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Monday Morning Anthems

The alarm rings on Monday morning and you groan. It doesn’t matter whether or not you love your job—waking up and getting a move on at the beginning of a new work week after two days off is no small feat. But one thing that can help get us geared up to return to the office is music. (Just be mindful when it comes to actually playing it in the office.)

What songs do you find yourself turning up in the car or on your iPod as you head into the office to start the week? Maybe Elvis Costello’s “Welcome to the Working Week”, “Let’s Go” by the Cars or “Manic Monday” by the Bangles? How about the classic R.E.M. tunes “Get Up” or “Finest Worksong”? Does Iggy Pop help you rock out and find a “Lust for Life”?

Maybe you need to throw yourself a dance party to really get motivated—a little Lady Gaga, M.I.A. or Justin Timberlake, perhaps? Or maybe you seek productivity inspiration from that inveterate hustler, Jay-Z.

(By the way, we already know you listen to MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This” to get pumped for a big presentation. Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone.)

What songs get you motivated for the workweek? Click Here to Read Article …

5 Top Web Comics for Adults

Abhijeet Mukherjee 25th July Office Life Leave a Comment

Reading web comics on the weekends could be a nice way to freshen up your mind after five days of busy schedule.

This list contains some of my top web comics for adults, especially geek adults. My love for all things tech is reflected in this list too. Click Here to Read Article …

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How Relative Is “Being on Time”?

Ana da Silva 21st July Office Life Leave a Comment

In some cultures it is acceptable to be late, meaning arriving after the agreed upon time. This makes the definition of “being on time” subjective as some take it as meaning being 5 minutes before the agreed upon time, for others 15 minutes after.

I’ve asked this of many people and some swear there’s no such thing as cultural differences when it comes to being on time. Others argued that everyone knows that everyone else will be 15 minutes late so, in fact, everyone is on time. In today’s increasingly diverse workplaces these differences can create some tension – and make some team members feel they’re being taken advantage of.

Do you deal with this cultural difference in your workplace? What approach do you take? Click Here to Read Article …

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Dealing with Coworkers: Are They Colleagues or Competitors?

Peter North 19th July Office Life Leave a Comment

In a typical organization, employees are separated (or self-separate) into groups with similar skills. Whether you’re crunching numbers, reaching out to customers, or designing the next big product, you’re likely working alongside people with similar skills to your own.

Businesses seek a good bit of overlap in skills. Shared proficiencies increase collaboration and help us communicate with our peers. In areas ripe with arcane terminology like marketing or I.T., shared backgrounds are an absolute necessity for proper teamwork.

Similar skills and experiences are great for camaraderie, communication, and getting things done in general. But, they can also blur the line between colleagues and competitors, especially when someone asks you this:

“Hey, you’re the only one who knows how to run that system, right? Would you mind showing me how to use it? You know… just in case you get hit by the proverbial bus…”

Some don’t give a comment like this another thought, but others might wonder if the “proverbial bus” is really a “proverbial pink slip.”

Are you dealing with coworkers who are colleagues or competitors? Click Here to Read Article …

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What is Coworking?

Georgiana Cohen 19th July Office Life Leave a Comment

Many of us yearn to have the flexibility to work from wherever we choose, but what options do we have? After all, not all of us want to spend the day loitering around the coffee shop. And if we work from home, we face distractions (like laundry) and a lack of office amenities.

To address this issue, coworking facilities are popping up in many cities. These are spaces where freelancers, remote workers and other independent professionals can come to work in a shared office space and take advantage of resources such as internet access, conference rooms, fax machines and, of course, coffee makers. One coworking center may cater to professionals in a specific field, such as designers. Another may double as startup incubator. Most are set up to accommodate a general range of professionals. Click Here to Read Article …

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Cubicle Hell: Dealing with Distractions in an Open-Office Environment

Janet Martin 18th July Office Life Leave a Comment

Are you in a cube farm or other open-office environment? If so, you know that no amount of snack machines, sofas, or fancy Herman Miller furniture can make up for the constant noise and interruptions.

For many years I worked on a team of introverts sandwiched between two of my company’s most extroverted teams. Sitting out in the open with lots going on around me made it tough to be productive. Click Here to Read Article …

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Do You Have Low Frustration Tolerance?

Peter North 16th July Office Life Leave a Comment

Psychologist Albert Ellis developed the concept of “Low Frustration Tolerance” (LFT) as part of a greater theory on procrastination as it relates to cognitive behavior.

LFT is a peculiar form of self-defeating behavior. By habitually avoiding short-term frustrations, unaddressed issues and unfinished work grow into much bigger, much more stressful problems. As a sufferer of LFT continues to dodge small, tedious tasks, they inadvertently grow them into large, dreadful problems. Once the problems are bigger, the aversion to the work is greater, building an ever-growing mountain of work to be done (and an ever-growing mountain of stress to match).

Low Frustration Tolerance (LFT)

Seeking immediate pleasure or avoidance of pain at the cost of long-term stress and defeatism.

Short-term psychological hedonism.

(Albert Ellis also jokingly called it “can’t-stand-it-itis,” as in “I just can’t stand it!”)

High Frustration Tolerance (HFT), on the other hand, is a much better trait for productivity, not to mention mental health. Those with HFT can tolerate the frustration-filled tasks required to do their work and meet their long-term goals. While they’re not delighted with the short-term tedium, they have much bigger things to be happy about in the end.

What is your frustration tolerance? Have you run into “can’t-stand-it-itis” at work? Click Here to Read Article …

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Music at Work: Necessity or Nuisance?

Sara Hodon 15th July Office Life Leave a Comment

It’s a quiet day at the office.

The sounds of the keyboards a clicking away and you can hear the hum of appliances and the buzzing of fluorescent lighting throughout the room. It’s kind of nice, but also kind of eerie. Then a voice is heard that cuts the silence like a knife.

“Do you mind if I put on some music?”

What’s your reaction when a co-worker suggests this? Do you agree that the place is too quiet and needs some sound, or do you immediately nix the idea in favor of silence? Click Here to Read Article …

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