We all have tough days; the key is to get through them quickly and not quit!

Every year, around this time of year, the anniversary of my column, I think, this will be my last year. I am too busy managing my company About Staffing. How can I possibly commit to another year of weekly columns? Besides, what if I run out of ideas? I don’t want to get stale or repeat myself; I do that enough when I speak!

I start to think that people are no longer interested in what I have to say, week after week, year after year, always relating to topics about the workforce. Then, I’ll bump into someone who says, “I read your articles every week” and they make some reference to something I wrote some time ago that had a huge impact on them. I met a client recently who had one of my articles, written many years ago, under glass on his desk! He loved the way I sarcastically instructed bosses on how to keep their staff, by dictating all the wrong things to do. He loved my tongue and cheek column, and refers to it whenever he’s having employee issues.

Some of my articles aren’t so great, especially around the holidays, but sometimes they are brilliant, fresh, and informative. I think that anyone could get stagnant doing the same job, task, or hobby for many years. We all need some type of shake up in our everyday duties, and writing articles is sometimes a great outlet for me to vent or share. Sometimes I have to work late and squeeze out an article, minutes before deadline! But, I do it because I committed to it. Sometimes, I get on a role and can feel that my articles are going to touch people or change their perception on something, or even create aha moments.

Anyone may have doubts about their job or duties at some point in their career. There is good and bad with anything long term, such as with relationships, jobs, goals, and finances. The key is to get through those periods of “today I will quit”, and move into another great day fairly quickly. The criticisms are far less than the praises I get, so as long as that continues, I will buck up and write another one. I will find a way to stay motivated and continue writing my column. No matter how badly I want to take that week off, or move into other parts of my career plan, I will continue to find relevant topics and information around the employment field. Certainly, as long as I have people who appreciate what I do, I will keep doing it.

The Stampede craziness is over

Ah, the Stampede craziness has finally ended. We are done with the tight jeans and cowboy boots, sore feet and hat head. Tomorrow we’ll figure out what regrets we have and who needs an apology. Hopefully most employees kept their jobs and didn’t do anything too dumb over the 10 days.

Stampede is a wacky time in this crazy city. Outsiders must think we are all nuts, and they are probably right! This Stampede was fantastic for our economy, great for our hospitality industry, and an awesome way to let loose when we are usually so tightly wound. We tend to overdo it during Stampede, in many ways. We overspend, overeat, and over drink. We under sleep, under hydrate, and under work this time of year. Employees make plenty of excuses, and may have called in sick or come in late after one too many trips to Nashville North and Wildhorse.

This week, Employees should come clean to their bosses right away for any misdoings and promise it won’t happen again until next Stampede. Next year, plan ahead rather than calling in sick. Book a vacation day for the day following a planned event. Drink litres of water the week before, so dehydration won’t affect the brain cells too much during Stampede.

If you choose to go to functions with your boss, be careful. Schmooze and have fun, but don’t bombard your boss with anything too heavy or too light. Stampede is not the time to ask for a raise or tell your boss what you really think of his dog. If it is too late, let your boss know it was great to spend time together and that you didn’t mean to lay anything too heavy on him or her. If you pissed off a co-worker or kicked a client in the shin with boots on, this week is a great time to repent!

Let’s face it, Stampede brings out the best and the worst of our city’s workforce. Fess up to errors in judgement, if you can remember them. Mostly everything can be forgiven, if requested. Bosses are still human, and it is OK to say “sorry boss, won’t happen again” and take it from there.

Maybe next Stampede won’t include dancing on table tops, telling your boss what you really think, calling a co-worker lazy, black eyes and bad breath, and maybe there won’t be any need for apologies! But, who are we kidding? Yahoo...

Stampede Workplace Fairness

Stampede can be an emotional week filled with foggy perceptions. People get tired, worn out, and abuse themselves a little too much for 10 days straight! Comments fly, emotions flare, and many people end up saying their apologies once Stampede is over.

We often hear the complaint “it’s not fair”, a common comment made by three year olds but heard from many professionals this time of year, when some employees get time off to party and others do not. When it comes to workplace fairness, what may seem like an unfair advantage or treatment from a boss towards an employee, group, or department may have a reason behind it. Of course there may in fact be cases where true unfair practices exist, but I encourage all complainers to put themselves in the position of the boss first. There is always perspective from both sides and we do not necessarily know the history behind the decisions made or discussions had.

This time of year, actually this 10 day period of craziness in our city, perceptions change and people turn into completely different people. We look different, we act differently, we work differently, and we drive/ride differently. We complain about late hours, no sleep, eating unhealthily, being offended, having to work, and getting nothing accomplished for 10 days straight. Chronic complainers will continue to find something to moan about, but even generally positive people complain about sore feet, tight jeans, sweaty head, and not enough time off.

Employees need to think before they speak this week, take a breath before they complain, especially to a boss, and not be too quick to claim unfair treatment during Stampede. Anything that is not illegal can wait until clear points can be made, in a meeting, behind closed doors, and unemotionally. This is not the week to quit, storm out, yell anything other than yahoo, or complain about anything unfair at work to the boss. Some things done during Stampede are reversible and forgivable but complaining to the boss is not one of them. Wait until Stampede recovery to meet with the boss about issues.

Things at work may appear to be unfair this week but next week, miraculously, things may seem completely fair once again. And keep the complaining to a minimum, we all asked for the pain brought on by Stampede and deep down we sure do love it! It is part of our Calgary heritage! Happy Stampedin’ everybody!

Staying motivated over the summer months

The sights and sounds of summer are all around us now.

Stampede is around the corner, with the kick-off parade scheduled for this Friday. With so much going on around us, and the desire to be lazy in the sun all day and party all night, it can be really tough to remain motivated at work! So, I thought this would be a great time for an article on motivation.

In the old days, bosses would motivate workers with threats and degradation. But today’s employees equate motivation with energy and positive reinforcement, and maybe a few incentives thrown in. The fear of losing your job for lack of motivation is not really a concern for most people anymore. Instead, people are motivated by pleasure so, to stay on the upside during these coming weeks, we need to figure out what we all need to do to feel good about working.

What are the incentives for working hard and staying focused at work over the summer months? Is there something good that will come of that, other than keeping your job? Setting short-term achievable goals over the next few weeks will help to keep us motivated. The goals can be small or big, daily or weekly, personal or work-related, as I believe work/life balance is an important motivator. Team spirit is motivating, so rallying workmates, customers, vendors or bosses, to join in on something work-related that is fun and beneficial, will keep spirits up. Pick a challenge or cause, a goal to accomplish together, and be creative to achieve it. This should motivate everyone around.

Set some standards around something at work, maybe work on something new and fun for the summer, and inspire others to do the same. Motivation is catchy, so the more people involved the better. If this time of year is about partying all night long and nothing can motivate, take a break, a holiday day, or sleep in on a day off, drink 4 liters of water and get re-energized. Everyone needs to respect their own body!

Tomorrow is another opportunity to make a plan to get and stay motivated this July.

Teens looking for the perfect summer job

As we celebrate or curse our kids getting out of school for the summer break, I thought I would offer some tips on how to find the best summer job. I am sure parents will be posting my article on the fridge for their teens to read. Anything to help get them out of the house for the summer!

There are plenty of part-time summer jobs available for all kinds of teens, even in this economy. The key to getting off the couch and finding the right job is in how they apply.

So kids, the first thing to do is to create a resume, a simple one. You may think you have nothing to write on a resume, but teenagers do offer more than you think. Name, mailing address, email address, phone number, and education level completed, is all important information. Awards, accomplishments, and interests need to be written out, and any volunteering or cool stuff you have done should be included. Including the kind of work you are looking for will add an interesting element to your resume, such as part-time or full-time, outdoors or indoors, cashier or stock person.

When dropping off your resume, make sure to dress appropriately, no flip flops or baggy ripped jeans. Most teens walk in and ask for an application, so ask for the manager instead and hand them your resume directly. That will actually set you apart from the unprepared teens who are also on the job hunt. Smile, show some interest and personality, and be prepared for an on the spot interview. If the establishment is not hiring, ask them to keep your resume on file. Be realistic and let the employer know why you want to work there, such as the right neighborhood, the best hours, or interest in what the company does. Don’t give demands such as I won’t work for less than X dollars or I refuse to work Sundays, unless you have a great reason, such as religious commitments. Certainly, don’t tell the employer that you want to work there because all your friends work there, because that spells trouble! Show your personality in your approach, on the resume and in the interview.

Pick jobs that you think you will really like, that are close to home or easy to get to, and that have something in common with your interests and what you are good at. Be prepared for some rejections, that is just a part of life. Some places may not need to hire for the summer, so don’t take it personally. Instead, walk over to the next place you want to work at and try again. Eventually, you will find the right summertime job for you that will provide you with the cash you need to have a fun-filled summer! Parents, you can thank me later!