Tragedy comes when least expected. Sorrow is a daily presence suddenly. There was no threat to speak of. Germanwings Flight 9525, the recent disaster of immense proportions, was not in danger of mechanical malfunction. What do we do in the face of disaster? Are we ever ready or prepared?

Thirty-eight years ago I lost a sister. What did I do then? I can’t remember my reaction to another sibling’s succumbing to heart failure; one that was quickly followed by another’s passing, three weeks later. I do know the following:

I cried copious tears for months. I gave in to grief, to feeling helpless. Months later I thought I was over the pain. Then I would see a bouquet of red roses and baby’s breath, I’d be in tears again. I’ve lived with grief a long time so there’s never getting over it, really. It’s different for everyone, there are highs and lows in grieving, much like the tide that ebbs and flows.

Many will offer words of support, generous prayers. It will be a time to receive graciously, of appreciation for the many friends and strangers who stand ready to help.

It is crucial to remember the happy moments spent with those who are suddenly gone from us. Recalling the memories created with them; perhaps while at a summer picnic at the beach, at dinner after a long day at work, or the quiet moments of conversation where words of wisdom were exchanged, can sustain and recharge friends and relatives.

Communing with family and friends is important. There is truth in the saying pain is eased when shared. The living is left to deal with the loss and the accompanying emptiness that invariably settles in the soul. In remembering our departed with prayers, we remember Germanwings 9525 and its 150 passengers.

Written by Yoli P. – The Help

Once upon a time, people grouped themselves into clubs depending on the subject – books, baseball, and movie stars’ are some examples. The common interest also became a jumping point for the club members’ to utilize and recommend their preferred service providers for home maintenance, restaurants, and vacation destinations.

With the industrial revolution, collaboration became a tool in reaching people, particularly those outside of recognized clubs and organizations. Political ties developed and information became accessible, which helped the growth of business networks. Networking expanded by leaps and bounds with the Internet’s bursting on center stage in recent times.

Networking has always been in the professional world, in the face-to-face manner, through colleagues’ office visits and going out for coffee or lunch together. Theme fairs and conferences were, and still are, bridges to meeting new people and learning about developing industry trends.

And the virtual assistance industry is no exception; it is invested in networking because of its very nature. A company whose main product is implementing tasks in an ethereal world needs a strong presence in the Internet.

Because both workforce and clients are in various locations around the world, communication is key in making the business cohesive. This network is connected by technology but more than that they are linked by the same goals in expanding and growing a business. Each one has their individual circle of professional and personal relations in end users, buyers, and suppliers connected to one another and at the same time to the world. Like a pebble thrown in a pond, the ripple effect goes outward in concentric circles but it begins in the center.

Here are some suggestions for networking to be useful to the virtual assistance business:

• Create a presence in Facebook and Twitter, two of the most popular social media platforms. Make a certain to post interesting articles regularly.
• From there, update the company e-mailing list of current and possible clients.
• Participate and join online professional groups such as LinkedIn or a virtual assistants organization. 

Much like planning a garden, networking requires tending and organization. The roses will bloom because of constant care and networking will only bear fruit in proportion to the attention it gets.

Written by Yoli P. – The Help

Over the years, with the increased personal and business use of email, social media gained ground and have since entrenched itself in everyone’s life via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Businesses reap huge benefits from social media as their products become more visible to clients. They can quickly respond to trends as well as cut costs on traditional advertising. Clients’ access to customer services for various concerns via websites improves the bottom line. Social media makes information sharing more efficient, generates discussion and directs people to interesting sites.

On the personal side, social media facilitates staying in touch with family and friends on a global scale. If family members are abroad, a message sent just a few minutes ago could receive instantaneous reply. Social media is also helpful in client referrals and job searches. It helps professionals conduct research via LinkedIn, for example.

While there are positives to social media, there are a number of negatives as well. Friends on the social media plane can be into the hundreds. How are meaningful connections differentiated from casual acquaintances? With the amount of networking involved in social media, there is a marked decrease in attention span in some end users. Anything that has more than three paragraphs becomes too long to read. Along with a shorter attention span, productivity at work or even at home may suffer. There is less human interaction because everyone is continually on one or two social networking site following and contributing to interesting topics. The gradual loss of privacy is the biggest effect of social media on society. To some extent information normally kept confidential is given up easily which may have contributed to the increase of identity theft crimes.

Much like the telephone, social media has had a huge impact on society. Communication is vastly improved, jobs are generated, and everyone is in touch with family, friends, and the workplace. Craig Hodges said, “A fixation with connecting with ‘friends’ online comes with the risk of disconnection with friends waiting for you to be present in the offline world,” a reminder to remain connected in the physical world.

Written by Yoli P. – The Help

Among family, friends, and colleagues, compliments and criticism are parts of daily life – one is an expression of admiration while the other is the act of evaluating or judging the qualities, abilities, and faults of something or somebody. While praise is easy to the ears and the psyche, criticism, on the other hand, produces a negative reaction. Some go into a defensive mode of thinking (during a performance evaluation conversation), others lash back thru a cutting remark.

Constructive criticism, however, is meant to create space for growth. Companies hire independent consultants to assess management skills and styles of its middle level managers. In much the same way, supervisors evaluate personnel to assess career tracks that may be available to them.

For recipients of criticism, keep in mind that it is impossible to see a fleck in one’s eye without the use of a mirror. Equipped with this image, here are four steps to ease acceptance of constructive criticism.

1. Evaluate. In constructive criticism, managers cite areas for improvement. At the same time, suggestions are made to achieve the goal of improving work performance. Adopting a mindset of someone who is positive in most situations, this can be an opportunity for career advancement.
2. Source. While evaluating the criticism itself, consider the source as well. If it doesn’t come from a manager, teacher, or a coach, think about the motivation. People can be jealous, envious, or simply without tact.
3. Thank and acknowledge the feedback provider. Even if the discussion was strained, thank the manager. An attitude of appreciation for constructive criticism often surprises the critic. It shows one is ready to take on the work of improving and learning from the criticism provided.
4. Make the areas cited for improvement a priority. For example, if the feedback is that of missed deadlines for projects, examine where the bottleneck is and find a solution. If the criticism focuses on the manner of answering the phone, read up on telephone answering skills or even better, sign up for training.

Changes will not happen overnight but the learning can start immediately. It begins with the mindset that an employee’s excellent performance inside the company shows in the improved business/client relationships.

Written by Yoli P. – The Help

The extreme disorder of things – accumulated papers, toys from childhood, collection of all types can easily become clutter without organization. Clutter could also refer to a confused mental state and an obstacle to positive energy. Having an untidy environment can distract from clear thinking and focus on the task at hand.

Most of us don’t plan on having clutter. Everyone has it and these are either unused or much loved stuff, unfinished projects among others. Disorganization happens but life functions better when we know where everything is. It might be important to find out why we can’t bear to part with an item. Projects waiting for attention are easily forgotten but it affects us. For example, a broken drawer needs repair. Meanwhile, it is a distraction causing irritation between family members.

Clutter can have far reaching negative effects. Some general outcomes are feeling tired, living in the past, disharmony and procrastination.

Just seeing a messy room can generate lethargy. Over a few days or weeks, the disorder is not lessened and more items such as mail and documents are added. Procrastination can set in. Unbeknownst to us, we’ve started a behavior that could easily develop in to a habit. If we share living space with anyone, disagreement can creep in.

We have clutter because we don’t know how to let go. Sentimental items like birthday cards and photos are part of the past. These may even be reminders of problems that have gone unresolved over the years and keeping them prevents new experiences from coming into our lives.

Buying stuff we don’t actually need is another major source of clutter. For example, in trying to become an expert at making bead jewelry, pliers of different sizes are acquired. They remain unused for years, forgotten and gathering dust.

Organization is important in preventing clutter. However, a routine must be followed. Weekly sorting through the mail would help. Going through the house every six months to clear cupboards, desks, and drawers to remove unwanted and unused stuff will definitely prevent clutter.

As Louise Smith said: “You can’t reach for anything new, if your hands are still full of yesterday’s junk.” Aptly put.

Written by Yoli P. – The Help