Show Up Early and Stay Late

One of the most valuable lessons that I learned at work was to show up early and stay late. No one taught me this lesson, I just learned it through experience. This has helped me in every job I have had.

I have heard it said that being early is on time, being on time is late, and late is unacceptable. Managers expect every employee to be punctual and dependable. That means that you come in when you are supposed to and on time. That is the minimum expectation, but good employees exceed the expectation.

Every Workday is Goundhog Day

In February of 1993, one of my favorite movies was released. Groundhog Day the movie has since become a classic that is played every year around the actual Groundhog Day. 

The movie is about a news weatherman, Phil Connors, who mysteriously begins to replay the same day over and over. In the end, he changes from a self-centered egotist to an altruistic gentleman--and wins the girl.

From the first time that I watched the movie, I loved it because of the idea of reliving events over until you actually get it right. I wish it was that way with personal or career development, but in reality there are no "do overs." We must live with the consequences of our actions both good and bad. But everyday you go to work, you get the chance to do your job better than the day before and correct any mistakes. In that sense, every workday is a Groundhog Day!

It's a Thing! Emotional Intelligence

"It's a thing" is a series that highlights concepts that employers and managers use and sometimes evaluate employees with that they may not be aware.

Just a few years ago, Emotional Intelligence (EI) was a new topic. Today it seems that everyone is talking about it, yet I find that few people apply it to personal development. Having an understanding of EI is important because it is now a major measuring stick by which employees are measured. I have heard many managers say that a particular employee is not "too high" in EI. The ramifications for not increasing your EI is the difference in a job or no job at worst and the difference in a promotion or no promotion at best.

Conversations are Crucial for Success

Three of the most requested topics for organizational training are communication, team building, and dealing with difficult people. All three require conversations, but few people understand the power of conversations.

Communication in the workplace continues to be a topic that everyone is interested in because it is vital for success. I recently wrote on the topic of having crucial conversations. This week, we look at "Conversational Intelligence." Everything begins with a conversation.

"To get to the next level of greatness depends on the quality of the culture, which depends on the quality of the relationships, which depends on the quality of the conversations.
Everything happens through conversation."

~Judith E. Glaser~