Jenny

Its the holiday season again, and guess what, you have the office holiday party to look forward to.  Yes, it is that time of the year when the boss and the company springs for that year-end get together and bash.  A word of caution, remember, even though you are at the holiday party, and everyone is in high spirits and a jolly good mood, this is not the time to forget your P’s and Q’s. So, to help you graciously navigate and avoid a possible holiday party disaster we have put together a few tips for you.

1. Remember the cardinal rule, even though you are at the company holiday party, you are still at a business function.  So you must be aware that the bosses are also at the party and may be watching you and how you interact with everyone else.
2. Eat and drink in moderation.  Remember you are at the party to network with your colleagues as well as with the higher up’s.  So don’t go off the deep end at the open bar.
3. Dress code.  Find out before hand what is expected with regards to holiday party dress code, whether it is business causal or dressy, this will save you some awkward moments.  Also inquire as to whether you are allowed to bring a date or your spouse along to the party.
4. If the company allows for an employee to bring a spouse or date to the party, update your date or spouse as to who is your boss and a few of the other important persons in your organization. If possible, educate them as to what should and should not be mentioned in conversation with those executives that they may happen to meet at the party.
5. We recommend attending your office holiday party even if it means only staying for a short time.  Your absence could be a point of contention with your boss or upper management.

If you have other suggestions and recommendations, please feel free to leave your comment below.

Donna

Java Casa released a list of actual Church Bulletin Bloopers made by the Church’s secretary.  To help you avoid making the same mistakes, please proof read what you write and make sure it makes sense.  Here is a list of some of the bloopers for your enjoyment: 

“Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight at Calvary Memorial Church in Racine.  Come tonight and hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.”
GS: Are you sure they will be hearing her all the way from Africa???

“Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale.  It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house.  Don’t forget your husbands.”
GS:  Okay, this is really not a mistake.  I will have to agree: husbands are not worth to be kept around the house!

“Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.“ 
GS: Weird.  How can I place the deceased in the envelope?

“Don’t let worry kill you. Let the Church help.”
GS:  Can you repeat that again? Is the Church going to help killing me?

“For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.”
GS: Ok.  I can understand that some guys may not know if they have children or not.  But, I think women will know that as a matter for a fact (and as a matter of pain, vomiting, growing, and pushing).

“Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.”
GS: Okay, I know I am fat, that’s why I am attending a Weight Watchers meeting, but do you have to throw it at my face? Don’t you think I can fit through a door that is not large and double?

To read other bloopers, visit see Java Casa’s Actual Church Bulletin Bloopers.

Jenny

Today, I found an interesting article on emails written in “all caps.“  To my surprise, the post from Christopher Null, tells of a woman who was fired for sending out emails in “all caps.“  You are probably wondering to yourselves, well what is the big deal?  Well, the deal is that sending out an email written in all capital letters is downright rude.  It signifies to the reader of the email that you, the writer,  is upset or angry.  An “all caps” email also signals a different tone of voice to its reader.  The tone from an “all caps” email is a confrontational one, suggesting that the writer is speaking to the reader in an aggressive and loud manner. 

You can read more about this woman who got fired for sending out such an email at: Tech.Yahoo.com

Sending an email in “all caps” is likely to spur the reader to reply in a rude manner or maybe not respond to at all.  If you receive enough of these types of email from one particular co-worker over time, it could lead to hostile feelings towards the co-worker, and an uncomfortable work environment.  So ladies, take note, before you shoot out that next “all caps” email.

This also reminds me of a previous post that I had written several months ago about my email pet peeves, not surprisingly, receiving an “all caps” email was my number one pet peeve.

So tell us, what are your thoughts on the “all caps” email?

Jenny

Let’s face it.  If you work someplace long enough, you will develop friendships with some of the people who are also your work colleagues.  In some instances, we end up developing very close friendships with one or two people that we have met through work.  The question is, even though you have this really great friendship at work, should you take that friendship out of the work realm and bring it closer to your private world?

Of course, in situations like this, I think it would come down trust.  Do you trust that friend who is both a colleague at work and a personal friend will be able to keep the two situations separate if needed.  For example, if you both work in the same department, and you are both up for promotion, you get the promotion but not your friend.  Can you trust that your friend will not allow your success to affect both your work and personal friendship?  Another thing to consider in situations where a work friend has crossed over to being a personal friend, is whether that friend/colleague will be able to keep personal things that you share with them about your life, out of the office.  You certainly don’t want personal issues becoming fodder for office gossip. 

If you do have one of these rare and unique friendships develop, one way to ensure that you sustain a lasting friendship is to always have mutual respect for those work/personal life boundaries.  Knowing and respecting those boundaries will provide both of you with the security and comfort you need to perform as colleagues at work, while keeping your personal relationship outside of work intact.  Having a friend and ally at work could enrich your work experience.  A good work ally can keep you sane, and help turn difficult days into manageable ones. 

If you have one of these unique friendships, we would like to hear from you.  Feel free to leave a comment below.

Jenny

Many of us spend much of our time at work in a cubicle.  To make our workspace our own we can personalize it by decorating it with a few items.  The question is what is appropriate cubicle decoration.  Displaying photos of your family on your desk or other work area is fine.  Just remember not to clutter the area with too many photo frames, after all, this is still your work area.  If you are a sports fan, having a miniature mascot of your favorite team propped up somewhere in the cubicle is always fun.  It can be a great icebreaker at times.  To add a splash of color to your cubicle area, consider a small plant or flowers.  If you are like me, and have the uncanny ability to kill even a cactus, then you may want to consider putting in a fake flower pot or plant.  Fake plants or flowers never die, and have the same effect of adding some color to your cubicle. 

In playing with color, you can also be creative with office supplies and furniture.  For example, you can add a neon colored stapler, or a bright colored lamp to your desk to rev things up a bit.  Also, having functional supplies like pens or pencils in unusual shapes, sizes, and colors can make your space fun and different as well. 

Remember, that even though your cubicle is your workspace, it is still accessible by your boss and others.  So again, you should always try to maintain a professional outlook in your decorating theme.  That means no oversize pinups of favorite movie, pop, or sports stars allowed.  So go ahead, have some fun with your cube space, after all you do spend a great deal of time in it.