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Screenshot taken by Nayadee Wilson from YouTube.

Why You Should Listen to Ron Swanson

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If you’ve never watched Parks and Recreation, let me tell you that you’re missing out on a major treat and should definitely put it on your watch list. Parks and Rec is a documentary style, political comedy about a group of local government employees (within the parks and recreation department) in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. Some of the major characters in the show are Leslie Knope, a passionate and strong-minded woman who is determined to make Pawnee a better place, and Ron Swanson, a simple, straight-to-the-point libertarian who could care less for the government, yet is the director of the Parks and Rec department. Ron is one of my favorite characters because, 1. It’s impossible not to laugh with him, 2. Throughout the show he actually provides great, useful advice to basically everyone, and 3. His quotes are the best.

In episode 16 of season 4 (Sweet Sixteen), Leslie is trying to manage her campaign for city council while also handling her deputy director job in the Parks department. Ron keeps insisting that she take a leave of absence and focus on one thing at a time, but determined Leslie refuses to do so. Why am I writing about this? Well, because if I had a quarter for every time a job seeker said “I’m great at multitasking,” or every time an employer stated “We need a candidate with the ability to multitask,” I probably could have paid off my house by now. Episode 16 of Parks and Rec can teach all of us an often overlooked truth: multitasking isn’t all it’s cracked up to be; it’s actually not the “greatest” skill of all.

  1. Leslie had super powers. Which were fake.

    Leslie believes she can do it all. And, frankly, she’s usually very good at accomplishing what she wants. Nonetheless, during this episode, where she attempts to use her “I-am-Leslie-Knope” multitasking powers, she fails to see how they aren’t working when things begin to fall apart. As Ron begins to take notice, he immediately advises her to “take a sabbatical.” When Leslie ignores his advice, Ron decides to keep an eye on her while being amused by her mishaps, waiting for her to figure out on her own that she’s overworked.

    Like Leslie, most of us who pride ourselves on being great at multitasking believe that we can do it all. However, research shows that our productivity actually goes down by as much as 40%, and we get a lot less done. So, if you’re like Leslie and have tricked yourself into thinking you’re Superman or Superwoman, this serves to show that you should probably just listen to Ron Swanson.

  2. Leslie was in control. Of nothing; she was in control of nothing.
    .
    Leslie was so used to tackling a million things at once that this was a no biggie for her. She had been multitasking for so long that she was great at it, and had everything under control – except, she didn’t. While Leslie tries to manage her job and her campaign at the same time, she eventually loses control of her situations and mentally crashes (she ends up falling asleep during the surprise party that she was throwing for her coworker, Jerry). 

    The reality is that we don’t actually multitask, we just switch from one task to another – some can just do this quicker than others. When this happens, we become less competent in what we are trying to achieve – and the more we do it the worse it gets. “Practice makes perfect” doesn’t actually work in this case, no matter how badly we want to believe that it does. If you find yourself losing control while trying to do it all, then you should probably listen to Ron Swanson.
    .
  3. Leslie dropped the ball. More than once. More than twice.
    .
    In the episode of “Sweet Sixteen,” Leslie made mistakes. A lot of them. For example, Leslie is always very caring about her coworkers, and never misses their birthdays. But, this time she forgets Jerry’s birthday and attempts to throw him a belated “sweet 16” party (he’s 64, but his birthday is on February 29th so she reasons that he’s only had 16 actual birthdays). She then forgets to invite Jerry. She also forgets to pick up the cake. In the meantime, she realizes that they’ve also messed up her campaign signs, so she rushes back to the printer to have them fixed, and then replaces every single sign in Pawnee herself. They finally make it to the party sometime in the middle of the night, waking everyone up, and she then falls asleep on the couch, on top of Jerry. 

    What happened to Leslie is far from unusual; we actually suffer a fall in IQ when we become distracted by multiple things (which can be the same impact as losing a night of sleep). As it often seems to happen with most of us, while Leslie is usually on top of her game, everything came crashing down when she attempted to do it all – she should have just listened to Ron in the first place.

Listen To Ron Swanson

The next morning, Ron takes Leslie out by the lake and has a talk with her, finally convincing her to take a leave of absence. It was this sole moment in the entire episode that made me want to write about it, and it is one my favorite Ron Swanson quotes as of yet (depending on what else he says – I’ve recently discovered this show, so I’m a little behind). Like many of Ron Swanson’s quotes, what he said to her was simple, to the point, and had a sense of eloquence. The reality is that when we give our attention and focus to one thing at a time, the results are usually ten times better than what they would be otherwise. So, the next time you’re in a multitasking nightmare, you should just take a deep breath, and listen to Ron Swanson: “Never half-butt two things. Whole-butt one thing.” Of course, his actual quote is slightly jazzier than how I put it:

The-best-quotes-by-Ron-Swanson - from Thumbpress
For some of Ron’s funniest quotes, go here. And to tap into some Ron Swanson wisdom, check this out.

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By Nayadee Wilson

Maybe You Should Just Start Showing Up

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*Featured image: Delana Flowers (far right and front) during a performance in 2015*

I think that the greatest talent that humanity has is making excuses, and the greatest impediment to our goals is actually having these said excuses. However, a lot of us have been able to get around those impediments and work toward our goals anyway. Some of us have come to a place in our lives where we tell ourselves, “So, I can’t do this… but I’m going to do it anyway and see what happens.” Woody Allen once said “80% of success is showing up,” and I can’t think of a better example of this notion than our very own Delana Flowers, who starred as Lorrell in the musical, Dreamgirls, at Pittsburgh Musical Theater this past week.

Delana Flowers, our awesome admin at FinancialPeople Staffing in Pittsburgh, has an incredible preforming talent, and some pretty amazing pipes – the girl can sing! As we all began to talk about her show around the office, I asked Delana to tell me more about her performing side. As it turns out, most of Delana’s performing success all started with her decision to simply show up to things she didn’t even intend to take part in. As she went on to tell me her story, something she said immediately stood out to me:

“I moved to Pittsburgh where there was plenty of Community Theater. I got involved almost immediately, but totally by accident, after being dragged to a rehearsal supposedly to observe. From then on, God continued to open doors for me.”

Delana went to a rehearsal just to “observe,” and out of this no-biggie attendance to something she wasn’t even a part of, she began to be involved in the things she was passionate about. What’s interesting is how she stated that she was “dragged” to this rehearsal, so it doesn’t look like her heart was necessarily set on going to this – but she went anyway. So, what happened? Well, she showed up, which led to her being cast in Ain’t Misbehavin in 2008, she was cast as Dinah Washington in 2015 (a show with 25 plus songs she had to learn from scratch), she was cast in JH: Mechanics of a Legend, and, in Delana’s own words, she “did more community shows than I can count at this point.”

The story of attending that rehearsal alone demonstrates the power of showing up, but it doesn’t end there. To land her role as Lorrell in Dreamgirls, Delana had some more showing-up to do. Not only did she have to show up, but she had to do what most of us dread: wait (Ugh! – right?). This is what she had to say about her audition for Dreamgirls:

“I saw an ad for a regional theater holding auditions for Dreamgirls. I wasn’t going to go because I didn’t feel like I knew how to audition on a professional level. My leading man in John Henry pushed me to go. He told me I had nothing to lose. I was nervous, but I went. They called me back 3 times and a whole month went by before I heard anything. Meanwhile, my co-star who pushed me to go to the audition found out in a matter of days that he had been cast. Finally, the call came and rehearsals were to start a week later.”

I’m sure we can all empathize with Delana in one way or another, like being a nervous wreck before an interview, doubting yourself, waiting for that call afterwards to know whether or not you got the job – just to mention a few. Nevertheless, she hung in there, she showed up, and boy did it pay off! Of course, this is not to say that all you need to do is just “be there,” Delana also talks about the hard work that came afterwards:

“I walked into a room full of actors and dancers… with musical theater degrees, music and/or dance degrees and classical training. I came with none of these things! We had a 3 week rehearsal process to put up this Broadway level show. If you added up the rehearsal hours which were typically 8 hours a day, it amounted to about a week and a half. It felt like boot camp! …This was my first professional show and my first show at one of the big theaters downtown. I was terrified and I had several meltdowns along the way.”

Finally, with heartwarming joy, Delana ended her story with this:

“I made wonderful new friends who refused to let me doubt myself. They worked tirelessly with me to learn everything I needed to learn. This was the hardest and biggest thing I have ever done. All I could do was keep showing up, keep working, and cry when overwhelmed. By the time we closed the show last Sunday, I couldn’t believe I had been part of such a spectacular show. It was an absolutely amazing experience I will never forget.”

Needless to say, working toward your goals will most definitely require hard work, but the hard work will never get started unless you start showing up – like Delana did. There will always be times in which the possibilities we dream of seem almost unattainable, where we will doubt ourselves, have meltdowns, and wonder if that small step will even be worth it. Well, Delana’s success story raises two very important questions that we should always keep in mind: How many doors could be opened for you, if you simply show up? How many doors will you continue to miss? Maybe you should just start showing up. 😉 

Check out some clips of Delana’s performance!:

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By Nayadee Wilson

Getting Your Mojo Back After The Holidays

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Even as I write this I am struggling to keep my focus and motivation. What others would call “writer’s block,” I am calling procrastination. To be fair, I believe that this is simply the effect from a cause that we all know too well: the “After-Holiday Blues” (I think I just made that name up, but you get my drift). There is no doubt that returning to work after the freedom of the holidays is hard; the heavy thought of “I don’t feel like going to work today” fills our mind like an ugly plague. To get out of the wishing-for-a-never-ending-holiday stage, here are some ideas that may help in getting your mojo back and start up some motivation.

Music heals all.

One thing you may want to try is playing some cheery music (quietly, if allowed) while you’re working. Music has the amazing effect of altering the way we feel. Playing music while you work will make you feel happier, and in turn, more productive and motivated to work. I, for example, like to listen to talk shows while I work – not necessarily “music,” I know, but it is something that soothes me and makes me feel good. When I don’t have my talk shows on, I love to listen to upbeat songs and have my own little party – you could do the same 🙂 . Additionally, if you wanted to keep the holiday season going in your own way, go ahead and play songs like “Sleigh Ride” (one of my favorites) over and over until you’re satisfied – whatever makes you happy! Whether cheery music means sad country songs or super upbeat Christmas songs, choose whatever works for you; get working while enjoying the beat.

Something nice to have.

I am always like a little kid on a sugar rush any time I have anything new – it could be something as simple as a nice pen (I do love nice pens *_*). If you’ve received something nice during the holidays and you can bring it to work, go ahead and take that with you. Having something nice to look at, especially something you really enjoy, will make you feel more at home and boost your mood. I’d recommend even getting some nice office supplies of your own (or something related to the job that you do) so that you’re motivated to use it. New things are always exciting! These can range from really cool mouse pads, to awesome pens, a fancy calculator, or even just a plant for your desk or a new picture for your screen background. Today, for me, my nice thing to have was a really nice sweater that I got over the holidays. I feel pretty and uplifted, and that is what counts! 🙂 Of course, not everyone has the same likes/dislikes, just make sure that you find something that makes you feel inspired and bring it with you – whatever that may be.

There is always a first step.

This blog is a prime example of the power of this tip. I was not initially motivated to start this, but without thinking I just opened up Word Document and started writing – now here we have a blog. Every job or task that you have needs to start somewhere, and all you have to do is take that first step. Chances are that once you get started on your task, you will gain momentum and follow through with the project; even if it is just for that day (then you have to take that first step again, the next day). Usually the first step is always the hardest to take, but, in most cases, it will always be the most simple. You will quickly find that just a few minutes after taking that step, you’ve actually already made some great progress. 🙂

We can be merry all year round.

I know there are times in which we all wish for longer breaks, but what fun would that be? After all, our breaks serve as great satisfaction after a job well done. Although some may be wishing for the holiday season to just be over with, most of us can agree that, even so, coming back to work can be mentally challenging. At least now you know that there is no need to fret, and you can easily get your groove back in the workplace. Just because the holiday season is over doesn’t mean that you can’t carry it on in your own way, if you wanted to. For this New Year, remember to stay merry, and never stop showcasing the best of your talents – that is what you are there to do!

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By Nayadee Wilson

 

 

 

4 Traits of a Company You’ll Want to Work for

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Searching for a new job is not always nice and easy. It takes a lot of time, preparation, diligence, you name it! Not only is this search mentally exhausting, but it’s hard enough just getting an interview, let alone finding that awesome company you’ve always wanted to work with. Sometimes we get so caught up in our temporary state of desperation that we are ready to take whatever comes first. Or, the opposite may happen, where we are so stuck in our financial requirements or desired job title that we refuse to work with any company that does not meet those specific needs. Well, you may find that in either situation the decision to accept/refuse a job offer without considering the kind of company you will work for may cost you. Here are some things that I’ve learned say a lot about a company’s structure, which can help you make the right decision when it comes to your next career move.

  1. Let’s not forget about our community.

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    Cindy and Kaitlyn at the Susan B. Coleman Race for a Cure – June 2016

    One of my favorite traits of CP Staffing Solutions is the company’s ability and desire to care and be involved in the community that we are part of. Willingness to give and take care of the community says a lot about a company because it shows that they care about more than just making a profit. When the company cares about others, it means that they will care about you. When they care about you, it means you will have opportunity. Here is one of the messages our president, Cindy Neese, has sent to us:
    “Team,
    I wanted to share this email with everyone in the office.  Kaitlyn recently made me aware of this Volunteer WNY Newsletter that goes out by United Way.  If you sign up, you will get then notifications of different opportunities with non-for-profit organizations locally that are looking for volunteers for different fundraisers. As a company, I would like to see us do at least 2 of these each calendar year, but there may be opportunities for you to sign up as individual or family event that you might like to do.  Also, if we see something that we can do as a team, this would be a great way to get those notifications.   If you click on www.volunteerwny.org, it will take you to the main site where you can register for the monthly newsletter.

    Thank you, Cindy”

    If you’re not sure whether the company you’re interviewing with has much involvement in their community, then feel free to do some research. Additionally, this could be a good question for you to ask during the interview. When the dreaded “do you have any questions for me?” statement comes up at the end and you draw a blank, you could ask, “Do you have any outside projects that you participate in as company, such as volunteer work or anything like that?”

  2. Our employees make this baby run!

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    Employee Appreciation Happy Hour!

    So maybe the company you’ve encountered doesn’t have the chance to do much volunteer work, but they have other ways in which they show they care: the unquestionable value of their employees. When higher management openly expresses appreciation for their employees, it says a lot about the kind of environment you will be working in. I’ve never met anyone who is a greater example of this than our very own Cindy Neese (I will talk about her a lot, because she truly is awesome).

    In a previous blog titled “Note from the President; Cindy Neese on Leadership,” Cindy wrote how “Many leaders could never imagine leading a company with Love – the verb not the emotion.  I am talking about actions, not feelings,” and I could honestly say she practices what she preaches. Cindy never misses the opportunity to let us know when we do a good job, (no matter how small the task is), she lets us know the ways in which our job is valuable and useful – just this morning she came in to ring a bell to tell everyone how they’re doing a wonderful job, due to some good news she had just received – and she does her best to do really nice gestures for us all. Not only does this kind of appreciation motivate employees, but it makes us happy to come and work with her.

  3. We’re like a second family.

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    Facebook post from a valued employee 🙂

    One of the most important facts about valuing employees is that the expression of care is contagious! As a leader, Cindy teaches all of us how to treat each other in the same manner, which makes for a great atmosphere in the workplace. A great company will not only have top management care for you, but it will also have its employees caring for each other. It is a huge sign of good leadership. The same way our president gives praise to her employees, we also give praise to each other. The same way she makes great, small gestures, we also do those kinds of gestures for each other (as you can see from the picture on the right). I love our team! 🙂

    When you decide to work for a particular company, it might be a good idea to scope out the atmosphere. How do employees treat each other, talk to (or about) each other? If you can’t really tell at first glance, you could check out some of the company reviews online. Additionally, if you know someone already in the company, you can ask them for their opinion on how they feel about the environment. Having a good crew to work with means you will have a much more relaxed environment, making you feel more motivated to come to work, as opposed to having to come in to work with people that just… don’t necessarily make for a great experience. 🙂

  4. No more drama!

    The very last thing you would want to deal with at your new job is drama. This is not always very easy to spot from a first interview, but it will not take long for it to surface if you’ve already started the job. One way you can spot this trait is by watching for the kinds of things your interviewer decides to share about the company or its staff. A previous coworker and friend (from a previous company I used to work for), told me about their interview experience. This individual was completely in shock because, during the interview, the manager began to talk about the employees, and not necessarily in a positive way. The interviewing manager talked about some of the employee’s personalities, using phrases such as “so-and-so can be very defensive,” as well as, “we have someone who doesn’t seem to want be here,” and, “everything is a mess because so-and-so did this,” etc.

    When the interviewer blatantly discredits his/her employees, it may be a sign of mistrust, favoritism, and undervalue. This is the part where you start to look at your other options (red flag alert!). Having this kind of environment in the workplace can attribute to significant levels of stress, as well as interfere with your ability and skills to do your job in the first place. It also makes you question the kind of opportunity you’ll really have in the company if it will mainly depend on how much your boss “likes you.” 

Choose success, but don’t forget peace of mind.

Before making the decision to jump on board or “swipe left” on a particular company, make sure you take note of the little things. Working for an unethical company or one that does not value its employees and/or their talents will only hurt you in the long run, and you will be miserable – no matter what your title is or how much they pay you. If you’ve already started working for the company, these traits (or the lack thereof) can be easy to spot. If you see some issues, your best bet is to run as soon as you can – while never forgetting to be professional. Even if you’re not being directly affected, it is only a matter of time before it catches up to you. By all means, choose a career path that will bring you success, but be very careful to choose the right company to help you get there! 🙂

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By Nayadee Wilson

4 Staffing Agency Myths You Probably Believed

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Since I’ve started working for CP Staffing Solutions (we’re awesome, by the way), I’ve come into several conversations about staffing agencies with some of my friends that have left me a little surprised – well, maybe not so much “surprised” as much as “curious.” I came to find that some of the things that people think and believe about staffing agencies are incredibly misconstrued. Furthermore, it made me wonder, how is it that these misconceptions have gone on for so long? Working for one directly, I can be the first to tell you that many of these are just simply not true; you’ve been bamboozled! Let’s tackle some of these myths and uncover some great truths.

  1. The fee
    Myth: A staffing agency will take a cut from your salary.
    Fact: The hiring company pays a staffing fee to the agency, not you.

    I can see how people can come to this conclusion; I thought the same thing when I started searching for a job through a staffing agency. However, the reality is that the hiring company pays a staffing fee to the agency based on, but separate from, your salary. A few years ago I took some time away from the workforce to travel, and when I came back I needed a job (like ASAP), so I went through a staffing agency. Not only did I not have to pay a fee, but they also did all the job searching for me and I got a job in less than a week after meeting with them. Working with an agency actually has some pretty good perks, and it will not cost you a dime. Here is what some of our recruiters had to say on the subject:”It’s amazing how many people still think that’s true.  It WAS true many, many years ago when I went through an agency.  They wanted a percentage of your first year’s salary but that is not the case now.”  – Beth Courtney, Sr. Sourcing Specialist at ComputerPeople Staffing.

    “A company that decides not to make an investment in an employee because of an agency fee likely isn’t a company you would want to work for anyway.” – Faith Drew, Recruiter at FinancialPeople Staffing.

  2. The pay negotiation
    Myth: An agency job will probably be low-pay, and you won’t be able to negotiate.
    Fact: Agencies provide a wide range of salaries, from entry level to experienced positions, and will facilitate negotiation.

    So this one is kind of a two-fer; not only do people believe that agencies will offer them a poor salary, but they also believe that the option of negotiation is off the table. What actually happens is that a recruiter will look at your resume and your experience, talk to you about what you’re looking for, and give you a realistic and honest perspective on what you should expect. The great thing is, you don’t have to be afraid of telling your recruiter what you want or what your absolute minimum is. In fact, some of the best chances of negotiation will happen with your recruiter because they are the ones that deal with the company directly; they can negotiate the best pay according to your salary preference and experience. Oftentimes negotiating on your own can be awkward and/or stressful (at least for me it would be O_O), while recruiters are usually trained in this area. Instead of running the chance of starting your new job on a wrong note, having your recruiter negotiate your salary will ensure that everything goes smoothly, and you would still look like a superstar 😉 . See? This actually works out in your favor. 🙂

  3. The temporary job
    Myth: Agencies only offer temp jobs.
    Fact: Agencies offer all kinds of jobs.

    Simple and to the point: we have a wide variety of jobs, not just temporary jobs. The misconception may come from the fact that a lot of these jobs may start out as a temporary role, but often times these temporary jobs will turn into full-time, permanent ones. Good companies like to keep good talent; if you do end up starting out with a temporary gig, make sure you showcase your best! 🙂 Here is what one of our recruiters had to say on the matter:

    “We work with all position types—permanent, contract/temp, temp to perm, and per diem.” – Liz Ragan, Recruiter at MedicalPeople Staffing.

  4. The low quality factor
    Myth: Agencies don’t have good “big girl/big boy” jobs; you’d be lowering your standards.
    Fact: A lot of great, high paying jobs can only be found through a good agency.
    Really take the time to think about it: why would a company go through the trouble of paying professional recruiters to find them employees? Well, simply put, because they want the best talent for the best jobs. Otherwise the company would be, basically,  wasting their money. An agency can find you jobs that you could otherwise miss, so it’s certainly worth your time. Here is our last thought:

    “Most of the clients we work with only work through recruiters. This is especially true at large companies when it comes to contract roles, and small companies when it comes to permanent roles. So working with an agency is often the only way to find jobs like that. Companies invest in agencies to find them the best talent that will stay long term and be a good fit long term.” – Faith Drew, Recruiter at FinancialPeople Staffing.

Now that we’ve uncovered some truths, if you’re looking for a change of pace, a new job, or a new career path, give the staffing agency a shot! You never know – you could very well find your dream job when you least expect it. And just to let you in on one last, little secret: no one will go out of their way to prep you for an interview the way your recruiter will (at least all of our recruiters do!), optimizing your chances of getting the job. What more is there to say? Give it a try, and see how it goes. From my personal experience, staffing agencies have always been a great help in my career search, and they could very well do the same for you!

*This blog was expanded from the original blog “Five Misleading Myths About Getting A Job Through a Staffing Company“*

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By Nayadee Wilson

“You Can’t Make Me!” – Being Ethical VS Being Insubordinate

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Have you ever been assigned a task that you felt uncomfortable with? Additionally, have you always handled these situations properly? Ahh – that’s where the tricky part comes in. The rules of ethics can often seem to be perfectly black and white, while in other instances they may appear to have a grey area. Sometimes what is ethical for some may not be ethical for others, and so unwanted confrontations and conflict can arise (sometimes more than just your typical eyebrow-raiser O_O). When it comes to the workplace, while we all want to adhere to our ethical standards, we also want to be very careful of the way in which we handle these somewhat uncomfortable, yet common situations. There are a few things you can do in order to protect yourself, and the company, from engaging in what you believe to be unethical behavior/tasks while also keeping away from being labeled as an insubordinate employee; you do not want the latter!

That’s not right, so I’m not doing it.

One of the things you should be aware of is what the meaning of insubordination actually is. Insubordination in the workplace is defined as defiance of authority (refusal to obey others), disrespectful behavior, and/or a confrontation between an employee and a supervisor/manager. So, before refusing to do a particular task due to it appearing unethical, take a moment to brainstorm over the situation. Something you definitely want to refrain from is being disrespectful. The abrupt refusal of doing your task may come off as disrespectful behavior, consequently placing you in disciplinary action or putting your job in jeopardy. Take the time to analyze whether it truly is an unethical task, or if it is a biased opinion on your behalf (which can happen, we all have awesome, unique brains 🙂 ). That being said, once you’ve properly evaluated your circumstances, if the task seems to remain unethical you are now ready to decide on what your next step should be, and ask yourself some reasonable questions.

Question no.1 – Can they do that?

The greatest tool you can have at your disposal is information. When encountering a “grey area” in the topic of ethics, something that can help you greatly is your company handbook, and/or a list of company policies and procedures. Reviewing these will often help you make the distinction between having ethical vs unethical requests. The reality is that your boss might not be a bad guy, so give her/him a break; your boss may just be trying a different means to an outcome that could or could not be in line with company policy, without having analyzed the situation further. Therefore, keeping up with proper procedures on your end is essential. Another thing you should be informed about is your legal rights. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (our great friend, OSHA) does protect you in the event that your refusal to work is truly due to an unethical issue. Hence, if you refuse to do a certain task because you believe “in good faith” that what you were asked to do is unethical, it will not be considered insubordination.

Question no.2 – This is obviously unethical! …Or is it?

Again, what may be unethical to some may not be unethical to others, so communication is important here (and use your words!). I’ll give you an example: during a previous position I held as an admin, I was in charge of all the billing. Company procedure was to bill/charge all orders once they had already shipped, and not before. During month end, however, those billing numbers were important to our goals. One of the things I personally struggled with was charging an order before it actually shipped or had been completed – it just didn’t sit quite well with me. While I was only trying to follow company procedure, there was a grey area; would you say billing an order that perhaps didn’t leave the building just yet, but would leave first thing the next morning, was unethical? What about an order that was not leaving the building until next week? This was a discussion that I needed to have with my supervisor, which resulted in a reasonable and understanding conclusion – we worked out what was acceptable without disturbing my ethical standards. While billing something that was ready to leave the very next day was reasonable to me, I was uncomfortable billing an order that was not to be complete until, say, a week later. My boss was very understanding and did not require me to do so. Moral of the story: simply refusing to perform a task may not be the best option, and it can land you in the insubordination platform. Expressing your concern to your supervisor is not only the right thing to do but it also shows your appreciation for the company and its policies, as well as your good ethical standards. Just make sure that you remain respectful, honest, and open to a reasonable discussion 😉 .

Question no.3 – Are they still expecting me to do this?

Let’s say you’ve reviewed your handbook, the company policies and procedures, you’ve spoken to your supervisor about your concern, and yet the answer is still: “just do it.” What’s there to do? In this situation, the Human Resources department becomes your best friend. Your HR department is in place to make sure that you are protected and that all company policies are being followed. If all else fails, your best option will be to bring your concerns forward to someone in HR, and explain the situation as best as you can. Additionally, as tempting as it is, what you will not want to do is bring the matter out in public by talking to your coworkers about the issue, as this may cause you to be seen as insubordinate. As Reference.com puts it, “If it becomes public knowledge then it can be considered insubordination, as the employee is considered to be ruining morale for the company.” Make sure you are well informed regarding your company’s policy, and contact HR (privately – refrain from the urge to gossip!) if you need to.

I still don’t feel comfortable here.

Whelp, you’ve done all you can, and although maybe your particular situation was resolved, it may have ended in a way which still caused you to believe that it was unfair, or unethical. This is the time you may want to think about how the company culture lines up with your own ethical standards and personality. Although the company may have not engaged in what they would consider unethical (how we love that grey area, huh?), the fact that you still feel it is may be an indicator that you will thrive much better in a different atmosphere and company culture. Of course, in cases of serious unethical behaviors such as harassment and/or illegal behavior, I’d advise you to never forget your legal rights and follow through with proper procedure when possible, but also don’t forget your health and well-being – do what is best for you. That being said, given that your situation involves, more or less, just differences in working style, if you do decide to explore different opportunities remember to do it with professionalism, and always end on a good note. Whatever your situation may be, don’t be afraid to stay true to yourself and your moral standards, all while making sure you remain professional and refrain from falling in the traps of insubordination! Nobody wants that :).

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By Nayadee Wilson (who has an awesome new pic!)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGZw50ACcys

What it Means When You Don’t Vote – The Opinion of a Humble Doritos Vending Machine, and an Immigrant

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With this upcoming election, we have all seen a lot of turmoil, a lot of passion, and certainly no lack of disagreement between our fellow American voters. Additionally, I am also seeing something that I had not witnessed in the entire 15 years I have lived in this country: the immense amount of people that have decided not to vote. As a now American citizen who emigrated here with my family from the Dominican Republic in pursuit of the “American Dream,” it is heartbreaking to see how many United States citizens are choosing not to exercise this incredibly valuable right. And from the looks of it, it breaks Frito-Lay Doritos’ heart too!

Rock the vote!

In several college campuses, Frito-Lay has established Doritos chips vending machines with an interesting choice process. The vending machine first presents you with the question “Are you registered to vote?” to which you can answer either “yes” or “no.” Once you have given your answer, you go through your chip-selection process as normal. However, if your answer was “no,” then no matter what your choice of flavor was, the vending machine spits out a grey, dull Doritos bag, with cardboard chips – no flavor, no cheesy goodness, no Doritos; Oh, the atrocity! 😦 Just take a look at the poor students’ faces when denied the goodness of real Doritos.

The movement is part of a campaign that the popular chips brand has taken alongside Rock the Vote in order to motivate college students to participate in the voting process. According to Doritos, since 62% of young voters did not take part in the 2012 election, they decided to make a special bag for them. And what is the message of this new, special Doritos “flavor”? Well, I’d say it is pretty obvious: if you give up your right to vote, then you’ve given up your right to choose. Although a great means of motivation by Doritos, the unfortunate fact is that many of us have several excuses to rationalize our decision of not voting during this election. Let’s tackle some of the most common ones.

“Straight out of options”

Doritos is non-partisan, and they just want to try and get us all out there to exercise our right to vote. Yet, without a doubt, the main reason for people “sitting out” during this presidential election is the fact that a significant number of Americans believe that neither of the current presidential candidates are suitably qualified. However, I do not believe that this should be an excuse to sit this election out. Several people have decided to “vote for the lesser of two evils,” which is an option you can choose, no matter whose side you decide to take. Another option is to vote for a third party; any other presidential candidate available on your state ballot (yes, there are more than just four candidates). The best thing you could do is become well-informed; do your research (and for the love of all that is good, please conduct research outside of social media), and vote on the people/things in which you believe – because that is the point of democracy! The purpose of our vote is so that our input on what we all stand for is taken into consideration; the elections are not a time for us to just give up because the fight seems pointless – no battle has ever been won this way. I know that many will say that voting for a third party is pointless, or that your vote doesn’t matter at all, but I can show you some great ways in which your vote still does matter, even if that third party candidate you vote for has no chance at becoming our next president.

My vote doesn’t count.

If you’re like my husband, although he is voting (because his lovely wife said so 🙂 ), you might stick to the rationalization that Electoral College elects the president, not the popular vote. And yes, generally speaking, this is true. However, your vote still counts, just not in the direct way you may think. One thing to remember is that you are voting in your state’s election, not necessarily a national one. Therefore, your vote holds weight in your particular state. As an article on Fact/Myth put it, “You don’t just vote on the President, you vote on many local, state, and federal races and state-based ballot measures!” Since the complexity of how this all works may not be my area of expertise, I urge you to read David Walbert’s “Does my vote count? Understanding the electoral college” if you still have your doubts as to why or how your vote matters; there is a lot more involved in your vote than what you may think. Although your vote for a president does not directly count towards the presidential election, the many other ways in which your vote does count make me stand with Doritos: “If you don’t vote, someone else chooses for you.”

Eh, I don’t think it’s that big a deal.

As part of an immigrant family that came to the United States for opportunity, who has come to love and embrace this country, I will honestly say that the “no big deal” and the “it doesn’t count anyway” statements irk me the most 😦 . Some of us might not know our history very well, and some of us may be very well informed. Nonetheless, I have encountered people who are very aware of the United States’ history in obtaining voting rights, who still refuse to put importance on our vote. One thing we should keep in mind is that not everyone in the United States was always allowed to vote. For a long time, the only eligible citizens allowed to vote were white, rich, male men and no one else. Our right to vote in this country came with a price; it was not just given to us.

The poor – As an example, let’s reflect on Thomas Dorr. Although Dorr was a wealthy, white man, he considered it wrong that the less fortunate citizens were denied a vote in the United States, and so he fought for it. With rusty cannons against Samuel King’s government, Dorr was defeated in his fight and arrested. Yet, his cause could not be crushed (remember that thing I said about standing up for what we believe, and not just give up when the fight seems pointless? Yeah, this is why). Because of what Dorr started, by the time of the Civil War, every white male of voting age, rich or poor, was eligible to vote.

The women – If you’re a woman who’s eligible to vote, you might want to thank Alice Paul. Alice Paul and her supporters protested outside the gates of the White House and were eventually arrested. While in prison, Paul began a hunger strike for which she was then put in a psychiatric facility. There, she was force-fed through a tube, and encountered many more horrid conditions. Finally, on August 26, 1920, Paul’s battle won the women’s right to vote.

The African Americans – For African Americans, a person you might want to think about and thank is Bob Moses. Although African Americans were granted the right to vote in 1868, southern states were going out of their way to prevent black voters from voting in any election. Bob Moses, along with members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, fought for true voting rights. During his fight, he was struck several times in the head, needing several stitches, as well as encountered gunfire from white supremacists in attempts to stop him. Finally, after all the struggle, injuries, and even deaths, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed, allowing equal rights to all voters.

Do you still believe your vote is useless?

Needless to say, it saddens my heart when I see so many people tossing our precious history to a lonely corner, and reducing the value of our hard-earned voting rights. If you do your own research, there is much more that you will be able to find on how we gained our civil rights (the individuals I spoke of were mainly obtained from the Scholastic Website) and how your vote matters. Regardless of where you stand, who you support or don’t support, make sure that you honor the lives of those who fought for our voting rights in this great country (yes, I do still believe that we are a great country, despite our flaws), and appreciate the value of your vote. Don’t get stuck with yucky, plain, cardboard Doritos; make sure you get some tasty Doritos, and vote!

*Featured image: Doritos No Choice

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By Nayadee Wilson

 

Feeling Overwhelmed? End the Haunting of Stress in the Workplace.

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I saw a post from a friend earlier this morning that read “stress can kill you.” And it is, indeed, a very scary thing – it would make a great Halloween costume! Stress in the workplace is such a common phenomenon, that it is no wonder there are hundreds of articles discussing the topic and offering advice on how to deal with it. After all, according to the American Psychological Association’s annual “Stress in America Survey,” a whopping 65% of Americans referred to work as a top source of stress in 2012, and in 2015 money and work still remained the top two causes of significant stress. Although I have found most articles helpful, I can’t help but notice that most of these tend to emphasize solely on stress emerging from work situations or the work environment. However, sometimes stress comes from other sources that don’t necessarily relate to our work experiences. So I’ve decided to break down the sources of stress in the workplace into three categories: Stress from home, Stress from work, and Stress within you.

My personal life is falling apart.

So maybe your job is great (yay!); maybe you love what you do and can’t truly complain about the work itself. However, even though we’ve often heard the phrase “don’t take your work home with you,” what happens when home comes to work? And yes, I know a lot of us have probably also heard the phrase “leave your personal life at home,” but that’s not always so easy, is it? Sometimes life happens, and you can’t help but stress about it all day long. Here are two steps that have helped me, and may help you as well. 🙂

  1. Get real – One of the first things to do in this situation is to grab a hold of reality, and understand that your troubles from home cannot be solved while at work. It sounds harsh, I know, but a firm grasp on the reality that worrying about your personal difficulties will not take you any closer to solving them, will help you place these worries aside and help you regain focus on work (for the time being). If it truly is an overwhelming event, you’re better off taking a personal day to work through it, and come back to work when you feel refreshed. Nonetheless, if you’re already at work and you’re having a tough time setting these worries aside, here is something I like to ponder on when I start to worry: “Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” In other words, can you gain anything extra in life by worrying? Not likely. What do you gain by worrying? Stress.
  2. Get to work – Once you leave work, get to work on solving your problem. Home-stress factors can be a lot of different things for different people. One of the most popular is usually financial troubles; are you in debt or is there an income problem? In this case, get to work and start to handle your finances wisely; take the time to develop a plan of action. It could also be marital/relationship problems, family illness, or even a more serious event like a death in the family. If this is the case, remember that there is no shame in getting help. Professional assistance is always available to help you cope with this kind of stress, as well as a trusted friend or relative you can rely on. When you make time in your personal life to resolve these issues in a healthy way, it leaves room for focus and dedication in the workplace. If you don’t, then you will most likely feel obliged to spend time thinking about these issues, as you have not dedicated any time to solve them elsewhere.

I hate my job.

Alright, so maybe you do hate your job. Maybe you are feeling undervalued, unappreciated, and unfairly treated. 😦 Perhaps your boss/supervisor is not the kindest, or perhaps your work environment is a toxic one. Regardless of the reason, it is never healthy for anyone – you or the company – to feel miserable at work. Here are some things to keep in mind.

  1. Be rational – A great thing to keep a handle on is the proper perspective; is this all in my head? One way to reflect rationally and see a situation from the outside-in, is by writing an email or note of what happened and how you’re feeling, not sending it, and reading it over to yourself (I will emphasize, do not send your angry email to your co-worker/supervisor/boss/customer – it never remedies anything, trust me 😦 ). Not only will this exercise help you re-evaluate a situation, it also serves as kind of a “woo-saah” type of healing. Reading it over will make you ask relevant questions like “am I overreacting? Is this the right thing to say? Are these the proper words to use? What could have been done differently?” etc. Additionally, it might be a good idea to save these emails for yourself and keep track of what your triggers are; i.e. what “ticks you off.” You can then transform your quick reaction to these kinds of situations into a wise and appropriate action in the future.
  2. Have boundaries – Although a great success, technology has also been our downfall. I know there are times in which we feel we have to be the “Yes-man” and be available 24/7, because why wouldn’t we be? It’s our job, right? Not exactly. Of course, there are many responsibilities that come with your job title, but there are also times in which you can say “No,” and your boss will understand. When my husband first accepted his current job, it was a great career opportunity for him and he was very excited. However, he was starting to constantly check his emails while being at home, which made it difficult for him to be a part of the family, and caused both him and the family a great deal of stress. Once he established the boundary between home and work, everyone was a lot happier. 🙂 Of course, by “everyone” I mean me; if mom is not happy, then no one is happy 😉 . But, with my attempted jokes aside, it is needless to say that placing boundaries is healthy and acceptable.
  3. Have communication – We all wish that our peers would just know when something would not sit quite well with us. Unfortunately, none of us are mind readers and we all think differently, therefore communication is needed. You may want to try simply speaking to your boss about your level of stress. By “speaking,” I cannot stress enough that this does not mean “complain.” It means discussing how you are feeling and asking what you can do to improve the situation, or how can you work together to come to a healthy and adequate solution. If you are with a good company, you can rest assured that you will be helped and encouraged – some companies even have programs that offer professional help if you need it. If you are, however, within a toxic work environment in which your concerns are not properly addressed, then you can feel at peace by making the decision to take your talents elsewhere. Being constantly stressed will contribute to short temper, anxiety, and many more health issues that will significantly impact your productivity on the job. To give a quick summary of my experience, when I worked for a previous company some time ago, I experienced all of these symptoms, which caused me to lose the quality of my once acclaimed, and even rewarded, customer service skills. This particular company was an incredibly toxic one, and although I did stress about what I would do once I left, it was the best decision I ever made. If this is the case, a great tool to use in your new job search is a staffing agency – they are wonderful and there to help! Not to mention today I work for one of the best, and could not love my job any more if I tried. 😉

I can choose to be happy.

Last, but certainly not least, is my favorite topic of almost every article/study I’ve read on managing stress: managing yourself. This was the one thing that all of my research had in common, which I will completely agree with. Many times we think that happiness is an effect of our circumstance, therefore making it a strictly dependent emotion. However, happiness is not so much an emotion reliant on context, but an action that will ultimately affect how we feel. Take talking to yourself, for example; if you constantly feed yourself negative words, your natural reaction will be to feel bad about yourself. Yet, if you choose to feed yourself uplifting words, your natural reaction will be to feel uplifted. The choice between being happy and miserable can have a huge impact on your stress level. After all, stress itself is not so much what happens around us, but more so how we perceive our circumstances. Try it out for yourself; make the choice to be happy for a whole day, and see how you feel.

  1. Stop comparing – As I came across an article discussing work tension, I loved how they phrased this idea as “leave the Joneses alone.” When you start to feel bad about yourself or how your life is going, it could be because you are comparing yourself to someone else. Your experiences will never be someone else’s, so you should focus on the accomplishments you have made, the goals you’re running towards (or the ones you need to start working on), and the joys you’ve experienced. You should also remember that what you see from people around you on the outside is not always a clear representation of what lies on the inside. We all have our struggles, and we all have amazing successes. Focus on the latter.
  2. Get some hobbies – Don’t forget to treat yourself. When you make time for the things you love, it will help you tremendously in reducing stress. It is important that you disconnect from the world for a while, and reconnect with the things that make you “tick.” If you’re not sure what you would enjoy or you don’t have any hobbies, try out some new things – or simply have a “me-day” where you can take naps if that’s what you’re into. Whatever it may be, take the time to do things that will uplift you and create positive experiences in your life.
  3. Be spiritual – This one surprises some, but being spiritual will actually help a great deal with removing stress. The American Psychological Association advises that you take the time to relax, and calls it “a state in which you actively observe experiences and thoughts without judging them.” For me, personally, prayer works wonders; my days are a million times better when I start off with a prayer and thanksgiving. Nevertheless, if that’s not your thing you may want to look into something like yoga, or meditation. Making the choice to relax, to be thankful, and to focus on positive things will automatically set up your mind and body for positive outcomes throughout your day, making it hard to see the negative side to many situations.

In Conclusion

Remember to not freak out! Although these tips were the ones I found to be most helpful, a lot of what I have written comes from my own personal experiences as well – the lessons I’ve learned the hard way, and the ones I’ve learned from studying. The truth is that there are many ways in which you can manage your stress level and take control of it, so don’t make my mistake; try to learn these tips ahead of time before you explode! >_<

Make sure that you take care of yourself, eat healthy (which I didn’t dive into, but taking care of yourself physically will also affect how you feel emotionally), find some hobbies, and ask for help when you need it. Most importantly, remember that whether at work or at home, when you feel stressed you do not have to go through it by yourself; remember that you are not alone. Stress will lead you into deceiving yourself, thinking that there is nothing you can do and that you have no one who can help, and you just want out! Remember that this is a lie. Any great company knows that we are all in this together, and when one member does not function well, the entire company does not function well. Know your worth, don’t fight it alone, and be confident that you can kick that Stress-monster’s butt! 🙂

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By Nayadee Wilson

Prezi, the future of presenting?

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By: Kaitlyn Neese

If you work in an environment with a lot of presentations, you’ve probably heard of Prezi. It is gaining popularity among the younger generation of the workforce, but I imagine that it is soon going to be utilized by all ages.

If you are unfamiliar with Prezi, it is a free, web-based, more visually appealing version of PowerPoint. It is pretty simple to use and the final product always looks stunning. Prezis are typically much more interesting than PowerPoints, and even the most boring information comes to life with Prezi.

Prezi is new and different. It is fun and it looks so much smoother and more sophisticated than PowerPoint.

So what’s the problem? Why isn’t everybody and their mother flocking to download Prezi and kick the outdated PowerPoint to the curb forever? Long-time PowerPoint fans have a hard time retraining their brain to effectively use Prezi.

Personally, I have become comfortable with the setup of Prezi, but will admit that I have had technical difficulties in the past. Saving presentations has been an issue, and sometimes it takes a while to open up a saved presentation. This can be awkward if you are in front of a group and about to present.

A complaint of Prezi audiences is that it can be distracting. Listeners may be so involved in how gorgeous your presentation looks that they do not hear a word you say. So that definitely defeats the purpose.

So what presentation aid to I prefer to use? I’m going to have to say Prezi, despite its downfalls. Though I will admit Prezi can be distracting and confusing at first, the seasoned Prezi user will learn the tricks of the trade and be able to create excellent presentations. PowerPoint is just too mundane, outdated and limited.

So yes, I believe that Prezi is the future of presenting. If you are uncomfortable with Prezi now, you might as well get used to it. Although your hesitations are probably valid, Prezi is eventually going to be everywhere, so I suggest getting ahead while you still can!

What do you think of Prezi? Are you a loyal PowerPointer? Why?

My favorite FREE apps for Business People

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By: Kaitlyn Neese

There are thousands of apps out there, all claiming to simplify your life in some way or another. Many of these apps are impractical, but some really are must-haves for the time-constrained business person. Here are three of my favorite apps that you should try!

Evernote

 

Seriously. This app rocks.

Evernote is the best app for note-taking and research in my opinion. Also, the collaboration aspects of this app make it great for businesses or groups working on a project.

When you create a notebook in Evernote, you have the option to make it private or share it with a team, and that notebook will also sync across all of your devices so that you can access anything at any time (PC, Mac, iPad, smart phone, etc).

This app has been referred to as a “virtual filing cabinet” because you can add tags to your files in order to find something you have saved in just a few clicks. One of the best parts of this app is that it is extremely easy to snip content from the web and add it to your notebooks- making research documentation simple and accessible.

There is a free version and a pro version for $4.99/month. The free version is really awesome, but you may want to try out the pro version at some point as well.

 

 Wunderlist

Are you one of those people who cannot stop making lists? I am. Sometimes, if I accomplish something that wasn’t on one of my lists, I will put it on a list just so I can cross it off. Crazy, right?

Well, if you are anything like me, you have probably tried multiple list apps, hoping to someday find the perfect app to satisfy all your list-making needs. I finally found that app with Wunderlist.

The free version is great. You can create as many lists as your heart desires for different categories. I use Wunderlist for homework lists, grocery lists, wish lists, and work task lists. Wait – was that a list…? Sorry.

Anyway, I use this app for remembering all the stuff I have to do TODAY, but it can also be used for a more long term to-do list if that works better for you.

Another cool thing is that it syncs across my devices, so I can add and check off tasks from my laptop or my iphone. It is quite handy.

 

Expensify

Okay, so I have to admit that my company does not actually use this app. But I wish we did. It is really fantastic.

Many of my previous employers have complained about how frustrating it is when people lose receipts from business lunches or do not record expenses accurately. Especially when they are the ones that reconcile the receipts. This app totally eliminates that problem by easily allowing you to digitally store all expense information when traveling.

With this app, you can quickly add cash expenses, card expenses, record mileage from travel, and store photos of receipts so that you will never lose one again. Additionally, this app is really helpful to managers because they can approve expenses, reimburse employees right from their phone, and set max expense limits for different categories. Managers can view your entries right from their device or set the app to automatically integrate with Excel, QuickBooks, Xero, Netsuite, Dynamics, Salesforce, FinancialForce and more!

Another cool aspect of Expensify is the ability to log and bill hours to clients using the time entry feature.

Oh yeah, and it’s FREE.

What apps does your company use that you find helpful?