The Search for an Awesome Candidate

Once upon a time, hiring decisions were made by an elite few at a company. But in today’s team-based corporate world, more and more people are being included in the hiring process to read resumes and interview candidates. When you get pulled into this world, it can either be a fun break from your work that results in getting a great teammate or it can be an utter nightmare that never ends…because you hired the wrong person.

The Description

If you get involved at the very beginning, you’ll be asked to help write the position description for your new coworker. This is not likely to be very exciting because the Human Resources folks have guidelines and boilerplate language that you can’t change. What you should focus on are specific skills you need your new coworker to have:

• Software expertise
• Professional certifications
• Experience with clients/customers/animals/children/etc.

The more specific you can be, the more likely you are to find the right person.

 I once had a boss who insisted on putting exaggerated corporate language in the description to make the company and the job sound more glamorous. My team spent days convincing him that the ad would only attract overqualified, inappropriate candidates.

The Resumes

A few weeks after the position description is published, your boss will say it is time to review the resumes that they have received. There may be several people on your team reading them, with instructions to rank the resumes. Your goal is to find a person that is genuinely qualified to the do the job, and who is personally a good fit for your team. Here are some things to look for.

Length

A resume for the average 20/30-something young professional should only be one page long, two at the most. If you have a recent college graduate with no job experience yet four pages of bullet points, this is a warning sign. A real professional can say a lot with a few words. For instance: “Landed space vehicle on Earth’s moon, 1969.” Those are seven impressive words.

 I have often seen the resume with several enormous bullets and acres of white space between them under each college club and fraternity activity, stretching out over page after page. If you see this resume, toss it. They have nothing to say, but they think they can trick you into thinking they do.

Appearance

Take a minute just to glance at the resume in general. Is it organized with headings and bullets?  Can you easily find important information, like position titles, dates of employment, and employer names?
The resume is the first work product (document) you will see from your prospective office-mate. Judge it critically: organization, clarity, style, spelling, grammar. It all speaks to what sort of person the candidate is. Attentive to details, or sloppy. Thorough and clear, or lazy and confused.

 I have seen the resume written in cell phone text abbreviations, in multiple fonts and text sizes, with and without bullets in the same paragraph, and I have chuckled as I tossed it in the trash, unread. I don’t care what your Master’s is in if you can’t spell it like a grown-up.

Objective

Does the resume have an Objective? Here’s what every Objective always says, in plain English:

• I want a job, preferably one that pays well and that I enjoy.

This is a minor waste of space, so don’t judge it too harshly. That is, unless, it’s a substantial paragraph containing all of the candidate’s hopes and dreams. Then they’re wasting your time, and confusing the personal with the professional.

Education

Professionals devote as little space as possible to their education. One line is plenty:

• BS in Electrical Engineering, State College, 2005. 3.8 GPA, Honors.

If you encounter the resume with two paragraphs about extracurricular activities, classes, professors, and other errata, then not only have you found someone with no work experience, but also someone with no idea of what belongs on a resume. In the Internet Age, there is no excuse for this.

Work Experience

Here is the main event. Here is where you need to read most carefully and cynically. Here is where they’ve hidden the really dangerous lies. While it is fine to try to make something sound better, the danger comes from people trying to make nothing sound better.
The professional resume states real facts, succinctly:

• Managed team of three developers.
• Designed and maintained e-commerce Web site.
• Wrote humorous articles for WorkAwesome.com.

The professional resume also includes real achievements:

• Lowered costs 50% in 2008 by finding new vendors.
• Increased Web traffic 25% in 2009 using new advertising.
• Won Pulitzer Prize for WorkAwesome article, 2010.

The unprofessional resume uses big words to describe small ideas:

• Liaised with departmental representatives. (Translation: Went to meetings.)
• Conceived and executed novel organizational schema. (Translation: Created filing system.)
• Supported numerous collaborative events with international experts. (Translation: Fetched coffee during conference calls to Europe.)

Again, beware of candidates trying to trick you. Question everything. Take your time. Remember, the person you select will either make your work life better or worse for the next several months or years. Get this right!
But also, it’s not a crime to be young and inexperienced. We all start out that way. As long as your candidate is honest and professional about what they do and don’t know, then you should give them a fair hearing. The right candidate may just be a novice with a great attitude.

The Ranking

Time to rank those resumes. I suggest three piles: Overqualified (probably 30% of your resumes), Potentials (about 20%), and… well, the third category is the pile of resumes that should have gone straight into the trash (50%). Try to find three Potentials who you really want to interview to recommend to your boss, and pick out one Overqualified person who would be great to have, even though you’re pretty sure they wouldn’t take the job. (You never know!)

The Interviews

Companies today don’t just interview someone once. They may interview a candidate several times in a row, including a management team, a peer team, and an HR team. And depending on the circumstances, there may be second or even third interviews with a candidate before making an offer.
When interviewing a candidate, be sure to follow any rules established by HR. For example, don’t make any personal remarks (no matter how well-intentioned) about the person’s gender, ethnicity, physical handicaps, etc. With that said, your goal during the interview should be to keep the candidate talking. Ask them for stories from previous positions:

• Can you give an example of dealing with a difficult client?
• What’s the best environment you’ve ever worked in?
• How have you resolved conflicts with vendors?

Quiet candidates may be more than just nervous, they might have nothing to offer…which is a problem!
Drill them on their resume to make sure they know what they claim to know. And generally watch their body language. Are they just nervous, or are they confused and terrified?
When the interview is over, check yourself for your initial reaction. Did you enjoy the conversation and wish you had more time? Or was every minute a painful, horrible slog? Your first impression is probably right on the money.

 I interviewed a young man who drove over three hours to the meeting in Washington. When he entered the room, he asked if we would reimburse him for the speeding ticket he got on the way. (It was a short interview.)

Recommendations

Odds are, none of the candidates were perfect. But you should have a clear sense of who could do the job without making the rest of the team miserable. (Ideally, they could do the job while making the team even better!)

The End of the Line

Well, someone got hired. Was it the right person? If not, where in the process do you think the team went wrong?

 I was once part of a large group interviewing candidates for an analyst position. One day, we met with a young woman and we realized that this candidate had lied on her resume about critical job experience. We returned to our offices to send emails to the team leader to advise him not to pursue hiring this candidate. However, before most us could send those emails (less than 10 minutes after the interviews!) the leader had already announced his decision to hire the candidate. That episode seriously undermined the team’s trust in the leader.

Hiring the right person for the job is like panning for gold. There is a lot of dirt to sift, but there is also fool’s gold to avoid. And the process can be lengthy and frustrating. It helps to define your goals clearly. Do you want to find the perfect person, not matter how long it takes? Or do you need to hire the best available person before a certain deadline?
Whatever your hiring goals may be, remember that you’re not just looking to fill an open position, you’re looking to make your team stronger. Do yourself a favor and find that gold!

Be Prepared for a Promotion

There is a growing trend out there for working a shorter work week or even leaving the corporate workforce to work for yourself.  But, for most of us, leaving our current job or even shortening our work week is just not on the short-term horizon.  Given that stark reality, it would be wise to set yourself up for some upward movement in your current job. Easier said than done right? Well, there certainly are a number of steps that you can take to “set yourself up” for a bump in pay and a bump in respect in the workplace.

Educate Yourself

I’m a firm believer in the quote “The truly educated never graduate”.  Adding marketable skills and training to your resume should be a constant in your life, particularly if your company will pay for it. At my place of employment the company will pay the full price of degree classes, including books, but you would be surprised how many workers don’t take advantage of it. Continuing education has become much more popular in the past few years.  In a recent article in the New York Times it was stated that:

 “community colleges, four-year colleges and universities, for-profit technical schools, professional organizations and everything in between are expanding their course offerings and retooling their curriculums.”

This expansion of the offerings is more in response to the downturn in the economy and the desire of workers who have lost their jobs to get more training. But, for those of you who are still in your jobs, it is an excellent opportunity to expand the breadth of your knowledge. You would be surprised at the amount of colleges that offer online degree programs. I am currently finishing up another degree that I took entirely online. The major advantage of this type of education is that you don’t have to deal with the logistics of fighting traffic after work and heading to class. The time savings is significant and you can work on your schoolwork at a time that is convenient for you.

Learn How to Speak Confidently

As far as promotions go, a boss will be looking for someone to whom he can delegate uncomfortable tasks to.  Oftentimes this may require giving a presentation to a group at a conference or at a company luncheon. If you can learn to get comfortable speaking in front of a group this will help you immeasurably in the eyes of the executives in your company.
Easier said than done huh? Well, there is an international group that was founded in 1924 called Toastmasters whose mission statement is “Become the Speaker & Leader You Want to Be”.  As a former president of a local Toastmasters chapter, I can attest to the fact that working on your speaking in front of a supportive group of fellow members will definitely prepare you for presentations or extemporaneous talks you may have to give at your workplace.

Get to Know the Executives of the Company

In a smaller company it’s typically a lot easier to get to know the executives of the company on a first-name basis.  Those executives were once in your position and they understand what it takes to move ahead in an organization.  Typically they will be amenable to helping you out if they can see that you are working to improve yourself and help out the company.
Try to discover some activities that you may have in common. Golf is very popular in the corporate world and many meetings take place on the golf course. It wouldn’t hurt to buy some clubs and take a few lessons. If you get to know the executives then they may make it a point to ask for your help for information that they may need to do their jobs. These are the opportunities that could propel you to the advancement you are looking for in your career. It is at these times that you may have to put in the extra hours but the payoff may be invaluable.

Stick to Your Guns

Company executives typically want to promote people who have their own ideas and opinions, and the conviction to stand by them. The idea that “Yes” men get ahead is a fallacy. If you feel firmly about a certain topic or strategy related to the workplace, state your opinion and stick by it.
Back your assertions with facts rather than gut feelings. If you show that you’ve done your homework on a topic this will also display to the executives your preparedness and initiative.

Have Integrity & Be Ethical

Dictionary.com defines the word integrity as “adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.” At my workplace we are required on a yearly basis to take “Ethics” courses.  Companies are especially sensitive to impropriety in the workplace. An example of this is a company setting a limit on the dollar amount of a gift that a buyer can receive from a supplier.
There is a strict code of conduct within companies that the employees must abide by. Any variation from these guidelines is taken very seriously and could lead to termination of employment. Having a good awareness and understanding of your company’s ethics requirements is extremely important if you are looking for advancement.
If you are still at your current workplace and are looking for advancement it is essential that you prepare for what comes next. Be ready for the opportunities that will come your way. Make people notice you by going that extra mile to educate yourself and improve your personal skills. No one is going to give you anything. You have to go and get it by your actions and your conviction. There are always opportunities in life and, unless you are prepared, they just may pass you by.

Get Rid of Distractions with Concentrate

How often have you sat down at the computer with the best of intentions to complete a job, assignment, or task only to be distracted by incoming emails or instant messages etc. It happens all too often to me. Concentrate, by roobasoft, aims to solve this problem by allowing you to create ‘activities’ which can boost your performance by eliminating all of the unwanted distractions.
This review will cover what Concentrate has to offer, any problems, and a couple of alternative applications.

Interface

Activities Window

Concentrate has been designed superbly, with great attention to detail. The main Activities window is very simple and smart, with custom icons next to each of your assigned activities. It is from here that you can create new activities, edit old ones, or begin concentrating on whichever task you need to. 

The Interface

Edit Window

Editing a task is as simple as double clicking. From here, you can name your activity, and give it a small picture to associate with it. Concentrate comes with a neat collection of graphics to choose from, but also allows you to choose your own if you wish. 

Editing

Adding actions is done by an intuitive drag and drop. Just grab one from the list on the left and drop in into the actions window on the right. From there, you can completely customize each action. For example in the ‘Launch Applications’ action, you can additionally choose to ‘hide all other applications’ from view. You can change your messaging status, even with Adium or Skype, and block out those rather distracting websites the likes of Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. One option I particularly like is the ‘Change Wallpaper’ action. This, whilst seemingly gimmicky, is a strong visual reminder of what you should be doin
If you happen to ever feel limited by the default actions available, you can always drag in the ‘Run a Script’ action. This gives you complete customization, letting you type in your command in AppleScript or UNIX. For example, I find that the dock can be rather distracting, and so I scripted for Hiding/Showing the dock. Here is the very short script if anyone else would like to use it:

--hide/show dock
tell application "System Events"
keystroke "d" using [command down, option down]
end tell

This window also lets you control how long you should normally be concentrating on this activity for. By placing the slider at the start, it is set for infinity, or until you manually stop it.

Concentrating Window

Once all of your activities are set up and its time to get working, hit the ‘Concentrate’ button. This will smoothly slide the view across to a timer, and at the same time activate all the actions you set up for that task. So for my ‘Write’ activity, Concentrate launches Pages and hides all other applications, including email, changes the wallpaper to something more relaxing, sets my iChat away status to ‘Writing’, blocks off all social networking sites and hides the dock. Phew.
The timer is quite useful too. It clearly displays how long you have been concentrating for, or if the activity has a default time, it will display how long you’ve got to go until you can stop concentrating. You can drag the ‘Concentrate for’ slider around as you go to fit to your schedule. One quite cool feature is that as the time passes by, the slider will get closer and closer to zero. 

Timer

Menu Bar

Concentrate also places a small icon in your menu bar, with a miniature timer and a few options 

The Menu Bar

Limitations

The app still seem to have the odd hiccup. For example, the website blocking feature is a brilliant idea, but seems a little erratic sometimes. If I’ve set up a group of websites to be blocked, and then I try to access them, I can still get in. If I try later, some will be blocked, but others seem to have taken no notice. Facebook seems to keep evading this firewall somehow. I’m not sure why this is, but hopefully this is just one small crease to be ironed out before long.

Other Applications

There exists a number of applications out there for the Mac that all aim to keep you concentrated on the task at hand. None of them do quite the same thing as Concentrate, but heres some that you may be interested in:

• Think – A great application which allows you to focus on only one thing at a time, by dimming all of the applications in the background and making them unresponsive.
• Isolator – Amazing application similar to Think, but gives you much more customization and allows you to blur all windows in the background, but still click on them when you need to. Also works well with Spaces.
• Backdrop – This is a very simple application which simply cloaks your desktop with a color of your choice, hiding all that mess on the desktop. Also great for taking screenshots.
• Spirited Away – After a period of inactivity, this background application will simply hide any windows that aren’t being used, tidying the screen up as you go.

Conclusion

Concentrate is a fantastic application, and helps you get the job done efficiently. It truly does help you to concentrate on the task at hand, and I see myself using this regularly in the future… Once set up, it is just so quick and easy to use. Let us know what you think of it, or if you use any other applications to help channel your thoughts into work, rather than play.

How to Prepare for a Layoff

It’s not you, it’s the economy. You’re doing everything at work that you need to do. You’re giving it 110 percent. But there are these nasty little signs: there’s a moratorium on office supplies spending. You won’t be reimbursed for taking clients to lunch. There’s another memo about cutting overtime. Everyone else in this industry is cutting staff.
So it looks like you’re going to become an unemployment statistic, but you can’t say for sure. Instead of waiting for some clarity, prepare now. That doesn’t mean stealing pens and sticky notes—there are steps you can take to put yourself in a decent position if a layoff happens. But if you keep your job, you want to be in good standing.

See a Doctor

And a dentist. Make appointments for just about everyone that your health insurance covers. Even a therapist. Maybe you can get advice on dealing with job-related stress. Get as many procedures done now while insured. It’s also a good time to find out how healthy you really are. It will help you make better decisions when you try to figure out if COBRA payments are worth it. By the way, does your insurance cover eye exams? This is a good time to update your prescription glasses or get a spare pair.

Update Your Address Book

Make sure you know how to get hold of everyone. You may need these contacts when you’re looking for a job. The best way to do this is to call them. Have a short conversation and ask how they are doing. When asked about your situation, stay positive. Tell them things are uncertain, but you’re confident you will be OK. You’re not looking for sympathy here. You’re reminding people you’re a positive, confident worker. Even if you never need to ask them for a job, they’re going to appreciate working with you more.

Update Your LinkedIn & Facebook Accounts

Now that you have touched base with your contacts, friend and link with them in the social media arena. This will reinforce your connection and put their contact information where you can find it when you no longer have the work computer and/or cell phone.

Network

Get out and meet more professionals. Attend chamber of commerce events and professional association mixers. This will give you more contacts when looking for a job. And if you stay where you are, the new connections can still help.

Buy a Flash Drive

Start downloading files. Once you’re notified of a layoff, you may not get a lot of time. Some companies will have you work for a while. Some escort you out of the building immediately. So if there is something on your computer that can help you find a new job, get a copy now. You’re not looking for proprietary information. But save letters you have written that you can use as samples of your writing. Save spreadsheets with complicated formulas. You may want to refer to electronic versions of instructions. Save informative e-mails.

Clean Up Your Desk

OK, you probably will be given a few minutes to collect your belongings. But what can you take home now? You don’t want to be kicked to the curb with a dozen boxes. Clean out the clutter and leave what you can collect in five minutes. And make sure you don’t have anything embarrassing in a drawer. Assume someone will be watching you to make sure you’re not claiming company equipment as personal belongings. Do you want them to see what kind of magazines you have stashed in a drawer?

Visit the Local Unemployment Office

Find out now what you can expect for benefits. This will give you an idea of how much income you can expect. There also may be other programs that can help you. It’s good to understand this now while you’re thinking clearly. A layoff can be an emotional event, and you may not be in the best frame of mind. And knowing now will mean fewer surprises at a time when you don’t need any unknowns.

Start Saving Money

Remember that visit to the unemployment office? Are you going to be able to pay bills with that government check? And if you keep your health insurance through COBRA, that’s going to cost you more. Start shedding expenses. Find ways to live on less. Look at your car. Consider taking in a roommate or becoming one. Don’t put anything on the credit card. You need to prepare financially now.

Consider Delaying Vacation

I’m all for taking time off. You need a break. But this may fall in the category of reducing expenses. And this depends on your company’s vacation policy. Generally, when you leave a company, they owe you money for vacation time you earned. By not taking those days now, you can have a bigger check when you are cut. Think about it carefully.

Get Your Resume Ready

Since you’re not taking vacation and going out as much, you might as well put the time to good use. And since you’ve updated your contacts, plan who you want to use as references. By the way, times are tough for everyone in this business. Like I said, this isn’t the only company cutting staff. What makes you think you’re going to find another good job in this field? Sorry to be a downer, but you may want to take some time to think about a new career. Again, you’re not going on vacation so use the time to investigate a new direction.

Put in 120%

The criteria for deciding who gets cut varies so much among companies. If they have any choice of who goes and who stays, improve your chances. Not only should you do your job better but see if you can do someone else’s job too. Choose something that’s new to you. This makes you much more valuable to the company. It’s another skill to add to the resume — or it’s the opening to another career.

Be Helpful

You’re not the only one in a tough spot. See what you can do for other people. Pay the karma forward. You’re going to need the help too, and it will enhance your reputation. Plus you will have the benefit of knowing you helped someone. It’s better than worrying about your troubles.
There aren’t many guarantees anymore, so you need to be ready for almost anything. The best preparation will have you ready to find a new job or succeed at the one you have now.

How to Write a Cover Letter that Gets Read

I’ve seen thousands of cover letters and hundreds of resumes hiring software developers, web designers, copyeditors, salesmen, and admins for my company,
Something about that statistic should jump out at you — I’ve read far fewer resumes than cover letters. That’s because your cover letter is a critical component of getting your resume read.

 But there’s another statistic that isn’t as obvious: I don’t read most of the cover letters I receive!

Why not? Because most cover letters are so horrible that they get trashed immediately.
Don’t get auto-trashed. Here’s some tips for writing a killer cover letter that will get your resume into the “Good” pile.

1. Cite external recommendations

Don’t tell me “recommendations are available upon request.” Do you think I have the time or inclination to root our your recommendations before I even know you?
If you have good recommendations, how come you don’t have a 1-3 sentence quote? And if you do, put that front and center in your cover letter!
For example, say I wanted a job writing blog posts. I have a blog myself, and one day I got the following email (true story). Don’t you agree just quoting it would be better than talking about myself?

Just wanted to take a moment of your time to thank you for your outstanding blog. Don’t tell anybody but I get giddy like a schoolgirl when I see one of your posts pop up in my reader.

Your blog is probably much more inspiring to others than you realize. You consistently provide encouragement and actionable advice that fuels people like me as we pursue our own entrepreneurial goals.

I could try to say the same thing in a cover letter: “I write thought-provoking pieces that people respond to.” Yeah right, you and everyone else.
It only sounds genuine when it’s from someone else’s mouth.

2. Don’t use a template

You can find cover letter templates all over the Internet. I’m not linking to them because you shouldn’t use them.
A template makes your letter look like all the rest. When I’m looking through 100 letters per day, I notice the templates. It doesn’t matter what the template is! You get auto-trashed because you’re boring and thoughtless.
If you want to use a template just to get thoughts out on paper, that’s fine. But then change things up, don’t use the same language, and don’t say things in the same order.
The purpose is to stand out from the crowd, right?

3. Research the company you’re applying to

A generic cover letter that is spammed to 100 HR departments is obvious.
What, you didn’t think sending a letter to 100 companies was spam? Just because you sent it to jobs@whatever.com doesn’t mean it’s not spam.
I can tell in 5 seconds whether the candidate has any inkling who we are or what we do. And if they haven’t bothered to do that, I know they’re spamming.

 Good candidates don’t need to spam. Good candidates care where they work and act like their time is precious.

It doesn’t take much to overcome this hurdle. You don’t have to trial their software or heavily research the market. Just look at the home page, “About Us,” and maybe FAQs and ask yourself things like:

• Why does this company exist?
• Who are their customers?
• Why do people buy this stuff?
• What is the culture like at this company?

Get just a rough idea of the answers, then lead off your letter with it (or just after your lead-off testimonial). Make it look like you want to work there, and prove it.
For example:

I came across your website while looking for great places to work in Austin. You stood out because, as a software developer myself, I love the idea of working on a developer tool. Also, although I don’t have a lot of experience with peer code review, I like what you have to say about it and I’m excited about learning more. Finally, reading your job description showed me you have a sense of humor, and that’s important to me.

See how I didn’t have to include anything technical, I didn’t have to know any features, I didn’t have to memorize a data sheet. I just touched on enough points to make it obvious that I actually thought about whether I want to work here before I wrote in saying I want to work here.

4. Be personal, not formal

The common wisdom is to use formal language; you want to make a good impression and prove you can write and act professional.
Well you do need to prove you can write, and it’s important that you can spell and use correct grammar, but if you sound like a robot you won’t stand out.

 People want to work with people they like. It’s not just resumes and bullet points and acronyms and mission statements.

In fact, if someone likes you they’re more likely to fight for you even if some of your “requirements” don’t match exactly.
Stodgy, formal prose is a great way to demonstrate you have no personality and you aren’t fun to be with. It’s probably not even true! But all they know about you is your cover letter, so you have to prove it there.
Do you run the risk that some people will be turned off and reject you for your lively style? Yes! But then, do you want to work for that company?
This is like dating. You can pretend to be someone you’re not, and that might even get you the job. But if it’s not the real you, it won’t be fun in the end.

5. Give reasons why you should be hired

Back in high school debate, longer ago than I care to admit, we were taught to end our last speech with “voters.” That meant: “Give the specific reasons why you should win.” When you’re wrapping up, addressing every little point isn’t compelling; what’s compelling — what you want to leave in the judges head as they contemplate the winner — are the reasons they should vote for you.
Your cover letter is the same way. This is not the place to relate all the information you can about yourself. No one cares (yet) about your history. No one wants to read generic statements about how you like challenges and work well on a team.
Rather, your goal is to get to the resume. Your resume can have all that stuff.
So give me your voters. Just tell me why I should look at your resume.
Showing you know about my company and want to work here in particular is a good start. Now tell me something interesting about you that’s relatively unique. Show me something I’m not going to read anywhere else. Something that shows me you’re both fun and interesting and smart.
For example, once a guy sent in a video of himself juggling three bear heads (the company’s name was Smart Bear). Juggling is fun. The video was unexpected.

6. Show something you, yourself, actually did

I used that weird “you, yourself” emphasis because I’m tired of reading about a team you were on and a project you were involved with, even if you were the team lead.
That’s fine, but everyone says that.
Instead, tell me about something that you alone completed. Better, something tangible I can see on the Internet.
Examples:

• You have a personal website that demonstrates you’re good at Flash or web design.
• You contributed patches to an open source project.
• You run a local juggling group.
• You have a side-project that you admit is very rough but you were using it to learn about Ruby on Rails.
• You wrote a short story that you know needs work but you thought it was a good example of your writing skills.

Conclusion

Put yourself in the shoes of the poor slob who is slogging through hundreds of these letters. Shake that person up. Be different. Use your own words. Demonstrate that you take initiative. Learn about the company and show the company something about you.
Above all, be yourself. If they don’t like you for you, it’s not going to be a good job. And if they do like you for you, it’s going to be a blast.

How to Deal with Bullying in the Workplace

I had a great job in a small company that many people would have liked to work for. I had constant raises, praise from staff and clients, and engaged in professional development in night school to better myself and the company.
After a series of incidents with a particular bully, I walked away from all of this. How can you keep your staff from doing the same thing, and what can you do if it is happening to you?

Who Does Bullying Happen To?

I’m not the only one with a bullying story. A 2008 survey from the Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) reveals that over 37% of American workers, or 54 million people, surveyed had experienced bullying at their workplace in some capacity. 80% of the targets are women.
A target represents an occupational threat to the bully. Overacheivers, excellent performers, and company superstars are targeted by bullies. If you ask your top employees, they’ve probably been targeted by a bully in the past year. The WBI reveals that they are generally the “go-to veteran workers to whom new employees turn for guidance.” Bullies target the best and brightest.
Several indicators are listed in this New York Times article, including these:

• have you had people consistently arrive late at meetings that you’ve called?
• have you been lied to?
• have you been denied a deserved raise or promotion with no cause?
• have you been given the “silent treatment” or isolated from certain tasks and responsibilities?
• have you felt like you are the recipient of an unusual amount of disrespect from a particular person?

How Do Top Performers Handle Bullying?

In my case, I initially laughed off the bullying and got on with my work. The bully in question was a “seagull manager”, coming into the office only once every few months. I was also not his direct report, so it didn’t affect my career at first. The key diffuser to bullying behavior is to not take the bully seriously, especially if they can’t do anything to you professionally. Remember that they are looking for a reaction; if you don’t give them one, they will move on.
The approach has to be different if it is a member of management that is bullying you, which it is in over 70% of cases. If a member of management that you directly or laterally report to is bullying you, note the date and time of each incident and catalogue them for a few months. Take the information to a lawyer specializing in workplace litigation. Most will give you a free consultation and let you know if you have a case or not. If they have told you that you have a case, be prepared to follow through on a threat to litigate if the company does not give you any satisfaction.
It may be necessary to litigate from the outside. According to the same 2008 survey by WBI, only 1.7% of the complaints against a bully concluded in a result that was satisfactory to the complaining employee that ensured their safety, while 31% resulted in retaliation against the target by the company. Complaining will result in retaliation from the bully in 71% of the cases.
If you are dealing with a more extreme case involving physical or sexual violence, do not hesitate to call the police and let them sort out the details. Do this even if the bully threatens violence, especially if they do it in front of witnesses. This should result in the immediate dismissal of the bully, and if it doesn’t you definitely want to change jobs.
If you know that you are going to change jobs anyway as a result of the behavior, make sure that your employer is told through the exit interview process or in a formal complaint that you are leaving because of the bully. Carbon-copy your complaint letter to the offices of top company brass, including the members of the board if you are leaving a publicly held company. This is the only way to ensure that the higher-ups will actually know about your case, as such complaints are usually swept under the rug.

Changing Jobs — Solution and Problem

This is another way to handle the bullying behavior. Changing jobs doesn’t have the stigma that it once did. Employers now almost expect to see you at 3-4 positions before showing up at their door. While looking for a new job, let your potential employers know exactly why you are changing jobs and tell them that you don’t want the same environment at your new place of business. While you would think this would backfire, it landed me a fairly lucrative position within a short period of time.
The new employer will appreciate your honesty and the fact that you are seeking a non-toxic work environment. Most also wonder about why you have left your last job, and a definitive answer that doesn’t involve any of their nightmare scenarios will be comforting. This strategy is most effective since employers with toxic environments will see you as a potential troublemaker and will definitely not hire you.
You will need to change jobs if the bully in question is one of the owners of the business or an extremely high-level executive. Staying put is not an option. A high position in the company automatically means that their behavior is being protected internally by other stakeholders. Litigation is still an option, but only with witnesses and these can be hard to find against a high-ranking company official. Seek the counsel of an employment lawyer in this case to see what options are available to you.

Is Litigation Really the Answer?

This depends on the case. You are probably keenly aware of the company’s financial situation. Do they have the pockets for litigation? If not, they will most likely settle with you fairly quickly to avoid legal costs, especially if you have the journal of events and witnesses. If they have deep pockets for litigation, you may not be able to play legal chicken with them. We have mentioned previously that if the behavior crosses the line to illegal, you should contact the police immediately. This will force the company to take action and lend firm credence to any civil suit that you may launch in the future.

Why Do Companies Protect the Bullies?

While we know from the statistics that companies generally don’t do anything for a target of bullying, the question is why. Companies recognize aggressive behavior as reward-worthy and promote individuals that engage in bullying behavior. Human resources is generally not there to help employees but to protect the interests of the employer. If you are reporting a bullying incident to them, their primary interest is to protect the company from litigation. They will try to play it down and paint you as a whiner, trying to diffuse the situation by making sure that you don’t think that you have a case.
A fundamental shift in culture has to happen in order to get companies to recognize that bullies are hurting their business. The best way to do this is through litigating when the behavior occurs, but most people don’t have the pockets for that. Formal complaints when the behavior happens or through the exit interview process are the cheapest way, especially if you make sure that the complaint is CC’ed to top company brass. You should also list in such a complaint key financial contributions that you have made to the company, such as developing an entirely new market for the product. Companies should be made aware that they are losing their top financial performers through bullying behavior, and they almost never are.

How Can I Get Rid of Them?

If you are in a company where you are in a position to get rid of workplace bullies, it is in the best financial interest of the company for you to do so. Bullies may be top performers, but they discourage other employees from doing well because they don’t want to share or lose the spotlight. The employees that you don’t lose will purposely try to avoid outshining the bully so that they don’t receive the bullying treatment.
This translates into huge losses of profit and potential profit. When your human resources department has had a complaint or two lodged against a person who is participating in bully behavior, there is no rehabilitation. There is only firing with cause. This person will not change, despite their multiple assurances to the contrary. They will just get worse and retaliate further against their targets who reported them. Bullies will be quick to threaten litigation and other measures if you fire them, but they will generally lack the resources to follow through on their threats, particularly if you have a well-documented complaint against them. Install an anti-bullying policy in your workplace that serves notice that any bullying will be grounds for immediate termination.
Bullying affects everyone in a workplace environment, and employees and employers are both better off without them. Gone are the days when aggression meant performance; results now mean performance, and those who deliver them should not be marginalized. In our hyper-competitive economy, there is no room for a schoolyard mentality.
Resources:

• Are Workplace Bullies Sabotaging Your Ability to Compete?
• Workplace Bullying Institute

Beyond the Cover Letter: Resumé Tips

So you want to apply for that cool new job you saw online today. You want it really badly, right? Well, first you have to get the interview. Here are some things you need to check before you hit the send button, or else your application will end up in the trash.

Make it short and sweet.

Don’t fluff up your job descriptions with whole sentences as to how you were a liaison to so-and-so and consulted for such-and-such. Words like “liaison,” “filing,” and “communication” tell us that you’re trying to cover for having done very little work.

If you answered phones for a living, write that you “answered phones,” don’t say you worked “Advanced Customer Service”. When you write “supervised three employees” or “designed advertisements” we know exactly what that means.

Less is more.

Unless you’ve been in the work force for many (read 15 or more) years, your resumé should only be one page long. I’ve received a number of multi-page resumés from people applying for jobs, and I have to tell you, I only skim them. Whereas I’m more likely to read every word on a one-page resumé.

Make it pretty.

Take the time to make your resumé stand out. If you’re a graphic designer, you better bet I’m looking for a smartly designed resumé as well! I want it to be pretty. If you want to work in my art department, you have to work hard to show me what you can do before you even get the interview. I’m not saying that if it’s just a standard resumé you won’t get the interview, but others who took the time will rise to the top of the list.

Objective: I want this job.

Yes, we know that your objective is to get this job. You don’t need to tell us that.

Chek yur speeling.

Please use spell check. It takes two seconds. Don’t forget to spell check your cover letter as well. It doesn’t matter what job you’re applying for. It doesn’t matter if you’re not going to do any writing at all or if you’ll have editors going over your work. When I get an application in my inbox and there are typos, it goes straight in the trash. Wait, what? You ask. You don’t even look at the resumé?! That’s right. I don’t. You could have been the perfect candidate. But when a job requires attention to detail, that applies to your cover letter.

Dear Sir.

Typos aside, one of my biggest pet peeves is being referred to as a man in a cover letter. I find it offensive (and very little offends me). I can’t tell you how many resumés I threw directly in the trash after reading the first three words of the cover letter. I’m deadly serious on this one.
When the job posting says to contact “Stephanie Lewis,” I expect to be referred to as “Ms.” or “Mrs.” One applicant started his cover letter with “dear sir” and continued on, rather carelessly, referring to me as a man. If you don’t know for sure that you are writing to a man or a woman, address your cover letter to “to whom it may concern” or “dear sir or madam.” It may sound old fashioned and it may make you feel a little awkward, but believe me, on the other end, a “dear sir or madam” is not in any way out of the ordinary.

Write your own resumé!

Or if someone else writes it for you, make sure you know what’s in it, backwards and forwards. Or better still, go back in and reword descriptions in your own voice. I will freely admit that I have my husband help me with my resumé. If I get stuck, he’ll take over and have me describe (albeit haltingly) what I did at a certain job and make it sound like a coherent person wrote it. Hey, we all get flustered and nervous, especially when there’s a job we really want. But I promise you that after my husband is done, I go back and rework things to sound more like me. That way I know exactly what’s there and when I get to the interview, I’m not left stammering and stuttering when I have to confirm what is written.

Software proficiencies.

This can be a tricky one. Usually you know what is expected of you with software. If you’re a graphic designer, you should know Photoshop and InDesign like the back of your hand. But what if they list Excel or PowerPoint? You may not be able to tell from the job listing what exactly is expected of you. Speaking from personal experience, I always thought I was horrible at Adobe Illustrator until I had to take a test at a placement company where I scored an A+. I was shocked. I completely underestimated myself. However, when I hire someone because they say they’re capable of using the office suite and they sit in front of a computer and ask “what is this (the computer)?” well, that person isn’t staying long. (True story!)

Yes, we really do look at your Facebook profile.

Before I bring anyone into an interview, I google them. I look at their Facebook and MySpace profiles. Once, when we were looking for an editor and though we found a good candidate, we sat down and googled him. As it turned out he was all over the internet, topless and labeled as a home wrecker. We threw his resumé away.
Another person had listed himself on MySpace as a convicted felon just so he could look “cool.” Seriously people, make your Facebook and MySpace profiles private! You can say all the stupid stuff you want and we’ll never see it! Unless you have a blog we can get to … that’s a whole different story. Just take care of your web presence. You are what you tweet.
So you got the interview, huh? Good for you!
Don’t let down your guard yet.
Aside from dressing the part, (make sure you take the tags off of your new suit), minding your manners, sitting up straight, and relaxing (not too much!) there are some very important things to remember:

Be honest.

Don’t say you’ve completed a master’s degree if you’re still in the program. I don’t care if you’re only one class away. You never know what could happen between now and then!

Just, well, don’t be an idiot.

Someone I know interviewed a person who had gotten a speeding ticket on the way to the interview. He wanted to know who was going to reimburse him for the ticket.
We’re not hiring you because we’re bored. We’re hiring you because we have a problem that needs fixing. And we want to do it as fast as we can so we can get back to work. Can you solve our problems without giving us new problems? Sell yourself as being able to solve our problems. Ultimately, we don’t care what your career goals are. We just want to get back to work doing what we do best and put the interview process behind us.

How to Stop Interruptions

We interrupt this productive work day to bring you this special message on how to avoid distractions.
Hey, you busy? Sorry to interrupt, but I have some ideas on what you can do about all those distractions and interruptions getting in the way of your work. Let’s review what’s keeping you from finishing that report.

Sources of Distraction

Well, there’s me. But you asked me to give you some ideas. I had to finish that quarterly report first. But I’m ready to help.
By the way, have you noticed how much is going on here? I’ve been in quieter football stadiums.
And the phone won’t stop ringing. It’s amazing. It’s like all those people who think your job is to help them. Don’t they know you have work to do?
But if they’re not calling you, they’re sending e-mail. It’s a never-ending to-do list.
Speaking of to-do lists, here comes El Hefe. He either wants to tell us about his weekend, give us something more to do or find out why you’re not done yet. Excuse me, I have to look busy.
With all this going on, how do you get the time to get things done?
It’s important to realize this is pretty much fixable. Much of what you’re complaining about are work-related interruptions. Your job is getting in the way of doing your job. You need to figure out really what is your job.

How Much Uninterrupted Time Do You Need?

Start by estimating how much time it takes to do everything. That includes the tasks generated by interruptions. If you don’t have enough time in the day, it’s time for a conversation with El Hefe. Lay it out, and make sure you two come to an agreement on priorities. The problem comes when he says it’s all important. Then we need to have a separate conversation.
Even if you can fit it all in one day…. Wait a second. If that’s true, why are we even talking? You’re getting it all done. Just prioritize it all and stop bothering me. I have more important things to do.
So do you. Thanks to your priority list and time estimates, you can plan your day. Find time slots for your important tasks that have fewer interruptions. Then avoid phone calls and e-mail. You have two options for doing this.

Cone of Silence

Let me tell you one I learned when I started. I got this from Tom, who was in accounting back when I started work here. I didn’t have the Internet to distract me in those days. The phone was the major time suck. And Tom had this system. There were no direct lines to anyone’s desk. All calls went through a receptionist’s phone who didn’t send any calls through to the accountants. It was accounting – not known for its life or death situations. So she took down messages. The accounting staff then used two hours in the middle of the day to return the calls.
I can mimic this now by letting everything go to voicemail and ignoring e-mail for specific blocks of time. Or I can pick times that are naturally light in interaction. I may come in a bit early before the rest of the world figures out I’m sitting by a phone. Or maybe no one calls at lunch. This may mean I’m eating at the desk, lunching early or late. And I resist the Internet for a block of time.
Speaking of the Internet. How many distractions are you creating? You’re going to have to take responsibility for all the times you check Facebook and Twitter. Surfing for baseball scores and stats isn’t helping either. We all need to take breaks. But you have to honestly be aware of how much you distract yourself.
But it may not prevent the rest of us from bothering you. What you need is a cone of silence to descend upon your cubicle.

If facilities isn’t going to install one, invest in a pair of good, noise canceling headphones. They will help filter out the background noises that may distract you.
Problem is that what you listen to may be just as distracting as your environment. This is up to you. Younger minds have better luck processing multiple sources of input. But pick something that can be ignored. New age rain forest sounds are better than motivational podcasts. Or don’t listen to anything. Just seeing you with headphones may discourage coworkers from disturbing you. If it does, it couldn’t be that important.
But you know who isn’t going to be discouraged. It’s El Hefe’s job to disturb you. So you’re going to have to remind him about your prioritization conversation. This may take some training to work. I mean you’re going to have to train and manage him.

Take it on the Road

If the headphones aren’t deterring distractions, you need to start looking for remote locations. Scout for unused offices with computers. Disappear at key times behind closed doors. If you have access to a laptop and can access the network anywhere, think about using conference rooms. Schedule meetings just for yourself to make sure no one wants the room.
Since we downsized, there are a ton of spaces on the fourth floor. I forward the phone to my cell phone if I need to be reachable. The trouble is that it’s not totally isolated. Someone usually wanders by and asks me what I’m up to. It’s not perfect but it’s a good place to hide a bit.
That coffee place just got free wi-fi so I can work on some reports outside the building too. Sometimes I work in exile at home too. But distractions there can be just as bad. So that’s another discussion.
But this can be tricky. If you disappear, we might not assume you’re working. You have to make it apparent that you’re not playing hooky. This can be accomplished with communication. But try to let us know what you’re doing without giving away your secret workspace.
But communication can help with your disruption deterrence. To be honest we don’t know if you’re actually working on a report or your Facebook page. If we think you’re not doing anything important, we’re not going to hesitate to talk to you. Let us know nicely what’s on your plate.
Now that I’ve taken up enough of your time, I will let you get back to work.

14 Awesome PowerPoint Resources

PowerPoint is stressful, isn’t it? It shouldn’t be. There’s nothing special about it. You use it everyday. It’s just text, diagrams, and pictures. And yet it still manages to eat up whole hours of your time. You have to edit, review, and revise the same slides over and over for other people. You have to sit through hour after hour of slide-based meetings. And you’re probably not entirely proud of the slides you’re making or the slides your organization publishes, are you? Well, that’s just plain wrong.
In our ongoing efforts to bring you workplace information that is at least partially entertaining and very nearly useful, I am pleased to bring you the following presentation design links.

Slidecasts

Slidecasts are PowerPoint presentations without the presenter. They are slides specifically created to be viewed/read by total strangers without anyone speaking, and yet they still convey important business information in a compelling fashion. So, in essence, these slides are so good they can succeed without an expert to take you through them.
Take a look at the following seven examples from SlideShare to get a few design ideas that you might apply to your own slides. (You know, the ones that do have presenters!)

1. “Shift Happens” – These simple slides in bold colors use illustrative graphics and limited text to make some dramatic points about human demographic shifts.
2. “Death by PowerPoint” – Strong graphics and simple statements are all you need to communicate effectively.
3. “The Brand Gap” – This business presentation in black and white presents one simple yet powerful idea at a time.
4. “Visual Effects in PowerPoint 2003” – Design principles illustrated, plain and simple.
5. “Thirst” – Fascinating facts about water, demonstrating the power of  photographic elements in your presentation.
6. “Improving Interface Design” – A discussion of design principles featuring some sharp white-on-gray text slides.
7. “Nokia brand & design priorities” – You know who Nokia is. Cell phones. This is a major corporation. But notice how these corporate slides don’t have titles, headers, footers, logos, or page numbers! This company has the confidence and the competence to deliver business messages without covering their slides in administrative nonsense (chartjunk!). Bravo, Nokia!

Templates

Templates are nice. They do some of the design work for you: find the art, space out the text boxes, pick out fonts and colors. But they’re only a first step. You’re still going to need to customize any template to fit your corporate brand and to fit your personal presentation. Here are a few sites you can visit to acquire free (and non-free) presentation templates and backgrounds, as well as animated slide designs.

 All the fancy art and animation in the world will not make your presentation any “good.” In fact, I pointed out the shortcomings of such content in an earlier article. But to produce superior professional presentations, you should use the best resources you can find, including art and photography. Just remember to use them because you have a good reason to use them, and not just because they look cool.

1. Microsoft (free)
The PPT templates on Microsoft’s site are all free, and they feature a variety of themes and colors, but you’re not likely to find anything on the bleeding edge of design. Use these templates as a rough starting point to create something original, dynamic, and effective.

2. TemplatesWise (free)
These templates are free, and like Microsoft they feature some nice artwork, but the designs themselves are all the same: chunky banners and text boxes. Try customizing one to better represent your organization.

3a. PoweredTemplates (free)
The free templates on PoweredTemplates give you a great range of background art and photography, but the same headers and designs throughout. (And many of them seem to be holiday-themed. What’s that about?) The free templates include three slides.

3b. PoweredTemplates (not free)
Most of the content on this site is available for a fee (around $12), but I’d like to draw your attention to the animated slides (around $32). These may make your files huge and not really add any “content” but, you have to admit, they look good. This is the sort of material that can make a huge impact on certain audiences (i.e., people who say “ooh” and “aah” a lot). These downloads include 3 masters and 17 slides of sharp-looking graphics.

4. AnimationFactory (subscription)
This site offers not only original art but animated slide backgrounds as well. You’ll have to pay a yearly subscription fee ($60-$200) to download the templates, but if you’re looking for something really exciting, hover your mouse over the animated samples to see globes and gears spin in your headers and footers.

5. Free PPT Templates (free)
If you have a handle on design and just want some art for your background, try this site. The art is free and available in an array of colors and designs. I recommend using something that is uniformly light or uniformly dark (like the samples below). Avoid “busy” backgrounds.

6. Template Monster ($40 and up)
Here is a site I really like, although I’d like it more if the templates were free. The designs here favor dark backgrounds with light text, and the headings and logos tend to be smaller than the content. Which is good. Plus, the art is very slick, and if you’re looking for art, it’s worth finding (and paying for) the best. I particularly like this one and this one, although some of the sample text is awfully small. (But a template is just a starting point, right? You would fix that, wouldn’t you? Say, “Yes.”)

Conclusion

There is a world of possibility out there for making your presentations better, and the links above are just a small sampling of what is available today. Once you know what the purpose of your presentation is (to sell a product, to explain an idea, or just to entertain!), invest some time in slide design. Preferably, do this before you’re faced with the 30-minute deadline.
Art, animation, color, text, photography, and layout can either carry you to victory, or sink your battleship. So get out there and prepare your arsenal today!

Make Work Better with Your Desktop Decor

I was checking out my new desktop wallpaper, which should look familiar to those who have been regularly perusing this here site, and as I laid out my icons accordingly on it I found myself organized and inspired in one fell swoop.
It’s widely accepted that a messy desktop area leads to an unproductive working environment. This holds true not only for your computer’s desktop, but for your physical desktop. The idea of “zenning down” your desk area to the bare essentials is a good idea, but if you go too far towards that route your workmates and superiors may see you not as efficient, but rather wonder if you don’t have enough to do. Silly, yes – but remember that what people often perceive as reality becomes their reality.

Truth is, there’s no happy medium here. Your desktop will go from cluttered to clear on a regular basis. There should, however, be some consistency to your workspace – and that’s where desktop decor comes in. For example, everyone should have certain personal effects on their desk for a variety of reasons. They can include:

• it keeps them connected to the world outside of work
• it gives them reason to press forward when work is “not so awesome” (yes, it does happen!)
• it helps strike a sense of balance between work and play

The bottom line is that a desk without personality can really hamper your work life. Without a little bit of a personal touch, your workspace will be at best drab and boring or at worst, an ineffective place to work. Inspiration to do awesome things at work often come from these little decorative enhancements. It can be more effective than having an office with a window (especially if your window has a less than appealing view).

 “If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk?” – Dr. Laurence J. Peter

Clutter is the enemy of productivity, to be sure. But clean doesn’t have to be truly empty, does it? With that in mind, here are some items that you can add to your desktop to make your workspace a more personal and balanced place where you can get things done:

A Houseplant

A little greenery adds life to your desk. Literally. But seriously, you can watch it grow and foster the growth of the plant just as you would make daily progress at work. It can serve as a living metaphor for how you’re doing at work. If you’re struggling at work – missing deadlines and generally feeling miserable – the plant will most likely be malnourished, see little light and “dying on the vine,” so to speak.
But if you’re flourishing at work, it’s a safe bet that your plant is as well. That’s because you’re clear enough to take care of yourself, and the plant care simply follows suit. You’re giving it enough light, it’s being watered regularly and is growing like, um, a weed. If your worklife is not so hot, the plant is suffering as a result just as you are. A plant on your desk can be the best litmus test you can have.

A Framed Photograph

It doesn’t have to be a picture of the spouse and kids anymore, either. Make it a photo of your favorite place (and although a picture of your desk with the picture on a desk might look cool visually, that’s not what I’m getting at). It could be a pet – anything that has meaning to you outside of the workplace environment.
Screensavers can do the trick too, but there’s something special about having a framed picture available to you while you’re working – not showing up when you’re not busy typing away at your computer. I framed up a random drawing my daughter did, and then placed one of those mall photo booth shots of my whole family in the bottom corner of it. While i still don’t know what it is she drew, I sure do know what it represents.

A Nic-Nac

I hate the word, too. But any other descriptor might get lost in translation. Whether it be a casino chip you brought back from Vegas or a baseball that you caught when it went into your section of the bleachers, these things have meaning for you. It’s likely that anything of this nature you permanently place on your desk was indirectly obtained thanks to the work you’re doing – at the very least you couldn’t afford to go gambling or to a ball game without the income you earn, right?
Surely there are plenty of other things you can do to dress up your desktop without destroying what it was initially meant for – working on. Like any other area you spruce up, it’s all a matter of personal taste. Take the time today to survey the landscape of your desktop. Decide what can go, what can stay and what you need to do to make it as representative of what makes you, well…you. Taking the time to do that sooner rather than later will make your work experience that much better over the long haul.

4 Practices to Alleviate Office Stress

During my days at a midtown Manhattan office in New York, I had to come up with ways to reduce stress. I read articles, joined discussion forums, went to therapy, tried every cliché suggested to make office life more bearable but eventually I just had to figure out what worked in my environment. After all, suggestions to take a coffee break and breathe didn’t work at my office: the coffee machine was often broken and there was too much dust in the air.
Hopefully you like your job and you don’t work in an office resembling a shoe factory from the industrial revolution but anyone can make use of the practices I suggest for making your everyday office life less stressful or just more pleasant. I’m no health professional and my source of knowledge on the topic are the years of experience as a stressed-out office worker and the many resources (some professional) that I came across during those years.

Here are 4 practical tips to alleviate office stress:

1. Bathroom Yoga

Disclaimer: I’m not a yoga instructor and I learned these basic exercises by taking yoga. If you have any doubts I strongly recommend you consult a professional before any physical activity.
In the land of cubicles it is often very difficult to find private space. The cubicle dweller can only find time that is anywhere close to private in the bathroom, where you can end up once a day for a mini yoga session! Find out when quiet time is at your employee bathroom (or lounge room) and get in there for some 5 minutes of basic stretches:

• Gently stretch your neck to the right, left, forward and backward
• Stretch your arms above your head, pushing towards the ceiling
• Pull your shoulders in, squeezing them against your neck then let go; do this 5 times
• Balance on one foot at a time; count to 10 on each foot, 5 times each foot
• Spread your feet apart so they’re aligned with the outside of your hips then spread your arms at shoulder height and hold; count to 10
• Align your feet with your hips, spread your arms and push them backward; count to 10
• Put your hands behind your back, clasp them together and gently push upward

2. See the Light!

When lunch time comes, take the break and get out of the office. This will break your day up and recharge some of the energy you’ve spent in the morning. It will also get the little hamsters in your head to run at a different pace – it’s good for them! – while your mind processes information different from the morning dose’s. When you get back to work you should feel refreshed and be better able to concentrate.
Also, there are several contributors to stress in the office from which you need a break; fluorescent light and sitting in the same position for extended periods of time are a couple of examples. At first you’ll find obstacles or excuses not to get out during your lunch break so here’s some motivation:

• Excuse 1: “It’s cold outside!” Think of the crisp air you can breathe instead of that stale office air. If you find there’s too much pollution then you can look forward to going back to the office.
• Excuse 2: “I have so much work to do I must eat at my desk.” Get out after you eat at your desk and walk once around the block. If you’re overwhelmed by work you probably will not be able to concentrate as much as needed anyway, taking longer to do the work so you might as well go out for 10 minutes and better perform when you get back.
• Excuse 3: “I’m tired/don’t feel like going out.” Would you really rather have your boss find you in the office and ask you to do a “quick thing just this once” that’ll keep you in the office till 10pm? Or are you tired because you’re working till 10pm, breathing tiring stale air, because you didn’t get out and re-energize the day before?

3. Look Away from that Monitor!

Looking at a computer monitor for extended periods of time has negative effects such as dry and sore eyes, headaches and blurred vision, all of which contribute to increased stress levels (in addition to poor eyesight). Make sure to take periodic breaks from your monitor!!! You should take your eyes off that monitor at least once per hour. Try doing it for 1 minute. If you need help remembering download a timer for your computer (there are many free ones), program your Outlook to remind you every hour or get a kitchen timer – whatever works.
During your 1 monitor-free minute:

• Close your eyes for 10 seconds
• Open them and focus on a point far in the distance
• Switch your focus to an object that’s less distant from you, then one less distant than that and so forth till your focus is back at your desk
• Then do the reverse: focus on an object that’s farther from your desk, then the next farther object and so forth till you’re looking at the farthest point from you

4. Schedule Time for Cleaning and Clearing

At least once a month (best if once a week) go through the surface of your desk and through your Documents folder in your computer and de-clutter. You’ll become overwhelmed if you keep watching piles of work get higher as they balance on top of squishy stress balls and you’ll become frustrated if you can’t find files in your computer because you saved them in a random folder “just for now.”
Here’s what you can do:

• If you haven’t cleared your desk in a long time (or ever), do your best to take a little time every day for a week to clear it.
• Pick a corner and take in your hands the first thing you find there. You either need it or you do not: if you don’t need it, shred the papers or throw out whatever else it is then pour some expired gooey food on it.
• On top of your keyboard or in your lap (or from wherever you will have to move the items), start to separate files into categories depending on where you need to file them, if you need to mail them, submit them.
• Finish a corner and move on to the section beside it (the same day or the next but don’t stop!).
• If you find you have little time go through 7 items every single day and toss or put in its place everything that you pick up – make sure to pick up everything.
• Once you’ve cleared your desk you’ll find generations of dust bunnies grinning at you. Grab a roll of paper towels, a mild cleaner or some water and wipe your desk and everything that’s on it. Do a section a day if you need to.
• Wipe your desk once a week or every other week. The best days for cleaning and clearing are Fridays and Mondays so that you start the week feeling like everything is under control and you can concentrate on your job.

It might seem so but these practices do not take a lot of time out of your day. When I first started I had to keep remembering to get up or stop but a couple of weeks of practice and they were part of my everyday schedule. I became more productive, much happier and less stressed-out and even my co-workers started regularly asking me for tips. Some even said I was like their workplace health guru!

8 Ways to Kick Distractions Out Of Your Office

One of the nicest things about working in an office is your co-workers. Having other people around to talk to and work alongside can make working more enjoyable, and make tedious things seem not quite as bad.
Sometimes, though, you’ve got work that requires your full attention. For me, it’s usually the editing phase of an article I’m about to turn in – I need to be fully engaged, paying complete attention, for an hour or so to make sure the article is perfect. Trouble is, co-workers aren’t always so good at knowing when you need some solitude, and unwelcome distractions are a staple of anyone who tries to actually do work.

With a few simple tricks, though, you can kill (or at least minimize) those distractions when you want to, putting them off until you’re in the mood to be distracted. Here are eight ways to defeat the distractions that keep you from getting real work done:

Wear Headphones

For some reason, most people won’t interrupt someone who’s wearing headphones – it’s a universal symbol for “please leave me alone.” For some of us, music can be a distraction too; don’t even listen to music. Just put on a disconnected pair of headphones, and work away – you’ll be able to hear just fine, but since other people will think you can’t, they won’t try distracting you.
I worked in an office where that rule – if I’m wearing headphones, go away – was made explicit, and it worked really well. In most places, though, the rule still unofficially applies, so throw on some headphones and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Standing Room Only

The difference between someone coming into your cubicle or office for 30 seconds, and 30 minutes, is often whether or not they can sit down. If you don’t have a chair in your office, there’s nowhere to sit and get comfortable, and the length of visits (welcome or unwelcome) drops considerably.
If you want to provide a place to sit down, but don’t want the distractions sometimes, try putting a pile of papers on top of the chair. Take it off when you’re in need of some distraction.

Walk and Talk

I had this tactic used on me, and decided it’s genius. If someone really needs to talk to you, have them talk to you while you go do something you need to do anyway, like get a cup of coffee. You’re not losing any time because you needed coffee anyway, and our conversation is limited to the time your little errand takes. Once you’re back at your desk, make it known you’ve got to get back to work.

Unplug

Distractions don’t just come face-to-face: the ringing of the phone or the “Ding!” of a new email can both be huge distractions that are tough to recover from (studies show that it can take up to fifteen minutes to get back to work after even the smallest distraction). When you’ve got crucial, attention-demanding work to do, fall off the grid – close your email client, silence or unplug your phone, and get to work.
Disconnecting from the Internet entirely is a good thing, but isn’t always possible. At the very least, make sure you’re getting rid of anything that will make sound, pop up, do somersaults, or otherwise dance its way into your attention.

Be in the Middle of Something

If someone comes over and starts chatting you up, don’t stop working, turn around, kick your feet up and start a conversation. Keep working, pausing at necessary moments to answer them. Don’t be impolite, but make it clear that you’re in the middle of something that can’t afford to wait. They’ll get that, and give you space to get your work done.

Make Up Somewhere to Be

I use a couple of different reminder services (things that pop up and say things like “Go get your laundry” at a time you tell it), but never for actual reminders. Instead, they’re great excuses for the work equivalent of the “call from the hospital” to get you out of a blind date.
Some services, like Skype, can be set to call your phone at a specific time; others, like Google Calendar or Task.fm, can pop up on your computer or send you a text message. It’s all gold. Anything that dings, rings, buzzes or beeps is the perfect excuse to say “Oh, I have to take this. Let me get back to you.” And boom – you’re back to work.

Rain Check

Most of the things people come to talk to you about, or email you about, aren’t particularly pressing. Sure, they might be important, but odds are you don’t need to talk about it right this very second.
That’s why there’s no problem and no shame in saying “I’m in the middle of something – I’ll come find you when I’m done.” That way, they’re not going to come back looking for you, because you’re going to them when you get a chance. It frees you to do what you actually need to be doing right now, and get to the rest later.

Auto-Responder

One of the classic parts of the vacation auto-responder emails everyone sets up when they leave is something to the effect of, “if you need help, call Dean at 555-1234. If you REALLY need help, call my cell phone at…” Create the same sort of system for your workday.
If at all possible, have another person  – an assistant, or partner – who can deal with people who need you, while you’re working. If people absolutely need to talk to you this very second, create a system for that. Knock three times, quack like a duck, and bring me a Coke. Or, you know, something like that.
I wouldn’t trade office life for anything – I love having people to eat lunch with, ask questions of, and collaborate with to make things better than I could do myself. It’s also a lot harder to procrastinate when everyone can see you on Facebook, but I digress. Distractions do come, some unavoidable, but by minimizing necessary distractions and avoiding unnecessary ones, you’re in great shape to get tons more done.
How do you deal with distractions when you need to get work done?