Communicate. Communicate Often.

I have to say that in business, there is nothing more frustrating to me than a lack of communication. Sometimes it comes from vendors and sometimes from individuals who are supposed to be professionals. I recently had the unpleasant experience of dealing with an individual that I was giving business to that didn't seem to find my account important at all. As a communications professional, I expect people that I work with to communicate with me at every critical point involving the development of my projects. For example, I have a tendency to communicate with people at a high frequency - especially when I am the one providing the business to the person or the company. I move at a quick pace and will call and email the individual several times solely to offer help to them or to find out if there are any other documents or paperwork that I need to provide. I just like to know that the process is moving along. (Here, I'll give a nod to my previous post about keeping your ducks in a row).

Communication is a two-way street. Here's a tip I know all of you reading this are smart enough to know. If someone in your professional life contacts you requesting an update on the progress of their file, you should provide a timely reply. Especially if they are a customer of yours. If you don't know the answer - tell the customer that although you don't have the answer at this point in time - that you will work on getting them the answer. Here's the second most important step - do it. Follow through with your words. Take action and work to provide them the excellent customer service they deserve. People remember good customer service, but generally - they give repeat business to the places that gave them excellent customer service. This is one of the oldest marketing techniques in the world - word of mouth marketing. We all know that bad news travels fast, but great news can help provide residual income to your business for years to come. Don't make the customer who has already given you their time, money, and trust have to chase you down because you're not doing your job.

Ducks in a row; a good practice to follow.

There is something to be said about having your "ducks in a row" when it comes to paper files and electronic documents. In a world of environmentally-conscience consumers, the practice of an efficient electronic filing system is crucial. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked to provide documentation from months or years ago regarding an event that took place in another country. Needless to say, I have an extensive MS Outlook filing system. It's always been a practice of mine to keep things incredibly organized in case something terrible happened and I'm not able to make it to the office. I keep things organized so that anyone - literally could quickly search and find any document related to any specific subject. This way, they would also know where I left off in the project and what my next steps would have been. I can't tell you how many times this has come in handy.

When all your documents and projects are in order, it maximizes the efficiency of your work in general because you can quickly access documents. You don't have to spend excess time hunting for past communications or draft number 3 of 6. If you've found yourself in this situation before, take some time at the end of each week and sort through your inbox. File all documents first according to year and then according to project. From there, keep making sub-folders within each of the project folders according to the main topics of each project. Also, take advantage of the keyword rule within Outlook. You can create a rule which states that any emails that come to your inbox containing certain words go straight to a specified folder. This will certainly cut your manual filing time in half!

There are two types of people.

In my young life, I remember several short phrases that my parents would be proud to know I have absorbed. Many of these tokens of wisdom have helped me understand co-workers and people in general. Let me share a token with you, "There are two types of people, people who do things, and people who pay people to do things for them." At my age, I've not had the opportunity to know many born within the same decade as me to be able to "pay people to do things for them" but as I forge ahead in my career, it becomes more apparent that some men and women in their 40s and 50s have this option. For example, I am not an accountant, therefore I have two choices, I can learn how to balance a budget, or I must pay someone who is a professional to do it for me. However, I strongly believe that, a "jack of all trades" really is a master of none. So, of course - I leave important things to the professionals.

So, to the heart of this post. I know a woman who apparently - is so well off financially, that she simply pays people to do quite a bit of what needs to be done in her professional life and in her home life. She, like me - works with a non-profit organization. In her work life, she is appalled at the adjustments staff is willing to do make in order to save the company money. Please note, the tasks are not in any means dangerous, immoral or illegal. But the staff are understanding and they realize that if they chip in a little extra with a project - that it's money the organization can keep for the programs.

In learning more about this woman, I realized that - she has always been one of the "haves." She's always had the money to simply pay for services that others could not have. So, the idea of reusing reusable items, donating perfectly decent objects, completing physical tasks, and stretching a dollar - are all unfamiliar concepts to her.

The danger of her thoughtlessness regarding money? Well, it would be that she is just as careless with the money of the organization when given the opportunity. She would instruct the staff to purchase new equipment to replace the machines that were already there, (which were in good working condition) and would literally throw working items into the garbage if they were not up to her standards.

Once I learned that she was not actually conscience of her actions, it made our interactions clearer. I began to understand that she had no understanding of how to be budget or environmentally conscience. The moral, however is this - be careful that the negative financial habits of your personal life do not make their way into your professional life. Use your head, be aware of the priorities of the organization, and work to practice their good financial habits.

An Amazing Holiday Week

I'm looking forward to some extra relax time to show appreciation for my family and friends this Thanksgiving week. It has been said that Americans are the worst at taking time to relax and rejuvenate. I am a firm believer that everyone should take serious personal time to unplug from technology and get back to basics. As stressful as things may get in the work world, I happen to know for a fact that stress can lower your immune system and increase your changes of developing a cold or some other serious medical issue. The holidays are a perfect reminder to take some time for yourself so that you can return to your "regularly scheduled program". After all, if you push yourself to unreasonable feats, the time you are "out of commission" can become unnecessarily extended. So, if you're down and out medically, who can then take your place? Slow and steady wins the race. Relax and enjoy your Thanksgiving! Have an amazing holiday week!

Can you express an objective opinion?

The more I take the time to listen to people around me, the more I've discovered how enjoyable it is to decipher whether or not they are expressing an educated and objective statement about the topic of discussion. I've found that people are so quick to jump to conclusions or jump on one side of an argument without truly having a solid idea of both sides of the debate. I think it is unreasonable to comment on a topic of which you have not completely researched. This applies to any topic, whether it's politics, cultural practices, pop culture, world news, etc. So, no matter how much you have heard about a subject, do some research on your own and before jumping to conclusions - think objectively and then, speak freely! A conversation between people who are educated on both sides of the story is completely tantalizing.

Present yourself well, in person and in the social networking world.

At a recent family gathering, I met an interesting and professional woman. This woman and I are close in age. I sat and spoke to her for nearly an hour and realized how much we had in common. Instantly, we became friends. She seemed to have her head on her shoulders, (so to speak) and came across as a highly motivated individual. I thought she really had her goals and future plans together. We exchanged information after talking for an extended period of time and re-connected just recently via Internet chat. We exchanged messages for literally less than one minute when I realized exactly how weak her writing skills were. Of course, when you are socializing with someone via any social networking site, you tend to use slang and misspellings of words in order to add emphasis, but the longer I became engaged in the computerized conversation, the faster I began to realize that the woman who had presented herself so professionally and orderly in person had a serious weakness when it came to the English language and English usage.

I was astounded to read the words and phrases that kept popping up on the screen during our session. It was as if I was communicating with two completely different people. I realized how incredibly important it is to know your weaknesses and to work to improve them with every opportunity you can. I spent the majority of the time chatting with her trying to decipher what she was trying to say.

As I sit to write this posting, even I must admit that because social networking has become so popular, along with texting, etc., that sometimes communication styles can slip into other aspects of my writing. When you are involved so much with social networking - you tend to absent-mindedly add phrases and acronyms to your writing without even noticing. There have been a number of times that I have accidentally typed "ppl" or "brb" or "ttyl" in place of typing "people" or "be right back", or "talk to you later". As much of a fan I am of several different communication avenues - I am slightly concerned that the younger generations will lose their formal written communication skills as the years pass, along with the teachers who are teaching those students.

The woman I mentioned earlier is in fact a few years older than me. I can say with certainty that I was afforded a slightly better education than she may have received. However, I am a strong believer that all American school systems should increase the amount of English studies. At this point - I must say that I also remember however taking a Spanish language class in high school and a few students who were first generation Americans, (mostly descendants of Mexico) had an equally difficult time succeeding in the Spanish classes. Yes, they spoke fluent Spanish and yes, they also spoke fluent English. The difficulty came with the technical aspects of the language. Anyone can know enough English to get by if they were born in the United States, but when put to a technical test - I think many would struggle. (As an aside, I also believe most Americans would fail the United States citizenship test without time to prepare).

I don't necessarily have a point to this post - other than to say that we need more technical English classes in American schools. But, what came to mind when speaking with the woman mentioned above was this - when people come across your path in life - and you are working your way towards achieving career goals - be careful of how you present yourself, both in person and on "paper". You never know who you might meet one day that might be able to help you get where you're trying to go.

Save Something for Yourself

A few years back, I watched an MTV "Cribs" episode with Mariah Carey's home featured. I remember this episode vividly - because there was something that just stuck in my mind about it. On most episodes of the show, celebrities showed each room of their homes and even opened the door of their refrigerator so the viewers could see what the celebrities ate. On this particular episode, Mariah Carey refused to let the cameras into her bedroom. I just couldn't understand this. I thought it was terribly selfish. Hindsight - as they say is 20/20.

As the variety of communication vehicles evolve and multiply over the Internet, there are so many avenues to blog, tweet, Facebook, Linkedin, MySpace, Bebo, etc. about your daily life. For most people, there are at least 2-4 online communication vehicles that are updated on a regular basis. My point is this - if all of us are so busy tweeting, and Facebooking and everything else, what is left for us to keep private in our personal lives? What is unique and special to us to hold near and private in our lives? Like Ms. Carey - I am a firm believer that some intimate details and private information should be kept - well, private. Something should be special enough to hold dear and quiet in our personal lives. I understand why she didn't open the door to her bedroom to let the world peer in from their homes.

When I first opened an account with Facebook, I felt an overwhelming urge to update my status daily with some interesting quip about my life. Then, as a professional in the field of communication, I followed that action by starting a Twitter account. I decided to use one for personal use and one for professional use. I began to notice that I would broadcast things on the Internet and I hadn't even communicated to my closest friends and family that didn't have Facebook or Twitter accounts. I realized that someone I haven't seen or heard from for 10 years could see me on the street and immediately know what I was up to just from reading my latest posts. At the time, I had nothing to myself.

I decided to edit. I decided to share the more trivial things about my life on the Internet and keep some things that are more private and intimate to myself. I wanted to savior the happenings of my own life in my own time and in my own space. What about you? Are you able to edit and save some things about your life just for yourself while you keep up with the latest communication vehicles? You should. I highly recommend it. Save something for yourself.

Who's Your "Go-to" Guy?

I have come across many different types of people in my field of work and I think one of the most important things I've learned about business is this - a jack of all trades usually really is a master of none. The plain fact is - we all have areas of weakness in business. We all have different skill sets and different areas of work that we enjoy. As I sit back and think about some of the top executives and business people I know, I have come to realize that they do not have all the answers. In fact, I have discovered that they are incredibly skilled in one or two areas, but that they keep the people around them that can help fill in the gaps in the areas which they lack knowledge. These are their "go-to" people. The people they keep nearest in their circle of professionals. These are the people who are most trusted to provide sound, objective recommendations on minor or major situations. I've discovered that it is very beneficial to have a go-to person for each of your major areas of weakness - someone who really has a skill for that area and feels confident and comfortable providing feedback. Most importantly, these key individuals in your inner circle must accept your inabilities and not judge you for your lack of skill, but be willing and excited to help you develop and grow. Who is your go-to guy? Who are the people in your inner circle and do you have a reference person for your biggest weaknesses?

Ageism in the workplace; Expectations of younger staff

Early in my career I had the opportunity to observe the characteristics of organizational structures within the workplace. It became evident to me that younger employees are sometimes expected to work harder and for longer hours than their older co-workers. Whether intended or not, many employers and managers assume that because a younger employee is in fact, younger; that they have no personal lives to tend to after the work day ends.

I have witnessed several occasions that managers have pressed younger staff, (generally between 20-30 years old) to stay extra hours in order to get a project done or to provide company while the manager stays the additional hours. Of course, this is a completely unfair assumption by any supervisor. It can be quite the opposite for a younger employee. It's very possible that they may have parents to tend to, pets, siblings, children, or other personal obligations that they have chosen to keep private from their supervisors. My feeling is that all employees should really be treated equally in this matter. It should not be automatically assumed that a younger employee has the additional time to dedicate regularly or unexpectedly to the job.

A flyer under my windshield wiper - focus on a more targeted market.

As a communications professional, I understand the importance of grass roots marketing and support the small businesses that work to advertise their businesses at a low cost. I must confess however, that I do not enjoy coming out to my car to find a flyer stuck under my windshield wiper. There is something about having a stranger make himself acquainted with my personal (and expensive) property while I am not around that is a bit unnerving to me. Yes, sticking flyers under hundreds of cars within a parking lot is a rather inexpensive way of distributing your message, but like someone picnicking in your yard while you are away; I feel that it is an imposition on my personal property.

I may be the only person who feels this way, but in fact - I have never actually read any flyer or pamphlet that has ever been stuck to my driver-side window or left underneath my windshield wiper. In fact I have to believe that it has worked in exactly the opposite manner for some companies. If I had read the flyers that have crossed my windshield, I would make a note to never frequent those businesses.

Similar to the flyers beneath windshield wipers, it is a little unsettling to me when companies assign employees to pass out handbills during busy times in the city. Passers-by aren't asking for this information, but the person handing out the information is standing on a busy corner shoving handbills towards unsuspecting travellers. I'm almost certain that the very first opportunity someone has to get rid of the information shoved at them by a stranger, they do. The one piece of advice I have for the companies that use this tactic is this - know your market and comprise a targeted plan on how to reach them. If the guy standing on the corner handing out flyers for the hottest new disc jockey at a club was giving them to people entering or leaving a club - that would serve as a much more receptive audience than the people rushing to and from work in business suits. And if there is a new mall opening up and someone posts signs on all cars in the parking lot of a nearby mall - that would also serve as a better audience. It's just an idea.

For once in your life, take the scenic route.

The stress from a forty-hour work week can sometimes make its way home with you before you know it. In the midst of the drama you may encounter at work throughout the day, your mind will undoubtedly continue working long after your body has physically left the building. On days that are sometimes more difficult than the others, here's a great way to help bring your mind back to the place it should be - the calm and peaceful place; take the scenic route home.

Each day is more or less a repetition of the day before and can sometimes be very lackluster. Of course, sometimes there are more demanding days than others. During the hectic and sometimes frustrating times on the job, take the time to travel the scenic route on your way home. You will notice different scenes and your mind will quickly drift into the wonder of nature or focus on what activities you plan to include during the evening.

Just like that - the thoughts of the work day will vanish even before you make it to your door step. Why not take the scenic route today and re-focus your mind?

Clean out your life and find greater inner peace.

I recently read an article that had a great piece of advice. I'll paraphrase as best I can. The article reminded readers that in tumultuous times such as these, there are very few things that we can take control of in order to gain a sense of stability in our personal worlds. The primary - our home lives. Many people have been caught in the real estate market in less than pleasant situations because they have purchased more home than they can actually afford and more stuff. In general, many people are currently living beyond their means. In addition to the monthly stress of mortgage payments, the objects that fill the space inside the house can also add unnecessary stress and anxiety to your life. In short, most people simply have too much stuff! If you have a stressful career and you come home to a space that is cramped and lacks the relaxing and calm atmosphere needed to help you unwind, it's as if your home space is working against you! The frustration and anxiety that comes with a cluttered space can be overwhelming! After a long day at the office or on the job, the last thing anyone wants to do is come home and clean out an over-exhausted space.

There is just something about having credit card bills for items which crowd your space, (that you never enjoy because you physically cannot get to them) that can certainly dampen your spirit. It adds even more drama to an already dramatic day. The advice I learned from reading the article was this - clean out the excess clutter in your home and achieve a greater level of inner peace. You can easily free your space by simply tossing broken/unusable items in the trash and by packing up items that you have every honest intention of using, but just haven't - (face it, you probably never will so why not give someone the immediate opportunity to put those objects to good use)?

Of course, not all of us have homes stacked to the ceiling with clutter like the people on the television show "Clean House", however even a whole-hearted attempt at filling your car with items and dropping the items off at the local resale shop is a great start! A few good trips will make a complete difference in how you feel in your space. You will no longer need to hunt for items because after the clean up and reorganization, you will have a better grasp of where things are which equals time saved! In addition, you will not go to the store and purchase a third bottle of whatever because you couldn't locate the first two! That's a good example of money and time wasted. Once you have completely cleaned out your space, you will feel an immediate difference in how quickly you can relax and enjoy your time spent at home.

Most people I know enjoy staying in hotels because the space is clean and airy and everything is efficient and in its place. Yes, a hotel is temporary living and your home is lived in daily. There will always be laundry, dishes, and dust, but having the ability to quickly tackle these household chores will be easier since the excess is gone. Also, there are many of you that are very savvy with selling items on the internet. That is also a good way to get rid of excess items and make a profit to put towards those bills! The moral of this piece is this - once you have a good grasp on your personal life structure, you gain a greater sense of control in an otherwise "uncontrollable world". As a bonus, you can always look forward to retreating at the end of a grueling day at work. Take control of your space and gain a sense of stability and peace in your life. Why not start now?

Networking; Then vs. Now

In today's economy there are a few things that have come back into "style" so to speak as far as making connections with people while searching for a job. In the past decade I have noticed a shift in the types of people that attend various networking events. Ten years ago, the number one piece of advice to someone who was searching for a new employer was "get out there and start networking". Yes, I am a great fan social networking for personal and professional needs. What I have noticed is that the people who attend today's networking events are almost entirely those who are looking for new opportunities. It is very rare to find people with the ability to hire at these types of events as you might have found in previous years.

Of course, there are many good connections you can make while attending these events. Instead of attending events hoping to get a "job" out of the evening, try going into the event to make a real attempt to find people with knowledge in specialty areas that you can add to your contacts list. Having an address book with a list of people that you can ask for advice and bounce ideas off is like having a pot of gold! Generally, people are willing to give you advice while you are on your journey to finding another job. Many people who are looking don't have the advantage of having someone who can relate to the same situations you are going through. So, if you are able to make a few good connections who wouldn't mind sharing some of their experiences with you and providing some encouragement and advice, go for that goal. Think of it as "teaching a man to fish". With a little additional education from people who share their real-life experiences with you, you can learn to avoid mistakes they have made and learn new ways to excel.

Teamwork: What teenage sports taught me about the workplace.

Today is Tuesday. Today is the second day that I have been able to make it through my complicated day at work after my more than 1 1/2 years of employment there. At a time when approximately 300,000 people have been laid off monthly, I felt both overwhelmed and under appreciated at work; almost to the point that I would have rather been without a job than to return to my current employer. Without getting into too much detail, I can say this - I come from a world where sports at a young age impacted my daily life. A place where teamwork, leadership, mentoring, and trust were the main factors that determined the success of a group of people. It is quite possible that the sports training is what has made it difficult for me to adapt to what can sometimes be a very challenging and biting corporate reality. Last week I posted a statement to my friends that summed up my feelings - it was this; once you know something, you cannot un-know it.

Simple really. To the point? Absolutely. I realized that sometimes the leadership in charge of the company or organization has never had the opportunity many of us have had to participate in sports as a teenager. In just my short career I have learned that sometimes the upper management is haphazard, unfair and unequal in treatment, and may not have the leadership or coaching skills it takes to be a successful leader. At this point you may think you are reading the blog of a disgruntled employee - but please, keep reading.

This piece is not about being a disgruntled employee - it is simply a recording of the observations I have made in my life. As a professional, I feel it is my duty to share my views on just how important it is to have a good team leader, a coach, a teacher, or a mentor who can train a team, challenge them, help them grow, and help them succeed. As the old adage goes, "You succeed, I succeed."

Sports was an integral part of my life as a teenager and into college. It was there that some of my best times were had and it is there that some of my lasting memories were born. It was there that I learned that positive re-enforcement and genuine concern for your team members - combined with an honest interest in seeing them succeed was the way to go. What I learned from my short days as an athlete inspired me to continue those practices and leadership skills and to apply them to the "real-world". In short - let the kids play! The kids turn into adults, who will practice what they have learned as children and will apply those skills to others. Let them learn how to participate on a team. Let them learn how to encourage others. Let them learn that when the team succeeds - everyone succeeds!