Office Etiquette Archives - Page 2 of 4

Gratitude for People around us at Work

by sincera | Jan 3, 2017 | Motivation, Office Etiquette, World of Work

Caught in a rush of deadlines and projects, the conferences and the appraisals, every day is a struggle at work, and every sent document a sigh of relief. We are often so caught up in our busy work lives that we forget people who work tirelessly, round the clock, putting in longer hours than us and surely receiving lesser incentives than us, to make our jobs easier. Would we be able to spend a day at work without coffee? Doesn’t all hell break loose when there is no Wi-Fi even for a few minutes? God help us if the IT guy chose to take a leave on the very same day! This post is about 5 such people at work, who are definitely way more important than we give them credit for! It is a reminder for all of us that it is nice to be important, but it is MORE important to be nice.

1. The Security Guard

The keeper of the gates indeed! If you think your job is tiring, think about this guy’s job. Getting up every second minute to open the doors to someone, and a part of his job description is also to greet appropriately. Many of us don’t even acknowledge the greeting by as much as making eye contact, let alone returning it verbally. When you smile to acknowledge his greeting, you give him the confidence that he is doing his job well. Doesn’t everyone deserve that? 🙂

2. The “IT Guy”

One of the most important people ever. Virus attacks, problems of the technologically challenged, router fixing – without him, things would come to a grinding halt for sure. We all want our IT problems solved, and we want them to be solved quickly. In that rhythm, we might end up being unintentionally rude to the person who is doing his best to help us. Remember that being polite and courteous will always help you get your work done. Perks of being a nice, polite person!

3. The Cafeteria Staff

Even if the food is horrible, they didn’t cook it. So save the dirty looks and the rude comments for someone who might actually be responsible. Remember that they don’t even get to sit while they work.

4. The Office Boy

Again, one of the most important people. If you are the kind who cannot function without tea or coffee at regular intervals, you better be nice to this person. Don’t forget that this resourceful person actually saves you a lot of other errands as well, so that you can concentrate on your work.

5. The Photocopy In-Charge

In our hurry to get the photocopies, we actually forget at times that the person doing it for us is a human being and not a machine himself! We are going to repeat what we said earlier – “Remember that being polite and courteous will always help you get your work done. Perks of being a nice, polite person!”

Gratitude is an attitude that will truly take you a long way. It is easy to ignore or take for granted people we assume will always be there, or people we assume are not important. It is these small, yet meaningful gestures which define us as individuals, which make us human. So, no matter how busy you are, how stressed you are, remember to acknowledge the people who serve you tirelessly throughout the day, it can’t be that hard to just smile now, can it? 🙂

Resigning With Grace – How to Resign like a True Professional

by sincera | Dec 22, 2016 | Job Offers, Managing Yourself, Resignation

As professionals, it is only natural that we may want to quit the job we currently have, in order to move on and progress – for whatever reason we may have. There could be many reasons for us wanting to quit and we could be quite distracted/disturbed when the moment of truth approaches. Anger, nostalgia, pride, nervousness, a sense of loss, excitement are only some of the emotions you could be experiencing in your notice period, leading up to your last day. However, no matter how you feel, a graceful exit is a non- negotiable. Here are five things that need to be done, for resigning with grace, and leaving behind respect for you as a true professional:

Resigning with Grace: Prepare them. And yourself.

If it is in your control, prepare your manager/team in advance about your exit. It is bad enough for them that you’ve chosen to move on. The news should not be jolting. Have a conversation in person with your manager first. Be clear and courteous, and serve your notice period if that is what your manager needs. The time in hand will allow your work to come to a closure, a suitable replacement can be brought in and it is respectful!

Resigning with Grace: Stay honest and polite in your exit interview

Exit interviews are not venting sessions. But if you value your time at the organization and care for them, it is important that you give honest feedback about your experiences. Don’t trash talk. Tell them what you feel. You can be honest, but not rude. We believe many conversations must take place to make the world of work a better place. And if something needs to be addressed, exit interviews are the places to share.

Resigning with Grace: Reach out to all the teams

If you have been a person who has worked with multiple teams in the organization, and have some skills which others depend on, inform them about your exit. It is only fair that you make an open offer to them regarding working on transitioning anything that they need from you. That way they won’t be left in a vacuum.

Resigning with Grace: Celebrate your journey

For whatever reason you quit, once you decide to cross the bridge, know it is a new beginning. Your work stint would have brought you in contact with different kinds of people, allowed you to pick up skills, taken you towards your calling and helped you grow as a person. Celebrate that. The farewell might be a difficult time, an emotional time as well. But bringing in some joy, appreciation and fun will make your experience extremely worthwhile. And help reinforce the all-important friendships with the now ex-colleagues. Remember that it is these relationships that are the true assets that you take along with you.

Resigning with Grace: Allow and acknowledge the possibility of a future association

You never know when you may feel the need to associate in some way with an organization you leave, in the future. Be it in terms of work, or partnering with a colleague, reference from your manager, anything. It can happen. Don’t burn bridges. Leave a door open. Send appreciative emails/messages, be thankful. Tell your team/managers that at some point you would love to associate again. For an organization, it is always good when ex-employees come back to contribute again. As they say, it is a very small world!

Given the multitude of circumstances we may leave under, it may be difficult to leave on a good note. However, to end the post with the same note we started it with, resigning with grace is a non-negotiable! Have similar thoughts? We would love to know! Do share your experience with us.

5 Pointers for Effective Conflict Resolution in the World of Work

by sincera | Sep 27, 2016 | Management, Managing Yourself, Office Etiquette, World of Work

Disagreements and conflict are only a very natural part of your work space. What makes a difference is, how you deal with them. Conflict resolution is a way for two or more parties to find a peaceful solution to a disagreement among them. How you manage conflict therefore, signifies a great deal about your ethics and the values you hold regarding professionalism. If your natural instinct is to avoid conflict at all costs, then know that you are not alone. Most people walk away, get upset or deeply stressed. And that’s not good, it just prolongs the issue. Conflict comes into play when one person has a need from another person and that need is not being met. So, to be really effective at work, we must know how to manage conflict successfully when it comes up. Here are 5 key ways for conflict resolution that will help you prevent the conflict from escalating.

1. Conflict Resolution: Respond, don’t Ignore

The worst way of dealing with conflict is by pretending it does not exist. This method seldom works, and you find yourself in greater trouble than you would, had you dealt with it head on. You need to acknowledge your involvement in the said conflict. Acknowledgement does not mean you are guilty of anything. It simply means that you realize there has been a problem and are willing to offer/ negotiate a solution. Note that we said “respond”, and not “react”.

2. Conflict Resolution: Don’t Play the Blame Game

As a common method for dealing with conflicts in even our personal lives, our first approach is to try to shrug off responsibility of the blame (consciously or subconsciously). Needless to say, this may come across as immature, especially at your work place. At times, we may do so rightly, because of our genuine lack of involvement in the reason for conflict. Instead of passing the buck, say that you are aware of the problem and will do your bit to resolve the conflict.

3. Conflict Resolution: Use “Giraffe Language”

Giraffe language (or the language of nonviolent communication) is like Morse code for the world of work. It helps you deal with conflict constructively, while enabling you to express any concerns or criticism you may have in a pleasant or diplomatic manner. The first step to it, is inviting the person involved to proactively figure out a solution, followed by six sub methods – Observation (identify the problem in subjective terms), Apologize (for your part in the conflict), Appreciate (the other person’s willingness to proactively seek a solution), Consequences (understand the consequences of the conflict and its repercussions for yourself as well as the organization), Objective (discuss what could be a favorable outcome regarding the dialogue) and Request (set ground rules and request the other person to follow them, to avoid any such conflict in the future). To understand all these steps better, have a look at this superb blog post – here.

4. Conflict Resolution: Don’t Blow it Out of Proportion

By doing so you actively escalate the conflict and thwart chances of a peaceful, proactive resolution. There are mainly to things you must avoid doing at all costs once you have acknowledged the conflict –

Do not overreact. Remember that you have to respond but not react. If you feel like it came your way suddenly, politely refuse to deal with it at that point of time. A nice way to say so would be simply saying, “Hi Annie, I am sorry that this has caused you inconvenience. I had no idea about the same. Can we please talk about it at a more convenient time?” Breathe, think and then respond.
Do not involve people who don’t need to be involved in it. This means respect the fact that the conflict is between you and another person, or a group of persons, and not anyone else. By unnecessarily involving people who are not relevant to the issue, you play a very active role in escalating the conflict.

5. Conflict Resolution: Don’t Hesitate to Seek Help

When we said do not involve people who don’t matter, we did not mean don’t involve people who do matter. When you realize you have done your best in trying to handle the conflict but are getting nowhere, approach the HR. Be objective and careful about this, and understand that there are certain things that need to be brought to the notice of the management. This would benefit both you and the other party, as well as the organization.

Being involved in a conflict or a confrontation obviously does not feel very pleasant. However, once you have dealt with it the best you could have, stop over thinking about it. Understand that it could and does happen to everybody in the world of work. What are some of the best ways you’ve dealt with conflict at your work place? We would love to hear!

And here is a video (from http://www.resolutionofconflict.com.au/) on conflict resolution for you – we know you will find it as useful, informative and fun, as we did :

Unprofessional Behaviour in the workplace – 5 Qualities to Watch out for!

by sincera | Sep 19, 2016 | Career, Managing Yourself, Office Etiquette, World of Work

Every so often, one gets to hear this word in our fast paced corporate lives – “unprofessional.” There has been, and continues to be a whole lot of debates and discussions about what qualifies as professional and what qualifies as unprofessional behaviour in the workplace. However, no matter what side you are on in the debate, you will agree with us when we say there are certain non-negotiables when it comes to the world of work. We believe that at the very least, these five qualities definitely embody unprofessional behaviour in the workplace and must be avoided at all costs.

1. The Late Kate/Ken –

One of the most severely unprofessional qualities is not having respect for punctuality. “Being late” is shockingly acceptable in our society, and work culture. Not turning up on time, more than anything else reflects your absolute lack of respect for the other person’s time. No matter what your reason is, when you end up being late, you communicate your express disrespect for the other person’s time and interest. If you are running late, make sure you communicate the reason and your Expected Time of Arrival (ETA) as early as you can.

2. The Gossip Monger –

It is definitely not alright to discuss anything remotely connected to your colleagues’ private lives, at the workplace. Neither is it acceptable to propagate false and unfounded tales about anyone. This is mostly an attention seeking technique used by some. What they often fail to realize is, by being this person, they do more harm to themselves than anybody else. Also, they may pretend to like you (read: the gossip monger), but you may actually end up being very lonely.

3. The Tell-tale –

If you know something concerning another colleague, who is not comfortable about the information being made public, respect him/her enough to keep it to yourself. Understand that you have access to the said information either through an act of trust, or by accident. In both cases, you have no right to share the information with anyone who isn’t supposed to have knowledge about the same. Bite your tongue if you have to, but keep it to yourself. Another attribute of this personality is also to avoid confrontation in case of conflict, but talk about it to people who are not concerned. The best way, is to follow a method of proactive conflict resolution.

4. The Know-it-All –

Remember Hermione from Harry Potter? Yes she was a hero and all, but let’s face it, she could be kind of annoying with her “know-it-all”, attitude. Be humble about the knowledge you possess, and willing to share it freely and openly with people who would benefit from it. You can do so by making an effort to be approachable, yet modest. Knowledge is power ? That’s passé now.

5. The Dominator –

Is it always your way or the highway? The quality of dominating, or being a bully doesn’t suit anyone at the work place. Not even your boss or you as a boss. Suggest, don’t impose. There is great merit in learning the value of team work, and doing so in a peaceful and inclusive manner. You dominate when you assume that you know the best way. By doing so you not only create discord, but also inhibit your own learning process.

One could debate that there is a lot more to this list. Of course, the point of view is thoroughly subjective. We suggest taking a long hard look at the mirror too (we do that periodically ourselves!) and see if you are guilty as well of any of the above examples of unprofessional behaviour. Acknowledge that there are some things that you haven’t been doing in the best way you can, and that is the first step to change. Engage in proactive methods to bring out the best you have to offer, at your work place, and beyond. Dialogue, awareness and openness to constructive criticism are some of the best ways to go about it! Understand that by changing yourself, you create a lot of positive change for yourself as a person, and also for your organization.

What else do you think qualifies as unprofessional behaviour at the workplace ? What do you do when you see these qualities around you ? Fight or flight ? We would love to hear back and learn from you.

Everything You Need to Start Working From Home

by sincera | Mar 15, 2016 | Career, Managing Yourself, Productivity, working from home, World of Work

Companies have slowly come to realize that working from home is the most in-demand type of work flexibility benefit that job seekers are interested in, and more and more companies have started offering remote working options. It is a trend that is here to stay. With working from home gaining increasing professional acceptance and becoming one of the most viable options for people across the social strata, a lot is being debated upon about the finer nuances of this phenomenon. In our earlier posts, we have spoken about the pros and cons about working from home. In this post we talk about everything you need to start working from home, or as we would like to call it, the essentials for working from home. So if you are looking to start working from home, or to make working from home really work for you, here are all the resources that we think you need to make it a success:

1. Your Desk and Your Chair –

It makes sense to invest in minimalistic yet comfortable office furniture – especially your desk and chair since that is what you will be using the most. This is almost as important, or even more important than buying a pair of jeans that fit perfectly and look good too! Don’t settle for the first piece of furniture you set your eyes on. Do a bit of window shopping first. Make sure the chair is suited to your posture and is adequately comfy and completely at level with your desk. We are all aware of the extremely uncomfortable back aches and neck aches from long hours of sitting at our desks which are further amplified by impersonal and uncomfortable office furniture. Since you are setting up your office from home, chances are you will be spending a lot more time working than you would if you went to an actual office. It is completely worth your while to go the extra mile and pick out the perfect desk and chair for yourself!

2. Lighting –

Lighting is another crucial factor that influences your productivity and concentration, not to mention how good lighting is actually a comfort we rarely appreciate. It is important to set up your work space where you have access to both natural as well as artificial lighting. As far as viable, set up your workstation close to a window (preferably with your back to it, or with it to your side, so that you don’t get too distracted with the view outside). Apart from letting in natural light, it also helps with keeping the room properly ventilated. Coming to artificial lighting, it is better to invest in soft artificial lighting than fluorescent lighting which is harsh on your eyes. Choose a desk light, as well as an overhead light so that you can adjust the lighting according to the amount of natural light you have available.

3. Computer and WiFi, and related accessories –

One of the biggest drawbacks of working from home is that the IT department will not be just a buzz away. You are pretty much left to fend for yourself to efficiently optimize (but first make appropriate investments) the tools at your disposal. A good desktop/laptop with rich video and audio capabilities, a dependable high-speed internet service provider, a basic but well-functioning printer/ scanner, earphones with mike are some of the most essential accessories you must invest in while setting up your workstation at home. Choose brands which are known for their customer service so that there is some hope to be bailed out when you are in the middle of a technical crisis. Keep the customer service numbers handy (look for a representative’s number, go an extra mile to establish a professional relationship if necessary, it saves you many annoying minutes of waiting on-line before they transfer your call to the representative responsible!). Once again, this is another area where we would recommend you to compromise as little as possible and go for something you are confident will fit your requirements, and most importantly is crisis proof to some extent at least.

4. Phone –

Now that you will be working from home, most of your interaction will be virtual. And the most important medium for the same is your phone, of course. We recommend investing both in a land phone as well as a smart phone, so that you stay connected even if one of these fail you. Having a good smart phone (even if you are not all that tech savvy) with a dependable network is crucial. Even if your system fails you, you will still have access to email, Skype and other forms of communication tools on your smart phone. It also helps you stay connected and in sync with what’s happening, even if you are physically away from your workstation. We know that a land phone is a little old school, but it is still worth investing in one, when you are setting up your office from home. It is important to have enough choices for communication, so in case one fails, there is another available and you are not insulated from the world of work!

5. Tools and Technology –

Going back to what we said in number four about not having the luxury of an IT department at your beck and call, it is absolutely mandatory for you to figure out all the tools and technology that you need. Start with a full proof data back-up system. Imagine your drive giving up on you, or your system crashing in the middle of something very important and you being left in a lurch! Use Cloud technologies (Read Five Ways the Cloud can rev up Operational Excellence for your Startup or Small Business) and make sure you sync your data as frequently as possible. In fact make it a habit to do that first thing in the morning and last thing as you wind up for the day. Create back up using a combination of three things – use mirrored drives such as RAID 1 to protect you in case of drive failures, program (or have it programmed) an internal disk for daily backups in case of a system crash, and of course online backup systems like Dropbox, Cloud or Google Drives. Technological advances have made the concept of a digital office so much more easier – there is a tool or app for almost anything. Delve into the online world for any area – be it collaboration, time management, social media – and there are so amazing tools available that can help improve your business productivity as an organization or as an individual. (Check a few of our favourite tools that have helped improve everyday performance and productivity here.)

6. Power Protection –

Wow! Who would have ever known how indispensable an IT and admin department is (who we always take for granted!) until we set up for work from home. Once again, you are your own resource when it comes to power back up. If you already have access to 24/7 power backup, thank your stars. If you don’t, invest in a dependable UPS and an inverter. If these options seem out of your budget, at least invest in a simple, but dependable UPS which at least gives you a few minutes to save your work and shut down safely if there is a black out!

7. Storage –

Apart from having ample storage space for your software, create options for storing all the paper work, files, books, etc., that are definitely going to pile up. It probably isn’t a great idea to wake up to (which you will, because now you don’t have an office to go to) piles of papers and files strewn around your workstation (even if you aren’t a neat freak). Also, remember that since you now work out of home, you clean your own mess, there isn’t anyone else who is going to be helping you with that. Plan for some basic, built storage spaces and invest in some file organizers and other stationary to keep your paperwork organized (we are starting to sound like real consumerists here!). You would be spoilt for choice when you browse the office stationary section on Amazon, we are sure!

8. To do list/ Planner –

We don’t know if you are crazy about stationary items like we are at Oorja Biz Ops, but being stocked on stationary should definitely be a priority when you are setting up your workstation at home. Apart from the regular supplies of pens, pencils, stapler, et al, get a planner for yourself or big enough sticky notes for writing down your everyday to-do lists. Having a planner or a to do list helps you pursue your day in a coherent way and gives you an idea about how much you were able to accomplish as against what you had planned for yourself. It is also important to set realistic goals which you can actually accomplish, and not just make a list of everything that’s on your mind and feel guilty for not having done enough, at the end of the day. If you are a fan of apps, well go back to point 5, there are tons of free/freemium apps for productivity to help you get things done.

9. Vision Board –

A great way to keep yourself inspired. Create or buy a pin board and turn it into your very own personal vision board. Pin up your ambitions, long-term or/and short-term goals, any quotes or photographs that inspire you and definitely a graph of how you see yourself growing in your career over the next few months/years (which you are of course free to keep adapting and editing as you move along). We’d recommend keeping the vision board as career oriented as possible so that it minimizes other distractions. For example, maybe putting up a picture of your dog who is no more with you would only pull you down on a bad day, not motivate or inspire you. Make you vision board your personal ‘feel good’ or motivation corner.

10. Small Luxuries –

What is the use of working from home if you don’t get to enjoy some of the most coveted advantages? Entitle yourself to small luxuries like a coffee machine, a neck pillow, maybe even a music system to help you relax when you are taking breaks. Make the process fun by bringing in small things that would make you happy and look forward to getting up to work every day. If you love flowers, have flowers at your workstation. Have a well-stocked small refrigerator in the room. Maybe even a secret stash of chocolates so you reward yourself when you feel you’ve done a good job. And perhaps, the uninhibited access to your pet’s attention because that is what makes all the difference at times!

The kind of work environment you create is a reflection of yourself. Put some effort into making your workspace at home a dedicated work zone, with minimum distractions. By minimum distractions we don’t mean dull and boring, make it as colorful and quirky as you wish but all those quirks should motivate you to be productive and creative, not distract you. When you choose the option to work from home, you make a conscious choice which comes with the two embedded qualities of dedication and sincerity. While it is important to be focused on your work and set aside all the distractions you may have while working from home, it is equally important to not let yourself get too absorbed by the work. When you start working from home full-time, you might start pushing yourself more than you would be, were you a regular office goer. Make sure you see enough of sunshine and have enough human contact to help preserve your sanity and health!

Note: At OBOlinx Tech, we provide flexible work from home option for our team. We have experienced firsthand the advantages and disadvantages of working in this mode both as an employer and as an employee. With clear goal settings, a strong process framework, much patience, some discipline and a steady flow of two-way communication, we KNOW this business model can work and is here to stay. This is the future of work and the future is already here.

We hoped you enjoyed reading this as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you. Do you work from home as well? What are some of the essentials to start working from home you absolutely cannot function without? Do you a question or problem that you need our help on? We’d love to hear from you!

Need more information on the latest telecommuting trends ? Download the free PGi Global Telework Survey report here to learn more about:

The rise of the teleworker, including the top technologies and alternative workspaces enabling them to work outside the office;
The global shift in knowledge worker demands, including the ideal flex schedule around the world;
And why, despite wanting to leave the cubicle, non-teleworkers haven’t left the office—yet.

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