Displaying All Posts by Cubicle Curtis

See More Green at Work to Grow Your Career

Of course you care for the environment. You want to preserve the air and water for future generations. And remember the polar bears. So what you do today to reduce your company’s environmental impact will help save the world.

Did you buy any of that? Maybe just a little. But it’s not enough to get you on board the green bandwagon. You’re looking for something a little more tangible and short term. You’re in luck. There is something in it for you and the polar bears.

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Learn to Climb the Corporate Ladder by Climbing a Mountain

Cubicle Curtis 12th February Career 4 Comments

When we’re done, we always hit this great brew pub for burgers and beer. If you cut the burger in half you still need need two hands. It’s the perfect complement to their amber ale.

Why did we do it? Weren’t you listening when I described the burger?

Oh, the mountain. Why did we climb it in winter? During a storm you wouldn’t drive in? There are a lot of reasons. There’s the scenery, the conflict of man vs. nature and a really good beer. But I see the “Yeah, right” in your eyes. So I’m going to explain it this way. Read More

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Stay on Track With an Idea Embargo

Cubicle Curtis 25th January Management 9 Comments

So you’re about to launch. You’ve done a great job planning and executing this project. And you’re almost ready to unveil your baby to the world.

And this is when people start coming up with new ideas and suggestions. Often it’s a major decision maker such as your boss who thinks a new feature or two is needed. Do you rework everything? How do you consider everyone’s feedback and respectfully decline the advice? That all depends on many factors. In the end, you need to decide what’s the gain. And some of that advice comes from someone you can’t ignore.

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How to Make the Right Choices After Getting Fired

Cubicle Curtis 31st December Career 5 Comments

Did I tell you about the time I got fired?

It was my first job out of college. I was working as an accountant at a small firm doing tax returns for small businesses. It was run by three partners. Nice guys. But after four months, they weren’t happy with my work. And they shouldn’t have been. I was slow and made a lot of mistakes. I was a lousy accountant. Read More

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The 12 Days of the Holiday Sales Season

Cubicle Curtis 22nd December Office Life 12 Comments

On the the 12 days of the holiday sales season my mentor gave to me: These are the things I have to deal with while he’s taking vacation on a tropical island. I’m thinking of asking Santa for a strategically placed tropical depression.

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How to Survive the Office Holiday Party

Cubicle Curtis 18th December Office Life 1 Comment

Hey, am I going to see you at the holiday party?

You can’t miss it. It’s the nicest thing management does for us. It almost makes up for the low pay and the frustration we experience the rest of the year. You deserve it.

Plus it looks good. Management will be there. They don’t just see you at the party as a guest but a team player. You’re getting along with the rest of the team, and you’re showing appreciation for this grand gesture. Yeah, you need to clear your schedule for this.

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How to Get Ready to Be Promoted

Cubicle Curtis 11th December Career 3 Comments

Sorry you didn’t get the promotion. Who knew Larry over there had potential to be middle management?

I know you have the potential too. But it’s just not your time. When will it be your time? You need to take these steps first.

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How to Get IT to Solve Your Problem

Cubicle Curtis 2nd December Office Life 7 Comments

Why are you banging the side of your computer monitor again? Well that’s not going to help. And put down the phone. Who you going to call? IT?

That’s not going to help either. At least not right now. You have to do a few things first. Like grab a pen and paper. And write down what happened. It’s like remembering a dream.

Good point. More like a nightmare.

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How to Escape Your Cubicle & Work From Home

Cubicle Curtis 17th November Office Life 6 Comments

I don’t blame you for not wanting to come to work. It’s a good job. But why do we have to get dressed and make that awful commute to this building every day? Surely there’s a better way.

It’s possible to do all this from home. Think about how much money you can save on gas and parking. You could avoid being exposed to H1N1. You can have all this—except for the engaging conversation with me—all from the comfort of home.

If you’re going to sell this to our boss, you’re going to need a good reason. And it’s not going to have anything to do with being able to work in your pajamas or avoid the commute to the office. This has to create benefits for the company, not just you.

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How to Take Productive Breaks

Cubicle Curtis 3rd November Productivity 4 Comments

It wouldn’t kill you to take a break. Really. I know we got this “nose to the grindstone” culture going. But there is some rationale for taking breaks. Basically, the mind starts to wind down about 3 p.m., and it becomes hard to keep up the mental pace that gets you through the day.

And physically, your body needs the break. Your eyes need to focus on something that isn’t a computer monitor. Your circulatory system needs a reason to pump more blood. All those muscles in your legs need some action while the muscles in your arms and hands need a break.

Even so, you need to be productive. You want to be useful all the time. Maybe you can have your cake and eat it too if you try these productive breaks:

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How to Fix That Mistake

Cubicle Curtis 13th October Your Job 11 Comments

Wow, you really screwed that up. Yeah, they’re going to be mad. The good news is that it’s not the worst thing that anyone has done. A little bit later I can tell you how I screwed up the RFP on the Donavan account. Yeah, you don’t know what that is, because they dropped us like a rock.

Calm down and remember that no mistake is fatal. Here’s what you need to do now.

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How to Stop Interruptions

Cubicle Curtis 28th September Productivity 8 Comments

We interrupt this productive work day to bring you this special message on how to avoid distractions.

Hey, you busy? Sorry to interrupt, but I have some ideas on what you can do about all those distractions and interruptions getting in the way of your work. Let’s review what’s keeping you from finishing that report.

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