work – Page 3 – Personal Growth Cafe

December 9, 2018February 19, 2018

How to Organize Your Workspace

Does your workspace look like a tornado hit it?

Reports are on one corner of your desk; current work is spread across the keyboard; you know you have an appointment coming up, but you can’t find your calendar under the mess.

It seems you may need to learn how to organize your workspace!

Having an organized workspace can do more for you than make your desktop look better.

Being organized can help you be more productive and reduce the amount of stress you feel when you get to work, during the day, and when you leave for home.

Organizing your desk may take more time than you have available during your workday.

Ask your boss if you can come in on your own time to clear and organize your desk.

They’ll appreciate your desire. After all, organizing your workspace benefits them as well as you.

These steps will help you organize your workspace:

1. Remove everything from the top of your desk and out of the drawers.

Of course, you can leave large items such as your computer or printer where they are.

Everything else should be put into boxes.

2. Wipe down the entire surface of your desk and inside each drawer.

3. Sort through the items you removed from your desk and drawers.

Group items together such as office supplies, filing materials, items to be filed, reference materials, and desk accessories.

4. Get rid of paperwork you no longer need. Do you have unnecessary duplicates of reports or files?

Recycle them.

Are there items you still need?

Keep those items and set them aside until later.

5. Make a plan for where you’ll put things back.

You’ll want items you use frequently to remain within reach, so those items will take precedence on your desk.

6. Create an area where you can keep current papers handy.

Paper trays are often used. Vertical files are another option if you have quite a bit of paperwork.

Establish a tickler file for various activities you perform regularly – To Read, To File, To Pay, To Do, and others.

7. Put items back into place after you’ve gone through them and purged what isn’t needed.

Only the items you need at your desk should be put back.

Maintaining Your Organized Workspace

The old saying goes “a place for everything and everything in its place.”

Decide where each item goes and then leave it there unless you’re actively using it.

If you’re in the middle of a big project and it’s taking up much needed space, don’t be afraid to remove an item and then put it right back when you’re finished with the project.

Remember that your goal is to have an organized desk.

This doesn’t mean it has to be totally cleared off, but you do want to have space so you can function.

If you’ve noticed something that will help you become more organized, don’t be afraid to ask your boss to pay for it.

In the long run, your increased productivity will more than pay for the item.

After you have your desk organized, do what you can to keep it clean.

Decide what you’re going to do with each item as it’s placed on your desk.

Use the tickler file if you have paper, or write important dates on your calendar instead of setting things aside to deal with later.

It can be so easy to keep your desk clear once you’ve learned how to organize your workspace and put things back in their home when you’re done with them.

Take the last five minutes of your day to straighten your desk and it will hopefully stay that way from here on out.

What do you have displayed in your workspace?

How does this help you become more efficient at work?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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November 27, 2018February 19, 2018

Five Ways of Boosting Morale in the Workplace

In the current economic atmosphere, you may be wondering if you’ll have a job next week.

Add to that the normal daily pressures of work and you’re likely to be in a bit of a slump.

You and your colleagues may be unmotivated and unproductive, but there are things you can do to boost morale in your workplace and see everyone’s productivity soar!

Try these techniques to bring more motivation to your workplace:

1. Get to know your colleagues. Perhaps you don’t really know your coworkers!

Do you know them on a personal level or just as professionals?

When you make an effort to learn more about them, you may discover what motivates them. It also makes them feel valued.

2. Recognize your colleague’s birthdays. Birthday cake always lightens the mood!

Your office will be glad that you care enough about them to recognize their special day.

Ask about their personal lives. Are they married?

Do they have children?

What are their hobbies?

These types of questions let you know about them as individuals.

If you don’t remember things well, make notes and keep it in a file.

Recognize personal and professional accomplishments.

You might be surprised how a coworker is motivated when they know their team acknowledges and rewards the work they’ve done.

Create an appreciation program. Choose someone as employee-of-the-month.

Hang their photo in the lounge until the next is chosen.

Write them a personal thank you note if they’ve done something particularly impressive.

You may also include a gift certificate or send something in recognition of their hard work.

3. Take them out to lunch. You don’t have to leave the office if time is short; instead, order pizza or have lunch catered every so often.

They’ll be able to relax and enjoy their work environment more when given a chance to socialize.

4. Give them a voice. Create a satisfaction survey. These may even be done anonymously.

Be sure to address any perceived problems quickly and thoroughly for the best results.

Hold staff meetings regularly. This will give staff an opportunity to learn about the company’s status as well as voice any questions they may have.

Ask for feedback if changes have to be made.

Ask others what type of training they may need to do their job better.

By offering continuing training, you’ll prove that your team is valuable to you, and you’ll do your business a great service by having top-notch, highly trained workers.

5. Offer financial rewards. Everyone likes to get a little extra in his or her paycheck from time to time.

Perhaps there’s a way to incorporate a performance bonus to boost morale.

Talk with the employees and get their ideas. Seriously consider putting a rewards program into place.

You may be surprised at what they come up with, and it might not be as expensive as you imagined!

When morale and productivity begin to wane, it’s important to let your employees know you value them.

Sure, they get paid for the work they do every week, but sometimes they need a little pick-me-up.

Rewards don’t have to be elaborate or expensive.

A little bit of recognition can go a long way to improving the atmosphere in your workplace.

Give them the respect they deserve. Use these ways of boosting morale in the workplace and before you know it, your employees will have smiles on their faces and motivation on their mind!

How important is having a good morale while at work?

How can this help you become more effective?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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November 14, 2018February 19, 2018

Time away from my work is just as important as time devoted to my work.

My work time is an essential part of my life; however, time away from work is just as vital.

I take pride in my work.

A part of what makes me proficient at my job is my activities away from work.

Seeking out enjoyable or relaxing activities every day only serves to enhance my life, both at work and away.

My life is so much richer because of the activities I engage in outside of work.

I enjoy spending time with my family and friends.

My social activities refresh me.

The time I spend pursuing hobbies and entertainment recharges me to be better in all areas of my life.

Equally important is the time I focus on relaxation.

Having downtime to reflect, rest, and relax is essential to me as a person.

I am a stronger and more focused person because I take the time to relax and enjoy all areas of my life.

Today I will make good use of every moment.

Whether I am at work or at play, every minute is important to my life as a whole and I will focus on the moment I am in.

How often have you taken the time to relax?

How can your work improve when you take the time for play and relaxation?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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November 14, 2018February 19, 2018

I know when to leave for work at work.

October 10, 2018February 1, 2018

Delegation Strategies for the Control-Freak

Do you have a team around you who is fully capable of getting things done, but instead of delegating, you try to do everything yourself?

If that sounds like you, there’s a better way.

Delegating tasks can be so difficult for some people.

They act like a micro-manager who ensures that they see, do, and be everything.

It’s hard for them to let others share the load or the glory.

Maybe the control-freak is you.

You may have tried to delegate tasks in the past.

Perhaps the quality of work wasn’t good enough to suit you so you ended up redoing everything.

There’s no sense in delegating tasks in the first place if you know you’ll end up redoing them, right?

Here are three problems you might be using as excuses for not delegating:

You feel you can do the job better yourself.
There’s not enough time to train someone else to do the job.
You feel like you have to redo someone else’s work.

If you’re facing these challenges, perhaps it’s time to look at some strategies you can use to find success in delegating.

Consider using these delegation techniques:

1. Face the truth. If you feel you can do the job better yourself, take time to think things through.

Other people may not do the job the same way you would, but that doesn’t mean they won’t do an adequate job.

The people on your team may be eager to do a great job and need only your encouragement, rather than for you to take over.

2. Train your staff. Perhaps those working with you do need some additional training. This shouldn’t be a reason to do everything yourself.

Look at the need for additional training as a means to be better prepared in the future.

Short-term training now can have a huge pay off later on.

If you take the time to train your staff now, they’ll be better prepared for the next project.

3. Relax. There’s no sense in letting pressure for perfection bring you undue stress.

While perfection would be great, it’s usually not expected.

Give yourself a break. It’s just not possible for you to do everything yourself, nor should you want to.

Other people can do the work even if you don’t think they’ll do as good a job as you.

4. Follow a successful plan.

If you’re the head of the team and certain tasks are critical for the success of the project, you may want to do the major work on those.

However, the more routine tasks could be passed along to other people on the team.

Delegate the task itself, not the way in which it’s completed.

Assign tasks based on strengths.

Perhaps you could let one person do research, assign converting raw data into a spreadsheet to another person, and designate a good writer to write the rough drafts of the reports.

You can still be in control of the final report by pulling all the data together into a solid finished project.

Require progress reports at specified deadlines over the course of the project.

If they’re having problems meeting the deadlines, instead of assuming they’re not going to get the job done, ask them if there’s anything you can do to help them meet the next deadline.

Expect that your team will do a great job and you won’t be disappointed.

People usually rise to our expectations.

Finally, give praise and positive feedback when the project is finished.

Instead of being a control-freak on your next project, decide now to let go of some of the responsibilities.

Look for ways you can use the talents of your co-workers in the future.

You may find that working with a team and delegating tasks makes your job much easier and the atmosphere at work much better for everyone.

Have you tried delegating a task to someone else?

How did you feel about it?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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October 9, 2018February 1, 2018

Create a Better Work-Life Balance and Get Your Life Back

Do you feel like you’re so busy that you don’t have time for a life?

Do you feel as if you’re constantly running behind?

There are ways you can learn to negotiate your work life so you become more productive.

Once you become more organized at work, you can more fully enjoy your time away from work as well.

If you’re not stressing about your job, you can relax when you’re at home and live a more balanced life.

How can you be more productive?

What can you do to improve the quality of your life?

Here are a few ideas to find work-life balance:

1. Slow Down. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and it seems like you’re running in circles, sometimes the best thing you can do is to slow down.

Take the time to prioritize.

Going faster doesn’t mean you’re more productive or that you accomplish more things.

Doing things right the first time will save time in the long run.

2. Stop Procrastinating. There are certain things about any job that are mundane.

If you take the time to do the tedious parts of your job, you can breathe a sigh of relief sooner.

Schedule an afternoon to finish those pesky tasks so you can move on to more interesting (or even fun!) things.

3. Share The Work. You don’t have to do everything!

Recruit some help from your fellow employees or family members.

Delegate responsibilities, and you’ll get everything done in a timely manner.

This facilitates teamwork and makes everyone feel like they’ve made a contribution.

It also gives you some relief while your helpers gain a sense of accomplishment.

Don’t make things complicated. As humans, we tend to make extra work for ourselves even if it’s unnecessary.

Why reinvent the wheel?

If something works, don’t try to fix it.

Always remember the KISS method: Keep It Simple Silly.

4. De-clutter. Streamlining your workspace helps you focus on your work.

Arrange your desk so you can reach what you need the moment you need it.

Sifting through multiple piles costs you valuable time, causes frustration, and can even prevent you from completing important tasks!

5. Learn To Say No. When your workload is maxed out, be assertive about saying Help your boss understand that your plate is full and you’re not being insubordinate.

6. Stay within your scheduled hours. Once you’ve learned to keep work from cutting into your personal time, you will become more empowered to enjoy life outside the office walls.

7. Implement Technology. Use technology to your advantage.

A small time investment in entering information, such as addresses and other contact information, into a computer system can save volumes of time later.

Once you’ve implemented a system, it’s much easier to make changes to information and stay current.

It also makes it easier to keep up with detailed customer information.

8. Eliminate Distractions. If your personal life interferes with your job, set some boundaries.

Be firm when you have work to finish.

Leave your cell phone in the car or switch it off during work hours.

Discourage frequent personal calls or visits.

Delay socializing with co-workers until your work is done.

Once you’ve learned to streamline your workday, you’ll find that you no longer dread going to work and bringing it all home!

Imagine knowing that you’re ready to start your day instead of playing catch up from yesterday.

Be sure to start using these ideas today to enjoy a great work-life balance and a more fulfilling life!

What do you think of when you leave work?

What are you going to do differently this week to have time for yourself and your family?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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October 3, 2018February 1, 2018

How to Communicate Effectively with Your Manager

Have you ever been working peacefully at your desk when suddenly your manager showed up to discuss an office concern?

Before you knew it, your manager was walking away, leaving sparks in the air and frustration in his wake. What happened?

Most likely, it was a communication problem.

Learning how to communicate effectively with your manager will not only enable you to keep your job, but also advance your career.

It’s not always what you know that determines how far you can progress in a job.

Very often your employment success is based upon how well you get along with other people in the office, especially your boss.

It’s quite possible that the lack of communication might not be entirely your fault.

Perhaps your manager needs to brush up on their communication skills, too.

However, doing whatever you can to communicate better will help you get your point across more effectively and make you an indispensable member of the team.

These ideas may prove beneficial in communicating effectively with your boss:

Is a lack of trust between you and your manager part of the problem?

Build trust by working hard to do your job right the first time.
Speak with them in a pleasant manner, and always speak well of them.
Even when you disagree with your manager, try to do so without being defensive.

If your manager feels you’re not pulling your weight on a project, don’t let them walk all over you.

Be respectful as you stand up for yourself.
Don’t allow disagreements to turn into shouting matches or arguments.
Realize they’re trying to do their job just as much as you’re trying to do yours.
Instead of taking their criticism personally, listen to what they’re saying and respond effectively.

Personality Clash. Even if the two of you simply can’t get along personally, that doesn’t mean all is lost.

Start at a point of respect for the position and communicate professionally and effectively, leaving personal issues behind.

Simple Miscommunication. Is it possible there’s merely miscommunication between the two of you?

Maybe you haven’t fully understood what your manager was trying to tell you or your manager completely missed what you were trying to say.

If you both put forth the effort to try to understand each other, the communication between the two of you can only improve.

Nonverbal Signals. An important part of your message in communicating is not what you say, but how you say it – the intensity, inflection, and tone of voice. Your body language also conveys what’s being said as much as the words.

If your arms are crossed over your chest when speaking, it shows that your mind is made up and there’s no changing it.
Establish and maintain eye contact to signal that you’re interested in their opinion.

Work on keeping an even tone of voice and staying in a neutral position while you’re talking with your manager.

Using your nonverbal signals correctly could transform your relationship with your manager from being confrontational into a great working relationship!

Small improvements in how you speak and act toward your manager could make a big difference in the way the two of you get along.

Practice these ideas to more effectively communicate with your manager, improve your working relationship, and enjoy greater success at work!

When was the last time you talked to your manager?

How can communicating well help make your work lighter?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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October 3, 2018February 1, 2018

Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success. – Unknown

September 19, 2018January 31, 2018

Time away from my work is just as important as time devoted to my work.

August 22, 2018January 31, 2018

How to Communicate With Your Boss

One of the most stressful things you may encounter is preparing to talk to your boss.

It could be about a job evaluation, promotion, raise, co-worker concerns, or any number of things.

Whether your boss is a tyrant or lax, fearing a confrontation with your superiors is natural.

Perhaps you are concerned that your boss will think less of you or consider you as selfish or greedy.

Maybe you see the whole scenario as an evaluation of your worth at work.

The fact remains, though, that you will be more likely to get what you want if you let your boss know what you want!

Here are 7 great tips to effectively communicate with your boss and get what you want:

1. Write it down.

Write down the most important points of the topic or concern you wish to address.

If it’s a raise, lay out why you feel you deserve it in clear-cut examples.

The best way you can effectively remember and address these points is with a list.

When you are sitting across the desk from your boss and your nerves are in high gear, your list is your backup of your most important points so that the meeting is not futile.

2. Schedule the meeting in advance.

Whether you work in a laid-back small office or a by-the-book corporate environment, making an appointment will show your boss that it’s important.

They will know that you mean business before you even meet with them, and will hopefully be prepared with full attention.

3. Make eye contact.

Making eye contact shows that you are confident and sincere.

It shows, without egotism, that you are aware of your importance to the company and also that you know what you deserve.

4. Don’t be friends.

You may be on a casual basis with your boss, but the reason for the meeting is to discuss a formal issue and it’s not to be casually dismissed.

Be serious from beginning to end.

Even though you may be on good terms with your boss, they are still your superior with bosses and obligations of their own.

Be aware that their priorities might not include your priorities. They see your issue from a different perspective.

5. Be prepared for either answer.

Just because you have good reasons to justify your point does not mean that you’ll automatically receive the answer you desire.

Perhaps you will, but perhaps you won’t.

Be prepared for any possible answer so that you are not caught unaware.

6. Know your limits.

It’s also important to know that your boss may want to give you some of what you ask.

Be prepared for a compromise. Know what you will and will not accept beforehand.

If it’s a raise, for example, stake your limit at a certain percentage.

If you believe that your boss is one to compromise anyway, then ask for a higher amount than you will accept.

Knowing your limitations before you go in will limit your surprise as well as keep you in charge by being prepared.

7. Be prepared to take decisive action.

If you find yourself in a last straw situation in which you will only accept a certain amount, a certain action, or a certain result, be prepared to follow through if your boss doesn’t agree to your terms.

It may mean that it’s time to look for a new job if the topic means that much to you.

Knowing how to best communicate with your boss will enable you to get more of what you want.

When you follow these tips, you can prepare yourself as well as manage your stress level during the meeting.

By reducing your stress, you will be able to have an open and honest discussion, and hopefully you’ll enjoy the end result!

How easy is it for you to communicate with your boss?

How can communicating well help you work better?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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