Work pervades all facets of life – when at home with family, an aspect of work could be the topic over dinner. Meeting up with friends, conversations eventually move towards jobs; what’s new in the workplace, where to check for openings, for a chance to move up the career ladder.

Bill Gates aptly put it when he said, “Take our 20 best people away, and I will tell you that Microsoft would become an unimportant company.” He is clearly aware that a positive relationship between employers and employees is important. Intrinsic to the association are obligations to one another that include respect and fair treatment, on one hand. On the other hand, employers must make certain that managers do not abuse their authority, for example.

Trust is the fulcrum where all other work relationships revolve. A feeling of trust between management and staff can produce loyalty as well as commitment. Loyalty works both ways; employers show appreciation via yearend bonuses while staff continues to deliver a high level of quality work. Confidence in employees motivates and engenders passion, traits that most companies would love to have in their staff.

Work is not a separate activity that can be boxed at will. For example, when projects are not going well, both managers and team members are affected. There is concern from colleagues; the mental and psychological make up of staff is influenced. While work outputs may experience a downswing, staff morale could also suffer.

When negativity towards management consumes staff, for whatever reason, it can create havoc in the communication between employers and employees. Dialogue and transparency are huge contributors to creating an overall pleasant atmosphere in the workplace. Not to say that everyone must like each other but it is good to keep in mind that the workplace is part of life and adapting to situations is an acquired skill.

A positive employer-employee relationship is evidenced by both parties’ commitment to the company’s success. Goethe said, “ Our work is the presentation of our capabilities.” Capable people produce excellent work creating the pleasant relationship between management and staff, an effect that eventually seeps into an employee’s personal life.

Written by Yoli P. – The Help

A flat tire, a disappointing work evaluation, a fight with the husband – bad days take different forms and we’ve had to deal with those awful times. Here are seven strategies I’ve pulled out to take care of bad days.

1. Leave the experience at the place where it happened. If it’s flat tire, then have the mechanic handle it, take a cab. If we’re looking at a bad evaluation, work can be improved; remember you’re still employed!
2. Clear a closet or a filing cabinet. Creating order in your environment can be calming. By the time the clutter is cleared, you’d have a sense of accomplishment and ready to look for solutions to the cause of the bad day.
3. Work on your hobby. I found tremendous comfort in learning another language; my mind would switch to acquiring the different Chinese speaking tones thereby creating that much needed space between myself and the negative experience.
4. Great for producing endorphins, the chemicals that create positive feelings. Careful, though, which exercise you choose. Some of us multiply the worries when we have uninterrupted time alone causing more anxious thoughts.
5. Write about it. When something is truly upsetting to me, I write it down for relief. Give it a try.
6. Keep everything in perspective. If a fight with the husband is the reason for the bad day, it may be time for a serious talk about the real cause of the conflict. Unpaid bills? Teenage son acting up? Engage the family in a dialogue to find a solution.
7. The situation could be worse. It pays to remember that ‘life is good,’ and that having a bad day is better than being sick in bed, unable to keep a job or pursue a career.

“We all have bad days, but one thing is true; no cloud is so dark that the sun can’t shine through”. Bad days will happen; they come and go. The good news: we can switch gears and do something about it!

Written by Yoli P. – The Help

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if clients and businesses agree on all points of a contract so that both come out in a win-win situation? But wishful thinking doesn’t do well in the running of a business. In fact, companies look for ideal clients – those who need their particular products and services, for example. Perhaps there are a good number of clients. Some of them, however, are simply not the type of enterprises that a provider may want to be associated with. For instance, a company that sells alcohol and cigarettes. Admittedly, it may be one of the best paying ones but it may not fit the profile of a provider’s ideal client.

How does a provider say no to a client?

One way is to screen prospective ones to prevent an awkward situation down the road. Doing research on client background is helpful. Using one’s personal interests as barometer for accepting clients is another method. As they say, prevention is better than the cure.

What if the business/client relationship has begun? Finding a way out during an ongoing project can be tricky. The provider must be able to give good reasons for the decision and offer an alternative, if available and possible. On occasion, an honest statement such as “I believe the time has come for us to end our business relationship. I can continue to support you in (number of hours or days) following terms agreed upon in the contract,” may be the best approach. Contracts, usually, include options on ending a relationship. Use it. And speaking of contracts, standards and boundaries must be included. For example, set the tone of the relationship at the consultation stage.

A client who’s a right fit for the business is respectful of the provider’s time. The client communicates their job requirements in a clear and precise manner. Having to say no to a client may be uncomfortable but it trains providers in diplomacy and tact, leaving a neutral air in a relationship that could have gone sour. The successful Gucci family says, “Quality is remembered, long after the price is forgotten.”

Written by Yoli P. – The Help

We are in a world that is always talking. On the phone, at the office, over lunch – conversations occur with or without our participation. And we hear the continuous buzz of human voices along with barking dogs, meowing cats, screeching busses and beeping iPhones. There are so many sounds that we cannot help but hear because hearing, function of the ear, one of our five senses, happens with or without our consent.

On the other hand, listening is an act that we all choose to do. Listening occurs in discussing a career move with a mentor, talking to our children, when closing a business deal, and when a particular piece of music is to our liking. Listening happens because we are actively processing the information exchanged at that moment.

It is important to note that hearing does not equal listening since hearing is involuntary while listening is a conscious choice. Choosing to listen nurtures positive traits:

• Listeners are patient. We’ve all heard it, “Patience is a virtue,” never more so in a conversation and discussion. Many of us begin to formulate a reply in our heads while a topic is being presented. We must learn to keep our minds from creating replies as the other party expounds and finishes expressing their thoughts.
• Listeners are respectful. Showing respect comes in many forms one of which is allowing somebody to finish a sentence. A listener values and understands the words and emotions of peers and colleagues evidenced by the time invested in listening to them.
• Listeners can empathize. They are able to put themselves in the other person or group’s situation, understand better the reasons for the changes in behavior. For example, management might implement strict policy about tardiness. Staff who can empathize will understand that in being late productivity time is wasted. A change in behavior may show that staff were listening, comprehending that tardiness affects the business’ bottom line.

Listening is an acquired skill. With time and persistence, it can be learned. We will, perhaps, know that we are learning when family, friends, and colleagues begin coming to us to become their sounding boards. The best proof would be an improvement in company workflow and productivity proving that staff listens to management.

Written by Yoli P. – The Help

Teamwork is for SUCCESS

Success means different things to different individuals. In the professional world, a promotion, a large commission from a sale, or acceptance at a prestigious university like Yale could define it. Although they are major feats and can be used as a yardstick for success, others focus on accumulating worldly possessions – the latest BMW model, for example – to measure achievement.

However, personal and professional triumphs are imbedded in daily life and can be found in activities such as finishing the company annual report on time, setting up a play date for the children, and writing that long-overdue email to a dear friend.

Sharing and celebrating success with others can motivate, also push someone towards achieving, creating more triumphs, encouraging one and others to go beyond their perceived potential. For starters, here are a few reminders why sharing one another’s successes is important.

1. Success is a celebration! Invite family or a friend to join you for a fun movie and dinner. What better way to strengthen relationships?
2. Victory shared is joyful, creates positive energy all around, and inspires others.
3. Shared success is a confidence builder for oneself and colleagues.
4. Because success is deeply personal, sharing an accomplishment with a friend, family, or colleague produces an equally deep feeling of satisfaction of having hurdled a major challenge.
5. One’s physical and mental well-being is greatly improved by the endorphins produced when sharing the good news of success with others.
6. Sharing success with others will, at a personal level, start an improved and deeper dialogue.
7. Most of all, spending time with colleagues thru sharing large and small successes allows managers to understand staff values and helps foster positive employee-employer relationship.

In an office setting, achievements do not happen because of one person. Success occurs because the work is shared and each team member contributes to the task. Staff brings their own meaning in experiencing triumphs. Owning and celebrating achievements with others is when success is sweet.

Written by Yoli P. – The Help