October 2008 - Posts

Admin's Assistant
Wednesday, October 01, 2008 12:32 AM

 

What is cross training and is it effective?

 

It seems like every organization has times when a few employees struggle to keep up with their workload while others find themselves with a bit too much free time. These kinds of problems and many others are often solved with a little cross training.

 

So what is cross training? According to the online article, Cross Training Employees, writer F. John Reh says, “Cross training is training an employee to do a different part of the organization’s work. Training worker A to do the task that worker B does and training B to do A’s task is cross training.” Cross training can help employees learn new job skills, making them more valuable to the company, and can help prevent worker boredom.

 

Training staff to perform functions outside their regular roles is a win-win situation for the company and the employees. The company benefits from a more equitable distribution of the workload and an improved ability to manage unexpected absences. In the process of training employees, jobs become more standardized; and as employees gain a new, wider perspective, they learn to make better decisions and often eliminate unnecessary and outdated processes.

 

Employees also “win” by getting valuable experience in areas for which they were not originally hired. Morale can also improve as workers gain a renewed sense of pride and ownership in their company.

 

To start a cross-training program, first work out a timeline for completing realistic goals, and determine how much it will cost in additional labor to train your staff. Consider who should be in charge of the training and who will be trained. Schedule cross training during relatively slow periods, so the trainer has enough time to explain each task.

 

Make sure that your employees understand that this cross training is an opportunity for them to learn and to advance in their careers. Be careful that they don’t feel like you’re just doubling up their work. Consider sending out an e-mail to see who’s interested instead of making it a requirement.

 

Cross training can be a challenge for both management and staff, but in the long run, the improved morale and productivity will make it all worth it.

 

Has your company started a cross-training program? Did you find it beneficial?

by tinadh | with no comments
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Climbing the Ladder
Wednesday, October 01, 2008 12:30 AM

Do you know proper business dinner etiquette?

If Woody Allen is correct and 90% of life is just showing up, then the other 10% is acting like you know what you’re doing when you get there. This would certainly apply to business dinners, where etiquette and social grace can potentially affect your career path.  The following are some tips on how to act when dining with business partners and associates. 

 

Arrive early

If you are meeting your host or guests at the restaurant, plan to get there about 10 minutes early. Arriving late is not fashionable in a business setting. Punctuality impresses. 

Remember the basics

Basic table manners are essential. Breaking them can be the most damaging thing one can do during a business dinner. So just a quick refresher: place your napkin on your lap, chew with your mouth closed, do not burp and keep your elbows off the table while people are eating. 

Eat up

Often, the actual food can be overlooked during a business dinner. Nerves can often affect one’s appetite or the conversation could be of such importance that the food becomes an afterthought. But eating is important, especially if your associate is picking up the tab. It can be considered as rude or a sign of disinterest if one does not eat their meal. 

 

If you are a guest at the dinner, do not order one of the most expensive items on the menu, unless you’re told directly or indirectly that it’s OK (for example, if your host suggests the prime rib).

 

Limit alcohol

Drinking during business dinners is fairly common, but keep it to a minimum. It’s important to retain full control of your faculties. Depending on how you handle alcohol, limiting yourself to one or two drinks will allow you to relax a little while maintaining a professional air. Getting drunk at a business dinner is the quickest way to diminish your stock with business associates.

 

Say thank you

This is another obvious courtesy, but one that, if overlooked, can put a damper on the evening and any impressions gained during it. Be sure to thank your host for a delicious dinner and a pleasant evening.

 

Have you ever watched someone commit a serious business dinner faux pas? Tell us about it! 

by tinadh | with no comments
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News You Can Use
Wednesday, October 01, 2008 12:28 AM

5 Tips for Longevity 

People today are living longer and looking younger than decades past. There are countless supplements and serums out there that claim to add years to your life. Scientists are working on prolonging human life, but some think living well into the hundreds is still far off. The scientific and ethical debates rage on, but there are things you can do and lifestyle changes you can make now to live a longer, healthier life.

 

1. Quit smoking.

It’s obvious, but many smokers don’t want to quit or believe it’s easier said than done. But the fact remains that the sooner you quit, the more years you’ll add to your life – and the younger you’ll look.

 

2. Exercise.

Research has shown time and time again that exercise is highly beneficial to your health. But studies have found that exercise also increases longevity. Thirty minutes per day of cardiovascular activity in particular – running, walking, swimming, biking – can add up to four years to your life. And middle age is not too late to start.

 

3. Eat right.

Now, in addition to eating the right kinds of foods – fresh fruits, leafy vegetables, nuts, fish, a glass of red wine – researchers say eating less could also slow the aging process. It’s really about restricting your calories, which can decrease your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, and help you live longer.

 

4. Challenge your brain.

Experts say you can strengthen your brain and reduce the risk of dementia by using your brain in new and challenging ways. Keep reading and learning new things, do the daily crossword or Sudoku puzzle, and/or play memorization games with yourself. A new study also found that eating fatty fish – salmon, herring, mackerel – can also lower the risk of dementia. But it has to be baked or broiled, not fried.

 

5. Laugh.

The jury’s still out on whether or not laughing actually has an effect on health, but it does have potential benefits to blood flow and the immune system. Scientists can agree, however, that laughter improves our quality of life. Enjoying the company of friends and family and enjoying life in general are certainly key to a long life of happiness.


What do you do to stay young?

by tinadh | with no comments
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Renew You!
Wednesday, October 01, 2008 12:26 AM

How to Become Fearless 

Fear has an incredible ability to keep people from doing the things they want or need to do. Often, it has the overwhelming ability to send even the most stable person running in the opposite direction. During his inaugural speech, Franklin Roosevelt said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” He explained that fear is “nameless, unreasoning and unjustified,” but with some effort it can be overcome if you have the right tools.

 

Fear manifests itself in a variety of ways— from an uncomfortable feeling to hyperventilation. As you feel the fear start to build up, take a moment to stop and think about how that fear is physically affecting you. Take in deep breaths through your nose and focus on relaxing everything in your body that may have become tense. Once your body is physically calm, you can work on getting your mind calm. Try to think about what rewards you may acquire by conquering the fears.

 

Often fear is simply caused by the unknown. This can be easily remedied by knowing what you want and then setting a plan. Take a moment to write down your goal. Below it in one column write down everything you’re afraid will happen on your journey to meeting your goal. In another column write down all the ways you can prepare for or prevent the things that make you afraid. You can also try making a plan detailing each step you need to take towards your goal, including potential roadblocks. Sometimes, just writing things down can calm any irrational panic and help you focus on your goal more logically.

 

When you’re afraid, it’s easy to feel like you’re all alone. Luckily you’re not. There’s always going to be someone out there who has either experienced the same fears or can at least help you work through them. You don’t even have to explain what’s making you afraid or how it’s making you feel if you don’t want. Sometimes just talking with someone can calm your fears.

 

Remember, it’s okay to be afraid just as long as you don’t let the fear take over. Ambrose Redmoon once said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”

 

What have you been afraid of and how did you overcome that fear?

by tinadh | with no comments
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The Giving Tree
Wednesday, October 01, 2008 12:24 AM

 

 

Cure Breast Cancer Foundation

 

Carly Abramson of New Jersey was twelve years old when her mom, Lisa, was diagnosed with breast cancer, and it was just a short time after Carly’s grandmother had died of cancer.  To help comfort her mom while she was in the hospital, Carly made her a beaded key ring.  She decided to make and sell more key rings to raise money for breast cancer research.  Now, more than five years and 700 key rings later, Carly has helped donate more than $10,000 to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital.

 

With the help of family and friends, Carly made and sold key chains through her organization, BCA Creations.  In December 2007, Carly founded Cure Breast Cancer Foundation with the help of her father, Andrew.  All of the funds Cure Breast Cancer Foundation raised go to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the oldest and largest private care center, for research for a cure for breast cancer.  According to the Cure Breast Cancer Foundation Web site, “Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has devoted more than a century to patient care as well as to innovative research, making significant contributions to new and better therapies for the treatment of cancer.”

 

Recently, Cure Breast Cancer Foundation held a Cure Breast Cancer Golf Classic at Mountain Ridge Country Club in New Jersey.  The all-day event included brunch and a cocktail reception for the guests as well as a $1,000,000 hole-in-one shoot-out.  The event concluded with a presentation by Dr. Larry Norton, M.D., the deputy physician-in-chief and director of Breast Cancer Programs at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

 

To learn more information about Carly’s cause or to donate to Cure Breast Cancer Foundation, you may visit www.curebreastcancerfoundation.org or contact the organization at info@curebreastcancerfoundation.com.  For more facts and information on how you can donate or volunteer with an organization closer to your home, you may visit the American Cancer Society’s Web site at www.cancer.org. 

 

by tinadh | with no comments
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Ask the Expert
Wednesday, October 01, 2008 12:22 AM

How to deal with a difficult coworker

Dealing with a difficult coworker can be stressful and can affect your job performance. According to Quill’s Sr. HR Generalist, Kristin Garifo, the situation won’t get better, but only worse, if left unaddressed. Below are some steps to take to help the situation.

  • Take a look at yourself. Do you know for sure that the other person is really the problem? Are you possibly overreacting? Do you often have these types of problems with coworkers? Do you have hot buttons that are easily pushed? Always start with self examination and look for ways within yourself that you could possibly address this person differently before you determine the issue is their fault.

  • Talk with a trusted friend. Talking out your frustrations with a friend can help you cope. They can also help you come up with ideas on how to address the situation. Once you have come up with a plan, make sure you follow through so you don’t risk just becoming a whiner or complainer in the eyes of your colleague.

  • Talk with the “difficult” coworker in a private discussion. Before having a discussion....practice, practice, practice. When you are unprepared, you’re likely to react instinctively to your anger and annoyance with poor behavior. This will only succeed in making a bad situation worse. Also, use “I” phrases. Using “I” phrases is a communication approach that focuses on what you are experiencing and feeling in the situation rather than on attacking or accusing the other person. This helps them from becoming defensive. Using this method, you can explain to your coworker how their actions affect you. 

  • If you have done what you can do and tried the above with little or no success, it’s time to involve others. At this point, it is time to talk with your boss. Prepare for your conversation with your boss; address the issues, not as interpersonal problems, but as issues affecting your productivity, the work and your progress on projects. Together with your boss, make a plan. Perhaps involve your coworker’s boss. Recognize that a good boss is likely to bring your difficult coworker and his or her supervisor into a three- or four-way discussion at this point. Expect to participate in follow-up over time.

  • If these approaches fail to work, try to limit your interactions with the difficult person. Continue to act in a professional manner. Keep in mind the work still needs to get done, but avoid working with the person when possible. Excuse yourself from voluntary committees and choose projects he or she does not impact. Don’t hurt your own career or your business, but avoidance is an option.

 Have you had to deal with a difficult coworker? How did you address the situation?

by tinadh | 2 comment(s)
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Editor's Note
Wednesday, October 01, 2008 12:20 AM

Dear Reader,

 

So you’ve been sneaking a few minutes here and there while at work to check your personal e-mail account or to check up on the latest celebrity buzz. You know you shouldn’t, but it’s hard to resist! According to a British study, taking small “e-breaks” at work is actually a good thing!

 

The study found that workers who were allowed to take small e-breaks came back feeling more productive. The study also found these breaks boost morale and reduce stress. Who’s not up for a little morale boost and stress relief?

 

I like to think of an e-break as this generation’s coffee break or smoke break. Many of us don’t leave our desks unless we’re headed to the bathroom or to lunch, so I think these mini breaks are necessary to keep people productive. Just like a car eventually runs out of gas if it’s not refueled, a person runs out of steam if they’re not recharged.

 

I find being able to step back from a project I’m working on allows me to reenergize my thoughts. Perhaps I’m stuck trying to figure out a problem and focusing my thoughts elsewhere allows me to come back with a clear head. But let’s not get carried away. A short 10-minute break is ok. An hour-long break is not.

 

So, what do you think about taking e-breaks? Does an e-break help you stay more productive? Or does your company ban certain Web sites so you can’t browse the Internet?  

by tinadh | with no comments
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