In my last post, I wrote about how sometimes in the job world, you'll encounter someone that's hard to work with.
Here's a breakdown of the difficult type of people I've encountered in my work history.
1. The Useless Boss
-I've had a few bosses like this in the past. They are the ones that think since they get paid more money, that they can either delegate all their work to their subordinates or just not do anything period.
-How to deal: it's very hard and can be quit-worthy. If you refuse to do the work, you could be fired or written up for insubordination. The only tip I can provide is decide whether you like the job itself and whether it's worth battling with the useless boss. If not, start looking for something else because chances are, it'll never get better. The boss will keep being useless and won't get caught and you'll be miserable. If you like the job just not the boss, then try to find a way to deal with it and not make yourself completely bonkers. The way I've always dealt was to find a co-worker to vent to that feels the same way. Making fun of the boss or letting off steam with a trusted friend can make it somewhat bearable.
2. The Lazy Team Member
-We've all encountered it. Someone that is your equal that is just lazy or tries to do as little work as possible. Maybe you've tried to report it but it hasn't been addressed or you're too chicken to report it, but either way - this person is making your job more difficult. You have to pick up the slack and you're beyond stressed to the max.
-How to deal: Talk to the person about it. Chances are, he/she will appreciate you being up front and not tattling to the boss. Let him know that he's making your job tougher because you have to do extra work.
3. The Debby Downer
-The sky is falling. The company is going to lay us all off. The boss hates me. This person will find any and everything to complain about. This isn't a friendly co-worker that just uses you to vent to, this is a toxic individual. This person will ruin any faith and trust you have.
-How to deal: Avoid Debby at all costs. She will make you miserable about your job, about your life and about everything in general. If you can't avoid working with her, have someone positive in your life that can counteract everything Debby Downer just told you.
4. The Rude Superior
-This person is someone that's above you, but not necessarily your boss. He or she is just rude and unapproachable. He may believe that he's the only one fit for the job, may spend time ranting about the incompetence of people below him, or just be downright mean. This is the type of person I am currently dealing with.
-How to deal: Try not to take it personally because it's not you. If someone else was in your job position, he'd feel the same way.
Some jobs can be fun and you really love it (minus a few things, of course) while some can be absolutely miserable where you cry every morning as you get ready for work. Trust me, I've been in both places. What really affects the mood or the vibe of the job is the people. Most of the people I work with are fantastic and make my job worth doing, but we'll always find difficult people to work with along the way.
So blogosphere, what are the absolute worst types of people to have to work with?
Monday, February 25, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Working with Difficult People
I saw this image on Facebook this morning and I couldn't help but laugh:
Ever have one of those people you work with that have no people or soft skills? They just say something and you can't help but blankly stare at them and wonder what happened to their manners. In order to maintain a somewhat workable relationship, you have to find a way to refrain from wanting to put them in their place.
The individual that I'm currently struggling with is a superior in a sense, but I don't report directly to her. She sends rude emails to my teammates (although nothing has been directly said to me, it's been said to my colleagues) and is very passive aggressive in her behavior. I have started to dread having to deal with her.
I want to know blogosphere, how DO you deal with these types of people? Help a girl out!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Bringing It Back
"A lot has happened for me in the last year."
I always hate when bloggers write this. It's just some crappy excuse for not writing. Truthfully, I have no excuse. I'm on the computer every day for work--although as of late, I haven't had much time to browse the web at work. I've made time for other hobbies, so I decided I needed to make time for blogging again.
So, what made me want to start this blog last year anyway?
I was tired of being a 20-something working in a corporate environment, making stuff up as I went along. I hoped to help people with my blog and sadly, I don't think I achieved that. I got discouraged with the number of followers and how I didn't have enough. Sounds like life huh? We find a passion and then it's not perceived as something that's worth doing, so we give up. Lesson learned.
Recently my job has changed hours. It's been somewhat of a nightmare and somewhat of a blessing. Our hours are 6 AM to 3 AM -- basically we only close for 3 hours a day. The downside is that when I work the 6 AM shift, I have to be up by 4 to make it in time. The good part about it is when we work the late shift, we're able to work from home. I wanted to write today's post about tips for those that telecommute.
Tips for the Telecommuter or those that work from home
1. Turn a room or even a free corner into a home office. Since I live in a one bedroom apartment, I don't have the luxury of a free room, however I'm working on turning a part of the dining room into a nice work nook. That way, I have a space that I can have my computer, mouse, keyboard, etc set up in a quiet place.
-DON'T: Use working at home as an excuse to lay in bed. This is still your job and you need to remain productive. I don't know about you but if I lay in bed, I get sleepy. You want to remain alert and focused. Do it in a space that doesn't scream NAP TIME.
2. If you have kids, they should still go to day care or have someone come over to help you with them. When I worked at an insurance company a few years ago, they were converting to a work at home business. The only stipulation was that you needed to behave as you were in the office. That meant, your kids needed to stay at daycare. The 8 hours while you're working, your primary focus should be on the job. If your kids are older or are pretty dependent, you may be able to get away with keeping them at home. If you have a toddler or a baby that require a lot of attention, you may find you're not getting a lot of work done.
-DON'T: Make the job second fiddle. During work hours, you are an employee first.
3. Get dressed every day. I learned this one after two weeks of working from home and wearing the same pair of sweatpants and stained tee shirt. Sure, there may be the days where you don't feel like getting ready and that's absolutely a benefit of working from home. BUT to maintain some sort of normalcy and to act like you're still a part of society, change your clothes and shower once in awhile. Your spouse can thank me in advance for this one.
-DON'T: Become a shut in! Working from home is a great privilege, but you are still a person with family and friends. They still want to see your beautiful face once in awhile.
4. If you don't have a hobby or work out, consider taking it up. Being on the computer 8-10 hours a day for work, then shifting over the couch to watch TV for the rest of the night can get really depressing pretty fast. Consider finding something to get your body and mind active.
-DON'T: Become a couch potato. Just because you work from home doesn't mean you can't get outside and experience the fresh air once in awhile.
5. Work, work, work, work, work. My job is great because I do have some of the down-time where I can hurry up and vacuum or load the dishwasher-- luxuries that I wouldn't have if I was stuck in the office. Maybe some of you will have that freedom or maybe every minute of your time will be monitored. Either way, make work your primary focus. It's easy to get distracted when you're at home by the telephone or the TV. Don't take advantage of working from home.
-DON'T: Make work your last priority. Work IS the priority. If you get a chance to cook or get other things done while WFH, that is a benefit.
Does anyone else out there work from home? If so, what are your tips for new telecommuters like myself or what would you like to add to the list?
Thanks for bringing it back with me! I can't wait to add more in the next few weeks.
I always hate when bloggers write this. It's just some crappy excuse for not writing. Truthfully, I have no excuse. I'm on the computer every day for work--although as of late, I haven't had much time to browse the web at work. I've made time for other hobbies, so I decided I needed to make time for blogging again.
So, what made me want to start this blog last year anyway?
I was tired of being a 20-something working in a corporate environment, making stuff up as I went along. I hoped to help people with my blog and sadly, I don't think I achieved that. I got discouraged with the number of followers and how I didn't have enough. Sounds like life huh? We find a passion and then it's not perceived as something that's worth doing, so we give up. Lesson learned.
Recently my job has changed hours. It's been somewhat of a nightmare and somewhat of a blessing. Our hours are 6 AM to 3 AM -- basically we only close for 3 hours a day. The downside is that when I work the 6 AM shift, I have to be up by 4 to make it in time. The good part about it is when we work the late shift, we're able to work from home. I wanted to write today's post about tips for those that telecommute.
Tips for the Telecommuter or those that work from home
1. Turn a room or even a free corner into a home office. Since I live in a one bedroom apartment, I don't have the luxury of a free room, however I'm working on turning a part of the dining room into a nice work nook. That way, I have a space that I can have my computer, mouse, keyboard, etc set up in a quiet place.
-DON'T: Use working at home as an excuse to lay in bed. This is still your job and you need to remain productive. I don't know about you but if I lay in bed, I get sleepy. You want to remain alert and focused. Do it in a space that doesn't scream NAP TIME.
2. If you have kids, they should still go to day care or have someone come over to help you with them. When I worked at an insurance company a few years ago, they were converting to a work at home business. The only stipulation was that you needed to behave as you were in the office. That meant, your kids needed to stay at daycare. The 8 hours while you're working, your primary focus should be on the job. If your kids are older or are pretty dependent, you may be able to get away with keeping them at home. If you have a toddler or a baby that require a lot of attention, you may find you're not getting a lot of work done.
-DON'T: Make the job second fiddle. During work hours, you are an employee first.
3. Get dressed every day. I learned this one after two weeks of working from home and wearing the same pair of sweatpants and stained tee shirt. Sure, there may be the days where you don't feel like getting ready and that's absolutely a benefit of working from home. BUT to maintain some sort of normalcy and to act like you're still a part of society, change your clothes and shower once in awhile. Your spouse can thank me in advance for this one.
-DON'T: Become a shut in! Working from home is a great privilege, but you are still a person with family and friends. They still want to see your beautiful face once in awhile.
4. If you don't have a hobby or work out, consider taking it up. Being on the computer 8-10 hours a day for work, then shifting over the couch to watch TV for the rest of the night can get really depressing pretty fast. Consider finding something to get your body and mind active.
-DON'T: Become a couch potato. Just because you work from home doesn't mean you can't get outside and experience the fresh air once in awhile.
5. Work, work, work, work, work. My job is great because I do have some of the down-time where I can hurry up and vacuum or load the dishwasher-- luxuries that I wouldn't have if I was stuck in the office. Maybe some of you will have that freedom or maybe every minute of your time will be monitored. Either way, make work your primary focus. It's easy to get distracted when you're at home by the telephone or the TV. Don't take advantage of working from home.
-DON'T: Make work your last priority. Work IS the priority. If you get a chance to cook or get other things done while WFH, that is a benefit.
Does anyone else out there work from home? If so, what are your tips for new telecommuters like myself or what would you like to add to the list?
Thanks for bringing it back with me! I can't wait to add more in the next few weeks.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Week 1 Update
This is an update from my last post. (If you didn't read it, make sure to catch up to speed: http://sore--thumb.blogspot.com/2012/06/money-why-i-have-none-and-how-i-can.html)
It's been over a week into my journey (almost two actually.) To say it's been hard is an understatement. Every radio program, every TV show, every billboard is advertising some kind of fast food. Every email I open is a coupon or an advertisement for some kind of restaurant. It got me to thinking, why as a society are we so addicted to fast food? Is it that we're looking for something convenient and the fact that it's readily available or is the food itself in someway addicting? I think they put some kind of addictive additive in the food to keep us all coming back.
I started this personal challenge as a way to save money. I quoted that we spent over $500 on eating out in May. Today I've been trying to figure out more details about our spending and I found that including groceries, we spent almost $1,000 in groceries throughout the month of May. Maybe this sounds normal for a family that has children, but it's just me and my husband.
We are making a personal goal to cut our food spending down to $200 every 2 weeks (or $400 for the whole month.) Once we make that goal, we are going to try to cut our food bill down to $200 a month. Is this even possible? I'm not sure---but I'm going to try my hardest. My plan to tackle this goal is by couponing, meal planning, and also to make enough food that we can have leftovers. So far, we are at $209 that we've spent on groceries for the month. We have $191 to make it for the rest of the month.
Readers, what do you think? Can we do it? Stay tuned for another update soon!
It's been over a week into my journey (almost two actually.) To say it's been hard is an understatement. Every radio program, every TV show, every billboard is advertising some kind of fast food. Every email I open is a coupon or an advertisement for some kind of restaurant. It got me to thinking, why as a society are we so addicted to fast food? Is it that we're looking for something convenient and the fact that it's readily available or is the food itself in someway addicting? I think they put some kind of addictive additive in the food to keep us all coming back.
I started this personal challenge as a way to save money. I quoted that we spent over $500 on eating out in May. Today I've been trying to figure out more details about our spending and I found that including groceries, we spent almost $1,000 in groceries throughout the month of May. Maybe this sounds normal for a family that has children, but it's just me and my husband.
We are making a personal goal to cut our food spending down to $200 every 2 weeks (or $400 for the whole month.) Once we make that goal, we are going to try to cut our food bill down to $200 a month. Is this even possible? I'm not sure---but I'm going to try my hardest. My plan to tackle this goal is by couponing, meal planning, and also to make enough food that we can have leftovers. So far, we are at $209 that we've spent on groceries for the month. We have $191 to make it for the rest of the month.
Readers, what do you think? Can we do it? Stay tuned for another update soon!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Money: Why I Have None and How I Can Change It
My husband and I both make decent money. We're not rich by any means, but we shouldn't ever find ourselves running out of money. In fact, we've had the same fight too many times. "Honey, where did all of our money go?" Last night, we decided we're sick of having this same fight over and over again. We need to really sit down and analyze what's happening and where our money is going. We both commute an hour to work, so we spend a ridiculous chunk of change on gas and tolls. Unless either of us decides to quit our jobs and work closer to home, that's not going to be something we can cut out.
I'm almost embarrassed to say, when we sat down and analyzed our money, most of it goes to food. Since we both commute, we don't really ever feel like spending another hour cooking or preparing lunches during the week. I told my husband I bet we spend $200 a month on restaurants and eating out alone. Here comes the cringe worthy part. I totaled it up and found that in the month of May we spent $515 on eating out (this number doesn't include groceries.) That is an INSANE amount of money that included frequent Starbucks/Dunkin Donut runs, breakfast on the weekends, Subway/Chipotle/Jimmy Johns lunches, Chinese food takeout/pizza for dinner.
So I proposed this idea to my husband last night and it wasn't met with as much hesitation as I assumed it would. "Honey, how about we make a conscious decision to not eat out for the next 30 days? Do you think we could do that?" He immediately said he could do it (without cheating) and I said I think I could do it too (and only cheat once or twice.)
I woke up in a good mood today. My husband made us tuna sandwiches for lunch but he forgot to pack anything besides a sandwich, which is making me a little antsy thinking that I have to survive all day on just a sandwich. (Where's the chips and cookie I would get if this was a Subway order?) The first email of the day that I got was asking me if I wanted some Jamba Juice. Oh my--Jamba is my weakness...this is going to be harder than I thought.
Followers--give me some moral support here! Tell me something that you know you spend too much money on, how you deal with cooking meals in the midst of business or a time when you made a challenge for yourself.
I'm almost embarrassed to say, when we sat down and analyzed our money, most of it goes to food. Since we both commute, we don't really ever feel like spending another hour cooking or preparing lunches during the week. I told my husband I bet we spend $200 a month on restaurants and eating out alone. Here comes the cringe worthy part. I totaled it up and found that in the month of May we spent $515 on eating out (this number doesn't include groceries.) That is an INSANE amount of money that included frequent Starbucks/Dunkin Donut runs, breakfast on the weekends, Subway/Chipotle/Jimmy Johns lunches, Chinese food takeout/pizza for dinner.
So I proposed this idea to my husband last night and it wasn't met with as much hesitation as I assumed it would. "Honey, how about we make a conscious decision to not eat out for the next 30 days? Do you think we could do that?" He immediately said he could do it (without cheating) and I said I think I could do it too (and only cheat once or twice.)
I woke up in a good mood today. My husband made us tuna sandwiches for lunch but he forgot to pack anything besides a sandwich, which is making me a little antsy thinking that I have to survive all day on just a sandwich. (Where's the chips and cookie I would get if this was a Subway order?) The first email of the day that I got was asking me if I wanted some Jamba Juice. Oh my--Jamba is my weakness...this is going to be harder than I thought.
Followers--give me some moral support here! Tell me something that you know you spend too much money on, how you deal with cooking meals in the midst of business or a time when you made a challenge for yourself.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Do All You Can Do
I've been thinking about my career and where I want to be in a few years. I have my days where I get in a funk and wonder if it's time for a change of pace. I have been extremely involved with my volunteer work lately and wish I could do it full-time or find a (paid) job for the ASPCA. But, in the meantime, I know I'm in a good spot and I love the experience I'm getting at my job in the Social Media field.
All of this has got me thinking that unfortunately, no job is permanent anymore. A few years back, my friend and I had a conversation about how our jobs were 'steady' and we were the lucky ones to have such secure jobs. I kid you not--a few weeks later, we were jobless. That experience was definitely an eye-opener for me. Moral of the story: no job is permanent anymore. Don't ever stop bettering yourself and adding experience and job skills to your resume. You never know when you will have to pop that resume out again.
That being said, there are always factors our of our control that could leave us in a situation of unemployment: outsourcing (in my case), the company goes bankrupt, job elimination, etc BUT there are factors we can control. I have a few things that I've always tried to do to be all I can be and I'd love to hear other suggestions from you too.
Show up on time.
Doesn't sound like a hard concept, right? I've always been a punctual person, so showing up on time has been a relatively easy concept to master. If you're a perpetually late person, give yourself an extra 30-60 minutes in the morning to make it there.
Don't call off.
Another tip that sounds so simple, but I've been amazed over the years at co-workers that were really good workers that had crap work ethic. Sure, there are days I'd love to call off, stay home and cuddle with my dog or go to the beach, but the fact is: I have a job that I am committed to. If you start getting in the habit of calling off without a legitimate reason, you may start calling off too often and lose the dedication to your job. Unless you're sick or there's an emergency, just go to work.
*Try to* stay out of the office politics.
This one is the hardest for me. I've played the office politics game before and I can tell you, it gets you nowhere. You end up being labelled as such and no one takes you seriously or trusts you anymore. It's okay to have a few work friends that you vent to or tell things to, but be very careful who you trust at work.
Work hard. Get things done. Then do more.
I consider myself successful because I haven't done JUST what's required of me. (Side note, this makes me think of the scene in Office Space when Jennifer Anniston's character tells her boss that she only wears the required amount of flair and if he wants her to wear more flair, then he should ask her to wear more.) I always try to come up with new ideas to make our team better and ask for additional responsibilities when I can. This makes you look like an A+ employee that's trustworthy and a leader.
There you have it: my simple list of things you can do to be the best employee you can be. You may encounter situations where you end up jobless, but at least you can pride yourself in knowing that it was through no fault of your own.
All of this has got me thinking that unfortunately, no job is permanent anymore. A few years back, my friend and I had a conversation about how our jobs were 'steady' and we were the lucky ones to have such secure jobs. I kid you not--a few weeks later, we were jobless. That experience was definitely an eye-opener for me. Moral of the story: no job is permanent anymore. Don't ever stop bettering yourself and adding experience and job skills to your resume. You never know when you will have to pop that resume out again.
That being said, there are always factors our of our control that could leave us in a situation of unemployment: outsourcing (in my case), the company goes bankrupt, job elimination, etc BUT there are factors we can control. I have a few things that I've always tried to do to be all I can be and I'd love to hear other suggestions from you too.
Show up on time.
Doesn't sound like a hard concept, right? I've always been a punctual person, so showing up on time has been a relatively easy concept to master. If you're a perpetually late person, give yourself an extra 30-60 minutes in the morning to make it there.
Don't call off.
Another tip that sounds so simple, but I've been amazed over the years at co-workers that were really good workers that had crap work ethic. Sure, there are days I'd love to call off, stay home and cuddle with my dog or go to the beach, but the fact is: I have a job that I am committed to. If you start getting in the habit of calling off without a legitimate reason, you may start calling off too often and lose the dedication to your job. Unless you're sick or there's an emergency, just go to work.
*Try to* stay out of the office politics.
This one is the hardest for me. I've played the office politics game before and I can tell you, it gets you nowhere. You end up being labelled as such and no one takes you seriously or trusts you anymore. It's okay to have a few work friends that you vent to or tell things to, but be very careful who you trust at work.
Work hard. Get things done. Then do more.
I consider myself successful because I haven't done JUST what's required of me. (Side note, this makes me think of the scene in Office Space when Jennifer Anniston's character tells her boss that she only wears the required amount of flair and if he wants her to wear more flair, then he should ask her to wear more.) I always try to come up with new ideas to make our team better and ask for additional responsibilities when I can. This makes you look like an A+ employee that's trustworthy and a leader.
There you have it: my simple list of things you can do to be the best employee you can be. You may encounter situations where you end up jobless, but at least you can pride yourself in knowing that it was through no fault of your own.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Volunteering
Why hello out there! I am so sorry I have not posted in awhile. I have been feeling extremely discouraged lately and I know that's not who I want to be. A lot of things have happened in the last few months and I've really let it derail me from where I want to be in life. I feel like I'm getting everything back on track and so here I am.
I wanted to talk a little bit today about volunteering or working with a non-profit organization. We all have causes that we really believe in and want to fight for. We may not all agree on our causes, but that's what makes us all unique. I am really involved and passionate about animals. I have always loved animals but after I adopted my dog about 7 years ago, I found out that there are really cruel, heartless people out there that abuse the poor, defenseless pets. My little princess, Britney was kicked and beaten by her previous owners.
I found out about a Pit Bull rescue group in my area and while I've never owned a Pittie in my life, I know people that have and I've heard so much about the breed over the years. It makes me so upset to know that one breed has been labelled as being destructive and vicious animals. Does that bother anyone as much as it bothers me? It's like labeling a certain group of people.
I decided to start volunteering with It's a Pittie Rescue and I've been doing it for about two weeks. I thought by doing it, I would be making an impact in these abandoned dogs lives, but I never realized that I would be the one that would be impacted. The first day I went there, I was a little apprehensive. I would hand the dog a toy, but make sure my hand was nowhere near it JUST IN CASE. I never imagined that these dogs would be better behaved than my poodle. After a few times of visiting, I realized that these dogs just want someone to love so bad and are so grateful for the walks and the play time.
I think sometimes we get so involved with our own lives (myself included), that we forget there are organizations out there that just need you to give a few hours of your time for the greater good. I encourage my readers to do something for someone else this week. It could be for a cause you believe in or how about you offer to do something for a neighbor or an elderly relative? Even if you don't want to make a long-term commitment, even doing just one thing outside of your comfort zone will make a world of difference.
Tell me in the comments where you have volunteered in the past or where you plan to start volunteering. I'd love to hear from you guys and see what kind of causes we have represented.
I wanted to talk a little bit today about volunteering or working with a non-profit organization. We all have causes that we really believe in and want to fight for. We may not all agree on our causes, but that's what makes us all unique. I am really involved and passionate about animals. I have always loved animals but after I adopted my dog about 7 years ago, I found out that there are really cruel, heartless people out there that abuse the poor, defenseless pets. My little princess, Britney was kicked and beaten by her previous owners.
I found out about a Pit Bull rescue group in my area and while I've never owned a Pittie in my life, I know people that have and I've heard so much about the breed over the years. It makes me so upset to know that one breed has been labelled as being destructive and vicious animals. Does that bother anyone as much as it bothers me? It's like labeling a certain group of people.
I decided to start volunteering with It's a Pittie Rescue and I've been doing it for about two weeks. I thought by doing it, I would be making an impact in these abandoned dogs lives, but I never realized that I would be the one that would be impacted. The first day I went there, I was a little apprehensive. I would hand the dog a toy, but make sure my hand was nowhere near it JUST IN CASE. I never imagined that these dogs would be better behaved than my poodle. After a few times of visiting, I realized that these dogs just want someone to love so bad and are so grateful for the walks and the play time.
(Me and Annie after a long, exhausting walk)
I think sometimes we get so involved with our own lives (myself included), that we forget there are organizations out there that just need you to give a few hours of your time for the greater good. I encourage my readers to do something for someone else this week. It could be for a cause you believe in or how about you offer to do something for a neighbor or an elderly relative? Even if you don't want to make a long-term commitment, even doing just one thing outside of your comfort zone will make a world of difference.
Tell me in the comments where you have volunteered in the past or where you plan to start volunteering. I'd love to hear from you guys and see what kind of causes we have represented.
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