5 Steps to Standing Out Above the Crowd at WorkWritten by Joan Schramm
Do you feel like one in a million at work – and not in a good way? When you run into your boss in hallway, do you get impression she isn’t sure who you are? Are juicy projects always going to someone else?If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you need to raise your work profile. Here are some tips to get you started. 1. Listen more than you talk. If you offer an opinion, suggestion, comment or question at every opportunity, soon people will run away when they see you coming. Remember when you were in college and there was always one smart-aleck who, when class was asked, “Are there any more questions?” would shoot his hand in air and hold class up? Don’t be that student in boardroom. If you listen carefully and confine yourself to intelligent and to the-point remarks, you’ll end up looking smarter than most of people in room. And when you do have something to say, everyone will listen. 2. Meetings aren’t for airing dirty laundry. If you have a problem or gripe with someone, bring it to his or her attention privately. When you point fingers or air departmental problems in a group setting, you (a) blindside person you’re complaining about, and (b) have just about ruined your chances for a peaceful resolution. Besides, next time you make a mistake, that person will fall all over himself to make sure to bring it up in a large meeting just to watch you squirm. 3. Try to catch people doing something right. Whether boss, co-worker or subordinate, people love to be told they’re doing a good job. You don’t have to turn into Eddie Haskell to be aware of opportunities to compliment someone. Keep it short, low-key and honest. It’s even better if you can pass compliment to someone else. “Hey, boss, Jim was a huge help to us on Acme project – he made some suggestions that should save us $20,000.” What are chances that boss is going to mention it to Jim next time he sees him? Pretty good.
| | 5 Simple Steps to Creating an Allergy Friendly HomeWritten by Emily Clark
It will seem horribly unfair to any child who suffers with allergies that they cannot have a pet or must loose one whom they have grown attached to. Is there a way to deal with pet allergies which may lessen or even eliminate suffering for adults and children with allergies? WHAT ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO? By establishing whether animal is actually cause of an allergy is certainly best starting point. However, that can be a difficult task if you already have an animal since allergens are extremely difficult to remove entirely. If an existing pet can be removed and home thoroughly cleaned (carpets, walls, furniture etc.) you MAY be able to verify allergy in several months. Obviously that is not easiest solution. Having child stay with a friend or relative for a week (as long as there are no pets in home) may show an improvement that might indicate an allergy to family pet. A visit to doctor can confirm an allergy with a simple test. The tests vary, but some can be mildly uncomfortable and would probably not be considered if allergy symptoms were mild. Some allergy symptoms are compounded by exposure to several allergens. By identifying other sources and removing them you may find reaction to pets is lessened and not a barrier to enjoying their presence. CREATING AN ALLERGY FRIENDLY HOME There are several steps you can take to reduce build up of allergens and bring relief to allergy sufferers. The first recommendation is to have hardwood or other smooth surface for your flooring. Carpets hold far more of particles that cause allergies and hard flooring makes it easy to clean.
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