by Solange Lopes | Aug 14, 2014 | Career |
Writing concisely at work – Photo credit: http://www.christianbookbuzzonline.com
I love words, and writing, and long, flowy sentences with lots of commas and dancing punctuation. I can thank my classical French and English literature high school teachers for that. And while I may be poised to write the next big novel, I’ve had to hear over and over how much I needed to write more concisely at work…
Considering how words, after all, are supposed to help us communicate and understand each other, it became obvious mine were militating against my success at work. So after a few reports sprinkled with insisting question marks and crossed out lines, something had to give…
1. Less is more! When it comes to communicating your message across at work, whether in email or formal report format, less is more! Just as Coco Chanel advised to remove one accessory before leaving the house, keep an eye on the wordiness of your professional write-ups. Reduce the words in your sentences, delete extraneous phrases or words (“that” has become one of my pet peeves), and keep it clear and to the point!
2. Appearance matters! Check the alignment of your paragraphs and sentences. Should your paragraphs be aligned to the left or justified? When using bullet point lists, keep in mind when you should put a period at the end of each item. Did you leave a space between each paragraph? Are the dates on your reports correct, and individuals’ names correctly spelled? Appearances matter…
3. Spell check please! Last but not least, there’s a reason why the spell check feature was invented. NEVER submit a report or send an email again without checking your spelling. The devil may be in the details, but your success may just be a grammatical error away…
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Aug 13, 2014 | Career
Contrast Cuff Button back blouse – $49.95 – the limited.com
Loving this contrast cuff button back blouse from The Limited. This elegant crepe top combines two of my favorite fashion accents, polka dots and back buttons. The 3/4 sleeves make it versatile enough for warmer weather or more formal days at the office. I’d pair it with a sleek pencil skirt or straight slacks for a streamlined silhouette.
It’s available in pink and navy. I personally prefer the navy color, which I find ups the elegance factor a bit and showcases the polka dots more. This blouse is $49.95 at The Limited.
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Aug 13, 2014 | Career
From doormat to boss – changing people.co.uk
Happy Wednesday!
You know Louise, right? Everybody knows Louise, she’s just so sweet! She’s the only one out of the entire department who will drop her to-do list to make stacks of copies for everyone, or gladly be volunteered to take the lunch orders for the team meeting. That’s just who she is, a genuinely nice person, who will most likely agree with everyone else, even when everyone else seems to be putting both their feet in their respective mouths. And it’s not even that Louise is not smart, she actually has a Masters, a certification and is an effective, very competent employee. She’s just…a really nice doormat!
As much as we may “like” the office doormat, we know deep inside it must suck. While there is no apparent reason why someone should be walked all over and treated less than par, no one really gets any long-term benefits from it, even if at first dumping all the copies on the smiling analyst is a temporary relief. Or manipulating the new manager into extending the project’s deadline sounds really cool. Yet no one really likes a doormat, or even worse, to feel like one. Hence the need to consider some serious change in attitude…
1. Start at the beginning…that is YOU! If you feel you are being treated unfairly, there’s a chance you are contributing to the problem. Are you being too nice and not firm enough? Are you not prioritizing yourself and your work? Take an honest, hard look in the mirror…
2. Walk the talk! It’s not enough to wish upon the stars that others would take you more seriously, and stop heaping their load of unwanted copying work! As Dr. Phil says (don’t you just love Dr. Phil?), “you teach others how to treat you!” Make friends with the word “NO”, keep your smile on while challenging others’ opinions, and if no one is going to act on your behalf, become your own best advocate. Now go on and preach with your actions, girl!
3. Climb up or get out! If all else fails, and things do not change even after you’ve adjusted your own behavior, consider getting out! Do not waste precious years at sub-par professional level. Get the job done, keep looking and asking for opportunities, and if your current place of employment is not the right fit, don’t be afraid to look for better!
Have you experienced being treated like a doormat at work? What steps have you taken?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Aug 12, 2014 | Career
Robin Williams – Photo credit: pinterest.com
The news of genius comedian, actor and human being Robin Williams’ death left me, along with the rest of the world, speechless. The realization that mental health had a lot to do with it left me personally perplexed, and grieving all over again. Having experienced depression and suicide in my own family, it’s an all-too familiar memory.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18.8 million American adults suffer from depression in a given year. It is also reported that in a three-month period, patients with depression miss an average of 4.8 workdays, and have reduced productivity for over 11.5 days. Although depression varies by industry and occupation, it is estimated to cost 200 million lost workdays each year, at the rate of 17 to 44 billion lost to employers.
If you’re suffering from depression, or suspect someone around you is at work, don’t remain silent. Whether your depression is linked to your job or external circumstances, don’t ignore it! While you don’t have to disclose it to everyone, keep in mind that it’s a serious illness. Take the time you need to heal, speak to your manager and commit to getting better.
RIP Robin Williams!
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Aug 12, 2014 | Career |
What about that smelly lunch – Photo credit: commission based.wordpress.com
I love spicy, fragrant, exciting food! From African to Indian, not to mention my beloved Middle Eastern sauces and Greek condiments, I’m into food, distinctive, unique food! Oh and did I mention fish is on top of my favorites list…
Unfortunately, distinctive foods and tight cubicles and offices do not make for a happy marriage. Actually, they can make for a pretty unhappy, productivity-killing mood for many people.
We’ve all overheard at some point about the co-worker with the “smelly lunch”. Or even thought to ourselves “Wow, that’s a strong fish smell”! And while I confess to being the offender many a times (um, sorry for the fish rice and tuna dishes), I also realize I may have (unintentionally) broken one or two of those unspoken, “don’t ask don’t tell” office rules.
After all, it is true that there really ain’t no free lunch, even your lovingly homemade, healthy (albeit slightly smelly) lunch will cost ya! As for me, I still love my spicy rice fish, I just happily take a lunch break now, a real, out of the office one…
What do you think?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Aug 12, 2014 | Career |
Harper flats – $268 – jcrew.com
As the summer is nearing its end, we shouldn’t have to bid our favorite flats farewell too…Hence today’s Work It pick, these stylish Harper calf hair flats from J. Crew. Loving these soft, leather-lined, leopard-print flats that make a great transition from summer to fall, and would make any outfit look instantly “upgraded”.
I would pair these with dark slacks, a white blouse, and chunky gold tone accessories for that all-American look. These flats are $268 bat J.Crew.
Love these? Please tell us what you think, or send us other suggestions at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Aug 12, 2014 | Career
keep-calm-and-use-commas- Photo credit: translation-boutique.com
My good friend S., who also happens to be a kick ass manager, once confided in me that her worst pet peeve at work is punctuation. Terrible punctuation, that is. And I really hope she doesn’t read this post, because I’ll never hear the end of it. S. loves punctuation, and has a particular fondness for commas…and for the employees she manages who also respect the sanctity of correct punctuation. Just as she happens to have a serious pet peeve for misplaced commas and lost periods.
As much as we may all strive to perform well at work, be sociable and politically correct, some seemingly “small” and mundane things sometimes appear to stand in our way. And while these may not necessarily make it to our performance review write-up, they do make an impact on how others, especially managers and higher-ups, perceive us.
From an unkempt appearance to sloppy work presentation, your boss’s pet peeves may seem annoying at first, but in reality they may be actual hindrances to your career. By learning to perceive and constructively manage these, you may also be giving yourself quite a competitive advantage at work:
1. Notice the signs! Does your manager repeatedly give you review notes on a particular aspect of your work? Does s/he make comments about some things you could improve? Did you catch a disapproving look or expression in their face? Part of knowing your work environment is learning to know the personalities you work with, especially your higher-ups. Learn to read the signs and build yourself a constructive list of work habits your manager is adverse to.
2. Do sweat the small stuff! Manager adverse to poor grammar? Does the VP prefer reports submitted on company letterhead? Are statistics and graphs important to the Director? When it comes to your career, the “small” stuff does matter. All it takes is a detail to downgrade your best work from excellent to barely average. So do sweat the small stuff, and choose to go above and beyond..
3. When in doubt, ask! It can be hard to decipher someone’s likes and dislikes, especially in the workplace. If and when in doubt about an average performance review, lukewarm evaluation or straight up negative reaction, don’t be afraid to ask what you can do better! Showing concern over perfecting your work and meeting expectations goes a long way!
Does your boss have interesting, even funny pet peeves? How do you manage these?
The Corporate Sis.
