Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom

Get Ahead a Little Bit Each Day

In a competitive workplace, we often think we have to do something extraordinary to stand out, but this isn’t necessarily the case.  Sometimes, it’s the little things that encourage important people to remember and appreciate us.

The Guy Who Made Tom Peters' Day

Tom Peters is known as one of the most influential business authors of the last century.  When he gives a speech, hundreds of people wait in line for a few minutes of his time.  Onsite at a recent seminar, Tom  was in a foul mood.  Everything was going wrong and the talk seemed doomed to failure.  At the last minute before showtime, Tom encountered an enthusiastic A/V staffer who was determined to cheer Tom up.  “He saved my speech and he saved my neck,” writes Tom in his book The Little Big Things: 163 Ways to Pursue Excellence.

If two people contacted Tom after the speech – this A/V guy and an attendee who had insightfully analyzed the contents of his last several books – who do you think Tom would recall meeting?  There’s no question.  After all, he’s still talking about this A/V guy years later.  The A/V guy did something little – he was cheerful – and that something little had a big impact.

A Return to Traditional Values

Life in the business world is difficult.  We can’t keep up with the pace of change and many of us are still reeling from the workforce bloodletting that began three years ago.  In response and perhaps paradoxically, those who study workplace trends are seeing a return to traditional values.  As Tom puts it, life is not this great intellectual construct.  It’s about remembering the simple things your grandmother taught you, getting through the day, and helping others get through the day.

Could You Pick Your Boss' Kid Out of a Lineup?

One key trait to keep in mind is thoughtfulness, at which Tom says women are naturally better than men.  Keeping track of details like your boss' s children’s names requires some discipline, and making an effort to learn these things is often the first thing to slip away when you’re busy. But being able to bring them out in conversation will make other people pay attention.

Are You Gracious?

Vocal appreciation is another simple way to generate positive regard. We are all bombarded with requests on a daily basis.  If that high-profile someone took the time to respond to yours, you should thank her.  And if a person has impressed you, acknowledge her contributions and be generous with your compliments, making them meaningful by focusing on specific actions rather than vague generalities.

Do You Engage One-on-One?

Given the emphasis on e-communication, going out of your way to meet people in person is another way to stand out.  Tom suggests purposefully expanding your circle and engaging people with different perspectives. This includes developing relationships with junior-level employees or administrative assistants, who may have the top person’s ear now and the power in the future.

Do You Work in the Moment?

Finally, instead of always looking ahead, take pride in your work today.  Forget about going the proverbial extra mile, only a half inch is necessary.  Following up on a minor lead that you’re curious about or volunteering for that unsexy project could make the difference in the end.

This post was originally published on Intuit's Quickbase blog.

 

What's the Etiquette for Death?

I received this e-mail from a reader:

Dear Alexandra: My colleague’s mother passed away suddenly last week.  None of us are exactly sure what happened, but we think the circumstances were somewhat mysterious.  Anyway, he is in the office today and I have no idea what to say, or if I should say anything at all.  I just feel really awkward.

Great question, and I’m glad you wrote to ask for advice on the proper etiquette.  I know it’s uncomfortable, but the worst thing you can do is say nothing.  It doesn’t matter what the circumstances were – you owe a colleague you see every day a gesture of sympathy.

Make Him Feel Better, Not Worse

People who are experiencing loss already feel alone and like no one understands what they are going through.  You don’t want him to also perceive that you don’t care and/or that your first priority is your own sense of comfort.  This is how I felt when my own mother passed away a few years ago, and most of my colleagues and even some of my friends didn’t say a word to me.

I recommend taking him aside and telling him that you are sorry for his loss, and ask if there is anything you can do to make this difficult time easier for him.  You do not need to inquire as to the specifics of his mother’s death as this might come across as prying.  Simply be direct and sincere in your personal overture, and then follow up with a handwritten card.   Over the next few weeks, you might check in with him a few times to see how he is doing.  Trust me, he’ll appreciate it.

He Will Remember

Your actions during this time may well dictate how this colleague feels about you from this point forward.  If you go out of your way to instill good will when others don’t, it will cement an ongoing positive relationship.

 This post was originally published on Intuit's Quickbase blog.

 

What Does the Future of Work Mean to You?

In order to have long-term, successful careers, all of us should rethink how we’ll stay marketable in the future workforce.

O & A: The Twin Perils of Future Work

It probably won’t surprise you that outsourcing and automation will the bane of many twenty-first century employees’ existence.  If a computer will be able to do your job or if your job can be done by a cheaper employee in a less costly geographic location, it will be gone.

Key Must-Have Qualities

The most critical quality for marketable employees in 20 years will be the ability to problem-solve and add value to every task they are assigned and for every customer and colleague with whom they interact. Self-discipline and internal drive will also be important because the traditional office environment is already disappearing in favor of telecommuting, round-the-clock hours, and cross-geography collaboration.  Although technology will be available to track what you’re working on and when, you’ll need to be productive without the boss looking over your shoulder.

You must be able to seamlessly multi-task, since most employees in 2021 will complete projects for a series of independent groups or organizations.  Future workers will need to be comfortable with rapid change, will be expected to learn a wide array of skills from strategic planning and hiring to computer programming and design and will be expected to constantly upgrade those skills.  Employees of all ages and levels will contribute creative thinking and operational excellence to their initiatives.

Getting Up to Speed

How can you prepare now for a fruitful career in 2021?   In addition to honing your technical knowledge and functional expertise in areas like customer service, you should brainstorm ways to position yourself well in the future marketplace.  This means developing innovative processes, products, and services, and finding efficient new ways of performing routine responsibilities.  You’ll stand out in your current organization, and by the time 2021 roles around, you’ll have an extensive portfolio to showcase your substantial worth to any employer.

This post was originally published on Intuit's Quickbase blog.

 

Why So Much Frustration at Work?

Are you a person who is easily frustrated at the office?  Do you know what’s behind it?

The locus of control

A key ingredient is the lack of control that a person perceives for the outcome of their work.  In psychology, this is called locus of control, a concept that was originally developed by Julian Rotter in the mid-twentieth century.  One has an internal locus of control if he believes that he controls his own destiny, and he has an external locus of control if he believes that his destiny is controlled by other forces like authority figures, fate, or God.  Over the last half century, psychological research has determined that males tend to be more internal than females, older people are more internal than younger people, and people at higher levels in the organization are more internal than junior-level staffers.

In general, having an internal locus of control is viewed as more desirable, since these individuals tend to be more achievement oriented. They are more persistent and work longer and harder to get what they need or want.  It’s better from a mental health perspective too, because when you feel that you can affect the outcome of your work, you are more satisfied and have a greater sense of accomplishment.

If you are a person who is prone to an external locus of control, this could be a major cause of your agita at work. Fortunately, there are things you can do to develop an internal locus of control. For example, you can:

Acknowledge your own choices

Just being alive means that you make thousands of small choices every day, and those small choices add up to make a major impact on your life. As for the bigger choices, usually you do have the power to take control of the ones that are really important.

Set achievable goals every day

Being able to check even minor things off a list each afternoon will improve your self-esteem and increase your internal locus of control.

Practice making decisions

Work on the skill of listing and evaluating the pros and cons of each option and coming to a conclusion on your own rather than relying on the opinions of others.

Change your thinking

 If a thought such as “I’m helpless and there’s nothing I can do” finds its way into your head, quickly dispose of it by focusing on what you can do to better the situation.

Imagine how things could be worse

Some people also have low frustration tolerance, meaning that they are irritated by life’s minor inconveniences. For instance, if FedEx is late delivering your package, you might yell at the customer service rep or stare blankly at your computer while your anger simmers just below the surface. Since these types of situations crop up all the time, it’s in your best interest to rein in your negative reaction to them. The first step here is to imagine how things could be worse. As an example, FedEx could have lost your package instead of delivering it late, or you might lack the funds to buy the contents of the package in the first place or pay for their shipping.

Practice exposure

You may also want to try a little of what psychologists call “exposure.” This involves making a list of the everyday situations that annoy you (driving on the highway at rush hour, waiting on hold for a customer service representative, etc.) and subjecting yourself to them gradually so that you can increase your tolerance. As you’re experiencing these situations, you might ask yourself why you’re frustrated in the first place. Is it that you feel helpless or put out? If so, you might put processes in place to eliminate that negative feeling. For example, I get frustrated by sitting in meetings because they make me feel inefficient. I find that if I schedule these to last just thirty minutes (enough time for quick status updates and to-dos), I’m not nearly as anxious about my time being wasted.

Retool your perspective

My husband, who’s a psychologist, recommends an additional strategy to increase your ability to cope with frustration, and that is to put the frustrating situation in context. You can say, for instance, “Of all the upsetting things that have happened to me in my life, getting chastised by my boss in front of my client was a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10, but not getting a seat on the subway this morning only gets a 2.”

Have you successfully overcome frustration at work?  What strategies can you share?

This post was originally published on Intuit's Quickbase blog.

Make Sure Your New Person Doesn't Quit

It’s a little insane how much time and effort we spend trying to recruit the right people, and then how easily we blow it with them as soon as they step through the door.   Here are seven reminders to ensure that the new people on your team want to stick around.

Put “need to knows” at a convenient, regularly updated online location.

Post new employee orientation schedules, materials, benefits forms, and an extensive FAQ about the company on an Intranet that is accessible to new hires from a welcome e-mail before their first day on the job.  By providing some information in advance, you eliminate a common source of new hire angst.

Don’t have her start during a week when her direct manager is either out of town or busy with a project deadline.

This will give the new employee a feeling of being disconnected and will leave her with too much time on her hands to sit in her office and stare at the four walls.

Plan who your new hire meets in her first few days strategically.

The employees you want the new guy to be hanging out with are friendly, positive about the organization, and happy with their work.

Don’t keep your new employee waiting around on his first day.

The worst thing to do is to leave him standing in the lobby for a half hour while reception staff tries to figure out what to do with him.

Leverage the technology available to you.

Although there is no replacing personal interactions, some onboarding messages can be delivered effectively using computer-based simulations and e-learning.

Show your new hire how things are done.

Every workplace comes with its own set of rules and regulations, nuances and traditions.  For example, if your organization observes a casual Friday rule, make sure the new hire knows this before showing up at the office on her first Friday in a neatly-pressed suit.

Don’t burn her out too fast.

Get your new hire started on a worthwhile project quickly, but don’t put so much pressure on her to juggle a million balls that she gets overwhelmed.

This post was originally published on Intuit's Quickbase blog.

 

Should You Work for Free?

Should I Work for Free?

In a still-uncertain economy, this is a question that’s on a lot of people’s minds, especially those who are looking to enhance their skills and network.  Some consider taking internship or volunteer positions to break ground in a new industry, while others work for free so that they can develop relationships with clients who may eventually pay them.

Assess Your Situation

Still, it’s not for everyone.  When deciding whether or not to work for no pay, you should first determine if you can afford it.  What is your family’s financial situation, and are you gainfully employed in another role?  It’s also smart to assess – specifically – how each position will deliver value in terms of your long-term prospects.  Don’t be afraid to ask the person with whom you are working for free.  Contrary to what some believe, most people are not interested in exploiting workers and will be open to discussions about what’s in it for you.

The proposed time commitment is an important factor too.  Those who are employed should not devote more than 20-25 hours a week to an unpaid gig, or they risk burning out or short-changing the job that pays the bills.

Make the Most of It

If you have limited experience in the field, the person watching over your work during an unpaid gig may play it safe by giving you small tasks.  Don’t let her.  Get involved with as many large, complex projects as possible, jumping at the opportunity to challenge yourself, master new skills, and be exposed to people who perform a variety of roles.  And as with any job, make sure that you’re able to quantify your contributions.

Leave on a Strong Note

When the end of your volunteer stint draws near, think about whether you want to pursue a full-time, paid opportunity in the new field or with the contacts you’ve made.  If nothing arises right away, actively keep in touch with the people you’ve met through e-mail, social networks, or even better, occasional in-person get togethers.

This post was originally published on Intuit's Quickbase blog.

 

Could Google+ Be a Useful Work Tool?

The online world is buzzing about Google+ (or Google Plus), which is purported to be Google’s answer to Facebook.  Since it’s not available to the public, I haven’t used it yet, but I have seen the news coverage and Google’s promo video.  I’m excited to check out Google+ because I think it could have some interesting applications for us professional folk.

Help Keeping Work and Personal Groups Separate

Google+ aims to differentiate itself from Facebook by creating separate spaces to interact with business and personal contacts. I’m momentarily intrigued by this prospect since I’m never quite sure what to do with my Facebook network.  I’d rather have separate pages to reflect my work and personal lives, but the concept of a “fan page” makes me a little uncomfortable.

Maybe Google+ is the answer. Google+’s Social Circles allow you to effectively and easily segment your colleagues, professional associates, partners, friends, and family members on the same network.

Instantaneous Collaboration

Google+ can be viewed as a next generation wiki, which many work groups already use to keep everyone up to date. The Sparks feature encourages members of Social Circles to share and talk about relevant news and information, using a smartphone to quickly upload videos, photos, and documents.

The Hangouts feature could be handy because it alerts your circles when you’re online and ready for collaboration, and also provides the ability to automatically launch a video chat with multiple participants. This can be a terrific way to gather a bunch of colleagues in far-flung geographic together for a meeting, presentation, or last minute brainstorm.

Long & Short of It

Clearly Google+ isn’t trying to recreate the Facebook environment. Facebook indisputably has the feel of a community, and Google+ is really just offering new additions to Google’s growing suite of tools. They also didn’t design Google+ as web-based software for solving the collaboration needs of work groups. Only time will tell if it will actually catch on and make a more lasting impact in people’s personal and professional lives than previous attempts Google Wave and Google Buzz.

What do you think?  Is Google just in time or unfashionably late for the social networking dinner party?

This post was originally published on Intuit's Quickbase blog.