One small change...can change everything

Sometimes one small change, can change everything.

Negativity in an office environment can be extremely toxic. I've been living this first hand for over a year.  I try to kill with kindness but you cannot change people or really make them see the error of their ways. After over a year, the negativity is finally gone. Big surprise, the whole team felt better and their happiness carried over to their careers.  We had more sales yesterday from agents on all teams, then we had the past two weeks total. Maybe it was hard work, or luck, or any number of different factors but I'm going with the fact that the negativity that hung over our office like a little black rain cloud is gone. Now to establish a culture of positivity, happiness, kindness, and energy.  It's about to be a great and wild ride.


On a side note: felt suits went out of style a LONG time ago. Yes, someone showed up in one today. Fashion no no. 

How to deal with the person who won't stop being negative at work

Every office has that one person or group of people who will not stop running their mouths in a negative fashion.  No matter what happens, they feel as if everything and everyone is conspiring against them.  I want to smack these people.

Want to know why you didn't get the promotion?
        - Someone worked harder than you did
Want to know why no one likes you?
        - Because you are always complaining and negative
Want to know why your team hates you?
         - Because you treat them like animals you are going to beat

How to deal with these people?

1. Ignore them.  I know it is not easy, but try anyways. Their negativity is contagious. Avoid it at all costs.
2. Be super kind to them. Maybe they have a terrible home life and are reaching out for attention.  Only give them positive attention and positive advice. Do not acknowledge their negative beliefs.
3. Confront them.  Give them the reality. Sometimes people need a healthy dose of reality. It will not make them your friend, but it could do your whole office some good.

For more ways please visit the Purpose Fairy at 9 clever ways to deal with negative people


HAVE A GREAT MONDAY!!!!

B

Managment is all about your team

Management: an asinine word for how you practice leadership in the workplace 

This is from Forbes.com

 



So the reality is that leadership is all about your team. You have to know the people you are working with and what their goals are and how they like to be managed.  There is a fine line between how they want to be managed and how they need to be managed. Most of my team is very hands off, but some of my team is very hands on. My new agents I am very hands on with because they need extra guidance. My veteran agents only want to talk to me when they have problems in the field. Both are totally fine.

A large part of leadership is empathy and caring, which leads to loyalty. I always try to show and tell my team that I appreciate them and that I care about them because I think it's important.  In our career choice, the only time you receive praise is when you write big sales. I think everything my team does is important and leads to their success, because that is the reality of the situation.  I try to praise each member of my team daily. It could be something as simple as that they look sharp or that I appreciate their continued efforts to expand our team by recruiting. Praise is good.

My team dictates how I lead them.  I can have a leadership style, but if my leadership style doesn't adapt to and work with my team, then I am hurting them and myself by not taking the iniative to try something different. 

Communication is another large part of leadership and it is built into empathy and caring. My company has a LOT of managers.  I cannot say sadly that my company has many leaders. Leadership training is only given in intervals.  This is something that I would like to change.  Every team is different and needs to be led differently.  If my manager tried to lead my team, she would try to pull her hair out within minutes.  If I needed to lead one of the teams in one of our other offices, I would try and pull my hair out within minutes. Each team is an individual entity and has to be treated as such.

Communication is key to this.  We try to constantly communicate with our agents, which is all well and good, but part of what we say we don't do.  Micromanagement in this field loses us 10x more people than the money it gains us.  We have to be aware of the consequences of micromanagement and the person we are attempting to micromanage.  Sometimes it is necessary.  Often it is overkill and will brew hostility.

Instead of trying to pick a leadership style and abide by it at all times, give yourself the opportunity to build a holistic leadership style based on the needs of your team.

Because I'm happy

Not every day is an easy day to be happy.  Yesterday was not one for me. I spent most of the day curled around myself with cramps.  The medicines only dulled the pain for a few hours at a time.  It didn't help that I had a vomit inducing migraine.  About once every 3-4 months I get a period like that.  They are no fun, but luckily the worst part is over now.

I realized yesterday that even in the midst of the pain in my abdomen and in my head, that there were some high points to yesterday.  My boyfriend made me all of my meals and brought them to me in bed. My bosses left me alone for the most part.  I got to catch up on some shows that I enjoy watching.  I got to watch the start of the NHL hockey season.  I had tea made for me. I got a good nights sleep with no major interruptions to it.  So no matter how I felt, yesterday was a success.

I am starting a happiness project with my team today.  I think it is important for all of us.  In this career I  feel as though my manager cares about me, but mostly in the I make them money way- maybe not as much on a personal level as I would like.  I didn't grow up here in the Springs.  I have no family in a 10 hour radius.  I know no one other than my neighbors and my coworkers.  It's pretty much the same for my team.  We have all put down roots here, but due to our crazy hours, the only people we really have are the people we live with and our coworkers.  I'm going to try a happiness project with my team to get each of us involved in the lives of the others.  I'm hoping that this increase in personal connection with my team will make us closer, more loyal to each other, and more compassionate towards one another.  I also hope that it makes us happy.  I'll let you know how it goes.


Check out the growing movement at buzz feed using this link.
Happiness challenge- 100 days

Yes he's my best friend

Love and relationships aren't just about physical intimacy.  They are about friendship and caring and protecting and being better because that person is in your life.  No matter what happens in my world, this guy is my best friend.  He is there through the smiles and the tears and there is nothing more that I could ask for in him.  He makes me a better person and a stronger woman.  He takes my good days with happiness and my bad days with(for the most part) a grain of salt.  When it is all said and done, he is my rock, my solid, my lover, and my best friend.  I don't tell him nearly often enough how much he means to me and how much easier he makes my life. I love you babe.

How to get ready in 8 minutes or less

When your alarm doesn't go off and you wake up 25 minutes after it would have gone off- here is how to make the most of the 8 minutes or less you have to get ready. 

0:00-0:30 Turn on your shower, HOT.

0:31-1:00  Spray your roots with dry shampoo.  Throw hair up high in a ponytail or bun.

1:01-2:00  Get wet.  Grab body wash. Wash privates and armpits. Rinse. 

2:01-3:00 Out of the shower. Dry body. Take down hair. Brush. 

3:01-3:30. Put hair in high pony tail or bun. 

3:31-4:00 BB/CC cream that lovely face

4:01-4:30 3 in 1 stick that lovely face: eyelids and cheekbones.  Blend.

4:31-5:00 Mascara: navy blue- makes your eyes whiter, but black will work fine

5:01-6:00 Get dressed

6:01-6:30 Put on deodorant and walk through a mist of body spray or perfume

6:31-7:00 Put on shoes

7:00-7:30 Put on jewelry

7:31-8:00 Grab your bag, take a deep breath, dont forget your cell. Go to work. 

And that's how you get ready in less than 8 minutes.

Where Do You Go to Contemplate Life?

I recently sat on some rocks with my feet in the freezing Arkansas river, on the River Walk in Canon City, CO.  We had time between appointments and decided to indulge in some sunshine while it was still nice.  We talked for a while, my trainees and I, and then for a few minutes it was quiet.  We all got lost in our own thoughts. I find that my best and deepest thinking occurs when putting my feet in fresh water and having a mountain backdrop.  Whenever I need a change of heart or mind, this seems to help.  I don't really think it has anything to do with the water, but maybe it does. A recent article in Sunset Magazine, made me take a moment and think about where I contemplate life.   

This was my view on the River Walk in Canon City,CO

 

Having spent 2 full summers working at RDC (Rockywold Deephaven Camps), in Holderness ,NH on Squam Lake at the base of Rattlesnake Mountain, I have had my fair share of feet in the water and looking at the mountains.  There I contemplated what I truly wanted to do with my life, what kind of romantic relationship was right for me, what true friendship and love were, and how I wanted to spend the next 5 years of my life.  Those are some pretty deep thoughts for a 19 year old.  Most 19 year olds that I know are more concerned with who's house they are getting drunk at that night instead of contemplating life. 

 

Another view of the Arkansas river and the mountains beyond

 

Where do you contemplate life?

Happy Friday!  Go find someplace to contemplate life- you know you want to. 

82 Days until Christmas: How to make the holidays easier now

1. Start shopping now!  If you haven't started shopping yet, you are already behind in making your holidays easier.  

2.  Make a Christmas budget:  Set it now, and put it away.  Pull the money from it as needed to buy your Christmas gifts.

I like this one:

Christmas Budget Printable

3. Sit down with your spouse and go over what you are getting for each other's families. Write it down.  

 

 

4. Start acquiring little things(stocking stuffers, gift cards, decorations).  This will save you huge headaches later on.  Stock on up your honey's favorite things(what candy does he/she like?  Favorite movie you have seen this year?  Where he/she gets coffee every morning?   Get those things now. See a set of ornaments you love?  Pick them up now.

Here are some more ideas: 200 stocking stuffer ideas

5. Money is always tight around the holidays- shopping a little bit at a time in the months before Christmas will save your bank account and your sanity as they get closer. 

6.  Shop your local grocery store for gift cards.  Often you get discounts on your gas just by buying your gift cards from the store. Gas discounts = happy wallet

7. You never know where you will find awesome things.  We have picked up over half of our Christmas gifts on either Groupon, NoMoreRack, or at our local flea market.  Kids don't care if the toy has been previously used and your brother's wife isn't going to care that you paid less than 30% for that gorgeous necklace(wash the toy before giving it to the child).

8. Cross the things off the Christmas list that you have taken care of.  It makes you feel awesome.

9.  Get small things in advance.  You're going to need something for a white elephant or gift exchange at your office, church, club etc.  Picking up a few extra gift cards or toys for giving to charity now means less of a financial and shopping headache later on down the line.

Here are some examples: . /50-hilarious-and-creative-white-elephant-gift-ideas

Tips for Recruiting in the Modern World

"The world it is a changin". About a million people have said this, so to give credit to just one person seems sacreligious. Recruiting is changing.  There used to be job fairs.  There used to be one on one interviews.  You used to call a hiring manger about a position.  Jobs used to be listed in the newspaper. 

 Welcome to 2014: you find and apply for jobs online, sometimes your first interview occurs online(through Skype or FaceTime), and your resume is sent electronically.  There is no telephone number to call and the hiring manager is rarely on location.  Job fairs are for college internships and food industry positions.  

Everything we do to recruit in 2014 is based on the principles that have been passed down for generations, but some of the rules have changed.  

Recruiting tips for 2014:

 

-Time off is more valued than how much the job pays

 

- Millenials hate structure, but need it or they spend all their time on their phones

 

- Your schedule is more important than theirs(You have the job they want).

 

- Job searching occurs at all hours of the day, so make sure your posts do not drop off at a certain time of day/night.

 

-The right person could be in any industry, you just have to give them the option

 

- A college education is all well and good, but unless they know how to practically apply that education- it's worthless.

 

- More people are having more jobs/careers throughout their lifetime. It's not unusual to see 40-60 yr old job seekers. 

 

- More people have higher levels of education than ever.  Utilize these people.  They have skills and knowledge that can be applied across many fields.

  

-Talking to someone on the phone can be more detrimental than emailing them. 

 

-Resume's are possibly the most annoying things to do with recruiting new personnel.  Half are fake, the other half tell you absolutely nothing about the person or who they are.  A resume is a person in a dumbed down, make believe form.  I would rather not see their resume, until they are in front of me. I like to see the person as they are.