5 Off-Limits Conversations for the Office

5 Off-Limits Conversations for the Office

Office and Homeworking
Working in an office comes with a lot of etiquette guidelines. Some, like how to dress and how to act in client-facing meetings, may be explicit company policy. Others, like when to instant message someone rather than email him or her, may not be quite as clear. One guideline that is often not plainly stated (although it may sometimes fall under human resources policies) is what you should and should not discuss with your co-workers while in the office. Not only are some conversations inappropriate for the workplace, but others could even get you into serious trouble with your boss - even if you mention them to a co-worker outside of the office. Read on for five conversations that are off-limits in the office:1. Interoffice Gossip So, Mary is getting fired or John…
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Handling Bad Attitudes in the Workplace

Handling Bad Attitudes in the Workplace

Office and Homeworking, Starting a new business
Especially in small companies, one bad apple can turn a fun and friendly office culture into a negative and unwelcoming atmosphere to work in. While everyone has a bad day every once in a while, enduring bad attitudes can become pervasive, often affecting everyone in a team or office. And when employees are unhappy, managers can expect things like productivity and customer service to decline as well. That's why it's so important for bosses to take care of unhappiness or resentment before it becomes a larger problem. Here's how you can manage bad attitudes in the workplace:Document Instances of Bad Attitudes As anyone well-versed in human resources could tell you, the first and most important step you should take if you start noticing a bad attitude is to document specific…
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3 ways to stop procrastinating

3 ways to stop procrastinating

Office and Homeworking, Starting a new business
Much of the business world is full of people who describe themselves as procrastinators. Even if they know they should be doing one thing, they end up spending their time on something else. This can lead to missed deadlines and lower-quality work because it has to be rushed through. Stop yourself from procrastinating with these three tips:1. Try the five-minute rule  When you realize that you need to do a certain task, take a moment to evaluate how long it will take you to complete. Is it 10 minutes or several hours? If it would take less than five minutes to do (such as writing quick reply to an email or wiping up the break room microwave), don't put it on your to-do list - take care of it now. This will…
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Are You Hiring the Right People?

Are You Hiring the Right People?

Office and Homeworking, Starting a new business
Bringing the right new people on board is important for any business, but for startups, the stakes become even higher. Why? Because with such a small team, each new person has to be able to do their job while also filling in elsewhere as needed, which often means wearing several hats and working long hours. What's more, they have to do all of that while also getting along well with everyone who's already working there. So how can you ensure you're hiring the right candidates? Here are a few questions to ask yourself throughout the hiring process:Are They Qualified? The first necessity, of course, is that the person you're hiring is qualified for the position. And, again, due to the company's size, "qualified" may mean something completely different to you…
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5 money rules startups should live by

5 money rules startups should live by

Office and Homeworking, Starting a new business
Small business startups need two things: A great idea and cash. Of course, there are other important ingredients for building a successful small business, like passionate co​-founders and skilled employees, but without enough money, a business won't be able to get off the ground. In fact, according to a 2014 survey from CB Insights, running out of money accounts for 29 percent of failed startups, and another 26 percent is due to other money- or investor-related problems. If you're in the beginning stages of starting a small business, here are five money rules for avoiding cash-related problems:1. Start with enough The most important way to be successful as a startup is to begin with enough cash to keep you sustainable until you start making a profit. This requires a very detailed…
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Try these tips for telecommuting

Try these tips for telecommuting

Office and Homeworking
When you're running a small business, every aspect of the company is important, from the font on your business cards to how many Post-It Notes are available in the supply closet. The way everyone uses their time is critical to getting everything done. Some of your employees (and even you) may even work from home, which may come with added distractions. Try these tips for being productive while telecommuting: Use a cloud storage service In order to do your work from home, you'll need to have access to all your documents when you're not in the office. A great way to ensure you will be able to do this is to use cloud storage devices like Google Drive or Dropbox. Simply log in to your Gmail or Dropbox account and you can organize,…
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On Being a Better Co-Worker

On Being a Better Co-Worker

Office and Homeworking
Co-worker relationships can be tough to navigate. How do you confront annoying behavior or bad manners without throwing off the comfortable and open vibe of the office? Hopefully everyone in your office is respectful and mature enough to handle a little constructive criticism, but it's also important to make sure you take responsibility for any inappropriate behaviors you may be exhibiting at work. Here are a few ways to ensure you're being a good co-worker:Leave Their Stuff Alone So you need some return address labels to send out a marketing mailer, and you know there's a stack in your co-worker's desk drawer. It can't hurt to grab a couple of sheets, right? It doesn't matter if you're doing something as small as snagging a few office supplies or as big…
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5 Ways to Welcome New Employees

5 Ways to Welcome New Employees

Office and Homeworking, Starting a new business
Startups are pretty small, so when new employees get hired, they can sometimes feel like the odd one out - especially if everyone else in the company is tight-knit. There are ways growing companies can help ease the first-day experience for new hires, though. The key strategies for this include making new employees feel welcome, comfortable and part of the team right off the bat. If your startup is growing fast, take a look at these five ways you can help your new employees feel welcome:1. Make Team Introductions a Priority Whether your office has 10 people or 50, new employees should be introduced to their co-workers right away. For smaller companies, this may mean an office-wide introductory meet and greet for a few minutes at the start of the…
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Why You Shouldn’t Be Eating Lunch at Your Desk

Why You Shouldn’t Be Eating Lunch at Your Desk

Office and Homeworking, Starting a new business
We've all been there. You're swamped with meetings and deadlines, you're stressed, and you just don't feel like you have the time to get away from your office for lunch. So, you take out your ham sandwich and a bottle of water, move aside your piles of papers, business cards and other items on your desk, and you scarf down lunch while cleaning up your inbox and responding to emails. It can't hurt to spend lunch working every once in awhile, right? Well, there are actually some pretty big drawbacks to eating lunch at your desk. Not to mention, there are various benefits of taking a break during that time - even if you have a full workload. Read on for why you really shouldn't be eating at your desk:Breaks are…
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Bosses: These phrases should be in your repertoire

Bosses: These phrases should be in your repertoire

Office and Homeworking, Starting a new business
As a boss, one of the most important parts of your job is to ensure your employees feel appreciated, fulfilled and happy to work for you. As we all know, keeping your employees in good spirits is important for everything from office morale to successful client communications. Plus, unhappy employees could decrease productivity and increase turnover rate - two things that are detrimental to any business' success. One way to show your employees you appreciate them is through the way you communicate. Things like having an open-door policy and responding quickly to comments or concerns are great first steps, but you should also pay attention to even smaller details, such as the words and phrases you're using during conversations. Take a look at these phrases every boss should use more often:'How are…
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