Category Archives: Random

Office Ignorance: How is it slowing you down?

Posted on by jesskry
2

Interoffice mail. Fiefdoms. Committees. Lack of technical knowledge. Sound familiar?

Traveling through my work day recently, I realized that a lot of time and money are spent on making things right after someone goes about their business ignorantly. Sometimes, its not their fault: they dont know how to set up a new printer profile, hire an outside vendor or how people get certain campaigns set up. They just didnt know better or have the skills to figure it out on their own. But, thats not their fault – or is it?

When does ‘Office Ignorance’ become more than just a nuisance? When it costs money? Maybe someone screws up big time, in an obvious way and they get canned or have their budget stifled. But what about the larger resource we all lack: Time.

Can and should people of all statures be held accountable for taking the time to figure out how things work? When does is stop being your problem and become theirs? The truth is, it doesnt. You have to have a fantastic poker face, carry on and ‘get-r-done’. This can take a toll on even the best of us. The most people savvy employee will reach their boiling point.

Then what? Do you lose your best and brightest because they just cant deal with inconsistencies and lack of planning? Even worse, they stay, continue to appease you and become complacent never pushing the envelope for creativity. This benefits you in the short term, but in the long run defeats the purpose of hiring great people. You also do yourself a disservice by never learning how the company ‘machine’ works – making you less of a prospect should you try to find another job.

But should employees rock the boat? How do  you deal with Office Ignorance creatively? Has it ever caused you to rethink your current situation?

Are you Truly Linkedin?

Posted on by jesskry
1

linkedin4I dont think I am. I mean, I have about 300 connections. My resume is live, updated and downloadable. I update my status and add a badge to my blog, etc. I’m a member of several groups and interact here and there on the forums. But somehow, I feel that there is a greater potential to the medium that eludes me.

Perhaps it’s all in the investment of time: most of my social media time is spent in Twitter and Facebook – where many of my ‘connections’ also are. Linkedin is usually the last thing on my list, that is, until it counts: job searching. But like everything else, I fear that leaving Linkedin to fend for itself until I  need it may be a greatly squandered opportunity.

Conversely, in my work, I’m not sure how the university is using Linkedin or how to really push it beyond the obvious alumni connections – which most schools do pretty well outside of this service. Since a lot of these type of connections really matter more in person – or for us social networkers, in content sharing services – how much of Linkedin can we build upon both opportunistically and as a practitioner?

I’m thinking of doing something monthly, such as reaching out via a connection for an introduction to someone else in the field I’m pursuing. Maybe asking someone for another recommendation. I’d like to be more active in the forums.

How do you use Linkedin? Do you let it live on its own till you need it or do you integrate it into your life just like your other top social media activities?

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The Bright Side: 5 Ways to Turn a Bad Work Day Around

Posted on by jesskry
4

It happens: so much to do, so little time. Maybe someone deflated your balloon with their negativity. Perhaps you’ve been feeling like you’re spinning your wheels trying to implement 90 billion things and are frustrated. Its no secret that we all have bad days, and mine was yesterday. But as the old adage goes ‘life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you deal with it.’

So, what to do when you’ve just had it and feel the anger/frustration/sadness rising in your body? Here’s what got me through, and gets me through.

1. Talk to someone you work with and can trust. Sure we can all bond together and commiserate but no one really gets what its like at your work place except those who work there. I’m not saying to talk to anyone who’ll listen, but be smart about who you choose to have a ‘session’ with. Get it all out. Find out whats really irking you. I find that usually something else comes up that I had no idea was bothering me. Its OK to turn this into a bitch session: better you get it out than take it out on someone.

2. Put things into perspective. Has a final decision been made? Will this change anything in the long run? Can you find a way to put a positive spin on this no matter how hard it may be to take? Take time to think about what you can actually do to make the situation better for all involved. Never lose sight of the final goal. Basically: be humble.

3. Chill Out. Seriously. Its not the end of the world, no matter what it is. From choosing a vendor, to losing your job, there is always a bright side. The hard part is finding it and accepting it. Take a walk. Get a coffee. Remove yourself from the situation for a while and take a few long deep breaths. The worst thing you can do is get worked up over something and let it affect your professionalism and interactions with colleagues. Don’t let something stupid or otherwise unpleasant make you appear less than what you are.

4. Talk honestly, unbiased and politically with the powers that be. Let them know how you feel in a soft but respected way. Put it out on the table and then be done with it. Have points and reasoning in a casual conversation. Don’t belabour the topic in a whiny I-want-my-way tone. If you can have this conversation in this way – which is a skill in itself in some organizations, I know – then you’ll diffuse the tension everyone feels and be able to move forward in a positive manner.

5. Never – ever – take it home with you. Just like they say couples should never go to bed angry, I feel employees should never leave work with it heavy on their mind. I’m not saying you don’t think about work, the TON of work you have sitting on your desk or to not respond to emails via handheld. I’m saying save the drama for your mama. Don’t walk out the door – and into your home life – with that heavy anger or frustration. You cant solve it at home, why unload it there?

If all else fails, run/walk/bike/row/kickbox it out. :)

How do you deal with frustrations in the work place? Do you have a person you can talk to and know they wont use the vulnerability against you?

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