Giving yourself permission to do things less perfectly.... interesting concept...read more:
Friday, February 25, 2011
How to Create Time When There’s No Time
I'm going to make this post short and sweet : 1) because last week's post was a long one and 2) I have the day off today and after a mostly successful day at the zoo with my kids, I have about an hour and a half to myself to "get stuff done" while they nap. So without further ado...another great post from Mindful Time Management blog by Janet Bailey...
Giving yourself permission to do things less perfectly.... interesting concept...read more:
Giving yourself permission to do things less perfectly.... interesting concept...read more:
Friday, February 18, 2011
Tips For Effective Networking
In my opinion, networking should be mandatory of all positions within a company. I'm not saying it's easy for everyone to do it. It certainly can induce panic for even the mildest case of agoraphobia*. However, this is no excuse if you want to get ahead in your career, or change careers. With everything else in life, practice makes perfect.
So I have a rule that I adhere to before I allow myself to hook on to someone that I already know. I introduce myself to three people - sometimes, by the nature of the event/meeting, it's obvious who I need to approach, but most of the time it's just random selection. If, at the end of the evening, I have three new contacts, I feel a certain level of success. Once I've reached my goal of three contacts, one of two things will usually happen - 1) I start to relax and realize it's not that bad and everyone else in the room is doing it too. or 2) the event hasn't cultivated the kind of contacts I'm looking for and head straight to the valet stand to get my car and go home.
How about you? What tips to you have for effective networking? I'd like to hear!
*agoraphobia - fear of embarrassment
In my opinion, networking should be mandatory of all positions within a company. I'm not saying it's easy for everyone to do it. It certainly can induce panic for even the mildest case of agoraphobia*. However, this is no excuse if you want to get ahead in your career, or change careers. With everything else in life, practice makes perfect. Definition of NETWORKING: 1: the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions; specifically : the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business
See...by definition, networking plays an important "productive" part in our job roles. Cultivating these relationships should not be seen as scary but necessary on our road to success.
Opportunities to network can be everywhere: On an airplane; at your kids ballet, baseball, gymnastics, soccer practice, at a party, on the bus, at the hair salon, ...you get my point... you never know when you could meet your next client or future boss!
This article suggests a few basic tips to help get you feeling comfortable networking in no time:
I am, by nature, a social person and would say that I have a high level of comfort talking to strangers in the settings I mention above. A work related networking event - an event specifically meant to encourage networking among professionals - for some reason, can induce an elevated feeling of anxiety even for me. I tend to do what is easy/comfortable - attach myself to someone I already know in the hopes that they will introduce me to new people. This is ineffective most of the time because I will typically end up in a small group of people that I already know, who are also hoping that the others will make the introductions!
So I have a rule that I adhere to before I allow myself to hook on to someone that I already know. I introduce myself to three people - sometimes, by the nature of the event/meeting, it's obvious who I need to approach, but most of the time it's just random selection. If, at the end of the evening, I have three new contacts, I feel a certain level of success. Once I've reached my goal of three contacts, one of two things will usually happen - 1) I start to relax and realize it's not that bad and everyone else in the room is doing it too. or 2) the event hasn't cultivated the kind of contacts I'm looking for and head straight to the valet stand to get my car and go home.
How about you? What tips to you have for effective networking? I'd like to hear!
*agoraphobia - fear of embarrassment
Friday, February 11, 2011
CLUTTER - noun: a crowded or confused mass or collection
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| www.clutter-buster.com |
This article should inspire all of you who swear you are going to tackle the piles on your desk, the overstuffed front hall closet, junk drawer, backyard shed, shower you use for extra storage....someday. According to the professional home organizer in the article below, if you've ever spent more than 10 seconds looking for anything in your house, then you need to declutter and get organized. The process can be habit forming and good for your peace of mind.
Karina Bland writes the weekly column My So Called Midlife for the Arizona Republic. I look forward to reading it every Sunday. You may like it too. You can follow her blog (now that you know how to!) at:
Friday, February 4, 2011
How to follow a blog...and why you would want to.
Hi fans and followers -
Thank you for your interest in reading my blog. I write this with the utmost sincerity, because, seriously, I hope that you find my anecdotal writings about my experiences and perspective about the workforce, homefront, and ettiquette enjoyable, humorous and informative. Yes, I'll admit it, this is also a shameless attempt to get more followers on my blog.
So, if you read this blog because you see a new post on my Facebook or LinkedIn pages and like what you read, but are not a follower... please become one. It's free!...and I promise I won't spam you. Don't know how to become a follower? Go to the section to the right labeled "Followers"...where you see the beautiful faces of my current followers...just click on the Followers widget and it will lead you to your Google account or ask you to create one. Once you have established a Google account, you can easily view all the blogs you follow on your dashboard and/or reading list. Here...just click on this link for the official blogger instructions on how to become a follower...and it will all make sense.
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