Love the job you hate

It’s that time of year when you show appreciation to the significant other who has been there for you, made you happy, given you satisfaction, and loved you, but how about showing some love for your job, even the one you hate? 

If you are in a job that you hate, but it pays the bills, you are not alone. According to Deloitte’s Shift index, 80% of people are dissatisfied with their jobs. Some of the 80% will eventually decide to change careers, while the majority will accept their anguish and endure the self-suffering until they quit or are fired due to insubordination. 

Here how:

The Office Professional’s Groundhog Day: Getting over the mundane tasks

Today's office professional is cursed with doing the same tasks over and over each day. First thing in the morning, when you sit down at the desk you open email, while answering the phone as it rings. You may have the same meeting each week at the same time and the same list goes on and on – this could make your job unchallenging and boring. Here are some ways to make the day more worthwhile and less dull:

5 Outlook 2007 Tips

Are you using Outlook to your advantage? Want to know what Outlook can do for you? Here are 5 tips you can use in Outlook 2007 to change your outlook about Outlook:

    1. Does your mailbox need a quick cleanup?     On the Tools menu, click Mailbox Cleanup. Select options to find items that are old or large and then move or delete them. Click AutoArchive to move old items to Archive Folders, or click Empty to permanently delete items from your Deleted Items folder.

    2. Set a reminder to reply to a message Right-click the message you want to set the reminder for, point to Follow Up, and then click Add Reminder. In the Due By list, click the date when you have to complete the reply. In the second list, click a time. In the Flag color list, click the flag color you want, and then click OK.

    3. Send a message to multiple people without revealing other recipients' identities To send a message to someone without other recipients of the message knowing, use the Bcc line in the message. Bcc stands for blind carbon copy. If you add someone's name to the Bcc line, a copy of the message is sent to that person, but his or her name is not visible to other recipients.

    4. Use a file shortcut instead of an attachment to reduce the size of a message. Right-click the file and drag it to the Inbox. On the shortcut menu, click Send with Shortcut.

    5. Oops, didn't want to send that message? Recall that message! To recall or replace a sent message, open the message in the Sent Items folder, and on the Actions menu, click Recall This Message.

Outlook is more than an email storage space or calendar reference, for more cool tips visit office.com.

Avoid Email Inbox Overload

Why do you have over 28,000 emails in your inbox?
Yeah, I know (signing). And I have 28 open!
We need to declutter your inbox.
How?
I recently was helping a colleague on a presentation and noticed that she had over 28,000 in her Outlook inbox! I was shocked and wondered how she could allow her inbox to become so cluttered. Her inbox was out of control and taking control of her. This told me the following:

• She never empties her inbox.
• She will look at an email, but won't delete it or move it to a folder.
• She does not have ample folders to store necessary emails.
• She has a lot of spam or unnecessary emails.

Here are some suggestions to de-clutter and organize your inbox :

Make a New Year’s Promise Not a Resolution

Happy New Year! Now is the time of year to proclaim a new year's resolution. Before you get on the 'lose weight' bandwagon, think of the resolution as a promise. The difference between a resolution and a promise is that the resolution is a pledge that you will do something, but a promise is stronger and more meaningful- it is a self made guarantee to yourself. Think about how you feel when someone makes a promise to you and it is not fulfilled. Here is a list of alternative promises that you can make and when accomplished you be a better and more improved YOU.

1. Dissolve a toxic relationship.
   
2. Let go of a grudge.
   
3. Apologize when necessary.
   
4. Work on eliminating a bad habit.
   
5. Spend an extra 30 minutes a day with loved ones.
   
6. Save $1 a week.
   
7. Meditate more often.
   
8. Read a book from beginning to end.
   
9. Resolve a conflict at work.
   
10. Start a daily journal.
    
11. Organize your workspace.
    
12. Get rid of old clothes.
    
13. Organize a file cabinet.
    
14. Mentor someone.
    
15. Use a talent to your advantage.
    
16. Build your network.
    
17. Attend a conference or workshop.
    
18. Subscribe to a newsletter or magazine.
    
19. Take the stairs.
    
20. Make a new friend.
    
21. Participate in an online discussion.
    
22. Take a trip someplace you have never been.
    
23. Turn off the television for at least one hour a night.
    
24. Turn off the computer for at least one hour a night.
    
25. Wake up 30 minutes early.
    
26. Go to bed one hour early.
    
27. Focus on positive outcomes.
    
28. Be happy with who you are.
    
29. Accept people for who they are and don't try to change them- YOU CAN'T!
    
30. Learn a new word each week.
    
31. Lose a few pounds. (Okay I couldn't leave it off the list.)
    

    
     

Ninety percent of New Year's resolutions are broken with six months. Make a promise to yourself for the entire year and have a lasting impression on your persona and your attitude.

 

 

From Elite Office Concepts, Inc.

Not Paying Attention to Detail Could Cost You

As a young secretary in the late 90s, I was a new graduate from a technical school where I received a diploma in Secretarial Science. When I entered the workforce, I quickly found out that there were a few things that school didn't teach me: 1) how to use effective interpersonal skills, 2) how to deal with difficult people, and 3) paying attention to detail. My first week on the job, I discovered that paying attention to detail was going to make or break me in this line of work.
One day I was copying a fairly large document of about 60 pages and had to make 15 copies, double-sided, in color, and stapled. Simple, right? Not really. I heavily relied on the copy machine to do its job correctly.
After the first set of 5 completed copies, I was thumbing through one of the copies and noticed that a page was missing; 300 copies had already been completed! When I brought it to the attention of my supervisor, she asked me a simple, but odd question, "How do you make copies?" she emphasized the word, 'you.' I thought it was a trick question, so I replied, "I stand at the copier, load the document, input the specifics, and hit 'start.' My supervisor was not happy with that answer and I didn't know why at the time. I soon realized that she wasn't asking me about how the copies are made; she was asking me 'how do I make sure that the copies are being made.'
This is a question that we need to ask ourselves when we are working on projects, sending communication, completing daily tasks that seem mundane but can cost a hefty price if not observed. I realized that paying attention to detail is like looking under a microscope. Here are 3 ways to review the details in any given task:

5 Ways to Impress Yourself

Looking to get ahead in life? There's one person who can make that happen — YOU. How you see yourself can mean the difference between you getting what you want and accomplishing goals … or you getting frustrated because you feel stuck in a rut. So it only makes sense that you'd want to do everything in your power to impress YOU.

1. Reward yourself for your efforts and achievements
   
   How often do you treat yourself? Have you finished a task or accomplished a goal? By giving yourself a reward you feel better and spark motivation to complete the next goal. I took a 5 mile hike recently (which I had never done before) and as a reward bought myself a cup of coffee. Even the small rewards are huge motivators.
2. Stop the negative talk.
   
   Negative talk begins in the subconscious. We mentally tell ourselves that we can't do something or we downplay ourselves into thinking we are incompetent. Henry Ford said, "Whether you believe you can or can't you are right." Start believing in yourself and you will accomplish more and others will believe in you too because it will show in your attitude and behavior.
3. Learn something new and use it when the opportunity arises.
   
   How often do you attend a workshop or training session and soon forget what you learned? It's time to do some implementation; put things in motion, activate what you learned. Not only are you solidifying the learning and building your knowledge base, but you can also teach others and expand their knowledge. Knowledge really is POWER!
4. Reward others.
   
   When you reward other people for a job well done, you are motivating them to do good again and you feel good about helping others reach their goals. Pay it forward and reward others and they will do the same. It's the domino effect of self-motivation.
5. Document your daily activities by keeping a journal.
   
   We are charged with keeping organized documents for business purposes. These documents track the nature of business activities and transactions, etc. Why can't we keep track of our daily activities? Here is a cool online journal program that emails you daily to remind you to note what you did for the day. It's a collection of your life stories and you can reflect on your experiences.
   

We are always trying to impress others, giving them what we think they want, holding them in the highest regard, and making them feel appreciated and needed, but why can't we impress ourselves and feel good about who we are and what we do?

Accomplish goals: Write a P.O.E.M

In a previous article, I discussed accomplishing goals with a WIN list. Another method of achieving goals is by writing a P.O.E.M. (planning, organizing, executing, and managing objectives).
Planning
What is it you are trying to accomplish? What tools do you need to accomplish this goal? These are questions you can ask yourself in the planning stage. You may already do this when you arrive to work each morning. You sit at your desk and review your to do list, but there is more to the planning stage. In addition to looking at what you have to accomplish, jot down a summary of the process it will take to complete the task; this also helps in prioritizing the workload. The planning stage calls for more in-depth evaluation of your time and efforts, which is a valuable process because you will find out that you can get more done because you spent more time in planning the steps.
Organizing
After the planning stage is complete, organize the tasks/goals. What can you accomplish immediately, in the next hour, two hours, or by the end of the day? Do you need to consult with someone or do you need additional information? If you can complete the task immediately, put an identifier by the task, such as a 'star' or '1.' You may find that you have more stars and can reduce your task list tremendously. If you need additional information, put a question mark and identify what is the next step you need to do to complete it.
Example:

Task #1: prepare for weekly team meeting

* -Create minutes from previous meeting – 1 hour

-Send meeting announcement – email

2 - Order refreshments (based on RSVPs) – email catering service and F/U with phone call

* - Reserve room – email request

?- Get agenda from team lead – email request

 
In the example, the starred items can be completed immediately; all that is required is an email or effort on your part (constructing the minutes). The next items require input from others, these are indicated with a '?.' Then once the question marks are removed (responses are received), they can become starred items, and all that is left is to send the announcement and order the refreshments. You may use your own indicators, it is your P.O.E.M; use what works for you. In summary, starred and items marked with question marks are addressed first, followed by the numbered sequences.
Execution
Now it's time to put the task in motion to completion. Using the tools you have, complete the task according to the indicators from the organizing stage.
Managing
Once you have completed the task, follow-up with the appropriate parties who have been notified (supervisor, team leader, team members, etc). Did you mention deadlines for responses? Is it time to follow-up with a reminder email or phone call? The longer you wait for others, the longer the to-do list will be. Managing the task is the most important step in the P.O.E.M.
Writing a P.O.E.M is a great way to accomplish goals. It is an evaluative method that can be used to help prioritize the tasks in question so that they are completed in a timely manner, plus it sharpens organizational skills. Remember each time you cross off a task from the to-do list, you receive a rush of endorphins. Now how's that for a legal high!

Apologizing the right way

"I will apologize when she apologizes."
"I have nothing to apologize for."
"It's hard for me to admit I was wrong."
"Apologizing is a sign of weakness."
Do any of these statements sound familiar? The statement, "I'm sorry" is one of the most difficult to speak in the English language, because there are feelings attached- embarrassment, shame, and any other discomforting emotions that may come along with the situation. In the book, the Effective Apology, by John Kador, he states that an 'apology is humanity's response to imperfection.'
An apology, on the contrary, is a courageous gesture that promotes transparent leadership showing a sign of strength. "Apologizing does not always mean that you are wrong and the other person is right. It just means that you value your relationship more than your ego." Unknown

1. Be empathetic.
   According to Kador, showing empathy in the apology means that you feel the victim's pain. Example of an empathetic apology: I am sorry I yelled at you about missing the deadline, there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to get things done. I want to understand your workload. This will result in dialogue about why the deadline was missed and could avoid future occurrences.
2. Keep it short.
   A short, empathetic apology is the most effective. When we start making excuses as to why we displayed negative behavior it soon becomes an apology that is suitable for our needs and not the victim. For example, "I am sorry I yelled at you about missing the deadline. I was having a bad day and I wanted to be able to give the report at the Board meeting……"
   Determine what it is you are apologizing for, is it the fact that you publicly yelled at your co-worker for missing the deadline or were you angry because you couldn't present the data at the meeting. If the apology is due to the latter, you are apology to suit your own satisfaction rather than the inappropriate behavior and addressing the feelings of the victim.
3. Be prepared to 'pay restitution'.
   If the person was wronged in front of a group of people, such as in a meeting, be ready to publicly apologize to the individual at the next meeting. Be sure to apologize to the person in private first, then in public. The 'victim' will be more appreciative of the gesture and know that the apology is genuine. Hence, the public apology is the restitution.

When the situation arises and there is a need for an apology, ask yourself, how much do you value your relationship?

Creating your positive pep talk

Do you hate Mondays? Not a morning person? Giving yourself a pep talk in the morning before you go to work can get you ready for the day and one in the evening can offer confirmation. Think about the coach of a football team, a coach revs up the players before the game and after the game whether they lose or win, confirms what went well and offers encourage for the next game. I witnessed this form of positive enforcement when I recently took my 8 year old daughter to school. All the children were standing in their respective lines waiting to go inside. As I was leaving, the principal came out with a bull horn and said the following, which everyone had to repeat:

Principal: Good morning, children.

Everyone: Good morning.

Principal: I am special.

Everyone: I am special. (repeated 2 times)

Principal: We are special.

Everyone: We are special. (repeated 2 times)

Principal: We absolutely, positively love our school.

Everyone: We absolutely, positively love our school.

Principal: Have a good day.

Everyone: Have a good day.

After the morning" pep talk," everyone was led into the school. I began thinking that this is a wonderful way to start the day – a pep talk. It starts you on the right track and prepares your mind with positive thinking. Do you have pep talk? What do you tell yourself each day when you wake up and before you lay down to go to sleep?

Preparing the pep talk

So you're thinking, 'what can I say? How should I start?' Your personally designed pep talk should include (but is not limited to) the following:

• At least 3 - 5 sentences of positivity
  
• Something easy to remember
  
• Should be said with conviction and each sentence repeated at least once
  

Here are some examples:

Pep Talk AM:

Today is a new day.

I am good at what I do.

I will learn something new.

I will not let others change my attitude.

I will do well today.

This is a great exercise for those of you who hate Mondays or are not morning people. I challenge you to create a positive pep talk and recite it every day and see the difference in your attitude at the start and end of the day.