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Embarrassing Moments at Work: How to Recover

Robert DiGiacomo | Yahoo! HotJobs — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:30:00 -0800

Years later, I still remember that sinking feeling, just after I'd hit the Send button after writing an email complaining about an editor.

My worst virtual fear was quickly confirmed: Yes, I had sent my bit of snark to the editor instead of my friend--and no, the editor wasn't amused.

Although he initially refused to work with me again, he eventually accepted my apology, and we developed a strong working relationship.

Know when to apologize

Taking responsibility is the way to go when you've committed such a faux pas, according to Alexandra Levit, the author of "New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career."

"You must make it right by acknowledging the email," Levit says. "Apologize in person and say that you acted in anger. If it's part of an ongoing issue, ask what you can do to improve the relationship between the two of you."

But knowing when to respond to a workplace embarrassment--and when to move on--is key to handling these awkward moments.

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Know when to ignore the incident

Whether the problem is a snarky email, a wardrobe malfunction, or an office romance gone wrong, some things really are better off left unsaid.

"If there's nothing you can do to make it better, by and large it's better to ignore it," says Barbara Pachter, a coauthor of "New Rules @ Work: 79 Etiquette Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Get Ahead and Stay Ahead." "When you bring it up, you're drawing attention to it."

When John, 45, then a junior employee at a publishing company in New York, accidentally hit "reply all," with his sarcastic comments about a director being a cheapskate, he first tried to recall it. That didn't work, so he (wisely) did nothing.

"I never did get called to the director's office, and I never did hear about the e-mail," he says. "I spent the next six months avoiding the guy, but I didn't get fired."

This do-nothing strategy holds true for situations triggered by social media, such as when an unflattering photo of you surfaces on another's feed.

"I wouldn't address these personal details unless directly asked by a colleague, and most people won't ask if it's a sensitive matter," Levit says.

Next Page: What about office romance? →

What about office romance?

Discretion also works if you date a coworker, but sometimes it's impossible to keep such interactions private.

For example, Gigi's coworkers at a Seattle ad agency knew all about her relationship with a fellow employee because it was a very social office. After their breakup, they continued to hang out with the group.

"As long as you're not working for that person, and it's not interfering with work, it's nobody's business," Pachter says.

Prepare for wardrobe malfunctions

Perhaps nothing can be as mortifying as getting a stain on your shirt just before a big meeting, or realizing your zipper was down when you bumped into the big boss in the hallway.

Krystn, a fundraiser for a nonprofit organization in Philadelphia, still remembers the start of her first job for the wrong reason. The fabric on her "professional" blouse didn't breathe and she was nervous -- a bad combination when being introduced to colleagues.

"I had huge sweat stains, and was trying to shake people's hands without moving my arms--and they could see," she recalls.

To avoid these types of scenarios, keep a spare jacket, stain remover, and sewing kit on hand if you can.

Otherwise, you have the choice of acting like the problem's not there--or acknowledging the elephant on your shirt by making a joke.

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"If you can have a good line, it will usually break the ice and then people can ignore it," Pachter says.

One the flip side, if you notice a colleague has one too many buttons undone or an unzipped fly, say something.

"You have to be upfront and discreetly say the fly is undone," Pachter says. "If you can save someone embarrassment, please do."

This article was originally published on Yahoo.HotJobs.com

More From Hot Jobs:

• 5 Job Skills That Can Hurt Your Career

• 6 Common Resume Questions Answered

• Making a Transition Job Work for You

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Answers to The Office Emergency Quiz

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:31:00 -0700

AdminSecret created The Office Emergency Quiz to help you learn the skills you need to survive if a disaster strikes your workplace. We listened to our users' feedback and are providing the answers so you can learn from the quiz.

h4. Don't cheat! If you haven't taken The Office Emergency Quiz, go take it first.

See answers on the next page...

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1) Does your office have a disaster plan?

a) Sure - Correct answer!

b) I’m pretty sure we don’t

c) Not that I know of

Having a plan (and more importantly, practicing that plan) will help your office deal with a disaster calmly, quickly, and efficiently. The more you plan the less panicked and confused you'll be when a situation arises.

2) When was your last office fire drill?

a) Within a few months - Correct answer!

b) In the last year or so

c) We’ve never had one

3) Power’s out! You should use:

a) A candle

b) A flashlight - Correct answer!

c) Whatever’s handy

You should avoid using candles in case of an emergency because if there has been a gas leak an open flame can spark a fire.

4) Know where the office emergency alarms are?

a) Sure - Correct answer!

b) Not yet

If you know where the alarm is ahead of time you won't have to waste valuable seconds looking for it in case of an emergency.

5) And do you know who your emergency coordinator is?

a) Yes - Correct answer!

b) No

c) It’s me! (also correct!)

Every office needs an emergency coordinator to make sure that evacuation procedures run smoothly.

6) You should always be aware of:

a) Two escape routes

b) The fastest escape route

c) Both - Correct answer!

You should always know how to get out of any room quickly and also have an alternate route in case your main one is blocked.

7) In an evacuation, your first priority should be:

a) Shutting things down

b) Gathering my personal belongings

c) Getting out quickly - Correct answer!

If an evacuation situation arises, leave the building as quickly (and safely) as possible. Do not stop to gather your personal belongings or shut your computer down, as these actions will only slow you down.

8) To avoid smoke inhalation, you should:

a) Hold my breath

b) Bend down - Correct answer!

c) Take shallow breaths

Smoke rises, so the clearest air should be near the floor. Bend down and head for safety.

9) In the event of a tornado, the best place to hide is:

a) Outside, in a courtyard or parking lot

b) Near an outer wall, for protection

c) As far inside as possible - Correct answer!

Shield yourself from the destructive force of the tornado by putting as much building between you and it as possible

10) You suspect a fire and your office door is hot! You should:

a) Open it as fast as I can and run out

b) Get away and use another exit - Correct answer!

A hot door means a raging fire on the other side. Don't open that door.

11) If you get covered by debris, you should:

a) Tap on something - Correct answer!

b) Shout for help

c) Try to get out

Shouting for help can clog your lungs with dust and trying to get yourself out can bring the whole pile down on top of you. Tap rhythmically on a pipe or wall until you are found.

12) Does your office have a designated meeting place?

a) Yes, it’s outside the building - Correct answer!

b) Yes, it’s a safe place in the building

c) Yes, but I’m not sure where it is

d) You mean the conference room?

Your meeting place should be outside and away from the building to avoid chaos and obstructing emergency personnel.

Thanks for taking AdminSecret's The Office Disaster Quiz, and we hope you've learned how to help keep yourself safe!

How to Make Friends in and out of the Office

Jeff Hindenach | AdminSecret — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:51:00 -0700

When we were younger, making friends was easy. School provides us with an instant pool of people our own age that we interact with on a daily basis, who are in the same boat we are. But once we leave college and enter the real world, finding friends can be a more difficult task, especially if you have to relocate for a job.

Whether in or out of the office, you are dealing with a myriad of ages, interests and personalities. So how do you sift through it all to find true friends? Here are some tips on how to make it happen.

Make Yourself Accessible

At the Office: The workplace can be a hard place to approach people. Cubicles are isolating by nature, which makes it hard to interact with your coworkers. Make an effort to show you’re a friendly person. Decorate your cube. Engage in office banter. Ask coworkers how their weekend was. Any excuse to interact with your colleagues will help show them that you are willing to make the effort to be friends.

Out of the Office: When you aren’t at the office, you don’t have a direct pool of people to interact with. The entire city is a pool of possible friends. The best approach is to simply be approachable. Be friendly. Smile and say hi as people pass. Strike up a conversation in the line at the grocery store or the bank. The friendlier you are, the more people will want to interact with you.

Next: Take a Risk (or Two) >>

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Reach out of Your Comfort Zone

At the Office: You can’t sit in your little bubble and expect people to approach you. You are going to have to handle some awkward social situations before you can find your work BFF. Take every invite to go out to lunch, even if you’ve brought your own. Attend every work happy hour. If your coworkers want to sing Love Is a Battlefield at karaoke, get up on stage with them. You need to show you’re a team player if you want to be included in their reindeer games.

Out of the Office: If you continue to go to the same bars or same places to eat, you are going to keep running into the same people. Branch out. Take a class. Start shopping at a different market. Go to a movie or dinner alone, or grab a drink by yourself. Strike up a conversation with the bartender. If you have social anxiety, and strangers scare you, try starting small, like chatting with the Starbucks barista you see every morning.

Find Common Interest

At the Office: If your office has groups or clubs for employees, it could be the perfect way to meet coworkers with similar interests. Join the company gym. Volunteer for the company’s philanthropy efforts. Or even start your own group at the office. Finding coworkers with similar interests guarantees that you have something to bond over that’s not just work.

Out of the Office: No matter what city you are in, there are people who share your interests. Find the local groups of your interest. Love to bowl? Join a bowling league. Enjoy a good book? Find a book club. Are you an avid runner? Get into a running group. Finding smaller pools of people also allows you to interact with people in a closer, more personal way.

Next: Organize Something Fun >>

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Try Unconventional Methods

At the Office: If you have tried the subtle approach and nothing is happening, try taking charge of the situation. Invite some of your coworkers out for a happy hour. Organize an after-work movie night. Find a good excuse to get some of your coworkers to hang out in a social setting.

Out of the Office: If social settings aren’t working for you, take your search online. Some local sites can offer ways for locals with similar interests to connect. Dating sites can also be an excellent way to make friends. And you could even find a significant other during the process.

Making friends can be a trying experience, but all you need is one new friend to help you branch out and find more. Remember, in general, people are friendly, you just need to make the effort to get to know them.

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How to Refer a Friend for a Job

Nealeigh Mitchell | Excelle — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 10:25:00 -0700

Finding a job is no easy task. Thankfully you’re employed, but it’s hard to watch your buddy network, scour job boards, send updated resumes, and… still not get a single call back. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could nudge her through the door at your company with a glowing reference? Definitely!

But beware, oh gracious pal. Putting in a good word for a personal friend may seem harmless, but it’s a leap of faith that could affect your friendship and career.

Before you even consider referring a friend, make sure your motives are in the right place. Sure, you’d love to help her out and earn loads of karma points. But there’s a lot at stake. Consider this before tossing your friend’s name in the hat.

Get the Facts

It’s a lot harder to give honest input about a friend you’ve never worked with or who’s previously worked in a different field. Make sure you have a rough idea of her experience level and work ethic before you help your boss try to fill the position. Just because your friend’s a great shopping buddy and a good listener does not make her a professional, competent employee. Does she meet all of the prerequisites and will she be able to handle the job description? She’ll understand your need to probe and appreciate you giving her the best shot at getting hired.

Next Page: Companies Love Referrals →

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Referrals Do a Company Good

If you’ve done the research and feel she’s qualified for the job, by all means, refer her. Recommendations from current employees are a highly trusted and effective source of new hires. According to Career Xroads Sources of Hire 2010 report, 27% of all external hires were made via employee referrals. And employers are wiling to thank those who bring in quality talent with a hefty reward. You’re not only saving your boss the stress of searching out new talent or helping your friend pay her bills. You’re lining your pockets too!

If You Can’t Say Anything Nice…

Sure, those potential perks make you feel good, but they aren’t reason enough to go to bat for someone not worthy of a reference. At times like this, it pays to go with your gut. Ask yourself some basic questions about your friend’s desirability.

Is she reliable? Does she have strong work ethic? Is she hotheaded? Does she play well with others? Does she gossip? Did she deserve to be fired from her last job? Will her last employer not write a favorable reference? If you answered “No” to most of these questions, rethink serving as a reference. A true friend will understand your hesitation.

Be Professional

How you go about referring your friend is just as important as why. While you may feel comfortable chatting up your boss over a cup of coffee, it’s best to take the professional route and get it down on paper. Even though a character reference isn’t as standardized and formal as a typical employer reference, you don’t want your boss’s first impression of your friend to be a hastily-written, sloppy blurb about how “good she is with her kids.” Make an effort — and improve her chances of getting hired — by constructing your letter around positive attributes that translate for the job’s qualifications. Because your employer knows you’re essentially trying to sell your friend, back up your high opinion with specific events or circumstances that demonstrate these qualities.

Next Page: Set Your Expectations →

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Be Realistic

Make it known that just because you put in a good word doesn’t mean she’s a shoe-in for the job. She’ll be expected to go through the entire application process, including submitting resumes and interviewing. It’s still up to the employer to make the final decision, so encourage her to take the application process seriously. Offer to help edit her resume or practice interviewing.

Remember, referring a friend can make or break your career — and your friendship.

In the best case, your boss will be grateful you saved her the time of sifting through hundreds of resumes. You’ll earn points for handing her a superstar on a silver platter.

In the worst case, your friend drops the ball by being completely unreliable and an ineffective worker. Your employer can’t help but question your trustworthiness. There goes your reputation and possibly your friendship.

So take the time to seriously consider whether your friend is a good fit for the company. Then get to bragging or letting her down easy by offering to help out in other ways.

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Beware! Bosses Can Check Your Text Messages

Eve Tahmincioglu | CareerDiva.net — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 10:25:00 -0700

Let’s face it, most employees use their company-issued pagers, phones, laptops for personal reasons sometimes. It’s just the way life is now — the lines between work life and personal life are becoming more and more blurred as workers seem to be working round the clock these days.

But if you do use these devices for a message or text you want to remain private you’re out of luck. That’s the message the U.S. Supreme Court sent today when the justices unanimously ruled your boss can snoop, even if your manager tells you it’s okay to use such devices for personal reasons.

The case the high court ruled on involved a cop, his wife and his mistress.

Jeff Quon, a California SWAT sergeant, was given a pager from his employer, the Ontario Police Department. He was later found to have used the device not only for work but also for pleasure, often sending sexually explicit text messages to his wife and his mistress.

Quon’s employer found out about his personal use of the pager after an investigation looking into excessive texting at the department.

Quon cried foul and took the department to court. His case hinged on the fact that his commanding officer told him he could use the device for personal matters if he just paid for the overage charges. The sergeant took this arrangement as an expectation of privacy; and a lower court found in his favor.

In Quon’s case, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that the officer had a reasonable expectation of privacy because he paid for the overusage charges on his pager, and the police department had lax procedures for auditing employee messages.

Even though Quon’s case is about public employees, and the lower court’s decision was based on the Fourth Amendment — which guards against unreasonable search and seizure by the government — private employees were also expected to be affected if the Supreme Court did not uphold the lower court’s ruling, Ann Hodges, professor of law at the University of Richmond, told me in April.

Next Page: Read More →

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That means this ruling could impact U.S. workers from all walks of life who are typing away dirty, or embarrassing messages on a company-issued laptop or PDA right now.

The court found that Quon’s messages were not private and could be viewed by department officials.

This from the
Chicago Tribune:

A public employee has at most a “limited” expectation of privacy when using a text pager supplied by a police department, the justices said.

“Because the search (by the police chief) was motivated by a legitimate work-related purpose, and because it was not excessive in scope, the search was reasonable,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote.

Michael McGill, a lawyer for Quon, called the ruling a setback for employees everywhere.

“It is a very bad opinion. They are chipping away at the constitutional rights of employees. It means privacy rights are very limited,” he said.

Kent Ashland, a lawyer for the city of Ontario, said the ruling vindicated the actions of the police chief.

“This says what they did was reasonable in light of the circumstances,” he said.

Bottom line: think before you text, or just hand that little technological bundle of joy back to your boss if you can’t control yourself.

This article was originally published on Careerdiva.net.

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How to Avoid Gossip and Stay Popular

Nealeigh Mitchell | AdminSecret — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:58:00 -0700

Gossip is and will always be a part of the work environment. Whether it’s during a quick chat over a morning cup of coffee or a marathon session at
happy hour, we’ve all started or repeated a rumor about someone in their absence.

In fact, employees gossip up to sixty-five hours a year at work, according to a July 2002 survey by Equisys. That’s a lot of time wasted around the water cooler.

Counterproductive gossip and its contagious effects drain people's time and energy, destroy morale, and stifle creativity.

Unfortunately, the rise of social media and interoffice technology is making it easier to start a rumor. You don’t even need to rally an audience. A harmless IM can spread around the office like wildfire and have serious consequences. But it’s not always so innocent. Some people plant rumors just to sully someone’s reputation and get ahead.

So what are you to do? Can you get ahead without joining the conversation? Is it so wrong to want to feel included, even if it comes at another’s expense? Besides, if it's not her, it could be me, right? Wrong. You can survive and thrive without maligning relationships and alienating others.

Here's how to
deal with gossip without crippling your career.

Next Page: If Your Coworker is a Gossip →

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If Your Boss or Coworker is a Gossip:

Let's face it. Gossip is rarely frowned upon. In fact, depending on the company’s culture, many offices actually encourage it, especially if there's an insecure boss at the helm. When employers keep secrets from employees, and employees keep secrets from one another, before you know it, the entire office is riddled with backhanded conversation, backstabbing, and conniving.

People are so preoccupied with “he said, she said” banter, they lose sight of the bigger picture: a hard day’s work. When gossip is used as a way to climb the organizational ladder, relieve pressure, or deal with change, it’s difficult to escape. So how do you avoid jumping on the rumor mill wagon without alienating yourself?

Zip Your Lips — Once the gossiper starts tempting you to take part in the chat, refuse to play by saying "I'm not comfortable talking about that." But remember, even if you're simply listening to the gabfest, you're still egging the offender on. You're only innocent if you don't participate at all.

Turn the Tables — Most gossips try to stay on top of the grapevine to keep attention off themselves. Flush out their insecurities by asking them personal questions about their own love lives, interests, or problems. They may change their ways once the scrutiny is on them.

Trust No One — Women's job satisfaction tends to skyrocket when they work in a cohesive, nurturing environment. But don't be fooled. You may have developed lasting friendships, but if it comes to a coworker choosing between loyalty and job security, which do you think she'd pick? If you feel the need to complain, get with friends who don’t work for the same company.

Demand Straight Talk — If your
boss or coworker gives you honest feedback, there’s no need to involve a third party or have to go on the prowl for information. A good leader is transparent and direct, even at the risk of being hurtful and harsh. This goes for employees as well. Your boss is not a mind reader — voice your concerns. Don’t resort to whispering in the restrooms!

Next Page: If You're a Gossip →

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If You're a Gossip:

We gossip to position ourselves above others. But you almost always look bad discussing someone else’s shortcomings. People see you for what you are — an insecure tattletale hiding behind others. And by the way, no one is exempt from being talked about. Not even you.

Plus, your loose lips could easily sink your chances of advancement. No boss is going to promote someone who appears to enjoy telling tales. But you can be in the know without talking behind someone’s back.

So what do you do if you're part of the problem?

Stop — Bad habits can be unlearned. So why should you? Being known as the water cooler girl kills your credibility. People will come to you for useless info and nothing more.

Become Trustworthy — Confidentiality is king in any business. If your boss doesn’t think you can keep a secret, you’re less likely to be privy to significant info that affects the organization. If you can't hang with the movers and shakers, how will you get up the ladder?

Refocus Your Skills — You’ve proven you can hold an audience and tell a good story. Why not use your powers for good? Use your social skills to build alliances and relationships that help the business rather than tear it down.

Understand Your Emotion — Ask yourself why you are participating in the mudslinging. Are you dissatisfied with your job? Are you jealous? Self awareness helps you understand what’s behind your words and may prevent you from saying something you’ll regret.

Use Your Words — When you withhold info from a coworker to spare her feelings, the truth can fester and potentially blow up at the most inopportune time. You may use the inside scoop as a weapon if she gets on your nerves down the road. Honesty is the best policy.

If You Play, Play Smart — If you absolutely must take part in the gossip, keep it light and tactful. Never say anything you wouldn't like seeing sent around the office with your name attached.

Next Page: Why Not Stop the Gossip? →

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Why Don’t People Stop Gossiping?

Why don’t workers recognize their gossip’s harmful effect on office productivity? And if they do, what keeps them from putting a stop to it? Gossiping is a vice because it seems like a victimless crime. You don’t always see the effects of your hurtful words.

Controlling your mouth is even more difficult when your job is on the line. With job security as a number one priority, gossip often becomes fair play if it means getting a leg up on the competition. Here are a few other reasons why cubicles remain breeding grounds for rumors:

Lack of Awareness — One of the biggest reasons gossip is so pervasive in offices is coworkers aren't aware they are even taking part. Office babble has become such a natural part of the workday that people fail to see the repercussions. If you need an excuse to fill the dead air, talk about your weekend and not who you saw doing what with whom.

Payoff — Gossip is a socialization process that binds people together, even if it's in a malicious way. Being part of the "in" crowd (sound like high school?) and having some tidbit to add to the powwow gives a sense of inclusion. And if you're part of the clique, ahem, team, you're more likely to be picked for projects and promotions. Unfortunately, sometimes it's not what you know or even who you know, but how much you know about others that can give you an edge (at least in the short term).

Rationalization — Corporate cultures are more cutthroat than ever. People are made to feel that gossip is a necessary evil and you must be manipulative to survive. You either use it to your advantage or become a victim.

Fear — Many coworkers engage in gossip either to look good or avoid looking bad. You're either doing the talking or being talked about. If you unexpectedly withdraw from the conversation, you could be seen as a tattletale or traitor. Is it worth the potentially alienating side effects? Yes.

Good Intentions — Is it gossip if you tell everyone that Janie from accounting is going through a divorce? Were you trying to hurt her reputation or just chewing the fat? Intent doesn’t matter. Once it’s out of your mouth, you have no control over how your listener relays the message. Don't be the source and you'll have nothing to worry about.

Gossip is not easy to escape. And it’s not all bad. It can help build friendships, build teamwork, and even help new hires get acclimated with the company culture. Plus, some gossip’s worth hearing as long as you resist passing it along. But that’s where it gets tricky.

The best advice is to steer clear of any negative conversations about someone who is out of earshot. That way you won’t feel guilty about participating in the gossip grapevine or attract people who enjoy cutting others down. Instead, foster an environment where people feel comfortable talking out in the open about their ideas and opinions. Then there will be no need for gossip in the first place.

Source: Games at Work, Mauricio Goldstein

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Top 10 Things College Taught Us About Life

Adam Starr — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:15:00 -0700

1. Dorms

College is a time of extreme freedom but, let’s face it, not everything about college screams unfettered space. Students don’t usually have a lot of extra money and that means that their personal space is limited. In fact, the average college student has bunked down in a dorm room. According to the 2000 census, about 2 million students were crashing in dormitories or residence halls. The 2010 census is not yet complete, but expect to see those numbers balloon with an increase of college attendance coupled with a recession keeping people out of the labor market and in school.

As we all know, dorms are crowded, often messy places. They teach us that sometimes it really is time to do that laundry and take out the garbage. Sure, your mom isn’t nagging you, but your roommate sure is. Dorms force us into close confines with strangers, they teach us to adapt to new environments and to interact with myriad personalities in tight quarters. Proper dorm etiquette will prepare you for your first real job where you will spend most of your time in small spaces with a variety of people. Whether you are in a very collegiate start-up environment or a corporate cube-farm, your dorm room will have prepared you to share limited resources like: bathrooms, refrigerators, and common areas with people that you didn’t necessarily choose yourself.

Next Page: Drinking →

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2. Drinking

Like in college, the modern professional is presented with plenty of opportunities to have a few pints, pitchers, or cocktails after work. Unlike your fraternity pledge master however, your work supervisor will find it much less entertaining if you show up for the job late, hung-over, or generally unproductive. Sure, you could order that last call drink on a Wednesday night… but Thursday morning will come awfully fast and you won’t have the option of just skipping this class. Save big nights for the weekend, and definitely avoid keg stands at all company parties - even if your inverted shot gunning skills are the pride of Iowa.

Next Page: Social Networking →

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3. Social Networking

Good news, all that time you spent on AdminSecret, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter can actually help you get a job. Your relationships have loads of potential to get your resume in front of the right people. Knowing a lot of people and, more importantly, being respected by a lot of people is a huge part of modern professionalism. Since many jobs are never even posted, candidates can only find out about internal opportunities by tapping into their personal networks of extended connections. This means that your friend’s dad’s college roommate can totally help you get a job at their company. In bad news, it also means that your profile has the double-edged potential to keep you eternally unemployed. As you can imagine, pictures of you sloppily engaging in suspect activities is not the best first impression you can make with potential employers.

Next Page: Boredom →

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4. Boredom

At college, as in life, we occasionally become bored with the task at hand. Maybe we don’t really care about how igneous rocks formed when magma cooled intrusively or extrusively, or why the answer to this math problem is theta instead of cosine. The important thing to remember about boredom is that it’s temporary. While not entirely uncommon, boredom does not define the entire experience, nor should it derail you from focusing on goals. Boredom is just a symptom of any long-term activity. We entered college because we knew that a degree would give us an advantage in a competitive job market and because we wanted to learn and explore a variety of subjects and fields. Sure, we were occasionally required to take classes we didn’t particularly like or find interesting, but we didn’t quit because that would have prevented us from reaching our goal of graduation. Likewise, you will be bored on occasion in your professional existence, but, like in college, you will persevere. If you quit a job or dropped a class every time it failed to captivate, you would never get anywhere.

Next Page: Debt →

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5. Debt

Not everything we learn in college is fun. School is expensive and working part-time doesn’t exactly cover all the bills. Nationally, about 66% of students who graduate with a Bachelor’s degree do so with $23,000 dollars in student loans. In the credit card department, the average senior carries a balance of more than $4,100 dollars. Unfortunately, 20% of students matriculate with more than $7,000 dollars charged against their little plastic pals.

So what’s the good news? Debt is a fact of life for nearly everybody at one point or another. Don’t panic, you aren’t the first person working as a barista with a $30,000 debt over your head. Student loans were an investment in your future and as such should be looked at over the long term. Pay as much against them as you are comfortable with each month without overextending yourself. Credit cards, on the other hand, are a dangerous convenience and unlike federal student loans don’t play nice with regulated lower interest rates. Pay the cards off aggressively and don’t spend money you don’t have in your bank account (except in emergencies). While not enjoyable, going into debt in college gives you plenty of practice at handling your own finances outside of the subsidized cocoon of Mom and Dad.

Next Page: Autonomy →

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6. Autonomy

Do you want to eat pizza and Cheetos every night for dinner? Feel like sleeping till noon and ignoring that alarm? Going to a concert instead of finishing some homework? Guess what— nobody is going to stop you. College, like life, affords you incredible amounts of autonomy to make your own decisions outside of the hegemony that your parents exuded. This is a good thing right? Yes, autonomy is a perk of adulthood. But there’s a flipside: the consequence of total freedom is total responsibility. If you forget to finish an assignment you’ll fail, if you fail to finish a project at work you’ll be fired. Ultimately, just remember what Uncle Ben told Peter Parker (Spiderman) before he expired: “With great power comes great responsibility.” Can you drink a gallon of Mountain Dew at 5 a.m.? Probably. Is that the best use of your free agency? Probably not…

Next Page: Vacation →

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7. Vacation

Free time is precious. This is not something that we really learn until college graduation approaches. In kindergarten we went to school for a half a day. The next 12 grades only held class 180 days a year, which left over half of every year where you weren’t in a classroom. Summers were months-long leisure marathons, interrupted only by school schedules with generous holiday breaks peppered throughout the calendar. In college these sprawling vacations began to disappear. Sure, you still had the benefits of summer, but as you got closer and closer to graduating that free time began to evaporate. Increasingly your free time was spent looking for a job to pay for that new apartment, or that semester abroad, or your new car. By junior and senior year everybody was strategically scrambling to fill his or her free time with internships.

Then you graduate and this expanse of free time disappears like gossamer blown to dust. Once you do land a job you will have nothing closely resembling this languid academic schedule. You will work 40+ hours a week, every week. There is no such thing as summer; there is only a season when it is hot outside your office. There is no spring break; spring break was a final parting gift of childhood granted to college students. There are no three-week breaks for the holidays. “Christmas break” becomes a 24 hour event. For the first couple years of your professional life you will probably only have two weeks of vacation that you can take over the entire year. That is 10 days. Use them wisely, vacation is precious, enjoy it studiously.

Next Page: Problem Solving/Critical Thinking →

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8. Problem Solving/Critical Thinking

Guess what, you went to college to learn how to think critically and analytically. Sure, some of us are engineers and molecular biologists and we took classes on things that we are going to need to apply in our professions. But lots of us studied Philosophy and English and, while a few of us may become philosophers and novelists, the great many of us will not be employed in the exact field of study that was our major. Does that mean we wasted our time? Absolutely not. College teaches us to think critically, to challenge tired assumptions, to revaluate our frame of reference, and to recalibrate our inquisitive lens. We graduate not knowing more than we do know, but we leave university with the confidence and the tools to locate those answers that elude us. If we leave college with the ability to think critically than that is the sign of a successful university experience. Your boss is probably not going to ask you what year Phillip II sent the Spanish Armada to attack Elizabeth I, or what economic motives incented this attack, but at least you know several ways to discover and package that information in a succinct and professional manner.

Next Page: Writing/Communication →

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9. Writing/Communication

Every single person in every single job needs to have a basic ability to communicate in the written medium. Whether we are engineers, or chemists, or marketing managers, we need to be able to express ourselves cogently on paper. Email has quickly become the medium of choice for corporate correspondence. It is a professional necessity to be able to articulate your objectives in a clear and organized manner. While most of us won’t be writing too many academic treatises out in the Real World - we will be required to write compelling cover letters, resumes, thank you cards, and all of the communications that make up our professional existence. You don’t have to be a wordsmith to be able to hammer out effective written documents. College gave us ample opportunity to practice our messaging, and it’s a fortuitous thing that it did, you’ll be using those writing/communication skills every day.

Next Page: Breaking Up →

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10. Breaking Up

In many ways, college, like breaking up is about starting over. College is about change, about leaving your comfort zone, exiting the nest, redefining your environment, learning new skills, meeting new people, building new relationships. Breaking up, in college as in life is a catalyst that engenders the novel over the mundane. In both circumstances you will be constantly forced to try new things, to learn new skills, to move to new cities, countries, and towns. Like breaking up with a familiar and comfortable past, it isn’t always easy to do, sometimes it is your choice, your initiative, other times it is not. One day you’ll be typing away at your desk and checking your fantasy football scores and the next you’ll be giving your key card to the HR lady. Sometimes you aren’t that into work and sometimes work is just not that into you, either way, occasional breakups are inevitable.

College teaches us to be adaptable. To rebound quickly on and off the intramural court. College, like breakups remind us that it is perfectly normal to go from we to me, from popular to alone, from expert to novice. When you move away from home you breakup with your childhood. When you graduate, you breakup with the schedules and rhythms of the classroom. Congratulations, you made it to graduation, you don’t know everything yet but you know where to find it and you know that it’s okay to learn as you go. And speaking of starting that entry-level career… have you applied here lately?

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6 Bathroom Etiquette Tips for the Office

Jeff Hindenach | MediaBuzz — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:27:00 -0700

You spend eight-plus hours at work every day, so you can assume that that nature will call at least once during your day. Besides your desk, the office bathroom is where you might spend the most time during the workday.

Since you spend so much of your day there, the office bathroom should be a comfortable, approachable place. Make sure you are following these basic workplace bathroom etiquette rules to keep the experience pleasant for all your co-workers.

Don’t Talk on Your Cell Phone

Nothing is more awkward than when you hear the toilet flush when you are on the phone with someone. Not only is this rude to other people in the bathroom — it’s also disrespectful to the person you are talking to. Your bodily functions are private, so please keep them that way.

Wash Your Hands … Every Time!

There should never be any excuse for not washing your hands after using the bathroom. This is a hard and fast rule, especially in the business world, where you could be shaking many hands during the day. In addition, you are spreading germs throughout the office. Since you share this space with your coworkers, do everyone a favor and wash your hands.

Next: The Urinal Is Not Chat Time >>

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For Men: The Urinal Is Not Chat Time

It doesn’t matter how close you think you are to the person or how important the conversation is, you can wait until you are out of the bathroom to talk about it. Besides the fact that you are both exposed while at the urinal, most people aren’t comfortable having a conversation while urinating. Keep the office gossip confined to the water cooler.

Make Sure the Toilet Paper Is Stocked

No one wants to be stuck on the toilet and realize there is no toilet paper. If you use the last of the toilet paper, it's up to you to make sure it's either replaced or that other bathroom users are aware of the lack of toilet paper. If you personally can’t replace the toilet paper, contact the office manager (or whoever is in charge of restocking) to alert them of the situation.

Next: Don't Make Yourself at Home >>

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This Is Not Your Personal Bathroom

There is no reason to do your grooming routine at work when you can do it at home. The work bathroom is never the place to shave or cut your toenails. And it goes without saying that you should not be bringing reading materials into the work bathroom for an extended stay, especially if stalls are scarce.

Keep It Clean and Fresh

Treat the bathroom as if it were your bathroom at home. Keep it clean and fresh for the others who use it. If you create an odor, be courteous enough to spray air freshener for the people who will be using it after you. If you splash water all over the sink, clean it up. If you drop toilet paper on the floor, pick it up.

Using a communal bathroom can be a difficult experience if people don’t know how to share properly. Keep these tips in mind when using your workplace bathroom and hopefully you will save your coworkers from bathroom-related anxiety.

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How to Speak More Assertively

Christina Macres — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:21:00 -0700

If you deal with daily meetings and interactions with coworkers, you know just how important it is to speak assertively. But what exactly does “assertively” mean and how do you speak your mind without coming across as rude? These are important questions, as communicating effectively — not to mention politely — is pivotal to your professional success. The last thing you want to do is alienate coworkers (or clients!) with in-your-face boldness. As Don Draper once said,

“…Keep it up, and even if you do get my job, you’ll never run this place. You’ll die in that corner office, a mid-level executive with a little bit of hair who women go home with out of pity. Want to know why? Cause no one will like you.”

And Draper’s advice is spot on; no one responds well to a bossy coworker and being rude is definitely not the way to win a promotion or in-office respect. Remember when asserting yourself or your ideas, your main goal should be to gain and give respect. How? We suggest focusing on confidence instead of assertiveness. You’ll find that a confidently presented idea or viewpoint will get you far and will garner you more respect in the long run.

Show Confidence

The best solutions come out of problems. A healthy discussion and even a disagreement can be very beneficial, especially in the work space. It means both sides are passionate and want the best for the company. But in order to communicate effectively you must show confidence in yourself and your ideas. Confirm this confidence with the correct body language, meaning you should face coworkers when speaking. Remember that while it’s perfectly fine to refer to notes, the majority of a conversation or presentation should be spent making eye contact – both when you are speaking and (even more importantly) while you're listening.

Next Page: Exhibit Leadership Qualities →

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Exhibit Leadership Qualities

Part of speaking in an assertive manner is demonstrating leadership skills. When you are assertive in a conversation, you are leading that conversation. But don’t use this as a time to be condescending. Steer clear of using big words in an effort to deliberately impress people and try to avoid making coworkers feel defensive. Think about your approach, delivery, and what you want as a result of your conversation.

Be Specific and Clear

Part of speaking to people is, well, speaking to people. To avoid miscommunication, speak clearly and stay on topic. If you are curious or need clarification about something, ask. If you are feeling frustrated by a coworker’s solution or point-of-view, for the interest of a win-win situation, try to look at the big picture and, if you must, excuse yourself from the conversation altogether. The quickest way to lose respect in the office is to let your emotions take over your professionalism. Being kind and courteous should always win out over your efforts to be right.

On that note…

Say Exactly What You Mean

No one likes to listen to someone drone on. Often, the more you say, the less is heard. Keep things specific, use facts, and be conversational — not confrontational.

Listen — REALLY Listen

When you're talking, show coworkers that you hear them and that you understand. Most times, people just want to be heard. Prefacing your comments with a rephrasing of their last statement will both put them at ease and make them more open to listening and understanding your stance and possible solution.

Don’t Feel Guilty for Being Assertive

It’s more than okay to stand up for yourself, your ideas and opinions. Being assertive is in fact very important when communicating with others, not to mention coworkers. Practice, assess the situation, and use confidence to emphasize rather than provoke. Remember, in the end, it’s respect you seek.

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10 Body Language Blunders

AdminSecret — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:47:00 -0700

It doesn't even matter what you say if your body is saying something else. And sometimes body language mistakes people don't even know they're making can hurt relationships at work or at home. To protect yourself and your career from a harmful communication breakdown, check out the following mistakes and be sure to avoid them.

1. A Closed Body

Whether sitting or standing, your body should be loose and open. Do not cross your arms. Do not cross your legs. While you may think it conveys a sense of ease, studies have shown that a people read a closed body differently: they subconsciously think you have something to hide.

What's more, you're missing a golden opportunity to send a positive signal. In keeping your body open and your arms spread a little more widely than your torso, you offer your counterpart a "mock hug". You don't want to actually hug them (that could be mistake #11!), but this visual cue of a hug antecedent sends the right signal.

NEXT MISTAKE

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2. Clenched Fists

Clenching your fists can create two problems.

First, the closed body issue (#1): closed hands are just like closed bodies.

Second, you could make some people think that you're short-tempered and ready for a fight. You don't want your interviewer or client to think you're about to hit them.

While clenching for many is just a nervous habit, it's one well worth training yourself to avoid. Force your hands open to send positive signals and convey a sense of being at ease with yourself and the conversation.

NEXT MISTAKE

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3. The Handshake

The handshake is your first chance to make a non-verbal impression. To begin with, you should endeavor to be the first to offer the handshake. You don't want your arm flying up wildly in a desperate attempt to be first. However, when someone new comes in and says your name (usually as a question) extend your hand and reply.

When the handshake begins, make sure you extend your arm without fear. If there is any hesitation on your part, you'll end up shaking fingers.

Aim for two pumps. Many more than that and your handshake partner will see you as exceedingly nervous (or that you're trying to rip off their arm).

Keep your hands dry. No one likes to reach out and touch someone if they've got clammy palms. Don't clench your fists. This will make your hands warm and build up sweat. If that's not enough, wash your hands regularly (drying well) or keep a tissue in your pocket.

NEXT MISTAKE

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4. Posture

Unfortunately, teachers no longer make students walk around with books on their heads. While this may be great for students now, most of them will have poor posture a few years down the road.

Bad posture gives off an air of timidity or sloth. A person sitting in a chair, slouching, does not project confidence and determination. It's like your body saying, "Whatever," in response to every question.

Put your shoulders back, suck your stomach in. Try to find a more upright way of sitting that still feels somewhat comfortable.

NEXT MISTAKE

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5. Brow Furrowing

You hear something interesting. You think hard about something. What do most people do with their face? Furrow their brows. Unfortunately, this is also the facial expression for scorn or bewilderment. While their may be subtle distinctions, no one will pick up on them in a thirty-minute encounter.

To avoid this tic, try opening your eyes a little wider each time someone says something interesting or asks a question that makes you think. A positive action in response to a habit reduces the tic's occurrence more than just trying not to do anything does. In addition, opening your face up subconsciously invites people into your thinking, rather than scaring them away.

NEXT MISTAKE

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6. Shifty Eyes

Though it may be a myth of history, many people believe that Richard Nixon was defeated by John F. Kennedy in the first televised presidential debates because of Nixon's eyes. Kennedy had a natural television presence. Nixon, according to many viewers at the time, had eyes that seemed shift and unfocused. The lesson: make eye contact and rarely break it.

This doesn't mean you can't blink (it would be even worse if you didn't) and you can glance down from time to time. But looking your interviewer directly in the eyes says, whether fairly or not, "I'm honest and have nothing to hide."

NEXT MISTAKE

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7. Aggressive Nodding

When you agree with someone a natural reaction is to nod. When you're a little nervous, people tend to exaggerate that. But when you answer yes to a simple question, you shouldn't look like you're having a seizure.

A fast, repetitive nod says that you're nervous. A slow, short nod utilizes body language to emphasize something important, the point of agreement. It also shows that you're not eager to please, you just happen to please (and happen to be the right match).

Points of agreement are magic moments, you don't want to ruin them by creating a hurricane with your head.

NEXT MISTAKE

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8. Fidgeting

If you think a good strategy is to seemed bored, fidgeting is the way to go. If, on the other hand, you want to be perceived as engaged and interested, stop.

The best way to avoid this is to know yourself and how you fidget.

Don't:

Tap your foot

Twirl your pen

Doodle

Pick at your nails or cuticles

Twirl your hair

Rub your hands together incessantly

Tap your fingers on a table

NEXT MISTAKE

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9. Wild Gestures

It's natural to try to communicate with your hands and arms when speaking. Just don't get carried away. Only use your body language for emphasis when you really want to accentuate a point.

One of the worst gestures you can make is to point. No one likes being pointed at or having a finger wagged in their face.

Better ways to use your hands?

The Karate Chop. Hand flattened with one or two gentle downward movements.

The Bill Clinton. Former President Bill Clinton was a master of communication. Clinton often emphasized his points with his hands, but he seldom pointed. Instead, he made a fist then moved his thumb over his index finger. He was still pointing, but with just the nub of his thumb extended, it was not aggressive like a full index finger is.

NEXT MISTAKE

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10. Distraction

Of course you don't want to seem distracted in an interview or client meeting. But not coming out behind isn't the same as coming out ahead. Potential distractions should be seen as an opportunity to convey your professionalism and focus.

Someone accidentally comes into the meeting room? Continue looking at your target and stop speaking until the person excuses himself then resume speaking like nothing happened. Don't even mention it. You are so focused on what's important, nothing can distract you.

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On the Job Tips for New Admins

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 10:27:00 -0700

Based on lessons I picked up over the years either from other administrative assistants, my bosses or from trial and error. Here are my top six things I would recommend you do well as a new administrative assistant:

1. Write it down

When your boss asks you to do something, write it down, send yourself an e-mail reminder or put it on a sticky note, but if you don't write it down it will get lost and probably not get done. You may think you have a good memory and why bother, but there will be so many little things come across your desk that it is easy to forget and writing it down is a good habit to get into. It also eases your boss's mind when they see you write it down, it gives them confidence it will be taken care of.

2. Bring Forward System or Using Tasks in Outlook

Have a system to follow up on items your boss has asked you to do or things you know you need to do. This can be as simple as having hanging file folders marked from January to December and then you just put items in the appropriate month that you need to bring forward for your boss. I put a sticky note on it, or write, the day I will need it, i.e. bf Dec. 15. I love this system and at the end of each day I go through my folder and pull out what I need for the next day. I also use Tasks in Outlook to follow up on electronic items. If I send someone an e-mail asking for something, I drag and drop the the e-mail into my Tasks and set a reminder for when I want to follow up. It is easy and I never lose track of things.

3. E-mail

Always ask yourself why you were copied on an e-mail. Is there an action that you need to do? Is it for your information or something to put in your tasks to do later? My boss will sometimes cc me to keep me in the loop of what might be coming up. I read it and either put it in my tasks to follow up on it or take the appropriate action. I have daily meetings with my boss so sometimes I print the e-mails that I have questions on and put it in a folder and then we go through each item and he lets me know what, if anything, I need to do. If he is traveling for business, I send it by e-mail, but it has been my experience that I will get better results with a face-to-face meeting. He can ignore e-mails, but it is hard to ignore me :)

When you are copied on an e-mail, read the whole message, don’t just skim it. There could be a message for you. i.e. My boss will send an email with a cc to me and on the last line or buried in the message he will write something like “I have copied Patricia to set up a teleconference at a mutually convenient time.” So it is important to read the whole message.

If you are sent an email with a request to do something either asap or later, did you do it or have you written it down to do it later? Do you track your e-mails by either putting them in folders, or in your tasks? If your boss has to continually go back and ask did you do this or that, then they may as well have done it themselves in the first place.

If you have been asked to do something and don’t fully understand what is expected of you, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Sometimes e-mail is not the best way to communicate and it needs to be followed up by a phone call or face-to-face short meeting.

Next: Letters and Phone Calls>>

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4. Letter mail

OUTGOING MAIL: If you are given a letter to finalize for your boss's signature, make sure you put the correct date on it and read it over for grammar, spelling and punctuation. Print it on letterhead with the appropriate sized envelope and ensure if there are any enclosures, they are attached. Put it in a folder for your boss’s signature in completed form, i.e. envelope clipped to letter and attachments. If you are waiting for attachments, but need to have it signed because your boss will not be in the office by the time you get the attachments, prepare it for him or her for signature and put a sticky note on the letter to remind yourself to attach enclosures or make copies for anyone you are copying on the letter, but also to let your boss know you know it needs to be done and have reminded yourself to do it.

If you are sending the letter by regular mail, courier or registered mail, make sure you have the proper postage, courier slips or forms filled out. I usually put a sticky note on it for that as well.

INCOMING MAIL: As with e-mail, you should read the letter to see if there are any action items for your boss (or yourself) and diarize them or put the appropriate dates in the calendar.

MAIL LOG: Keep a log of mail that comes in and goes out. For incoming mail, if your boss delegates it to someone else to respond to, put who it was sent to and what action is to be taken in the mail log and then follow up to make sure it has been done.

5. Telephone

Always work with your boss on what their preference is for taking calls and messages, but here are some things that have worked for me. Do not let a caller know where your boss is. Just say that they are unavailable and take a message. If they say it is urgent take their name, telephone number and purpose of their call and tell them you will give your boss the message as soon as possible. If your boss is away from the office on business or vacation, it is all right to say they are not in the office, but you can take a message for when they return. The information will normally be in their out-of-office assistant already, or on their voicemail so it is appropriate to give the information, unless stated otherwise by your boss.

If a person calls to speak to your boss, and you are responsible for taking their calls, ask for their name and telephone number, but I always ask them for the purpose of their call. If they do not want to give it, that is fine, but at least you can say to your boss that you asked.

If a person calls wanting a meeting with your boss, ask for their name and telephone number and the purpose of the meeting request. Let them know you will need to check with your boss and will get back to them. I always ask my boss if he wants to have a meeting with this person or would a teleconference be sufficient. Sometimes your boss will pass this on to someone else to do or not want/or be able to meet. You will then need to get back to the person. Never say your boss doesn’t want to meet with them, but rather that they are unable to meet with them and would they like to leave a message with your boss. Sometimes if you know your boss does want to meet with a particular person, you can go ahead and schedule it for them at a mutually convenient time and e-mail your boss to give them a heads up it is in their calendar.

6. Drafting a letter

If your boss asks you to respond to a letter on his or her behalf, draft it as if your boss was going to sign it, i.e. have it set up properly with the date (or [Insert Date]) and the address correctly filled out and then either send it by e-mail or print it for his or her review. Draft it to the best of your ability and include the letter you are replying to when you give it back to your boss, so he or she knows the context of your reply.

A good rule of thumb in writing the letter is to acknowledge the letter you are responding to, i.e. Thank you for your letter of [insert date]. Then state the purpose of the letter, i.e. We are pleased to enclose the requested forms and would ask that you fill them out and return them at your earliest convenience. Then end with a closing sentence i.e. We look forward to serving you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Have the letter properly signed off with a closing such as Yours truly or Sincerely yours and put your boss’s name and title below that. If the letterhead has the name of the organization on it you do not have to repeat it again under the name and title, unless that is your boss’s preference.

If your letter goes to page two, do not leave the signature line on its own on the second page. Take some text over with it, but you still want the first page to be centered and look good.

Keep names together, i.e. if a name gets split at the end of the sentence i.e. Edward
Smith. If you press Control, Shift and the Space bar after Edward and type Smith. They will stay together on one line.

If the letter has multiple pages, number them, i.e. .../2 at the bottom of page 1 and -2- (centered) , or Page 2, at the top of the next page, and so on.

Eyeball the letter for appearance and proofread it for accuracy. Do not rely solely on Spell Check. If you say you have attachments, make sure they are there and indicate at the bottom of the letter that you have enclosures. Some organizations like you to list the attachments, i.e. Enclosure: 2008 Annual Report.

If you are copying someone on the letter, make sure you send them a copy. If you are blind copying someone, make sure that name is not typed on the original letter, as the intent is that you do not want the person to know you are sending a copy to someone else. [cc = courtesy copy; bcc = blind courtesy copy].

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World's 5 Best Business Travel Tips

Christina Macres — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 14:43:00 -0700

Whether traveling for business is an everyday occurrence, an occasional hindrance, or a lifelong dream, all business travelers can agree that if your job calls for travel, then being an efficient traveler is a must. We’ve got the five tips that will make your time en-route more productive and less stressful.

#1 Know Which Airlines Offer Premium Economy

Why? Because if your career has you traveling often, suffering though coach accommodations (or lack thereof) can grow tiresome. A weary traveler makes for a weary worker. If you’re fatigued and sore from an uncomfortable flight, chances are you’re not going to be at your most productive.

Don't think management is going to spring for business class (let alone first class)? The good news is nowadays there’s another option — premium economy.

Somewhere in between coach and business class lies a leg rest and a seat that reclines a little further, not to mention a fast-track boarding pass and better food and entertainment options. Of course amenities vary based on airlines, so make sure you do your research before purchasing your ticket.

Airlines Now Offering Premium Economy Include:

• Air Canada

• Air France

• Air New Zealand

• Air Transat

• British Airways

• Frontier Airlines

• Japan Airlines

• Mexicana Airlines

• Spirit Airlines

• United Airlines

• Virgin America

• Virgin Atlantic

• Virgin Blue

#2 Get the Best iPhone Apps for Business Travel

Technology is your friend when traveling in and out of time zones, through strange cities, and around new surroundings. Make use of all your iPhone has to offer with these necessary business travel apps.

JetSet Expenses

Say goodbye to the days of lost meals and mileage receipts. JetSet has 15 different expense categories, as well as a hotel and rental car database and photo storage of receipts and it even works with Google Spreadsheet or Excel. Click here for the app.

SpeakEasy Voice Recorder

From voice memos to everyday reminders, having a full feature-recording studio right on your iPhone can come in handy when on the go. Click here for the app.

Trapster

Useful for the business traveler and the everyday commuter, Trapser alerts you of speed traps and red light cameras. And since the app is free, traffic tickets won’t be the only things you’ll be saving money on. Click here for the app.

Lonely Planet

Get the most out of your travel (to any city) with the Lonely Planet app. From restaurants and entertainment to useful commuting information, this app will make travel productive and enjoyable. Click here for the app.

Babelingo

International travel can cause mental havoc and pronunciation nightmares. Save face and brain cells by using this translation app. Just plug in your phrase, then present it to your recipient for fuss-free communication. Click here for the app.

Next Page: Know the Airports With Wireless

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#3 Know the Airports With Wireless

Knowing where you can access fast, dependable Internet becomes very important when work must be completed in-between travels — sometimes between flights! Stay at your most productive and catch your flight by knowing which airports have reliable wireless connections. Check out this link: Wireless Internet Guide to 219 US Airports to get the 411 on airport wireless you can count on.

#4 Keep Up On Mental and Physical Health

A job that keeps you on the road probably keeps you out of the gym. But studies have shown that not taking care of your body properly only promotes a bad work ethic in the long run. Eating healthfully and finding ways to work in a workout or two give you more energy for traveling (and who doesn’t need that!) and serves as an escape from travel and work-related stresses. Your best bet? Check out your hotel’s fitness center or take part in a walking or jogging tour of your destination city. Some airports even have walking programs for those waiting for flights. And, if you’re really curious you can take a look at the airline food calorie guide, but beware — those numbers can get scary.

#5 Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Traveling from country to country might be a great way to fill a passport, but it's a terrible way to save the environment. Use these proven ways to reduce your carbon footprint (for free!) next time you’re away on business.

• Choose green accommodations. Websites like the International Ecotourism Society make finding eco-friendly lodging easy.

• Shop local. When in a new place, really enjoy all that the region has to offer by gobbling up the locally-sourced produce.

• Reuse your sheets and towels. You don’t wash your sheets every night in your own home, why have the hotel waste water washing linens that aren’t dirty?

• Choose a hybrid. When possible, rent a hybrid instead of a gas-guzzler. You’ll make the environment and your wallet a lot happier.

Just remember, traveling for work can be extremely rewarding. Employ these tips to make the most out of your travels and make your cubicle dwellers even more envious!

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Guidelines For Texting Your Boss

Jodith Allen | Administrative Arts — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:03:00 -0700

While perusing the many blogs that I follow, I saw this blog post on LifeHacker about the etiquette of texting your boss. It started me thinking about how much technology has changed during my career and how we respond to it as Administrative and Executive Assistants. Using text messages is a good example of technology that we can embrace.

Like all technology, though, texting can be good and bad. You need to have guidelines to follow when using texting to contact your boss. Some of the questions/guidelines I can think of would be:

•Always ask the boss if texting is acceptable. Some digital plans charge extra for text messages, so make sure his plan covers it.

•If your boss is using a company provided phone, make sure you know the company policy about texting. There may be guidelines and limitations on use of text messages.

•Have guidelines for when texting is appropriate. For instance, use texting when you need to contact your boss urgently, but she is in a place where she can’t answer her phone. If the issue isn’t urgent, then perhaps e-mail is a better method of contact. Discuss this issue with your boss.

•Regardless of the way you use text messaging in your personal life, avoid using text slang when sending text messages at work. First, not everyone understands text-speak, and “4” and “ur” just look completely unprofessional. Spell out your words.

•Regardless of what the survey says, you should NEVER ask for a raise by text message. Seriously.

Since this is an area where few guidelines tend to exist, what do you think? What guidelines do you think are needed for texting the boss?

This article was originally published on Administrative Arts

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How to Throw an Awesome Office Birthday Party

Vicki Santillano | Divine Caroline — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 10:38:00 -0700

My first glimpse of an office birthday party was via the movie Office Space, when the corporate drones stand awkwardly around the cake and sing “Happy Birthday” to their boss in monotone voices.

Flash forward seven years: the first company I worked for as a recent college grad had its monthly birthday celebration, and I had an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. There wasn’t anyone named Milton complaining about a lack of cake, but the fumbling attempts at small talk and the clumsy passing around of sheet-cake slices were one and the same.

Why is it that, wherever you work, office birthday gatherings have the same atmosphere of awkwardness? We see these people every day, and yet the situation feels different when we’re holding small paper plates and plastic forks. Is it the guilt that eating all that sugar and butter provokes? Is it because the personal quality of birthdays feels odd in a professional environment? Regardless of the whys, I think there are ways around the awkwardness—if you’re willing to break a few office birthday party rules, that is.

Next Page: No More Singing! →

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No more singing “Happy Birthday.”

Let’s be honest: does anyone really enjoy this tradition? Everyone mumbles along because no one wants his or her voice to stand out, and the person with the birthday forces a smile and looks at the ground until the song’s over. Unless your office is filled with karaoke superstars who love belting out “Happy Birthday,” perhaps it’s time to nix the song from birthday gatherings. Maybe everyone should just clap and call out their birthday wishes when the candles are blown out.

The birthday person shouldn’t have to cut the cake.

Who came up with this one? If it’s your birthday celebration, you shouldn’t be expected to do the grunt work. Plus, no matter how you cut it, the first slice is always too large for everyone and is sure to get comments like “Whoa, that’s way too big!” and “I only want half that amount!” Who wants to get criticized for cutting his own birthday cake? Have the person in charge of HR draw names out of a hat to see who gets cake-cutting duty each time, or if someone in the office volunteers to be the official cake cutter, more power to her.

Next Page: Cake Free-For-All! →

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Make it a cake free-for-all.

At my first office job, I was the receptionist and therefore almost always the cake cutter. It was my responsibility to hand out slices to coworkers, though I never understood why. If I simply put them on the table instead, people would be free to pick up a plate if they wanted to. This approach also eliminates the awkwardness of declining a piece and having someone ask loudly, “You don’t want cake?!” Just arrange the plates on the table, and the people will come—albeit hesitantly, since no one wants to be the first to go for cake.

Think of it as a nice break from work.

I still can’t figure out why office workers’ gathering to enjoy afternoon dessert is so synonymous with awkward chats. I suspect events like these create a sense of forced intimacy because they center on people’s birthdays (people we don’t necessarily know that well). But if you focus on what birthday gatherings really are—a reason to leave your cubicle for a few minutes and catch up with office mates—then it seems a lot less uncomfortable. And when you act more at ease, people around you will, too.

Next Page: Combine Celebrations →

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Set aside one day a month for staff birthdays.

Unless you have a very small staff, honoring everyone’s birthday individually could become tedious and costly. I’ve only worked in places that reserved a day to celebrate the birthdays that fell within a given month, and that usually worked out well. It also makes the occasion less pressure-filled, which falls in line with the “break from work” mindset I suggested previously. This might not work for every company, as some people who genuinely like having their special day honored. But it doesn’t hurt to suggest the change and see how people respond.

If someone doesn’t want his or her birthday celebrated, don’t make it mandatory.

Not everybody likes birthdays. Not everybody enjoys being the center of attention, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Rather than forcing people to celebrate, give them the opportunity to bow out via their HR representative. You can still have cake day, but don’t guilt someone into standing in front of the group if she doesn’t want to.

Next Page: Don't be a Debbie Downer! →

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Don’t be the office grump.

Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine railed against the office cake-centered celebration after her coworker commented, “I think it’s nice”? She cried, “What is nice? Trying to fill the void in your life with flour and sugar and egg and vanilla? I mean, we’re all unhappy. Do we have to be fat, too?” Don’t be Elaine and ruin it for everybody else. If you’re asked to break from work monotony in order to eat a piece of sugary, buttery deliciousness, that’s hardly something to complain about.

In my experience, employees usually warm up as the celebration goes on, either because the sugar high’s putting them in a better mood or because the most awkward parts—the singing and the cake cutting and distribution—are at the beginning. Perhaps if we tweak tradition a little with regard to those aspects, that scene from Office Space won’t be such a fixture in corporate culture. Of course, maybe your office birthday party experience is different, and everyone sings heartily and dives happily into the cake. If that’s the case, don’t change a thing—you’re living the dream!

This article was originally published on DivineCaroline.com.

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Featured Author: DivineCaroline

At DivineCaroline, you’ll be spending time with women who embrace the fact that life isn’t always easy or beautiful or fair. Our dream is to give you a place to come together to express yourselves. What brings you joy. What breaks your heart. Makes you giggle. What pisses you off. Confuses you. Entertains you. What keeps you strong. Check them out here!

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8 Ways to Mind Your Office Manners

Allison Ford | Divine Caroline — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:07:00 -0700

It seems like there’s one in every office … one person who engages in baffling, inexplicable, or sometimes downright rude behavior. There’s the woman who talks on her cell phone in the bathroom every day, the man who microwaves noxious leftover fish, or the girl who leaves her personal papers on the copier glass.

Work is the place where we spend most of our time, but we don’t really get to choose whom we spend that time with. Some coworkers are courteous and fun, while some are so obnoxious that we tell stories about them years later, like my boss who used to have his briefcase messengered to his house because he was too lazy to carry it on the train.

Most people at any place of business are just trying to do their work and get through the day with the minimum amount of drama. To ensure that the water-cooler conversation stays focused on last night’s episode of Lost and not on you, avoid these cringe-worthy behaviors.

1. Don’t Trash the Kitchen

When everyone shares common areas, such as a kitchen, it’s everyone’s responsibility to keep them tidy. So don’t be the person who leaves dishes soaking in the sink, leaves crumbs all over the counter, or allows last week’s lunch to sit in the refrigerator and turn into next week’s science experiment. If your office has a dishwasher, there’s no excuse for leaving utensils out on the countertop. Unless you enjoy receiving notes about your sloppy habits from your ticked-off colleagues, clean up after yourself.

2. Leave Your Personal Life at Home

As long as your office permits it, it’s natural to take a few personal calls during the workday, or to occasionally use the shared printer to print out a recipe or an interesting article from the Internet. Just don’t make your cubemates listen to extended phone conversations with your spouse, or litter the equipment area with printouts of your vacation pictures and faxes from your doctor’s office. To your coworkers (and your boss), it can seem as if you spend more time on personal business than you do actually working.

3. Don’t Make Yourself at Home

Every office has its own level of formality and its own set of unspoken rules of decorum, but some things are non-negotiable. It may be okay to toss off your stilettos while you’re working at your desk, but don’t walk around the office barefoot. The dress code might be casual, but that doesn’t usually expand to include pajama pants or Crocs. Don’t pick your teeth with a business card or clip your nails at your desk, either. Even in a casual office environment, there are some things people just don’t want to see.

Next Page: Stay Off the Cell Phone →

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4. Mind Your Cell Phone Manners

If you need to take or make an extended call on your cell phone, either step outside or go to a quiet area so that your coworkers aren’t distracted by the conversation. Also make sure to keep your phone’s ringer set to quiet or vibrate. Nothing’s more annoying than having to listen to someone’s phone play a “Love Shack” ringtone over and over because she’s in a meeting and can’t answer it.

5. Stay Home If You’re Ill

Everyone appreciates dedication, but if you can’t make it through the day without coughing, wheezing, sneezing, or retching, just stay home. Not only can it be distracting to spend all day listening to the sounds of illness, but no matter how much Lysol you spray around your desk, you’re bound to leave some germs around, and your coworkers don’t want to get sick. Not everyone has the ability to take time off for each little sniffle, but when you feel genuinely rotten, do everyone a favor and take a sick day.

6. Be Brief in the Bathroom

While few people would object to their coworkers’ flossing after meals or touching up makeup before leaving for the day, the bathroom is not a place to hang out in interminably. It’s not a place in which to have private conversations with another coworker, engage in plucking, tweezing, or other kinds of personal grooming, or make personal phone calls.

7. Try Not to Interrupt

It’s great to be friendly with your coworkers, but everyone has a job to do, so it can be irritating to be " target="_blank">constantly pinged with email forwards, bombarded by personal conversations, invited to look at pictures of someone’s new baby, or deal with other non-business-related interruptions. People do tend to naturally socialize at certain times of the day—like first thing in the morning, during lunch, and at the end of the day—so try to bond with your team during these moments when people are most likely to be up for a conversation. Constant interruptions can make your coworkers view your adorable-animal videos as mere annoyances.

8. Deodorize

I once worked in an office where the kitchen featured a large sign warning, “DO NOT REHEAT FISH IN MICROWAVE.” Apparently, people were tired of experiencing the accumulated smells of a floor’s worth of lunches. Odor travels in an office, and your coworkers will appreciate any efforts not to overwhelm them with any of your personal scents. If you fancy a midday workout, make sure to freshen up before you return to your desk—and dousing yourself in perfume or cologne won’t cut it, since many people are more bothered by those scents than they are by gym funk. You may enjoy keeping fragrant flowers at your desk, but your neighbor with allergies could find them a nuisance. And while what you bring for lunch is a personal decision, know that if you insist on microwaving swordfish fillets, chicken curry, or last night’s liver and onions, you may not receive many invitations to dine with your coworkers in the break room.

The office isn’t so different from any other public space—if you exercise respect and discretion, there’s no reason why everyone can’t get along just fine. As long as you refrain from discussing last night’s party at your desk, your coworker will be more likely to keep her cell phone quiet—in theory, that is. There will probably always be one person who scratches inappropriately and can’t remember to get his dishes out of the sink, but as long as you follow these words of advice, at least it won’t be you.

This article was originally published on DivineCaroline.com.

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6 Ways to Ask for a Summer Vacation

Hamsa Ramesha — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:06:00 -0700

Feel like the four dreary walls of your cubicle are closing in on you? Time for a summer break! Whether it's a relaxing cruise, an exotic island getaway, or a sandy beach adventure, it's high time you got out of that lifeless cubicle and away from the dreariness of your nine-to-five office life.

Worried your workload will keep you from some summer fun? If you follow these practical dos and don'ts, you'll find yourself out the door before you know it!

Dig out your swimsuit and grab that bottle of sunscreen! We'll help you get around an overbearing boss, angry coworkers, and looming deadlines so you can get the sunshine you deserve.

1. Do Ask in Advance

The fastest way to get shot down when asking for time off is asking at the last minute. Your boss is a busy person, with a lot on their plate. Why not make your boss's job easier, (and show how considerate and responsible you are) by asking weeks — or months — in advance? Not only are you doing yourself a favor, but your manager will appreciate the heads up and can plan accordingly. They’ll have the time to consider the request fairly … and you'll have the added bonus of having plenty of time to try again if you're denied.

2. Don't Mention the Fun Factor

Just because you're planning a vacation doesn't mean you have to advertise it. Making a big deal of your upcoming trip might not just distract you from doing your work — it might even irritate your coworkers as well. Don't act like you've started your vacation early! Nobody wants to hear you go on and on about your impending trip to the Bahamas when they're going to be stuck at work.

3. Do Emphasize How Much You Deserve This Break

Vacations are statistically proven to boost employee productivity. For once, the math is on your side! When asking your manager for time off, point out how hard you've worked this year and be prepared to talk in detail about projects you've worked on, if necessary. If this is the first major vacation you've taken in a long time, don't hesitate to mention it. By emphasizing your hard work thus far, your employer will realize the benefit of having you come back refreshed and recharged to do even more great work.

Next: Don't Leave Loose Ends >>

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4. Don't Leave Loose Ends

Have you wrapped up your end of the big team project? Got someone to cover your daily tasks? Designated a point person to handle any questions while you're gone? Leaving work left undone and coworkers hanging is a big mistake — one that will annoy your coworkers and make your manager think twice the next time someone wants to go on vacation. Manage your responsibilities yourself and make sure you're covered. There's nothing more inconsiderate than a someone who leaves work for colleagues to finish.

5. Do Get it in Writing

You politely asked your manager two months ago if you can take a vacation. You did everything right and got approval to go. But now your trip is a week away and your boss has no recollection of the conversation. Should've gotten it in writing! When you go in to ask for time off for a few months down the road, get your boss to put it in writing — either on paper or in an email. That way if they back out at the last minute — or simply forget the conversation — you have tangible proof that you weren't making it up!

6. Don't Feel Guilty

It's easy to feel like you're being a lazy employee if you want to skip town for some fun. But you shouldn't. Don't feel bad for taking time off! After all, your vacation days are yours to do with as you please, and what's the point in wasting them by feeling bad about it? Instead, channel the focus you have at the office into having some serious fun! Work hard, play hard.

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10 Ways You're Annoying Your Coworkers

Steve Berman — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:52:00 -0700

Everyone has something (or someone) that annoys him or her at work. It could be faulty equipment or coworkers who don’t pull their own weight. But nobody’s complaining about you, right?

Not so fast. Even though your mom, friends, or significant other may worship the ground you walk on, there could be some people you work with who are far from your biggest fans. Your dirty jokes may be a hit at home, but that doesn’t mean they sit well with Nancy in accounting.

Here are 10 things that you might be doing to annoy your coworkers — consider changing your ways before it’s too late!

Annoyance No. 1: (Loud) Personal Calls

It might sound insensitive, but nobody wants to hear about your kids getting sick or how angry you are with your husband. Nor do they want to be in on your weekend ski trip plans or that embarrassing thing your friend did at the bar last night.

Even innocuous subjects should rarely be discussed at length on the phone within earshot of coworkers. Personal information can make others feel uncomfortable, and constant chatting on the phone about non-work subjects can make you look like someone who isn’t getting their work done. If you must make a personal call, it’s best to leave your desk and make the call in a closed conference room, take it outside, or wait until your shift is over. Leave the work phone for work conversations only.

Next: No. 2: A Messy Workspace >>

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Annoyance No. 2: A Dirty Desk

Soda cans. Coffee cups. Assorted papers and office supplies. Leftover food. We’ve all seen these things pile up on an office slob’s desk, and some might wonder — whom does it really harm?

Actually, it can bother people more than you think. If your desk is so cluttered that your mess infringes on a coworker’s workspace, it’s attracting flies, or you’re losing or soiling important documents, you’re going to get a reputation as sloppy, immature, and incompetent — not a good trio of characteristics!

Annoyance No. 3: M.I.A. Employee

While everyone else is busy plugging away at their computers, you’re never anywhere to be found. You’re either taking a long lunch, on one of your many breaks or calling in sick (again). While nobody wants to see you chained to your desk, your empty chair can symbolize something you don’t want to be associated with: laziness.

You might think it’s nobody else’s business, but that’s the thing about work — everything is everyone else’s business. People are constantly comparing themselves to their peers and superiors alike, and will grow to resent people who don’t seem to be putting in a full day’s work. Wondering if people notice how often you’re outside taking a smoke break or leaving early? Stop wondering. They notice.

Next: No. 4: Kissing Up >>

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Annoyance No. 4: Brown-Nosing

Perhaps even worse than the M.I.A. employee is the person who blatantly tries to outshine everyone else at every opportunity. Taking credit for someone else’s work, throwing a coworker under the proverbial bus during a meeting, and making disingenuous flattering compliments to the boss are all ways to make your coworkers resent you.

While you need your superior(s) to know you’re a valuable asset to the company, it’s best to be subtle and let the quality of your work speak for itself. Give credit to coworkers when it’s due, don’t tattle on others unless absolutely necessary, and keep those compliments on the boss’s tie to a minimum. Otherwise, you might be doing more harm than good.

Annoyance No. 5: Amateur D.J. Hour

Let’s get this party started! Everybody loves it when you turn up your speakers and regale everyone with your favorite club-banging tunes, right?

Actually, not so much. While there are a few occasions where it’s okay to let loose at work, usually people prefer to work in a relatively calm environment free of distractions (like coworkers making personal calls). If you turn up your music loud enough so others can hear it, it’s bound to annoy at least one person sitting near you — especially if your speakers have enough kick to set off car alarms throughout the neighboring area. This is why headphones were invented.

Next: No. 6: Serial Emailers >>

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Annoyance No. 6: Frequent Forwards

Every once in a while a funny video clip or link to an interesting story can be a welcome break from the workday. However, there’s a limit to how much people can take. If you’re forwarding one or more emails a day to several people in the office about things that aren’t work-related, you’re probably driving everybody crazy.

A never-ending stream of emails containing funny links or (even worse) solicitations for donations to some cause may be interesting or important to you, but they only give your coworkers the impression that you’re goofing off on company time. And if you ever get tempted to send an email to a coworker that is even close to NSFW, don’t click “send” under any circumstances.

Annoyance No. 7: Constant Complaints

People need to vent sometimes, and work is called “work” for a reason. But if you spend an inordinate amount of time airing your work (or life) grievances to anyone who’ll listen, you’re not going to succeed in making things better. You’ll only succeed in bumming everyone out and earning the label of a malcontent.

Remember, just because the person you’re complaining to doesn’t say anything, that doesn’t mean he or she agrees with you. They’re probably just hoping you’ll finish complaining soon, or leave the company already.

**Next: No. 8: Another Meeting? >>**

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Annoyance No. 8: Meeting Addicts

Meetings are a necessity at work, as they foster communication between coworkers in different ways than emails or instant messaging can. The problem is that meetings take time, and most of us don’t have a lot of time to spare.

First a meeting’s called to talk about best practices. Another meeting to brainstorm how everyone should go forward after the first meeting follows that. Next thing you know, there are so many monthly, weekly, and even daily meetings that it’s impossible to get anything done. Instead of increasing efficiency, the people who call unnecessary or tedious meetings become known as the most annoying people in the office.

Annoyance No. 9: Gabby Gossips

You always see them surfing sites like TMZ and Perez Hilton, whenever they aren’t at the front desk whispering to the receptionist. If anyone’s having an affair or getting fired, they’re always the first to know; whether the info they’re passing on is actually correct is secondary.

Here’s the thing about office gossip: people notice the people who are always in the middle of it. If you find yourself in secretive conversations with somebody known for having loose lips, you’ll be seen as guilty by association. Ironically, while those who love to dish may find a ready audience for their juicy bits of info, after a while they’ll find themselves with fewer and fewer confidants who’ll risk their reputations around the office to talk to them about anything.

Next: No. 10: Practical Jokers >>

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Annoyance No. 10: Office Pranksters

Much like meetings, pranks around the office are only appreciated in small doses; any more than that and they become a gigantic annoyance. Even those with a good sense of humor will tire quickly if they can’t go to the restroom without coming back to a trashed cube or a computer that doesn’t work.

There’s a time and a place for practical jokes around the office. The same goes for the rest of these annoying habits.

Sometimes you have to make a personal phone call, run several errands in a week or call a two meetings in a row. Just remember that if you do any of these things regularly and you see no problem with your actions, you very well may be the most annoying person in your office.

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7 Tips to Make Meetings More Interesting

Jeff Hindenach | MediaBuzz — Fri, 28 May 2010 10:48:00 -0700

Meetings can be deadly, especially if they feel unproductive. Listening to your boss drone on and on about things that don't affect you just isn’t a smart use of your time. So how can you make your boring meetings more productive?

Research shows that increasing activity and creativity in meetings helps increase brain activity and alertness. Everyone's happier when you make your employees and coworkers feel engaged and important to the meeting. Need help figuring out how? Follow these seven tips to make your meetings more interesting and successful.

Encourage Creativity

We all doodle during long meetings. It helps kill the time and gives our brains a creative outlet. But doodling does more than just waste paper. It gets the creative juices flowing and improves your short-term memory functions.

Try this: Give every meeting participant a few sheets of paper and a couple of pencils and have them sketch out their ideas. It doesn’t matter what they sketch or how accurate it is — you're not looking for fine art here — the simple act of sketching flexes their brains and helps them feel involved in the meeting.

Make Participation Mandatory

Remember your elementary school teacher who'd call on people even if their hands weren't raised? She had a point. If you force people to think of answers, it gets their brain working overtime. Nothing makes people feel more uncomfortable than being singled out and unprepared in a meeting. If they know they can be called on at any time, they'll be more attentive and constantly thinking of answers to each of your questions.

Try this: When you make an important point during a meeting, ask for feedback. If no one comes forward, start calling on the most bored-looking person. "What do you think of this plan?" "Do you think it will work?" "How should we proceed?" They won't just feel involved in the meeting — they'll also be generating reactionary, spur-of-the-moment answers that can sometimes breed the best ideas.

Next Page: Include Vibrant, Engaging Visuals

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Include Vibrant, Engaging Visuals

We’re not talking your dad’s lame PowerPoint here. Slide after slide of numbers and huge blocks of text would put anyone to sleep. A good rule of thumb for any presentation: Show, don’t tell. There’s no point in just reading the words off a screen everyone can see — your coworkers are literate, right?

Try this: Limit the words on each slide to five or six, just enough to make your point. Use the rest of the slides to illustrate what you're talking about. Use pictures, graphics, and even video to get the message across. Find images that will get a reaction from the audience, whether it be understanding, shock, or even humor. And use vibrant colors, such as reds and purples. The standard blues and grays are just too calming. Do you want to put everyone to sleep?

Use Brainstorming Techniques

Don’t let your meeting get shut down by people shooting down each other's ideas. If you think your ideas will be disregarded, you'll be less likely to offer them up in the first place. Put every idea on the table without judging or criticizing, and then discuss which ones are the best. Everyone has to feel comfortable participating.

Try this: When brainstorming, give everyone a topic and have them start writing down random words and phrases in a stream of consciousness. Don’t pause, don’t over-think, just write. Then, have everyone go around and read 5–10 of their best words or phrases. Ideally, should trigger other, fresher ideas from the group as a whole.

Use Games and Toys to Stimulate

There is a reason we gives young children games and toys to help occupy their time — it helps stimulate parts of their brains. Games help with problem solving and deductive reasoning and get creativity flowing. While it may seem silly, introducing toys and games into a meeting can actually help with the productivity of the meeting as a whole.

Try this: Hand out small Nerf guns, and every time someone has a great idea, they get to shoot one of the other participants. Or have everyone illustrate their ideas using Play-Doh. Or turn your brainstorming session into a game of Pictionary. Have people draw their ideas without speaking and have the others guess. Everyone will want to play and the ideas will come pouring out.

Next Page: Keep the Blood Sugar Up

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Keep the Blood Sugar Up

While donuts and brownies might be bad for you, in small doses they can help elevate your blood sugar during a long meeting and keep your brain active. Offering some kind of simple sugar like bananas, sodas, muffins, or candy will help perk everybody up.

Try this: If you think people will shy away from the donut method, bring a bag of mini candy bars in and hand them out whenever anyone participates in the discussion. It not only gives them a boost of sugar, but also encourages and validates their contribution to the conversation.

Be Concise

Most meetings don’t need to last more than an hour at the most. Keeping people in a confined space for longer than that is just going to make everyone shut down mentally. Not every person needs to be in every meeting. Think about breaking up huge, drawn-out meetings into smaller, quicker meetings with fewer people.

Try this: It's up to you to make sure everyone stays on topic. Hit the key points. Keep brainstorming sessions to five or 10 minutes, since the best ideas usually come out within that time frame. And no matter you’re at when the hour is up, cut it off and plan to meet at a different time.

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Is Technology Making You Bad at Your Job?

Tania Khadder | Excelle — Tue, 25 May 2010 10:06:00 -0700

Technology is a beautiful thing. Most of us can’t imagine doing our jobs without it.

But sometimes, overindulging in email, texts, and social networking might actually hinder your performance.

We’ve identified five ways your iPhone, BlackBerry, Facebook and that endless information superhighway are actually making you worse at your job.

Instant message is twisting your words (and making you lazy)

Remember when email revolutionized business communication? All of a sudden, memos were obsolete, no one knew where the fax machine was anymore (or how to use it), and conference calls were set up only on an as-needed basis. Office workers everywhere rejoiced in their newfound efficiency.

But the email revolution was just the tip of the iceberg. In the past few years, instant messaging has become an acceptable intra-office communication tool and, in many ways, we should be grateful for its emergence. It’s faster, less formal, and more interactive than email and yet it lacks the commitment face-to-face or over-the-phone interaction demands. The perfect formula, right? Wrong.

There are just too many misunderstandings when body language, vocal intonation, and facial expressions are left out of a conversation. Plus, how many times has a chat about something work-related degenerated into an all-out gossip marathon.

When all you have to do is share a link or ask a quick question, by all means, send an IM. For most everything else, though, it’s a no-no. Get off your lazy butt and start talking to each other.

Afraid of the Telephone? →

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You’re afraid of the telephone

The phone rings and you panic. Before you pick it up, you want to know who it is, why they’re calling, and what they want from you. You hate being put on the spot. Caller ID gives away nothing, so you let it go to voicemail.

Diagnosis? Phonephobia (it really is a thing!) — and you’re not alone. These days, a lot of us feel more comfortable communicating through email, IM, Twitter, text, carrier pigeon … anything but the telephone. We avoid it at all costs, but then waste time playing phone tag. Or worse — forget to return the call!

You may not have to use it all the time, but shying away from the telephone when you do need it isn’t helping anyone — least of all you. Having a good phone manner can even give you a competitive advantage if you’re hoping to work your way up in the company. The higher up you get, the more time you’ll probably spend on the telephone. So you might want to get used to using it.

If you’re terrified of the office silence and/or your judgmental coworkers, sneak into a conference room. At the very least, practice with friends. Next time you’re tempted to send a text, make a call instead! It sounds weird and old-fashioned, but being comfortable (or awkward) on the phone really is just a matter of practice (or lack thereof).

Burned Out? →

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You never unplug

Do you check Outlook before you’ve even gotten out of bed in the morning? Are your Saturdays spent catching up on work over VPN? Does your spouse want to throw your Blackberry off a cliff (or worse — at you)?

This constant access may help you stay ahead of your workload, but it can be detrimental to your professional longevity. How are you going to stay energized a year from now when you’re burning the candle at both ends today?

Obviously, there are times when you need to do work outside the hours of nine to five, but don’t let this become a habit. If you never take a break, you’ll never have a chance to recharge — and your work quality is sure to suffer. Sending an email at 3pm on a Saturday may also give the impression that you don’t manage your time effectively.

Sometimes a work demand can’t wait until Monday, but let’s face it: usually it can. Learn to spot the difference.

Remember Fax Machines? →

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You’ve forgotten how to use the fax machine (or never learned in the first place)

Does the paper go face down or face up? Is that the sound it’s supposed to make? Where can I find that stupid cover sheet anyway? Do I even need one?

If these questions have crossed your mind lately, you’re probably of a generation that only uses email to send documents back and forth.

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But no matter how tech-savvy you are there may just come a time when you need to use the fax machine. If you’re fumbling around like an idiot, you’re not doing anything for your professional reputation.

The good news is it’s a pretty simple — if archaic — device. Find your nearest fax machine, learn its number, and ask your office manager for a quick tutorial. Then file away this knowledge knowing full well you may never use it (because now that you’re actually prepared, Murphy’s Law says you won’t need it!).

What's Your Facebook Status? →

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Facebook and Twitter are distracting you (and ruining your reputation)

Don’t pretend like you don’t use it on company time.

We all know social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter can impact your on-the-job productivity. And the more acceptable its use becomes, the bigger the distraction.

You don’t really even care what your cousin’s friend’s cat is doing, but you also can’t help looking. Before you know it, it's an hour later and you’re chatting with your old roommate or browsing through photos of your boyfriend’s ex.

As if it weren’t bad enough that you waste countless hours on these sites every week, your friends continue to tag you in the most embarrassing — or worse, incriminating — photos.

How do you cope? To minimize your time on these sites, turn off email notifications. That way you can log off and not be tempted to return 20 minutes later. And when it comes to protecting your online reputation, take advantage of Facebook’s privacy settings. This is a good idea not just for your professional reputation, but for personal safety as well.

Tempted to shun modern technology and revert back to 1985? Don’t be! Just keep in mind that sometimes being too obsessed with your gadgets and gizmos can get you into trouble. Know when (and how!) to go the old-fashioned route, tame your distractions, and force yourself to unplug from time to time. Your career — and your loved ones! — will thank you.

Related Reads:

Best Airlines for Business Travel

Nealeigh Mitchell | Excelle — Thu, 20 May 2010 14:48:00 -0700

The recession turned practically every carrier into a low fare airline; fancy flying was one of the first items chopped from businesses budgets.

But the economy is finally turning around. And in an effort to bounce back from billion dollar losses, airlines are offering all kinds of extras to woo corporate fliers.

So which perks would persuade you to pick one carrier over another? See how the most popular international fleets stack up.

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United Airlines

Cabin comfort: United’s business class passengers settle into a long-haul flight on fully adjustable ergonomic seats with lumbar support and leg rests. The airline is currently rolling out seats in international and business class cabins that lie completely flat when fully reclined. Travelers also receive a complimentary amenity kit featuring Murad products to help protect skin from travel stress.

Meals: Leave the $5 airport peanuts in the terminal. Passengers enjoy premium wines, ports desserts, fruit, cheeses, and a three-course meal. Some international travelers are lucky enough to be served local cuisines, including Japanese cuisine for travelers to Tokyo.

Entertainment: Premium cabin customers can catch up on films on a personal 15” widescreen video monitors with access to 150 hours of on-demand movies and TV shows. Some flights offer iPod and iPhone connectivity to play iTunes video. Plus, noise-reducing headsets drown out the snorers.

Work: Most aircraft come with in-seat power outlets for your tech gadgets. Satellite phone service is available for a charge and customers traveling between New York and both Los Angeles and San Francisco (premium service flights) can surf the Web, and access corporate VPNs on their Wi-Fi enabled laptop or mobile device.

Frequent Flyer: United’s Mileage Plus program offers a decent list of partner airlines and partner hotels to its loyal customers. Plus, several car rental companies and credit cards are affiliated with the airline. You can earn miles with the United credit card, T-Mobile Wi-Fi service, or even by subscribing to a newspaper. The one catch is there’s an expiration date on accrued miles. Use them or lose them!

Next Page: Continental Airlines →

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Continental Airlines

Cabin comfort: Continental’s BusinessFirst travelers flying overseas to certain destinations can stretch out on a flat-seat bed, a roomier design that allows you to lie completely flat to sleep. An amenity kit filled with aromatherapy products helps you arrive fresh and revived after a lengthy flight.

Meals: Continental offers carefully select menus and wines for each country they serve, many times highlighting local specialties. BusinessFirst meal service includes a wide variety of delicious menu selections as well as premium wines and champagne. And don’t worry if your sleep schedule is off. The “Executive Meal Option" allows you to dine at anytime during the flight.

Entertainment: That eight-hour flight will fly by with Direct TV, feature films and audio/video On Demand at your fingertips.

Work: Keep your laptop juiced up with a power port at your seat. Joining the Wi-Fi frenzy, the airline will be adding GoGo Inflight Internet to a handful if its Boeing aircrafts this Spring. The new wireless service will provide access on Wi Fi-enabled laptops and smartphones, and will offer similar speeds to wireless mobile broadband.

Frequent Flyer: Continental’s OnePass program partners with dozens of airlines and hotels, rental companies and mileage credit cards. You can even earn miles on France’s Amtrak rail travel. OnePass members earn a minimum of 500 miles per flight. Plus, reward tickets start at 20,000 miles instead of the usual 25,000.

Next Page: Delta Airlines →

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Delta Airlines

Cabin comfort: Business passengers rest easy on flat bed seats on certain aircraft in Delta’s fleet. Plus, you won’t miss a wink with premium pillows, duvets, and headrest to snuggle in. Extended bins allow rollerboard stowage for added legroom.

Meals: International five-course dining menus feature entrees from celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein. Wash one down with signature cocktails or a select choice of wines.

Entertainment: Stave off boredom with complimentary movies, live TV, and video games. Passengers also have access to over 18 satellite networks and more than 3,700 MP3s. Don’t want to miss the best part of the movie with a trip to the restroom? Delta On Demand lets you pause and start your movie at your leisure.

Work: On Delta, you can tweet from your seat and get work done! In-flight Internet access is available on thousands of flights a day. In addition to laptops, Wi-Fi works with smartphones and other wireless handheld devices offered by all major U.S. providers. Keep your gadgets running strong with in-flight power adapters at your seat.

Frequent Flyer: Delta’s Sky Miles program offers 90 ways to earn miles. Delta also offers SkyMiles dining and hotels with even better rewards rates if you book ahead. The airline is a member of the Sky Team Global Alliance along with Continental and Northwest, with whom you can rack up miles as well.

Next Page: American Airlines →

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American Airlines

Cabin comfort: Can’t postpone a meeting until you land? Seats swivel so you can conduct business face-to-face. Electronically-controlled recline and lumbar support features in each chair makes for a comfortable ride. Plus, individual satellite phone at each seat keeps you connected. Sleep in peace in a fully flat bed and wrapped “Premium Cabin Duvet.” Plus, passengers are provided with an SpAA In Flight amenity kit, which includes two aromatherapy packets, comfort socks, eyeshades, tissues, earplugs, and a pen.

Meals: Menu designed by three world-class chefs on staff at American Airlines. Food and wine selection tailored to the route you’re flying. The airline’s “Dine Upon Request” option let’s you eat when you please.

Entertainment: Each seat has personal video system with on-demand library of 45 movies, 80 hours of TV shows, and 15 video games. An On-Demand library boasts 30 CDs & 14 channels of audio programming. Drown out the crying babies with noise-cancelling headphones.

Work:Wireless Internet access on American's flights is available in the continental U.S. and to customers traveling to Mexico and southern Canada; however, coverage currently doesn’t extend 100 miles beyond the U.S. border.

Frequent Flyer: Like most airlines, reward tickets begin at 25, 000 with American’s AAdvantage program. The one catch is that there is no minimum number of miles earned on a given flight. They make up for it by providing dozens of ways to earn points, including opening up a line of credit at certain banks, donating to charities, and even activating a smartphone.

Next Page: Virgin Atlantic →

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Virgin Atlantic

Cabin comfort: Virgin Atlantic’s award-winning Upper Class Suite and Premium Economy cabin is as posh as it gets. Upper Class offers first class style at a business class price with amenities such as a reclining leather seat that folds into a fully flat bed with a real mattress! Pampered passengers can indulge in a massage or a manicure in a private treatment area. A novel lighting system that can go from dawn to dusk over the course of a flight reduces the effects of jet lag.

Meals: Want your three course meal right after take off? No problem! Meals are designed so travelers can eat what they want, when they want. Everything on the Freedom Menu is individually and freshly prepared to your order and served up in style on fine china.

Entertainment: Get comfy in reclining seats with adjustable headrests, lumbar supports, and moveable armrests. Escape in your own private cinema with a seatback TV and a choice of with a huge choice of films, TV programs, and games. Some flights offer seats decked out with their own video games console with up to 35 games.

Work: Hop on your company’s VPN and check your email in flight on Virgin’s Wi-Fi system.

Frequent Flyer: Elevate members enjoy a pretty cush reward program. Fliers earn points for every dollar you spend on your base fare, can redeem reward flight for as low as 2,500 points. Plus, they’ve got neat website where you can manage your miles with ease.

Make that monthly trip to Shanghai a lot more bearable by finding the best airline that fits your needs. Carriers are constantly rolling out promotions and slashing fares to compete for your business. With a little research, you're bound to get the best bang for your buck when flying the much-friendlier skies.

Related Reads:

10 Ways to Save on Business Travel

9 Ways to Save on Rental Cars

Planning the Boss's Trip: A Checklist

adminsecret

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4. Boredom

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5. Debt

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4. Posture

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