BLT #2: Make Peace At Work

Going to work is a high pressure proposition everyday - you may have felt it the moment your feet hit the floor this morning. People wonder whether their jobs are safe, whether the business will be sold or even whether or not their boss likes them. These worries make every issue in the office bigger than they often need to be, creating the potential for conflict and disagreement throughout the day. You may be saying to yourself, 'yeah, he's right and I wish someone would make this place a little easier to get along in.'

Well, today's the day and you are the someone. No sense waiting around for others to make it better when you have the power yourself to do it. I recently read a book by Ken Sande entitled Peacemaker. I don't have the space to lay it all out, but I recommend the book quite highly. In relating it to the day you're about to have, I suggest you get ready to do 3 things that you might never have done at work:

1. Overlook A Small Offense. This won't be hard to find as little offenses happen against you all day long. You are interrupted during a staff meeting - while making a very good point I might add - by someone who couldn't wait to make their comments heard. Let it go, and start your input again as if nothing happened. Your gracious action will be noted by others and you'll have set a great example.

2. Apologize For Something You Said or Did. Face it, we've all offended someone at some point in a meeting. Asking a question that sounded more accusatory than curious while trying make points with the highest ranking person in the room. Rolling your eyes or monitoring your critically important email while someone was making a presentation (chief of sinners here). Go tell them you're sorry - yep they noticed and they'll appreciate your honesty. You'll have cooled them down and taken ownership of your own bad behavior. It might not hurt to offer to help them with their idea too.

3. Speak Well of Someone Being Gossipped About. It's very easy to jump on the 'kick someone else around' bandwagon. It's even possible they might deserve a certain amount of it and that everything being said is absolutely true. You still need to demonstrate some leadership and find something kind to say about them. It will kill the gossip session and many times participants will realize they shouldn't be talking that way about their colleagues. If you are uninvited from the gripe sessions - good - you don't need to spend time there anyway.

BLT #1 - Do What Needs Doing

We don't know each other yet, so here's a story that will change your day. I hope it brings you back again.

When I received my first job offer many/some/several years ago, it was the most thrilling moment of my life to that point. My pay was doubling from my 'pay rent while your in college living with three other guys' job and I would be working for a real honest to goodness company that people had actually heard of. So, naturally I decided to play hardball with the HR director and waited all the way until my ability to breathe had returned to practically yell "YES!!!" into the phone. Now I had to tell someone. The first person I called was my dad. He's a serious, well read man who thinks about everything he says and he stuck to the script on this call. When I told him the news he thought for a moment then offered me the following: "Son, I am proud of you and happy for you. I want you to remember that no matter your title or job description, always be ready to do what needs doing."

I've shared that story many times and, turns out, have lived by it my entire professional life. But I didn't realize until well into it that there are two parts to '...do what needs doing'.

First, you have to be ready to jump in and help out when asked, regardless of who is asking. Boss, colleague, neighbor, friend, spouse. But let me ask you: are you really willing to help when asked? Does your response say 'you betcha' or 'well, I guess so'? Make it your business that people are glad to ask you to help them.

The second part of '...do what needs doing' didn't come to me until I realized that people don't readily ask for help. My dad was also telling me that you actually have to go and look for what needs to be done - it often won't come find you.

You've got a day that's about to get started, or are right in the middle of and I want you to do 3 things today before you put your head on the pillow tonight:

1 - Find something that needs to be done that no one has asked you to do and do it. Take out the trash, deliver faxes to the lady who never picks hers up, fill the flippin' stapler at the copy machine, make the report better by adding your insights (yes, you've got some and you know it), write up that recommendation for a new training class.

2 - Look at your own job and make it better - right now. There have to be 5 things on your desk that you're just doing that way because that's how Madge showed you to do it. Improvements can be made so go ahead. Make it better, snazz it up, make it cool, have fun with it. (warning: if you work in a highly regulated business, don't just stop/change doing stuff on a lark - it might be the law).

3 - Go ask someone what else you can do to help them. After they pick themselves up off the floor and steady themselves back into their chair, they will be glad you asked and may even take you up on it. Oh yeah, and you might have to stay later today because you asked, but that's price of helping someone else - and it's worth it.

I need a refill - have a great day.