Category: Work Environment

I believe...

11/20/2014

I believe that we should rejoice in the success of others as much as we do in our own.
We should not only admit our mistakes but we should share stories about them with others.
Our mistakes instruct us how to live a better life. They are gifts.
We should ask others for help when we need it.
I believe that gossip is bad- it is like committing an act of violence against the person being talked about. They will probably never know exactly what was said, and will never be able to defend themselves.
We should surround ourselves with interesting people.
We should be brave and do things that scare us.
We should always do work that we love, embrace change, and take a chance.
We should give others a chance, even when they haven’t asked for one.
We should not panic.
What do you believe?

National Coming Out Day was founded on October 11, 1988, in celebration of the second gay march on Washington D.C. a year earlier. The purpose of the march and of National Coming Out Day is to promote awareness of gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender issues and to celebrate being LGBT. Although National Coming Out Day is a time to celebrate gay pride, many choose this day to come out to their parents, friends, co-workers, and themselves. I plan to celebrate this day as an ally; I am the parent of a gay child, and a friend of countless LGBT individuals.

Why does National Coming Out Day matter? One out of every two Americans has someone close to them who is gay or lesbian. For transgender people, that number is one in ten. An astounding 92% of LGBT individuals hear negative messages about their sexual orientation (HRC Youth Survey Report). Because every person deserves to live and work in a safe and accepting environment, I am encouraging my friends and colleagues to support the effort, to not be a bystander when someone uses language like “oh that’s so gay,” and to step in and say something if someone is being bullied in the workplace or at school.

When an LGBT person or their parent wants to talk to you about an issue, don’t shy away because you are afraid you might say the wrong thing. Silence and isolation are far worse than having a conversation or showing that you care, even if you don’t feel like you have the right words. I have friends who have admitted they don’t know how to talk to me about having a gay child because they fear they will say the wrong thing. To that I say, have the conversation and ask me questions. By being more open, we become more informed, our society becomes more accepting, and more active allies are born. According to the HRC Youth Survey Report, 42% of LGBT youth feel that the communities in which they live are not accepting, and 33% feel that their families are not accepting. National Coming Out Day isn’t about setting aside a day to “come out,” it’s about raising awareness and supporting the LGBT community – they are our family, neighbors, and our coworkers.

Almost everyone has a story about coming out, or about the day a family member or co-worker came out. What’s yours? Share it with us. Chances are we will all be stronger allies because of it.

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Make your resume count

10/2/2014

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We’ve all been there - spending hours looking over our resume trying to decide what verb to use, what should go where, and adjusting the margins to make it all fit. It can be really difficult creating a one-page document that reflects your working career to-date. Trust me, I get it, but a solid resume can really help you standout from the rest of the applicant pool.

Some people opt for having their resumes done professionally, which can be helpful, but you have to reread it after to ensure that it really reflects your work history. I had someone apply for a job in my company several years ago, and noticed a section on the second page stating that he had been an airline pilot. I thought this was interesting given he didn’t do it for very long, had no training in that field, and the job he was applying for was more of a customer relations position. It turned out that the company he had hired to do his resume made a mistake and cut and pasted his experience into a template, inadvertently leaving in the pilot experience from the previous client’s resume. He didn’t realize this mistake had occurred until I asked him about it during the interview. If he couldn’t pay attention to the details on his own resume, how much attention would he give to his work?

Resumes are the first impression a future employer gets of you, so really make it count. Make sure your resume directly reflects yourself and your work history as best as you can. Yes, you want to make it interesting, but you don’t want to get caught in a false claim. Proofreading is key!

Categories: General, Public Image, Success, Work Environment

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Can't afford a vacation? Take one away!

7/3/2013

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I recently read a blog published on National Public Radio about the value of vacations. It provided a lot of statistics about the many benefits to our health that taking vacations offers. People who take vacations tend to make more money and have less stress and even live longer, healthier lives. Vacations are important. It’s been proven. So why do most Americans not take all of their earned vacation time? There are a number of reasons people give for leaving their vacation time on the table. Some, because they feel tethered to their jobs. Others, its simply because they just can’t afford it. But regardless of the reason, the value of a vacation remains the same. A change of scenery every so often can provide you the vacation from your every day life that might just make all the difference.

I’m never an advocate of spending money you don’t have so if you find that your budget is just too tight to spend a week at the beach or you cannot bear to be away from your office, then just “take a break”. We can all give ourselves a vacation from our lives by doing something different. In advance, plan out what you want to do. What do you enjoy doing but don’t often get the time for? Is there someone you haven’t seen in a long time that you would like to visit? Spend an entire day exploring that bike path you pass everyday on your way to work. If you can’t take ALL of your vacation time, take what you can and plan something for yourself.

You don’t need to travel far or spend a lot of time and money to glean the benefits that come with a vacation. By taking a departure from our everyday routine to do things that we enjoy, we are giving ourselves the vacation we deserve. And if you have employees that seem to never take a day off, encourage them to get away from their desk, even if its just for lunch hour. The smallest vacation can have enormous benefits to health and productivity.

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Things to never say at work

5/30/2013

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I recall a particular time when someone told me an important report was late because it “fell through the cracks”. I cringed at hearing that remark. That person was trusted to deliver projects on time and because of that one comment, their reputation for delivering was forever shaken. An honest, specific answer would have shown them to be a caring, trustworthy person who completely understood the magnitude of problems that come with submitting a late report. Reputations can rise and fall on some of the things people say in the workplace. Here is a list of phrases to avoid in the business world:

1. “With all due respect” – this usually means with no respect.

2.“ I can’t believe it (whatever the task was) wasn’t done either.” when “it” is something that is in your area of responsibility. Most likely, you should have done it or made sure it was done.

3.“That’s not my job” This phrase should only be used when a person actually does not possess the skill set required to perform a certain task and it is, in fact, clearly not their job. And even then, this phrase should be used sparingly.

4.“I don’t know” Reserve this for a time when you absolutely have no way of knowing something. Never use it when there is a chance that you should know the answer or can look it up. A better phrase to consider is “ Let me find out”.

5. “It fell through the cracks” What does this mean exactly? Which crack did it fall though and how do we know it won’t happen again?

6. “Are you sick? You look so tired” Studies have shown that saying this to someone reduces their productivity for the day because even if they don’t feel ill, they feel “off” because someone made the comment that they don’t look well.

7. “I’ve got your back” Why would anyone ever need to say this in an office environment? This makes people wonder what must be happening behind their back that would cause a co-worker to have to “ have their back”.

8. “This is how we did things in my last company” This statement is never really welcome unless it is going to provide information that will generate a significant boost in revenue and productivity. And in that situation, it should only be said to the company’s owner and never by a new boss to the staff. No matter how valuable the information is when the sentence leads off with “ This is how we did it….” People naturally tune out.

9. “That’s not fair” Work and life are not always fair.

10. “I’m bored” This is never music to a supervisors ears; it usually is interpreted to mean that there is a profound lack of creativity and initiative. It makes the person a walking target to be laid off when it’s time to cut costs in the company.

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I believe...

National Coming Out Day

Make your resume count

Can't afford a vacation? Take one away!

Things to never say at work

Anne Saile

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