You probably have heard these words before: “If you work for a man, for heaven’s sake work for him. If he supplies your wages, which supply you with bread, work for him. Speak well of him. Stand by him and stand by the institution he represents. If put in a pinch, an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness. If you must constantly argue, nullify, condemn and eternally disparage, resign your position; and when you are outside damn your heart’s content. For as long as you are part of an institution do not condemn it. If you do, you are loosening the tendons that are holding you to the institution: and the first high wind that comes along, you will be uprooted and blown away probably never knowing the reason why.”
What nuggets of truth these words are! They paint a picture of a subtle yet ‘deleterious’ crime against success at the workplace – negative talk.
According to a workmate of mine, even discussing the company you work for in nasty terms in a public place can do you in. “As a general rule,” he says, “if you think negatively about an organization, you likely shouldn’t be there.”
Another of those insalubrious firecrackers in the workplace is the usage of the office computer inappropriately. That means, say, surfing the Internet for pornography or using work time to cruise for information on any topic of a controversial nature. This is an easy exit strategy. Don’t exchange highly personal e-mails either. The good {or bad!} bit about the whole she-bang is that the company can track this and is probably tracking it.
Someone said: a change is as good as a rest. How true this maxim is, is debatable. Granted. When change looms large in the workplace and you cling to the way things have always been done you may be the next casualty. Change is a fact of life. If the same things are done over and over again and different results are expected then disappointment is inevitable.
If a new boss introduces change, it can be especially intimidating. But once the dust settles in the new boss’ wake most of the changes may prove beneficial. In fact, the problems you faced under the old boss usually right themselves once the new boss takes full rein.
Every worker in the present competitive corporate job market is in constant dire need of instruction and correction. Position yourself as an expert who no longer needs instruction or correction, and you may earn yourself an indefinite sabbatical. No matter how senior you are, the expression “I don’t take courses any more – I give them” is a no-no. You can always learn new things.
Similarly, most employees often make the mistake of learning only those matters that directly relate to their own jobs. This is a myopic view of the company’s business and your role in it. You should interact with customers and suppliers, and pursue networking opportunities. {Networking is not just chitchat but an exchange of information that benefits all the parties involved.}. If this is not taken advantage of, then, someone else with a broader view may scoop all those opportunities that come your way. A rather sad story.
Informally or formally, every workplace dictates how employees should dress, what they can discuss in the canteen and how they should treat clients and colleagues. I personally add mine, which I believe have gone a long way in safeguarding me at the workplace:
· Know the culture and make it second nature.
· Clash as obviously as possible with your workplace culture and everyone will start to wonder why you’re there. What you stand for will not be apparent, as it ought to.
There are still some who refuse to admit mistakes and, like Bill Clinton, they could find themselves telling it to the judge. People are normally much less infuriated when you admit that you made a mistake and apologize. Employers are not amused when you deny, deny, deny and then, weeks later, relent and say, “Oh, yeah. Oh…sorry.” An apology would do a whole world of good.
Another one of the career-limiting moves is self-satisfaction. This means making a career plan and keeping your boss in the dark about it. This way you might find your engine shunted onto a siding.
Make your boss aware of the fact that you have goals and are working towards achieving them. Invent a strategy so you can work out what you can do for your company and how the company can help you achieve your goals. J.F. Kennedy once said: “Don’t ask what your country [read workplace} can do for you but rather what you can do for your country {!}. Definitely a million and one!
Furthermore, broaden your sphere of focus. If you stick to a narrow view of success while the company you work for changes, you might be headed for an early exit, without the retirement party.
Needless to say, criminal acts are not included as part of these career-limiting moves – they’re obviously inimical to the working environment. Neither are sexual or racial harassment, which as career-limiting moves go, are no-brainers.
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Monday, June 30, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Workplace Dilemma: Whom Should I turn to?
The workplace is a mixture of people from different backgrounds and mentalities; People who have the right to express themselves as their heads dictate to them (so long as they do not infringe on the workplace rules and ethics!).
The workplace, therefore, is a place where you’ll find people of different perceptions, levels of understanding and thinking coming together to make the workplace environment.
There are some people at the workplace who can stand on their own as far as making choices is concerned; there are others who have to depend on others to make choices for them. By making choices I mean deciding what to do and executing it. Those who depend on others to do the thinking for them most of the time do so unconsciously and unaware that what they’ve ‘decided’ to do is really another person’s bidding and choice for them.
Some matters that can and do warrant varied choices are such as:
• what kind of bank account one has to open (and what bank it should be),
• what kind of car (and colour) one has to acquire,
• what to do (and say) in different situations,
• what insurance cover to take for oneself and family,
• what kind of relationship to keep with people at the workplace,
• what attitude to have towards the administration (and what to make of the boss’ words and promises) and
• what courses to take to better one’s career prospects.
People who cannot make decisions on their own especially on the matters such as the ones listed above, usually depend on their counterparts at the workplace to do the deciding for them. And some ‘mentors’ approached, in a bid to be malicious, help their colleagues to make choices that will do them more harm than good.
My take: We should choose mentors carefully and should only resort to advice from second and third persons when we have depleted our own resources. We should learn to think on our feet: clearly, distinctly and precisely.
The workplace, therefore, is a place where you’ll find people of different perceptions, levels of understanding and thinking coming together to make the workplace environment.
There are some people at the workplace who can stand on their own as far as making choices is concerned; there are others who have to depend on others to make choices for them. By making choices I mean deciding what to do and executing it. Those who depend on others to do the thinking for them most of the time do so unconsciously and unaware that what they’ve ‘decided’ to do is really another person’s bidding and choice for them.
Some matters that can and do warrant varied choices are such as:
• what kind of bank account one has to open (and what bank it should be),
• what kind of car (and colour) one has to acquire,
• what to do (and say) in different situations,
• what insurance cover to take for oneself and family,
• what kind of relationship to keep with people at the workplace,
• what attitude to have towards the administration (and what to make of the boss’ words and promises) and
• what courses to take to better one’s career prospects.
People who cannot make decisions on their own especially on the matters such as the ones listed above, usually depend on their counterparts at the workplace to do the deciding for them. And some ‘mentors’ approached, in a bid to be malicious, help their colleagues to make choices that will do them more harm than good.
My take: We should choose mentors carefully and should only resort to advice from second and third persons when we have depleted our own resources. We should learn to think on our feet: clearly, distinctly and precisely.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
One-to-one: borrower and lender at the workplace
Your colleague at the workplace is short of cash. Going to the Accounts office for a salary advance is out of the question for he was there last week. He comes to you…
"Hi, bro, do you have a minute?" he says, his eyes searching your face.
"Sure, can I help you?" you say, putting your pen down to look at him.
"Well, I have a slight problem and I believe you can help a brother out."
You are all ears now as you half think – half guess what he is driving at and try to work out a reply. But as it were, he is a 'professional' at this game. He's done it so many times that he doesn't suffer from 'conscience pinch'.
"Lend me some cash; I'll pay you back at the end of the month," he blurts and, unflinchingly, waits for a response.
You've heard about him and how he 'handles' people's money. He's known for doing a moonlight flit the moment he senses someone is coming for their money.
As he stands there before you, with a woebegone expression on his face, you find yourself asking him "How much do you need?" against your will.
……….
Two months down the line and he still hasn't paid you. Everytime he sees you coming he pretends to be so busy and not able to see you. You pretend not to see him too. It is not because you don't want your money back but because you find it hard to 'face' him about it. You secretly wish there were a debt collector you could hire to do the murky job for you.
In the long run what started as an act of 'helping a bro in dire need' leaves so much to be desired as it creates a rift between two workmates.
There are so many guys who behave like our guy here (let's call him John). This sours so many relationships at our places of work.
These Johns don't give a hoot about good money sense: when you borrow money be sure to return it as soon as you should. There's nothing closer to a man's heart than his money. So when you play around with it (don't pay back in time) you are, in essence, doing yourself a disservice.
A disservice?! Yes, and rightly so. You'll need this guys help, either directly or indirectly, in future. And , I believe, you'll be in a better position if you don't burn the bridges you have crossed because you just don't know when you might need to use them again.
Having a savings account than a normal bank account is important as they come with homeowners insurance gurantee, something that neither miami home mortgage nor the pittsburgh mortgage loans can offer.
"Hi, bro, do you have a minute?" he says, his eyes searching your face.
"Sure, can I help you?" you say, putting your pen down to look at him.
"Well, I have a slight problem and I believe you can help a brother out."
You are all ears now as you half think – half guess what he is driving at and try to work out a reply. But as it were, he is a 'professional' at this game. He's done it so many times that he doesn't suffer from 'conscience pinch'.
"Lend me some cash; I'll pay you back at the end of the month," he blurts and, unflinchingly, waits for a response.
You've heard about him and how he 'handles' people's money. He's known for doing a moonlight flit the moment he senses someone is coming for their money.
As he stands there before you, with a woebegone expression on his face, you find yourself asking him "How much do you need?" against your will.
……….
Two months down the line and he still hasn't paid you. Everytime he sees you coming he pretends to be so busy and not able to see you. You pretend not to see him too. It is not because you don't want your money back but because you find it hard to 'face' him about it. You secretly wish there were a debt collector you could hire to do the murky job for you.
In the long run what started as an act of 'helping a bro in dire need' leaves so much to be desired as it creates a rift between two workmates.
There are so many guys who behave like our guy here (let's call him John). This sours so many relationships at our places of work.
These Johns don't give a hoot about good money sense: when you borrow money be sure to return it as soon as you should. There's nothing closer to a man's heart than his money. So when you play around with it (don't pay back in time) you are, in essence, doing yourself a disservice.
A disservice?! Yes, and rightly so. You'll need this guys help, either directly or indirectly, in future. And , I believe, you'll be in a better position if you don't burn the bridges you have crossed because you just don't know when you might need to use them again.
Having a savings account than a normal bank account is important as they come with homeowners insurance gurantee, something that neither miami home mortgage nor the pittsburgh mortgage loans can offer.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Implications of negative talk at the workplace
Aldous Huxley voices his mind with these words: “Thanks to words, we have been able to rise above the brutes; and thanks to words, we have often sunk to the level of the demons.”
Words have a lasting effect .They can either fortify and build up or uproot and dismantle that which has taken years of toil and moil to build .Talk of debasing to the level of the demons!
You have probably heard these words before: “If you work for a man ,for heaven’s sake work for him .If he supplies your wages which supply you with bread , work for him .Speak well of him and stand by the institution he represents .If put in a pinch , an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness .If you must constantly argue, nullify , condemn and eternally disparage , resign your position ; and when you are outside damn your hearts content .For as long as you are part of an institution do not condemn it .If you do, you are loosening the tendons that are holding you to the institution; and the first high wind that comes along , you will be uprooted and blown away probably never knowing the reason why.”
What nuggets of truth these words are! They paint a picture of a subtle yet ‘deleterious’ crime against success at the workplace – negative talk.
Even discussing the company you work for in nasty terms in a public place can do you in. “As a general rule , he says , “if you think negatively about an organisation , you likely shouldn’t be there.”
When you obdurately block your mind from perceiving the good that your boss, workplace, and fellow colleagues have to offer then negative talk is inevitable.
A sour attitude towards the boss and the workplace environment does not augur well with your success at the place of work. If the thought uppermost in your mind is ‘I want out’ it may be good to pause and ruminate over the nitty-gritty.What is your priority in this issue? That notwithstanding , wanting out may be a politic thing to do under the circumstances instead of wallowing in the miry bog of negative talk .The tentacles of negative talk have the intrinsic ability to constrict life out of other employees ; the life to work enthusiastically and consistently.
The boss may have done one or two things that really do not measure up to your definition of justice .. Be that as it may , no single man on this planet can boast of infallibility as one of his long suits . None.
Instead of broadcasting the boss’s mistake all over town and opening the can of worms right in front of anyone who lends a listening ear, it’s better to realise that no one is perfect. Everyone is in need of gracious forgiving most of the time.
Furthermore,you need the boss, as he is the top man in the corporate ladder , to help you channel your career efforts towards the acme of competence and proficiency.
Leave the boss out as a topic of discussion during your lunch time casual talk. Most of the time they are not as black as they are painted.
The workplace {working environment} has an imposing bearing on a person’s life : this is the place where one spends most of his waking hours.
When a person breeds disenchantment for the workplace in his heart he does an injustice to himself.
Acrid and acrimonious remarks about his job and the institution he stands for are not uncommon from such a person. Negative talk reeks from his every pore.
He laments about the blindness of the management to his continued service and the number of hours he puts in. He laments that a colleague who has only been on the job for a few months has a pay rise while he, who has been on the job for two years , received his first pay rise after one year. Unfair. Inconsiderate. Inhuman. Demoralizing. That’s what he calls the whole thing.
Anyone can be a negative talker if one is not careful with the words chosen to express ideas.
Negative talking at the workplace curtails progress and checks the faucet of enthusiastic action. It’s factory is the dark recess of people’s minds.
Here the seemingly harmless steam roller is set in motion . With it’s wake things that were just mole hills are magnified and blown out of proportion.
Proponents of negative talking can do with some advice: look upon your job as your life line; look upon your boss as a viable channel and by whose help you can rise up the ladder; take things in your stride and adopt acceptable of solving problems and settling differences; pause before you talk.
The words of the famous Samwel Langhorne Clemens {Mark Twain} ring true to us today : “The right word may be effective , but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.”
Words have a lasting effect .They can either fortify and build up or uproot and dismantle that which has taken years of toil and moil to build .Talk of debasing to the level of the demons!
You have probably heard these words before: “If you work for a man ,for heaven’s sake work for him .If he supplies your wages which supply you with bread , work for him .Speak well of him and stand by the institution he represents .If put in a pinch , an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness .If you must constantly argue, nullify , condemn and eternally disparage , resign your position ; and when you are outside damn your hearts content .For as long as you are part of an institution do not condemn it .If you do, you are loosening the tendons that are holding you to the institution; and the first high wind that comes along , you will be uprooted and blown away probably never knowing the reason why.”
What nuggets of truth these words are! They paint a picture of a subtle yet ‘deleterious’ crime against success at the workplace – negative talk.
Even discussing the company you work for in nasty terms in a public place can do you in. “As a general rule , he says , “if you think negatively about an organisation , you likely shouldn’t be there.”
When you obdurately block your mind from perceiving the good that your boss, workplace, and fellow colleagues have to offer then negative talk is inevitable.
A sour attitude towards the boss and the workplace environment does not augur well with your success at the place of work. If the thought uppermost in your mind is ‘I want out’ it may be good to pause and ruminate over the nitty-gritty.What is your priority in this issue? That notwithstanding , wanting out may be a politic thing to do under the circumstances instead of wallowing in the miry bog of negative talk .The tentacles of negative talk have the intrinsic ability to constrict life out of other employees ; the life to work enthusiastically and consistently.
The boss may have done one or two things that really do not measure up to your definition of justice .. Be that as it may , no single man on this planet can boast of infallibility as one of his long suits . None.
Instead of broadcasting the boss’s mistake all over town and opening the can of worms right in front of anyone who lends a listening ear, it’s better to realise that no one is perfect. Everyone is in need of gracious forgiving most of the time.
Furthermore,you need the boss, as he is the top man in the corporate ladder , to help you channel your career efforts towards the acme of competence and proficiency.
Leave the boss out as a topic of discussion during your lunch time casual talk. Most of the time they are not as black as they are painted.
The workplace {working environment} has an imposing bearing on a person’s life : this is the place where one spends most of his waking hours.
When a person breeds disenchantment for the workplace in his heart he does an injustice to himself.
Acrid and acrimonious remarks about his job and the institution he stands for are not uncommon from such a person. Negative talk reeks from his every pore.
He laments about the blindness of the management to his continued service and the number of hours he puts in. He laments that a colleague who has only been on the job for a few months has a pay rise while he, who has been on the job for two years , received his first pay rise after one year. Unfair. Inconsiderate. Inhuman. Demoralizing. That’s what he calls the whole thing.
Anyone can be a negative talker if one is not careful with the words chosen to express ideas.
Negative talking at the workplace curtails progress and checks the faucet of enthusiastic action. It’s factory is the dark recess of people’s minds.
Here the seemingly harmless steam roller is set in motion . With it’s wake things that were just mole hills are magnified and blown out of proportion.
Proponents of negative talking can do with some advice: look upon your job as your life line; look upon your boss as a viable channel and by whose help you can rise up the ladder; take things in your stride and adopt acceptable of solving problems and settling differences; pause before you talk.
The words of the famous Samwel Langhorne Clemens {Mark Twain} ring true to us today : “The right word may be effective , but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.”
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Rule of thumb at the workplace: don't be lazy
As I was reading the Bible sometime this week my eyes fell on a verse that set my heart pumping hard. My lips went dry as I tried to ruminate over
what I had just read.
The words in Proverbs 18:9 were very clear in my mind:
"He who is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys."
(Slack means not willing to work/lazy/not work well/slothful)
These are the very words in the verse that I read. (My aim is not to preach here but to give you insights of how we should conduct ourselves at the workplace to maximize what we have worked for so hard).
The words hit me like a thunderbolt. Why? Well, I have been guilty of being slack in my work sometimes. I know you have too. The writing on the wall is clear: if you are lazy or slothful then there is no difference between you and a person who destroys or wastes.
The more we 'encourage' ourselves to be slack and lazy by camouflaging this stark reality in well-meaning words and clichés such as 'relaxing', 'all work with no play makes Jack a dull boy', and 'entertainment' then we're distancing ourselves from the brass tacks of the game. Therefore, the first high wind that comes will destroy our ship. A ship that has, maybe, taken years of toil and moil to build.
People who are slack will generally find that they have so much time on their hands to do other things but the work they ought to plan for and do. They are time wasters. We must never forget that time is one of the most priceless things that all people possess in equal measure. What sets people apart is how they utilise the time they have.
How do you use your time? How do you use your working time? Do you steal time from your employer? (This gives laziness a 'legal' hold on us). Do you always give flimsy reasons for not achieving what is expected of you? If so, outline the reasons and try to find out why you give those reasons. You'll be surprised at how some of these reasons are puerile.
Our vision is clear in our minds. We want to achieve a higher high and sharpen our unique 'stocks-in-trade'. But we've got to set things in clear perspective before we think of anything else.
We should learn how to manage the time at our disposal and make sure that we measure work output against the backdrop of the time we've used to do it. This way we'll curb time wastage and be on our way to better workplace performance.
As a bottomline, when work is a pleasure , life is a joy! When work is duty, life is slavery.
(If you are reading this particular blog article on stolen time, please get ways and means of compensating for the stolen time – I am serious!)
Before making an investment in an orlando investment property, make sure you know about credit card processing and that your dues o washington mortgage loans as well as home and renters insurance is all paid.
what I had just read.
The words in Proverbs 18:9 were very clear in my mind:
"He who is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys."
(Slack means not willing to work/lazy/not work well/slothful)
These are the very words in the verse that I read. (My aim is not to preach here but to give you insights of how we should conduct ourselves at the workplace to maximize what we have worked for so hard).
The words hit me like a thunderbolt. Why? Well, I have been guilty of being slack in my work sometimes. I know you have too. The writing on the wall is clear: if you are lazy or slothful then there is no difference between you and a person who destroys or wastes.
The more we 'encourage' ourselves to be slack and lazy by camouflaging this stark reality in well-meaning words and clichés such as 'relaxing', 'all work with no play makes Jack a dull boy', and 'entertainment' then we're distancing ourselves from the brass tacks of the game. Therefore, the first high wind that comes will destroy our ship. A ship that has, maybe, taken years of toil and moil to build.
People who are slack will generally find that they have so much time on their hands to do other things but the work they ought to plan for and do. They are time wasters. We must never forget that time is one of the most priceless things that all people possess in equal measure. What sets people apart is how they utilise the time they have.
How do you use your time? How do you use your working time? Do you steal time from your employer? (This gives laziness a 'legal' hold on us). Do you always give flimsy reasons for not achieving what is expected of you? If so, outline the reasons and try to find out why you give those reasons. You'll be surprised at how some of these reasons are puerile.
Our vision is clear in our minds. We want to achieve a higher high and sharpen our unique 'stocks-in-trade'. But we've got to set things in clear perspective before we think of anything else.
We should learn how to manage the time at our disposal and make sure that we measure work output against the backdrop of the time we've used to do it. This way we'll curb time wastage and be on our way to better workplace performance.
As a bottomline, when work is a pleasure , life is a joy! When work is duty, life is slavery.
(If you are reading this particular blog article on stolen time, please get ways and means of compensating for the stolen time – I am serious!)
Before making an investment in an orlando investment property, make sure you know about credit card processing and that your dues o washington mortgage loans as well as home and renters insurance is all paid.
Monday, June 16, 2008
The Condescending Workmate
I believe you have ever met some of those. Yeah, those employees who think they are better or more important than everybody else in the office.
They feel that by greeting you or co-operating with you in accomplishing a certain piece of work, they will have done you a great favour. They feel that you should feel overly privileged if you are lucky enough to stand together with them or to share a word with them at close proximity.
When they extend their hands for a handshake (with people they least regard), their hands are as limp as limp could be! It makes one wonder why they ever extended their hands in the first place.
They are always in a hurry. This is so especially when they espy people they deem to be ‘the worthless fellows’ afar off.
When they pass this group, they look aside and turn their noses in a manner aimed at suggesting that they are disgusted to be sharing the office with you. They just wish that the office was full of their type!
The reasons for this condescension by these workmates are, but not limited to:-
1. They feel they are better educated than their colleagues in the office.
They ask themselves, “How can a Masters holder like I work in the same space with a Certificate holder?”
Though job descriptions are totally different, they are not satisfied to share the workplace with people who are not as well qualified as themselves.
2. They feel that, because they have direct access to the boss, the rest of their colleagues can simply go to hell on foot. They simply don’t need their colleagues (so they think).
3. They feel that, because they receive commendations for their work, then they are better than those guys who don’t receive the same. This, in the long run, causes them to adopt the behaviour of these other kinds of employees
Do you have these kinds of colleagues at the office?
They feel that by greeting you or co-operating with you in accomplishing a certain piece of work, they will have done you a great favour. They feel that you should feel overly privileged if you are lucky enough to stand together with them or to share a word with them at close proximity.
When they extend their hands for a handshake (with people they least regard), their hands are as limp as limp could be! It makes one wonder why they ever extended their hands in the first place.
They are always in a hurry. This is so especially when they espy people they deem to be ‘the worthless fellows’ afar off.
When they pass this group, they look aside and turn their noses in a manner aimed at suggesting that they are disgusted to be sharing the office with you. They just wish that the office was full of their type!
The reasons for this condescension by these workmates are, but not limited to:-
1. They feel they are better educated than their colleagues in the office.
They ask themselves, “How can a Masters holder like I work in the same space with a Certificate holder?”
Though job descriptions are totally different, they are not satisfied to share the workplace with people who are not as well qualified as themselves.
2. They feel that, because they have direct access to the boss, the rest of their colleagues can simply go to hell on foot. They simply don’t need their colleagues (so they think).
3. They feel that, because they receive commendations for their work, then they are better than those guys who don’t receive the same. This, in the long run, causes them to adopt the behaviour of these other kinds of employees
Do you have these kinds of colleagues at the office?
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Disclosure Policy
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.
This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. We believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.
The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers’ own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.
This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. We believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.
The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers’ own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.
The Nagging Workplace colleague
There are some people I know who would give their eye teeth to have a peaceful workplace aura. But that is far from what they get. They go to their offices early so as to be away from their ‘nagging’ wives or ‘bugging’ husbands (as some of them put it) but what they receive in return is a virtual slap on the face.
The moment they take their seats (and before their workstations start burring and rearing for action), the odd employee is there at their desks, their mouths ready for action.
“You know something, dude,” they start, “last evening, I saw the HR manager at the restaurant downtown with that gorgeous receptionist.”
You start looking puzzled asking yourself where you fit in all this. Before the thoughts finish their circuitous run of the breadth of your brain, he edges closer to your ear. And with a sly smile playing on the edge of his lower lip, he whispers:
“The two were locked in a very compromising embrace. You know, if the wife of the HR manager knows that his hubby has a fling with any other woman apart from herself, she’ll be very livid.”
Your mind is now about to blow up due to this unsolicited intrusion on your most productive time of the day. Almost instantly you remember that there is that report you have to hand in before the end of the day. There is also that massive amount of data that you have to fill into Microsoft Excel.
“Enough is enough!” your mind screams threateningly.
You turn to him, and in spite of yourself, you literally take him by the scruff of the neck and order him to leave your desk for you have other fish to fry.
As you embark on your work, you keep asking yourself how such individuals accomplish their work given the strict deadlines at the office. You just wonder…
The moment they take their seats (and before their workstations start burring and rearing for action), the odd employee is there at their desks, their mouths ready for action.
“You know something, dude,” they start, “last evening, I saw the HR manager at the restaurant downtown with that gorgeous receptionist.”
You start looking puzzled asking yourself where you fit in all this. Before the thoughts finish their circuitous run of the breadth of your brain, he edges closer to your ear. And with a sly smile playing on the edge of his lower lip, he whispers:
“The two were locked in a very compromising embrace. You know, if the wife of the HR manager knows that his hubby has a fling with any other woman apart from herself, she’ll be very livid.”
Your mind is now about to blow up due to this unsolicited intrusion on your most productive time of the day. Almost instantly you remember that there is that report you have to hand in before the end of the day. There is also that massive amount of data that you have to fill into Microsoft Excel.
“Enough is enough!” your mind screams threateningly.
You turn to him, and in spite of yourself, you literally take him by the scruff of the neck and order him to leave your desk for you have other fish to fry.
As you embark on your work, you keep asking yourself how such individuals accomplish their work given the strict deadlines at the office. You just wonder…
Monday, June 09, 2008
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Hi. Pliz check out our sister blog: ritch-african.blogspot.com
The whole production team needs to hear from you guys out there.
See you.
Hi. Pliz check out our sister blog: ritch-african.blogspot.com
The whole production team needs to hear from you guys out there.
See you.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
OFFICE ROMANCE: AFFAIRS AT THE WORKPLACE
Contrary to conventional wisdom, and despite the danger of sexual harassment, there’s a lot of loving going on in the office. The warming of the workplace reflects a much more wide-scale upheaval in the ways we work. Given endless workweeks, the reclaiming of emotional wholeness, and a new ideal of love as partnership, it makes a lot of sense to a lot of people – except the human resources department! In an age full of disclosure, it may be wise, anyway, to meet under fluorescent light than candlelight.
Most offices are awash in romance today. According to several recent studies, about 80 percent of employees have either observed or been in a romantic relationship at their workplace.
Cell phone messages are the order of the day: “Don forget our 6pm date at Rose Garden, Mikocheni” or “Your luscious lips make me go nuts. I need a taste of them this evening at 7pm. Name the place. Your wish is my command”.
‘Inadvertent’ pats on the bottoms, as they pass one another, are sometimes entertained to drive the point ‘we’ve-got-something-running-between-us’ home.
The rendezvous is set to be in a down town motel later in the evening. No one seeing them in the motel would even allow the thought that the two are boss and employee. They would only fit in the description of a happy couple; husband and wife. Pats on the back, pecks on the cheeks and lips and luscious chinwags, that cause paroxysms of laughter, grace their evening date.
Most of their tea and lunch breaks are spent in the Internet café that is a stone throw away from their place of work; or even send emails to each other from the office.
There are incidences of female bosses seducing their junior male employees just for the fun of it or to satiate their wild lusts. Such male employees are pampered and mollycoddled by this female power that hovers over them. They lose their sense of authority and in effect relinquish their power of reasoning to manipulation.
There is a case of a certain junior clerk who had a blooming affair with his female boss. The boss is the one who had brought the essential spark onto the scene. She had blown the spark into a flame and fanned the flames into a roaring fire. It had been a steady love affair and would have grown into something even more ‘sinister’ had it not been for the knowledge of his wife. She was devastated that all this time something of such gargantuan proportions had been going on behind her back.
She filed for a divorce because of her husband’s ‘nyumba ndogo’ {what they call a man’s mistress in Tanzania}.
In Tanzania this is a common scenario. Office affairs are extended to the home front. These affairs become a way of life thus staining the credibility of family unity and solidarity.
A worker who is a proponent of this lascivious system, of entertaining an affair with the boss, appears untouchable and may intimidate fellow colleagues. It goes without saying that if such state of affairs is vetoed by the high and mighty in the corporate ladder then rottenness pervades the very heart of the system that they claim to stand for.
There’s no denying that some office affairs have given birth to relationships that led to marriage. Employees who have such office affairs appear contented may show in the optimistic stand they hold and satisfactory work output.
Be that as it may, for any organization aspiring to be effective in these days of corporate and social responsibity, moral cleanliness is like two sides of a coin. It would never be a coin without either of the two sides. Bosses and leaders should be epitomes of a moral perfection, which the juniors can resonate with.
Bosses should try to maintain platonic relationships with the employees and juniors. Prurient discussions and gestures should not be entertained between employer and employee; unless, of course, the employee is your wife. And even then, the privacy of the home is the best place to propagate such a front.
To sum up, everyday it behooves us to do something that will inch towards a better tomorrow. A better workplace environment and better, healthier relationships at the workplace will guarantee a triumphant entry into our destiny.
Most offices are awash in romance today. According to several recent studies, about 80 percent of employees have either observed or been in a romantic relationship at their workplace.
Cell phone messages are the order of the day: “Don forget our 6pm date at Rose Garden, Mikocheni” or “Your luscious lips make me go nuts. I need a taste of them this evening at 7pm. Name the place. Your wish is my command”.
‘Inadvertent’ pats on the bottoms, as they pass one another, are sometimes entertained to drive the point ‘we’ve-got-something-running-between-us’ home.
The rendezvous is set to be in a down town motel later in the evening. No one seeing them in the motel would even allow the thought that the two are boss and employee. They would only fit in the description of a happy couple; husband and wife. Pats on the back, pecks on the cheeks and lips and luscious chinwags, that cause paroxysms of laughter, grace their evening date.
Most of their tea and lunch breaks are spent in the Internet café that is a stone throw away from their place of work; or even send emails to each other from the office.
There are incidences of female bosses seducing their junior male employees just for the fun of it or to satiate their wild lusts. Such male employees are pampered and mollycoddled by this female power that hovers over them. They lose their sense of authority and in effect relinquish their power of reasoning to manipulation.
There is a case of a certain junior clerk who had a blooming affair with his female boss. The boss is the one who had brought the essential spark onto the scene. She had blown the spark into a flame and fanned the flames into a roaring fire. It had been a steady love affair and would have grown into something even more ‘sinister’ had it not been for the knowledge of his wife. She was devastated that all this time something of such gargantuan proportions had been going on behind her back.
She filed for a divorce because of her husband’s ‘nyumba ndogo’ {what they call a man’s mistress in Tanzania}.
In Tanzania this is a common scenario. Office affairs are extended to the home front. These affairs become a way of life thus staining the credibility of family unity and solidarity.
A worker who is a proponent of this lascivious system, of entertaining an affair with the boss, appears untouchable and may intimidate fellow colleagues. It goes without saying that if such state of affairs is vetoed by the high and mighty in the corporate ladder then rottenness pervades the very heart of the system that they claim to stand for.
There’s no denying that some office affairs have given birth to relationships that led to marriage. Employees who have such office affairs appear contented may show in the optimistic stand they hold and satisfactory work output.
Be that as it may, for any organization aspiring to be effective in these days of corporate and social responsibity, moral cleanliness is like two sides of a coin. It would never be a coin without either of the two sides. Bosses and leaders should be epitomes of a moral perfection, which the juniors can resonate with.
Bosses should try to maintain platonic relationships with the employees and juniors. Prurient discussions and gestures should not be entertained between employer and employee; unless, of course, the employee is your wife. And even then, the privacy of the home is the best place to propagate such a front.
To sum up, everyday it behooves us to do something that will inch towards a better tomorrow. A better workplace environment and better, healthier relationships at the workplace will guarantee a triumphant entry into our destiny.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Of Employees Who Curry Favour With Their Bosses
There is this breed of people who just irk me: employees who tend to curry favour with their bosses!
I have had my fair share of trouble with such guys and I admit it has not been easy for me to come to terms with this weird inclination of theirs.
In any organization , enterprise or work place there are two types of employees. One group tries to distance themselves from the powers that be, the boss. The employees in the other group try as much as they can to be recognized by the boss. A nod or smile from the boss sends ripples of excitement and enthusiasm down their persons.
They paste a woe be gone sulk on their faces when not recognized or when something is not done about the suggestions they put across in the last meeting. When we talk of being recognized it is not just by any Tom, Dick and Harry but by, as they put it, ‘the ones who matter’.
Employees of this strain and nature are so rife in our work places, in Africa and the world over. In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for instance, such kind of employees would be called ‘wanaojifagilia’ {those who seek favours by trying to prove how expedient they are}.
Their joy is full when they stand out in the crowd of employees and their names mentioned fondly over coffee by the bosses. That’s where their efforts gravitate towards.
Take for instance, in most organizations and workplaces there are eight stipulated working hours. Our do-gooders will put in an extra hour ‘finishing some piece of work’ or ‘writing that report needed on the MD’s desk by Friday evening’ or something as far-fetched as, say, ‘photocopying all the documents in my department. Anything may happen, you know’.
Their clever pretexts are camouflaged in ostentatious amounts of hard work. Their aim is nothing more than to show that they are hard workers. That’s their trump card.
‘If only you had the commitment shown by so and so…’ becomes a crystallized phrase used by the boss in meetings. Their output becomes the yard stick by which fellow workers’ efforts are judged.
They tend to tip the balance of the management’s decision to their own favour; they have proved they are committed and can ‘deliver the goods’.
Some employees will cash in on this situation. To gain a firmer grip on the manager’s confidence, they gradually start reporting on fellow workers’ escapades and ‘behaviour’ at the workplace.
These may range from comments about the boss to the quality of the tea and writing paper to the ‘horrible’ salary scales. Practically anything that would guarantee their sail into the boss’ good books would do for them.
Things start happening. People are demoted, some fired, and memos start flying onto virtually every desk . Anyone who ‘inadvertently yawns’ in the presence of the self- conscripted mole feels the heat.
Some guys I talked to are of the opinion that people who curry favour with their managers have so much they are hiding under the façade of working hard. Some people do as little as possible, when not being watched, because they are lazy and do not think they are paid enough. Some work hard only when they are being watched. Some complain endlessly about the conditions of work or have mean attitudes towards their bosses.
Fellow workers who get wind of the goings-on nurture an acrimonious attitude against such colleagues. Unity at the work place is sacrificed on the altar of indifference.
This portends a devastating end in the long term. Work output fluctuates and employees turnover inconsistency has a stem rollers effect on their morale and potential.
The status quo should be remedied before things get out of hand. For any organization to succeed then, the leaders and followers{read employees} are to follow certain ethics that will guarantee corporate satisfaction.
Leaders are created, shaped and highly dependent on their followers. The two are not isolated entities; they exist in a mutual, reciprocal relationship by which each moulds, shapes and gives rise to the other.
The frontline worker is accountable. The executive VP occupies a followership role to the CEO and the CEO is in a followership position to the board of directors. Even exemplary leaders, at times, must function as followers.
So, it means the employees in any company shape it. This is because they create and shape their leaders who in turn chart out their course of action.
Employees who curry favour with their bosses will not create and shape the right type of leaders. This only follows logically.
Robust followers, employees who are secure enough to not need to curry favour and behave sycophantly, feel at ease with their managers and are comfortable with their own independent thinking and assertive behaviour. They engage in constructive debate and offer valuable feed back about their boss’ managerial style, broadening the manager’s conceptual perspective and sharpening his/her leadership skills.
In addition, robust followers, can relate themselves and their roles to the ‘bigger picture’ of how the overall organization functions, and do not experience themselves as merely an isolated cog in a lone wheel.
The spirit of a true champion should be championed for at our workplaces. Champions do not propose to be considered as champions. What they do does the talking for them.
The once lily-white fabric of the conventional workplace aura should be allowed to start gleaming and shining once more instead of dilly-dallying and wasting time in fruitless pursuits.
I have had my fair share of trouble with such guys and I admit it has not been easy for me to come to terms with this weird inclination of theirs.
In any organization , enterprise or work place there are two types of employees. One group tries to distance themselves from the powers that be, the boss. The employees in the other group try as much as they can to be recognized by the boss. A nod or smile from the boss sends ripples of excitement and enthusiasm down their persons.
They paste a woe be gone sulk on their faces when not recognized or when something is not done about the suggestions they put across in the last meeting. When we talk of being recognized it is not just by any Tom, Dick and Harry but by, as they put it, ‘the ones who matter’.
Employees of this strain and nature are so rife in our work places, in Africa and the world over. In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for instance, such kind of employees would be called ‘wanaojifagilia’ {those who seek favours by trying to prove how expedient they are}.
Their joy is full when they stand out in the crowd of employees and their names mentioned fondly over coffee by the bosses. That’s where their efforts gravitate towards.
Take for instance, in most organizations and workplaces there are eight stipulated working hours. Our do-gooders will put in an extra hour ‘finishing some piece of work’ or ‘writing that report needed on the MD’s desk by Friday evening’ or something as far-fetched as, say, ‘photocopying all the documents in my department. Anything may happen, you know’.
Their clever pretexts are camouflaged in ostentatious amounts of hard work. Their aim is nothing more than to show that they are hard workers. That’s their trump card.
‘If only you had the commitment shown by so and so…’ becomes a crystallized phrase used by the boss in meetings. Their output becomes the yard stick by which fellow workers’ efforts are judged.
They tend to tip the balance of the management’s decision to their own favour; they have proved they are committed and can ‘deliver the goods’.
Some employees will cash in on this situation. To gain a firmer grip on the manager’s confidence, they gradually start reporting on fellow workers’ escapades and ‘behaviour’ at the workplace.
These may range from comments about the boss to the quality of the tea and writing paper to the ‘horrible’ salary scales. Practically anything that would guarantee their sail into the boss’ good books would do for them.
Things start happening. People are demoted, some fired, and memos start flying onto virtually every desk . Anyone who ‘inadvertently yawns’ in the presence of the self- conscripted mole feels the heat.
Some guys I talked to are of the opinion that people who curry favour with their managers have so much they are hiding under the façade of working hard. Some people do as little as possible, when not being watched, because they are lazy and do not think they are paid enough. Some work hard only when they are being watched. Some complain endlessly about the conditions of work or have mean attitudes towards their bosses.
Fellow workers who get wind of the goings-on nurture an acrimonious attitude against such colleagues. Unity at the work place is sacrificed on the altar of indifference.
This portends a devastating end in the long term. Work output fluctuates and employees turnover inconsistency has a stem rollers effect on their morale and potential.
The status quo should be remedied before things get out of hand. For any organization to succeed then, the leaders and followers{read employees} are to follow certain ethics that will guarantee corporate satisfaction.
Leaders are created, shaped and highly dependent on their followers. The two are not isolated entities; they exist in a mutual, reciprocal relationship by which each moulds, shapes and gives rise to the other.
The frontline worker is accountable. The executive VP occupies a followership role to the CEO and the CEO is in a followership position to the board of directors. Even exemplary leaders, at times, must function as followers.
So, it means the employees in any company shape it. This is because they create and shape their leaders who in turn chart out their course of action.
Employees who curry favour with their bosses will not create and shape the right type of leaders. This only follows logically.
Robust followers, employees who are secure enough to not need to curry favour and behave sycophantly, feel at ease with their managers and are comfortable with their own independent thinking and assertive behaviour. They engage in constructive debate and offer valuable feed back about their boss’ managerial style, broadening the manager’s conceptual perspective and sharpening his/her leadership skills.
In addition, robust followers, can relate themselves and their roles to the ‘bigger picture’ of how the overall organization functions, and do not experience themselves as merely an isolated cog in a lone wheel.
The spirit of a true champion should be championed for at our workplaces. Champions do not propose to be considered as champions. What they do does the talking for them.
The once lily-white fabric of the conventional workplace aura should be allowed to start gleaming and shining once more instead of dilly-dallying and wasting time in fruitless pursuits.
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