Become a Dynamo Using A Dymo

I recently asked a group of people who know me very well, 'If there was one word that you would use to describe me, what would it be?' Some said, 'beautiful,' 'talented', 'dynamic,' and a 'dynamo.' The 'dynamo' response got me intrigued, so I asked 'Why?' The answer was because I am so organized and efficient. I was very flattered, but I couldn't take all the credit, I have help. The Dymo LabelWriter 450 Twin Turbo is a contributor to my success.

When I was asked to "try out" the Dymo LabelWriter 450 Twin Turbo and keep it in exchange for writing a product review, I was very excited. I wanted to test the efficiency of the product because of its dual sides, which has the capability to print labels and stamps at the same time. That's the first thing that attracted me. Second, was the quick setup – plug it into the USB and download the software – 5 minutes! Third, I am able to print labels for envelopes and stamps in a matter of seconds! The other day, I printed 17 labels and stamps in 1 minute! My co-worker was amazed at how fast I was done with the task. Her words were, "Dewoun, you're a dynamo!" I thanked her and said, "It was the Dymo!"

10 Scary Excuses to Give Your Boss for Missing a Deadline

1. "You didn't remind me."
   
2. "Why bother with a deadline? You're going to give it back to me with corrections anyway?"
   
3. "I need an extension."
   
4. "My dog ate the final draft."
   
5. "I accidentally shredded it."
   
6. "My break lasted longer than I anticipated."
   
7. "When was the deadline?"
   
8. "What project?"
   
9. "I got really busy and lost track of time."
   
10. "I didn't have time."

Happy Boss’s Day! Top 5 Gifts you can give your Boss on Boss’s Day

Boss’s Day is on October 16 and I have heard a lot of buzz about suggestions for gifts for those great bosses. Flowers, candy, ties, and other materialistic items are a wonderful way to show your appreciation to the individual who serves as a model of leadership in your organization, but why not give your boss something that lasts longer than the shelf life of a bouquet of flowers? Here are 5 gifts you can give your boss that will make a lasting impression:

1. Your Presence
I was talking with a good friend and when I asked her what she was getting her boss for Boss’s Day she said, “My presence is his gift.” Then I thought about it, she is right, in a weird, roundabout way, but I need to expand on that thought. The fact that you come to work and do your best each day is a gift that reaps massive awards, most importantly a paycheck, as well as respect and accomplishment from your supervisor and peers.

2. A Break
Everyone is not perfect, try not to harp or reflect on your boss’s flaws. Give your boss an opportunity and a chance to be a good leader. Be open to their leadership style.

3. The Benefit of the Doubt
Believe that there is something good about your supervisor, rather than something bad. There is a little good in all of us!

4. One good reason why you are the best for the job
There are a line of people outside waiting for you to leave that job; it’s called the unemployment line. Be grateful that you have a job and show your boss your gratitude each day. Remember the rewards!

5. Peace of Mind
Give your boss the comfort in knowing that you are a team player and can accomplish daily tasks and projects with no problems.

Giving your boss a ‘thank you’ gift is a great way to show your appreciation, but giving gifts that last a longtime, mentally and emotionally, will build positive relationships and make your work environment more pleasant than the sweet smell of flowers that are going to die in a week.

Worklife Line Chat Monday, October 4 - "Rules in the first 90-Days of New Employment"

Join Worklife Line Chat Monday, October 4 at 7 p.m. CST.

Topic: Rules in the first 90-Days of New Employment
We will be dicussing the 5 rules you will neeed to set the course for success in the first 90-days at a new job

Dial-in: 712-432-3030
Conference Code: 1511

Product Review – Dymo Label Manager 260P

Do you have files without file labels? Are you using an entire sheet of blank file labels just to make two or three? This past week, I had the pleasure of reviewing the Dymo Label Manager 260P label maker and blogging about it, in exchange for keeping the item. It has definitely made my workspace more organized.

This portable, handheld, wonder is user-friendly and prints labels in seconds. I have been able to organize my files more quickly and take it with me throughout the office and make labels. It also provides convenience and flexibility and I save paper because I am not using full sheets of blank labels.

Other features include:

• Large 1.18" x 2.36" screen displays two lines of label text
• Graphical display lets you see text effects on screen before you print.
• Work faster with an improved user interface that displays all menu options onscreen without scrolling, and includes intuitive icons for formatting options
• Customize labels and add emphasis by choosing from 3 fonts, 6 font sizes, one of the many styles, and one of 8 different box styles or underline
• Uses DYMO D1 labels in 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2"widths
• Powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery – the same technology used in mobile phones and laptops
• 9-label memory and “save text” feature
• Print up to 10 copies of the same label
• Enter text quickly using the familiar ABC-style keyboard
• Quick access to special symbols including punctuation and currency

What more can you ask for in a convenient, easy to use, and fast- acting label maker? For more information on this and other Dymo products visit their website. Organize your office and your life with this item! I highly recommend it!

Are you making the grade? Determine your employee type

The workplace is filled with different people with different personalities and attitudes about their colleagues, job responsibilities, and the company. Identifying which employee type you are will give you a better outlook of how you can be a more effective, productive employee within the workplace, especially if a change in your attitude and behavior is needed before it’s too late, resulting in a negative performance review, conflict amongst co-workers, or termination.

Type ‘A ‘Employee
• Good attendance record, arrives to work on time
• Meets all deadlines
• Goes with the work flow (team player)
• Shows respect and works well with other employees
• Positive attitude, go the extra mile
• Owns up to and learns from mistakes

Congratulations! Type ‘A’ employees are a dime a dozen. Even though you make mistakes, the important factor is you learn from them and you move on. When you are having a bad day, no one else knows it. Enhance your professional development by mentoring an employee. Keep up the good work!

Type’ B’ Employee
• Misses deadlines occasionally
• Maintains a good working relationship with colleagues
• Favorable performance reviews
• Submits quality work assignments
• Predominantly has a positive attitude

The workplace is filled with type ‘B’ employees. Type ‘B’ employees get the job done, are reliable, and dedicated to doing a good job. Their work is submitted in a timely manner. Most type ‘B’ employees emphasize getting done what is required or requested of them. Enhance your professional development by going the extra mile – take on a new project, ask a co-worker if they need help on a project, or attend a professional development training, seminar, or course.

Type ‘C’ Employee
• Misses deadlines frequently
• Lack of respect for 1 or more colleagues (and it shows)
• Frequent episodes of miscommunication with other employees
• Calls off due to the necessity of “mental health days”
• “Going through the motions” – little effort put forth for work tasks
• Frequent errors evident on final projects and work assignments

The Type C employee is someone who is beginning to lose passion for their job. Perhaps poor management is a factor (read my previous blog about Workplace PMS – Poor Management System) or maybe the environment is becoming unbearable, whatever the case is, it is not too late to fix the issue. Resolve conflicts, create to-do lists and stick to them, and find the passion you once had for your job.

Type ‘D’ Employee
• Feelings of “just working to get a paycheck”
• Despises job and people who work there (and it shows)
• No effort put forth for work tasks
• Negative attitude about workplace and the company
• Doesn’t own up to or learn from mistakes
• “Clock watcher”

A type ‘D’ employee is the person who hates to come to work and it shows in their job performance and attitude. If you are this type of employee, an attitude change is needed. Just as you are acknowledging that you are a ‘D’ employee, your superior and others know that you are a D employee as well and you may not be happy with the outcome.

Regardless of your employee type, there is always room for improvement. Use your talents to your advantage and let others benefit.

Top 10 Business Email Pet Peeves

1. Forgotten attachment
Have you ever forgotten an attachment and had to resend the same email apologizing to recipients for the second email notice? Use the FREE software FAD (Forgotten Attachment Detector) and you will never forget an attachment again.

2. Grammar and spelling errors
Nothing says unprofessional more than an email filled with grammar and spelling errors. Before sending the email, print it and read it aloud. If you have time, save the email as a DRAFT and come back to it later, not only will you find mistakes you may also have more content you would like to add.

3. Too lengthy
If the email is more than 3-4 paragraphs in length with more than 4-5 sentences, pick up the phone and call the individual or go see them in-person (if possible). Important information can be missed or misunderstood in a long, drawn out email. To avoid the miscommunication of email notices, keep it short and simple. If several recipients are involved, perhaps you should consider holding a teleconference.

4. Emotionally charged
Ever received an email from a colleague or supervisor and you could read the anger, disappointment, or stress in the message? How did you feel after you read it? You want to respond immediately, right? WRONG! Never send an email when you are not at your normal emotional state of mind. Take time to think about your response that will be professional and fact driven, not emotionally charged. Remember, what you say will be in writing forever!

5. Too many FW: FW:
If you have received a message that has 2 or more FW: and need to respond, do yourself and the other recipients a favor and change the subject. Update or revise the subject line to reflect the new email topic. Emails with numerous ‘FWs’ are overlooked or sent to the Spam folder.

6. Wrong recipient.
Beware of the auto fill-in feature in MS Outlook. This feature is great time saver when filling in email addresses as you begin to type them, but be very cautious of the choices that are recommended. If you have three people with similar names and you wanted to send an email to your boss but you send it to your friend, it can be embarrassing and the worst part is you didn’t realize that your supervisor never received the email.

7. No subject line
Inform recipients of what the email is regarding, often times emails without a subject line will not be read for fear of viruses or will be sent to Spam.

8. Attachment can’t be opened due to incompatibility of software
This has been a growing issue in companies that have updated their MS Office package while others are still using Windows 98. Be mindful of who you are sending documents to and send them in a format that is compatible. For example, save the Word document in ‘97-2003’ format that way anyone can open it whether they are using MS 2003, 2007, 2010.

9. Improper Use of Texting Shorthand
Texting has become a method of quick communication; however, it should not be included in business email communication. Shorthand, such as LOL (Laughing out loud) and BRB (Be right back), are not appropriate to use in business notices and believe it or not, there are people who do not know what they mean.

10. Too many recipients
Mass email messages with numerous recipients in the ‘to’ and ‘cc’ fields can get long. Include all email addresses using the ‘bcc’ field and place your own email address in the ‘to’ field. This feature will not make the message appear long, other email addresses remain confidential, and you will have a copy of the email on your Inbox to use as follow-up.

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The Seven Laws of an Effective Leader

1. Delegate don't dictate.
Assign tasks evenly amongst members of the team or committee, provide full explanations verbally and in writing, and provide deadlines for completion with follow-up dates built into the schedule.

2. Communicate don't confuse.
Fully explaining tasks will eliminate confusion down the road. Pay attention to non-verbal cues of confusion (raised eyebrows indicating a surprised look, blank stares, squinting eyes, etc.) this may be a sign that you need to provide additional information. Ask clarifying questions to ensure understanding.

3. Help don't hinder.
Be available to assist with tasks that have been assigned. There may be questions regarding procedures or some clarification needed, provide feedback and explanations; help the person understand what is expected of them and how the task can be completed.

4. Compliment and compensate.
Give compliments on a job well done to members of your team, co-workers, or colleagues. Thank them for their assistance. Compensate by giving rewards for their efforts and accomplishments; for example, publicly acknowledging people for their efforts in a team meeting is a form of compensation and builds loyalty amongst the team members.

5. Guide don't criticize.
Everyone makes mistakes. Guide your team members on the path to correct the errors and learn from them.

6. Prepare don't procrastinate.
Set deadlines and create check-lists and to-do lists and most importantly, stick to them! Procrastination is the root of all evil, team members will lose faith in your leadership, feel pressured, and will not give 110% due to negative experiences.

7. Be open to suggestions.
Letting team members know that you are open to suggestions builds confidence and trust and creates a comfort zone. Team members will be more open to voicing their thoughts and comments if there is a level of trust and comfort. Confident team members are more productive than intimidated or fearful team members.

Miscommunication, Misfiled, and Misplaced = Misrepresentation

A work day consists of filing, answering phones, greeting visitors, and a host of communication efforts with coworkers, supervisors, and customers, plus other duties and responsibilities that can get overwhelming. When we get distracted, it becomes easy to miss things. Here are a few tips to avoid missing items so that we are not misrepresented.

1. Miscommunication - Communicate effectively
Nine-tenths of the serious controversies which arise in life result from misunderstanding. Miscommunication consists of giving the wrong impression, not fully disclosing details, or not providing information at all. This is a common problem in the workplace and can create longterm problems. The best way to combat miscommunication is:

• Provide as much information as possible
• Make sure that you are understood
• Listen for feedback
• Look at non-verbal cues to ensure comprehension. For example, if you are speaking to someone and their eyes become widened, ask if they have any questions about what was discussed. This could mean that they are shocked, surprised, or confused. When there is a communication breakdown, address the issue immediately. This will eliminate problems later.

2. Misfiled - Get organized
Statistics show that we will touch the same piece of paper at least 21 times in a day. The best way to get organized is to start with your desk. How many piles of paper do you have on your desk that needs to be filed away? How many times do you search through those piles in an attempt to look for a document that isn’t there? Schedule time in the day to file documents or keep a pile of “frequently referred to” files on your desk for easy access.


3. Misplaced – Develop a system

Whether you are looking for a paper document or searching for an electronic file, developing an effective system will increase productivity and efficiency.

• Paper Documents
Use the color coded system for filing (ie. finances are green, vendor files are yellow, meetings are blue, etc.). Not only will this filing method allow you to locate files easily, it will be simple to file items away later, especially if the file drawer has multiple files. In any filing system, be sure to adhere to point #2 about getting organized and filing documents immediately so that your piles don’t grow piles!

• Electronic Files
Decide what needs to be retained and what can be deleted. Then determine what electronic file folder will store the document. If you are submitting a draft of a document to someone else for review or proofreading, include the file name and path at the bottom of the document so that it can be easily found at a later time. Another tip is to create a folder on the desktop entitled, “Today,” and all items worked on that day can be placed until they are finalized and can be stored in its respective folder. Be sure to delete it from the “Today” folder to eliminate duplicate documents.

You will spend most of your time in the workplace, practice effective communication, organization skills to empower you to be a productive employee.

Effectively Deal with Anger in the Workplace

JetBlue flight attendant, Steve Slater was fed up. He couldn’t contain his anger any longer and allowed a rude customer to enrage him to the point that he quit his job, but on the way out, he verbally displayed his anger, took some items from his place of employment, and left in an unorthodox way (as if his tactics for quitting weren’t unorthodox enough). Was there a better way to handle the situation? Yes! Here are four ways to handle a difficult person:

• Call for assistance.
The passenger clearly did not want to regard the rules of airline safety and Steve needed some additional help in getting his point across. He should have tried to call a fellow flight attendant to assist him with the difficult passenger. This would have provided Steve with backup from other co-workers, which would have relieved a level of stress because he would not have been the “lone ranger” in the incident.

• Think before you react.
Perhaps Steve really wanted to quit his job and this was a good time for him to do so. Now, what about the consequences? He has criminal charges pending, his professional reputation is scarred, and he is out of a job. If Steve had taken a moment or two to rethink his reaction he may still be employed.

• Remain professional.
Was it necessary for Steve to release his anger on the intercom system? What did other passengers think of his tirade? Maintaining a professional image means remaining tactful, cordial, and respectful to others. Releasing anger is therapeutic and relieves stress, there are other ways to effectively release anger such exercise or venting to a friend or yourself.

• Report the person and the problem immediately.
Steve already had a tough time in getting the passenger to comply with his requests, the insult to injury was literal; Steve was hit in the head by the passenger’s luggage. This incident should have been immediately reported to authorities and the problem and the passenger would have been dealt with accordingly.

Dealing with difficult people is a skill that requires patience, each situation means your reputation, career, and sanity are on the line. If the situation is beyond your control, seek help immediately before you have regrets later.

Dealing with Workplace P.M.S. - Poor Management System

Do you feel as though your company does not value you as an employee? Does it seem like management does not support its employees by not offering incentives for growth and professional development? Or do you feel as though there is no room for advancement in your company? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be suffering from “workplace PMS.” P.M.S. or a Poor Management System is condition that embodies many companies due to economic times, change in company practices, and company personnel.

Workplace PMS is the worst pain to deal with because there is a systematic breakdown within the company that is usually accompanied by more than one symptom. The breakdown begins with management and has a trickle down effect that eventually causes all employees to feel the “aches” and “pains.” Here are some symptoms of workplace PMS:

• unresolved conflicts
• poor communication between management and employees
• lack of support from upper management
• low employee morale

First, you begin to feel inadequate and undervalued, then you begin to despise your job and the people you work with; eventually you feel as though you are just going to work to get a paycheck. If you are having any of these feelings, here are ways to cure workplace PMS and regain control of your worklife.

1. Let your voice be heard.
If you have a suggestion, voice it. If you have an idea on how to improve business practices or department procedures or tasks, tell your supervisor and be sure to put it in writing. Upper management are not the only ones with the ideas, they may be missing something because they cannot see what you see.

2. Show your worthiness.
Ask to work on a new project or volunteer to assist a colleague. Going the extra mile will show the company that you are capable of doing your share and then some. Give 110% and the Return on Investment will be double. Opportunities will arise and you will be regarded as an asset.

3. Remain positive in times of change.
Businesses change policies and procedures constantly. Showing resistance or negativity will make your job harder and ultimately upper management will see it. Keep a positive attitude when changes are implemented, when asked for feedback, give your honest feelings and be tactful, professional, and respectful.

4. Prove to management that their support is important.
If you want to take a course or attend a workshop and management is reluctant to pay for your professional development, outline the value and how it will benefit you as an employee. Provide specific details and objectives that align with the company’s objectives/goals/mission.

Workplace PMS surfaces regularly and stays around for a long time. Being able to effectively deal with a poor management system will make it easier to come to work and do your best. Don’t let workplace PMS control your worklife; you will feel better at the end of the day.

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