Tick Tock goes the clock

Time is of the essence.  Time is money.  Time is precious.  These are things I thought about when sitting in a meeting this afternoon that should have taken one hour but instead took close to two and a half hours.  Initially transitioning from the classroom to the workplace proved very difficult for me as I learned that there is the potential for lots of meetings in the course of one day: planned meetings, impromptu meetings, meetings that run over the end time, meetings that did not have a purpose and so on.

 However, in the last 6 years of my corporate work experience I have not only been broken into attending, facilitating and planning meetings, I have also grown to enjoy them, when they are a means to inform, summarize, clarify, and/or reiterate information, brainstorm and collect ideas, or  implement, in other words  productive.  Oh, and facilitated in a timely manner.

After the two and half hour meeting, I thought that although the objective was met and I was enlightened on the performance management system that I had not yet been trained on, I realized that there were numerous missteps by the meeting facilitator that led to our meeting being extremely long for no reason.  So, I present to you the five missteps that took place in the meeting I attended today and how to avoid them.  Read these carefully so when you facilitate a meeting you won't make the same mistakes and waste your employees or colleagues valuable time.

1. Test technical props (Lap tops, wireless connections, projector screens, phone lines, etc)
    being used for the meeting prior to the start time.  Things can and will go wrong, and most times it will be out of your control, however testing early allows more time to move on to a "Plan B" if you encounter issues.  Trying to troubleshoot in front of your meeting attendees is unprofessional and gives them the impression who were not prepared and makes them feel as if  you are wasting their time, which technically you will be if the meeting runs over. 
2. Do not digress.  While the topic may remind you of a funny joke, a recent scenario or previous experience, refrain from excessive side bar conversations, off topic comments and any other dialogue that will not add value and also prolong the meeting.  Save your irrelevant chatter until the meeting concludes.
3. Provide materials in advance if possible.  This may not always be possible or even necessary so use your best judgement here.  If you are training the meeting attendees on new material, handouts and/or instructions would be fitting.  This will save time down the line after the meeting, in that the attendees will have the information at their fingertips and not have to return to you for further explanation or search around for how-to's.
4. If the meeting time is up - set up a time to continue the meeting at a later date. Most people plan to be available for the meeting time communicated to them and that meeting time only.
5. BONUS - You are probably thinking, what if I am attending a meeting that is wasting my time?  Take control politely.  This will not work in all cases, but it is possibly to move the meeting along, by interjecting and getting the group back on task.  Suggest a timekeeper if you see time is getting to be a problem and also bring the group back to the meeting topic if they get off track by using a line like this "Julie, I understand your explanation of step 1 of the process, what would step 2 entail?"  This shows you are interested in the subject matter, but also want to cut out the unnecessary chit chat.

Here's to productive meetings in and out of the office! 

Help me to help you

This week I confirmed that as a "right-hand man" you are required to watch the act of thinking.  In my job, while I am not an assistant by title, I always end up assisting my boss with numerous tasks and projects, making copies, fetching files, and the most fairest of all - watching her think. 

With some internal company restructuring we have a new leader with a different management style, and different needs and priorities.  With this comes more complex projects requiring me to assist my boss on assignments I've never been exposed to before.  This is great news for me, because I now have the opportunity to learn some new skills and interact with other colleagues.  Yea Me!

However, I realized that its not enough to listen to my boss debrief the situation, get educated on the details, retype documents that our predecessors did not save electronically, analyze the next steps based on my perspective as a newcomer to the information, BUT I also must sit in my boss's office and watch her as she thinks of where additional documents may be, who could have possibly signed the missing document, what the calculation on the 19th page of the contract means and so on!!!!!   How do I know that this to is a requirement - because when I position my body to leave her office to return to my desk, she snaps "Wait, give me a minute".  A minute to do what, I ask myself.  While it would be fantastic if my superhuman power was mind reading, I don't possess that skill set and watching someone think is a waste of time if it isn't an active brainstorming session.

At the end of the day, don't ask someone to watch you think, help them to help you accomplish whatever outcome you are looking for by not wasting their time, but telling them what you are trying to achieve, uncover, or make a decision on.  Next, write down the follow up items that need some additional thought and lastly, decide on a time to reconvene once you had the opportunity to actively think and discuss next steps. 

Sitting Pretty...

Here are some pretty (cute huh?) interesting findings regarding good looks and securing a job.  It's not enough to dress the part, this article says you must have an equally appealing face. 

I started wearing make-up to work 5 years ago to look more mature and be taken more seriously (I've always looked young for my age), but must I keep up this charade to keep my job??!!  

Check out this article about "How much beauty is worth at work". 

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/19/poll-how-much-is-beauty-worth-at-work.html?GT1=43002

10 Attitudes of Successful Workers
By Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor

I love careers section on msn.com.  I can always count on them to publish some really good career advice.  Here is one to check out:

http://msn.careerbuilder.com/custom/msn/careeradvice/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=666

Gracefully Unhelpful

When I sought out clarification on data provided to me in an excel spreadsheet at work today, I realized that sometimes you just aren't able to be helpful. 

This applies to any situation:  You may just not know the answer due to lack of knowledge on the subject, you may be familiar but it's not your expertise and you don't want to commit to an answer, or you may simply be new to a city, neighborhood, company and just clueless altogether.  No one can fault you for not knowing. 

BUT....there is a courteous way to be unhelpful.

Here are a couple of pointers:

1. Don't have an attitude and get irritated that someone had the audacity to ask you something you don't know.  They may not have known you didn't know.
2. If you have a suggestion on who might be able to help - share it. 
3. Don't tell a tall tale just to get the person off your back - it's OK if you don't know and you shouldn't send them down the wrong path trying to make yourself look good.

I have to admit, I don't watch the local news too often nor CNN or MSNBC.  However, I will read www.cnn.com or even www.msn.com for world news to keep current as to what is going on around the globe.

For those of you who do make it point to watch Anderson Cooper, Diane Sawyer and your local newscasters - kudos to you.  But don't stop there, it is also very important to stay in the loop of what is going on in the industry in which you work.  I often read Human Resources themed periodicals and magazines.  It is important for me to keep up with industry innovation, newsworthy leaders and benchmarking standards that are being set in my field.

As an HR professional I read:

• HR Magazine
• Staffing Management
• Diversity Executive
• Risk Management
• Employee Benefit News

While I don't subscribe to all of these magazines, my employer does!  Try to get your employer to subscribe to those magazines that are applicable to your job function as well.  Assure them that their investment in you staying current in your field is a win-win.  Depending on the industry these subscriptions can get pricey, so you can always check them out at your local library, or go online to get digital version or ezine versions of the publication within your career field, if subscribing is not an option.

With the click of my mouse (Google Queen Alert) I located resources for magazines in a couple other industries, take a look: 

Marketing

• Advertising Age - http://www.adage.com/

Medical

• Advance - www.advanceweb.com - this is a good find as it caters to a wide array of medical professionals.  Some of the magazine subscriptions are FREE for those licensed in the field.  FREE is always good.

Engineering

• Mechanical Engineering - www.memagazine.asme.org
• Civil Engineering - www.asce.org

Business

• Forbes - www.forbes.com
• Business Week - www.businessweek.com

Science

• Science - www.sciencemag.org

Information Technology

• Computer World - www.computerworld.com
• Information Week - www.informationweek.com

Next time you contemplate something to read, pick up or log on to some industry info and while you do that, I will put forth some effort to watch the news!

Hobby = $$$ 

It's a good thing to have a side gig!  Check out the article "Why 3 jobs are better than one" from CNN.com.  Author Paula Caligiuri, says "...it's no longer smart to depend on one job or one source of income."

So it's simple:

You + like to cook = catering on the weekend $$

You + loves fashion = work at the Coach store (I'm sure the employee discount is grrreat!) $$

You + passionate about writing = write and self publish a book $$

You + great html skills = web designing for local start ups $$

This may be a way to start working on your entrepreneurial spirit while still holding down your main job, not wanting to fully dive in before knowing if that's what you really want to do.  Or, you may just have a hobby that can bring in some dollars!

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/worklife/06/02/cb.3jobs.better.than.one/index.html

Ode to mute...

Oh do I love the mute button on my Cisco Systems telephone at work.  The button is similar to the "no smoking" sign, except it's this little microphone being crossed out instead of a cigarette.

Now, why do I love this feature on my phone - well, in my line of work, I administer benefits for over 2,000 employees in the US and Canada.  Benefits are important to people - hey, they're important to me....So it is to be expected that I receive numerous calls ranging from - where is my benefit card, why was my dental claim denied, I want to drop my ex-wife, I want to add my newborn baby, why am I getting a spousal surcharge taken out of my paycheck, where is my pension check, why did the retiree medical costs increase so much, and so on and on and on and on.....

So with that said, I use the mute button at least 3 times a day:

When my phone is on speaker so I can multitask - type an email, file documents, or even eat my lunch.  I just read that the latter task is rude - but au contraire mon frere - I'm muting my smacking with the mute button!

When an employee, retiree or pensioner is talking out the side of their neck.  Sometimes I can't understand why someone would go off on someone who can help them.  That is my job - to solve problems.  I am all for fighting for your rights, venting your frustrations - I do it all the time, you should hear me talking to my cell phone company - but really, sometimes you need to just listen.

When I have to laugh - as serious as I am, I am equally goofy and love to laugh.  At times I find humor in difficult situations and to prevent upsetting or frustrating the caller on the other end, I use my trusty mute button to get out my chuckles.

Beware of checking that the button is pushed before saying something smart.  One day, a medical vendor made my colleague very mad and irritated, while she was shouting over the cubicle to me to come over and assist her with this annoying customer service rep for a vendor, she uttered, "this lady is irritating me and I'm tired of talking to her" well, when I got over there, the rep responded to my hello with "although your colleague thinks that I am annoying and irritating...." Whoa - Not good - my colleague did not double check the mute!

So make sure you check and re-check that button.  In a perfect world, we would not feel the need to say smart aleck things and not allow our buttons to be pushed - but at least until I reach my ultimate level of Zen - I will continue to use my mute button. 

When the Cat's Away.....*

This mouse does not play.  My boss is out of the office on business for the next 4 work days.  And boy did I raise the roof, shout hallelujah and did any and everything else to celebrate my much needed break away from the "man".  But the funny thing about me - is that I get my best work and the most work done when my boss is out of the office.

Unlike the idiom - I generally do my playing when my boss is in the office.  It is better to maneuver the "play" aspect: shuffle papers, pick up the phone and pretend I am taking a business call, and take a long stroll to the vending machine when my boss is in.  No one else is keeping their eye on me, because if I look like I am chilling and my boss is in, no one will think any of it.  They think, would I dare play around with my boss in town??  However, beware, one false move when your boss is out, you will sure call attention to your schemes!

My boss's absence allows me to work without any interruptions, my to-do list actually serves its purpose and my talk breaks to my colleague are shorter, because I am so motivated to get the things on my agenda done! 

Later in the day, a colleague invited me to a slack fest, but I declined; she was shocked that I had the audacity to actually get some work done during this so-called vacation!  If you don't listen to nothing else I say, don't fall victim to this idiom.  Handle your business with or without your boss or supervisor around.  If you need a break to surf the net, talk to your friends, or try to leave early - do it when your boss is there.  This leaves you free from unwanted speculation and it's easier to talk your way in or out of something when it comes straight from the horses mouth.  How is that for another idiom!

*Idiom: 

Without supervision, people will do as they please, especially in disregarding or breaking rules. For example, As soon as their parents left, the children invited all their friends over—when the cat's away, you know. This expression has been a proverb since about 1600 and is so well known it is often shortened, as in the example.

Here comes the boss! How to stay out of trouble when surfing the internet at work.

Lately, I've found numerous websites that want you to look at their websites at work and not get in trouble for it! Websites like, http://www.tnt.tv/ provides a "Boss Coming? Dramatic Pause" link to a bogus MS Excel spreadsheet, so while you are watching a show, if your boss walks by or into your office you have an immediate solution to your wrongdoing. Who is catching up on episodes of their favorite TNT show at work - I don't know, but I find this hilarious and diabolically clever!

How did I learn about this you ask, not at work! One weekend a while back, when I was trying to catch up on TNT's police drama "Dark Blue" (which I like and hope comes back this summer, hopefully I wasn't the only one watching it), I discovered this interesting marketing tool and job saver.

I work in a cubicle with my back and computer screen facing the walk way. This could cause lots of problems for me, if I'm too slow to turn my head, peep the intruders, and click on a work appropriate website or document and commence working. Working in a cubicle, for the past three years, I've fine-tuned my hearing so that I can effectively surf the web or online shop and stay on my toes!

There are some job boards that also have these faux documents that allow you to search for jobs and always escape the job hunt with one click, when the coast isn't clear. This particular job board I was on, actually took you to a document that was about developing management styles. Now listen very closely here - I would never suggest looking for a job at work, ever. Unless you know how to delete your internet cookies and files completely and without a trace - I suggest you leave those activities for your home computer. Companies already have internet guidelines, and to tell you the truth yahoo and hotmail sometimes are against the rules too. Please don't lose your job over facebook.

While you should stick to more safe websites like msn.com and cnn.com, you can always make your own "boss is coming - getaway vehicle" by opening up actual work documents you are working on or have a standing new email message template from outlook and there you go. After that, you must, I repeat must, master the mouse click or the ALT - TAB combo to get you out of the inappropriate screen in enough time!

Good Luck!

What's on your desk?

I watch a lot of HGTV and one of my favorite shows is "Designed to Sell". Homeowners who are having trouble selling their homes get help from design pros who reposition and stage their homes. This staging gives off a perception of a lived in home, if the house is empty or a less personalized decor feel, leaving the potential buyers feeling like that they could see themselves living there.

Ironically, I have been staging my desk at work long before I had even known what HGTV was. I have incorporated what I call desk staging into my daily work routine and you should too.

Every morning when I come into work, I turn on my computer, open up my MS Outlook, unlock all my drawers and then I begin the staging process. I pull out my notebook with my to do list on it, some file folders, a couple of HR forms, pension forms that need processing, perhaps a benefit survey that needs to be completed and any other items that I may possibly work on throughout the day and neatly and strategically place these items on my desk.

Now, I initially started staging my desk to give the impression that I was busy. So you could say the items were more like props, so while I was catching up on the shows I watched the night before with coworkers, I could always easily pop back in my seat and get straight to work or appear to be working.

But more recently, I find that staging my desk, helps me prioritize my tasks for the day. Because I am a visual learner, putting the things I have to do out in the open where I can see them allows me to stop the chitter chatter sooner with my coworkers, and get to work.

So, I say - try it, whether you are trying to find a better way to effectively complete your tasks each day, or to to present the illusion that you are super busy, when actually you are checking your hotmail account, paying your bills or talking about what Ellen said on American Idol.

Thank Goodness it's Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday...

It is so funny to me how the attitudes of office workers progress throughout the week. I have memorized the responses to my over the top "Goooood Morrrning" during my 3 floor ride on the elevator each day.

Monday - Ugh - It's Monday...

Tuesday - Is it Friday yet?

Wednesday - It's hump day - we are almost there!

Thursday -Isn't this week going by slow?

Friday -Happy Friday!

I am proposing that those of you who take on this weekly transformation from down in the dumps to on cloud nine, try something different next week. When you enter the elevator, pass someone in the hall, or hold the door for those entering with you, greet them with a Good Morning and a smile. It's really not that hard to do.

No need to share the dark cloud of negativity that hangs over your head with someone else, just because you don't want to be at work. Fake the funk people - Fake - the - funk! Here's why:

A) It's not professional.

B) You don't want anyone going around telling people that you seem like you don't want to be at work - what if that gets back to you manager or the CEO?

C) It's just not healthy. Think of the self fulling prophecy, I think therefore I am. You don't want that attitude to carry through your entire day, better yet the entire week until Friday?

jhjhhlhlh

Remember moods and attitudes can be contagious, so make sure your are passing on the right one.

Let's Get Ready to Rumble...

I wanted to put on boxing gloves today and phantom punch an irrational and immature colleague of mine like Ali did Liston.

When I entered into the work world, to my surprise, I found it to eerily resemble high school. There were cliques, unbelievable bad attitudes and the infamous wishy washy behavior, i.e. I'm not talking to you today so we will ride this elevator in silence and I will pass you in the hall numerous times, because I don't like you. Naive me, thought that if you worked in an office, you acted like you had common sense and decency. Boy was I wrong!

Although, I would love to knock out some of my annoying coworkers, www.boston.com offers eight tips to help deal with difficult coworkers. You should probably try those tips and not a TKO.

1. Approach conflict with an open mind
2. Consider what might have caused the conflict
3. Be respectful of differences
4. Try to cut the conflict off in its early stages
5. Listen carefully
6. Be mindful of your language
7. Ask for help
8. Be sure the problem is resolved

At the end of the day.....while ideal, you don't have to like anyone you work with, but you do have to respect them and act in a professional manner.

Click here for the full article: http://www.boston.com/bostonworks/galleries/workplaceconflict?pg=9

Fun career site to check out...

In my quest to find all things work related and fun, today I ran across "Karen Burns' - Working Girl" website, which offers career advice. Very cute site; take a look at the 59 jobs she's held over the last 48 years of her life. Whew....
One question: Where are the "Working Guys"? I know you're out there - somewhere...

http://www.karenburnsworkinggirl.com

Long time - No see.... No Talk.... No Write...., etc. I've been either voicing or hearing some rendition of that phrase since signing my name to the corporate dotted line - all while subjecting myself to the development of bags under my eyes, working through lunch or skipping it all together. This is what you get when you step into the real world and start on your many years towards seniority.

In the midst of our busy season at my job - as each industry has one ~ it's times like these I think back to my senior year in college when I was finished with my psychology major coursework and only taking electives, eagerly awaiting graduation, getting out of school and starting an adult life. My two best friends and I would sit up late at night ( as seniors we were smart enough to schedule late morning classes) in deep discussions about how "over" college we were, tired of stupid freshman and how much better life would be when we started our careers. We partied frequently, maintaining our academic scholarships all four years, shopped with our parent's money each weekend, and travelled during breaks - summer, Christmas, spring, Thanksgiving ~ there were so many.

Ironically all 3 of us - progressed on to achieve masters degrees in the 2 years following undergrad - while one is currently pursuing a doctorate degree, so much for entering the real world immediately. But, for 2 of us - 3 years after graduate school, 3 years of work experience under our belts when we finally get to talk once or twice a month (on the weekends of course) we like to reminisce about the best times of our lives - back in undergrad. We find it hilarious how naive we were. After 45 minutes to an hour of discussing what's new in our lives and all the details of our careers, the 2 of us who aren't in school find joy in ending our call with the PhD candidate saying- "stay in school, don't join the rat race!"