The Gent's Cheat Sheet » Professional

Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs

Trey — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:16:37 +0000

Carmine Gallo is the author of ‘The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience.’

How to Use “i.e.” Versus “e.g.”

Trey — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:28:07 +0000

The abbreviations "i.e." and "e.g." are commonly misused, because very few people actually know what each means. Here’s a simple guide, courtesy of wikiHow.

Become familiar with what i.e. and e.g. are abbreviating. "I.e." is an abbreviation of the Latin words id est, which mean "that is". "E.g." is an abbreviation for the Latin words exempli gratia, which mean "for the sake of example".

Associate each abbreviation with more easily remembered phrases. It’s not easy to remember Latin words, so it may be helpful to pretend that "i.e." stands for "in essence" or "in other words" and "e.g." stands for "example given".
Use "i.e." to paraphrase. Make a statement, then add "i.e." to explain or describe what you just said in a different way:
- The elephant is a pachyderm, i.e., an animal with thick skin and nails resembling hooves.
- I went to the dentist (i.e., hell).
Note that what follows "i.e." is some sort of definition. This can also be a metaphor. If you substitute "i.e." with "in other words" the sentences still make sense. If you plug in "for example" they do not.
Use "e.g." before giving one or more examples. Think of what precedes "e.g." as a category, and what follows it as something (or a few things) that would fall into that category:
- Buy some vegetables, e.g., carrots.
- I like power metal (e.g., Firewind, Iced Earth, Sonata Arctica).
Observe how using "i.e." wouldn’t make sense. "Carrots" is not another way to describe vegetables in general, it is just one of the many foods that are considered to be vegetables. If you wanted to use "i.e." you would write "Buy some vegetables, i.e., the edible part of any plant." Likewise, the bands given are examples of power metal, but not a description. If you were using "i.e." you would write something like "I like power metal, i.e., fast metal with symphonic elements and epic themes."
Use parentheses or commas with both. You can either insert a comma before "i.e." or "e.g." or you can use parentheses, both of which are shown in the examples above. If you use parentheses, open them right before the "e.g." or "i.e." and close them after you have given your example or alternate definition.

How to Use "i.e." Versus "e.g." used with permission (CC2.5).

Manage Your Online Reputation

Trey — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:35:38 +0000

There once was a time when the best approach for managing your online reputation was to make sure that people couldn’t find you at all. These days, that’s all but impossible.

So like it or not, your personal information is probably out there and available for anyone to find. The problem now isn’t making things go away (if something’s out there, someone with enough time and dedication can probably uncover it). The objective today should be to ensure that the things that DO appear are exactly what you want someone to find.

Granted, one part of this might actually include asking people to take down content painting you in an unfavorable light. The most critical aspect isn’t data elimination, however: it’s proactively publishing content consistent with the image you want to project. The Official Google Blog explains:

For example, if someone posts a negative review of your business on a restaurant review or consumer complaint site, that site might not be willing to remove the review. If you can’t get the content removed from the original site, you probably won’t be able to completely remove it from Google’s search results, either. Instead, you can try to reduce its visibility in the search results by proactively publishing useful, positive information about yourself or your business. If you can get stuff that you want people to see to outperform the stuff you don’t want them to see, you’ll be able to reduce the amount of harm that that negative or embarrassing content can do to your reputation.

Lifehacker has previously discussed the importance of using your own web domain as an online business card, and this is one of the most important aspects of proactive content posting. Even if there isn’t anything embarrassing out there, not having any negatives isn’t the same thing as having a good reputation—it’s just having no reputation at all. A domain name is a great first step towards building the online reputation you want, and it’s easier than you might think.

Bottom line: You can’t control what others say about you (at times it’s hard enough to even control what YOU say about you!), and if you’re doing anything that matters not everyone is going to have a favorable opinion. So rather than worry about what’s out there, project yourself in a positive manner and let others say what they might. The easiest way to deflect attention from a flawed painting isn’t to scrape paint off a canvas—it’s to create more paintings.

At the end of the day, you—and only you—are responsible for your personal brand. Make sure it’s a good one.

The Official Google Blog

Lifehacker

How to Properly Tie a Tie

Trey — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:04:37 +0000

The Gent’s Cheat Sheet

How to Properly Tie a Tie

There aren’t many skills more fundamental (and more common) to dressing with style than being able to properly tie a tie. Unfortunately, it’s not like riding a bike–so if it’s been a while since you’ve had to wear one, it can be surprisingly easy to forget how.

Lucky for those of us who could use a reminder from time-to-time, there are plenty of resources online for this sort of thing. One great site I found is a site devoted exclusively to tie tutorials. The tutorials are simple and easy to understand, with step-by-step instructions, mirror-image video, and simple illustrations. Here are a couple of videos for the most commonly-used knots–the “Four-in-Hand” and the “Half-Windsor.” For others, check out the site.

The Four-in-Hand:

The Half-Windsor:

Learn How to Tie a Tie.

Stay Alive With Restroom Etiquette

Trey — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:57:58 +0000

The Gent’s Cheat Sheet

Stay Alive With Restroom Etiquette

Most social norms go without saying. In fact, that’s a big part of the reason they’re called social norms–by definition, they’re standards of behavior that have become so engrained that to state them should be entirely unnecessary. These norms are important—not only for their inherent value (there’s usually a good reason they become accepted), but because as gents, it’s our job to know what sort of behavior is acceptable and what must never, ever, ever occur (see: “The Comb-Over”).

Case in point: bathroom etiquette.

It would seem that the basic rules would fall into the “goes without saying” category, but unfortunately it seems that there will always be the 20 percent or so that just don’t seem to get the message. Keep in mind that we’re not talking about the most complicated of rules here—these are the most basic standards that all men should have no choice but follow.

If you research the topic online, you’ll find a wealth of information (as with everything, some valuable, much of it nonsense). There are even entire websites devoted to this important topic. Think I’m kidding? Check out the International Center for Bathroom Etiquette. This site covers every possible scenario…work, home, international, sinks, stalls, etc.—you name it. As you can see, this is a serious, serious topic! :)

For a good starting point, check out five basic rules from the ICBE for workplace etiquette. Among other things, these rules cover basics like washing your hands (duh!) and the cardinal sin of talking business between stalls.

Of course, codes of conduct that have taken thousands of years to develop can’t be quickly summarized in five rules. Some bathroom situations take some careful consideration—and in the most extreme situations, a willingness to even walk away and find another bathroom.

There are other resources to draw on, of course–here’s a good video that outlines the basics of urinal selection:

I know that I’m preaching to the choir here, since as gents you all have a very good feel what for what’s acceptable and what isn’t. But we all know people who don’t—and no one wants to be “that guy,” so do your friends a favor and help them understand what the rest of us already know. Even if YOU like bathroom conversations, or if you don’t mind shaking hands with people who walked out without washing—do it for the rest of us. We’re in this together!

These are serious rules, gents…so pay attention. Learn them. Live them. Love them. Expect nothing less from those around you. And maybe, just maybe, we can keep this ship on course.

Is Your Playlist Undermining Your Effectiveness?

Trey — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:53:27 +0000

Music has a powerful—and often underappreciated—effect on the human brain and our emotions. As a result, what we listen to can easily (and inadvertently) have a tremendous impact on our mental state and on the quality of our interactions throughout the day. So if it has a strong emotional component, what types of music—and which corresponding emotions—do we want as influences?

When picking a playlist for an important event, we usually take great care to select music that’s consistent with, and contributes to, the ambience or mood. So we’ll take care to ensure that our guests are comfortable and relaxed—but how often do we actually do the same thing in our own lives?

There’s a reason music (especially certain types, most notably rock and rap) is used for activities like working out or sports—it’s a great performance-enhancing tool. In other words, it pumps you up; it’s inspiring. It’s motivational. It can quicken your step or help you summon the energy to get one last set in. But is adrenaline-fueled, playing field performance the type you’re looking for in your day job? Do you really want to be pumped up right before a meeting or event where it’s very important to keep your cool? If you wouldn’t listen to Enya before working out, why listen to aggressive music when you need to stay positive or relaxed? Or before trying to fall asleep?

Here’s what I’ve realized:

If my goal is to walk to into a room in a collected manner, it seems counterproductive to listen to my workout playlist on the drive over. Just like it’s hard to rush down a hallway and then to walk calmly and quietly into a meeting, it’s also hard to shut off other influences instantaneously.

This may seem like a no-brainer to quite a few of you, but it’s something that has only dawned on me recently. I generally listen to rock, so I didn’t realize what I was missing until I actually started listening to genuinely relaxing music and noticed what a big difference it made. So now if I’m driving to a meeting or trying to unwind in the evening, I find that consciously picking relaxing music can have a big impact on how I approach things. I haven’t stopped listening to the music I love, I’m just more aware of the effect that it has on me.

Since so much of life is already predetermined, I think it’s important to realize that your mental and emotional state doesn’t always have to be a byproduct of an environment that’s beyond your control. There may be times when you have no choice but to accept your surroundings for what they are—but it’s also possible to adapt your surroundings to your objectives, rather than the other way around.

Your music is as good a place to start as any.

-tg

How to Manage Your Ego So You Can Reach Your Full Potential

Trey — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:25:25 +0000

What’s your primary motivation in life?

Most of us want to achieve something in life…but there are time when our aspirations go beyond being a good steward of the opportunities we’ve been given and taken on a life of their own. They can even be masked in noble terminology like wanting to “leave a legacy” — not an inherently negative thing, but when our egos take charge any noble thing can easily become more about the person and less about the work being accomplished.

Dumb Little Man discussed the Ego yesterday, using movies characters (Johhny Depp as George Jung in Blow, and Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas in American Gangster) as examples of egos run amok. They also shared six signs that someone might be ego-driven.

Check out the article for full descriptions, but these six signs are:

Concern with the approval of others
Fear of asking for help
Comparing and Competing
The constant need for more
Lack of presence
The need to always be right

If found their thought on comparing yourself particularly good:

“People who are driven by ego often fall victim to what I call the comparative and competitive disadvantage. Comparing yourself to others is the ego in one of its most vicious forms. It’s a perpetual losing battle because there will always be somebody better and always somebody worse than you are. Even if you are the best in the world at what you do somebody will always be right on your tail. If you keep seeing your life as a competition with those around you, then you will continually be dissatisfied and the ego will drive your life.”

These are good to keep in mind, especially in a competitive, Type-A culture where everything is about competition and “getting ahead.” I’m sure that many of the factors driving egos are more complicated than I could really comprehend or explain, by I have a suspicion that competitive and aggressive environments that measure us in terms of our outward achievements have to play some kind of role. Or maybe it has less to do with our environment and more to do with basic human nature. In any case, these six signs are good to keep in mind.

-Trey

[How to Manage Your Ego So You Can Reach Your Full Potential at Dumb Little Man]

Peacock Photo by BS_Thurner_Hof, GNU 1.2 License

Is Volume Really Equated With Competence?

briang — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:31:28 +0000

As we noted yesterday, the conventional wisdom of “less is more” in conversations certainly seems to work well for Ben Bernanke.

Here’s an opposing point of view from US News and World Report, which claimed today:

“Research shows that people who speak up more often in groups are viewed as more competent and more instrumental to a group’s overall success. Maybe they aren’t the smartest people in the room, and maybe what they have to say isn’t always 100 percent right on, but talkative people are perceived as more dominant. And, for better or for worse, dominant people are perceived as competent people.”

Can’t say I agree, but there’s definitely something to be said for remembering that silence at meetings can also be interpreted as irrelevance. No one remembers a wallflower who sat at the edge of a room and didn’t contribute anything.

So yes, it’s important to speak up at times—but the idea dominance and competence are synonymous seems a little misguided to me. In addition, even if talking more is perceived as dominance (or competence), it doesn’t mean that it’s a technique that a gentleman should strive for. Is it wrong to be important or influential in meetings? Of course not—but I believe the best way to achieve this is by bringing out the best in others—not domineering.

“It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” – Mark Twain

“Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.” – Proverbs 17:28

How to Communicate Like Ben Bernanke

Trey — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:38:46 +0000

Leaders have a natural tendency to take charge, and during meetings this often means that they end up driving the conversation. In many cases this makes sense, especially when the intent is for send-receive (generally one way) communication. However, there are also many times when this isn’t the goal, and the conversation needs to focus on dialogue, brainstorming, and sharing ideas. What then? What’s a boss or leader to do?

According to the Harvard Business Review, the answer can be found in the approach of Ben Bernanke. Their idea is that leaders need to be comfortable and confident enough in their position that they’re willing to forgo the opportunity to speak their minds up front.

“Letting others take the lead in discussions when you’re the boss is not a sign of insecurity; it can be a sign that you are in control. You are not seeking to impose your will on discussion; you are facilitating alternative points of view. This is essential to establishing the trust necessary to broker agreements between parties who don’t agree.”

Bernanke, they say, models this approach very well. In contrast with Greenspan, he often lets other participants have their say before jumping in—something that works very well when working with groups that don’t see eye-to-eye.

Moderation in all things of course–they also note that decisive action and bold action are necessary at times, because the more legislative role of “facilitating discussions” (as opposed to executive decision making or dictating) is only one aspect of leadership.

So what’s the lesson? Not that it’s better to speak or not to speak, but that it’s not always necessary for a leader to drive the conversation right off the bat—especially in circumstances when mediation or reconciliation of divergent viewpoints is necessary.

-Trey

Original Article: How to Communicate Like Ben Bernanke

Keep Your Cool by Walking Slowly

timmyg — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:35:28 +0000

We’re in a rat race. You’ve seen it: the business men running down the sidewalk to make a meeting, the women speed-walking down the street without even noticing your presence. The human race is in a seemingly endless race to get ahead in life, the point being to advance oneself at a faster rate than anyone else. A gentleman doesn’t approach life with such an attitude.

This is not to say that a gentleman is not successful. A gentleman uses his wits and talent to become successful. However, this should not consume him. A gentleman has class, sophistication, and is content in all situations. So how is one to practice this ever important concept of contentment?

An easy way to begin is to practice walking slowly. Walk slowly wherever you go. This is not just when you are taking a walk around the block, but when you are out to lunch, when you are on your way to work or school. Whenever you need to walk somewhere! So, why do this you ask?

Well, to start, slow walking:

1. Keeps you calm and unstressed – We tend to rush to wherever we are going…even when we aren’t late! When you force yourself into a hurry, you will feel like you are late. If you slow it down a sense of calmness is easier to achieve. After all, we all know and love Thomas Jefferson’s quote: “Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances.”

2. Allows you to focus on your surroundings – You’ve heard the term-Stop and smell the roses. Not only does this allow you to truly appreciate the world around you, but a Gent must always be aware of everything going on around him. It enables him to react to any situation-to remain cool and unruffled under all circumstances!!

3. Keeps things in perspective – Moving your feet faster doesn’t make the earth spin faster! Of course there are times when you’ll need to get somewhere quickly, but most of the time the time you save isn’t worth the added stress!

Remember you’re just a human being on earth for a limited amount of time, so slow down, enjoy the walk, and keep your cool!

-TimmyG

Concepts to Know: The Peter Principle

Trey — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:13:58 +0000

Have Your Reached Your Level of Incompetence?

A principle often heard in business environments, the Peter Principle was the title of a 1968 book by authors Dr. Laurence Peter and Raymond Hull. In it, they humorously explain the seemingly pervasive presence of incompetence in managerial ranks.

The principle states:

“In a Hierarchy Every Employee Tends to Rise to His Level of Incompetence.”

This, they explain, is primarily due to the fact that competent employees generally receive promotions until they reach a point at which they cannot do their job effectively–their level of incompetence. As a result, it’s only the individuals that are still moving up a hierarchy that can actually perform their assigned work effectively.

The Peter Principle is worth knowing because of both the frequency and the implications of its use. Asserting that something (or someone) is an example of the Peter Principle is another way of implying–not so indirectly–incompetence.

The Dilbert Principle is an extension of the Peter Principle. In it, Scott Adams (cartoonist of Dilbert fame) observes that managerial incompetence isn’t always an unintended side-effect of a system that otherwise promotes competence. He suggests that some managers are promoted not because they are competent, but specifically because they are incompetent. In promoting an incompetent person, senior managers are able to simultaneously avoid the hassle of letting someone go and remove someone from the tactical level in which they can do the most damage. Essentially, the thought is that a manager doesn’t have to actually DO anything that could cause harm–they only have to be able to handle the bureaucratic responsibility of overseeing those who can actually perform their jobs.

-tg

You can read more about the Peter Principle and the Dilbert Principle here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Peter_Principle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dilbert_Principle

30 Things to Do to Keep From Getting Bored Out of Your Skull at Work

Trey — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:06:55 +0000

“The war between being and nothingness is the underlying illness of the twentieth century. Boredom slays more of existence than war.”

– Norman Mailer

[Editor's note: Thanks to Leo Babauta for these practical tips for fighting boredom. It's surprising how it's presence in one area of life can trickle in others…so the battle against boredom at work can be more significant than we might think at first. -tg]

By Leo Babauta, editor of zenhabits.net.

I’m not one to get bored, ever … but a number of readers have written in with the question: What do I do if I’m bored out of my skull at work?

It gave me pause, to think about why I can’t recall ever getting that bored at work. And I realized: I always keep myself busy, doing something, whether it’s productive or not.

Sometimes, I’m creating a new project, or improving myself somehow … but sometimes I just find interesting stuff to read online or find a cool solitaire game to play. (Well, I haven’t played any games in awhile, but Freecell used to be my poison of choice a few years ago.)

So the short answer: just find things to entertain yourself. Keep your mind busy. Challenge yourself. Talk to somebody. Break out of your mold.

The longer answer has to do with analyzing why you’re bored in the first place. Is your job that boring? Are you really doing what you want to be doing? Is there a way to start pursuing something better? Or are you already in a great job, but something or someone is holding you back? And what can you do to improve the situation?

I’m not going to pursue the longer answer in this post, but give you some ideas for the shorter answer. It’s not an exhaustive list of ideas. Just some things I’ve done to keep my mind busy — pick and choose those that might work for you.

Create a new challenge. I think this is by far the best thing on the list, but you may differ. Many times we’re bored because we don’t have a challenge — things are too easy or routine. So instead of waiting for someone to create a challenge for you, do it yourself. How can you challenge yourself? Set a new goal at work. Challenge yourself to produce more than ever. Explore new projects. Set personal goals and pursue them. Whatever excites you.
Pursue your next job. If your job is so boring you don’t know what to do with yourself, you may need to move on. But instead of quitting right away, start lining up your next gig first. Look around for openings, call people, update your resume and submit it to a few places, pick up a few applications, send out some email feelers. Find something that will never get you bored, something you’ll be passionate about.
List your life goals. What is it you want to accomplish in life? Not just with work, but personally? If you’ve listed them before, it’s always good to update them. Then choose one of those goals to achieve this year. Now think about what you can do today to move closer to that goal, even if it’s just a small thing. Get the ball rolling. Do this every day — move yourself closer to that goal.
Read Zen Habits. Or whatever your favorite distraction is. If it’s something that will improve your life, even better. Just limit how long you read at one time, so you’re not reading through the Zen Habits archives in one sitting.
Declutter your workspace. If I’ve got nothing better to do, I’ll clear off my desk (if there’s anything there), or start looking around critically at everything in view and asking myself, “Does that really need to be there? How can I simplify this?” Weird, I know, but I have an oddly uncluttered workspace. Right now my desk is a table, my iMac, an nothing else. No files, no papers, no office supplies, nothing. Everything is done on my computer, and I love it that way. Nothing on my walls. You may not need anything as spartan as that, but decluttering can be a lot of fun.
Pursue a hobby. My hobby (until it became a profession) was blogging … I would do it at work in my spare time, or before or after work. Not everyone can pursue their hobby at work — the model airplane glue might bother your coworkers, for example — but sometimes you can just read about it while at work. I was upfront about my blogging and freelancing at work with my boss, btw, but many people get away with doing it on the sly. I won’t make a recommendation, but just don’t get fired.
Make your work a game. You can make a game out of anything. See how many widgets you can crank in 10 minutes. Pretend that your coworkers are evil villains. Imagine that you are a CIA agent in disguise, and no one knows. Or a fairy princess. Whatever floats your boat. :)
Educate yourself. On Guam, this is called “edumacation” — it’s not a real word, but we like to play with English. Whatever you call it, you can improve your knowledge online in any area — whether that be work-related or not. Be your own college instructor. Wikipedia is a great place to start, but if you’re going to have a specialized knowledge in anything, branch out from there.
Improve your skills. Along the same lines: choose a skill that needs sharpening, and challenge yourself to get better at it. Whether that’s computer programming, writing, working with Adobe InDesign, or whatever. Perfect your skills — you can use it to further your career, get a new job, or become self-employed. Or just have the satisfaction of knowing you’re the best you can be at that skill.
Play Sudoku. Perhaps not the most intellectual game of all time, or the most exciting … but I still find it a lot of fun. I only played it a little while and didn’t get addicted like other people I know, but I have to admit it’s a fun way to pass the time.
Choose a soothing desktop picture. I like to do this when I’m procrastinating. I will go online, to flickr or some desktop wallpaper website and browse around until I find a very simple, soothing picture. I do this maybe every month or so. In fact, I’m going to go do that right now!
Do some pushups and crunches. If you’re bored, you might as well start getting in shape. You can do pushups and crunches right there on the floor next to your desk (or go outside if you’re worried about your coworkers seeing you). Or walk up some steps, or do squats and lunges without weights, or dips in your chair, or butt squeezes (that means squeeze your own butt, not your coworkers’).
Take a day or two off. Sometimes you just need to refresh yourself, recharge your batteries before starting again. Don’t do any work while you’re out. Veg out, or read, or sleep, or exercise, or whatever. Get your mind off work. Think about your priorities. Get out in nature. Reconnect with your life.
Take a walk. Often this is all I need, especially if I’ve been sitting all day and my blood is pooling up in my butt and legs. I need to get that blood circulating! Go outside, walk around, look at people, look at nature, think about your day and your life and the people in it.
Drink some water. Dehydration can make us tired and sluggish. Water can refresh us. Keep that water coming all day long — you may need to pee more though.
Call a loved one. What better time to call someone to catch up, to tell them you love them, to just say hi … than when you’ve got nothing better to do. It’s a nice way to stay connected.
Read. I like to carry a novel everywhere I go. Then I whip it out anytime I have spare time, waiting at the doctor’s office, in line at the post office, driving in the Indy 500 … you know. If not a novel, carry around a “to read” folder with stuff you want or need to read but don’t have time for right now … then whip it out at your desk when you’re bored. You could have a “to read” folder on your computer too.
Start writing your novel. Many of us have a novel that’s tossing itself around in our heads and hearts, waiting to come out. Well, start getting it out, mister. Just start by writing some notes, thinking about characters and plot and what the hell this book is about anyway. It’s not going to come out by itself.
Take a nap. If you don’t have a good place to do this, you can curl up under your desk with a sweater, or go to your car and sleep. I’ve learned how to fall asleep at my chair, but thank goodness I’m working at home and can go to the couch in a napping emergency.
Create a new project or role. If things are stagnating at work, start something new. Create and innovate. What can you do that has a lasting impact for your company and for yourself, for your career? If you’re stuck in a dead-end role, create a new role for yourself. It doesn’t matter if it’s not in the job description. Find something that’s not being done by someone else, something that needs to be done or that hasn’t been thought of yet, but that would really benefit the company — and take it upon yourself to do it. You might need to talk to your boss, but sometimes you can just start doing something and inform the higher-ups later. If it’s good for the company, and if they’re smart, they’ll be happy.
Write a love letter. If you have a significant other, write a letter telling them why you love them. They’ll love it. Email is fine, but pen and paper are even better.
Do one small thing to make yourself wealthier. That might be creating a savings account if you don’t have one yet, or setting up an automatic transfer between checking and savings every payday, or researching a money market fund or index fund, or simply reading Get Rich Slowly or The Simple Dollar for personal finance basics.
Write a blog post. This is something I love to do when things get slow. I’ll just call up a text file and start writing. I love lists, of course (you guys should know that by now), so often I’ll just start making a list, and writing down my thoughts. If things are really slow, I’ll do the whole blog post. I can always post it later if necessary. Make sure you love what you’re writing about.
Do an errand. This can either be in the office (“Where’s that ink cartridge I’ve been needing all week?”) or outside the office (“I really should buy toilet paper today!”). It gets you moving, it gets you away from the scene of your boredom, and it accomplishes something useful.
Update your personal finances. I used to track my finances through Microsoft Money, but I’ve since switched to using a Google spreadsheet, so that it’s online and accessible from anywhere. I considered other online solutions, but personally, I like to keep things as simple as possible. However you do it, it’s a good idea to update your financial tracking system once a week or so, so that you know where you stand and you don’t overspend. Got some spare time? Update.
Meditate at your desk. Some people would say this is just a fancy term for taking a nap. But for me the key is not to fall asleep, but to close my eyes and focus on my breathing. Nothing new-agey about this — it brings your focus back to the present and calms you. Sometimes it’ll calm you so much you’ll fall asleep. I say, two birds, one stone.
Organize your files. OK, this might seem boring to many people, but I like to organize things. I get a perverse satisfaction from purging useless stuff and having everything be smaller, neater, and in order. And it doesn’t take long.
Clear out your inbox. I get joy out of an empty inbox, whether that’s my email inbox or physical one. Crank through it until it’s empty — you don’t have to do everything in the inbox, but just make a note of it on your to-do list if you plan to do it later (or delete, file, forward, or do it now). Got a thousand or two emails in your inbox? Put them in a temporary folder and do them later, starting with a fresh inbox. Chances are, you won’t need to do them at all. Now just keep your inbox empty from here on out.
Crank up the tunes. Some funky or upbeat tunes might just do the trick. They can make any job much more fun. Either play it on your speakers if your coworkers don’t mind, or plug in the earbuds. Currently on my playlist: Radiohead, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Jack Johnson, Snow Patrol … I could go on and on.
Get wild! Sometimes we just need to let loose. Start singing at the top of your lungs, or dance around the office. Sure, people might stare or laugh, but a little fun in the office isn’t a bad thing. Or get out of the office and do something fun or crazy. One afternoon of wildity isn’t going to hurt you (well, stay away from things that are illegal or life-threatening, if possible).

“The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.”
- Dorothy Parker

This post and others from Leo Babauta can found at http://zenhabits.net. Used with the author’s permission.

Original Article at Zen Habits.

Preserve Trust by Avoiding “bcc:”

Trey — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:56:33 +0000

Avoid One Careless Mistake That Can Easily Undermine Trust

The blind carbon copy (“bcc:”) option of most email applications isn’t often used–but when it is, the potential harm can often far outweigh the good.

Most of our readers are probably familiar with the idea, but for those that aren’t: The blind carbon copy option provides the ability send an email without disclosing all the recipients, and people listed in the “bcc:” address box receive a copy without anyone else knowing that they were ever included. Think of it as the equivalent of allowing someone to listen in to a phone conversation by picking up another receiver on the same line. It’s easy enough to do, and there are plenty of reasons it might be tempting–but when people find out, it’s bound to cause problems.

The biggest single reason to avoid using the bcc: option is that is has a tremendous potential for undermining trust–something that takes a long time to develop but only a moment to damage irreparably. There are two distinct ways this can happen:

You can get caught. Email has a way of taking on a life of its own, and messages that you thought were private never seem to actually be so. All it takes is for one of the hidden recipients to forward the note–perhaps even with good intent–and others can see that you were allowing someone to “listen in.”
Second, even if you never get caught it can still undermine the trust of anyone who sees you using it (even the person that you’re sending the blind copy to). Think about it like this: If you watch someone talk about others behind their backs, or tell lies to other people, you might not feel personally betrayed–but you’d better be on guard lest the person do the same thing to you. If someone is blind-copying you on messages to other people, there’s a very good chance you’re not the only one receiving letters addressed to you.

So what’s a person to do? Are there really no reasons to use the bcc: option? Not at all–it’s still a great way to send mass emails when you want to respect the privacy of the recipients and make sure that their email addresses don’t get exposed to everyone else. Just make sure that everyone is blind carbon copied, and it’ll be obvious what you’re doing. Including some people secretly comes across as–well, secretive. Using bcc: can also ensure that your recipients’ inboxes don’t inadvertently get cluttered by a bunch of “reply all” responses. Again, just make sure it’s all-or-nothing.

If you’re still tempted to use bcc: on a case-by-case basis, consider the fact that you can accomplish the same thing by simply forwarding an email after sending it. People are familiar with the concept of forwarding, and while it might not be something they like, it won’t cause the same level of outrage should the note end up making any rounds. A forward is pretty straightforward and not typically considered inherently sneaky.

I’m not the biggest fan of Nietzsche, but I can sympathize with his sentiment when he said: ”Not that you lied to me but that I no longer believe you – that is what has distressed me.” No one should automatically assume that their electronic communications are always what they seem–but in the workplace it’s often necessary to make the choice to believe each other, even when it’s a little naive. I’d argue that a work environment built on trust–even naively so–is definitely preferable to the alternative.

-tg

How to Ask a (Near) Stranger for a Favor

Trey — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:46:44 +0000

We all know the importance of professional networking, but good intent isn’t always enough to see our plans through to fruition. This week the Harvard Business Blog’s David Silverman offers some helpful suggestions for ways to request the networking assistance of a near-stranger.

Provided is an example of what NOT to do in the form of an email from a student. David dissects the note, but then offers up a differently-worded template that can serve as a great example for anyone who wants to ask for help from someone they don’t know very well.

The key tips David offers (paraphrased below) are fairly straightforward, but sometimes easy to forget:

Approach the individual respectfully and find something nice to say.
Remember you probably don’t know much about the nature of the recipient’s other professional contacts.
Appeal to their self-interest–why is it worth their time to help you out?
Don’t assume they know what you’re talking about–explain terms or concepts that aren’t universally understood.
Give them something to cut-and-paste–in other words, make their life as easy as possible and don’t assume that just because they’re willing to help they’re going to spend a lot of time.
Don’t use TXT-speak–it only take a moment to spell words out and use proper grammar. If your hope is that they’ll help you in a professional manner, show them the courtesy of acting professionally as well.

It’s nice to have a reminder of how even a well-intentioned writing can come across from the perspective of the recipient. Even if this isn’t a pressing issue right now, we’ll all face the eventual day when assistance is needed–and the template David provides is a good example to save for when that time inevitably comes.

-tg

How to Ask a (Near) Stranger for a Favor [Harvard Business Blog via Lifehacker]