Category: The Workplace

Fun Ways to Celebrate an Office Birthday

Your coworker just turned 21 at work again for the fifth year straight. What a coincidence because you also happen to be 21 this year again as well! Here are some fun ways to celebrate an office birthday for an office that never seems to age past 21.

Fun_Ways_Celebrate_Office_Birthday

1. Ice-Cream Cake
Chip in for an ice-cream cake. Everyone loves ice-cream. Everyone loves cake. This is a guaranteed win-win celebration. Make sure to keep the ice-cream fridge in the office freezer though if you pick it up in the morning. It would be pretty terrible to have melted ice-cream cake all over everyone else’s lunch in the fridge by noon.

2. Party Hats
No one ever looks good in a party hat except maybe Beyoncé, which is kind of the point. Get the birthday man/woman the silliest party hat that one’s office budget can provide for maximum amusement. Everyone else in the office (aka: office peasants) receives slightly poorer quality hats. Or better. Remember, the point is no one ever looks good in a party hat. Got it.

3. Office Balloons
Balloons are the epitome of Fun. Have you ever heard someone say, “Man, I hate balloons?” Me either.

4. Birthday Cards
Get everyone in the office or department to sign a birthday card with different colored metallic pens.

5. Sing Happy Birthday
Don’t be too shy to sing that office birthday coworker a very loud and embellished rendition of “Happy Birthday.” No one ever hates someone who sings them “Happy Birthday.” Probably.

Tips for Prioritizing at Work

At times things at work can become overwhelming. When I feel overwhelmed, the first thing I do is write everything I have to do down. Then I write next to it when the assignment is due. I then prioritize that list by due date. This is usually my starting point. I then have to look at the list of things to do and assess how long it will take me to do each project. The project that will take the most about of time usually gets the top priority. I then set an allotted amount of time for each project per day if possible. Why not spend my whole day on my most time consuming project? At times I feel that I will never finish and that I accomplished nothing after a grueling day. So I try to break up my day and do other projects that may only take an hour or less. That way that overwhelming long list of things to do gets smaller and smaller as the hours go by instead only one project getting removed from the list.

Prioritizing_Work

Step by Step Recap of Tips for Prioritizing at Work

1. Write to do list.
2. Assign due dates for each item on the list.
3. Prioritize the to do list by due date.
4. Assess how long each project will take.
5. Set allotted time for each project per day.
6. When there is a project that take 8hrs break up the day by doing other items on the to do list that take less than an hour.
7. Feel accomplished!

Celebrating New Year’s Eve at the Office

Celebrating New Year’s Eve at the office may be the biggest oxymoron going. Let’s face it, New Year’s Eve is all about partying and celebrating and being at the office working is well… not. But if you are stuck at work on this celebratory holiday, make the best of it and celebrate office style:

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Break out the sparkling cider. Personally, I’ll take it straight from the bottle but it does look nice and pretty in a champagne flute, even if you only score the plastic ones.

Have some fun appetizers. New Year’s Eve is all about hors d’oeuvres. Ask your co-workers to make something at home to bring in or if you are really stuck grabbing something at the office, make the best of the tuna salad and crackers from the vending machine, yikes!

Make your own New Year’s Eve falling ball and decorate your desk like Times Square so you can count down like Ryan Seacrest. Here are several ways to do it: http://www.ehow.com/info_12196863_make-new-years-eve-falling-ball.html Bonus: once constructed, you can use the same ball for all those disco parties you’ll have in the future.

Kiss your co-worker! Everyone needs some to kiss someone when the new year rings in, right? On second thought, let’s scratch that. Face time or Skype your spouse or significant other to wish them a Happy New Year and tell them how much you miss him/her. Of course, if you don’t miss him/her and would just rather be at work anyway, you may have bigger problems to tackle.

Either way, you’ll have fun however you celebrate but let’s hope the boss appreciates you working on this holiday and gives you a day off soon! Happy New Year!

What to Bring to an Office Thanksgiving Party

What a cool idea! Having an Office Thanksgiving Party!

I am fortunate in that I work in a very culturally diverse workplace. So, whenever we have any sort of food event at work, it’s an amazing display of something from every corner of the world. But, I have to say, for Thanksgiving, I think I’d want to lean more toward a traditional menu.

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That being said, it’s probably not going to be easy to roast a 15 pound turkey in our lunchroom. But not to worry, we have a couple of options. We could cook the turkey at home and reheat in the microwaves. In fact, there probably isn’t any thing you can not heat up in a microwave. Mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, veggies – wow! We could carve the turkey and place on serving platters and then set out all the fixins’ as a buffet. I’m sure lots of people would want to bring in part of this feast to share.

Or, for a “no mess, no fuss” option, I saw an ad from a local deli for “Thanksgiving on a Bun”. We could either order a bunch of those or simply ask for volunteers to make up sandwiches at home with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce and pop the whole thing in the microwave and then place all the sandwiches on platters and people could help themselves.

We can not forget dessert. I’d go with an assortment of pies, already cut up on plates and allow folks to choose their favorites. I’m sure getting volunteers to bring in dessert would be easy – even if it wasn’t homemade!

Of course, there is a challenge – and I can only speak for myself here – but how are we going to accommodate the naps that always follow Thanksgiving dinner!

Common Job Interview Questions – Be Prepared

Probably one of the most stressful situations after speaking in front of a large audience is sitting for a job interview. You want to make a good impression and let the interviewer know without a doubt that you are the right person for the job. Don’t let your nerves get the best of you. Like every good Boy Scout will tell you, the key is to be prepared!

Common Job Interview Questions

A big part of your preparation will be reviewing some of the more common job interview questions and practicing how you will answer them.

Here is a list of 10 of the more common questions asked when going on a job interview:

1. What are your strengths?

2. What are your weaknesses?

3. What would your previous supervisor/manager say about you? What would they say are your strengths/weaknesses?

4. Name an accomplishment you are most proud of.

5. Describe a time you made a mistake and how you handled it.

6. What is your understanding of the position?

7. Describe a time you disagreed with your boss and how you handled it.

8. How do you handle disagreements with co-workers? Or What types of personalities do you find it most difficult to work with?

9. Why are you interested in working for this company? Or What do you know about our company?

10. Why should we hire you?

Most likely you will be going to more than one interview before you find that dream job at the company that is the right fit for you. Be sure to review these questions before each interview as you will want to tailor your responses as needed to the specific industry and/or company culture (Are they more corporate and traditional? Is this company more cutting edge?) You’ll want to do your homework. But most of all, you’ll want to be honest, be yourself and be prepared!

How To Celebrate Your Birthday At The Office In Style

So it’s your birthday, huh? I know what you’re thinking… man, I look good for my age. Everyone thinks that. Even the ones that don’t. So put an end to that thought right away!

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You want to celebrate your birthday at your place of work. I don’t blame you. Then again, Mr. Mingle doesn’t blame anyone. Who has time to waste on blaming when you could be out there mingling? Good Question, Mr. Mingle. Thanks, Mr. Mingle! (Mr. Mingle winks at his clone)

Mr_Mingle

Here is what I will do for you since I have nominated myself to be your life guide and trusty companion. Think of me as your life’s Swiss army knife. Except I am not Swiss, so technically I am your British army knife. Some people call me BAK for short. I have removed those people from my life.

Without further ado, below are my top 5 ways to celebrate a birthday in style.

  1. Throw a get together in a common area that everyone has access to in your workplace and invite everyone. Yes… even Dave from accounting. I know everyone hates Dave from accounting but invite him anyway.
  2. Learn everyone’s names beforehand so you can thank them personally. But Mr. Mingle, how can I possibly learn everyone’s names? Simple, learn the easy ones and just call the rest of the people that show up pal and comrade.
  3. Play a couple of birthday games to build team chemistry. This is a great way to separate the strong from the weak so you know who to work with on that next big work project.
  4. Make sure you give your manager the largest piece of the cake. I know you love cake but so does your manager. Plus, who is more important, you or the person in charge of you? Exactly!
  5. Make sure you are the last one to leave the party. I know, I know, Dave from accounting is always the last one to leave a room. Well tell Dave you need that pie chart in a different hue of blue. That should get him to evacuate the party premises.

So there you have it. My 5 tips to celebrate your birthday at the office in style. Remember, Mr. Mingle is here for ya no matter what you need. Mingle is the name and Mingling is the game.

Mr_Mingle

Appropriate Christmas Party Themes For Your Office

Having a Christmas Party at work can be strenuous. First, you have to come up with an appropriate Christmas party theme for the office. Then, the planning begins. The planning is the easy part. One of the hardest part seems to be a theme. Since I have been in charge of this project, we have had four themes.

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The first year we did ‘Christmas Around the World.’ That was fun. We had the words Merry Christmas and Santa Claus in languages from different countries. We had dishes from different countries on the table. And we even had people tell short stories of their Christmas traditions. That year was one of my favorites. The next year, we worked with Toys for Tots. Our theme was ‘Santa’s Christmas List.’ The idea was to buy a gift that you would have wanted as a child and donate it. Everyone who brought in a gift for a child received a ticket to our Christmas Buffet. It was a great year for the kids. My associates were very generous. The third year, our theme was ‘Generosity and Kindness.’ The idea was to be generous and giving for the Month before Christmas. Every time you did something nice or charitable, you received a ticket for our tricky tray. The nicer and more generous you were, the more tickets you got to put into the bucket. Everyone seemed so much nicer that year!

This year, I’m working on something really special. We are actually having a Christmas Mini Carnival. We are inviting the families of the staff so they can enjoy some carnival games, popcorn, cotton candy, ice cream, and of course, a visit from the big man himself, Santa Claus. Then we will have a sit down style dinner. I know family is the most important thing in life, so why not include them in the fun. I’ve already called The Gallery Collection to order my corporate holiday party invitations. Everyone is so excited. My boss can’t wait to dress up as you know who!

Preparing for a Job Interview

I’m sure each one of us would agree that one of the most stressful events in our lives can be not only going on job interview but also preparing for a job interview.

Preparing_Job_Interview

From the moment a face to face meeting begins, everything is about you – your appearance, speech, ability, personality, even your smile – is being assessed. It’s up to you to create a favorable impression. And preparation is the only sure-fire way to make an important job interview a winning experience.

By following just few simple steps, you can better prepare yourself before the interview:

  • Select and layout your complete interview wardrobe. Carefully go over what you plan to wear the day before.
  • Sort out the credentials you plan to bring with you. Be sure to include several copies of your resume, letters of commendation. Be sure to include any achievements you received in your field.
  • Have a notebook and pen handy. Review notes and other data you compiled to help prepare you for the interview.
  • Most importantly, get a good night’s sleep! You never want to arrive late for an interview.

As an applicant in any job interview situation you are bound to be tense no matter how relaxed the interviewer may try to make you feel in his attempt to have you reveal yourself fully. During the interview, the interviewer will take note of your knowledge of the company, the manner in which you respond to questions as well as in the kind of questions you ask him. He will observe how you talk, sit, and smile. You always want to listen attentively. He will observe your enthusiasm (or lack of it). You always want to present a positive attitude. You shouldn’t talk too much during your interview; you don’t want to talk yourself right out of the job. One of your biggest goals during the interview (besides being offered the position) is to get the interviewer to like you. All these observations will be the basis for determining whether or not you are rejected, placed in a doubtful category, maybe be invited back for a 2nd interview, or in some cases, you’ll actually be offered the position.

Should Your Office Have Casual Dress Attire?

There is currently a trend toward casual dress in the work place. The question in why your office should have casual dress and which form should it take. There are several modes of casual dress that are allowed by different corporations. There is casual business, casual and relaxed casual. The casual trend started in the 80’s & 90’s when people were being laid off in the corporate world. The general thinking was that employee morale would be raised by the relaxed atmosphere thereby increasing work output.

Office_Casual

The casual business dress would mostly consist of khaki pants with no tie or jacket, but with a collared shirt. Golf shirts or button downs would be ok for men. Similar outfits for women, but perhaps a sleeveless blouse would also be allowed. Socks optional but shoes were a requirement. The casual dress code would allow jeans and t-shirts with sneakers, all clean and well maintained. The line was drawn at ripped jeans and tank tops. The relaxed casual introduced the wearing of shorts and sandals (no flip-flops) into the mix.

Although called dress down or casual days, these were initially reserved for Friday. The thought being that everyone would finish off the week by relaxing on their last work day. This led to a general trend of casual dress for the entire week. This spread gathered momentum after the turn of the century until the current day. It is believed that about 40% of businesses (usually who didn’t have face-to-face customer or client contact) have adopted the casual dress week.

There have been several studies done that point to the possibility that this trend has increased productivity 41% of the time. The belief being that when employees are relaxed they tend to feel more comfortable in their position and work at a higher capacity. The relaxed atmosphere is believed to add to greater spontaneity, better work conditions and improved relationships between employees. Several companies offer the casual dress policy as a benefit to working in their company. However, when considering a casual dress policy consideration should be given to spelling out exactly what is and isn’t allowed to avoid problems of poor taste or poor judgment.

Team Building in the Workplace

Team building in the workplace needs to be a part of every company’s list of important items that should be implemented. The goal in each company is to be productive and to generate revenue. While it is important to have a great product and/or service, it is also important to have happy and content employees. Team building activities help to boost morale. They also improve communication and productivity. It can be a great motivator.

Team_Building

Team building activities for work can be simple or a bit more involved. Here are just a few suggestions:

1. Plan a field trip. One company I worked for planned a trip to the local bowling alley. It was a great way to get to know each other without the pressure of work and deadlines. Lots of fun and laughs.

2. Work together for a good cause. Facilitate a volunteer outing. A Spring clean-up of a park, for instance. Ask your employees for suggestions.

3. Have a baking contest. The employees could show off their baking skills, while the non bakers could be the tasting judges.

4. Brain teasers and riddles that require team participation.

5. Problem solving activities, such as a puzzle that would require team effort to complete.

These are just a few. There are many online resources that can provide many more ideas. Check it out and have fun!