Saying “no” at work is a surprisingly difficult thing to do. In the minds of your coworkers, the word can land you with the stigma of negativity. Similarly, turning down a client’s request with a blunt “no” can cause you to lose their favor.
Still, sometimes it has to be done. “No” is sometimes necessary, and if it’s used carefully, it can save both sides of the dialogue from unneeded stress and wasted time.
A List Apart has an excellent guide on how to say no properly, supporting it with valid reasons – yet remaining positive to your coworkers and favorable to your clients.
In the long term, a thoughtful, carefully-delivered “no” can be much more positive than saying “yes” as a thoughtless, knee-jerk reaction.
A List Apart - No One Nos: Learning to Say No to Bad Ideas Keep Reading…
What if Lassie came to work with you? She’d fetch coffee, protect you from baddies, and of course, let you know when little Timmy is trapped down in corporate accounts payable. But jokes aside, are pets helpful in office environments?
It’s very clear that pets reduce stress and improve health. Many research studies show that pets lower blood pressure and lessen anxiety. So it’s natural that pets have made their way into some offices. Just last month was Take Your Dog to Work Day, and one design agency, Second Story, even lists two dogs as staff members. Keep Reading…
For many over-worked cubicle dwellers, meals consist of Luna bars, Lean Cuisine lunches, and soups out of a can. Yup, that used to me, too. (And I admit that I sometimes still reach for a protein bar when I’m in a rush.)
But it’s better for you, your body, and your budget not to subsist on these so-called convenience foods. Anyone who’s seen the 2004 documentary Super Size Me knows about the horrific impact the McDonald’s drive-through can have on your health. Keep Reading…
I have a love/hate relationship with buzzwords: I’m greatly amused when I hear a burst of buzzwords come out of a competent colleague’s mouth, but it’s infuriating to watch them used to wiggle out of responsibility or cover up a coworker’s underwhelming skill set. Sometimes I wonder if so-called “business acumen” is nothing more than the frequent use of buzzwords and glittery business jargon.
So, I decided to learn a new sub-dialect of English: buzzword.
I was previously using Buzzwhack as my buzzword dictionary of choice, but I was recently shown Unsuck It, a buzzword haven where you can view their collection of carefully curated buzzwords, submit new entries and even take a shot at “unsucking” one of the undefined terms with a concise, sensible translation. It’s really pushing the envelope of bleeding edge, web 2.0 crowdsourcing! Just kidding, it’s an interesting project, and it will obviously grow as it gains momentum from submissions and definitions. Maybe Unsuck It will become the Merriam-Webster of buzzwords. So, if you wonder what “solutioneering” might mean, or are puzzled by the term “bucketize,” this is the place where you can learn it, submit it or define it.
Unsuck It (courtesy of Mule Design) Keep Reading…
One of the most publicized incidents currently in the U.S. news is the case of the flight attendant, Steven Slater, who had a tirade at the end of his shift on board a JetBlue flight. This tirade came after an unruly passenger, at the end of the flight, decided to unload her baggage from the overhead compartment before the crew had given the OK for passengers to leave their seats. Slater asked the passenger to sit down but the passenger refused. At the same time, her luggage fell from the overhead compartment onto the head of Slater. Slater then requested an apology from the passenger who then cursed at him. Slater then used the plane’s public address system and declared, in rather colorful language, that he had enough after 28 years as a flight attendant and cursed the passenger who cursed at him. He then grabbed two beers and opened the rear exit and deployed the emergency exit slide and exited the plane via the slide. He was since arrested later at his home. Keep Reading…
Ah, summertime in the northern hemisphere!
If your company takes on interns this is the time of year where you’ve got your share of college kids walking around the office in their only pair of crumpled slacks and inappropriate shoes.
By the average office standards, my “intern shoes” weren’t exactly inappropriate. But by the standards of my employer, a Madison Avenue boutique public relations firm, my shoes and the rest of my wardrobe were offensively unfashionable. But this was the least of their worries. I officially became the intern from hell on the day I unintentionally mixed up the press clippings from 2 brands that had very similar names – let’s call them Soda and Soda A. There were hundreds of clippings! I realized this soon after I ended my contract (as opposed to my contract being ended for me);it must have taken my supervisors quite a while to sort out everything.
How about you, have you been an intern from hell or have you had one in your office? Keep Reading…
Office etiquette issues are mostly behind me, but before I fled cubicle hell for coffee shops and other freelance hangouts, I shared workspace just like (almost) everyone else, so I’ve dealt with the quirks of toxic coworkers — and they’ve had to cope with mine. One cubemate was deeply disturbed by the sound a plastic water bottle makes when you try to squeeze out the last bit of water. Another couldn’t stand the sound of an office chair swiveling back and forth as one coworker twirled absentmindedly.
My biggest workplace etiquette peeve? I’m annoyed by loud phone talkers. You know the type: people who make personal phones during work hours and then act as if their acid reflux or marital problems are the most fascinating and important topic on the planet. That’s why I always made a point of slipping away from my desk when I needed to make a non-work call (let’s face it: we all occasionally need to make calls between 9 and 5) and scheduling time in the conference room when I had a lengthy work call scheduled.
What about you? Are there habits you’d prefer to do without? Keep Reading…
“Going green” is a very popular phrase these days. Companies are going out of their way to ensure that they are considered a green company – and many initiatives are being spearheaded by the employees themselves. My company is no different. Over the past year or so, there have been a number of steps that have been taken to reduce my company’s carbon footprint. Here is a list of green office tips that we’ve actually implemented at my company. Keep Reading…
When we asked last week whether or not you need music at work, many of you responded in favor. Some mentioned that music lets you create a zone and focus more on what you are doing. In fact, there are many theories in support of that – like the so-called “Mozart effect”.
If you just can’t work with music on, you might want to try streaming sounds of different types to see if they have a positive effect on your focus and overall productivity. Check out the following tools if you intend to give it a shot. Keep Reading…
