10 Ways to Communicate Better at Work

Communication is arguably one of the most important business skills, no matter what your industry. Yet so many of us haven't been trained in how to communicate with co-workers and clients. Here are some tips to help you become a better communicator:

By Lindsay Olson | U.S.News & World Report LP

1. Listen

Most of us are terrible listeners. Instead of truly listening to what the person is saying, we interrupt, prepare our response, or think we already know what the speaker is going to say next. It's impossible to understand what someone needs or wants if we don't give them our undivided attention.

2. Pay attention to body language

Body language can tell you just as much as what a person says, if not more. Observe how they act when they talk. Is your co-worker saying she can meet a deadline, but wringing her hands while she says it? She might be afraid to tell you it will be hard to make the due date.

3. Consider communication preference

Not everyone likes to communicate the same way. Email works for some, but others would rather pick up the phone and talk, text, or even use social media or instant messaging to relay something. Respect the person you're trying to contact and use the method she seems to prefer. If you've called a client several times and always get her voicemail, but she's always quick to respond to email, switch to email instead.

4. Consider your tone

The problem with email and social media is that it can be difficult to determine the tone. You may mean something as a joke, but if it comes off pushy or angry, you could cause an unintended reaction from the recipient. Make sure your language is clear, and if you are angry, take a few minutes to cool down before you type. Better yet, meet in person so nothing is misconstrued.

5. Don't be too casual

Getting along with your work colleagues can help you do your job better, but don't take it too far in your communication on the job. Keep the cursing for after hours, and make sure your emails, meetings, and phone calls are professional. Being too casual on the job may make others feel uncomfortable.

6. Check your grammar

Spell check is your best friend on the job. Always proofread anything you type--be it an email, Tweet, or letter. If you're not great at catching errors, ask someone else to proof it for you.

7. Keep criticism constructive

If you manage others, you want them to do their best. Work to ensure your comments aren't emotionally charged, and that the person you're speaking with grasps what you're trying to say when giving feedback. Provide positive reinforcement when a job is well-done, and find ways to add in tips for improvement without being "that boss."

8. Restate what you hear

Rephrasing what your co-worker or boss says to you by repeating the important points shows you are listening and understand what you were told. It gives both parties a chance to clarify if there is any confusion, and by repeating it, you'll remember.

9. Get a little personal

People let their guards down when you talk about their lives outside of work. Ask about a co-worker's kid's soccer tournament. Find ways to interact on a personal level without going too far. You'll go a long way toward building trust.

10. Never stop improving

Effective communication is a skill you must practice. Observe how others respond to your communication to clue you in on areas for improvement.

Source: 10 Ways to Communicate Better at Work

How to Get the Maximum out of Your Employees

A conducive work environment is one in which all the varied employees work in unison, to achieve the common goal of overall success.

MensXP.com – Wed 22 Aug, 2012 4:05 PM IST

As an employer, you need to learn some tricks in order to generate the maximum output out of your workforce.

1. Each Employee is Different

Although it is extremely common to view the employees as a collective workforce, paying attention to their individuality will help boost output in the long run. As an employer, you should celebrate their uniqueness and develop a transparent communication system addressing their needs, expectations and requirements. Although it is your duty to treat every employee equally, take care not to treat them partially. This will only spite discord among them.

2. Manage Expectations

If you desire to attain maximum benefits out of your hardworking employees, then you should be vigilant enough to lay out your expectations at the very start of the project. Maintaining such transparency with your team will bring everyone up to speed with the current design of things. This will remove chances of miscommunication among employees, in terms of assigned expectations.

3. Provide Challenging Environment

A dynamic work environment is highly conducive to fostering the maximum output of your employees. Creating a strict work environment will only let the monotony sink in. A peppy yet professional workplace is the best way to harness creative inputs and put them to fruitful use.

4. Provide Incentives

Every employee likes some form of appreciation from the management. While monetary incentives are a great way to motivate the team to work harder, it cannot always be the most feasible choice for organizations. Apart from monetary appreciation, you could provide verbal encouragement and offer perks like conveyance reimbursements and gourmet lunches. An incentive-laden environment is good for inducing some healthy competition and getting the creative juices flowing.

5. Foster Strength and Manage Weaknesses

As their professional superior, it is your responsibility to push the employees to do better. This means evaluating everyone’s strengths and weaknesses and aiding them accordingly. Leverage the strengths of your employees to productive use and improve upon their weaknesses to accelerate the output and interpersonal relationships as well.

6. Don’t be Afraid to Fire Employees

As an employer, it is your sole duty to preserve the productive nature of your work environment. This means that you have every right to remove any incompatible element, if need be. Don’t be afraid to let go of your unproductive staff. When workplace harmony is the prime objective, there is nothing wrong in firing employees in order to preserve it. You never know, they might be grateful to you, for ushering them into a better direction in their respective careers.

Being an employer, you wield immense responsibilities in aiding the workforce to do better and by following the suggested tips, you shall be able to enjoy the maximum returns.

Source: How to Get the Maximum out of Your Employees

7 Simple Ways to Relieve Stress Now

By Jane Porter | Entrepreneur

In 2010, eight years into running her tutoring company, Ann Peaslee was reaching a breaking point. She was taking care of her ailing mother while trying to meet the demands of her business, Lehigh Valley, Pa.-based P.R.E.P. LLC. The web designer she'd hired wasn't following through on plans and Peaslee's ads weren't generating as much business as she'd anticipated. Then, one night during a thunderstorm, her house got struck by lightning, knocking out her business phone line.

To cope with the stress and keep focused, Peaslee began what she calls a "walk and talk" at least once a week. She walked the neighborhood streets with a friend for an hour and talked through whatever had been bothering her. "You are getting rid of your anxiety by just getting it out," she says. "It puts you back in the right perspective."

Incorporating a stress relief routine in your workday requires time and effort. But here are seven quick and easy techniques that may work for you:

1.    Count your breath. Taking deep breaths and lengthening your exhale relative to your inhale will calm your sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for triggering your fight or flight response, says Timothy McCall, author of Yoga As Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing (Bantam, 2007). Counting the length of your inhale and exhale and gradually lengthening how long you take to exhale will help counter this stress response. If you take four seconds to inhale, for example, work to lengthen your exhale so that it lasts eight seconds. While every person's breath count will be different, taking 10 breaths like this can help calm your mind and body.

2.    Sing it out. If sitting quietly and counting your breaths sounds impossible or unappealing, you can sing or hum to achieve a similar effect. When you sing or hum, you are naturally lengthening your exhale, which will slow your breathing and help calm you, McCall says. Be sure to breathe in and out of your nose as you do this. If the idea of singing or humming in the office seems silly, do it in your car on the way to work.

3.    Drink more water. When your hydration level drops by even 2 percent, your ability to do simple math and make decisions is disrupted, says Mike Collins, founder of the Perfect Workday, a Raleigh, N.C., company that focuses on workplace effectiveness. "The more hydrated you stay, the better you think." Try keeping a pint-sized container of water by your desk that you refill three or four times a day.

4.    Do a body scan. Redirecting your focus away from your worries and toward your physical body for a minute or two can help alleviate stress, says Andy Puddicombe, a former Buddhist monk and co-founder of Headspace, a U.K.-based company that teaches meditation and mindfulness techniques to business professionals. Close your eyes and take half a minute to do a mental scan of your body starting at the top of the head. Notice the sensation of your feet on the floor, your body in your chair and your hands on the desk. Repeat this scan two or three times. Rather than being stuck in your loop of worries, you're turning your attention to the sensations of your body. "By shifting the focus to physical senses, you are stepping out of the thinking mind and bringing the mind into the body, which immediately has a calming effect," Puddicombe says.

5.    Keep vacation photos handy. Another way to escape from stressful thoughts is to keep vacation photos or postcards nearby. When you feel stressed, look at an image for a moment, close your eyes and try to imagine all the sensations you were feeling in that place--what you saw, smelled, felt, heard and tasted. This technique will calm you by focusing your attention on the physical sensations of your body as you visualize a particularly relaxing place. "Try to activate each of the five senses," says Margaret Wehrenberg, author of The 10 Best Ever Anxiety Management Techniques (WW Norton 2009). "It's literally the antithesis of stress for a minute."

6.    Create a ritual. Instead of rushing to grab a cup of coffee or scarfing a snack, make a ritual of it, says Puddicombe. Take the time to notice the sounds, feel and smells of what you're preparing--whether it's a cup of tea or fresh fruit. Such a daily ritual can be soothing, helping you focus on something other than your thoughts, Puddicombe says. Whatever you choose to do, make sure it's something you have positive associations with.

7.    Laugh out loud. Humor is the opposite of stress, according to John Morreall, president of Williamsburg, Va.-based Humorworks, which focuses on using humor in team-building exercises and other workplace activities. "In a stressful situation, you are emotionally engaged with some problem," he says. "When you laugh at a situation, you are distanced from the problem." To find relief in humor, Collins watches a YouTube video of a flash mob in Moscow dancing to "Puttin' on the Ritz." That never fails to make him laugh.

Source: 7 Simple Ways to Relieve Stress Now

Alex Ohan - Beautiful Quotes

Beautiful Quotes To Live By

·         Enjoy life, this is not a rehearsal.

·         Learn to accept the reality of yourself as someone with strengths and weaknesses who will have some good days and some bad days.

·         Don't fear pressure, for pressure is what turns rough stones into diamonds.

·         Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

·         Believe that your life is worth living and your beliefs will help create the fact.

·         Wherever you go, take your whole heart along.

·         If you love life, life will love you back.

·         Heal the past. Live the present. Dream the future.

·         Don't count the days. Make the days count.

·         Don't allow guilt to eat away at your happiness. Accept your mistakes. It will make you feel much better.

·         The Key to happiness is having dreams. The key to success is making dreams come true.

·         The world is like a mirror. If you face  it smiling, it smiles right back.

·         Happiness is not having what you want. It's wanting what you have.

·         Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.

·         Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen.

·         Good times, become good memories. Bad times, become good lessons.

·         It‘s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast.

·         Success is to get what you want. Luck is to keep what you get.

·         I look to the future because that's where I'm going to spend the rest of my life.

Live your life to the fullest!

Working from home? Here are the do's and don'ts

Working from home might sound like a dream come true when you consider the prospect of having no commute, working in sweatpants, and doing laundry in the background. But it isn't easy; it takes discipline and structure, and it's not for everyone. If you're thinking of telecommuting, these 10 crucial steps will help keep you productive--and employed: By Alison Green | U.S.News & World Report LP

No: 1. Commit to being disciplined. If you spend your workday doing laundry, organizing your closets, catching up on TV, or surfing the Internet, you'll not only be abusing your employer's trust--you may end up out of a job. It's essential to focus and not get distracted when you work from home.

No: 2. Have set hours, just like you would at work. If you don't set working hours and stick to them, it's too easy to say, "Well, I'll relax this morning and make up for it by working late tonight," and then at night decide that you'll make up the hours later that week. On the flip side, it's also too easy to end up working well into the night simply if you don't have a set time to end each day.

No: 3. Create a daily to-do list. A daily task schedule for yourself can keep you focused. If you find yourself procrastinating anyway, try scheduling out each hour of the day so you know what you need to do when.

No: 4. Train your friends and family not to interrupt you. Friends and family may think that if you're working from home, you're not "really working." So be clear with them that you shouldn't be interrupted at home while you're working any more than you should be at the office. You might need to explain that you're not available to watch the neighbor's kids (or your own, for that matter) or do chores around the house.

No: 5. Establish a clear system for communicating with your manager and be vigilant about sticking to it. If you leave it informal, you're less likely to have regular communication than you would if you were physically in the office together. For instance, you might decide that (a) you'll have one regularly scheduled phone meeting per week; (b) you'll proactively and regularly create opportunities for less formal interaction, since your separate locations mean those won't pop up organically; (c) you won't rely on email for sensitive or complicated issues and instead will get on the phone to hash them out; and (d) you'll visit your headquarters at least twice a year.  

No: 6. Be accessible. As convenient as working from home is for you, it has the potential to inconvenience your co-workers, by making it harder for them to talk to you when they need something. Since they can't just walk down the hall to your office, go out of your way to be accessible by phone, email, and--if your office uses it--instant messaging during the day.

No: 7. Over-communicate. When you're telecommuting, you risk losing your connection to your boss and co-workers, and even having people wonder what you're doing all day. To combat this, proactively let people know where projects stand and what your priorities are for the week. Additionally, while you should always stay on top of your email and phone messages, it's especially important if you telecommute. If you let emails or phone messages go unanswered, you risk people thinking that you're not working as hard as you would if your colleagues could see you.

No: 8. Don't eat while you work. With your kitchen just a few feet away, it's easy to find yourself eating more than you would if you were at an office. Many telecommuters gain weight because it's so easy to snack throughout the day.

No: 9. Find ways to have in-person contact. Working from home can be isolating. If you find yourself a little too excited to see the FedEx man, it's time to get out of your house. Try to have lunch once or twice a week with colleagues, networking contacts, or friends--outside of your home.

No: 10. Be honest with yourself about whether you're cut out for telecommuting. Not everyone is a good fit for working from home. If you'll feel isolated or give in to temptation to slack off, telecommuting might not be a good choice for you.

Source: Working from home? Here are the do's and don'ts

9 health benefits of dark chocolate

Gud2Eat.com

Chocolate contains several compounds that are linked to good health and potential 'aphrodisiac' effects.

1. Dark chocolate is good for the brain

Dark chocolate affects the brain's function, thereby sharpening mental function, enhancing cognition and is excellent mood booster.

2. Mental focus

Dark chocolate boosts blood flow to key areas of the brain that may help enhance mental performance in tasks that require an alert mind. Dark chocolate also increases brain chemicals that help you stay focussed and alert.

3. Effective stress buster

Just a piece of dark chocolate can reduce stress levels as it contains tryptophan an amino acid that boosts serotonin levels a neuro-transmitter that stimulates the production of endorphin that gives rise to a happy feelings. Dark chocolate also contains theobromine and caffeine that are major stimulants.

4. Improves your mood

Dark chocolate stimulates the production endorphins in the brain that bring on feelings of good mood or pleasure. It also contains the chemical serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant.

5. Phenethylamine in dark chocolate

Chocolate also contains Phenethylamine, which triggers the release of pleasurable endorphins and controls the action of dopamine, a neurochemical linked with sexual arousal and pleasure.

6. Anandamide in dark chocolate

Anandamide is a substance found in chocolate that produces feelings of elation and exhilaration. Chocolate is rich in theobromine a substance that helps elevate your mood.

7. Tryptophan in dark chocolate

Chocolate contains tryptophan that boosts brain levels of serotonin which controls your mood. High levels of serotonin mean you will feel good and will be in a better mood and low levels of serotonin are linked with depression.

8. Good for women

Women during PMS and menstruation have low levels of serotonin and will benefit from eating a couple of pieces of chocolate a day during that period.

9. Anti-depressant

Just a piece of dark chocolate can be an effective anti-depressant as it contains tryptophan an amino acid that boosts serotonin levels a neurotransmitter that stimulates the production of endorphin that gives rise to a happy feelings.

Source: 9 health benefits of dark chocolate

Workouts You can do at Your Desk

Is there a way to give your body a little exercise without causing much disruption to your work life? All that you are going to need is a sturdy desk and a stable chair.

MensXP.com

It may not be surprising that the nemesis for the health of most people is their office chair, which confines them for the better part of the day.

The quotidian lifestyle of today does not leave much time to devote towards the fitness of the body. The fast food and long hours further add up to exacerbation of the body. So, what if there was some way to give your body a little exercise without causing much disruption to your work life? All that you are going to need is a sturdy desk and a stable chair. Read on to know more.

1. Stretch

Stretching is one of the most basic and effective workouts that can pump new life into your muscles. Start by flexing your neck sideways and then continue by rolling your shoulders fifteen times forward and then backwards. You can also roll your wrists clockwise and then counterclockwise. To stretch your chest, intertwine your fingers behind your back with your palm facing inwards. Now bring your shoulder blades together by stretching and raising your hands with the fingers intertwined. Hold this position for a few seconds.

2. Squats

You can do a variety of squats while sitting at your desk. While sitting, stretch out your arms while keeping them on a shoulder level and lift up your hips until they are just a few inches apart from the chair. Hold this position for a few seconds and repeat at least ten times.

3. Football Foot Drill

To execute the football foot drill all you need to do is tap your feet rapidly for a minute while remaining seated. You can also pair this drill with hand raises, which can be done by simply raising your hand up in a pumping motion as if you are trying to lift the roof.

4. Chair Push-ups

Start by sitting in an upright position and placing your hands on the arm rest or the seat pad. Now lift up your body with your hands so that your feet do not touch the ground. Repeat this several times at regular intervals.

5. Accessorize

You can use a variety of simple things like water bottle, rubber band, stability ball etc. to accentuate your workout. Stretching out your hands with the help of a rubber band helps to make your workout a bit more challenging. You can also use a large water bottle as a dumbbell as an aid in your workouts.

These simple workouts would not make you the athlete you always aspired to be, but nevertheless they can help you eliminate the fatigue and stress from your lifestyle. There are numerous syndromes and disorders one may acquire from a sedentary lifestyle. Simple desk workouts are not just invigorating for the body but they are pretty fun too.

How to deal with Burnout

·         Getting Started: It is vital to start the day with something that lowers your anxiety levels. This is akin to taking an antidepressant early in the day. However, rather than consuming pills, you need to invest time in some form of soothing activity, like a few minutes of yoga or meditation. Combine this with simple things like sipping tea when seated snugly in your balcony or doing a few stretches...

·         Keeping Yourself Energized: Most people suffering from burnout tend to have lower energy levels. A simple way to negate this state of lethargy is consuming a lot of fluids throughout the day. Stay away from the sugar-concentrated drinks. Don’t overdo the coffee bit either. Stick to healthier choices like green tea, nimbu paani, buttermilk and plain water...

·         Detangle Yourself: Try to set some boundaries. Mostly, Burnout sets-in when you start taking on too much work or start doing too many things that you don’t want to. Just try to give yourself a break from being the person everybody can depend upon. This includes taking a break from counseling depressed friends over the phone or taking on extra work at the office...

·         De-Tech Yourself: Try to reduce your dependency on your gadgets. Many people have an unacknowledged form of anxiety that is mainly due to constant checking of emails or SMS on handheld devices. For a few days, disengage yourself from the habit of staying connected all the time. Less worrying helps to reduce burnout tendencies...

·         Rediscover Your Hobbies: Indulge in something that you have been ignoring due to a hectic lifestyle. This could be creative things like writing and reading, or doing something more physical like working-out at the gym...

·         Seek Help: Talk about your state of mind to the people who care about you. There is no shame in admitting that you are going through a low phase and need time to recharge your batteries. This will ensure that people will reduce the pressure on you, at least for a while. This might also mean seeking extra support from your colleagues and family. Don’t hesitate to do so. Help is essentially reciprocal and you shouldn’t mind asking for it, when the chips are down.

If things have really gotten out of hand and you have developed serious issues like insomnia or depression, it is time to get counseling. A couple of sessions with a therapist can be very helpful in getting control of the situation.

·         Get Organized: You need to plan-out a recovery phase for yourself. This means taking a sheet of paper and marking-out things that need your attention no matter what, i.e. inescapable responsibilities. Follow this with the kind of chores you can excuse for the time being. Plan the next few weeks in such a way that you set aside at least one hour on a daily basis for doing something you like. This could be something as basic taking a stroll in the garden or jogging to your favorite bakery and digging into your beloved, sweet treats...

·         Take a Holiday: Taking a vacation is perhaps the best solution to combating a burnout. This could be a family vacation or a travel plan that includes only you, individually exploring new things. The absence of daily chores at work or home will help you...

·         Address Your Pain: Acknowledging your pain is perhaps the most important aspects of dealing with a Burnout. All of us are prone to suffering from some kind of loss. This includes financial or emotional loss; anything that induces a sense of sorrow. The other type of pain that people tend to carry is repentance. Many times, we aren't able to confess things and they start to weigh on our conscience. Over a period, this begins to deplete our reserves of positive energy. Lastly, you could be suffering from an idealistic loss such as realizing that your career or life isn't progressing according to your ideals or the goals you had established. Whatever might be the reason, try to address and solve such issues and if that is not possible, at least discuss them.

Source: Workouts You can do at Your Desk