Work place Advices

http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-2527-Workplace-Issues-5-ways-to-deal-with-passive-aggressive-colleagues/?SiteId=cbmsnhp42527&sc_extcmp=JS_2527_home1&gt1=23000

http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-2403-Workplace-Issues-A-Field-Guide-to-Co-workers/?SiteId=cbmsnhp42403&sc_extcmp=JS_2403_home1&gt1=23000

http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-2665-Workplace-Issues-10-commandments-for-cubicle-dwellers/?SiteId=cbmsnhp42665&sc_extcmp=JS_2665_home1&GT1=23000

Focus and refocus

Because of the possibility for constant interruptions, it's important to set priorities. "If you don't know your complete inventory of work and you can't instantly refocus on the next priority -- or your manager's emergency du jour -- you won't work well in a cubicle because there are too many interruptions," says Scot Herrick, founder of Cuberules.com.

How to Break the Rules at Work — And Still Succeed

http://www.bnet.com/blog/small-biz-advice/how-to-break-the-rules-at-work-8212-and-still-succeed/3182?promo=713&tag=nl.e713

Making your own rules is a privilege and not a right, a privilege only earned through hard work and sacrifice.  Making your own rules is always based primarily on creating benefits for the company.  The benefits you enjoy are a by-product, not the main driver.

5 Best Ways to Improve Workplace Culture

5 Best Ways to Improve Workplace Culture

If you’re reading this, chances are that your workplace culture is under par and needs drastic change. No matter how fun the work itself may be, it can be made miserable with a hostile environment. And no matter how boring or tedious the work may be, it can be made enjoyable with a positive environment. But real change can only take place when perspectives are changed, and it usually starts with the boss or the person in charge.A real boost in office morale starts from the top down and inside out. Take cues from these five powerful guidelines, ordered in degree of importance.

   

Office Morale Boosters in Degree of Importance

• Get into a giver mentality.

It’s an important trait and powerful tool that many superiors ignore. Giving doesn’t need to entail money; it means giving care, giving helpful knowledge, giving compliments where it’s due, giving your service to others. Essentially, giving is putting others first even if it appears like you might be losing some of your own benefits as a result.
When people feel like they are given care, appreciation, etc., they in turn want to give their best to the giver and in the end both benefit. It leads to a healthy work culture where everyone can be happy and points to the truth of “give and you shall receive.” The Go-Giver book is a Business Week and The Wall Street Journal bestseller that sweetly sums up what giving can do.

• Hold office meetings regularly.

Meetings help employees feel like a team and can help build relationships. The content of the meeting should include company updates and news. It should also be a time where workers have the freedom to voice their opinions and give constructive criticism. This gives them a sense of ownership and makes them feel important. Meeting regularly is not only a good office morale booster, but it also has the potential to improve the company with feedback and suggestions upper management may have not recognized or thought of.

• Set up a mini library.

A shelf full of useful resources including books and magazines relevant to the business can help stretch minds. It can include self-help and motivational books that can be checked out and borrowed by employees. A resource center can raise office morale by allowing them to share knowledge and engage each other with interesting conversations and discussions about the book that was read. If the office is small, a makeshift space can be made in the corners or even in the kitchen.

• Add some style to the office.

A drab office can lead to a drab mood. Hang up inspiring quotes, anything that will inspire workers. If budget allows, invest in renovating the office. You may consider painting the walls, but keep in mind that the colors you choose can have a dramatic effect on the office setting and mood. Choose colors and styles that match and portray the industry the company is in.

• 
  

• Lighten up the mood with food.

Food always lifts somber tones. Rather than drive straight to the office, stop by a bagel shop or bakery and bring some for the office staff. You can also do this midday when people are getting tired and hungry. When it’s least expected, it’s most appreciated. For birthdays and holidays, consider planning an office potluck.
Ultimately, employees thrive when their emotional and intellectual needs are met. This includes feeling challenged, being able to put skills to good use, being recognized and appreciated, and being trusted with responsibilities.

How to avoid workplace drama

On just about every reality TV show, from "The Bachelor" to "Jersey Shore" to "The Real Housewives" (pick a city -- any city), we hear the same thing: "I don't like drama."

But disdain for drama isn't limited to our favorite reality stars. It's also apparent in the workplace.

Bing: Don't get burned by office politics

Think about your colleagues for a second. Can you think of one who constantly gossips, sabotages information or makes snarky remarks followed by, "Just joking!" Maybe he says, "Everything is fine" -- but he says so with an attitude. These behaviors are only a few of the ways passive aggressiveness manifests itself at work. But why?

"The reason people are passive aggressive comes down to fear," says Frances Cole Jones, author of "The Wow Factor: The 33 Things You Must (and Must Not) Do to Guarantee Your Edge in Today's Business World." "Fear that they aren't qualified to do their job or that you might be outshining them or that there aren't enough raises and bonuses to go around."

Passive-aggressive people tend show hostile behaviors but try to do so in subtle ways, most likely because they don't want to endure conflict. More often than not, however, this type of behavior is easily identified, which can lead to consequences for the passive aggressor in theoffice.

"The passive-aggressive person may feel important for spreading the gossip or they seem competent for having the information  in hand. They get the cheap laugh, but the consequences will eventually arrive," Cole Jones says. "They will get a reputation as a gossip, a saboteur or a 'class clown.'"

Choosing not to participate in passive aggressiveness at work -- either by calling out a co-worker on his conduct or by not exhibiting such behavior yourself -- can also reap benefits.

"These people gain respect in the eyes of their colleagues and, most importantly, their behavior is noted by their C-level [executive] staff," she says. "They are reassured they have the potential to join their ranks."

If you have passive-aggressive colleagues, Cole Jones offers these five tips to help deal with their behavior:

1. Keep conversations factual

Try not to let feelings get in the way of the facts. "If a colleague is chronically late, for example, instead of saying, 'You always come in 15 minutes late,' try saying, 'The day begins at 9 a.m. I've noticed the last three days you have arrived at 9:15 a.m. Please arrive on time.'"

Some people think that co-workers who shed tears during reviews or other high-emotion situations are passive aggressive. "If you have a ''crier' in your office, be kind, but firm," Cole Jones suggests. Say, "Why don't you step outside and collect yourself and we will continue this then?"

2. Keep a paper trail

"Always BCC (blind copy) yourself on important e-mails and documents. Follow up any in-person meeting with an e-mail stating, 'This is what we discussed. These are my action steps and/or deadlines for moving forward. Please let me know if you have any questions or anticipate any problems.'"

3. Don't engage or encourage the behavior

"If the passive-aggressive offender makes an inappropriate or unfunny remark, rather than laughing it off, respond with, 'I don't understand what you're saying.' It's more than likely they won't have the temerity to repeat it," she says. "If someone tries to draw you in with gossip, say, smile and say, 'I'd rather not speculate.' Then remove yourself from the situation."

4. Don't allow others to hide behind technology

"If you feel the offending colleague is using e-mail or other technology to wage his war, send a note saying, 'I'd prefer to discuss this in person. What time works for you?'" she suggests. "You will be surprised how few people respond."

5. Don't be afraid to probe

Passive-aggressive types sometimes use "fine" in place of other choice expletives, she says.

"If you feel his 'fine' is taking the place of frustration or anger, probe a bit. 'I hear you saying "fine," but I have the sense there's some underlying frustration. Can I do anything more to help you understand the goal?'" Cole Jones says. "Notice you haven't said, 'I sense you are frustrated,' which can make them clamp down even more."

Bing: How to socialize successfully with your coworkers

7 Deadly Workplace Sins

You know the type.

The guy who takes full credit for a job well done -- ignoring any help he received along the way.

The "one-for-the-taking-and-focused-on-quick-ways-to-get-ahead" cougar lady.

The hot-headed jerk who jumps down your throat at any sign of question or disagreement concerning his latest project.

While most of us share a common goal of achievement and success in the workplace, we also know that there are ways to accomplish this ambition -- and ways to fall short.

"Success in the workplace doesn't happen 'on a wing and a prayer,' but rather by knowing what specific job promotion pitfalls to avoid in working toward that heavenly pot of career gold," says John McKee, business coach and author of "21 Ways Women in Management Shoot Themselves in the Foot."

To avoid becoming the once-respectable, often-humble guy who got a promotion but lost his wits (and gained an ego), follow McKee's advice on the seven deadly career sins to assure career advancement and move you on the path to paycheck promise land:

1. Pride

Despite any help they received along the way, time and again, people take full credit for their accomplishments in the office, thinking that personal success will fast-track their career.

The sin: "What often goes unrecognized is that people around, and especially below, the serially solo-successful resent the ego-centricity, and may actually begin to actively undermine that person's efforts in the future."
The salvation: "A dose of acknowledgment of and appreciation for one's peers and subordinates, so they may share in some of the glory, can go a long way to foster one's long-term success."

2. Envy

It's OK to acknowledge other's achievements, but lamenting "what should have been yours" can be destructive and adversely impact your own ability to focus on current job tasks, McKee says.

The sin: "Allowing yourself to be overly envious of others in the workplace can sabotage your self-esteem, which is one vital characteristic every successful business person shares."
The salvation: "Rather than being envious, let the accomplishments of others become motivational fuel for your fire in working toward your own successes."

3. Anger

Anger doesn't benefit anyone in the workplace -- it only damages your reputation, credibility and professionalism.

The sin: "Those prone to angry outbursts rarely get promoted; they are seen as being poor leaders who cannot inspire or motivate others."
The salvation: "It's fine to feel passionately about your job or a project at hand and to disagree with others, but learn how to channel those emotions into actions that will work to your benefit in the eyes of others -- especially your superiors -- rather than against it."

4. Greed

An employee's selfish desire for "more, sooner" is what motivates many workers. While these folks may do well in the moment, they won't be prepared to take things to the next level, McKee warns.

The sin: "Taking this notion to the extreme can and will be self-defeating as core values become misguided and life becomes unbalanced in the process."
The salvation: "The road to success requires a long-term approach in all aspects of one's job duties. Those laser-focused on quick, short-term gains may do well in the moment, but will be ill-prepared to take things to the next level."

5. Sloth

Indolence gets you nowhere in life -- especially in corporate America. Laziness in the workplace will have you sitting idle, watching others surpass you in success and authority.

The sin: "Simply put, complacency and laziness have no place whatsoever in the workplace -- especially for those with high aspirations. Expecting one's past achievements and successes to carry them forward in their long-term career is imprudent."
The salvation: "Treat every work day and every project as if your job, and your future at large, depends on it. It very well may."

6. Gluttony

Too much focus on only one facet of life, like work, is a recipe for overall failure. Make sure you're ready -- professionally and personally -- to take on new and bigger challenges, for which expectations are also bigger, McKee says.

The sin: "Many individuals move up the corporate ladder so fast that they actually end up failing as a consequence. More isn't always better -- especially if you're not ready for the challenge at hand."
The salvation: "Achieving career success also includes maintaining a life balance, and a misplaced professional desire can create a backlash both at home as well as amid peers for your perceived obsessiveness."

7. Lust

The old adage, "the grass is always greener" applies to the workplace as well. Spending your time focused on others' work achievements rather than working to further your own is a "sure-fire career killer," according to McKee.

The sin: "Spending an inordinate amount of time fixated on what you don't have rather than what you do will foster a bad attitude and negative overall demeanor."
The salvation: "One's overall 'presence' in the office plays a big part in who gets promoted and who doesn't. No matter how ambitious, it's prudent to be 'present' and make the most out of your current position at this moment in time."
Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.