Tips for Taming the Savage Coworker

Own Your Role:

Personality conflicts in the workplace are rarely one-sided, even if they began that way. Your annoyance, frustration and anger over the situation can also play into the problem. To begin resolving the issues, take responsibility for your own part in the conflict. Do you show annoyance at this person's behavior? Complain about him behind his back? If so, you need to raise the bar on your own actions before approaching a difficult coworker about theirs.

Don't Expect Big Changes:

Face it; you will never be able to completely change those around you. The best you can hope for are a few ground rules that you can both stick to that will make the situation more pleasant. If you go into the situation with realistic expectations, you are less likely to be disappointed with the outcome.

Choose Battles Carefully:

It is easy for professionals to get to a frustration level that sees a coworker's every behavior as a problem. Some behaviors simply must be ignored, while others are addressed specifically and positively. While you may not be able to change a coworker who sees himself as always right, you can ask the person specifically not to interrupt you when you are speaking in a meeting or criticize you in front of other coworkers.

Avoid Gossip:

It is so tempting for professionals to talk about the issues with a difficult person, to find out if others are dealing with similar problems. However, talking about a coworker behind his back will quickly earn you the title of "office gossip" and create a host of other professional issues. Keep your frustrations to yourself, and address them with your coworker in private. This keeps things on a professional level and avoids dragging others into your conflict.

Managers are a Last Resort:

If coworkers are abusive or antagonistic, professionals may have to present the issue to a manager. However, moving up the hierarchy with your problem should be a last resort. Managers are busy people who don't have time to deal all the professional issues that arise in their offices. Try to work with the coworker independently first, presenting the problem and a proposed solution in a calm, professional manner. If the problem becomes worse, you may need to seek your manager's help to resolve the issue.

Difficult coworkers are everywhere, so there is a strong likelihood you will encounter one from time to time. When a problem arises, approach your coworker sooner rather than later, and work together to resolve professional issues. By maintaining your professional attitude and handling the situation calmly, you will be very likely to regain an atmosphere of harmony to your office once again.

By Sam Rivers

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Professionalism Tips

"That guy is a Pro!" - Very often we hear this remark about people and especially about sportsmen. What makes a person stand a cut above the rest and perform with such great precision and success? This article is an attempt at answering this question and realizing what makes a professional and what makes a winner. I consider being a professional to be synonymous with being a winner. The workplace professionalism tips that I give here, are garnered from my own (successful and at times failing) experiences of being a professional in my own sphere of work.

Professionalism Tips For A Successful & Satisfying Career

"Be a professional." I kept hearing that during my college years from my professors and later from my superiors at the workplace. Nobody really defined or elaborated what they meant by that! Never got a hang of what it meant to be a professional, until I began working. It was like a cryptic message to me, until my own personal experiences taught me what it really meant. These are professionalism tips in the workplace arena, where we spend a major part of our lives and strive to make ourselves useful and find ourselves. Though each one of these professionalism tips, I hope to paint the image of a thorough 'Professional'!

Excellence is Thy Goal

Excellence is the driving force of professionals. They live to excel at what they do and do it in the best possible way. They put in their maximum efforts in getting the task done, without holding back, as they do it for themselves! For them, a job is more than just a means of livelihood. It is something that overlaps with their passion.

Get Your Basics Right

This is the corollary of pursuit of excellence. To excel, a professional works hard on the basics, that are required to do his job well. They never forget their basics and keep polishing, as well as updating the basic skills that make them professionals!

Take Your Job Seriously

'Pros' take their job very seriously, follow disciplined routines and take pride in their work. The seriousness is reflected through their punctuality and sincerity at work. They believe in maintaining the quality of their work. I am not saying a professional must take everything too seriously and not have a laugh. Professionals are the kind of people who enjoy themselves when they want to enjoy and only work, when they are working! They do not mix business with pleasure. Nothing comes in the way of their workplace ethics. They know that nothing is owed to them and they must earn what they want.

Switch Off Personal Problems

To be a professional, one must master the art of switching off everything else, including personal problems, when one enters the workplace. I do not mean that you should stop caring but keep those thoughts aside for a while. Neither is worrying about personal problems going to solve them and nor is it going to help you get your work done! Why add incomplete work to your problems? In fact, when you have a lot of personal problems, losing yourself in work can be therapeutic. Read more on 'How to Deal With Stress At Work'.

When at the Workplace, Focus on Thy Work

Professionals do not waste time at the workplace, indulging in things which are unrelated to their work profile. You won't find them bitching, gossiping or engaging in unnecessary arguments. They understand that they are present at the 'workplace' to work first and socialize later. They do take breaks from work and chill out, but after their requisite daily jobs are done. I'm not saying you should be cold and uncommunicative, but let there be a balance!

Be Willing to Learn

Professionals learn to identify positive constructive criticism from their seniors and learn from it. They take negative criticism in their stride and let their work do the talking! For professionals, learning is a continuous process.

Earn your Salary & your Respect

First earn your respect and then call the shots! This is one rule which professionals follow. They like to earn and justify their salary completely and do not take the easy way out. They do not compromise when it comes to their work. Read more on 'Respect in the Workplace'.

Be a Team Player

Professionals gel in a team and are always willing to adapt according to what the team needs! They like to encourage people around them and create a positive atmosphere. They respect colleagues and encourage their subordinates, while taking them under their wings. They know how to handle difficult people at work. These are the kind of people, talking with whom helps in putting things in a perspective. They are resourceful and help colleagues out when they can.

Enjoy What You Do

The key to be a professional lies in enjoying and loving what you do for a job! A horse doesn't run a race and win it for the price money. Horses run because that is what they are made for and that is what they enjoy doing! We are built for a thing and that's what we are good at. Aligning your job with your passion and what you are good at doing, is the key to become a professional!

So, these were some professionalism tips, which identify the qualities that differentiate a 'Pro' from an amateur. I may be proved wrong and I'm open to criticism, but that's my version of what professionalism means!

By Gray Pilgrim

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Time Management Tips For The Busy Computer Consultant

Time management tips are essential for busy computer consultants. Time gets eaten up by everything from administrative activities to traveling to and from clients. We have found that there are three really important time management tips that you should be aware of.

Time Management Tip #1

Limit the Time You Spend Reading IT Related Material

As a computer consultant you are running a business and that means you need to spend your time on revenue generating activities. Put away the magazines and books for now. If you utilize this time management tip you will be miles ahead of your competition.

Time Management Tip #2

Use Time Management Related Software

There are some great and inexpensive software programs and tools that you should use to manage your time effectively.

-ACT is a great program for contact management

-QuickBooks is great for time and billing

-Outlook can be very helpful for e-mail and other calendar related items.

-PDA's keep you connected to your schedule at all times

-Wireless email and wireless browsing help you maximize your efficiency

Time Management Tip #3

Use Non-Billable Time to Market Your Business

Even when you are really busy, one of the best time management tips out there is to spend time marketing. This might seem like a contradiction but it isn't. This time management tip forces you to focus on revenue generating activity. When you start to consistently bill out 30 to 35 hours per week, this tip forces you to keep up your marketing - you need to keep your name out there no matter how successful you are.

The Bottom Line On Time Management Tips

Time management tips are important in every business. Computer consultants are especially time pressed though because most of the work is done off site. The three time management tips presented here will help you rise above your competition. You will be using your time efficiently and concentrating on revenue generating activity. These are the activities that will help you grow a successful computer consulting business.

By Joshua Feinberg

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Work at Home Moms: Best Time Management Tips

Working from home provides tremendous advantages for a mom. You're able to set your own schedule, bag the stockings and read at the preschool. You can nap when you're tired or call a friend. What a life!

But challenges also abound. It's almost impossible to work without childcare. The more you're in the house, the messier it seems; domestic projects call from every corner. The mail carrier may be nice, but he's not a colleague. And nobody is looking over your shoulder to make sure the job gets done.

To thrive as a work-at-home mom, you need to set guidelines. What follows are time management tips gleaned from my experience writing from home as the mother of two girls, now 5 and 8.

*Establish boundaries. Don't allow the kids in your office without permission. I set this rule early, and as a result I can always find my stapler. I cannot say the same thing for my hairbrush or lipstick.

*Set a schedule. Notice how your preschooler needs structure? So do you. A regular work routine will help keep you from getting sidetracked by daytime TV.

*Buy a stopwatch. I click my stopwatch on to write and click it off when I leave my desk. At day's end, I log my work hours. Tracking time keeps me focused and helps separate "work" from "home."

*Keep a "small stuff" to do list. Working at home allows you to use spare moments for office work. But to be efficient, you need to keep a list of tasks that can be done in 15 minutes or less.

*Stash toys. I keep a basket of toys in my office for special occasions. Since the kids don't use them regularly, the toys have novelty value. The basket buys me an hour of work time on my children's sick days.

*Distinguish breaks. Two hours spent cleaning the playroom is not a break, it's a morning. Start the day with work, not chores. Keep breaks short, work hours long. Ignore the dust bunnies.

*Set the handyman straight. Chat and then make it clear that you have to go back to work. Tell him that you're on a deadline -- even if you're not. He'll get more work done, and so will you.

*Get out. Working at home can be isolating. Schedule events that require you to wear clean clothes and interact with adults who are not relatives, contractors or delivery people.

*Know thyself. It's confusing. You're a working mother but you're mostly around stay-at-home moms. Deadlines call, but you're constantly asked to volunteer. Consider your work commitments before accepting outside obligations. Remember, you're a working mom, even if you don't commute.

*Take advantage. What's the point of working at home if you don't enjoy the perks? Sneak in a siesta. Check in on Oprah. Shop for shoes. Celebrate the "free" in freelance, and the "independent" in independent contractor!

(c) 2006 Jennifer Bingham Hull.

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Tech Tips for Planners and Presenters

There are some things that duct tape can't fix.

Does this sound familiar? You’re at the conference center and the meeting room is full. The audience is engaged. The presentation is on a roll...and then it happens. The projector goes out. And so does the momentum of your meeting, depending on how long it takes to fix the problem. Here are some ways to make sure technology issues don't halt or delay the start of your next meeting:

1. Ask if technology audits are performed for every start-up to check for things such as projector bulb lamp hours (so you know if it's approaching the end of its lifespan).

2. If the venue has wireless Internet access, ask for connection instructions and a map of hotspots. Share the info with your attendees. They'll thank you for it!

3. Do you have access to a printer? If so, ask for local area printing information.

4. Let A/V know how many presenters there will be and arrange for A/V to be there for each start-up to ensure a seamless transition.

5. In addition to checking brightness of the projection display, find out how to adjust lighting in-room so presentation can be easily seen from anywhere in the room. If there are window treatments, find out how to open/close them.

6. li>Would you like music in the room before meeting starts or during breaks? Ask A/V if they have music to chose from or if you need to bring your own. Using a DVD player or VCR? Be sure it's hooked up and running. Also be sure you know how to toggle back and forth from projection to DVD player or VCR.

7. Problems connecting to audio? Make sure you’re connected to the headphone port, not the microphone port.

8. Feedback or squealing sound coming from microphones? Before adjusting dials, be sure you're standing behind the speakers. Feedback or squealing could simply be because you were in front of the speakers.

9. Familiarize yourself with the wireless remote control before beginning your presentation. Ask for extra set of batteries as back-up just in case.

By arriving well in advance of your event, you’ll have plenty of time to run through this technology checklist. Not only will you be able to avoid potential technological difficulties, you’ll be more comfortable with your surroundings which will leave you feeling confident, collected and ready to deliver a winning presentation.

About Q Center

This article was provided by Q Center in St. Charles, IL. More than an ordinary business conference center, Q Center’s conference facilities provide lodging for more than 1,000 guests as well as dining, abundant recreation, top-flight technology and a host of customized conference services. For further information, please e-mail Communications@QCenter.com or visit www.QCenter.com.

By R.L. Fielding

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Meeting Themes

A meeting theme should be such that it makes the business meeting much more effective and result oriented. Meeting themes should be so interesting that they set the right mood for the attendees and also help them understand the business meeting agenda. Below are some tips on how to come up with the perfect and the most appropriate business meeting themes, followed by a list of meeting themes to choose from. Read more on office party themes.

Tips on Selecting Meeting Themes

* The first thing that you should do is to come up with a meeting agenda and then accordingly choose meeting themes that will help in making this agenda more clear to the attendees.

* The next thing that you should do is to come up with meeting themes, which you think your employees will like.

* Another way to come with meeting themes is to relate them with any upcoming day/festival/event, such as valentine's day or Christmas or academy awards.

* The meeting theme selected should be short and memorable. Also, it should be fun, so that the employees do not feel bored.

* The meeting theme should not offend any body's sensibilities in any way, i.e. it should not be sexist or racist in any way. Read more on meeting facilitation: tips and techniques for facilitating a meeting.

Tips on Incorporating the Theme into the Meeting

* After you have zeroed in on a particular meeting theme, the first thing that you should do is to look out for ways in which you can relate both the theme as well as the meeting's agenda. For example, you can ask the speakers to prepare their speeches in relation to the theme.

* Come up with a logo for meeting which is inspired by the theme. Then use this logo on the mugs, screen savers, pens, t-shirts and all other promotional things and literature for the meeting.

* While choosing prizes, gifts, certificates to be given away during the meeting, make sure that they revolve around the meeting themes in some way.

* During the meeting, to lighten the atmosphere, include some songs or short plays or role-plays, that depict the meeting theme.

* Decorations and refreshments that you finally decide for the meeting, should be planned, keeping the meeting themes in mind too. Read more on party food.

Corporate Meeting Theme Ideas

* One of the meeting themes which is extremely popular these days, especially for crucial business meetings, is "Relaxation". Such meetings are usually planned outside office, where people can simply relax and discuss important issues. With this theme, beverages such as green tea and healthy foods such as fruit salads are served.

* If it is a sales meeting that is being planned, then the theme should be such that it fills the meeting with energy. Having a party atmosphere where balloons are used for decoration and lip smacking foods such as chicken wings or cutlets are served along with energy drinks, will be ideal for sales meetings.

* Having an Olympics theme is another idea which can be used for sales meetings, especially if you want to motivate your sales people for bringing in more business. For decoration, flags of different countries should be put around the meeting room. Only sports or energy drinks along with some snacks should be served. If the sales people have to be given incentives or gifts for meeting targets, medals should be given along with these. Make three categories of medals, namely gold, silver and bronze, just like in sports, and have your achievers stand on three storeyed podium, for fun.

* Another of the meeting themes that you can apply for a meeting on teamwork, is clock theme. Just like the different parts of a clock work together to tell the right time, similarly people in the organization should work together to achieve organizational goals. For this, walls of the meeting room should be decorated with different wall clocks. During presentations and speeches, clock terminology should be made use of. The employees can even be gifted individual clocks at the end of the meeting as a reminder of the importance of working in teams.

I hope the above mentioned ideas will be helpful to you, when you are choosing meeting themes for your forthcoming office meetings. Best of luck!

By Aastha Dogra

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Doing Business in China: Tips & Etiquette

American companies are rightfully nervous about doing business with China. Chinese culture is a complex mix of nuance and meaning. Most Americans don't grasp these subtleties and some have paid a dear price for not having adequately prepared before they set foot on Chinese soil. In contrast, some Chinese view Americans as rich and powerful from whom they have the right to exploit. It is not the easiest business climate in which to stage negotiations.

Establishing trust between the two cultures starts first with forging a good working relationship based on common interests. Americans tend to get right to business. It's our nature to push boldly into action, and while that usually works here at home, such an approach in China will almost always fail. For example, informal conversation usually opens business meetings. Discoursing on such subjects as how you're adjusting to the weather, where in China you have visited, and your impressions of the city you are visiting, allows both sides to grow more at ease as the talk turns to business.

Recommendations on doing business with China

A 4,000-year-old society is bound to have thousands of cultural nuances but here are 12 tips for successfully conducting business in China:

1. The Chinese enter a meeting in protocol order and they expect that the first foreigner to enter the room also is the delegation head.

2. The leader of the visiting delegation sits to the right of the Chinese host.

3. The Chinese approach to business is subtle and indirect; be prepared to discuss intelligently non-business topics (like the Great Inventions of China).

4. In making introductions, note that the family name (surname) precedes the individual given (personal) name, and that married women do not use their husband's name.

5. When speaking on business matters speak slowly and introduce pauses in your presentation to allow the interpreter to keep up.

6. Direct, negative responses are considered impolite. When in doubt, say "maybe" and clarify later.

7. Devise, share and stay on an agenda. Surprises are considered quite rude.

8. Banqueting is an art and very much a part of the business process. Drinking plays no small part, but you should not feel compelled to imbibe. Do participate in and return toasts with soda or some other beverage.

9. Theirs is a gift-giving culture. Seek expert opinions regarding taboos, government restrictions, etc.

10. Conducting business will almost certainly happen over lunch or dinner. You will be served by your Chinese counterparts. These are gestures of courtesy and respect from your Chinese hosts.

11. Tipping is not a common practice and can even be considered an insult.

12. Chinese etiquette calls for leaving some food on your plate when you have finished eating lest your host continue serving you. You will not offend your hosts if you decline to sample some of the more exotic local fare.

Remember, your goal is not friendship in the western definition -- in fact such personal relationships are very difficult to establish. Rather, your measure of personal regard is defined by the working relationships you establish.

Just as you would hardly undertake an expedition without a guide, you would be wise to engage the services of an expert in Chinese customs before conducting business. Select consultants who offer cross-cultural programs led by experts with hands-on experience in specific business areas. For example, PALS INTERNATIONAL has a team of China experts that offers a full spectrum of needs, ranging from corporate briefings and cross-cultural training to negotiation simulations. Our consultants also can address intellectual property concerns and commercial supply chain risks in commercial, environmental, terrorism and criminal areas.

Engaging such experts who know the issues of doing business in China and how to best traverse them increases your odds for success in this vast, complicated but promising market.

By Brenda Arbelaez

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