teamwork

10 Free Ways to Impress Your Boss

Paul Michael — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 08:30:14 +0000

Boss Appreciation Day just passed, but that doesn't mean you should wait until next October to show your boss how much you appreciate them. In fact, you can show someone how much they are valued on any day of the year, not just one specific holiday.

One of the best ways to show your boss your appreciation is by stepping up to the plate and being a good employee. You can do this at no cost other than a little of your time. And your boss will be pretty impressed with you along the way!

1. Educate yourself

A well-furnished mind is an asset to any company. Just because you left college years (or even decades) ago, there's no reason you shouldn't continue to improve yourself, your knowledge of the industry you work in, and life in general.

Start listening to free podcasts on the drive to and from work. Watch TED talks and read books or magazines about your industry. Attend business seminars that are paid for by your company. Further your education with courses available free from the library. Do whatever you can to soak up information, and make a point to share that knowledge casually in meetings and conversations.

If you make the boss look good, you look good to the boss. By becoming an impressive, knowledgeable employee, you help everyone, including yourself. (See also: 7 Certifications That Add Big $$ to Your Salary)

2. Ask for more responsibility

What can you do to take some of the burden of the boss's shoulders? Do you have skills that could come in handy and free up some of his or her time? If so, volunteer to help out.

Yes, you may find yourself busier, or even staying late on occasion. You may have to come in earlier to get everything done, or work through lunch. And you'll be doing it all for the same money.

However, that won't be the case forever. If you can become an essential part of your boss's daily routine, you will be valued. And when you're valued, promotions and raises often follow. Even if they don't, keeping the boss happy is a great way to ensure job security. (See also: 8 Ways to Improve Your Career, Get Ahead, and Become Upwardly Mobile)

3. Do some of those tasks everyone hates

You know the ones, because you don't like doing them, either. Making the coffee. Fixing a paper jam. Checking supplies and putting in orders for new stationery, pens, paper clips, and highlighters. Dealing with complaints. Whatever the cruddy jobs are in your workplace, take some of them on. Your boss is usually the one that must do it if no one else does. But if the boss sees that you're on top of those day-to-day humdrum activities, you'll earn some extra credit.

4. Keep everything clean and organized

Have you ever walked past someone's workspace and it looks like an explosion of papers, coffee cups, tissues, and empty food containers? What kind of message does that send? It doesn't matter if that employee happens to be the most productive one in the building (and just might be so busy there's never any time to tidy up) — it just makes that person appear sloppy and disorganized.

Do what you can to keep your work area as clean and organized as possible. It doesn't have to be stock photo perfect, but it should look like you're on top of everything. Get into the habit of giving your space a tidying up before leaving every night. Before long, it will be second nature.

5. Get there before the boss … and leave after them

Nothing says dedicated to the boss quite like beating him or her to the office. It doesn't have to be hours before, either. Simply arriving 10 minutes before they do is good enough (unless they're in the habit of arriving late for work every day).

Ideally, you should aim to get into work about 15–20 minutes before your actual start time. When it's time to leave, stay a little longer. Use that time to clean your space, as mentioned above, or do a few of those tasks that no one else likes to do. The extra effort will get noticed, and sometimes you can actually cut down the time of your commute by getting in early and leaving a little late.

6. Become a firm decision maker

The boss has a lot to deal with. So, when he or she comes to you with a question, the last thing they want to hear is a shaky, uncommitted, and infuriating "I could go either way" answer. Your answer should, in fact, be informed, assertive, and free of doubt.

Even if the boss disagrees with your opinion, it will be taken much better than a weak answer that commits you to no clear direction. People in charge usually get that position by being good decision makers, and you should start standing up for what you believe as soon as you can. A great boss will want to hear differing opinions, so never be afraid to politely go against the party line.

7. Go beyond your job description

No boss in the world is impressed by an employee that refuses to do something beyond their job description. "That's not really my job" is a phrase about as inspiring as "Man, this place sucks, I can't wait to leave."

If you have skills that go beyond your current position, by all means utilize them. Go above and beyond. And if you're asked to occasionally do something you consider "beneath you," take a moment to think if it really is. Will you be helping the boss by getting this done? Maybe you have to sit at reception and take calls for an hour. Perhaps you have to run to the supply store. Are these hardships, or are you showing just how helpful you can be?

8. Ask for honest feedback

There's a big difference between an official performance review and a one-on-one private conversation about you and your position. Set up a meeting every few months with your boss as a way to gauge his or her impression of the job you're doing. What can you do better? What are you doing well? How can you improve?

This is a great way to ease the pressure from someone who has a lot of employees to manage, and nip any potential issues in the bud. It also gives the boss an easy way to bring up concerns, rather than those awkward meetings they have to initiate if something is a problem.

9. Find ways to cut costs

Money is important to any business. Losing money is bad, making money is good, and whatever you can do to stem the former and boost the latter will be very much appreciated.

Start with your own department. Ask how things are done and what costs are associated with each process. For example, there's a famous money-saving story about a worker at a matchbox factory. He told the head of the company he could save them thousands of pounds every year with one simple suggestion — put sandpaper on only one side of the box.

Are there ways you can apply this thinking at your company? Do you see examples of waste that can be eliminated? Write up a report and tell your boss, then wait for the well-earned pat on the back.

10. Become a fountain of industry knowledge

Whatever business you're in, there's always breaking news about it. You could be in the air conditioning industry, selling cupcakes, or curing diseases. And these days, the internet offers a wealth of new information on everything imaginable.

Start following known industry leaders and innovators on social media. Subscribe to newsletters and industry magazines. Listen to podcasts. Then, make a note of the most interesting and relevant news and let your boss know about it. Maybe send a weekly news email to the department, and CC the boss. It is a fantastic way to show you're dedicated to your career and that you want to help the company succeed. The boss will love you for it.

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This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Become a Model Employee With This 10-Point Work Etiquette Checklist

Paul Michael — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 08:30:21 +0000

Every job is different. But one commonality is that every company, large or small, requires a certain type of etiquette. The finer points may vary vastly from business to business, but if you make yourself aware of the broader strokes, you will quickly go from being a good employee to the staff member everyone looks up to. Here are the 10 checkpoints that will make you a model employee.

1. Read the handbook

Most businesses have some kind of employee handbook or manual. It is something given to new employees to communicate key aspects about the company. Most handbooks will include:

An introduction to the company.
Company policies regarding dress code, benefits, expenses, education and training, confidentiality agreements, and outside employment.
Employment classification, including full-time, part time, and contract.
Attendance policies and holiday schedules.
Performance expectations.
Health and safety procedures.
Termination policies.

So, why is it important to know this information in as much detail as possible? Well for a start, it will stop you from asking questions that are already answered fully in the handbook. It will also give you plenty of information on how to conduct yourself at work and what the company expects of you as an employee. Become knowledgeable of the handbook, and let your boss know it. He or she will appreciate the effort, especially if it means you become a go-to person for the rest of the staff.

2. Stay away from water cooler gossip

Who doesn't love a juicy bit of salacious information, especially when it's whispered between friends about people you don't like? Well, what you do after hours is up to you, but at work, you should steer clear of any and all types of gossip and rumors.

Most of the time the information you're getting is not even close to being accurate. It's like a game of telephone, only this game can seriously hurt innocent people, and even lead to them being terminated for no good reason.

An old proverb sums up perfectly why you should stay out of this kind of talk: "What you don't see with your eyes, don't witness with your mouth." If you're thinking, "Ah, but I saw this happen and know that it's true," then remember that by spreading it, the information will get distorted and harmful, and will lead straight back to you. Just stay out of it. And if anyone says, "Hey, listen to what I just heard about the boss," politely decline and walk away.

3. Don't use the computer for online shopping and surfing

If a computer or digital device is part of your daily routine, don't make the mistake of using it for personal reasons for hours on end. Remember, from the minute you step through the door to the second you leave for the day, you're on company property. You're also on company time. You are being paid to do a job, and unless that specifically includes online shopping, web surfing, and chatting over instant messenger, you should avoid the temptation to indulge.

Now, every employer knows that if you have 9-to-5 access to a computer, you are going to use the internet now and then. Maybe it's to book concert tickets when they go on sale that day, or you need to make a doctor's appointment. Small, discreet, and quick personal computer use is perfectly acceptable. But if you abuse that privilege, and spend hours browsing sites, shopping online, and watching Netflix, you are just asking for trouble.

4. Keep personal calls, texts, and emails to a minimum

Following on from inappropriate computer use is the abuse of your phone and email. These days, both of them are nicely packaged on a smartphone, and they're about as addictive as any drug out there.

It's perfectly appropriate to take important calls at work, and most employers would expect you to do so. It's also fine to send an urgent text or email, especially if it's a family emergency or medical problem. But chit-chatting with your partner, texting your buddies, and firing off email after email is just not fair to the company you're working for.

So, be mindful and imagine your cellphone as an old-fashioned pay phone. How badly would you have needed to make a call if it meant running outside and throwing quarters into a public phone? Unless it's urgent, leave it until your break or lunch hour.

5. Become a better team player

It's a cliché phrase to say the least — "Be a team player." We've all heard it, from the corporate board rooms to the warehouse floors. But what does it actually mean?

For starters, it means improving your communication skills. Make it a point to listen, take notes, and let your team members know that you heard them. Give constructive criticism, and ask for it in return. Offer your assistance when you see people struggling or overloaded. Ask to lead projects. And above all, make it a point to be inclusive on projects. That means getting equal help from everyone involved in the project, not just those with the loudest voices or pushy personalities. Some people are naturally more submissive and can hide in the background. By including them, you can get some valuable insights from smart people who may otherwise be overlooked.

6. Work on your EQ

We hear about the importance of a high IQ all the time, but what about your EQ? This is your emotional intelligence, and it is just as valuable at work.

Perhaps the biggest part of your EQ is your ability to empathize with people you work with on a daily basis. It's easy to dismiss some people as instantly unlikable, but do you know what's going on with them? They may have problems at home, medical issues, and stresses you could never understand. If you know a little more about them, you can empathize more and ease tensions in the office. (See also: This One Skill Can Make You a Better Boss)

7. Leave your personal life at the door

You may have heard the expression, "Hang your troubles on the trouble tree before you go home," or some variation of it. Basically, don't bring all those work problems home to your family. Well, it goes both ways.

You may have a lot of things stressing you out at home, but you should do your best to keep them separate from your work life. You're being asked to do a job, and it's highly unlikely that your job will be improved by bringing personal issues into the office. If you really need to talk things over with someone, find a good therapist. (See also: How to Keep a Personal Problem From Hurting Your Career)

8. Manage your time well

Good time management is highly prized in every company, since time is a precious resource. Brush up on these skills and use them to your advantage.

Don't go to every single meeting you're invited to. Instead, ask what the meeting is about and if your presence is required. If not, spend the time working on something else. Utilize tools to plan your day, like calendar software and apps. Learn how long a project should take and stick to it; don't rush some projects because you spent too long on others. Your time is money, and should be handled with the same kind of care.

9. Don't expose problems without providing solutions

Another cliché that you've heard in movies and TV shows — "Don't bring me problems, bring me solutions!" The thing is, it's spot on. If you spot major issues or faults with anything at work, it's obviously correct to bring it up. However, by simply saying something like, "These status meetings we have are unproductive," you're coming across as a complainer. Instead, you could say, "I've noticed these status meetings are not very productive so I have these ideas on how to make them more useful." You're still pointing out an issue, but the delivery is so much more positive.

10. Learn what other staff members do

You will become a much better employee if you learn to utilize the talents of other people in your department and the company. The first step is to figure out what everyone does, what their titles mean, and what they excel at. It's just like being on a sports team: If you know what each player's strength is, you take advantage of it.

If you're in marketing and you know John is excellent at pulling together data and extrapolating useful information, bring him into the project. If you work in an auto repair shop and know that Jane is excellent at working on old muscle car engines, put her on the Ford Shelby. The more you know, the better of an employee you become.

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This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

8 Ways Your Customer Service Job Can Help You Win at Life

Sarah Winfrey — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 09:00:09 +0000

Maybe you'd hoped for a different job by this point in your life, but here you are, still waiting tables, and it feels like you will never move up in the world.

But here's the good news: While serving people may not be what you want to do forever, you will learn some important lessons along the way. These will not only make you a better person, but are also likely to make you more successful later in life.

1. You learn to be polite to everyone

When you're serving people, you have to be polite, even when they aren't polite to you. Customers can do and say some horrible things, but you still have to smile and do your best to get them what they want. Sure, it's frustrating at the time, but these are skills that you need to learn. There are, unfortunately, rude people in every walk and station of life, and learning how to deal with them will make you happier and less likely to lose your cool later, when it could matter more.

2. You learn to prioritize

When the restaurant rush is on and you're slammed, you have to figure out how to be as efficient as possible. Instead of running to the kitchen seven separate times, you learn to do things in batches. Instead of bringing all of the condiments individually, you learn to grab them all at once. Working in the service industry, especially during busy times, helps you decide quickly what is important, what can wait, and which tasks best go together.

No matter what you do later in life, these skills will help you do it better. They will make you a more productive employee, whether you are deciding which arguments are the most important in legal cases, or triaging injuries in an emergency room.

3. You learn which battles are worth fighting

At some point in your service industry job, people are probably going to treat you poorly. While these can be miserable experiences in the moment, they can help you learn when you need to stand up for yourself and when it's better to just smile, nod, and be on your way. This will help you to be a calmer person, and also to be more confident about when you should take a stand.

4. You learn to embrace pressure

Service industry jobs come with a lot of pressure, especially when it's busy and people are putting in complicated orders or making very specific requests. If you stay long enough, you will learn to thrive under this kind of pressure. You will become someone who is unruffled, even when things get hectic, and someone who can be relied upon even when life is challenging.

And life is challenging. So learning how to function well, how to control your stress reactions, and how to be kind and polite even when the heat is on will serve you throughout life. It will make you the kind of person who doesn't melt down simply because things got hard for a little while.

5. You learn empathy

I have found it to be universally true that everyone you meet is fighting a battle of some sort. When you work in the service industry, you will eventually learn this. That customer who reordered her food five times just found out she has a severe allergy and is terrified of eating something that will make her sick. The child who screams for the entire dinner just got out of the hospital. The harried parent is involved in a messy divorce.

As you work, you will hear people's stories and sometimes they will involve hard, awful things. Hearing these, and seeing how so much of our bad behavior comes from stress and pain, will teach you empathy. It will help you see things from a different perspective, which makes you a better person overall.

6. You learn humility

You are more than your job. But while you're at work, you still have to do that job. And service industry jobs are not about you, but about whatever product you are offering, and about the people you are offering it to. Service industry jobs teach you to step outside of yourself and be about something else for a little while.

Anyone who can step outside of themselves for a job can also do it for their spouse, their children, or for another job that means more to them. While you should never sacrifice yourself long term, being able to do it for a period of time means that you understand that it's not all about you all the time, and you can let life — even your life — be about someone or something else in certain times and under certain circumstances.

7. You learn the importance of manners

It only takes someone being rude to you once or twice for you to learn the importance of good manners. Even the difference between an order given gruffly and one with a "please" will astound you. As you take these lessons to heart, you will learn to use your own manners, no matter the circumstances. Being rude never makes things better.

8. You learn to work with people you don't like

You will be on a team throughout life. Even in your home, as you marry and maybe have children, you will be part of a team. Sometimes, you won't like the other people on your team (even when that person is your spouse!). But you will still have to work with them. A service industry job can help you learn how to do that.

There will most likely be people you don't like at work. But learning how to communicate with them, and how to break up the necessary workload with them, will help you succeed later in life, when working as a team may be even more important.

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This article is from Sarah Winfrey of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

8 Money Lessons We Can Learn From Baseball

Tim Lemke — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 09:01:03 +0000

We're deep into baseball's postseason, and we'll soon be left to fend for ourselves in the long, cold winter. But even in the offseason, the National Pastime can teach us many good lessons, like, the value of working as a team, and how even the best people can fail more often than not.

Baseball can teach us about money, too. When you examine the game, you can come away with some lessons that will help you manage your spending and your investments.

Consider these truths about the game we love.

1. It's a Long Season

Do you get upset when your baseball team loses a game or two? Do you have trouble with the ups and downs of the season? When you're a fan of team, it's easy to forget that there are a lot of games to be played, and the only thing that matters is where you finish.

Your investing approach should reflect a similar reality. Don't get emotional about a stock price being down on any individual day. Like a baseball team, the stock market can slump, but often rebounds. Keep your eyes on your long-term financial goals, and eventually you'll be popping Champagne just like a team that won the title.

2. Homers Are Great, But So Are Singles and Doubles

In baseball, you'd love to have a team that hits a lot of home runs. But you might be just as successful if you have a team that just gets on base and knocks in runs one by one. This is true when it comes to investing. While we'd all like to see that single stock that explodes and makes us rich, the reality is that most of your success will come from small, incremental gains that compound over time.

3. Protect Your Lead

Every good baseball team has a "closer," or a pitcher who comes in late in the game to get the final outs. When investing, it's also smart to have a plan for protecting your investments when you approach retirement age. As you get older, it's wise to move away from growth stocks and other more volatile investments, and move toward bonds, stable dividend stocks, and cash. This way, your retirement fund will be protected even if there is a big downturn in the stock market.

4. It's Okay to Take a Risk

Sometimes in baseball, you need to try and run for home even though you might be tagged out. If you play too conservatively, you may not win. This is also true for investing. A young person who is investing for the long term will never get rich if they have a conservative portfolio. Most financial advisers recommend investing in mostly stocks when you're young, because the risk is usually outweighed by the potential for higher returns. Sure, you'll get burned sometimes. But more often than not, you'll come out ahead.

5. It's Simpler Than You Think

Baseball has a thick rule book, and it's not easy to master. But at it's core, it's pretty easy to understand. Throw the ball. Hit the ball. Catch the ball. And try to score more than your opponent. Money management and investing are simple things, too, even though they can seem intimidating. Spend less than you earn. Invest as much as you can, in things that mirror the overall performance of the stock market. Get the basics right, and you'll do fine.

6. Think Globally

Baseball may be an American sport, but it's an international game. It's played around the world, from the tropical ball fields of the Caribbean to busy cities like Tokyo. And Major League Baseball teams know that they need to look globally to find the very best talent. Your approach to money and investing should also take on an international approach. Consider investing in emerging markets that offer strong potential for growth. Take a look at currency trading, or even international commodities. There is money to be made if you look outside the United States to build your investment portfolio.

7. Limit Your Mistakes

No one's perfect, either in baseball or with their money. But frequent errors can mean the difference between winning and losing. In baseball, fielders want to catch the ball and throw it accurately. Batters want to avoid swinging at bad pitches. Pitchers want to avoid walking in the winning run.

Your finances are just as vulnerable to being hurt by mistakes. Don't buy things you can't afford. Don't invest in things you don't understand. Don't raid retirement funds without understanding the consequences. There are many things you can do wrong to send your financial planning off the rails. With baseball and with your money, it's important to play smart.

8. Look for Value

The best-selling book Moneyball by Michael Lewis outlined how the Oakland Athletics were able to field competitive teams despite having a lower payroll than most competitors. The book's core message was that the A's had developed ways to find players that were undervalued by the rest of the league. This desire to find "value" is a key part of money management. When looking to buy something, remember that expensive items aren't always the best. Look for a good combination of quality and price. When looking to purchase stocks, seek out companies that may be undervalued by the marketplace.

This article is from Tim Lemke of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How to Put Your Spouse on a Budget Without Ruining Your Marriage

Ashley Eneriz — Tue, 09 Aug 2016 09:00:09 +0000

The quickest way to sour a marriage is to nag your spouse about money and try to control every cent they spend. However, keeping mum about your finances can lead you and your spouse into a lot of debt or overall poor finances. Here are ways to get your spouse on a budget, without ruining your marriage.

Counseling Is Okay!

Many couples make the mistake in thinking that marriage counseling is only for marriages that are in trouble. However, counseling can be a helpful tool even when your marriage is healthy. Having a mediator help you navigate financial woes can even be desirable, so that both you and your spouse feel like they are heard.

To seek out counseling for your finances within marriage, you can talk with a financial adviser that has your best interest in mind, a marriage and family therapist, a pastor, or even an older couple who you consider wise and financially stable. It might seem embarrassing to reach out for help, but it could be the wisest step to keeping your marriage and finances strong.

Set Up Budget Dates

Just as you would set up regular date nights, set up monthly budget dates. Treat your spouse to their favorite coffee drink and discuss the numbers for the month, as well as goals for the next month.

Budget dates should not be a time where you point the finger. It should be a time for mutual discussion and growth. Depending on which financial area your spouse is in charge of, ask for their feedback. For example, if your spouse does the grocery shopping, did they feel like they had enough money that month or was it too tight? If your spouse is requesting more money for the grocery budget, you can decide together what to cut to accommodate.

Sometimes it is a good idea to invite your children to these meetings, especially if they are older than 10. Kids need to see the "why" behind the reasons they can't go to camp all summer long or get everything they want. Also, allowing your kids see and experience how you budget successfully only sets them up for budgeting success later on.

Find What Inspires Them

Sometimes it can be hard to scrimp and sacrifice just for the sake of saving money. We all need a purpose to have the motivation to work at something. Whether it's for the dream vacation or just finally being able to live debt-free, find the goals that both of you want to achieve and set the budget that will make it happen. Show that if you both tighten up your spending and stay the course, the reward will be waiting at the finish line.

Keep Things Fun

Find ways to lighten things up and make staying on budget fun, so it doesn't get tedious or simply boring. You don't have to wait until you've saved enough for the dream vacation to enjoy a reward for your hard work. Add milestones along the way that allow the two of you to celebrate. Turn it into a game to see who can find the best deals or other challenges that keep both of you interested. Don't forget about creative ways to make extra money, too. Perhaps you two can do something together that will earn extra cash.

Practical Tips to Get Your Spouse on a Budget

So far, the marriage budgeting tips have been about the mentality behind savings. Once you get your spouse on board with your budget, then use these practical tips to stay successful.

Budget for you and your spouse to have "mad money" each month. This can be $25 or $500, depending on your budget. However, this money can be spent however your spouse wants. This allows both of you to spend on yourselves without guilt.
Use an easy-to-use budgeting app that connects to your accounts and syncs with each of your phones. Encourage your spouse to look at it and track spending daily.
Have savings taken out automatically. If you wait until the end of the month to put money into savings, you might find you end up short each month. Make savings a priority or take advantage of debit cards that round up purchases and deposit the extra into your savings account.
Stop using credit cards if they are too hard to control. Taking them away for a few months can help you get back on track.

Separate Accounts

Separate accounts can be useful for managing expenses and ensuring there's no opportunity to overdraw for a budget. If you split the financial responsibilities of a household, it makes sense to manage your own accounts for your assigned budgets. Just make sure there's accountability and transparency.

Marriage is hard, and budgeting is just as difficult. Put them both together, and you could have a recipe for disaster. It's important to be open and honest so that you don't end up in a financial disaster.

How do you and your spouse stay on a budget?

This article is from Ashley Eneriz of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

10 Ways to Act Like a Leader -- And Get Ahead at Work

Marla Walters — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 09:00:03 +0000

I have worked for organizations with as few as four employees, and others with as many as a couple of thousand. In each of those companies, employees who were good "team players" were valued and rose quickly into leadership roles. If you want to move ahead in your workplace, here are 10 ways to become a better team player.

1. Get to Know Your Team

You may not think this is job #1, but it's really important. In order to accomplish your company's directives, it is helpful to better know and understand your coworkers. For example, employee "A" may love all things data-driven, but "B" might excel in social media and marketing, and hate crunching numbers. Meanwhile, "C" might be the organizer of the group, who will keep everyone on track. If you don't already know your team, you might ask them to take an interpersonal self-assessment such as Social Style. If you are out to accomplish a common goal, understanding personalities is very helpful.

2. Share a Vision

What is it that you are all trying to accomplish? Has management shared its mission? A good team leader will map out and share goals and a timeline. Communicate! Weekly huddles, monthly meetings, emails, and texts keep the flow of information going. Be patient and do your best to be friendly. Keeping a positive outlook and sharing your enthusiasm will keep your team moving in the same direction.

3. Be Ready to Pitch In

This is one of my favorite "teamwork" quotes: "Sympathizers are spectators; empathizers wear game shoes." — John Eyberg

If you aren't pitching in on a project, this is going to be noted by your team, and it will result in gossip, resentment, and a "Why should I?" attitude. You will lose respect. So what if you're the big cheese? Get your hands dirty. File, copy, crunch numbers, make phone calls — whatever it takes.

4. Motivate the Team

If you are the team's leader, or eventually want to be that person, you need to motivate the team. What you need to do is to figure out what motivates your team members. Don't you have your own "carrots?" To motivate, you need to get to know them. Personally, I would rather have a bonus than a pizza party. Some team members will love being recognized at a meeting, but shy ones will be embarrassed. The point is, one size does not fit all. A strong team player knows their team, and knows what motivates them.

5. Take the Initiative

Somebody has to do it: Whether the project is cleaning out the office refrigerator, auditing the I-9's, changing the toner, or working on Saturday, there are going to be those take-one-for-the-team projects. Once in a while, that person needs to be you. Put your hand up. Everyone will be grateful.

6. Say Thanks

Don't just say it during reviews, or when something gets done. Unexpected thank-yous are a great morale-booster. Writing someone a heartfelt note is very meaningful. Pick up Starbucks coffees, grab McBreakfast for everyone, or thank your team publicly in a staff meeting. Say it, write it, or find creative ways to show that gratitude.

7. Make it FUN

By fun, I don't mean "Let's go outside for team-building and build a team pyramid!" I personally abhor team-building exercises, both physical and mental (remember the stranded plane exercise of the '80s?). Most people like potlucks, office "pools," or silly games in the breakroom. You might join together on a food drive, or a fundraising walk to better the community. Several departments in my workplace have special t-shirts they wear on casual Fridays. Mix it up — while some will love Zumba in the conference room, others would rather do a craft.

8. Help Each Other

Isn't helping each other a huge part of teamwork? I really like knowing I can go to certain team members for IT assistance, navigating new software, or ordering a particular office supply. Everyone has their area of expertise and your work life is greatly simplified by knowing who can help you. Be the person that people can go to. Are you approachable and helpful? If not, then get to it.

9. Brainstorm

Stuck on a problem? Get together with the team, a lot of paper, and start throwing out possible solutions. The trick with this is to make sure everyone's voice is heard. A good leader will ask the quiet staff members, if they have not contributed, for their input. Be respectful of everyone's ideas. Type them up, prioritize, and move ahead.

10. Reward!

Most companies, no matter their size, have some sort of recognition. Some offer bonuses; many larger ones throw ceremonies. If your team member, or entire team, has done great work, make sure that information gets in front of management. Successes need to be celebrated. Everyone wants their efforts to be recognized and praised.

How does your company promote and inspire teamwork?

This article is from Marla Walters of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How to Delegate at Work and at Home in 4 Easy Steps

Tue, 27 Aug 2013 09:36:52 +0000

You know you could delegate, and you know you should delegate. You agree that the ability to delegate effectively determines your ability to accomplish more — at home and at work — but how do you let go? How do you trust others to accomplish the tasks you assign? And how do you manage it all without actually creating more work for yourself? (See also: How to Clean Your House in One Day)

If you want to manage time, resources, and people in a way that frees you up to focus on things that are truly important for your professional success or personal fulfillment, you need to delegate. Why not start delegating right now? Here's how.

Step 1: Choose the Right Resources

Find people who can do the tasks just as well as you could, or if you're a perfectionist, maybe not quite as well. (Thinking household chores and family members here. So what if the laundry isn't folded just right? It's done.) Think like a celebrity to come up with ways to outsource daily tasks. Would Beyonce really pick up her own dry cleaning? Pay the delivery fee and transfer that task to someone else's calendar. Or hire a college kid or work-at-home mom to run errands. They need the cash, and you need the time. Be picky at work. Ask your boss for the help of someone in particular instead of whoever happens to have free time. (See also: 25 Things to Never Pay Full Price For)

Step 2: Delegate the Right Things

Never delegate responsibilities just because you don't want to do them. That's not efficient; it's just rude and fosters resentment. Delegate the tasks that free up your time for the things that you alone are uniquely qualified to do, or that directly contribute to your Big Plans.

Leverage technology, especially when organizing a lot of people. Staffing the community food pantry, running the school book fair, or heading up the charity race? Keep your eyes on big picture planning and let others choose to contribute the way they want with VolunteerSpot, a free sign-up tool that anyone can access 24/7 from any smart phone or computer.

Step 3: Communicate Standards

Let people know why you think they're great for the job. Compliment their talents and the potential you see in them to really rock the task and then take the time to provide clear guidance. Don't expect others to have the same depth of understanding for what is required for a particular task. That big project you've been conceiving and nurturing for months is just another to-do for the new intern. You might be surprised to out how many steps really go into something you have been doing for a long time. Besides, when you force yourself to really explain something to someone else, you can gain valuable insights about how to do things better. (Se also: The Power of Mentorship)

Step 4: Let It Go, and Reinforce the Positive

The only thing worse than never delegating is micro-managing. Once you delegate a responsibility, you need to trust that it will get done satisfactorily. Allow freedom for how to arrive at the end result. While you may have an idea about the best way to accomplish a task, the person you're delegating to may have a better idea. Good leaders understand they have a lot to learn from their subordinates.

Whenever you delegate, there is going to be a learning curve. You have to accept that things aren't going to go smoothly every time. But more often they will, and when they do, share in the rewards and give credit to those who helped you accomplish your goals. Praise them for a job well done and they will want to do it again.

Delegating — it's not so hard when you break it down. And once you get the hang of it, you're going to want to delegate more and more.

What are some things you delegate, and what is your best advice for getting started?

This is a guest post by Lela Davidson, the author of "Blacklisted From the PTA" and "Who Peed on My Yoga Mat?" and a proud member of Team VolunteerSpot. VolunteerSpot's free volunteer scheduling software lets organizers quickly set up volunteer needs in an online calendar and invite volunteers to sign up from their computer or smartphone. Learn more at their website.

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This article is from of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

5 Ways to Improve Your Creativity Today

James Clear — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 01:12:01 +0000

Link:

http://www.openforum.com/articles/5-ways-to-improve-your-creativity-today

One of the greatest skills that a business person can have is the ability to be creative.

It's common to think that creativity is only something that "artsy" people need, but the need to be creative extends far beyond an art studio. Creativity is about solving problems, whether they be artistic, mathematical, or anything in between. And that is precisely why creativity is such a useful tool in business.

But what if you're not creative? Do you have to be born with the creative gene? Not exactly. In fact, these fives suggestions should help anyone improve their creativity today.

1. Approach Creativity Like a Professional

Usually, when business people want to improve a skill—like public speaking, for example—they practice it. Guess what? Creativity is no different.

They only way to become more creative is to practice being creative. Throw out suggestions in team meetings. Draw up a diagram or a flow chart that show the different possibilities. Try to think of a solution that no one else has thought of yet—even if it's bad. Stretch yourself.

By taking these actions, you're giving your brain a chance to train itself to see other options and find creative solutions.

2. Limit the Possibilities

Sometimes, we when try to "think outside the box" or "imagine every possibility" we can overwhelm ourselves with options. It's like we're standing in an open field and the answer could be in any direction. Without any sense of where to go, we often end up staying put and making no progress at all.

Instead, give yourself some boundaries. For example, telling an engineer to "build a bridge" is very different from her to "build a bridge out of steel." You can develop creative solutions for either problem, but the limitation gives the engineer a place to start, which is the most critical part of any creative problem solving session.

3. Partner with Someone

Creative solutions often arise from a string of ideas. One thought leads to the next, which leads to the next, and so on until the final solution is discovered. Any easy way to string more thoughts together, and thus improve the creativity of your solutions, is to partner with someone. Talk through a problem. Brainstorm with each other. Build upon one another's ideas.

As a bonus? Partner teams are found to be among the most effective because they hold each other accountable. If you're working with someone, you're less likely to get distracted than if you were working alone, yet the group is still small enough to be flexible.

4. Don't Make Creative Comparisons

Here is a common reason we don't attack creative problems: we look at previous solutions, either our own or someone else's, and we think, "I can't come up with something that good" or "I don't have time to do this as well as I did before." The result is that we quit before we ever get started.

Comparisons are useless. Every situation is different and each problem is unique. Disregard the past, focus on where you are now, and solve today's problem to the best of your ability.

5. Stop Making Excuses and Get to Work

The primary thing holding people back from creative problem solving is simple: procrastination. Usually, we know the problems that we need to solve. We know the tasks that demand our attention. We know what the most important thing is that we need to do. But if it involves serious thought or effort, then we often find a way to avoid it.

Smart people can make excuses all day long. Don't be a victim of your own ability to come up with a reason for not doing important work. Creativity will come if you give it a chance. Stop avoiding it and do the work.

This article is from James Clear of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Cultivating Teamwork Excellence

Julie Rains — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 13:20:51 +0000

Link:

http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/managing/article/cultivating-teamwork-e...

Remember when you built and played on a team (or guild, or clan) as a child? Your efforts then may have been better orchestrated than the typical processes now among your workplace teams. The juxtaposition of childlike effectiveness and uninspired business teamwork was manifested to me in a friendly competition last fall.

The scenario was a team-tent decorating contest at a weekend bicycle tour (my area’s Bike MS event, one of many nationwide benefiting clinical research and providing assistance to those with Multiple Sclerosis). Tour rides started and ended in an exposition area where sponsors, vendors, and partners supplied food, beverages, sports massages, entertainment, and more. One area was designated for teams, most of which fell under the classification of “Friends and Family” or “Corporation.” These teams installed event-style tents and decorated their respective spaces with the theme of “superheroes.”

My friends-and-family team (comprised of not-so-serious but accomplished professionals in education, medicine, technology, etc.) designed and constructed its rendition of what would later be recognized as an award-winning Batman’s Batcave, complete with “Ka Pow” signage and a control center with flashing lights. We were enjoying each other’s company as our next-door neighbors, a corporate team, arrived to decorate their space. For much of the day, a pile of what seemed to be rubble laid next to the tent, awaiting its transformation.

It was then that I noted the contrast between excellent and average teamwork, between efforts that capitalize on enthusiastic participation and playfulness versus activities driven by obligation and protocol. This experience and similar ones have helped me to articulate ways to cultivate teamwork excellence:

Create Awareness of Needs

Simply letting people know of a need isn’t enough to actually fulfill the need, but creating awareness is the first step. Certainly, there may be times that a call for assistance (or leadership) will be answered quickly. Very often, though, communicating the need lays the foundation for subsequent discussions and team member involvement.

A first communication can be delivered via email, Facebook update, or whatever digital or traditional form is accepted among your team members or potential teammates. Reaching everyone among your circle of friends, colleagues, or employees is a priority so that no one, even those who rarely show an interest, will feel left out. Giving all an equal opportunity to accept or reject a call for service is essential.

Follow-up communications can best be handled through face-to-face discussions. These conversations can allow in-depth explanations regarding expectations, scope, and vision. Share past or similar experiences with teams, relate current needs to possible situations that the prospective leader or team member may have encountered, and answer questions.

Set Goals

Establishing baseline goals is useful in getting the team and its leadership to feel comfortable in taking on a project. My experiences have been that the leader either struggles in the teambuilding process as a newbie and finds comfort with relatively low expectations or has a grander vision and achieves outcomes much better than you would have ever imagined. Realize that high-performing teams tend to be those comprised of people with the desire to excel plus domain knowledge.

Embrace Those with the Desire to Contribute (and Appropriate Skill Sets)

Identify the specific skills needed to be successful and emphasize these skills when you recruit, welcome, and involve people. People are naturally attracted to opportunities that showcase their strengths, and many want the chance to hone their capabilities and earn recognition.

Anyone with the desire to contribute should be embraced. Channeling efforts to tasks aligned with team members’ skills can be tricky and should be handled diplomatically. By engaging people in thoughtful conversations about needs, rather than aggressively (and manipulatively) recruiting those who are likely to acquiesce to pressure, you should be able to build a motivated team interested in combining individual strengths for collective success.

Similarly, be open to those who genuinely desire to lead an effort and have the skills to plan, delegate, and oversee. If you need to serve as official team leader, then commit to making the experience unforgettably fun with an eye to developing likeminded leaders for future efforts.

Assure Support

Unless you have an unusual pool of prospective team members, no one will sign on if you don’t offer support. Forms of support will vary depending on the project but generally will include guidance in clarifying organizational nuances and defining measures of success, assistance in performing project tasks, or demonstration of confidence and appreciation of team members throughout the project’s execution and following its completion.

To assess your commitment, team members and leaders will likely ask about financial support for the project. Even a modest budget indicates that you value the project and are willing to allocate resources to achieve a desirable outcome.

Deliver on Your Promises

Never use a bait-and-switch method of recruitment or support (asking someone to help and putting them in charge of a project or offering guidance and assistance but failing to have time and resources available, for example). Your credibility will be decimated if you don’t deliver as promised and reasonably expected.

Though I once joined with colleagues to create a successful team after a leader shirked responsibilities, I advise not to expect some sort of teamwork miracle. Get the right people together and make sure you do your part, whatever that role may be: show up to planning sessions, give feedback on the feasibility of ideas, accept team assignments, and follow up.

Being clear about expectations, accountability, and support — and delivering what you promised — is essential to teamwork; in fact, those behaviors define leadership for teamwork excellence.

Celebrate Success

Great team members will celebrate along the way, reveling in exercising innate skills, engaging with interesting people, and being part of an effort that accomplishes more as a team than possible alone. Have fun as the project progresses. Celebrate successful project completion and special achievements, especially those above original expectations. Show appreciation of team members with the understanding that recognition doesn’t have to be flashy or expensive but should be obvious and heartfelt.

This article is from Julie Rains of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How to hire employees

Philip Brewer — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:11:02 +0000

I worked one place that was much, much better than anyplace else I ever worked. The guy who ran it told me that the secret was in how to hire people. Most managers do it the wrong way: they hire people who can do the work. So, what's the right way? Hire people that you want to work with.

With an exception here and there, "people that you want to work with" tends to be transitive--people that you want to work with also want to work with you and with each other. If you do it well, you produce a community of people who wake up every morning thinking, "Wow! I get to go to work today! I get to go work with all my cool coworkers!"

It's possible to do this wrong. "People you want to work with" is not the same set as "People you'd like to hang out with." If you start hiring people in the latter category, you're going to end up with a bunch of people who want to hang out together, and that's not a good way to get work done.

Much more common than that, though is the error of hiring "people who can do the work." Hiring managers are prone to this, because they're worried about their projects being successful. In fact, though, that strategy just leads them astray.

Of course you should hire someone who can do the work--who wants to work with someone who can't do their job? But if you frame the problem in those terms, you're too likely to make your decision on who you think could do the work best. But given the choice between two people who can do the work, you're way ahead of the game if you hire the one you'd like to work with over the one who might be able to do the work better.

The fact is, any bright person who has a demonstrated capability with a related skill set is likely to be able to learn to do any specific task in his or her area. And one who looks forward to coming into work every day will be highly motivated to do so.

I think this is a general rule--I think it applies even to very highly skilled, highly specialized jobs like surgeon or baseball pitcher. The surgeons that other surgeons like to scrub up and cut with are probably the ones you want cutting you. The pitchers who gets the whole team to pull together are probably a better choice than ones that can get a few more strikeouts.

What if you're not a hiring manager? Is there an important lesson here for you? Probably not, if you're just at the point of trying to get a job offer. Most hiring managers are looking for whoever can do the job "best" (whatever they think that means). Convincing them that you're the sort of person they'd like to work with isn't going to hurt, but it will probably only make a difference when everything else seems pretty much equal. On the other hand, if you're trying to decide whether to take an offer, I'd put a considerable amount of weight on the answer to the question, "Do I want to work with these guys?" That's probably even more important than whether or not you want to do the particular job you're being hired for.

You probably can't find the person who's "the best" at some task anyway, and if you could, you couldn't afford them. But if you hire people you want to work with, they'll probably do a fine job--and make all your other employees more productive in the bargain.

This article is from Philip Brewer of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: