Author Archives: kate

Jan27

3 Tips for Successful Conflict Resolution at the Office

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3 Tips for Successful Conflict Resolution at the Office

The office is where you spend ⅓ of at least half of your waking hours. At some point in time, it is inevitable to experience some kind of conflict in the workplace. Whether you, yourself are involved in the conflict or not, conflict can impact employee productivity. In fact, unresolved conflicts have a direct impact on how employees engage in the workplace and can definitely have a negative impact on workplace culture. Therefore, it is important for employees to learn the subtle art of conflict resolution.

Here are 3 tips to learn in order to navigate conflicts successfully:

Learn to communicate effectively
There’s talking and then there’s communicating. Most conflicts would be easily nipped in the bud if people just learn how to communicate effectively. This is not just about getting your point across but about actually listening to what the other person is saying. It’s not just about what you hear either. Effective communication means picking up on non-verbal clues, knowing which parts to not interrupt or having non-confrontational stances and gestures. Conflict isn’t always a bad thing. It can be an avenue to engage and exchange ideas if you manage it well.

Practice your problem-solving skills
This isn’t about being good at solving puzzles. It’s actually pretty straight forward. This skill is about learning how to see a challenge from many angles and approaching it with a clear plan while considering the many possible solutions to it. When people see conflict, they tend to avoid, deny, or pass it on to someone else. However, effective conflict resolution depends on how the people involved approach the conflict. Do they result in passive-aggressive behavior? Do they get into a shouting match? Do they avoid each other until resentment festers? The key is for both parties to see it as a challenge and exhaust all ways to solve it, even if it means getting input from an outsider with a different perspective.

Make teamwork a priority
Studies show that workplaces with a strong, deeply ingrained teamwork culture have fewer conflicts. This is because employees learn to focus on shared goals instead of disagreements that creep up in between. They ultimately have the end in mind. Teamwork also enforces defined roles which can majorly reduce where conflicts stem from. Lastly, teamwork reinforced meeting objectives over personal egos and preferences.

Bonus tip:
Stress management is one of the keys to healthy workplace relations.
Sometimes, it’s not about the work, the culture, or the coworkers. Sometimes people just happen to take their personal frustrations to the workplace and then blow up and vent there. Learning healthy stress coping mechanisms will reduce employee conflicts because they need not take their personal challenges to the office. So encourage employees to take well-timed breaks and vacation leaves. That way, they have decompression mechanisms in place to release bottled up emotions.

What about you, what are your tips for resolving conflict? Share your tips with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today.

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Jan20

Don’t Schedule Meetings on Mondays

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Don’t Schedule Meetings on Mondays

How many times have you said after attending a long drawn out, very boring meeting, “well, that could’ve just been an email!” Many people check out of meetings and start scrolling through their social media feed after while. It could be for a host of reasons: they shouldn’t have been included in the attendee’s list, the presider was ill-prepared, the meeting is too long, too boring, or not relevant to the attendee, etc.

But have you stopped to wonder if maybe you set the meeting during the wrong time of the week? You may be asking, “Is that even a thing?” Apparently, yes! Researchers[1] suggest that the worst time to schedule a meeting is during Monday mornings.

Right now, I can imagine that most of you are going…nooooo! Many businesses, especially those that involve teams, start the week with a Monday morning meeting. And with good intentions, since most of these meetings act as a sort of a huddle – a way to make sure that everyone is on the same page and to make sure jobs are assigned and projects are evaluated for progress.

Why not Mondays?

Mondays are statistically believed to be the most productive day of the week for employees. Many employees hunker down and get to work right away, so it is imperative that their concentration is not disrupted by having to attend meetings. Also, statistically, most employees choose Mondays or Fridays to call in sick or even file for leave to get a long weekend. So Monday morning meetings are probably prone to a lot of no-shows.

If not Mondays, when?

Science shows that the best day to hold meetings is Tuesday at 2:30pm. This data was derived from more than 2 million responses to 530,000 meeting invitations. The reason: it’s not too early in the morning and also not too late in the week. You can still steer the direction of projects and get updates early enough in the workweek and it’s not too early in the day to cut through the productive hours of employees.

Optimal meetings

No matter how well you schedule your meetings, if it’s boring or not very well prepared, people are going to zonk out. Here re a few tips to keep it engaging:

  • Keep it short – keep it within 45 mins, that’s the sweet spot. Half an hour is too short and should just be an email. An hour or more is just too long and will likely feel like a drag to attendees.
  • Distribute materials in advance – if you have materials for review or comments, please send them out in advance. Don’t assume that people will be able to give relevant input while you go through your presentation slides that they’re seeing for the first time.
  • Open with a purpose, close with action – set expectations at the beginning. What do you need to address? What needs to be accomplished? Answer that throughout the meeting and then close with a plan of action.

Do you like attending meetings? What are your meeting survival tips?  Share your tips with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today.

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

[1] https://www.payscale.com/career-news/2016/07/science-says-best-day-time-meeting

Dec16

How to Change your life in 2020

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How to Change your life in 2020

The year is coming to an end, and if you haven’t realized it yet, so is the decade. Before you rush into a state of mild panic, know that you will be ok. We all work on a personal schedule so don’t feel the need to rush into a thousand personal projects in the name of collecting accomplishments under your belt.

Still, we all feel the need to change something in our lives that we feel we can improve on. Rightly so, there’s always room for improvement. Take stock of your life and seek the areas where you feel you need to improve. Here are some things you can do to switch things up and make life more enjoyable in the coming 2020.

Establish a self-care routine, if you haven’t yet.
The most reliable person you can count on to save you from a terrible day, a difficult interaction or a lonely weekend is yourself. So, work on you! Know what makes you happy. Make a list of things that will instantly make you happy. It could be a good cup of coffee, freshly baked cookies, clean sheets, scented candles, pets, plants, music, etc. These are quick wins but these instant perk-me-ups will help you immediately get out of a slump when you need it. Some self-care routines take more work and effort, like going to therapy, reconnecting with friends, or visiting family. Whatever you do, the underlying mission is to be kind to yourself. It’s much easier to be happier and kind to everyone else if you practice with yourself first.

Read, Try, Listen
Aside from self-care, nothing is more life-changing than learning something new.

Expand your mind. Read. Even though you think you know everything there is to know about a topic, you might surprise yourself. There could be new updates and discoveries that you have not yet read about.

Get out of your comfort zone. Try. Try a new food. Go visit new places. Try new exercises. Try new leisure activities.

Not a fan of reading? Listen. There are many podcast platforms that you can use. Subscribe to things you fancy. Anything. My podcast list range from “TEDTalks” to “The Economist” to CreepyPastas to NBA commentary shows. There’s a wealth of information to be gleaned from the podcast without the commitment of having to stay still. You can listen to them on the go, on your commute to work, while doing the laundry or any other passive chore.

Practice gratitude
While the first two tips need a bit of time to work their magic to bring life-changing results, gratitude will instantly change your life. The results are almost immediate. Upon waking up, think of three things you are grateful for. Do the same thing before you retire for the night. You will notice that you will start to feel more appreciative of life and more blessings start to pop up. Keep doing this until it becomes a habit.

What are your tips to improve your life in 2020? Share them with us in the comments. Stay humble and hustle hard.

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Dec9

4 Things to Ask Yourself to Get Closer to Knowing Your Life’s Purpose

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4 Things to Ask Yourself to Get Closer to Knowing Your Life’s Purpose

There are those who are lucky and discover their life’s purpose at a very young age. Then there are those interesting people who are still looking. There is no perfect time or age for you to discover your purpose in life. You may find your reason for living at 21or you may still be looking at 40. It doesn’t matter, it’s ok to not know.

However, most of us are always in search of our life’s purpose. After all, knowing your purpose in life makes it so much easier to find the drive to get out of your bed and find true happiness. As you search for it, you’ll find situations where your passions and talents meet with the things that the world needs.

There is no one true path. We all have different ways of discovering things for ourselves. But, just in case you need a nudge in the right direction, here are 4 questions to ask yourself in order to get closer to knowing your life’s purpose.

Passion:
What do you love?
Focus on the things that you deeply care about. It can be a hobby or a sport that you loved since childhood. Are you passionate about caring for animals? Maybe you can do something in line with that.

Vocation:
What can you do for a living?
Your happiness is not just simply about having dreams. A fulfilling job should also help cater to your basic needs. Fulfilling work is a reward in itself. It is a function of growth. If you allow yourself to spend more time becoming adept at your job, as time progresses you increase your level of expertise and find that you enjoy work more.

Profession:
What skills have you mastered?
If you enjoy doing it then you must be good at it! However, this is not always the case. The lucky ones can make careers out of whatever they’re passionate about or whatever they have a natural talent for. The rest of us develop a passion for the jobs we take. We focus on improving until we love what we do because we’re good at it. Keep asking “will I love the process?” It’s not just the job but the methods you’ve learned or the knowledge that you gained that could make it all worth your while.

Mission:
What can you contribute to others?
Making a difference is just as important as being happy. Make life meaningful by lending your hand to those who need it. Stop asking “what can the world offer me?”. Instead, start asking “what can I offer the world?” If you ever find yourself lost and without purpose, helping others will always be the best way to get out of that slump. You will find that being part of something bigger than yourself is quite fulfilling.

Do you have anything to add to these questions? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to stay humble and hustle hard.

Dec4

After Thanksgiving Weekend, What to Do Next?

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After Thanksgiving Weekend, What to Do Next?

You’re visiting family over Thanksgiving Weekend and spending much-needed quality time. Now that Thanksgiving dinner is over and you’ve braved your way through Black Friday sales, what else is there to do with the family?

It’s easy to get bored and run out of ideas for family activities that do not involve shopping or any type of spending. You’re probably watching your wallet and waistline at this point. But if you’re not allowed to shop and have had your fill eating, what other activities are in your backpocket?

Here are a few activities that you can do with your loved ones, that don’t involve eating a truckload of food or spending a truckload of money. How many will you try?

Put out the holiday decorations
After Thanksgiving is the best time to put up Christmas decorations. You have lots of family (and sometimes friends too) to help you decorate the tree or even the whole house. I always joke about it being “child labor” but the kids seem to love helping out in Christmas decorating.

Holiday movies marathon
There are tons of holiday-themed movies to see on any and all of your favorite streaming apps. Make a list and check it twice. See what’s suitable for kids so that they can watch with you, too. Lately, I’ve been binge-watching a show called “Nailed It”, the holiday edition. It’s not a movie but every episode is hilarious reality tv goodness and the episodes are short (very low commitment needed). You can watch for a while and get back to other family bonding activities.

Volunteerism
If you have the opportunity, please volunteer at your nearest soup kitchen. Or you can also make a fun activity out of sorting out your closet and doing a Mari Kondo. You can donate what you find to your nearest parish or goodwill.

Read a new book (or revisit an old one)
Pick up a new book or revisit an old one from your family shelf. I’m pretty sure all your old, preloved books are still at home (mine are, my mom is not a fan of e-books, nor does she even know what they are). My complete, hardbound set of Harry Potter books is still at home and in pristine condition waiting to be revisited.

Host a game night
Board games are a great way to bond with the family. You get to show your competitive side and still leave with no hard feelings. Some of our family favorites are the classic Monopoly and Catan. You can also play Uno cards, Jenga, Pass it on, or you can even create your own minute-to-win-it games.

Explore your hometown
There are probably a few new sites to see in your hometown. Maybe take recommendations from your family on where to get the best bread or where the new deli is. Ask them which new restaurant joints are worth visiting and if there are new activity centers in the area. Check out the new coffee shops for free wifi or better yet, ask where the local farmer’s market is and check out the new goods.

Do you have any other family bonding activities for after Thanksgiving? Share them with us in the comments. Stay humble and hustle hard.

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp