Displaying All Posts tagged with Office Life

5 Ways to Know You Need More Life Balance

There are books and websites and TV shows that claim to teach the secrets to living a life of balance. With the madness of everyday life, achieving a “balanced life” has become the dream that every adult strives for. Being the best you can be without breaking a sweat.

It’s become the “have it all” of the 21^st century: Excelling at work, raising brilliant and well-behaved kids, pursuing high education to move up in your career and keeping an exciting and loving relationship with a spouse. Of course, taking on every aspect of your life is a recipe for failure, and will stress you out even more. Read More

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Stress from Business Travel: How to Avoid it

Jacki Christopher 22nd July Office Life 3 Comments

If your job has you on the road, you have to be on the ball about taking care of yourself, otherwise a few months into a heavy business travel circuit will leave you baggy eyed, flabby, and exhausted, with a messy apartment on top of it. You can beat the stress and maintain optimum health and sanity by recognizing the common business travel pitfalls, and then learning how to avoid them. Read More

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7 Steps to Complete a Massive Project

Estepha Francisque 13th June Management 3 Comments

You’ve probably lived out this story one time or another: You’re having a great day at work. You’re in the zone, knocking tasks out one by one. Then, all of a sudden, your supervisor drops a stack of papers on your desk and informs you that you’re in charge of a massive project. Talk about taking the wind out of your sails!

There are few things on the job that are more intimidating than a big project. Research, repetitive tasks, and mountainous loads of paperwork can be huge turnoffs when it’s time to take on that big endeavor.

However, there’s no need to fear. Instead of trying to eat a pizza whole, you divide it into slices, right? It’s a well-documented fact that projects are easier to complete when divided into multiple smaller, more manageable tasks. In the same way, we will take a look at a process that can make the task of handling your project as simple as a pizza dinner. Read More

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Perception – Key to Inner Peace

Jeffrey Koconis 13th May Communication 5 Comments

I’ve come to believe our perception at work and life in general carries a great deal of importance.

Many years ago while striving to climb the “corporate ladder to success”, my boss asked me to meet with him privately, in a very serious, foreboding tone of voice.

I immediately scoured my mind for reasons, or any of my actions that may have prompted this out of the ordinary request, fearing something terrible had occurred unknowingly to me, and walked into his office with more than a heightened sense of apprehension. Read More

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How to Deal with Organizational Change

Mariana Ashley 11th May Your Job 6 Comments

As a professional writer, I value the input of editors whom I trust. When I get a good editor who knows my work, I usually do my best to keep him or her happy. I try to build a great professional relationship with my editors, and I do my best to make it lasting.

I’ve had one editor for the past year at my job whose opinions I really respect. His knowledge of writing is unsurpassed, and, perhaps even more importantly, how he talks about my writing truly impresses me. He just seems to get me; he always knows just how to offer his suggestions and criticism, and he does so in a way that respects my own work. In a sense, we make a good writing team. Read More

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Office Gossip — 3 Ways to Deal With It

Patricia Julian 15th April Office Life 9 Comments

So the office gossiper approaches you, saying that she’s got the latest scoop on one of your co-workers. Do you sit down and listen eagerly, or do you walk away, proudly proclaiming that you don’t participate in office gossip of any kind?

Let’s admit it. We all participate in gossip at least once in a while in our lives. After all, it’s not always easy to resist a piece of new information about another person. Humans are naturally curious beings, most especially about each other.

Despite its bad reputation, gossip—the light talk about other people’s personal affairs—has helped humans learn more about each. It has proven to be useful as well. If you’re an art-lover, hearing that your new neighbor “was in the art gallery last week” could help you start a new and meaningful friendship.

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Bring Love To Work

Jen Smith 7th April Your Job Leave a Comment

“Work is love made visible.” – Kahlil Gibran

Love and work are not topics we necessarily talk about together, but if we let it work can be a wonderful way to express ourselves…and show love to those around us!

Whether you are waiting tables or a brain surgeon, any job you do is about serving others and making their life better on some level. We have all had experiences where someone working in their job has lifted us up and made a difference to our day or brought us down and made our day worst.

A friend of mine told me a story once about a shop assistant he had observed in a large department store in London. It was the shop assistant’s job to answer customer queries all day long. At any one time, he would have queues of people waiting to ask questions and they were often ready to let off steam about something that had gone wrong! My friend saw that the assistant was consistently calm and happy, answering each customer in turn without getting flustered or overwhelmed. My friend managed to strike up a conversation with the shop assistant and asked him his secret. The shop assistant told him that meditation helped him to stay focussed and centred so that he could be present and serve each customer to the best of his ability.

This is an inspiring story that points to something important: we always have a choice about who we are going to be at work, regardless of our job. We have all met wonderful people cleaning floors and people who are not so wonderful who have amazing jobs. So whatever your job, how do you bring love to work?
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The Four-Day Workweek: Pros and Cons

Melanie Brooks 6th April Office Life 3 Comments

When you know a three-day weekend is just around the corner, do you try hard to tie up loose ends during the week so you can enjoy it? I know I do. When you get back to work on a Tuesday, doesn’t the rest of the week seem to fly by? Wouldn’t it be great if you could have a four-day workweek every week? You can!

When faced with a short workweek I know I am more productive during business hours. Here are some other benefits:

People have more time to spend with their families.
Employees save money on commuting to and from work.
The business saves money on energy costs.
Studies show that employees with a four-day workweek are more productive and happier overall.

But there are drawbacks, too. Working 10 hours a day isn’t for everyone.

When thinking about creating a four-day workweek, people tend to think about how great it will be to have more time away from the office rather than how increasing their workday by two hours may affect them and their families. Less time in the day outside of work means less time for running errands on your workdays.
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How to Enjoy Your Job

Sarah Nagel 4th April Your Job 5 Comments

Do you get a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach every Monday morning? Are you counting down the days until the weekend? If “TGIF!!!” is your most frequent Facebook status update, there is a good chance you secretly despise your job.

I interviewed Joanna Penn, author of How to Enjoy Your Job… or Find a New One! for practical advice on transforming an unfulfilling job into a more satisfying experience. As a business IT consultant for the past 12 years, she knows all about “cubicle life” and how hard it can be. In her book, she draws on extensive research as well as her own personal experience to help others find enjoyment at work.

One of the most common complaints people have about work is boredom. How can people cope?

First, you have to decide on the “why” behind what you are doing. If your job is a career, one you want to invest in and pursue long-term, then you must take charge of your own self-development. Be an active participant. Ask questions and volunteer. Take extra courses that you can to add to your resume and use as a networking opportunity. Most companies have some kind of budget for training and education, so be proactive and ask. You are your own best asset and you need to be responsible for developing yourself.

You may also have to get out of your comfort zone in order to challenge yourself. One of the biggest jumps I made in my early consulting career was when someone more senior got into trouble and was laid off. I volunteered to take his place at the client site the next day, and I had to work really hard to stay one step ahead but I certainly wasn’t bored any longer!

If this job isn’t what you want to be doing long-term, then boredom may be something you have to put up with short-term, but don’t get into a routine of accepting it. Set your target for when you want to be gone from that position and work towards that goal
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6 Ways to Rise Above Workplace Politics (and Emerge Unscathed)

Jen Smith 21st February Your Job 10 Comments

Air Cav infantry Soldiers compete in company challenge

Unless you have always worked by yourself, you are likely to have come across office politics in one form or another. When you think about it, it is just another way of describing human relationships. It’s not surprising that workplaces usually have some type of politics — especially when the nature of many jobs means you don’t get to choose who you work with. So how do you rise above workplace politics and yet still save face?

From observing my own and other people’s behaviour, I have noticed that it is possible to navigate workplace politics and come out smiling. It is not always easy, and it takes practice but there are mindsets and behaviours that make it easier to do.

1. Treat Others As You Want To Be Treated

Gossiping is the fuel for workplace politics. Gossiping means that things are not dealt with directly and can be very damaging. Whatever has been said is usually distorted as it is passed around, whether intentionally or not. Be direct and deal with things professionally. Try not to gossip — and if someone tells you something, don’t pass it on. You can let your co-workers know (verbally or by your actions) that you don’t want to engage in gossip. This can be hard initially but once people see that you mean what you say, they will respect you for it. At the end of the day, we all view life through our own unique and subjective lens; try and see the bigger picture. This doesn’t mean that you can’t be understanding to your co-workers, but there are always two sides to any story. I have seen people swallow up everything that is said to them and turn on other people as a result. Take a step back and try and be objective — it will help you to keep a professional distance and avoid being pulled into politics yourself.
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Keyboard Cleaning Tips

Melanie Brooks 23rd December Office Life 5 Comments

Have you ever looked at your keyboard? I mean…really looked closely at it? Dirty keys and stuff stuck between them? Gross.

When was the last time it was cleaned? Maybe never? Whether your answer is “never” or “not since forever”, you should clean your keyboard regularly — and here are some keyboard cleaning tips on how to do it both effectively and safely.
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Secret Santa 101: 5 Great Rules to Gift By

Mike Vardy 1st December Office Life 6 Comments

Well, December is here.

As the year comes closer to an end, the current atmosphere around the workplace falls somewhere between ultra-stressed for some and collective relief for others. It’s more likely that if you’re reading this post you’re feeling more of a sense of accomplishment, mixed with optimism for what’s to come — and perhaps a little dash of regret as well. To that end, the holiday season has begun, and if your office is like so many others you’re holding a piece of paper with someone’s name on it that reminds you as much.

That’s because you’re their Secret Santa.
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