put a realistic scope of services and relationship in place.

About the Author: OTB Strategic Consulting, Inc. runs a successful business and financial consulting firm. They are also authors of the ebook/course, "Business Consulting for Small Businesses" and the "Small Business Authority Newsletter. To get your free subscription, visit http://www.otbstrategic.com Visit other related sites: http://www.megbusinessconsulting.com and http://www.videogamepixel.com

Promote Workplace Morale, Prevent Surprises, and Get a Nifty Accessory

2006-01-10T02:13:00.000-08:00

By Nathan Kartchner

Another day at work, another day of playing solitaire to ease the boredom. You quickly organize the suits with practiced ease. The cards fall obediently into their proper stack as you rapidly create order out of card chaos. You are the master of your domain… You’re so elated at your latest solitaire success that you fail to notice your manager darkening the doorway of your cubicle. The heavy hand of authority falls on your shoulder and you realize that this is the end of your game-playing escapades.

Sure, you could be working, adding value to the company, contributing to the corporation’s success. But where’s the fun in that? But it’s not just fun. A study by the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands suggests that game-playing at work increases productivity, morale, and reduces absenteeism. So really, you’re giving the company a better employee with your solitaire-playing escapades.

Surprisingly, somehow this logic doesn’t always jive, particularly in more conservative workplaces. However, don’t let this dissuade you in your attempts to give your company more. There is a solution for your gaming distress: enter the Iomega Monitor Rearview mirror, available at www.SewellDirect.com. This handy little mirror fits neatly in the corner of your monitor, giving you a wide rear vista, which prevents unpleasant surprises from behind.
I suppose that this mirror has other uses other than to act as an early-warning boss detection unit. Actually, we had one of these things installed in our monitor at home to prevent sneak attacks by siblings. For those with hypertension, this could be a great solution to prevent possibly deadly jolts caused by unannounced cubicle visitors. And for the computer user who has everything, this mirror is the perfect accessory.

So don’t allow restrictive company policies to stunt your productivity. Get one of these mirrors and watch your morale soar. And if anybody asks you, you didn’t hear about this here.
Nathan Kartchner is a copywriter for Sewell Direct, an online retailer of obscure computer accessories (such as the Iomega Rearview Monitor Mirror) and connectivity products, like the USB to Serial Adapter.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nathan_Kartchner

Internal Politics at Work Place

2006-01-10T02:07:00.000-08:00

By Arvind Katoch

Many times we see lot of people leaving their jobs because they found the work place politics affecting their life. Internal politics involving the people at work place are some times bad and avoidable. These politics not only affect the normal working of job, but also may some time cause people to quite their jobs. This results in lose of human resource of a company. To get the good people for working in the organization is a difficult task. However by ignoring the internal politics at work place can cost the companies dearly.

People usually want to be remaining in group; they do not like others to enter their group. This tendency sometimes made lot of subgroups in the office. For every group the agenda of their group is more important than what is required. They try to promote the people in their group more over the others. They sometimes also try to let down the people of other group. This creates inter group rivalries. One group try to hinder the work of other group, in this they even forget the goals of organization. Group rivalries are most common and can be seen in big offices where lot of people work. These group politics are one of reason for collapse of work due to the non corporation and are of great cause of low performance.

Second politics is seen in individual basis. Many people try to be smart and play with the emotions of other. They are not associated to any other, still they are in all group. They pretend to be the friends of many, but actually they are with nobody. There main purpose is to achieve own results. They create misunderstanding between the people. They remove their enemy by creating a bad image for them in others eye. They never fight their enemies directly, but provoke others to take revenge for them. They try to make their enemy alone by creating misunderstanding with his friends. They make the person alone and then become friend of it. Now they know the secret about him and upon feasible time use them against him. In this way they are able to remove their enemy without fighting him directly. These kinds of politics are most dangerous and to know that some one is doing it against us is a difficult task. This kind of politics is main reason behind the many, who leave their jobs?

So we should be alert of politics on the work place and try to avoid indulging in them. Indulging in them may unnecessary cause use lot of difficulties and simultaneously should aware about the others politics about us.

http://www.geocities.com/arvindkatoch1
http://www.geocities.com/katochhelp
http://thoughts-of-a-ordinary-man.blogspot.com

Zap the Power Monger

2006-01-10T01:56:00.000-08:00

By Jan Verhoeff

You know that one. He’s the one in the office who puts out all the great ideas then steps out of the way while you do the work, but comes back just in time to tell you how you did it all wrong. His interest gravitates only to Power and Recognition. He isn’t interested in doing the work, actually participating in the project, or actively becoming involved in the accomplishment. He only wants the glory of suggestion and the recognition of completion.

Over the past several years’ one particular person has instigated several projects in a group I actively participate in. This person shows up suggests a project and disappears for the next several meetings, appearing often enough to rip apart most anything that’s been accomplished toward the completion of any article, find fault with any work done on the project, and disappear again until the next round of complaints and judgmental condemnations are ready.

Unfortunately, there are those members of the group who desire accomplishment enough to go the extra mile and attempt to complete the projects in the face of this sorry individual who desires only the glory. Those members willingly commit their time and effort to the project and work hard to gain acceptable results, while inadvertently complying with the demanding coworker with the bad attitude.

There is a solution.

When the power hungry recognition monster rears its head on that occasional appearance, if the rest of the members suggest that person get started on the project and agree to jump in and do their part after the original project is well started, the power disappears. That person looses the control factor and becomes just another peon in the group. The project in question is either activated by the instigator, or dies on the table. The power monger must either get into the project or let it die the unnatural death of neglect.

So, the next time someone in your office or group comes up with an incredible opportunity to accomplish something and you know for a fact they aren’t going to actively participate in the completion of the project, bow out gracefully by suggesting they get it started and offer to jump in with your part when the project is actively ongoing. Otherwise let their own neglect of their project kill it.

Impact your market as never before. Be seen. Be alive. Be creative in your endeavors to brand your business and consume your market. Let eBiz Blitz empower your dreams by infusing your business publications with Dynamic Content. Visit Dynamic Content Creator, Jan Verhoeff, at http://www.freewebs.com/ebizblitz

Remove Trash Carefully!

2006-01-05T03:46:00.000-08:00

By Steve Hanson

One of the most common tasks a cleaning company does is to take the trash out and it is usually given little or no thought. Trash receptacles can contain broken glass and metal objects. Handling trash in a safe manner will help employees avoid getting cuts and punctures. The following are a few do's and don'ts of safe trash handling.

*Don't press down on trash with hands or feet. You don't know what objects are in the trash.

*Do lift carefully! Get a good grip on the bag. Make sure your hands are dry before lifting. If the bag is heavy, get help before lifting.

*Don't swing filled trash bags on your back! This can cause back injury, may puncture the bag, and may cause trash to spill onto the floor.

*Do handle with care. After removing a bag inspect it for protrusions and holes. Avoid bumping your body against a filled trash bag during removal and disposal.
*Don't block doorways, elevators, stairwells or access to safety and emergency equipment, such as fire alarms and extinguishers, with trash bags.

*Do place a piece of cardboard down if you need to place trash bags inside a building before taking them to a dumpster. This will help to protect the floor from any leakage.

Steve Hanson is co-founding member of The Janitorial Store (TM), an online community for owners and managers of cleaning companies who want to build a more profitable and successful cleaning business. Sign up for Trash Talk: Tip of the Week at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com and receive a Free Gift!

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Unraveling the Mystery of Conflict

2006-01-05T03:42:00.000-08:00

By Gary Harper

Imagine a coworker and you have just delivered a report to senior management about a project on which you collaborated. As you leave the meeting, your coworker shakes his head and mutters “hope you’re happy”. Since then, he has barely acknowledged you. You are mystified by their attitude because the report was so well received by management. You decide to approach him, but don’t really know where to begin.

You can unravel the mystery of conflict by 1) understanding how people view such confrontations and 2) by using conversation skills to get to the root of the conflict.

First, remember that in conflict, each person has their story. People tend to see themselves as either the innocent victim or perhaps the righteous hero. They cast their adversary, of course, as the villain. Attachment to these roles results in conversations that quickly regress to debates or outright confrontations: a verbal thrust and parry in which judgement is met by justification. People expend tremendous energy and create significant drama, but at the end of the day feel like they’ve gone in circles with little understanding or identification of the real issue.

Stories consist of three basic elements: plot, characters, and theme. In conflict, these equate to: 1) what happened; 2) how it impacted the person; and 3) what need of theirs was unmet or threatened. To begin to explore someone’s conflict story, ask yourself “when did the knife go in?” for them. This metaphor represents the point of wounding – when they saw themselves as the victim (and pegged you as the villain). In some cases, the inciting incident will be obvious, but other times you will need to uncover it.

Second, use open-ended questions to peel back the layers of their conflict story. Used strategically, open questions help you discover why someone is upset and what they need to move forward. Of course, these questions must be accompanied by curiosity, because a question such as “what on earth were you thinking?” will understandably foster defensiveness. Rather, ask genuine questions to uncover new information and to encourage the other person to talk about what went on for them. As they verbalize their story you can learn not only when “the knife” went in for them, but also the impact events have had on them and what (unmet) need is fueling their frustration.

The following two tips will ensure your questions are helpful and productive. Remember to paraphrase the answers you receive to demonstrate you understand their perspective. This also provides balance to the conversation so your questions do not come across as an interrogation. Also, let the other person know why you are asking your question. Even an open question will spark some defensiveness as the other person wonders “why does he/she want to know?” You will significantly reduce defensiveness when you provide a context for your question by telling the other person why you are asking it and how the information will be useful.

In the example above, you might start by noting the lack of communication or feelings of tension, letting them know you want to try to work things out, and asking simply “what’s up?” In many cases, their reply will let know who not only what happened, but how it affected them (“you grab all the credit for our work and you ask me what the problem is?!”) In other cases, you may need to probe further “what was it about the meeting that upset you?” or “what went on for you during the meeting?” As you begin to peel the layers of their story, listen for their unmet need. When you uncover it, confirm you have it right: “so from your perspective, I received the credit – and you want to ensure that you get fair recognition for your contribution to the project”.

While this is by no means the end of the conversation, this discovery provides a foundation for deeper understanding and, eventually, resolution. From a relationship perspective, you build empathy when you demonstrate you understand both the events in question and the impact of those events on the other person. From a resolution perspective, you have identified one of the key components for a collaborative solution (in this case, recognition and fairness.)
So when confronted by conflict, resist the urge to proclaim your own story. Instead, put your perspective temporarily on the back burner and focus on discovering “when the knife went in”. You may find that what seems to be an insoluble conflict is really “elementary, my dear Watson.”

Gary Harper is the author of The Joy of Conflict Resolution: Transforming Victims, Villains and Heroes in the Workplace and at Home. For “Tips on Probing” and other information on conflict resolution, visit Gary’s website at http://www.joyofconflict.com/
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

How to Develop a Happy and Healthy Workplace

2005-12-13T22:31:00.000-08:00

By Mike Moore

Employees withhold 2/3 of what they are capable of contributing to a company in the form of talents, skills, experience, information and ideas.

>Workers can't help but be indifferent and apathetic when they are pursuing someone else's objectives. Ownership is the key to corporate success and constructive change.

>Trust employees with sensitive information. This doesn't mean you share everything with them. It does mean that you keep them informed about what is going on and how it will effect them.

> Give the people you lead meaningful input into destiny decisions.

> If you are ever going to maximize corporate potential, you must do everything in your power to maximize human potential.

> Your workers are your business. When you eliminate people problems, your business is bound to improve.

> The chief task of a leader is to restore and maintain optimism, enthusiasm and morale.

> If your team mission statement is to be credible and relevant, its vision and values must be more than a framed statement on the wall. There must be a constant challenge to become what we collectively say we are.

> Who tells you honestly and openly what you need to know, but don't want to hear? If the answer is " No one" you are in trouble and so is your company, school, organization etc.

> If there is a problem ,ask for solutions. Listen carefully, apply the suggestions given and suspend your own judgment. You will be surprised how quickly and effectively the problem gets solved without your dominant input.

> If people are your greatest resource, then corporate behaviour must show it.

> Treat the people you work with the way you want to be treated.

> Mark Twain said that he could live contented for two months on one compliment. Compliment generously and genuinely.

> Never take credit for another's idea.

> Never give out, "YOU ARE SPECIAL" buttons in an attempt to improve morale.

> Encourage the people you lead to ask, "WHY" questions. Don't be threatened by them.

IT PAYS TO CARE!

Mike Moore is an international voice on the role of appreciation, praise and humor in performance motivation and human potential. He travels throughout North America giving speeches and seminars on self-actualization. His writing and cartoons have appeared in newspapers and magazines throughout Canada and the U.S.A. He works out of Brantford ON Canada

For more information on this topic ask about Mike's newest manual Humour in the Workplace ( Using humour, appreciation and praise to promote a happy, productive workplace) http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?workplace

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Empathy 101: Ten Commandments Of Human Relations

2005-12-08T10:57:00.000-08:00

By: Kerri Salls

These ten commandments of human relations aren't original to me, and I don't know the source. At the same time, they don't go out of style or out of date if you are in business. Everyone in your business must imbue their efforts with these commandments. They are required in every type of relationship be it marketing or selling to clients, providing customer support before or after the sale, working with and negotiating with vendors or your support team and of course internal to your organization.

These skills are not the sole domain of your designated human resource professional. In fact they should be part of your company's Hedgehog Concept (ref: From Good to Great by Jim Collins, http://www.jimcollins.com/lib/books.html

As the leader of your team, go through these commandments and consider how well you and everyone on your team abides by them. Encouraging their use just might smooth some ruffled feathers or diffuse a tense situation.

1. SPEAK TO PEOPLE

There is nothing like a cheerful word of greeting. To really connect, look them in the eye as you speak.

2. SMILE AT PEOPLE

It takes 72 muscles to frown, only 14 to smile. They can hear the difference in your voice - even over the phone.

3. CALL PEOPLE BY NAME

The sweetest music to anyone's ear is the sound of his/her own name. Be sure you say it correctly. Say it often.

4. BE FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL

To have friends and build relationships, be a friend first.

5. BE CORDIAL

Sincerely speak and act as if everything you do is a genuine pleasure.

6. BE GENUINELY INTERESTED IN PEOPLE

You can like almost everybody if you try. They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Be sure they know how much you care.

7. BE GENEROUS WITH PRAISE

Praise publicly, correct privately. Everyone wins this way.

8. BE CONSIDERATE

of the feelings of others. There are usually three sides to a controversy: yours, the other person's, and the right side. Keep ego and emotions in check.

9. BE ALERT

to give excellent service. What counts most is what we do for others not ourselves.

10. HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR

Don't take yourself too seriously. When you add lots of patience, and humility, you will have a recipe for enduring success.

Do you think these are soft skills you can brush aside as non-critical? Think again. In this Conceptual Age, a deeper understanding of the subtleties of human interactions becomes not only important but imperative. In fact, at the Stanford Business School, students are flocking to one of the newer courses called "Interpersonal Dynamics". Be sure everyone on your team masters the basics.

About the Author: Kerri Salls, MBA runs a virtual business school to train, consult and coach small business CEO's and entrepreneurs in 10 key strategies to make more profit in less time. Learn more at http://www.breakthrough-business-school.com/products.html or sign up for a free weekly newsletter at http://www.breakthrough-business-school.com/newsletter.shtml (Source: www.isnare.com

How to make maximum use of your time

2005-12-08T05:49:00.000-08:00

By: Dave Saunders

Why do some say that time is much more important than wealth? Nearly all biographies and self-help books, by top leaders and speakers from the past decades, all focus on time as being the most important resource available. When we manage our use of time, through self-mastery, success is a natural product of that effort. Success becomes the harvest we reap.

Proven Technique Number 1 - Delegate and assign simple routine tasks to other people.

If you have a home business, consider hiring a temp to deal with book entry. Most people don't need a full time employee and the time you save allows you to focus on building your vision. This is very elementary but of great significance. If you have the money, hire people to do the housework, the repairing, and even some of your other office jobs. Let others do the research. But of course, you have to reward them accordingly so they will be motivated to render their services again. There are also web sites dedicated to connecting you with the talent you need to complete projects. Use their skills to fulfill your dreams.

Proven Technique Number 2 - Plan

Begin with the end in mind is a popular phrase and it represents a very important principal. The less time you think you have, the more critical it is for you to plan. By planning carefully, you'll be able to manage your time better and avoid costly mistakes that eat up even more of your time.

Can you imagine an archery competition where there are no targets? How would the archer know if he or she hit anything, or even came close? Too often we treat our lives and our businesses as though the target is unimportant.

You might say that you're so busy you don't even have time to plan. That's usually a sign that you need to take time to plan more than anyone else. The payoff is the ability to see your entire project holistically and see efficiencies in tasks and perhaps areas where you can hire out.

Your plan is like a road map. Spend enough time to ponder through the different approaches and activities, and you will soon realize that you can save a lot more time by doing this. Make sure you are going towards the right goal and check your plan from time to time to make sure you haven't driven off then road.

Choose a quiet place to make your plan and let your mind focus on this important process.

Every individual has a unique perception of a well-made plan. There are no specific rules in making it. Here are some tips which you can apply to your own system.

1. Write down your objective. This is a precise definition of your target.

2. Brainstorm the strategies & tactics you will employ to accomplish your objective.

3. Assess the advantages & disadvantages of carrying out those strategies & choose those tactics where the pros outweigh the cons.

4. Set a timeline or deadline in completing your mission.

5. Make modifications & back-up plans in case Plan A doesn't work.

6. Learn from the evolution of your plan. It's from this experience, and comparison to your original plan, that you will gain skills and talent.

The most important time management tip of all is to take action immediately. If your time is that important, then don't waste it by sitting around or over planning. Determine your course and move. You can always make course corrections as you move along.

About the Author: Dave Saunders is a professional lecturer, and enjoys creating life-interconnections through his writings and lectures. You can find out more about time management at http://www.the-time-management-guy.com
Source: www.isnare.com

Top Ten Strengths of Workplace Re-Entry Women

2005-12-07T23:47:00.000-08:00

By Fiona MacKay Young

Women returning to the workforce often sell themselves short, partly because of society’s view that if you’re not in the paid workforce you are “doing nothing”.

The other part of this equation is because after a few years of dealing mainly with children and duties around the home, many women find own self esteem and self confidence is low as to what they have to offer in the world of work.

But as any savvy employer knows, a woman returning to the workplace brings with her extremely valuable skills and qualities.

Here’s a top ten list of the gifts, the blessings, the strengths that Workplace Reentry Women bring with them to the workplace ….. whether they know it or not!

1. Multi-tasking:

Any woman running a home and family has to be able to at least 16 different things at one time!

Next time you see young mother in the grocery, with a couple of small children take the time to observe how many tasks she in undertaking at one time. This is skill and half and immensely valuable out in the world.

And that’s all before she gets to the checkout, where neither child wants to wait, and then getting everything and everyone back out to the car.

2. Problem Solver, Handling Emergencies, Troubleshooting:

Small problems seem like big problems to small people! Mum has to handle endless ‘emergencies’ and some real ones too, not to mention problems such as how to get the peanut and jelly sandwich out of the VCR (or even worse, the DVD player!)

This is just the tip of the iceberg of what an at home mum has to deal with.

3. Manager, Initiative, Self Directed:

She manages the family, the house, the meals, and everything else around the home. She has no instructions, no training, and no expert to turn to (unless her own mum)

4. Organized, Inventory Control:

Where is it? How much do we need? Keeping track of everything and anything is her job too. How do we get Jason to softball and Janet to ballet at opposite sides of town at the same time?

5. Creative, Innovative, Lifelong Learner:

Finding ways where no ways have been found before (to mess up the Star Trek saying atrociously!) This needs to be done, how are we going to do it? If there’s something you don’t know that you need to know – you learn it, you create it, you invent it.

6. Money Management, Budgeting:

Whether rich or ‘financially challenged’, money still has to be managed and budgets still have to be maintained. Whether it’s just the weekly grocery bill or when to buy a designer outfit, budgeting is always part and parcel of the job.

7. Reliability , Stable, Sense Of Responsibility:

Kids trust implicitly, and are totally reliant on mum to be there when she says she will, and take care of what they need taken care of. Even the most unreliable of women become much more responsible when she has a family to take care of.

8. Event Organization:

Ah, those parties. Birthday parties, Christmas parties, picnics, even holidays – mum is in charge of organization, making it fun and getting everything ready and put together.

9. Mediator, Interpersonal Skills:

Kids fight! Mum has to calm the waters, reinstate order, arrange compromises, and do it all with a very unsophisticated audience who just want what they want.

10. Coach, Mentor, Teacher:

Mothers teach by instructing, helping and also by modeling the behavior the want. Mothers can teach people who don’t want to learn it, and get it established as a habit. Now that’s a skill!

Children learn more from their parents than from school – albeit different things most of the time. Never underestimate a mother’s role as a teacher.

So there you have the top ten skills. All are directly transferable into the workplace. There are many more. But this is just taste of the wonderful gifts a workplace reentry woman brings with her when she goes back to work.

Don’t feel you have nothing to offer – instead celebrate your wonderful gifts and abilities and share them with the world.

© 2005 Fiona MacKay Young, a trained & experienced Coach and Career Consultant specializes in working with Women Reentering the Workplace, finding a job, or starting a business. Returning to work after 16 years at home, she believes you don’t have to settle for a low level job just to make ends meet – you can follow your heart and do what you love to do. She can help you. Fiona @fiona-online.com, http://www.fiona-online.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fiona_MacKay_Young

The Things You Dont Like About Other People Say More About You Than It Does About Them!

2005-12-07T23:44:00.000-08:00

By Dr. Yvonne LaMar

One of my favorite people in the world is named Billy. I used to visit Billy when I dated one of his co-workers. Billy would ask about what I was teaching. I would tell him the topics of the week and we would have some very interesting conversations.

I would share comments that I heard from “a friend” with my students. Billy was the friend. The students looked forward to what he said and good discussions would result.

Back in April, I started a book tour. Billy came with his wife, Judy, who is a teacher. I told her about our conversations and how Billy was “the friend” that would get my students stirred up. Judy wasn’t surprised at all. Their older children are teachers and their younger son is a bright and energetic student athlete. I imagine they all have strong opinions. Judy also told me about some of the ways that Billy helps people from different circumstances and how he serves as a Christian. That didn’t surprise me at all.

What makes Billy unique is that he can voice his opinions so openly. He has absolutely no desire to be politically correct. I respect that. It would be nice if we all thought the same way, but, in reality, we don’t. Mostly, he is funny.

I never felt the need to debate with Billy. He’s a grown man and his sentiments come from many experiences. He’s come to logical conclusions. He has common sense and he has never been offensive. I just listened. In a world full of so many different kinds of people, 100% agreement on every topic can not be expected.

The wonderful thing about people like Billy is that their respect for other people keeps their minds open. New information and experiences are presented every day and they take it into consideration. They think about things because they always want to do the right thing. It doesn’t matter where you are from and what you have seen when it comes to that.

People can’t help but develop opinions about how the “other” people are living. The difference nowadays is that the “other” people are your neighbors and co-workers. In fact, it’s likely that you are the “other” person here. In a city like Philadelphia, you can easily find a cluster of people who are similar to you and conduct your daily business within your comfort zone. There are people there who have never had significant interaction with people who are unlike themselves. I choose diversity over that every time.

Not that mixing with different kinds of people is easy. You learn some really unpleasant things about yourself when you leave your comfort zone. Usually, the things that you find wrong with the “other” people are exactly the things that are wrong with you.

My personal pet peeve is snobbery. I grew up with a whole lot of emphasis on “people like us” and staying within certain social and economic boundaries. Lawrence Otis Graham wrote a book about it called “Our Kind of People” that people like us might have found embarrassing, but mostly we just looked for our names or people we knew. It’s a tiny world and people want to keep it that way.

A few days ago, I pulled into my driveway and someone in another car slowed down and waved at me. I didn’t recognize the person, so I gave him my best “Keep Moving” look. Random friendship never happened in my world. It’s a tiny world where everybody knows each other. If not, you wait to be introduced. You can see a person regularly and still not know them. I didn’t make the rules, but apparently, I am good at following them.

A co-worker reminded me that I live in a small town. People wave here! The waver probably knows me from church. I know. Pray for me.

I thought about Billy and how I used to tell him that he had “issues.” Now I see that appreciating diversity is just accepting people whose issues are different than yours. I take students on a semester-long journey to that point. A little while with someone like will get you there too and you will laugh all the way.

Dr. LaMar researches, writes, and speaks about mentoring relationships among professional women. She also consults with growing businesses about how personality and processes can affect workplace dynamics. Her books "God Provides The Sacrifice: Women Discuss Making Their Hardest Decision" and "Drama Free Workplace" can be purchased in e-book format and paperback from her web sites or by calling 806-203-4094. http://www.DrLaMar.com http://www.DramaFreeWorkplace.com http://www.PhenomenalWomansGuide.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Avoid The Ones With Anger Issues

2005-12-07T23:40:00.000-08:00

By Dr. Yvonne LaMar

I have a friend who gives me advice. On the surface, he seems like a good person to go to for advice. His family is happy and healthy. He is an entrepreneur who does what he loves everyday. He thrives on the competition of the business world and enjoys socializing with other people in his industry. He does have one major problem. He has what are politely called “anger issues.” In fact, if he is not your friend, he can be very mean and scary.

I heard about his scare tactics when we became friends a few years ago. One of his competitors had crossed the line and become his enemy. At a social gathering, he told a group of us that he called his new enemy every day to remind him that he was out to get him. Every day! I had a brief encounter with a stalker and know that first hand that negative attention on a daily basis is emotionally draining. Why would someone with all the trappings of success commit to terrorizing someone?

First, let me mention that I might have been the only person who thought his campaign of terror was disturbing. Other people at the table laughed. Some listened intently as if they might use his tactics in the future. At the time I could not relate. I was also very young and inexperienced in the world of competition.

Second, I will admit that my views of social rules change as I grow through life. When there wasn’t lot at stake, it found it easier to forgive and forget. Now, when something I value is in jeopardy, it is highly unlikely that I will walk away. That’s just a little background and maybe some justification because I found myself acting like my friend recently and I shocked myself with how easy it is to engage hate and anger.

I don’t pretend to not be human. My ideals are high and my resistance is low. Being Christian gives me parameters and great examples. Being ambitious makes me think beyond limits and doesn’t always attract the best influences. At some point we all have to come to terms with the different parts of personalities and I had a tremendous wake up call this week.

Classic scenario: the person has caused problems for me before. Other people convinced me that it was all some kind of misunderstanding. I thought I should be more forgiving so I stepped right into harm’s way. There is an old expression, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” A year ago, I would have repeated that saying and moved on. Things have changed.

Real harm was being done and I began to reflect on my friend’s advice. I welcomed that challenge to become an enemy. My friend didn’t invent these tactics. Sun Tzu writes similar advice in The Art of War and Macchiavelli’s The Prince is based on the same principles. I got completely caught up in psychological warfare for a few days. A few days is enough. Accepting the challenge to be an enemy is just an invitation to do damage to yourself.

As I get older, I am becoming more convinced that there are people who are not conscious of their actions. They destroy everything around them and they don’t even notice. I remember a cartoon character named “Schleprock.” He would walk by buildings and they would crumble. He would touch a table and the legs would fall from underneath. Everywhere he went he left a pile of rubble in his wake. People would run away when they saw him and Schleprock’s feelings were hurt. He had no idea about the devastation he caused because he never turned around to look!

My scenario involved a “Schleprock.” Only God can prevent the kind of damage that this kind of person does. As for protecting yourself, Sun Tzu would say “attack by fire” and destroy everything around your enemy. Macchiavelli advises us that it is better to be feared than admired. My friend would tell me to embrace the challenge. The Bible says to turn the other cheek. I’m going to accept that there are some things in this world that are beyond my understanding and do what people did in the Saturday morning cartoon. When I see a Schleprock coming, I’ll just run in the other direction.

Dr. LaMar researches, writes, and speaks about mentoring relationships among professional women. She also consults with growing businesses about how personality and processes can affect workplace dynamics. Her books "God Provdes The Sacrifice: Women Discuss Making Their Hardest Decision" and "Drama Free Workplace can be purchased in e-book format from her web sites. http://www.DrLaMar.com http://www.DramaFreeWorkplace.com http://www.PhenomenalWomansGuide.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

PowerTalk: 10 Timeless Tips for Becoming a More Powerful Communicator

2005-12-07T23:30:00.000-08:00

By Jan Phillips

Part of our evolutionary process is learning how to communicate more effectively and efficiently. Few of us have had much training in the matter, and most of us have experienced the consequences of communication breakdowns. We all know what doesn?t work, and how badly it feels to be unheard and misunderstood.

I learned how to speak from a man who didn?t know how to listen. I once worked for a CEO who had no space or time for my emotions or conversational process?so I wrote an article called ?Who?s Listening?? for a newsletter I created every month. Since I had been so thrown off guard by his apparent disinterest in the ?whole? me, I was led to question what it was about my own communication style that made it hard for us to talk.

These are the questions I asked myself and ultimately included in the article. I hope they help.

1. Are you being negative? Nobody enjoys being in the presence of negative energy. Try listening to yourself as you speak. Pay attention to your tone of voice. If you are whining, stop it. If you are being cynical or complaining, stop it. For one week, try turning your complaints into requests and see if you notice a difference in how your ideas are received.

2. Do you share opinions, but not your inner self? When?s the last time you were in the presence of a powerful speaker? What do you remember about what the speaker said? Chances are, whoever was talking was sharing some personal story, illustrating a point with an anecdote. Listeners get enrolled in a conversation when the speaker actually shares something meaningful about his or her life. Rich communication never occurs by accident. It takes intention and attention. Think of the most engaging conversationalist you know. Next time you hear that person, listen for how much of themselves they really share. Try sharing something personal next time you?re in a conversation with someone who?s important to your life. Trust them enough to admit a fear of yours, to tell a story from your childhood, or to share a vision you have for the future. We are all waiting to have these conversations, but no one wants to go first. Try going first.

3. Are you planning what you want to say while others speak, instead of listening? This one always backfires. It?s a dead giveaway. People know when you?re doing it because your responses to their speaking are usually inappropriate, and communication breaks down rapidly. No one listens back to someone who hasn?t listened to them. Instead of spouting off your opinions immediately after a person has spoken, ask them something about what they just said. Pay attention to their speaking and they will pay more attention to yours.

4. Do you live up to your word? Did you ever know someone who was always going to do this and always promising to do that and never came through? Did you stop listening to that person after awhile? The world is full of dreamers and planners, but it?s people?s actions, not their dreams, that inspire us. Open up and share something you?ve accomplished that you?re proud of. If you have something you want to accomplish, ask for support. People will not take us seriously if they see we do not take our own words and commitments seriously.

5. Have you created an environment for listening? It is not easy to listen to someone in a room where TV?s and radios are in competition with humans. If real communication is important to you, try turning off the tube and finding a commercial-free FM station that plays music conducive to conversation. Classical music stimulates the alpha waves in our brains, and keep our creative juices flowing.

6. Do you speak as a victim of circumstances or as a creator of possibilities? People who speak as if the world were out to get them have a difficult time finding listeners. No one wants to get pulled into the emotional quicksand that a ?victim? seems to be buried in. Consider how you respond as a listener to other people?s tales of woe? Do you tire quickly in that context? Do you get depressed and feel burdened? Energy is contagious. If you speak as the one who?s designing your life, rather than as a victim of other peoples? actions, you will empower yourself and others.

7. Does your listener know the value of your relationship with her or him? Establishing a background of trust and relatedness is critical to communication. The better sense a person has of you and of your commitment to the relationship, the more open will they be to your speaking. If what needs to be communicated is difficult or risky, it often helps to begin by stating what?s at stake for you and how important honesty is to the relationship.

8. Do you inquire about what may be important to your listener or do you mostly talk about yourself? One way to ensure that your listener is with you is to include her or his interests in your conversation. The next time you have coffee with your neighbor or sit next to your co-worker in the cafeteria, initiate a conversation about something you know that person is interested in. If she?s a ski enthusiast, ask her about her favorite places to ski. If he?s into computer games, strike up a conversation about an article you read on the subject. People listen up and open up when you show a genuine regard for something they?re interested in.

9. If people listened to you like you listen to others, would you be satisfied? Most of us have a person in our life who plays the role of listener when we really need to talk about something. If you have such a person, consider what particular skills this person has at listening. Why did you pick her or him as your sounding board? What is it that makes you trust them? What body language do they exhibit when you speak that lets you know they?re with you? Is it helpful to have people give you advice when you share something difficult, or would you prefer they just listen and let you sort things out in their presence? Can you be present to someone?s pain without trying to solve all their problems? Observe how you listen the next time someone shares something difficult and see if you can refrain from offering advice and platitudes.

10. Are you complaining to the wrong people? It doesn?t help anyone to complain to people who have no power to change things. If something is wrong, find out who?s in charge and take your concern to the right person.

JAN PHILLIPS is a principal with 9th Element Group. A master communicator, thought leader, keynote speaker and award-winning author, Jan is currently writing The Art of Original Thinking: The Making of a Thought Leader (9th Element Press). Jan describes the steps to becoming a Thought Leader and discusses the impact of Thought Leaders in their workplaces, communities and organizations. More info at: http://www.9thelementgroup.com/original_think.php?id=67
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Workplace Communication - Simple But Powerful Expert Persuader Technique

2005-12-07T23:27:00.000-08:00

By Kenneth Little

Complete connection with every workplace communication is possible when you take time to develop the Expert Persuader Technique. Here are the tools needed to master this persuasion technique.

Good News First

Your first tool in mastering this technique is GNF - Good News First. This calls on you, each time you have to give bad news to a work team member, to begin by giving encouraging feedback first. For example, before telling them they missed a promotion, share positive comments from the selection panel.

Early Agreement in Negotiations

Your negotiations, to get a hostile team member to agree to your workplace communication suggestion, need to begin by selecting three topics on which you already agree.

Get them to say yes to you three times and you will greatly increase the outcome of them then saying yes to the suggestion they were earlier hostile to.

Constant Smiling During All Workplace Communication

A technique long used by the experts in workplace communication, and even by experts in persuasion, is to maintain the highest level of favor with the respondent by smiling all the time.

You will soon get mastery in workplace communication and persuasion as you practice the Expert Persuader Technique by, giving Good News First, getting Early Agreement in Negotiations and lastly, beaming with Constant Smiling.

Copyright 2005 Kenneth Little

Kenneth Little is a writer, teacher, public speaker and the publisher of a re-released classic - in a revealing ebook- that will show you how to get the best of health and wealth out of all your future years. Find more on this at: http://www.Young-at-Sixty.com

True success will be yours no matter what your age. Amazing "How I Became Young at Sixty" brings renewed strength to your body, hope to your mind and increased prosperity to your lifestyle. You Can Get your Free ebook "How I Became Young at Sixty" by going to: http://www.Young-at-Sixty.com/get-your-f-r-e-e-ebook.htm
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

How to improve Your Work Relationships

2005-12-07T23:11:00.000-08:00

By Kathryn Weber

Tips for working smoother and more harmoniously

Ask anyone and they'll tell you that an unhappy work environment can be one of life's most miserable experiences. It's isolating, it's uncomfortable, unproductive, and it can also block your progress in life. That's because work, like everything else, often relies on good will.

That is, the good will of coworkers and bosses alike can help propel your career and business. Likewise, ill will and anymosity can create obstacles to career success and make every day you show up for work a pretty miserable eight-hour (or longer) experience.

Fortunately, feng shui offers some techniques for improving work relationships and making them more harmonious and hospitable. So, if your career has stalled and every day you go to work is an excercise of endurance you'll want try the following.

Tip No. 1 Don't directly confront your boss

Look at your desk arrangement to see if it is facing your boss's directly. Even if you are across the building, if your boss's desk is facing west and yours is facing east, and you could draw an imaginary straight line to his or her desk, then you are in a confrontational position. It's always better to have your boss "at your back" so that you are supported by this person.

Tip No. 2 Ground your relationships with superiors with a gold mountain

Creating your own "mountain of gold" will give you opportunities, help from benefactors, and create great good will with superiors by "grounding" your relationship. Place your mini mountain in the northwest corner of your office. (Find this corner by standing in the center of your office and locating the center with a compass -- don't guess!).

To create your mini gold mountain, purchase a large round glass candle holder. It is important that this plate is made of glass. The plates are those flat glass rounds that hold candle arrangements. Next, paint a mixture of small stones gold with spray paint. Arrange these stones on the plate to resemble a small gold mountain.

Tip No. 3 Make your relationships with your boss smooth

Create an arrangement of crystal, glass, or snowglobe spheres in the center of your office to smooth out relationships. In addition to helping with superiors, these balls will also help smooth out relationships with coworkers as well. Alternatively, you may also wish to display a crystal vase, remembering to leave it empty so it can collect auspicious relationship energy. By the way, I am a big fan of the TV show, the West Wing. Next time you see the President's desk, notice that he has cyrstal balls on his desk!

Tip No. 4 Activate your office according to your boss's gender

If you have an older male boss, activate the northwest. If you have an older female supervisor, activate the southwest. Both can be activated by creating a mini gold mountain. Alternatively, both can be enhanced by a globe of the earth.

Tip No. 5 Activate your office according to your supervisor's age

If your boss is male activate the east corner of the office with plants, flowers, a ficus tree, or a picture of these things. For amale the same age, activate the north corner of your office with a fountain. For male bosses who are younger than you, activate the northeast with a crystal ball, geode, or crystal vase.

If your boss is female and is older than you, active the southeast with some small plants or flowers. If your supervisor is the same age, activate the south with red. If your boss is younger, place metal objects, such as windchimes, radios, fans, etc., in the west corner of your office

Rule No. 6 Enhance your own luck by activating the lucky corner of your office

The corner that is diagonal to the doorway to your office is considered the lucky conrer. People who don't activate this corner are missing important opportunities to influence their career luck and the appeal of their offices to their coworkers and supervisors.

If your lucky corner is south: Place a tall tree or large plant here

If your lucky corner is east or southeast: place an aquarium or fountain here

If your lucky corner is north: Hang a large 6-rod hollow windchime here or metal vase

If your lucky corner is northwest or west: Add a large stone, globe, or cluster of crystals on a marble stand here

If your lucky conrner is southwest or northeast: Place a tall floor lamp here

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter feng shui e-zine and is dedicated to helping her readers develop successful, prosperous, and supportive environments with feng shui. To subscribe, logon to www.redlotusletter.com and receive this special report Fr*ee "16 Feng Shui Secrets for Greater Prosperity." kweber@redlotusconsulting.com
( Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com )

Internal Communication: From the Podium to the Paystub

2005-12-07T23:07:00.000-08:00

By Liz Ryan

As a corporate HR person for over twenty years, I had a great chance to observe organizations with an anthropologist's perspective. From the moment you walk through the revolving door into a business office until the time you leave, you pick up a hundred little clues as to how the organization operates and what it values. For internal communicators, it's just as important to pay attention to these subtle messages as it is to design an award-winning communications strategy. Here's why.

When you ask yourself "What are we saying throughout this organization, and what do we want to say?" you will quickly come up with a list of themes, initiatives, and values that you currently promote. You'll look at employee communication materials, internal newsletters, your Intranet site, and lots of other vehicles that you hope are doing the "heavy lifting" of internal communication for you. You'll be able to spot the gaps between what you DO say and what you WANT to say to your team. So far, so good.

But evaluating the published materials and beautifully designed website content misses the point. Employees are very sophisticated when it comes to evaluating internal messaging. They can quickly spot the difference between the Party Line and the Way Things Really Work. That's why internal communicators who focus on the formal vehicles risk missing the channels that speak most loudly to employees.

For instance, you can talk about risk-taking until you're blue in the face, featuring risk-taking employees in your internal newsletter and giving awards to people who went out on a limb. But the first time your employees hear about the CEO bashing a person (or worse, firing him) for taking the wrong risk, your effort has gone to waste. Not only that - you look like hypocrites, for saying one thing and practicing another.

So am I asking your internal communications chief to control the CEO's behavior? Of course not. That's not realistic, but what IS realistic is to call attention to the gaps between what is said to be valued, and what is actually valued, throughout the organization. Consistency (HR people call it Alignment) is the key.

This is why - speaking of risk-taking - leading the internal communications function is not for the faint of heart. If you lack the guts to tell the emperor when he's naked, you should find another profession.

Here's another example of mis-alignment in internal communications. Your company may view itself as fast-paced, team-oriented and customer-focused: nearly every company does. It only takes one old-school, preachy "don't you dare" memo from HR to blow that perception. The first time your employees read a typical, thoughtless "expense reports filed more than 30 days late will not be processed" bonehead HR memo, your rah-rah internal communications efforts turn to dust. People aren't stupid. They know where the rubber meets the road.

This is why effective internal communications go stem to stern - from the Podium to the Paystub. Every communication vehicle, from an all-hands email blast to the CEO's Town Hall meeting, should stem from the same set of goals and values. It's not hard to meet this goal, if the top leadership team gives the word. It doesn't even require the Messaging Police to review every memo and Intranet page. It just requires consistent, thoughtful education and awareness-building about the price of off-message communication.

In a typical organization, the biggest trouble spots in Podium to Paystub communication-alignment efforts are IT, Finance, HR and Facilities. These staff guys have grown up with the idea that they get to set policies and communicate them, period. Having that orientation, these managers might not immediately see that their well-intentioned, kneejerk policy-implementation efforts might derail your carefully honed communications plan.
For instance, I worked in one company that preached the virtues of global, 24/7, virtual collaboration. We're Where You Are, was the message. Except, one day the Accounting department announced that it expected invoices from all departments to be hand-delivered to Accounting in order to speed payment. As if! That edict completely undermined the "virtual" theme, and was quickly withdrawn. It takes a new mentality - one that the Internal Communications chief can reinforce in every interaction with fellow leaders - to move an organization from disjointed, at-odds communication to a set of aligned voices, singing in harmony.

And it's amazing when it happens. Employees begin to believe the messaging, and to incorporate it into their thinking. You'll see the results in customer interactions and in the speed of change efforts. Customers will perceive it. Job candidates and vendors will pick up on it, too. But it's an all-out effort: far past the language in your lovely printed pieces, you've got to touch the paystub, the podium, and everything in between.

Liz Ryan is a former Fortune 500 HR executive, a workplace expert and an international speaker and writer on the new-millennium workplace. She is the CEO and founder of WorldWIT, the global online community for professional women at http://www.worldwit.org Liz lives in Boulder, Colorado. ( Article Source: EzineArticles.com)

Business Communication: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

2005-12-02T01:59:00.000-08:00

By Glory Borgeson

If you've spent any time with consultants from large firms (especially in the '90's), then you heard some of the buzz words and phrases heard in offices across the U.S.; phrases such as get our arms around this, paradigm shift, reinvent the wheel, and any verbing of a noun (such as "incent") was typically heard in many conference rooms.

Many of these phrases were not meaningful to those who heard them. Employees need to understand the phrases of management before they believe it. And they need to believe it before they will do something about it.

In coaching, a basic question is, "What's important?" Employees who don't hear or understand what is really important will decide for themselves what's important and will act and work accordingly.

The management of a large department store thought they communicated to their employees that the most important part of their job was customer service. However, upon surveying the salespeople, they found that a majority of the employees believed their most important task was protecting the inventory. Why did they think so? Because they received many memos from management regarding loss of inventory and security. Communications about customer service were not nearly as numerous.

Is there a system in place at your business (for the company or the department) in which employees are informed about the goals of the business and how their job helps the company reach those goals? Do they know how they will be rewarded for their contribution?
Do they understand it?
Do they believe it?
Will they take action?

Clear communication is a must and a key to that action. It involves knowing your audience, having a strategy, clarifying steps, and measuring the results.

Know your Audience

Who are your people? What will they respond to positively? Find out what they consider to be relevant. If it doesn't match what you consider to be relevant, then take time to re-shape relevancy and the company. Whom do they believe is credible when that person communicates? How do they respond to various types of communication?

Have a Strategy

Strategize a communications plan to emphasize "what's important". Rather than simply send out memos, brochures, and fliers to tell people stuff, plan your strategy first. Does it make sense? Does it clearly emphasize what you're wanting to communicate?

Clarify the Steps

Is there some action that you want employees to take? Make certain that within your strategy there are places where action steps are clearly defined. Keep the level of English at a grade level that makes sense for the audience. For example, for a general audience that has a wide-range, a 7th grade to 8th grade level is good. (Most newspapers are written at this level. Microsoft Word will tell you the grade level of your writing in "Readability Statistics" at the end of the spell check routine as "Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level", if you turn on "readability statistics".)

Communicate the benefits of the actions you want the employees to take. This includes both the benefits to the company or department and the benefits to the individual employee.

Measure the Results

How did you do in your communications effort? Have someone create a survey that draws out the results (the raw truth). Did employees understand it?
Did they believe it?
Do they still believe it?
Did they take action?
Was it appropriate action?

The responses will measure how your communications helped to change behavior and, in some circumstances, if performance improved (if that was a goal).

In conclusion, following this outline of knowing your audience, having a communication strategy, clarifying the steps with your audience, and measuring the results, will ensure that your communications plan gives you the results you want.

© 2005 Borgeson Consulting, Inc.

Glory Borgeson is a business coach and consultant, and the president of Borgeson Consulting, Inc. She specializes in working with executives in the "honeymoon phase" of a new position (typically the first two years) to coach them to success. Top athletes have a coach; why not you? Click here for Borgeson Consulting, Inc.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Amazing We Can Dress Ourselves

2005-12-02T01:57:00.000-08:00

By Liz Ryan

I feel okay today, inexplicably. I got up, got dressed, charged my cell phone, made it to my morning event and spoke reasonably coherently there. I guess I'm functional - right? But then I stopped at the bookstore and had to think again.

There on the shelf is a lineup of books devoted to helping women fix what's wrong with them. We can succeed in business, if only we perform radical plastic surgery on our personalities. Look at these titles - clearly we need help! We don't know how to negotiate. We don't speak up. We act like girls. We don't know how to play the game. We're flawed, we're bad, we need intervention! We need to buy a lot of books and fix ourselves up so we can succeed in business, and fast!

Boy, isn't it weird that men are so naturally equipped to be businesspeople? I don't think I've heard of one book that seeks to help men correct their natural deficiencies when it comes to the professional world. Men are so lucky. They're in power; privileged with a history of business leadership; and naturally endowed with just the characteristics the workplace demands, to boot.

Women need to shape up! Otherwise, we won't make it in the business world. If we're not thriving professionally, it's our own fault - we're not built right! Much of what we do, think, and feel is unsuitable and must be repressed, corrected or hidden. Is this song starting to sound familiar?

Wait a second here. Could it be that because it's a man-built business world, it happens to work best for men? Is that possible? Could it be that the logical/analytical/forceful/direct tendencies most often associated with business have that association because men built the business world in their image? Must the business environment be static? A fixed system, put in place before women ever arrived, and destined to stand unchanged forever? Is business culture perfect, so that women must shoehorn themselves into it without changing an atom?

I don't think so.

Look - women are amazing. They are strong and resilient. They communicate, collaborate, and persevere. They've done what they needed to do to survive and raise generations for, well, generations. Can it be that in the business arena they are suddenly completely unequipped, deficient, flawed?

Horsepucky.

What women bring to the table is what the business world desperately needs: passion, intuition, non-linear logic, insight, pluck.

Today a man wrote to me (in response to my snarky article about women in leadership posted at BusinessWeek.com) saying that women are risk averse. Risk averse? Dude, we go on dates. Risk averse? Women for millennia have been pioneers - we are still pioneers. We are not risk averse. We have a different way of viewing the world and some different ways of dealing with it. Labeling those different skills as negative is a lie that women can see right through - that they can feel in their bones.

I don't buy into the fiction that women need to change everything about themselves to succeed in the male-architected business world. In fact, the business world and the world in general will be healthier when women as they already operate are respected and valued at work. It's not enough that we do the work on our desks - we also have to have another task ladled on top, called Changing Our Natures? That's absurd.

Scanning the shelf of what's-wrong-with-women book titles, you'd be amazed that we can dress ourselves. Talk to a real woman, and you'll hear about multi-tasking on an amazing scale, about determination, creativity, humor, patience and fortitude. Given what women see and experience every day, why would we support an industry of books that seek to teach us how to not be ourselves?

"In order to succeed here at XYZ Company, Ladies, you need to stifle your instincts and behave according to the following standards, many of which will feel unnatural to you because, as a woman, you are sorely lacking in several or many of these fundamental business skills."

Fundamental to whom? Give me a break.

If, in the nineteen-forties or fifties, there had been a book (or a whole shelf of them) advising African American people how to act and speak in order to get along in a society designed by and for white people, would that have been the right answer for them, or for the world? Do you find the idea offensive? Good. Isn't the idea that women should change their communication styles and personalities to make it in a man's business world equally offensive?

Amy Herzberg, a professor and theatrical director/coach at the University of Arkansas, gave a wonderful workshop at the recent ArkWIT/U of A Women in Technology conference. Amy spoke about making presentations, and her talk was unusual in that she never mentioned creating a Powerpoint deck or the usual how-to-present advice. Rather, she talked about being in yourself. Presenting from yourself, connecting with the audience. She said, Don't lead off with a joke if it will take you out of yourself. Don't get outside of yourself, observing and judging.

But look! This slew of "fix yourself" books seeks to do just that - to take you out of yourself in order to judge and correct your workplace behavior. Screw that, ladies - and forgive the indelicate expression. Be in yourself, and speak from your gut. Do what feels right to do, say what feels right to say, at work. There is nothing wrong with the person you already are. Setting out to be more forceful, more logical, more like a guy, is exactly the wrong answer. Wrong for you. Wrong for your company. Wrong for society.

Women already rock. It's the business world that needs to change, and it's actually changing as we have influence on it, thank goodness. Changing our natures and overlaying a fake 'business-y' persona on our powerful instincts will only slow down the amazing positive power that women bring to business. So put down the book. Listen to your gut. Get centered - you're fine right now, sister - and go knock 'em dead.

Liz Ryan is a former Fortune 500 HR executive, entrepreneur and workplace expert. She's the founder and CEO of WorldWIT, the world's largest online network for professional women (http://www.worldwit.org). Liz lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

If Your Boss Could Talk

2005-12-02T01:54:00.000-08:00

By Liz Ryan

Working men and women have a tough way to go these days. Longer hours, more work, fewer perks and bennies: and companies are not quite as focused on being "employers of choice" as they were a couple of years ago. But if you think your boss is the source of your higher stress level, you might be surprised. Being a boss - fending off pressure from above and below both - is harder than ever these days. Managers have smaller budgets and fewer staff members to accomplish a lot more work as cash-strapped companies frantically try to turn their fortunes around. Sure, there are incompetent, unfriendly and just-plain-evil bosses out there, but in our experience, the majority of middle managers are reasonable people who are trying to do the best they can for the employees they supervise AND the higher-ups.

Skeptical? You might not think that your supervisor is just as interested in a fair, friendly and reasonable work environment as you are - but he or she has lots of other fish to fry, too. So we've polled middle managers, and developed this list of ten things your manager wants you know - called "If Your Boss Could Talk, [What He or She Would Say]." (Of course your manager can talk - but not every manager feels comfortable sharing these pet peeves and wishes with employees. Do any of these fit your situation?)

Here goes:

1. When I am abrupt and impersonal, it's probably because I'm doing something I don't want to do.

Feel shut down by your boss sometimes? Your great ideas may interest your manager personally, but he or she may not have the approval or the budget dollars to say "yes" very often right now. If your manager is acting squirrelly or suddenly gets very "corporate," it may be because he or she isn't comfortable telling you that The Answer Is No. A rough exterior helps to shield your boss from the reality that it's him (or her) - not a title or a job description - disappointing you once again. A good tactic when this happens, is to ask, "Is this topic uncomfortable for you?" That might throw your manager off enough for him or her to open up and tell you the real problem.

2. I care about a lot of stuff that you care about, but I can't make a federal case out of every slight that you experience - you have to let me pick my battles.

Your boss is, among other things, the one who's supposed to stick up for you when those punks in Marketing or the bureaucrats in Accounting or anybody else in the company does you wrong. But there are only so many battles that one person can fight! So, your boss wants to tell you, I have to let some of these wrangles slide. Don't be disgusted when I don't march off to blast someone in HR on your behalf because they goofed up your insurance claim again. You gotta let things go sometimes.

3. Don't try to make me King Solomon, especially about the small stuff.

Your boss is saying, I know that you and your co-worker both want the cubicle next to the window, but I really don't want to have to make that call - I'd rather see you play Rock-Paper-Scissors, if I had my way. When you try to put me in the King Solomon mode, somebody ends up being upset about something really inconsequential. I'll be very grateful if sometimes you and your colleague can figure these things out on your own. You don't even have to tell me when it happens.

4. I don't want to watch you like a hawk, so don't give me a reason to.

Here the message is, with precious few perks to dole out, I'd love to at least give you some schedule flexibility, the little that the workload allows. I'd let you come in and leave the office when you choose (roughly) as long as the work gets done, if you're a great employee in every other way. So make my job easier, please, and get your work done and don't disappear just when you're most likely to be needed. I can give you a little slack if you work with me, but if you don't, I'll have to come down on you like a ton of bricks.

5. You will always be more familiar with everything about your job than I will ever be.

When we talk, your boss wants to say, Remind me of what you're working on, what's causing you trouble and what's going well. Remind me of what's important to you and what you need from me. It's really hard to remember the priorities, needs, and obstacles of every one of my department members, so any help you can give me is welcome. I do value you, but you're just much closer to your work than I am. I have a different set of priorities, like our department's goals, budget, timelines and hurdles. If I'm micro-managing you in your own work, let me know.

6. When you're angry with me, let me know.

Boss wants to say: I've got a lot on my mind - you could spend two weeks on hard stares, monosyllabic answers to my questions, and other pointed signals that you're mad at me and I might still miss the message. So just tell me! Pick a moment when I'm not up to my eyeballs in crises, and ask me for a quick meeting. Tell me what I did that ticked you off and why it was a bad call. I promise to try and listen and not be defensive. If you don't tell me, how will I know?

7. Don't ask me to tell you what you know I can't talk about.

Are there layoffs coming? Is a big customer planning to shut its doors? Are we merging with XYZ company? If I know, I can' tell you. If I could tell you, I would. Don't ask me to tell you what you know I can't, and don't be offended because you think we're friends and I should spill the beans. Can't do it. Don't create tension by making this unreasonable request.

8. Bring me problems as far in advance as possible.

I love to be surprised when things are going better than expected. I love to hear that a problem was solved or some other good fortune befalls our department. Don't surprise me with bad news, please. Let me know way in advance when something's not working. At the last minute, problems are much harder to solve, so feel the fear and tell me anyway, "Project ABC is behind schedule." I may shoot the messenger just a little, but it's better than my reaction will be further down the road.

9. Create a feedback-network to give me painless advice on my management style.

Here's how this works. If I badger Sally mercilessly and I tend to ignore Joe, then trade feedback bits and deliver them to me in a friendly say. So Sally, say to me, "You know Stan, you're probably not aware of it but at times you seem to miss what Joe is telling you," and then I can take that without being defensive. And Joe, you say to me, "You know what, Stan, for some funny reason, even though you're a patient guy in general, you seem to give Sally a lot of grief." That way, no one has to take the feedback-heat on themselves and I still get the message. This would really be a gift, and I promise to try and take the advice as it's intended.

10. Don't do anything stupid.

I can help you out if you goof up to a certain degree. But if you mis-use the company credit card, download garbage from the internet, or slug a co-worker, I'm out of the loop - you're gone. So help me out, and don't do anything stupid.

What's the gist of what your boss is telling you? Let's work together. Why create tension in the relationship when the environment has enough of that already? You might as well team up with your boss (and vice versa) to lessen the stress and get the job done that much more easily. And if you put yourself in your boss's shoes just a little, you'll be surprised how much you learn. You might even consider becoming a boss yourself!

Liz Ryan is a former Fortune 500 HR leader, a workplace expert and the founder of the global online network WorldWIT (http://www.worldwit.org). She writes the workplace column for Business Week online, her own Business Mom and Job Jungle blogs at http://www.worldwit.org/blogs.aspx, and speaks internationally on women in the workplace, work and life, and the post-millennial corporate lifestyle. Liz lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband and five children.

If you're looking for advice or have questions related to your job, just ask Liz! You can email Liz at lizryan@worldwit.org.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Bring Yourself To Work

2005-12-02T01:50:00.000-08:00

By Liz Ryan

Have you ever experienced an unhealthy work environment? While most of us have, the majority of us does not or can not find ways to improve the toxic situation. I have a few suggestions on how we can, individually, change the landscape of the corporate world.

Like a lot of women who found themselves in corporate jobs over the years, I never planned on a business career. I was either going to be an operatic soprano or a Broadway star, so I didn't look too closely into the whole business thing. My dad took the train every day to his job as a magazine publisher, and I saw him bring home a briefcase full of papers every night. That was about the extent of my exposure to the business world. When I was in music school in New York, I would pop into my dad's office every now and then to borrow ten dollars. I got out as quick as I could.

Ten years later, I was a corporate person myself and working hard at my fast-moving, fast-growing technology employer. One day, a bunch of us twenty-something's were brainstorming in a conference room, throwing ideas around and having a great planning session. We were all peers and contemporaries, so it was easy to get some great collaboration going. All of a sudden, the company's CFO - a really lofty guy several levels up the organizational chart from any of us in the room - opened the door and walked in. He asked a question of one of us, and the guy, John, jumped out of his seat. "Uh, yes, I've got those figures right here," he says in a yes-sir-anything-else-sir! kind of voice. I was amazed. The guy's whole demeanor, body language and tone of voice changed. All of a sudden, Mr. Collaborative Peer Interaction turned into Mr. Corporate Brown-Noser right in front of our eyes. After a few moments, the CFO left and I turned to John. "Whoa," I said. "That was weird! What happened to you? Are you afraid of that guy or something?"

That was a lesson for me. The whole room went silent. I had committed a sin - I had pointed out something that was embarrassing to admit. A lot of the people in the room would have done just what John did, in the face of big authority. I didn't mean my question as an insult, but it came across that way; I wounded John by suggesting that he was one person to his peers, and another person to one of the company big shots. It was true, but it was hurtful too, because nobody likes to think that they kowtow to authority. No one likes to acknowledge it, but a lot of people do it. It wasn't even necessary for him to act that way - it was automatic. The CFO walked in, and he jumped up and played the subservient role. He probably wasn't even aware of it. It was habitual. It was part of the corporate fabric. I wasn't supposed to mention it - bad form on my part.

This is one of the things that corporate folks buy into, little by little and without meaning to, as they settle into corporate workplaces. You suck up to your boss, just a little bit, or for some people, a lot. You aren't authentic. You don't even know why. Maybe because I was an opera singer who wandered into the corporate arena, I stayed an outsider and observed things like this - a junior anthropologist. I thought that these corporate-get-along behaviors were weird, and sad. I'm happy to act a part if someone's doing a theatrical production, but otherwise, very honestly, I'd prefer to be myself.

And so I would talk to people about this. "Why do you think Joe said what he said to John in that meeting?" I would ask. "Everyone knows Joe wants to run John's department, can't John see it?" Oh man, they would say to me. You have a lot to learn. Corporate politics is part of the game. Saying one thing when you mean another is part of the game. And I would say, "Why?" or "That is idiotic."

In retrospect I guess I was lucky to find employers that would keep me on the payroll, given that I would often call attention to these strange behaviors. It wasn't until a few years later that I first heard the word "dysfunctional" and saw how truly dysfunctional so many corporate workplaces are. People greeting each other with big hugs when one was actively trying to get the other one fired. Back-room machinations to discredit peers, maneuvering and posturing....and at the time, mine was a relatively healthy company, politics-wise. Since then, I've been in corporate environments so toxic you could hardly breathe. And the oddest part is that people in these snake pits would go about their business, not saying Boo about the bad air and the downright evil atmosphere. Why?

Because it's hard to name this kind of thing. Because you have to find a sympathetic ear in order to even discuss the problem. Because you don't know whom you can trust. Because the same politics that rule the workplace can get you fired if you dare to mention the problem. Because, because, because.

I don't think that any of us on our own - apart from CEOs and owners in their own companies - can change the state of fear-driven, internally competitive and non-collaborative enterprises. We can't do it on our own, as employees. But there is something we can do. We can make a vow, if we work in such a place, to bring our own selves to work every day. You don't have to make the entire company healthy. But you can create a zone of health around your own desk, or workstation, or office.

How do you do this? You do it by taking responsibility for adult communication in all of your interactions. So, when someone says to you, "There goes Christine again, acting like the queen of the universe," you say "I can see you're bothered by what Christine said. Have you talked with her about it?" There is no benefit, and tons of harm, in talking about people rather than talking to them. It's hard to confront problems directly. But not doing so not only doesn't solve the problem. It adds to the atmosphere of mistrust, of deception, and undercurrents of hostility. You can fight this by deciding not to participate. You can ever so gently remind other people of the pit that they've fallen into, just by refusing to fall yourself.

But if you make this change - if you refuse to play the political game - won't you embarrass and thereby anger people, by presuming to be better than they are? I don't think so. You become a Quaker, as it were - you aren't judging, but you're not going to get into the political battles, either. Let's say you heard that Norman has only bad things to say about you. You go see him. "I was sorry to hear that you seem to be upset with me," you say. Perhaps, no one has had this conversation in your company, ever before. "I would like to talk with you about that and get the problem resolved."

Don't you owe yourself the gift of being who you are, even at work? Especially at work, because if you're asked to engage your brain for eight or ten hours a day, how can you turn your other organs (including your gut, the most reliable sense organ of them all) off?

In a small way, taking responsibility for your own interactions, being yourself at work just as at home, and for breaking free of the culture of blaming, is a huge step. In a really troubled workplace, you may be called a few names by the people most bought into the fear-driven culture. You can take that. Isn't it more important to know that you get to go to work and be who you are? I would love to see women lead this charge. One of the most discouraging things about the slow movement of women into senior level corporate jobs is the understanding that some of them, to get there, have compromised their integrity more than a little. It pains me when I hear a woman say, "To succeed in business, you just have to act like a man." For God's sake! (or Goddess's sake), what's the benefit of that? So women get to be in the business world only by being something other than themselves? If that's the deal, it's a bad one. Corporations won't benefit, shareholders won't benefit, and women won't have made it until we can come to work AND be ourselves - full of intention and integrity. I hope that we hold our employers to that standard and say:

"If the person you want for this job is someone who looks like me and dresses like me and has my job experience and training but doesn't say what I would say - because the truth is a little too jarring for your environment - then you need to hire someone else."

If we got job equality by agreeing to leave ourselves at home or in the company parking lot and bring some corporate automaton to the office, what kind of victory would that be? My goal for myself (and one day, for my daughter) is to go to work intact - head, heart, and soul. Anything less gives power to the old, bad, toxic business world I didn't create, and steals power from me.

Liz Ryan is a former Fortune 500 HR leader, a workplace expert and the founder of the global online network WorldWIT (http://www.worldwit.org). She writes the workplace column for Business Week online, her own Business Mom and Job Jungle blogs at http://www.worldwit.org/blogs.aspx, and speaks internationally on women in the workplace, work and life, and the post-millennial corporate lifestyle. Liz lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband and five children.

If you're looking for advice or have questions related to your job, just ask Liz! You can email Liz at lizryan@worldwit.org.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

When You Hate Your Boss

2005-12-02T01:48:00.000-08:00

By Ken Lizotte

It is never a pretty sight. You drive into work, pull into the company parking lot and there, sitting in his personal spot, is your boss’s car. Arghhh! Doesn’t he ever stay home, get sick, take a personal day? But no, he doesn’t, especially when you absolutely loathe your boss. Your demon-boss always makes it in just so as to keep his bargain with Satan: fat-cat wages in return for making YOUR life completely miserable.

No easy answers to this one: The hard truth may be that hating your boss is something likely to happen from time to time and always impossible to predict. Bosses come and go, we don’t often get to choose who they are. When a boss from Hell happens to us, we can plot various nefarious activities for eliminating the problem but it still won’t go away completely, somebody new will one day come along. So let’s break it all down into its logical syllogism so we can consider how to deal with it:

1) We HATE someone when they do bad things to us.

2) If they would stop doing bad things, we’d no longer have reason to hate them.

3) Conclusion: We must find a way to make bad bosses stop doing all these bad things to us.

At this point a tip from the President of the United States may be helpful: What exactly is our definition of “bad”? Is it possible to perceive a boss’s comments and behaviors in a different light such that they no longer feel “bad” to us? Maybe a boss you love to hate is an opportunity for self-learning—why does THIS kind of remark make me feel THAT way? Could something from my childhood explain why I react the way I do? Would an internal journey of self-discovery, based around the behavior of my boss, be worth the trip?

Then there’s the view that perhaps your boss is just a poor, struggling lamb crying out with his sorry antics for help? Can you find a way to look upon your boss in such a way that you perceive his good intentions while acknowledging that his execution is pretty lame? Maybe your boss could use your counsel. Is it really necessary, for example, that he begin every sentence with, “Look, we’ve got a terrible problem here?” Maybe somebody should tell him to lighten up.

But there are certainly no magical answers here. Bottom line, it’s no fun to deal with such a boss. Half the time you just want to run away. At the very least, you just can’t stand the guy.

So what do you do? Actually, I’d like to get some ideas from YOU. When you’ve locked horns with a difficult boss in the past, when he or she makes life so plug-ugly you just can’t stand it anymore, when you want to rip an evil boss’s heart out, what have you done? Quit? Set fire to his car? Had pizzas delivered to his home at 3 in the morning?

I’m not trying to give you any ideas here, just the opposite. Email me your experiences and solutions, and I’ll share them with the rest of the class. Let’s especially try to help all those browbeaten souls out there struggling with this issue right now. I’ll publish the best ideas in a future column.

In the end, hating’s no fun anyway. But doing something to eliminate Mr. Hails-From-Hades most certainly is!

Ken Lizotte CMC is Chief Imaginative Officer (CIO) of emerson consulting group inc. (Concord, MA), which transforms consultants, law firms, executives and companies into “thoughtleaders.” This article is an excerpt from his newest book "Beyond Reason: Questioning Assumptions of Everyday Life".

Visit ==>www.thoughtleading.com for more info.

Article Source EzineArticles.com

Napping at Work

2005-12-02T01:46:00.000-08:00

By Ken Lizotte

Many moons ago, while in college, I had a summer job at a service station working the night shift. That meant hours running from 11 PM to 8 AM. While for many this might seem like cruel and unusual punishment, I loved it. One big reason, other than the relatively reduced traffic in the middle of the night (i.e., workload) and the coolness of most evenings when compared to those hotter-than-Hades afternoon shifts, was a traditional, if unofficial benefit built into every shift: those on duty used to take turns stealing away for one nap each and every shift.

That unusual feature/benefit was much loved by myself and my co-workers. We would climb a short ladder to a cramped supply loft when it came our turn, settle in with a cushion, turn out an overhead light, then drop away to snooze-land. This arrangement all worked well the entire summer until one night I found myself jerked awake by a co-worker flipping the light switch on and off to get me up, while yelling, “Get up, get up! We wuz just robbed!” Huh, say what? 911 in progress and I had slept through the whole thing. But hey, that story’s for another day!

This column is about the nap itself. It seems such once furtive, dead-of-night-only employee activity has begun emerging from the closet (or the loft, in my case!). Thanks to the criticality of staying competitive and keeping productivity sky-high, many employers now actually allow and encourage naps, in broad daylight even, building them into employee benefit packages.

No small factor for the cause of this revolution are the reports of many researchers that American workers now work longer hours than ever and yet are sleeping less at night. Something’s got to give somewhere, there are after all only so many hours in a 24x7 week, so, to get things done both at home and on the job, workers are cutting back on sleep, leaving them vulnerable to the drowsies during the day.

This obviously means they will often not be in tiptop shape while performing for the boss. As the original President George Bush might have put it, this is “bad, bad.”

To view the wide picture, takes a scan at the results of a study done by the National Sleep Foundation:

• 51% of American workers say sleepiness on the job interferes with the amount of work they get done

• 40% admit the quality of their work suffers as they find themselves about ready to nod off

• 68% feel sleepiness during the day may be interfering with their concentration

• 25 % say they’ve great difficulty getting up for work two or more workdays per week

As a result, there’s a movement afoot (naturally) to allow more snoozing on the job. Dr. William Anthony, author of “The Art of Napping at Work,” explains, “The main advantages that stick out for the worker and employer are that napping enhances productivity and mood, and that you are able to concentrate better, do tasks longer, and listen to people better as well as feel more satisfied about work.” Translation: a catnap a day keeps the competition away.

Does your employer currently allow you to nap on the job? 16% of employees in the survey say their employer does. How can you get yours to do the same?

After you’ve asked, cajoled, lobbied, begged, there may be one last way: Some afternoon after lunch, just change into your jammies, fluff a pillow up behind your head, take off your shoes and stretch out those dogs right up and over your keyboard. When your boss walks by, he’ll get the hint… ah, that is, unless he gives you the boot instead!

Ken Lizotte CMC is Chief Imaginative Officer (CIO) of emerson consulting group inc. (Concord, MA), which transforms consultants, law firms, executives and companies into “thoughtleaders.” This article is an excerpt from his newest book "Beyond Reason: Questioning Assumptions of Everyday Life". Visit ==>www.thoughtleading.com for more info.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Workplace

2005-12-02T01:44:00.000-08:00

By Ken Lizotte

Don’t get angry… get even! Or so goes the old saw. What that’s supposed to mean is that getting upset only offers negative results, like cheek-flushing, exacerbating one’s blood pressure, alienating innocent bystanders, and, in the end, serving up virtually nothing in the way of benefits. In contrast, working coolly to never ever forget, scheming all the while, and ultimately executing a PLAN of vengeance designed to retrieve whatever was lost is the way to go.

So we agree that this second approach represents the smarter strategy for success in business, right? Well, we’d all like to hope so. Unfortunately, reality rears its ugly head on this one too. Our sunshiny assumptions, it appears, may be all wet.

Turns out anger in the workplace is indeed rewarded, sometimes handsomely, says a study out of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. According to findings of a Stanford researcher published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, individuals’ expressions of anger do indeed frequently lead to increases in status and power.

A continuation of previous Stanford studies that had determined that “high status individuals” seem to exhibit anger more frequently than those with lower stati, Larissa Z. Tiedens, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Stanford, explained that the second study seemed to be “the next logical step,” evaluating whether those who encountered someone openly expressing anger felt the Angry One DESERVED more status, not to mention respect.

In her experiments, Tiedens asked a study group of coworkers to rate each other on each coworker’s frequency of angry outbursts, which she then compared with the degree to which the same coworkers felt they could learn from these frequently angry individuals. Tiedens also questioned group managers, asking them to rate how likely they would be to promote individual staff employees, correlating these responses with each staffer’s anger frequency. Results devastated all Sunnybrook Farm assumptions!

Amazingly, employees who expressed the most anger on the job were voted most likely to be promoted. They also were perceived to be at the top of the list for their mentoring or coaching value. In other words, the more we get angry, the more those around us think we’ve something valuable to teach or tell.

Although we may think we would never reward Angry Ones in our midst, Tiedens’ research concluded, apparently we do. “Often we make inferences on emotional expressions but these may or may not hold true,” Tiedens explains.

So do we conclude from these findings that, to get ahead, we all should display more “desk rage” every day, flying off the handle, venting our frustrations for all to see, hear and feel? When something happens we don’t like, should we hold nothing back, go postal?

Well, you could read it that way. But you could also live in a hut made of mud in the middle of Peoria for the rest of your life. Is that what you really want to do?

Perhaps a better recommendation might be to stop being impressed (and intimidated) by the office loudmouth. Maybe paying attention to these jerks is what gets us all in trouble, from beginning to end, AND keeps them around and encouraged. Instead, start paying more mind to those very competent if meek worker bees sitting quietly next to you. They are toiling right now at desks to your right and left.

No, they don’t go around bellowing their reactions at the top of their lungs, but they still may have a thing or two in their heads that’s worth hearing, maybe even a lesson equal to the wisdom of their noisier brethren or sisteren. So try standing your ground in the face of any furies from coworkers or staffers that come thundering your way. You don’t have to take it, you know. It may be that by working with Tiedens’ findings in this way, we can one day put an end to the transgressions of office jerks, settling our work environments down into more sensible, and peaceable, places to be.

Ken Lizotte CMC is Chief Imaginative Officer (CIO) of emerson consulting group inc. (Concord, MA), which transforms consultants, law firms, executives and companies into “thoughtleaders.” This article is an excerpt from his newest book "Beyond Reason: Questioning Assumptions of Everyday Life".

Visit ==>www.thoughtleading.com for more info.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Bullies on the Job

2005-12-02T01:41:00.000-08:00

By Ken Lizotte

What to do about bullies? Fortunately, they’re not much to worry about once we grow to be adults, right? Phwew. All that immature behavior gets left way back in the schoolyard, years ago. Now just courteous, respectful, and stimulating work alongside bright, mature colleagues, right?

Wrong, O Schoolyard Breath! Bullies it seems remain with us even after passing into adult status with all its presumed and concomitant “maturity.” You can even find numbers on the subject. According to The Campaign Against Workplace Bullying (CAWB), based in Benicia, California, one in six workers today have experienced some form of workplace bullying by a co-worker. Specific actions include screaming at an employee in front of co-workers and/or customers, general emotional and verbal abuse, even intentionally setting workers up to fail. Women, it’s claimed, stand the greatest chance of being targets of bullying, interestingly enough not just by men but by other women too.

Reports of bullying in the workplace are in fact rising, say self-proclaimed “bully busters” Gary and Ruth Namie, founders of CAWB. This may be due partially to expanded awareness of the issue as well as to the high competitive pressures of the contemporary marketplace. Worse still, the Namies say, cruel and uncouth behavior sometimes even results in getting “promoted for it.”

Should employers take notice? Is bullying something to create policies around? Should it be handled ad hoc?

How about lawsuits? Is the first major ruling against an employer just around the corner, perhaps for standing idly by and not extracting a bully from his/her work area? What about retaliatory actions by victims of bullying, in the form of quiet subversion, sabotage, or outright violence?

Certainly, we may hope that President George W. Bush’s inaugural call for a “return to civility” will send civility ripples through American society in general, and throughout our workplaces in particular. But for lasting and truly penetrating effects, let’s not hold our breath! Sadly, bullying has been around forever, solidly entrenched in the human condition. To protect ourselves, we can confront or ignore a workplace bully, file a grievance or lawsuit, avoid a bully if possible, or just up and leave altogether in search of a happier environment. None of these represent pleasant solutions… but they may very well be all we will ever have.

Ken Lizotte CMC is Chief Imaginative Officer (CIO) of emerson consulting group inc. (Concord, MA), which transforms consultants, law firms, executives and companies into “thoughtleaders.” This article is an excerpt from his newest book "Beyond Reason: Questioning Assumptions of Everyday Life". Visit ==>www.thoughtleading.com for more info.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Workplace Health and Safety Risk Profile

2005-12-02T01:36:00.000-08:00

By Philip Lye

This Checklist should be used as a guide to assess your workplace health and safety risks. It is intended to assist you identify your ‘risk profile’ and ‘potential exposures’ and with identification to take appropriate action to minimise these risks and exposures.

Please answer the following question honestly by drawing a circle around or shading in the column. If you can only answer part of the question in the affirmative, then you should select ‘No’.

Workplace health and safety is every persons responsibility in the workplace. There are severe penalties for breaches of health and safety.

1. I have a written workplace health and safety policy statement Yes No

2. I have fully documented workplace health and safety procedures for all employees Yes No

3. I have policies for chemical, electrical, manual and ergonomic use and safe handling Yes No

4. I induct all employees into the workplace using a documented process Yes No

5. My staff are trained in safe work processes and procedures Yes No

6. My policies and procedures are available to all employees and are regularly referred to, used and updated Yes No

7. I have identified risks and hazards at the workplace and have appropriate controls in place Yes No

8. All workplace health and safety accidents and incidences are reported and reviewed Yes No

9. We have low accident and injury rate compared to our industry average Yes No

10. I provide my employees with regular constructive feedback and reward them where appropriate for safe working Yes No

11. I conduct regular workplace health and safety updates and audits Yes No

RATINGS

11 from 11 well done

10 from 11 well done, almost there

9 from 11 very good and tie up loose ends

8 from 11 good and you must tighten up these loose ends

7 from 11 you have a high risk profile, take action

6 or less remedial action urgently required to ‘protect’ your business

If you have identified some of your risks and hazards take action today and get professional, timely assistance and training. Your business may be at risk of claims by employees.

Visit www.biz-momentum.com for more information and free articles.

Philip Lye is Director of Biz Momentum providing workplace health and safety and human resource consultation to small business. Visit http://www.biz-momentum.com for other helpful information and subscribe free to our monthly e-zine.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

When Thinking Isn't Necessary

2005-12-02T01:34:00.000-08:00

By Dr. Yvonne LaMar

There has been a lot of attention to a book called "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell. Mr. Gladwell writes about how we can use our instincts for decision making in situations that don’t allow us the time to think deeply.

Most of us have had enough experiences to have a fair idea of the outcome of our decisions. Its time to start trusting ourselves to do what comes naturally in certain situations. Instincts flare up for a reason. Usually, that reason is survival.

While most of the situations that arise in our lives are not a matter of survival, our bodies might react as if they are. Get to know yourself and your physical responses to situations as they arise. If you are "too blessed to be stressed" your blood pressure should agree.

In fact, your body will tell you when you believe your survival is at stake. How exactly do you feel when you arrive at work? When the phone rings? When a certain person approaches? If you feel like something is terribly wrong in any of those scenarios -it probably is!

Its time to get back to what feels right and possibly time to rid yourself of the situations that feel wrong. It is quite possible to be addicted to feeling revved up, excited, and ready for the worst, but your body is not made to sustain those feelings for long.

Find ways to relax. Develop a plan to do the things that you really want to do. Most important, identify the people, places, and things that cause you to feel like something important is at stake. If something is at stake, address it. If not, find a way to let it go. Your body, mind, and spirit will be ever so grateful.
EzineArticles Expert Author Dr. Yvonne LaMar

Dr. Yvonne LaMar is the CEO of the Institute for Faith Based Alliance http://www.IFBAweb.com She also presents workshops, trainings and consultations based on her book, Drama Free Workplace http://www.DramaFreeWorkplace.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

What's With the #@$?* Profanity at Work?

2005-12-02T01:30:00.000-08:00

By Liz Ryan

A recent WorldWIT member survey showed that eighty percent of respondents had seen a rise in the use of profanity at work. That's no secret - no one would have guessed that things were headed in the opposite direction.

The survey respondents also said that profanity is one way that people deal with stress at work. Well, we all know that work is stressful. But how do you deal with a workplace where the language is a little stronger than you’re comfortable with?

Here are some tips for dealing with profanity at work:

1) Everyone has his or her own comfort level with strong language. The best way to make your own tolerance level known is to comment (gently) when you hear something that’s just too harsh for your ears. You can say, “Yikes!” or “Eek!” or make some other exclamation, and then gently add, “Can I bother you to find a less colorful expression?” Ninety-five percent of people will get the hint.

2) It’s important to distinguish between profanity that is used generally to let off steam, and profanity that is directed at a person. Its one thing to say, “This situation sucks, ” (a word which many people don’t even view as profane anymore) and another thing to say, “Joe Smith sucks in his job.” Even if you don’t mind mild profanity in general, it’s perfectly appropriate to say “You know, that’s not really a great way to talk about a colleague.”

3) If you are overwhelmed by very strong language in your workplace, speak to your manager. People who are offended by profanity very often feel hesitant to speak up, because they fear that they won’t be viewed as sufficiently hard-core and tough about their jobs. Companies are becoming more diverse, and part of diversity is embracing all sorts of communication styles and values. No one should have to work in an F-this, F-that environment if they’re not comfortable.

4) If you use more profanity at work than you’d like to, try cultivating a milder expression in the place of your most-often-used cuss words. Here are a bunch of tried-and-true substitutes: Judas Priest! Oh, fudge! Oh, sugar! If you fear that you’ll sound like Samantha from “Bewitched,” don’t worry; there are worse things. Better to be viewed as Tinkerbell than as a potty mouth.

5) Take a quick ‘pulse’ survey in your office to find out what level of profanity is comfortable with your co-workers. HR or your manager can construct a quick online survey using Zoomerang.com, and find out where people’s comfort level lies. Some offices steer clear of even “hell” and “damn;” others stop at those two expressions. In some offices, the use of the long form of ‘mofo’ is as common as the use of ‘ this’ and ‘that.’ Find out what makes your teammates comfortable and what makes them edgy - then you can adjust your office norms to that standard.

Liz Ryan is a former Fortune 500 HR executive, a workplace expert and the CEO of WorldWIT, the online network for professional women at http://www.worldwit.org She lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Resolving Interpersonal Conflict in the Workplace

2005-12-02T01:23:00.000-08:00

By Arron Stewart

Introduction

Because each of us possesses a unique set of personal characteristics, occasional conflicts of personality or interest with others are a regrettable yet inevitable fact of life. Furthermore, since we spend a large proportion of our lifetimes at work, often functioning under pressures and restraints that act as exacerbating factors, workplaces tend to become a primary site for inter-personal conflict. If such quarrels are not resolved in an equitable and timely manner, the resulting outcomes will typically be negative, not only for those directly involved, but also for co-workers and even organizations as a whole.

On the other hand however, both evidence and experience indicate that conflict in the workplace is often symptomatic of a healthy, dynamic and vibrant internal environment. Indeed, it is often said that a workplace devoid of tensions is in danger of becoming dull and stagnant, and therefore, is unlikely to foster any real sense of excitement, initiative or innovation amongst its constituents. In actuality then, conflict, if properly managed, has the potential to generate positive outcomes for all concerned.

If conflict is to be handled in a gainful manner however, it is vitally important that individuals and organizations develop robust strategies for coping with conflict in the workplace. This consideration is especially important for managers, whom are often required to handle conflicts, and for whom the sheer width, breadth, depth and frequency of interpersonal-interaction is often staggering. Therefore, in efforts to build a base of understanding, and with a particular focus on the role played by managers, let us now examine some of the core approaches employed in dealing with conflict in the workplace; namely: unilateral resolution, consultation, facilitation, mediation and arbitration.

Unilateral Resolution of Workplace Conflict

During the course of an average day a manager may be involved, either directly or indirectly, in a variety of interpersonal conflicts of varying intensities and foci. Not surprisingly, managers will often intuitively seek to resolve these disagreements by means that are primarily unilateral in nature.

In simple terms, a unilateral resolution revolves around efforts to resolve conflict via the application of influence or authority to one specific person, group, or faction involved in a dispute, and not to the other(s). For example, when dealing with a common workplace issue such as bullying or related misconduct, a manager might often respond, almost by way of reflex, by taking action upon the individual(s) whom are thought or evidenced to have been the instigators of the incident, while at the same time, giving little or no attention to those perceived as the ‘victim(s)’.

Unilateral resolutions are attractive simply because they seem comparatively quick and painless to a beleaguered manager: after all, it’s just a quick witch-hunt, a brief flex of managerial muscle, a few lashes with company policy and then on with the business at hand… right? Indeed, as a quick fix solution, few approaches can compare to the unilateral tack. There are however, a number of potential drawbacks that warrant discussion.

First and foremost, in the all too common event that no culpable individual(s) can be found, or more importantly, proven to be at fault, managers will find that all of their investigative efforts and best intentions have been for naught. Without a culprit, ideally one that can be proven to be at fault beyond reasonable doubt, the unilateral approach to conflict resolution simply does not work. There is also the very real potential that someone may be wrongly accused, by an over-eager or misinformed manager for example, or made a ‘scapegoat’ by their workmates. As a further consideration, even if a clear culprit can be found, punishing or disciplining the ‘guilty’ party is really only a ‘patch-job’, having little or no effect upon the underlying issues. Finally, unilateral resolutions largely ignore the role played by the other side in the conflict, which may leave them feeling neglected, or in some cases, feeling they have ‘gotten away with it’. This is dangerous because it can confer to such a party an enticing advantage towards engaging in the continuation and/or intensification of the situation.

However, all of these factors aside, research has shown that, while far from ideal, unilateral resolution is often a satisfactory method for dealing with trivial conflicts, wherein there is relatively little ego involvement on behalf of the disputing parties and relatively low levels of potential negative consequence. In the end though, it must be said that many attempts at unilateral resolution are impractical, irrational and biased in nature, and thusly, exist as a liability. Truly skilled managers therefore, should move beyond antiquated notions of the draconian manager exercising his/her might upon the whelps by raining down unilateral dictates; acting at once as judge, jury and executioner. In acknowledgment of these facts, when confronting conflicts within the workplace, alternative methods should always take precedence.

Consultative Resolution of Workplace Conflict

Personal achievement and satisfaction within the workplace, as with any other domain of life, owes a great deal to the reciprocal relationships we hold with significant others. Sadly, when things are going well, we seldom express our true appreciation for, nor even recognize at times, the pivotal role that others have played in our success. Only when conflict arises in the workplace do the relationships we hold with others come consistently into our field of focus, and typically for all the wrong reasons at that. When this scrutiny of interpersonal relationships does occur, individuals involved in a conflict, typically after the initial heat of the stoush has died out, will often opt to attempt some sort of consultative resolution on their own initiative.

When taking a consultative approach to conflict resolution disputants attempt to take responsibility for, and ownership of, their own disputes. In this style, disputants attempt to sort out their own conflicts in a reasonable and pragmatic manner, with those involved advising, negotiating and counselling each other towards either shared understandings, a practical compromise or, ideally but very rarely, outcomes that are desirable for everyone involved.

Resolutions of this nature would of course delight any manager, after all, its one less problem for you to deal with right…? In the real world however, anecdotal evidence and the weight of common sense tells us that the consultative approach is, at best, idealistic. Indeed, while fairy-tale endings have been known to accrue, we should be mindful that consultative efforts are equally as likely to result in frustrating stalemates or the rapid escalation of disputes. This does not mean that the consultative approach is without merit.

Consultation certainly has the potential to be gainful when employed as an early-intervention strategy, especially as it can sometimes circumvent an escalation of matters towards formal resolution procedures and the involvement of third parties, such as managers or consultants, thereby saving organizational resources and sparing those that would be required to intercede a great deal of stress and strain in the process. However, because consultative resolutions are inherently informal and unsupervised in nature, they can often run the risk of becoming a liability, unless all parties involved are sufficiently skilled in negotiation, interpersonal communications and operating from a place of rationalism and empathy. Certainly, providing that all of these prerequisites can be met by those involved in the conflict, there is some potential for positive results to accrue from the consultative approach.

Of course, unless a manager is actually one of the disputing parties, they will typically not be involved in the consultative resolution of conflict, nor perhaps even aware that there is a problem, or that an attempt at resolution is taking place at all. This might concern some managers, especially those predisposed to a more dictatorial style, in that they would find themselves firmly ‘out of the loop’. If one is to capitalize on the potential gains of consultative conflict resolution it is crucial that managers can take a step back and allow employees to attempt to work out their differences. This is not to say however, that a manager should take a ‘hands-off’ attitude to workplace conflict, but rather, that they should position themselves as a safety-net, always vigilant, available and prepared to intervene should things turn sour.

Resolution of Workplace Conflict Through Facilitation

Sometimes there is an obvious need for a third party to intervene in a given conflict, and more often than not, this responsibility falls squarely upon the shoulders of a manager. It is an unfortunate reality of the workplace that some matters simply cannot be resolved by the parties involved, and that these conflicts, if left unresolved, can tend to fester. When third-party intervention is required, facilitation will typically be considered as the first port of call, and if it is not, it certainly should be.

Often known as the ‘softly-softly’ approach, facilitation is a relatively informal approach in which a third party, preferably one respected by and familiar with the disputing parties, brings the complainants together for discussions in the hope of establishing mutually satisfactory resolutions. Typically conducted for best effect on a relaxed and neutral stage, perhaps over drinks, or coffee, or at lunch, facilitation is most effective when the third party effectively elicits forthright communication between all the disputants. At times, a facilitator may be required to play referee, insofar as assuring that everybody has the chance to speak their mind, make their case and be heard. It is important however, that the facilitator does not overplay their role in the proceedings, remaining always a background character that stays as neutral and objective as possible.

Facilitation is a strategy for conflict resolution that is most potent in the early-stages of conflicts. Due to its informal air, facilitation need not cause disruption in the workplace, nor discontent amongst the parties involved, whom might well feel otherwise intimidated or embarrassed if called to account under a more formal context. Employed typically for fairly minor or mild conflicts, facilitation can be an extremely useful approach for a manager, whom sometimes might have to do as little as get the parties together and lend his/her presence to proceedings. Certainly, early informal interventions into conflicts, such as facilitation, should always be the first response to the identification of a potentially serious workplace conflict.

On the other hand, as with all approaches, there are issues revolving around facilitation that should concern a manager. Firstly, there is the very real potential that disputing parties may agree to meet, or even accept certain resolutions simply because of the involvement of the third party, whom can often unwittingly intimidate or guilt-trip disputants, even by just being involved. Also, half hearted agreements can often arise out a simple desire, on behalf of the disputants or facilitator, to escape the situation as expediently as possible in order to get on with other business, or for fear that other unwelcome issues and secrets might come to light during the process.

Mediation of Workplace Conflict

Having established that third party conflict interventions are an unfortunate reality of the modern workplace, there are times when the subtlety of facilitation simply isn’t enough. When matters escalate towards disaster, or when pressing conflicts arise that are unlikely to be resolved in a timely manner by gentler means, a stronger and more involved stance may need to be adopted by a concerned third party. This is the point where the potential facilitator, intent on guiding and aiding in a resolution, must become a focused and driven mediator.

Mediation is defined as a formal process of negotiation conducted in a controlled environment through which an impartial third party, ideally someone with no inherent decision-making power in regards to the matter, takes an active role in guiding disputing parties towards voluntarily settlement of a dispute. As with facilitation, this is achieved by opening up the channels of communication and encouraging cooperation and compromise between the parties involved. Unlike facilitation however, mediation involves the third party being responsible for the establishing and enforcing of ground rules regarding the negotiations, assisting in the articulation of the various positions held by those involved in the argument and, in most cases, the provision of their own informed, objective and impartial recommendations.

It is wise to select a mediator that is not directly involved with the parties in dispute, and never someone with whom the disputants may have a personal relationship. Because of this, it is vitally important to exercise caution when using an internal mediator, especially if that mediator could be perceived as biased. If you are intent on settling a matter internally though, a relatively independent mediator may be able to be sourced from another department/branch/division. Of course, the easiest way to avoid these pitfalls is simply to bring in an independent mediator. Indeed, there are many private organizations and governmental bodies that offer highly skilled professional mediators for just such purposes.

Needless to say, properly conducted mediation, executed from a position of neutrality by suitably skilled and experienced mediators, exists as a powerful tool for resolving conflict in the workplace. Evidence suggests that, when mediation does work, it tends to produce enduring resolutions that involve minimal damage to the ego or interests of those involved and minimum potential for negative ‘spill-over’ in the workplace. Mediation is therefore widely regarded as an excellent means for resolving serious and pressing workplace conflicts. Regardless, it is worth noting that the process of mediation can consume enormous amounts of time and organizational resources, and thus, should be entered into only after conducting a cost-benefit analysis or a similar evaluation process.

Resolving Workplace Conflict Through Arbitration

When all other avenues of resolution have been exhausted, and when everything has come to naught, a legally binding solution to a particularly troublesome conflict may be suggested, or demanded, as the only way forward. While typically held as a last resort, a formal process of arbitration should always remain an option.

Arbitration is a formal process in which a third party, or occasionally parties, mutually agreed upon by the disputants or appointed by a suitable authority, renders a rational, legally-binding decision based upon the interpretation of the available evidence. The arbitrator(s) make this ruling after a formal hearing that generally involves the presentation of evidence and oral arguments in a style befitting of standard court proceedings. While relatively few workplace conflicts find their way into a court, or board of arbitration, in the most serious of disputes, lawyers or similar agents of representation will often be solicited by the disputing parties.

As already stated, the results of arbitration are legally binding, and whilst they may be appealed on sufficient grounds, the ruling is intended to provide robust resolutions that are enduring. Because of its litigious nature, the arbitration process holds great power as tool for conflict resolution and is doubtless an effective system for resolving disputes. However, there are some serious risk factors that can arise.

Foremost, arbitration presents a considerable risk of generating undesirable attitudinal and behavioural reactions on the part of the disputing parties. Regardless of how well it solves the immediate reality of the problem, arbitration rarely remedies the underlying issues. Because of this, arbitration can often distance and agitate the opposing parties, sometimes inducing them to increasingly perceive each other as self-interested opponents involved in a battle of wits and wills. This is never productive for a working relationship, and if the disputants are to go on working together, it can be potentially disastrous. Given these concerns, arbitration should be employed only in particularly troublesome or lingering conflicts and only after other approaches, such as facilitation or mediation, have failed to achieve a satisfactory resolution.

Conclusion

This paper undertook a critical examination of five core approaches to the resolution of conflict in the workplace: unilateral resolution, consultation, facilitation, mediation and arbitration. Whist this information is invaluable for everyone involved in employment, from the point of view of a manager, understanding these varying approaches to conflict resolution, and their respective strengths and weaknesses, is absolutely crucial to their proper application in practise. In the final analysis, the implication for managers is that conflict is not necessarily counterproductive, but the inability to resolve conflict definitely is.

Arron Stewart Is 26 years old, lives in Hamilton, New Zealand, and attends the University of Waikato as a graduate student in Sport & Leisure with an additional focus on Sociology and Human Resource Management. A website has been established featuring more information and selected articles of his work: http://www.geocities.com/arron_stew_79

How to Handle a Boss's Angry Outburst?

2005-12-02T01:20:00.000-08:00

By Liz Ryan

Dear Liz,

A few weeks ago, my boss dismissed another employee in our department. The conversation happened in my boss's office (call him John) and it was loud, abusive, and generally awful to have to listen to through the very thin office walls. The worst part is that my co-workers and I agree that John fired our co-worker (who truly did need to be fired) in such a threatening, angry way not to intimidate that employee - who was being fired anyway - but to intimidate and 'show off' to the rest of us! John could have easily met with the employee in HR, or in a conference room somewhere, rather than in the middle of our department. Any advice for us survivors, who would like to express our discomfort with the angry display?

Thanks, Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,

Okay, that's just pathetic. 'Let me scream and shout at this guy, who's out the door anyway, in order to impress/scare the remaining staff members.' It is unfair to all of you (not to mention the poor scapegoat) to suffer through this kind of aural abuse. I do have a suggestion:

Talk to your workmates about this issue, and plan to bring up the topic at the next general staff meeting. (I hope and assume that your whole team gets together with John from time to time.) At that meeting, one of you can start off the topic with a bland question or update on the fired co-worker's responsibilities, transition issues, etc. Then one of you - whomever is particularly brave or just feeling her oats that day - can add, "You know, I'm not sure about anyone else, but I was very uncomfortable being so near and so much in earshot of the discussion when [the fired guy] left the company. I'm sure you wouldn't know this, John, but the walls are paper-thin."

So as not to leave this brave soul hanging in the wind, one or two of the rest of you must chime in with similar sentiments. The key is that you're making a personal observation- "I was uncomfortable" - not slamming John, exactly. But with luck, he will get the point. He probably won't say so, because it's so embarrassing. But I'll bet that's the last time you'll have to be witness to the Great Ape chest-beating display. Puh-leeze!

Cheers,

Liz

Got a workplace question on your mind? Write to Liz at lizryan@worldwit.org.

Liz Ryan is a former Fortune 500 HR executive, workplace expert and the founder of WorldWIT, the world's largest online network for professional women (worldwit.org). Liz writes and speaks internationally on workplace issues, and lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Don't Give Up Your Day Job

2005-11-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

by: Kathleen Jerauld-Brack

Someone called me the other day and talked about how he is going to need to make some money soon and wanted to start up a web site. I explained that the two concepts did not necessarily go together.

My advice? Well, for what it’s worth, I would say forget everything you ever knew about brick and mortar businesses and start all over again.

A solid business plan for a web business is really going to elude you until you get in there and get your feet wet first. It ain’t that easy. There are a lot more people selling get rich quick packages than there are people getting rich. You must surf and read, surf and read, surf and read. After a few months figure out who does have some real business credibility and follow that person and the links he or she connects to. Do something you know how to do and dissect it until you can find a niche. Starting a web business without the basic knowledge of whatever business you pick is fool hardy at best. Don’t pay for information you can get for free. Those first months of surfing should give you some pretty good leads. Don’t go it alone. Find a friend, mentor or relative to bounce ideas off of. Be open to honest feedback. You know who will give you honest opinions and who will not. I love my relatives but we will never be in business together.

Study the business you want to get into and how it works on the web.

Research the concept, develop a rough plan and refine as you continue to research. Plan, plan, plan. Don’t touch your retirement savings.

Take a look at a real business plan, (you can find them free on the web) and start sketching in your ideas. Revise it at least ten times. Be realistic about money. It’s expensive to market anything on the web, -you’ll need to learn to find additional ways to get the word out.

Spend much of your free time in bookstores or libraries perusing books on marketing, sales, web design, budgeting, time management and personal success stories. I think book stores tend to have more of the most current stuff as far as web marketing is concerned.

Build an alternate plan for your business plan. Make a contingency plan. Make a goal sheet with target dates. What do you (your name) need to learn more about in order to operate on the web in addition to your craft? Web design? Marketing? Search Engines? Self promotion? Again, follow the leaders – err on the conservative side and stay objective. Can you sell? Selling your goods, selling yourself, and selling your credibility is more important for the success of any web business than you can imagine right now.

You might want to make an appointment with a person at SCORE at the Small Business Administration. They have all been through the fire, can give you realistic feedback, show you how to develop a business plan and where to look for financing.

Don’t give up your dream. But don’t give up your day job yet either.

About The Author
This work is the original work of the author and is copyrighted 2005. All rights reserved.

Kathleen Jerauld-Brack. BFA Graphic Design and Fine Art. Is recipient of many Art and Literature Awards. She is also Webmaster of: http://www.BestPlacetoEat.com | http://www.BestRestaurants.us.

A Solution-Focused Workforce

2005-11-10T01:33:00.000-08:00

Imagine that your manager turned your department into a problem-free zone where instead of bringing your problems to the manager to solve, you were encouraged to devise your own solutions. Imagine if everyone focused on dealing with issues so thoroughly that things were anticipated and handled before they became problems.

Many people believe that it is the manager’s job to solve the problems in the department so they run to the boss every time a problem occurs. True, it’s the manager’s job to ensure the department functions optimally. It’s the manager’s job to assist the staff in developing the critical thinking skills necessary to produce results that maximize the department resources and produces the best results. The manager provides support and encouragement. The manager’s job is to manage the process and to provide assistance if needed. By expecting the manager to solve every minor crisis, the staff relinquishes responsibility for their own work and they disempower themselves.

It’s easy to complain. Complaining, blaming, justifying and making excuses are ways of avoiding responsibility. It creates a black hole of negativity, and negativity breeds negativity. It drains us of our energy and our time. Have you ever had to endure the ongoing complaining often heard on department floors? It can go on and on. Some people will even spend their entire lunchtime complaining. What a waste of time and energy. How do you feel when listening to that? Does it help move you closer to solving the issue?

It’s easier to find someone to blame for something being wrong than for everyone to take responsibility for creating workable solutions. And yet, what is the purpose of blaming or finding someone to blame? What is gained, if anything, by blaming someone? How do you feel when you are blamed? We all make mistakes. Most people do not go out of their way to make them. It is more important to discover a better way to perform the work or find a solution, that way everyone learns from the mistake.

Collaboration

Imagine what things would be like if everyone was focused on finding solutions. No complaining. No blaming. How would it feel different in the department – even throughout your company - if everyone pulled together to find possible solutions? Brainstorming sessions could be held where everyone’s ideas are enlisted. Then the ideas can be discussed at greater length for feasibility. When given the opportunity, people are very creative. Your staff holds the key to solving the issues on your department. They know the processes and the problems. They know what works and what doesn’t and if you assist them to tap into their wisdom, they will find their own answers. Support is needed from management. When priorities are identified, teams created and assistance enlisted from others, the synergy created is exponential.

When people pull together and collaborate to create solutions that work, everyone wins. Customers are happy, staff is able to get the work accomplished and everyone is focused on what needs to get done rather than whose turn it is or who forgot to do what. There is also a lot less stress and work actually becomes enjoyable again. What new ways can you think of to solve a problem or issue in your department? What can you delegate so that you can free up time for the activities that you must do? Examine your possible solutions. No excuses. What can you do to make your department work better?

Seeking excellence

You may be thinking that this seems unrealistic. Before you judge the concept of a problem-free zone, try it in your department. Conduct a staff meeting, post instructions for everyone to follow and see what happens after one week. How does it feel? Did anything change? How did you feel when people focused only on generating solutions and working together to implement the best possible resolution? What worked, what didn’t? What needs to happen now?

Tolerate nothing but the best from your coworkers. Some people will allow one minute of complaining before they interrupt and ask for the person to focus on a possible solution. Point out to someone – gently - if they are complaining or justifying. They may not be aware that they are doing that. Notice how you feel when the focus is on making things better rather than spending energy on how things aren’t the way you want them to be. Problems are opportunities in disguise. Think of every problem as an opportunity to get creative with coworkers and create solutions that make everyone feel good – or at least, get the job done without making everyone aggravated, causing unnecessary stress and draining everyone of energy. If everyone takes on the responsibility to create solutions, imagine what can be accomplished. When we force others to use their brilliance and critical thinking, who knows what is possible?
About the Author:

Julie Fuimano, MBA, BSN, RN is a Success Coach and co-founder of Nurturing Your Success, Inc. Her passion is coaching clients on leadership and career development, communication, team building, marketing and branding. You may visit Julie at www.nurturingyoursuccess.com or write to her at Julie@nurturingyoursuccess.com. You may also call her directly at (484) 530-5024.
Copyright 2002 by Julie Fuimano. Source: Articleavenue.com

5 Ways to Prevent Heat Exhaustion in the Workplace

2005-11-10T01:26:00.000-08:00

Individuals who work in industrial workplaces suffer from heat exhaustion on a daily basis. Some work environments can get as high as 45 degrees which can potentially become very dangerous for workers. Heat exhaustion is a condition which is caused by over exposure to heat which results in the deterioration of bodily fluids.

Heat is exhaustion causes dizziness, weakness, nausea and can potentially cause the individual to faint or pass out. This poses great danger in worukplaces in which employees are consistently operating heavy machinery. If an individual passes out for even one second their life could be in great danger.

There are many ways to prevent heat exhaustion especially for those working in an industrial workplace with harsh working conditions. The following is a list of the top five ways to prevent heat exhaustion in the workplace:

Drink Lots of Water - Dehydration is a key factor in heat exhaustion. The hotter you are, the faster your body absorbs liquids and the more water you will need in order to function properly. Always have water on hand and try to keep yourself as hydrated as possible at all times.

Work in Intervals - Working an entire shift without a break is sure to put you at high risk of heat exhaustion. Take a break every hour or so to ensure that you get a breath of fresh air. Separate yourself from the overly hot work environment because being in those conditions for 8 hours straight is unsafe.

Take the Night Shift - Depending on your situation, this factor may or may not be possible. The hottest times throughout the day are between 11 in the morning and 4 o'clock in the afternoon. That said, (if it is possible) I would highly recommend working during the night when temperatures are considerably lower.

Rest - Make sure to get a good night sleep before a long day in an industrial workplace. Rest will energize your body and mind for the day and will make you less likely to become weak and suffer from heat exhaustion. At least 7-8 hours sleep is recommended per night.

Eat - Like resting, eating will also provide you with the energy your body requires to fight off heat exhaustion. Make sure when you take your breaks, you also have a small snack which will keep you fueled for a couple more hours.

Following the guidelines listed above will decrease your likeliness of suffering from heat exhaustion on the job. If you do find yourself experiencing the symptoms of heat exhaustion, leave work for the day. Heat exhaustion is your body's way of letting you know that it needs to cool down and rest. Ignoring the symptoms can put you and your body in severe amounts of danger.

Jim Staller has worked in the industrial field for more than 15 years. In his spare time, he serves as a contributing writer for Industrial101.com - a site offering information about static eliminator items, inventory management software, EMI Shielding and more. Source: Articleavenue.com)

Taking Humor Seriously in the Workplace

2005-11-09T23:29:00.000-08:00

By Steven M. Sultanoff, Ph.D.

How serious can we be about humor in the workplace, and how humorous can we be about the seriousness we often find there? According to a Robert Haft International 1985 survey only 15% of workers are fired because of lack of competence.

The remaining 85% are let go because of their inability to get along with fellow employees. When asked about the qualities of an effective employee, senior administrators and human relations personnel check humor as one of the choice attributes of a desired employee.

Why has humor become a recognized asset in the workplace? Humor facilitates communication, builds relationships, reduces stress, provides perspective, and promotes attending and energizes.

Humor Facilitates Communication

Humor provides a non-threatening medium through which an employee or employer can communicate with others without intensifying the emotional temperature of the relationship. Consider the frazzled secretary who posts the sign "I have only two speeds, and if this one isn't fast enough then I'm sure you're not going to like my other." Or the somewhat scattered boss whose messy desk is complimented with a note that says, "A Creative Mess is better than Tidy Idleness." The message is clear, yet the communication is done in a light and, therefore, less stressful way. The secretary's sign pokes fun at the situation, and the boss's note pokes some fun at himself.

Humor Builds Relationships

The development of staff cohesion and a sense of team effort in the workplace can be effectively facilitated by the use of humor. Bulletin boards, electronic mail, intra-office memos, voice mail, etc. all offer mediums through which we can share humor with co-workers. Office jokes taking the seriousness of work lightly provide us with the opportunity to become more connected with others.

Humor Reduces Stress

Work is often associated with stress, and we know that stress is one of the main causes of illness, absenteeism, employee burn-out, etc. Humor is a great stress reliever because it makes us feel good, and we can't feel good and feel stress simultaneously. At the moment we experience humor, feelings like depression, anger, and anxiety dissolve.

Humor and, its partner, laughter also reduce stress by activating the physiological systems including the muscular, respiratory, cardiovascular, and skeletal. In fact, we may even lose muscle control, as many of us have, when we laugh so hard that we fall down or wet our pants. Laughter has been labeled a jogging and juggling of the internal organs. When we laugh we feel physically better, and after laughter we feel lighter and more relaxed.

In addition, humor provides a psychological stress reducer as it snaps our thinking to another channel. Norman Cousins called it trainwrecks of the mind. One of the characteristics of humor is that it involves incongruity. We find things humorous when they are incongruous or mismatched. Good jokes guide us down one path only to suddenly track us onto another. The tracking is what we call the punch line. As we are tracked over, our thinking shifts and, in fact, breaking the mind set of the thinking leads to increased creativity.

Consider the story of the midwestern farmer crossing Harvard square searching for the library. He approaches a stately looking gentleman, who happens to be a Harvard English professor, and he asks, "Excuse me sir. Can you tell me where the library is at?" The professor looks somewhat disdainfully and replies, "At Harvard we do not end sentences with prepositions." After a pause the farmer turns back to the professor and asks, "Well then, can you tell me where the library is at...Asshole." In this joke we are guided down one path and suddenly tracked over to another. The incongruity is what we experience as humorous.

Humor Provides Perspective

Another way in which humor oils the gears of the workplace is by providing perspective. Ashleigh Brilliant (known for his one- liners often found on postcards) says, "Distance doesn't really make you any smaller, but it does make you part of a bigger picture." Consider the Ziggy cartoon where Ziggy is lying on the psychiatrist's couch and the psychiatrist is saying, "The whole world isn't against you...there are BILLIONS of people who don't care one way or the other."

Humor Promotes Attending and Energizes

We know that all good lecturers have many jokes, stories, and anecdotes that are shared in order to command attention and energize the audience. Humor wakes us up and increases our attending. An office bulletin board loaded with cartoons, one liners, jokes, pictures, etc. is one way to invite humor into the workplace. A few moments of humor at work can lead to increased productivity as the newly energized employee returns to his or her task.

In working environments where humor is supported there develops a culture that utilizes the humor to reduce stress and provide perspective. We have all heard humor directed at lawyers, medical personnel, scientists, engineers, business persons, educators, etc. Learning to laugh at ourselves and our work lightens the load.

Humor is a major career asset, so let's be serious about humor and use humor to lighten our seriousness in the workplace. As we increase our personal humor quotient and spread our humor contagiously to others, we will begin to see the "lite" at the end of the tunnel.
Source: http://www.articleavenue.com)

Love Your job

2005-11-06T05:42:00.000-08:00

Tip: "Love your job"

" If you can't be in the job you love…

Love the job you're in (or the way you do it) "

LOVE YOUR JOB !

Friends ! loving your job is an extremely useful tip for reducing tension from life :- Love your job.

I know that not everybody among us is fortunate enough to have a job of his/her liking. We all are living in a fiercely competitive era. In today's time, just being eligible for a job is not enough. We have to be most eligible than all other eligible persons to get a dream job. Now to be the most eligible of all is not that easy. It depends upon a number of visible and invisible factors such as our family background, our educational qualification, our physical appearance (in some jobs at least ), our performance in a particular exam etc. Since not everybody can be the most eligible one, most of us will have to contend with other jobs which may or may not be of our liking.

Let us consider your present job. It may be the case that you are doing a boring, routine and less rewarding job. May be you are not getting the chance to work at your full potential in this job. Certainly a man/woman of your caliber deserves something better. And if you are making all the necessary efforts to get the perfect job in your dream company, I give you my best wishes for your efforts. However, it is my humble advice that while you are searching for that perfect job, enjoy the way you are doing your present one, and keep celebrating and expanding all the other joys of life that surround you.

No matter how bad, boring, frustrating, and less rewarding your present job is, one thing is certain - you'll go nowhere by fuming and fretting about it ! Consider this : at any given moment your job is the main source of your income. Your bread and butter comes from the money you earn in this job. You pay your monthly bills, your taxes and your child's school fee from the salary of this job. You take your wife out for a dinner and give her a beautiful present from the money you earn from this job. Your present job is the platform on which you'll lay the foundation of your future dream job. So dear friend your job is no that bad. Just see the positive side of picture. Love your job , respect it.

I know it is not very easy to love our boring and dull jobs. However, if we want, we can easily make our job interesting . A little bit of effort & innovation can make any kind job interesting. Let me give you a very useful tip : If you want to make your job interesting, then ask yourself - "How can I do this job in a better way ? How can I improve my productivity ? " Just think over these two questions and you will get the answer. The best way to make your job interesting is to constantly find the way of doing it in a better way. Here are few benefits which you'll get by loving your job:

(1) Your productivity and performance output will increase.

(2) Your image in the eyes of your seniors will improve.

(3) You will feel less tired and exhausted at the end of the day.

(4) Your overall relationship with your colleagues will improve.

(5) You will be able to finish your work quickly if you do it with passion.
As you love your job and do it wholeheartedly, you will not find the time for fuming and fretting over its negative aspects. You will remain busy in it and will not feel frustrated or tense owing to the dullness or monotony of your present job.

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Love Your job

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