tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59556919988463911082011-11-27T19:26:12.657-06:00Productivity and happiness go hand-in-hand. Conflict in the workplace leads to employee turnover, low morale and a loss of productivity. This is a suggestion box! Input is welcome from employees, supervisors and bosses.Billnoreply@blogger.comBlogger221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-48251050416498387102009-08-20T13:31:00.003-06:002009-08-20T13:34:40.342-06:00

For those of you wanting to avoid physical interaction and want to instead use the internet for conducting meetings, there is a book recommendation for you: “Quick Start Guide for Web Conferencing”, available on Amazon.com:http://www.amazon.com/Web-Conferencing-Quick-Start-Guide/dp/1448649781/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250795732&sr=8-1As a test, the http://www.webconferencingcouncil.com/ had

Briannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-61142757262280361402009-04-09T09:14:00.006-06:002009-04-16T12:41:28.751-06:00

Eleven rules to help you avoid conflict in the workplace, by best selling author Mark Sichel.l. ZIP IT. Learn to think before you speak. Bite your tongue before that provocative remark comes out of your mouth and you find yourself embroiled in a fight. 2. SIT, WAIT, THINK AND ACT WHEN CORRECT. Whenever you have issues in the workplace, you're better off thinking through your words before you

Billnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-71927959735265022412009-03-24T10:33:00.005-06:002009-04-16T12:42:44.989-06:00

Do you like your job? Do you ever ask yourself why you are even there, other than to get a paycheck? The workplace has no shortage of "workers" who just want to get through the day, do as little as possible, and then collect a paycheck.Here are a couple of quotes that you may find inspiring...Ecclesiastes 9:10 (New International Version)Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,

Billnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-21295081542269264212009-03-23T16:55:00.006-06:002009-04-16T12:43:15.992-06:00

How important is it to workers to be able to express themselves creatively? How is satisfaction in the workplace related to how well one feels utilized and challenged?One worker, when asked what is her main concern at work wrote, "I am most concerned that I am not being utilized to the best of my ability and that I won't grow professionally there." Here is a person who knows what she is capable

Billnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-79491362240314796582009-03-16T16:11:00.004-06:002009-04-16T12:46:31.168-06:00

Is there a double standard for employees who have different work ethics? How are slackers handled differently from hard-workers? Government workers aren't exactly known for their efficiency. We've all seen the road crews where one man is digging and the other 3 are standing around watching. How prevalent are slackers in the general workplace? How are they handled by supervisors and employers? And

Billnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-85580797684595250432009-03-13T14:03:00.006-06:002009-04-16T12:48:54.792-06:00

First the good news: Nine in 10 people said they were satisfied with their jobs or the work that they do — and that remained steady throughout 2008, despite the economy. Read more.... http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2009-03-12-money-worries-side_N.htm?POE=click-refer

Billnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-32148385478268078762009-02-23T11:42:00.007-06:002009-04-16T12:49:38.818-06:00

The human side of business has historically been about face to face meetings. In the modern day era, it isn't always possible to meet face to face. If you're a company with national or global workers...(and who doesn't have that these days?) you don't need a calculator to figure out that if you increase virtual conferencing, you'll really take the bite out of your annual travel budget. Web

Briannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-78091652141744832002009-01-25T19:31:00.006-06:002009-04-16T12:51:21.902-06:00

Handling conflicts in the workplace: 3 tips for managersConflict happens in all areas of the workplace. Here are some tips for resolving them, according to Jeffrey Krivis' book, Improvisational Negotiation: A Mediator's Stories of Conflict About Love, Money, Anger and the Strategies That Resolved Them1. Let people tell their story. When people are deeply upset about something, they need to

Billnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-11202609374325726362009-01-22T17:06:00.005-06:002009-04-16T12:52:28.821-06:00

Put about 100 bricks in no particular order in a closed room with an open window. Then send 2 or 3 candidates in the room and close the door. Leave them alone and come back after 6 hours and then analyze the situation.If they are counting the bricks -Put them in the accounts department. If they are recounting them - Put them in auditing. If they have messed up the whole place with the bricks -

Briannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-81652912364011152292009-01-22T16:52:00.005-06:002009-04-16T12:52:52.786-06:00

A business man was interviewing applicants for the position of divisional manager. He devised a test to select the most suitable person for the job. He asked each applicant, "What is two and two?"The first interviewee was a journalist. His answer was "Twenty-two."The second applicant was an engineer. He pulled out a slide rule and showed the answer to be between 3.999 and 4.001.The third

Briannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-601798160498085662009-01-21T19:06:00.006-06:002009-01-22T12:04:53.038-06:00

To illustrate:Six blind men were discussing exactly what they believed an elephant to be, since each had heard how strange the creature was, yet none had ever seen one before. So the blind men agreed to find an elephant and discover what the animal was really like.It didn't take the blind men long to find an elephant at a nearby market. The first blind man approached the beast and felt the

Briannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-87067977956746621822009-01-21T19:04:00.004-06:002009-04-16T12:54:25.007-06:00

A big corporation hired several cannibals. "You are all part of our team now," said the HR manager during the welcome briefing. "You get all the usual benefits and you can go to the cafeteria for something to eat, but please don't eat any of the other employees." The cannibals promised they would not.A few weeks later the cannibals' boss remarked, "You're all working very hard, and I'm satisfied

Briannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-89627185579537547462009-01-21T19:00:00.003-06:002009-04-16T12:54:56.827-06:00

A shepherd was tending his flock in a field, when a new sports car screeched to a stop on the road nearby in a cloud of dust. The driver, a young man in expensive designer clothes and sunglasses, leans out of the window and shouts over to the shepherd, "If I tell you exactly how many sheep you have here, can I take one?"The shepherd looks up slowly up at the young man, then looks at his peaceful

Briannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-3158006104108785372009-01-21T18:04:00.003-06:002009-04-16T12:59:30.373-06:00

This is a true story. Some years ago a client engaged a consultant to help with a small postal mailing to the purchasing departments of blue chip corporations. The consultant sourced the list (which was provided on an Excel document) and drafted the letter. Thereafter the client was keen to take control of the project, ie., to run the mail-merge and the fulfillment (basically printing,

Briannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-83398777117438352722009-01-21T17:59:00.004-06:002009-04-16T12:59:02.383-06:00

The story goes that, sometime, over 200 years ago, close to a battlefield, a man in civilian clothes rode past a small group of exhausted battle-weary soldiers digging an obviously important defensive position. The section leader, making no effort to help, was shouting orders, threatening punishment if the work was not completed within the hour."Why are you are not helping?" asked the stranger

Briannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-90599374152715521252009-01-21T17:49:00.010-06:002009-04-16T12:58:14.158-06:00

Don't stop to stomp on ants when the elephants are stampeding.Don't try to have the last word; you might get it.Due to recent budget cuts and downsizing, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off.Eagles may soar, free and proud, but weasels never get sucked into jet engines.Early to rise and early to bed makes a man healthy and wealthy and dead.Easiest way to figure the cost of

Briannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-60764368041927504582009-01-21T11:17:00.009-06:002009-04-16T12:57:47.136-06:00

Just how bad is it? Ever wonder what the bottom line from human conflict is for the job place? Here are just a few I found online:It is estimated that more than 65% of performance problems result from strained relationships between employees -- not from deficits in individual employees' skill or motivation.It costs 1.5 times the position salary to replace the employee in it (Drake Beam Morin,

Billnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-88757035227727052652009-01-20T07:56:00.007-06:002009-04-16T12:57:08.617-06:00

Do you ever tire of the struggles of human conflict? Would you just like to escape into your own world and avoid all contact with other people? If you work with a group of people of any size at all, you may know what I mean. A relationship results from "having a shared interests or efforts" with other people (see Merriam-Webster). Relationships are highly important to us and define our very

Billnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-40971660377514242002009-01-17T15:26:00.005-06:002009-04-16T12:56:38.336-06:00

Communication in the workplace is SO important! How well does this take place where you work? I've seen the lack of it cause all kinds of problems. Loss of productivity, confusion, inefficiency, low morale, hurt feelings, and even employee turnover. And communication has to be two-way. People have the tendency to assume WAY too much! Take the time to ask questions, then listen, really listen!

Billnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-56108400498463133572009-01-16T17:50:00.005-06:002009-04-16T12:56:11.608-06:00

Several of us developed a darkly adversarial relationship with a woman who worked with us at a large, well known software company. She was (in)famous for stealing ideas and promoting them as her own, as well as actual sabotage. The icing on the cake was the distainful way she treated EVERYONE except the director, who she kissed up to with a sickening consistency.For fun, a couple of us went to

Briannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-34175675281224723052009-01-13T15:40:00.005-06:002009-04-16T12:55:27.032-06:00

If you wanted to write a letter to your boss, but would never give it to him/her because of possible repercussions, what would you say? It occurred to me that such a place as this would provide a great sounding board for employees everywhere. They represent such a tremendous pool of knowledge and experience, yet go largely unheard! What is it you would like to say? What is your story? Consider

Billnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955691998846391108.post-65299040886724131542008-09-16T10:43:00.003-06:002009-01-23T09:19:00.020-06:00

This is a suggestion box for human interaction in the workplace. How should office workers behave toward one another, and how should they be treated by their boss of supervisor? A business is much more than a business!

Billnoreply@blogger.com0