Displaying All Posts in the Office Life category

Fun Links: Unmotivational Posters, Dilbert, The Oatmeal

There are times when we need to a take a little break to be more productive, but some of us feel guilty straying too far from our work. But sometimes taking a break to check out that latest Garfield cartoon ends up being just the thing that gets us back on track.

Here are some links that you can dive into that will hopefully ease your guilt – thanks to their work “related-ish” subject matter.  They may just put a smile on your face, too. Click Here to Read Article …

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3 Quick Ways to Tune up Your Workspace

You know you’re supposed to declutter your desk and workspace. It’s going to boost your productivity. While you’re at it, here are three ideas to tune up your productivity:

Clean your keyboard

You shouldn’t be eating or drinking at your computer. But who has time for lunch? Here are 10 ideas for getting the dust and snack particles out from between the keys.

My favorite: Get a keyboard protector that covers the keys while you type. Click Here to Read Article …

How About a Mental Health Day?

I used to feel guilty taking a day off work to read a book or to play volleyball – but not so much after I had an anxiety attack in an especially stressful day at the office.  I ended up wondering what I was doing to myself…as I lay on my doctor’s examination table (to which I was becoming used to due to stress).

Soon after that, I changed departments and worked with a boss who allowed flexible schedules.  However, this and five sick days weren’t enough to keep other employees’ and my stress levels at bay so whenever I felt stress reaching a certain level I’d take a sick day – I called them “sick-of-my-job” days. Click Here to Read Article …

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Being on the Wrong Side of Internet Policy at Work

For many years, at my company, employees were able to surf the internet at will. I was able to check my personal email online, listen to my favorite streaming sports talk show or, God forbid, check the lottery numbers from the night before. But, after being acquired by a large conglomerate, a few changes were initiated in my working and internet world. A strict internet policy was enforced. Social media sites like Twitter and Facebook were prohibited. Quickly viewing my personal internet email was also forbidden. And my precious streaming radio was heartlessly taken away. My internet world at work was now a privilege of the past. Click Here to Read Article …

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How to Say No At Work

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 Click Here to Read Article …

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Go Home Lassie: Are Pets at Work a Bad Idea?

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. Click Here to Read Article …

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The Inconvenient Truth About Convenience Foods

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. Click Here to Read Article …

Stumped By a Buzzword? Demystify Office Jargon At Unsuck It

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) Click Here to Read Article …

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