Category Archives: Personal Tips

What Not To Do If You Want To Keep Your Job

keep-awake-and-keep-your-job

Do you crawl into your shell when at the office? Are you constantly irked by your co-workers? If your answer is yes, then you might have a problem on your hands. Let’s talk about what not to do to avoid damaging your on-the-job reputation or worse, sending your career down the pipe.

1) Don’t  Fail to Get Cultured: Do not get your nose out of joint and refuse to plug yourself into the company’s culture, daily routines and operations. Failing to familiarize yourself with what makes your co-workers tick, will put you at a disadvantage when it comes to understanding the on-the-job costumers and values. Your overall workplace attitude can render you unable to communicate effectively or make meaningful connections.

2) Don’t Ignore Your Own Mistakes: If you don’t make it a priority to own up to mistakes you’ve made while at work as quickly as possible, you might find yourself perceived as irresponsible and incapable of getting things done on time.

3) Don’t Assume Less Is More: Squeezing by doing only what’s asked of you is not the best strategy for success. It will make you come across as unambitious. By not taking the initiative to look for opportunities you will be seen as uninspired and irrelevant to the company’s bigger picture.

4) Don’t Accept Comfortable Inaction: Always do what you say you will. Every little thing counts. Right down to getting those photocopies and making that important phone call. Not delivering on promises will drastically diminish the company;s trust in your ability to follow through. This could lower your chances of being promoted in the future.

5) Don’t Dress For A Hoedown: The way you dress can make all the difference in the way you’re perceived on the job, Dressing like you’re going to a dance party or wearing slacks to the office can seriously undermine your authority. Let your style be a reflection of the position you hold and the professional status you want to achieve in the future.

6) Don’t Arrive Late:  It’s always better to be early than late to the office. Take initiative and demonstrate that you are ready and eager to work. There is nothing worse you can do for your professional career than showing up at the office late.

7) Don’t Bring Up Needing A Raise: Quite frankly, your boss does not care about your financial struggles and voes. Instead approach the manager when the time is right and be ready to substantiate  your  arguments   with real evidence about your performance and accomplishments.

8) Be Courteous & Supportive Of Your Co-Workers: Hold elevator doors and do coffee runs every now and then. You might even want to say a good word or two about the people you work with. This will generate good will and cultivate a positive karmic environment.

There you have it. Don’t hide behind your desk all day. If you follow these simple office tips everything should go swimmingly.

See you at the office,

The EntreBahn team.  

Share

Outsourcing Your Life: The Key To Happiness!

header-outsourcingThe term outsourcing  has most commonly been associated with corporations, hiring workers overseas to lower the cost of making their goods” says CBC’s radio host Jian Ghomeshi.  What if you could use outsourcing as a way of focusing on the more important things in life? New York Times economist Catherine Rampell  argues that Outsourcing Your Way To Success, is not only possible but can also be necessary.

The idea is, that people should outsource more than just dog walking and cleaning. Take for instance John and Amy, a couple mentioned in Catherine’s essay. They are both PhD candidates who have found creative ways of paying someone else to do chores like cooking, IKEA furniture assembly, personal photo sorting and more.

Have a listen to Ghomeshi’s recent interview with Catherine Rampell to find out:

  • Why you should consider outsourcing everyday tasks.
  • Reasons why you are reluctant to have others do the work.
  • About the cultural obstacles that prevent us from asking for help.
  • If outsourcing chores can make you happier.
  • How to define your opportunity costs and more! 

I think, that while not every phase of our lives can or should be outsourced there is certainly a place for doing so with tasks that you no longer enjoy or that have moved down on your list of priorities. While there are no guarantees, I am confident that both people and businesses alike, can potentially become more productive and thrive as a result of creative outsourcing.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this interview. How viable if at all, is this type of approach to  outsourcing? Would you consider creative outsourcing for your business or everyday living?

For more interesting ideas on economic development check out economist Susan Athey from Stanford University. You can also read our post on the pros and cons of outsourcing.  Or visit us on twitter @wizof_biz for engaging tweets on this topic.

 

Live, love, outsource and be happy,

The WizOf.Biz team.

Share

Tips to Avoid Burnout

Burnout - tired at workOne article that recently caught my eye, is from the The Globe & Mail, entitled “Ten Ways To Avoid Burnout At Work”, by Harvey Schachter. This piece intrigued me in part, because it tells the story of a young enterpreneur, Andrew Dumont, who at the age of 18 left school to launch his startup Tatango.com.

Andrew shares with us his own experience with burnout. He further explains that it is something that we all experience but are often unable to spot.“Ten Ways To Avoid Burnout At Work”, shows you how to recognize the first signs of burnout, followed by ten simple ways to avoid it at work. These tips will help keep you at the top of your game, while not forgetting to come out and play.

For another ten tips, check out “10 Surefire Ways to Avoid Burnout” by Bruna Martinuzzi on OpenForum.com.  It’s the same theme and another great set of advice for all the entrepreneurs out there who are feeling overwhelmed.

You can also visit Andrew’s blog Always On, his twitter at @AndrewDumont or check out the WizOf.Biz blog for great advice posts like this one.

Creative Commons Licensed Image

 

 

Share