Learning

What to Do When You Can’t Get a Response to Your Email

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Email_Stress

Have you ever emailed a question or request to a colleague, only to get no response? It’s kind of hard to know what to do! You need the issue to be addressed – but at the same time, you don’t want to keep harassing the person and come across as an annoying pest.

I had this happen to me recently. I needed someone in another department to help me out with a project I was working on. I emailed my request and got no response. Time passed and I started to feel a little panicked. (I had a deadline to meet.) So I emailed again. And once again, there was no response.

Now to be fair, the colleagues that I was emailing were very busy people. And I suspect that my request was not a simple one. But I still couldn’t help feeling frustrated and powerless. I wasn’t sure how to proceed. How can you get people to respond to an email when they’re really busy and you’re probably not their top priority?

Author Ashley Corbert has a few suggestions…

  • Make sure your initial email is clear, concise, and amiable – Don’t write an epic email with multiple lengthy paragraphs of text. Keep it brief and be very clear about what you need from the other person. And be nice! Your request will probably take a certain amount of time and effort, so make sure your email has a warm and friendly tone.
  • Follow up – If you don’t get a response to your first email, it’s time to send another email. Re-send your original email, but include a new line of text that reminds the person about your original request. This email can sometimes be tricky to write, because you don’t want to come across as annoying. Just keep it brief and friendly, and you should be OK.
  • Call the person – If it’s been a couple days since you sent your follow-up email and you still haven’t gotten a response, try to call the person. If you can reach the person, you’re all set! If you can’t reach the person, leave a brief, friendly voicemail about your request.
  • Get your boss involved – If you’ve left a voicemail, and you STILL get no response, you might want to consider getting your boss involved. You could re-send your original email again, include a new, friendly line of text restating your request, and cc your boss. This might spur the person into action. But be warned – you do run to risk of angering your colleague.
  • Find additional support – Another option is to talk to someone who knows the person that you’re trying to contact and has a certain amount of influence over that person. Explain your situation (and be very careful not to be angry or accusatory). This influential individual might be able to push the person to finally respond to your request.

 

Corbert, A. (n.d.). Get an answer already! How to deal with people who won’t respond. The Muse. Retrieved from https://www.themuse.com/advice/get-an-answer-already-how-to-deal-with-people-who-wont-respond

 

How to Make Staff Meetings Less Boring

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Boring_Meeting

Weekly staff meetings exist for a reason. It’s important for employees to be updated on the work that’s being done by their coworkers. Projects can often overlap, so it’s good to know about the processes that people are using and the progress that they’ve made.

But unfortunately, staff meetings also tend to be mind-numbingly dull. They’re generally long and repetitive, as each person provides a (sometimes lengthy) progress report. Occasionally there’s a new and interesting tidbit of information. But for the most part, the information that’s provided tends to be pretty monotonous and very similar to what was reported last week.

So what can be done to make staff meetings more engaging and less sleep-inducing? Author Alison Davis claims that you need to break the cycle of having one employee after another reporting on his or her progress. She recommends that meeting organizers try out new approaches and techniques, and she provides the following suggestions:

  • Set some time limits – Don’t let people talk for an unlimited amount of time. Instead, tell employees that they each have one minute to provide their progress reports. Instituting a time limit will prevent the talkative people in the group from dominating the meeting and boring the rest of the attendees.
  • Less reporting, more brainstorming – Don’t spend the whole meeting on progress reports. Instead, try asking the group questions about the challenges that your team is currently facing, and allow everyone to brainstorm about possible solutions.
  • Change the venue – Do you always meet in the same conference room? If so, stir things up by changing the location. Meet outside if the weather is nice, or go to a café if it’s cold. The change of scenery will help to keep employees interested and alert.
  • Get crafty – OK, I’m not so sure about this last idea. But Davis suggests that employees make posters about team initiatives or priorities using markers, old magazines, glue sticks, etc. I think this could possibly be a fun activity, as long as it was presented as a fun, goofy, team-building activity. But you probably wouldn’t want to plan these types of activities too often. If you did, I think people might feel like their time is being wasted.

 

Davis, A. (2017, November 20). Boring staff meetings? Do this 1 thing to improve every meeting from now on. Inc. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/alison-davis/boring-staff-meetings-do-this-1-thing-to-improve-every-meeting-from-now-on.html

 

Why Do You Procrastinate? (There Are Three Possibilities.)

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Procrastinating_Dog

Do you procrastinate at work? And do you wish you could change your ways? Well according to psychologist Joseph Ferrari, the first thing you need to do is to determine what type of procrastinator you are: a thrill seeker, avoider, or indecisive.

The website OfficeTime used Ferrari’s research to create the flowchart below. Use it to identify what category of procrastination you fall into!

 

Thrill seekers – If you’re a thrill seeker, you get an adrenaline rush from getting things done at the last minute, and you like that feeling. To overcome this tendency, Ferrari suggests that you try to get your thrills elsewhere, and discover the joy of getting things done early. He also suggests that you reward yourself when you do get something done early. If it’s a big job, break it into smaller tasks and reward yourself after each task is completed. This should help to make the process more engaging and gratifying.

Avoiders – If you’re an avoider, you put off making decisions or getting things done because you’re afraid of making mistakes and you don’t want others to judge you. Combat these fears by keeping a journal of your thoughts and challenging them. Ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” (Usually the “worst thing” is not that dire or likely to happen.) And practice making decisions. The more you do it, the more comfortable you’ll be with the process.

Indecisives – If you’re an indecisive, your need to do things perfectly paralyzes you. You can’t get things done for fear of making mistakes or not getting everything absolutely right. To overcome this problem, try to keep the big picture in mind. Avoid getting bogged down in the small details. And once you’ve achieved your overall goal, move on to the next project. Everyone makes mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up if you make one – try to learn from it instead.

 

Patkar, M. (2014, August 4). Use this flowchart to identify what type of procrastinator you are. Lifehacker. Retrieved from https://lifehacker.com/use-this-flowchart-to-identify-what-type-of-procrastina-1615614759

Working When You’re Sick

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Sick_At_Work

I’m sure, at some point in life, you’ve come to work when you were sick. We all have. Heck, I’m sick right now! (It’s just a minor cold, I think. No worries.)

Is it the right thing to do? No, probably not. When you’re sick, you should probably take a sick day. It will give you the chance to recover and spare the rest of the office from being exposed to your germs.

But what if that’s not possible? What if you don’t have any sick time or you’ve got a deadline that you’ve got to meet? If that’s the case, you can try to work while sick. Here are some ways to make the process a little easier:

  • Work from home – Ask your boss if it would be OK for you to work from home. If you’re not in the office, you can’t infect your coworkers. Also, you can cough and blow your nose loudly without disturbing everyone around you.
  • Avoid stressful and tiring situations – Do you have a difficult topic that you need to discuss with your boss or coworker? Don’t do it now. Wait until you feel better. And cancel all of the trips and meetings that you possibly can. Stress will only make your immune system weaker.
  • Stay hydrated – Drink lots of liquids, including coffee if you’d like! Just make sure to drink a lot of non-caffeinated beverages as well. And avoid alcohol. It will dehydrate you.
  • Be kind to yourself – Sure, you’ve got work to do. But don’t overdo it. Take lots of breaks and cut your workday short if you can. Eat healthy and get a lot of sleep. You’ve got to give your body a chance to fully recover.

 

Tobak, S. (2013, February 13). How to work when you feel like crap. Inc. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/steve-tobak/how-to-work-when-you-feel-like-crap.html

 

Why You’ve Probably Worked (or Are Currently Working) in an Open Office

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Open_Office

At my last job, I worked in an open office. When I first started, my desk was actually in a hallway. (Space was very limited.) After a year, I graduated to a desk in the main office area, with only tiny dividers separating my space from my neighbor’s. I had to tune out a lot of distractions. It took extra effort, but it was part of my everyday experience, so I was used to it.

But would I have preferred an actual office? Definitely. It was sometimes difficult to ignore my coworkers’ conversations and really focus on getting my work done. I also had an “exposed” feeling that was kind of unnerving.

Recent research shows that I’m not alone in my feelings about open offices. Although open office plans are believed to promote teamwork and camaraderie, the distractions that exist in an open office can make it difficult for people to concentrate and can put a damper on creativity. Employees tend to be more productive and efficient when they have a quiet, private place to work.

So why are open offices so popular? Why are you possibly working in one right now? The video below provides some interesting insight into the origins of this office design and why it’s become so prevalent.

Move Over Millennials – Here Comes Generation Z

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Generation_Z

There’s been a lot of research done on millennials in the workplace – how they function, how they prefer to interact with others, etc. But now there’s a new group of employees who are just beginning to enter the workplace. They’ve been dubbed “Generation Z.”

Generation Z consists of anyone who was born between 1995 and 2010. They make up 25.9% of the United States population. And apparently, they’re quite different from their millennial predecessors.

According to marketing strategist Deep Patel, Generation Z demonstrates the following qualities:

  • They want security – They’ve seen their parents struggle through a recession. So these employees yearn for the security of a steady job and a good paycheck. They’re more practical and less idealistic than their millennial coworkers.
  • They’re competitive – They’re willing to work on team projects. But they would prefer to work independently and have the opportunity to set themselves apart from their coworkers. They want to highlight their own skills and achievements.
  • They want to talk face-to-face – It’s been suggested that millennials like to communicate through instant messages and emails. But a recent survey indicates that Generation Z prefers a more personal approach. 53% of Generation Z respondents said that they preferred face-to-face conversations.
  • They’re great at multitasking (but they might lack focus) – Generation Z gets their work done. But they do it while reading their personal emails or sending a quick text. Millennials have been criticized in the past for being in love with their smartphones. But according to Patel, Generation Z takes it to a whole new level.

Now keep in mind that these are stereotypes. Although people in different generations can share certain qualities and beliefs, they’re also shaped by a variety of factors – not just the time period in which they grew up. So it’s unlikely that everyone in the Generation Z age bracket will display these qualities.

Still, it is fun to speculate about what our future coworkers will be like. If you have a Generation Z coworker or you’re a member of Generation Z, please feel free to share your insight in the Comments section below!

 

Patel, D. (2017, September 21). 8 ways generation z will differ from millennials in the workplace. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/deeppatel/2017/09/21/8-ways-generation-z-will-differ-from-millennials-in-the-workplace/#41dfa7af76e5

 

What Your Office Says About Your Personality

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Office_Space

Take a minute to look around your office. Is it neat? Messy? Colorful? Bland? Do you have inspirational posters on your wall? A framed picture of your cat, maybe? Well according to author Lily Bernheimer, your office speaks volumes about who you are. She claims that the way people decorate and maintain their offices says a lot about their personalities.

Bernheimer believes that there are five types of offices (and five types of people who inhabit them):

Cluttered

  • What it looks like: An office filled with books, stacks of papers, pictures, knickknacks, coffee mugs, and colorful Post-it notes.
  • Who inhabits it: An extrovert who loves chatting with coworkers and lots of stimulation. These people tend to be cheerful, busy, and assertive.

Minimalist

  • What it looks like: Very sparse and neat without a lot of decoration.
  • Who inhabits it: A hard-working, disciplined, reliable individual. These people may not be as creative as their cluttered coworkers, but they are great at getting work done and doing it right.

Ever-Expanding

  • What it looks like: It keeps getting bigger and bigger. These individuals use their papers and personal items to keep claiming more space.
  • Who inhabits it: Dominant people who like to mark their territory. They tend to be assertive, ambitious, and not overly concerned about the needs of their coworkers.

Private

  • What it looks like: It’s tucked into a corner or surrounded by some sort of barrier.
  • Who inhabits it: An introvert who feels distracted and overwhelmed by too much noise or stimulation. These people tend to be creative and productive, but they need their own space in order to be effective.

Personalized

  • What it looks like: An orderly office that’s filled with personal photos, plants, artwork, and stylish accents.
  • Who inhabits it: An open, artistic, imaginative person. They like interacting with others, learning new things, and having the opportunity to be creative.

So what do you think? Does this seem accurate? Or is it completely off the mark? Feel free to share your thoughts in the Comments section below!

 

Boult, A. (2016, February 25). The state of your office desk can reveal a lot about your personality. The Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/12173768/The-state-of-your-office-desk-can-reveal-lot-about-your-personality.html

Here’s How Long It Takes Most People to Get Back to Work After Getting Distracted

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Distractions

When you’re at work, it can sometimes be difficult to focus on one task for a long period of time. There are just so many distractions and interruptions! Your coworkers stop by to chat. You get an email that must be answered immediately. You need to run to a meeting. Or you just feel the sudden urge to reorganize the movies on your Netflix queue.

We all get distracted while we’re working. That’s not surprising. But what is surprising is how long it takes the average person to re-focus on work after being distracted.

A recent study conducted at the University of California, Irvine indicated that most people take 23 minutes and 15 seconds to recover from an interruption. That’s actually a pretty long time, and it can really add up over the course of a day.

There are a couple exceptions to this rule:

  • If the interruption has to do with the work that you’re doing (for instance, if a coworker stops by to ask a question about the project that you’re currently working on), it can actually be beneficial and help you to focus.
  • If the interruption only requires a very basic, automatic response (for instance, if someone asks you to sign a form), this generally won’t cause a significant break in your concentration.

But any sort of significant distraction (like chatting with a coworker about the most recent episode of your favorite TV show) can cause you to lose your train of thought. And you might need to take 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back on track.

Now this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take breaks! Taking breaks during your workday is a healthy habit and will help you to be more productive in the long run. But if you’re really trying to get a project done or meet a tight deadline, do yourself a favor. Help yourself to focus by cutting out as many distractions as you can.

 

Wong, K. (2015, July 29). How long it takes to get back on track after a distraction. LifeHacker. Retrieved from https://lifehacker.com/how-long-it-takes-to-get-back-on-track-after-a-distract-1720708353

Music: On Air

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Enjoying_Music

A constant most of us have in our lives is music.

It’s on the radio we hear, the ringtone that sounds when someone calls, the commercials in between the TV shows we watch, and even the drumming of spoons on a table.

Truth be told, music can be made out of anything — your voice, the keyboard of the device you’re reading this off of, or even a cup.

Music can define who we are, and each culture often has their own style of music.

So I guess we can all agree that music is pretty great. But can it help you to work more effectively?

Studies show that music can absolutely make you more productive at work! Some general restrictions may apply, though.

For instance, unfamiliar music and music with lyrics are distracting. Both create curiosity in the brain, forcing listeners to shift their focus from the task at hand and focus more on what will come next or what the artist is saying.

But classical music (more specifically, Baroque) or ambient noise works rather well if you have more exacting work to do. There are no lyrics, so they work well when you’re just looking for something to fill the silence without it being too distracting.

Another good option is video game music. Just think about it. Video games require high amounts of concentration, and the designers want their music to enhance the players’ focus on the game without getting them too distracted. Video game music is designed for focus!

So, how does this work? How can music help us to work more effectively?

Here’s the science behind it:

When we listen to music, dopamine is produced all around the brain.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, and is most often known for creating a “feel-good” state. Some call it a “happiness chemical.” When it’s released, it’s that feeling you get when you receive a present you always wanted or when you eat a piece of cake you’ve been eyeing. It’s like getting a reward.

So, that happy mood you’re in when you’re listening to music? That’s why you’re able to work better. You can thank dopamine for that.

All in all, there is ultimately nothing wrong with listening to music during work. Just make sure to choose your music genre carefully!  

 

Ciotti, G. (2015, Aug. 27). How music affects your personality. Help Scout. Retrieved from helpscout.net/blog/music-productivity/

Cooper, B. B. (2013, Dec. 6). The surprising science behind what music does to our brains. Fast Company. Retrieved from fastcompany.com/3022942/the-surprising-science-behind-what-music-does-to-our-brains

Why It’s Good to Be Socially Awkward

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Awkward

Do you tend to be a little socially awkward at work? Do you sometimes have trouble networking, making small-talk, or interacting with clients and colleagues? If so, you’re certainly not alone. A lot of people feel shy and clumsy in social situations.

But according to psychologist Ty Tashiro, this isn’t a bad thing. He’s found that it’s actually a positive quality. He believes that socially awkward people are often the most successful people because of their drive and focus.

Watch this short video to learn more about his theory, and start feeling good about your socially awkward tendencies!

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