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5 Ways to Mess Up Your Seasonal Office Party – A Little Holiday Humor!

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

By Carla Rieger

1. Planning, time & budget: Assign organizing the party to the employee who has the biggest workload. Remember the saying – if you want something done, ask a busy person! A couple of days notice and a twenty dollar bill should do it. In fact, for only $19.65 you can get a bucket of KFC plus a Keg of Liebefraumilche.

2. Invitations: Compose a quick scattermail. Christmas Party tomorrow — be there or keep making sales calls – your choice. For those people who don’t celebrate Christmas (but maybe Hannukah or Ramadan instead) — suggest they stay behind to clean out old files. If people want to invite kids or significant others, tell them that family members can be annoying.

3. Seating: Seat people with their regular office buddies so they can come up with funny names for the people they don’t like in other departments.

4. Refreshments: If people get drunk make a note of the things they say and do, then remind them on Monday morning.

5. Activities: Ask the IT guy to “get the party going”. This could lead to some wonderful spontaneous activities like hacking the boss’s private files, the sick joke contest, or paint ball with Correction Fluid.

5 Ways to Amp Up your Office Party

In case you aren’t interested in the possible side effects of the above, here are some tried-and-true approaches to ensuring an enjoyable event.

1. Create a planning committee: Spread the organizing over several people. Ensure there is enough planning time and a big enough budget. However, do survey what employees would most enjoy. In general, people enjoy events where they feel inspired, included and appreciated. Remember — substance is more important than flash. With creativity you can do a lot on a little.

2. Be inclusive: A Christmas party may alienate some of your staff. If people are from diverse backgrounds, have a more generic Holiday party. If you have an office party during the day, make sure everyone can attend. Do invite significant others and children for at least one office party a year.

3. Help them mix: Your company party may be the only time people get to meet the president, CEO or VPs in person, or people from other departments or locations. Make sure people don’t spend the entire event with their regular office buddies. Enhancing workplace relationships at all levels can have a very positive affect on the bottom line, communication, enjoyment and overall morale.

4. Eat, drink and be merry — in moderation: If you serve alcohol make sure you serve food at the same time. Include plenty of non-alcoholic drinks and healthy food options along with the usual treats. If people overdo it they may associate your party with negative feelings about what they did or said, or how they felt the next day. Provide other forms of “social lubricant” such as interactive mixers.

5. Hire a pro: To create the right atmosphere you might like to hire a professional speaker who knows how to bring people together respectfully and easily, and keep them laughing the whole time.

Carla Rieger is an expert on creative people skills at work. If you want a motivational speaker, trainer, or leadership coach to help you stay on the creative edge, contact Carla Rieger.

Web site: http://www.carlarieger.com
Tel: 1-866-294-2988
Email carla@carlarieger.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carla_Rieger

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Work Smarter! Adjustments to Make in Your Office Today to Prevent Painful Problems Tomorrow

Saturday, October 30th, 2010

Anyone who works in an office environment is likely to be familiar with discomfort that occurs from sitting at a desk or cubicle for hours at a time.

Workers have complained of eye strain, headaches, tension in the back, legs and shoulders and some have even experienced chronic pain.

I came across an article in Men’s Health Journal last year that has great tips on adjustements we can make now during the work week to to reduce our chances of experiencing  problems later.  Here are a few highlights from the article:

Start with Your Computer Monitor:

The top of your monitor should be just above eye level about an arms length away and the brightness should be set to what feels most comfortable. Consider getting an Adjustable Desk Monitor that allows you to adjust to your comfort level; you can also get a simple Adjustable Height Monitor Stand to do the trick (without having to prop your monitor on phone books!). One of these items will do wonders to remove the strain you put on your neck and back.

To prevent Eye Strain: A quality Antiglare Screen Filter will reduce the glare that comes from your screen and will helping you to prevent eyestrain.  Some filters will also help you protect the privacy of the information on your computer screen by allowing you to experience a clear view while onlookers see only a blurred image.

Try tilting your keyboard away to prevent wrist pain and more serious issues like tendinitus and carpal tunnel syndrome. The article suggests you break off the tabs on the bottom of your keyboard.  Angling your keyboard toward you bends your wrists back, which can lead to joint and soft tissue injuries down the road.   Your keyboard should be at 24 to 25 inches

Make sure you desk is equipped with a footrest
A footrest will help improve circulation, ease back strain and improve posture.

Take breaks! This seems like common sense, but you would be surprised by how many people forget or refuse to take proper breaks where they stretch their muscles.  An 8 hour work day can be very strenuous on your system, so it is important to take a break to give your eyes and muscles a few moments to recover.

It is recommend that you take a 2 minute stretch break to relax tense muscles at least once an hour (preferably more frequently). Here are some good stretches to try I found on LifeWorks:

Eyes – in addition to stretch breaks, every 30 minutes or so you should be looking away from your monitor and focus on something at a greater distance to prevent eye strain. But on your stretch breaks, also add this one: open and shut your eyes 5x each

Neck – relax your neck to one side and then the other for 20sec each side.

Shoulders – roll your shoulders backward and forward 5x each.

Upper Back – reach and grasp your hands out in front and arch out your upper back (hold for 20sec)

Back/Side – reach your hands up over your head and reach over to one side then the other (hold for 20sec per side)

Chest- reach and grasp your hands behind your back and open up your chest (hold for 20sec)

Forearms – reach your arms out in front and roll your wrists 5x each

Hands – extend and flex your fingers open and shut 5x each

Hips/ Low Back – lift one foot off the floor and hug your knee to your chest (hold for 20sec per side)

Ankles – lift your foot off the floor and roll your ankle each way 5x and repeat for the second foot

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Are You Smarter than a High School Graduate? Find Out!

Monday, July 26th, 2010

This year’s high school graduates have the answers to these basic questions still fresh in their minds. How much have you retained? Test your knowledge of high school vocabulary, science and social studies and find out. Answers and scoring provided at the bottom.

Vocabulary
1. Abstemious
a. Argumentative
b. Paying attention to detail
c. Selfish
d. Eating or drinking in moderation

2. Churlish
a. Rude
b. Giddy and nonsensical
c. Feminine
d. Angry

3. Facetious
a. Causing harm without concern
b. Mean spirited
c. Not to be taken seriously
d. Expressing sorrow

4. Inculcate
a. Evade
b. Devour hungrily
c. To persevere despite obstacles
d. Teach persistently

5. Xenophobe is a person who:
a. Is a novice
b. Hates foreigners
c. Is extremely religious
d. Shows off his/her knowledge

Science
6. Close one eye and look at your outstretched hand. Now change eyes and your hand shifts. What is this phenomenon called?
a. Natal
b. Parallax
c. Ellipse
d. Fractional

7. What is the atomic number of elements?
a. The number of neutrons
b. The number of electrons it has
c. The number of protons inside its nucleus
d. The total of both protons and electrons

8. What is the biggest planet in our solar system?
a. Mars
b. Jupiter
c. Mercury
d. Saturn

9. What is the largest bone in your body?
a. Radius
b. Tibia
c. Clavicle
d. Femur

10. What is the first phase of cell division called?
a. Prophase
b. Telophase
c. Dilaphase
d. Anaphase

Social Studies
11. How many years do the representatives from the House of Representatives serve?
a. Two
b. Four
c. Six
d. Eight

12. What were the years of the American Civil War?
a. 1850-1855
b. 1861-1865
c. 1867-1870
d. 1872-1875

13. Who killed Lee Harvey Oswald?
a. Samuel M. Thompson
b. Alexander Neill
c. Jack Ruby
d. Cal Connors

14. WWI began in which year?
a. 1910
b. 1914
c. 1916
d. 1918

15. The Crusades were conducted by European Christians to liberate Jerusalem from?
a. Seljuk Turks
b. Palestinians
c. Syrians
d. Egyptians

Whether graduating from high school or college, each student has worked hard to reach this important milestone. Be sure to acknowledge their efforts with a memorable gift. Your office supply store has hundreds of unique and useful ideas that will mark the occasion and prepare them for the next phase of their life. So, how did you do?

Answers: 1. d 2. a 3. c 4. d 5. b 6. b 7. c 8. b 9. d 10. a 11. a 12.b 13. c 14. b 15. a

Scoring:
14-15 Ace student
11-13 Great memory
9-10 Time to brush up.
8 and less Crack open those books!

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Office Safety – Playing It Safe

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

We’ve all done it. Walked alone down a lonely, deserted street at night or hurried across a dimly lit parking lot en route to the car, senses on high alert. And now that it’s getting dark out earlier, thoughts of personal security coming to mind even more. Yet, whether walking to your car, working in your office, or on your computer, safety is actually a year-round issue. Here are a few tips to help you play it safe this fall and all year long.

In the car - Walk confidently at a steady pace, but stay alert to your surroundings and be aware of the people around you.
- If you’re uncomfortable being alone, trust your gut. Find a co-worker or security guard to walk with you out to the car.
- Have your car keys in your hand before you leave the building to avoid digging through your purse or pockets in the dark.
- Before entering your car, check the back seat.
- While it’s tempting to keep car windows cracked, especially on warmer days, thieves have special tools that can unlock vehicles with tiny open spaces.
- Don’t leave cell phones plugged into the cigarette lighter or other valuables exposed to passersby.
- If you feel you’re in danger, make noise – yell, scream, honk your horn. Consider attaching a loud whistle to your key chain to solicit help.

In the office- When you see suspicious people or activities, report it to your manager, security, or police.
- Most women stash their purse in the lower right-hand desk drawer. Thieves know this. Always keep purses closed and in an unexpected spot like a drawer behind bulky files or in a locked overhead cabinet.
- Men, many of you keep your wallet or checkbook inside your coat pocket which you then hang on your chair. As soon as you leave your desk, it’s an easy target for thieves. Keep your wallet with you at all times as it could be several hours before you even discover it missing.
- Don’t worry about being “polite” to individuals wanting into the building because they claim to have “lost their access card” or just need to “quickly drop something off with so-and-so.” Tell them to call security or contact the receptionist for assistance.

On the computer- Use security software that updates automatically. At a minimum, your computer should have anti-virus and anti-spyware software along with a firewall.
- Create passwords that make it hard for hackers to figure out. Your password should be at least eight characters and include numbers or symbols.
- Avoid opening email attachments received unexpectedly, no matter who appears to have sent them.
- Keep abreast of internet scams. Don’t get fooled by promises of lotto winnings, large inheritances from never-heard-of-royalty, or even emails posing as a security alerts from your bank.
While the list of precautions is endless, these tips should get your mental safety wheels turning. The bottom line – use common sense, trust your instincts, and always play it safe.

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A Guide to Great Presentations

Monday, May 31st, 2010

For some people, there’s nothing more terrifying than having to stand up in front of a roomful of people and deliver a presentation. While it’s only natural to feel some stage fright, there are ways to get comfortable with making presentations that are powerful and persuasive.

The keys to success can be summed up this way: Know the material. Know the audience. Know the room.

It’s all about confidence. To help you get started, here are some things to consider.

Practice Makes Perfect.
A truly great presentation takes a lot of preparation. The place to start is to identify the key objective of what you want to achieve – in effect, what you want your audience to know and/or do after the presentation.

So, always carefully plan it out. Keep it focused on your objective. After you’ve written your presentation, review it several times, seek opinions, and consider ways to edit it to make it more concise and shorter.

As you develop your presentation, think about what needs to be spoken, written, or illustrated. Chances are, you’ll use a presentation software, such as PowerPoint. The thing to remember about using slides is that they should supplement what you’re presenting. YOU and what you say must remain the focus of your presentation.

Above all, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Learn your material, and “time” it out. Know how much time you’ve been given to make your presentation, and be sure you can comfortably deliver it within that timeframe.

Adding Power to PowerPoint.

  • To really make the visual part of your presentation effective, remember the basic “rules” of PowerPoint.
  • Use titles on each slide
  • Stay consistent with colors
  • Use art, but avoid “corny” clip art
  • Try the 6x6x6 rule – six lines per slide, six bullets per slide, six words per bullet
  • Type fonts should be large and easy to read
  • Avoid overusing bold, italic and ALL CAPITALS
  • Charts are a great way to summarize key points
  • Try using different transitions between slides

Above all, don’t just read what’s on the screen! Let the audience read it – you explain it or highlight key details.

To Succeed, Always Plan Ahead.
Before your presentation, do your homework. Learn as much as you can about your audience and their expectations. Check out the room where the meeting will be held. Get a sense of the space, and, if possible, arrange the seating to maximize the impact of your material.

Here are some final considerations. Watch your body language; be relaxed. Know the dress code. Maintain eye contact. Always have a back-up of your material – an extra disc or hard copies. And, if something goes wrong, laugh it off – it happens even to the most polished presenters.

Success requires planning, preparation, and practice. And, don’t forget, we offer you a wide range of presentation and event planning products!

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