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Posts Tagged ‘workplace’

What Not to Do at the Office

Monday, July 6th, 2009

You’re probably tired of hearing about how the recession is affecting so many things, especially the job market. If you have a job and even if you feel pretty secure in it, you may still want to take notice to some common-sense type tips of things not to do at the office.

1.    Don’t use your work time to update your social media. It is embarrassingly easy for your boss or coworkers to prove that you have been wasting company time doing so.
2.    Don’t spend inordinate amounts of time on personal phone calls. Productivity is key and while companies understand that their employees have personal lives also, it is important to keep it in perspective and limit personal calls to the bare minimum.
3.    Don’t spend company time job searching. This is bad form, even if you suspect you will lose your job. Use your spare time to get a jump on the job search.
4.    Don’t make enemies and burn bridges. If you suspect that you will be one of the next on the chopping block, remain civil and don’t lose your temper and say things you may regret. You will need a reference for future jobs, guaranteed.
5.    Don’t do anything that you wouldn’t want done to you. For example don’t gossip about others on the job, don’t try to take credit for things that you haven’t done and don’t make a habit of putting down and criticizing other people’s input.

In today’s tight economy, any number of factors can contribute to you being included in those at your workplace who are being let go. However, if you take care to be pleasant to work with, as productive as possible and a good deal for the wage your company pays you, your job will be secure and you won’t have to join the ranks of those searching for a new job during a recession.

Procrastination and Your Office

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

Procrastination is one of those nouns that are never good. Rarely does anyone say that they are glad they procrastinated about getting some task done or how happy they are that someone else delayed doing something that they were supposed to do.

Procrastination is simply delaying a task that can be done now. When you put off doing things, your work will pile up and you will find yourself under the gun for time. You may rationalize this by saying that you work best under pressure, however, in today’s work environment; the employees who enjoy the most job security are those who get the most done. If you procrastinate with your own tasks you are never available to take on extra work. This limits the opportunities you have to make your supervisors see how indispensable you are.

The other drawback with procrastination is that it creates a vicious cycle. You get overwhelmed with the work that has piled up and you don’t know where to start so you put off starting, thereby intensifying the problem. Such actions create a physical accumulation of documents, files and paperwork, making your workspace untidy and intimidating. If your work is mostly online, procrastination can lead to an inbox that is clogged and intimidating.

Conquer your procrastination habit by setting mini-goals for yourself and eliminating distractions. Tackle one area at a time and before you know it, you will be on your way to getting out from under the backlog of work piling up in your office.

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