Portland Ice Storm - Everyone has the Same Problem

So today I wanted to share one of my favorite videos from YouTube. It is of a terrible snow/ice storm in Portland, Maine. What I find fascinating is the number of people who see that no one else has been able to make it through the ice, but it is going to be different for them. It is pretty funny as everyone who tries, ends up doing more damage to themselves and others.

The awareness for today is to recognize that when you notice others are massively struggling on something it is not necessarily going to be easy for you either. Don't keep trying to do the same thing over and over again expecting different results. Be innovative and try your own thing (hopefully more calculated than the video!).
~Paul

A Matter of Perspective

I was recently looking over an employee review and read both the employee and supervisor's comments. It was like looking at two very different situations that had absolutely nothing to do with each other.

It really is a matter of perspective and beyond that, communication. The employee believed that he was working above and beyond the call of duty, while the supervisor did not feel that his work was above average. When two parties are that far apart in their thinking, it can make discussions around the situation difficult. Having a third party involved, in this case a human resources manager, allows both parties to express their points of view and receive feedback from the other. This is never an easy situation, but it is one that must be dealt with. By bringing in a third-party moderator, both sides are protected while speaking and the moderator can make sure the discussion stays on track. The result of this discussion should be clear expectations from and for both sides.

The awareness for today is to recognize that your perspective is based on the information available to you and may be very different from someone else's perspective.
~Paul

Dealing with Difficult People

It is a fact that we will not like all people we need to deal with for business. That is okay, throughout our lives, there have been and always will be people that we just cannot connect with; such is life. How do we deal with these people in business?

It is important to remember that we cannot control external factors. We can adapt to them, but not control them. We can, however, control ourselves. When dealing with a difficult person, it is best to be yourself. Do not expect them to be difficult, but rather simply be at your best and do not antagonize the situation.

I highly recommend, and just bought for someone, People Skills by Robert Bolton. The book helps one learn different communication styles and how to work well with others.

The awareness for today is to keep ourselves in check even though we cannot control others. Let us be responsible for ourselves and work from that place.
~Paul

Returning to Work Catch Up

To those of you who had a long weekend, I welcome you back. I love taking a long weekend, but there is always the stress of catching up upon my return. By missing time "in the office" (I use this term loosely as it does not have to mean a physical space/destination), there are items that need to be dealt with when we return. That doesn't sound so bad, except that our regular duties and agenda items must be dealt with as well.

It is important to remember that after a three day weekend like this one due to Labor Day, we are not the only ones returning to the office to play catch up. Most people we deal with here in the States will be catching up (granted, when it is a federal holiday and EVERYONE is off, there is not as much catch up to do).

The awareness for today is to take our time and not rush through in trying to catch up; don't just get the work done, get the work done right. The secondary part of our awareness today is to recognize that those around us are catching up today as well; be patient with others and they will be patient with you.
~Paul