March 2009 - Posts

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Sunday, March 01, 2009 12:14 AM

Understanding body language at work 

Since actions speak louder than words, you should probably be conscious of how your actions are displaying, and possibly betraying, your professional demeanor. You can say a lot about yourself without speaking any words.

Facial expressions are the most noticeable message senders. With very little effort, your face expresses the entire range of emotions and is the primary way people gauge your temperament.

A smile is warm and inviting. It makes people feel comfortable. When you see a co-worker in the hallway or breakroom, always make an effort to smile, otherwise you could be perceived as unapproachable or angry. The key is to actually smile. A fake smile makes the recipient feel self conscious and will probably leave them wondering if you're angry with them.

Eye contact is equally as important as a smile. Making eye contact with a person you're talking to gives them the impression that you're listening and interested in what they have to say. Looking around a lot while someone is talking sends a strong signal that you're totally uninterested in what they have to say or that you're lying if you're the one talking. Eye contact also makes you look approachable. Be sure to also occasionally break eye contact. An unflinching staring contest makes people feel uncomfortable.

Next time you're in a meeting, be aware of how you are sitting. When you slouch in your chair you appear lazy and tired. Always sit up straight with your hands placed comfortably on the table. Avoid crossing your arms over your chest; this action gives people the impression that you're uninterested or closed off.

Appearing relaxed and attentive helps people feel confident in your ability to do your job. Also remember to smile and nod slightly at appropriate times. This encourages the speaker and makes for a friendlier meeting.

If you're conducting a meeting or giving a presentation, proper body language can help get your point across and encourage your audience to listen. Keep your hands at your sides and out of your pockets, but don't stand like a statue. Engage the audience by making eye contact and using your hands to illustrate your point and don't forget to smile!

Also remember to use other's non-verbal cues to your advantage. Be aware if your audience crosses their arms, slightly shakes their heads or slouches in their seats. These are clear signs that they're losing interest and you might consider changing up your presentation. If they're sitting up, nodding and smiling, you can be pretty sure you're doing a good job.

Is there someone you work with who could use a little Body Language 101?

by tinadh | with no comments
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Climbing the Ladder
Sunday, March 01, 2009 12:12 AM

How to improve your public speaking skills

For most of us, there is nothing more terrifying than standing up and speaking in front of a large or small group of people! The following tips are geared toward helping you make public speaking less stressful. And, less stress means a more relaxed and confident you—making a better impression on everyone else.

 

Be prepared and practice
Know your subject; it adds confidence and authority to your speech. Outline your points and always use note cards. And, always practice your delivery to make sure that your speech will not exceed the time allotted for you. If you’re speaking at a very important engagement, try to practice beforehand in front of someone who can properly assess how you’re doing.

 

Know your audience
Just about everyone overlooks this important strategy. Knowing your target audience provides you with tactical insight on the type of presentation that would best appeal to them. It directs whether you can be casual and humorous, or whether you should be formal and serious. It also gives you help in streamlining your speech by telling you what you need to include and what you can do without.

 

Image
It’s always paramount to look your absolute best when addressing any group. Image is everything, as much as we deny it. How your audience responds to you really depends on how you’re perceived. You’ll appear as a more convincing speaker if you’re dressed well.

 

Stage fright
Anyone who has ever spoken in front of an audience has had stage fright at one time or another. It might just be helpful to sit quietly for a few minutes before your speech and gather your thoughts. Also try to breathe deeply and use visualization techniques that will train your brain not to panic. And lastly, mentally walk through the exercise many times.

 

Follow the tips above and you’ll surely be on your way to becoming more relaxed when speaking publicly. For more information and helpful tips on public speaking, try Toastmasters International at www.toastmasters.org

 

Have you had a particularly unnerving public speaking moment? If so, tell us your story!

by tinadh | with no comments
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News You Can Use
Sunday, March 01, 2009 12:10 AM

How to save money by “going green”

Would you like to save the planet and put some green back in your pocket? It’s really easy. By making some small changes in your habits, you can easily do both. Here are some ways.

 

Even if now is not the time for you to get a new hybrid vehicle, you can still save money.

  • Take anything that is not needed out of the trunk. 
  • Drive the speed limit. 
  • Avoid idling and jack rabbit starts.
  • Keep tires properly inflated.
  • Be sure to keep up with oil changes, tune-ups, and other car maintenance.
  • Combine errands.
  • Use cruise control for highway driving. 
  • Carpool as much as possible.
  • Take public transportation.
  • Ride a bike or walk if you are going a short distance.
  • Make note of which gas stations have the best gas prices in your area.

 

Gas prices are not the only thing going up. Utility bills are also increasing. 

  • Install low-flow showerheads and faucets.
  • Fix leaky faucets and drippy showers.
  • Wash clothes in cold water.
  • Unplug charging devices when not in use.
  • Use compact fluorescent bulbs in all lighting fixtures.
  • Upgrade to Energy Star appliances when it is time to replace older models.
  • Install a programmable thermostat. If that is not possible, be sure to manually reset the heat or air conditioning when you will be gone and at night.
  • Turn off any lights that are not needed.
  • Seal off any drafts around doors and windows.

 

Rediscover how things were done before we had modern conveniences.

  • Line dry your laundry.
  • Plant a garden.
  • Get a rain barrel. Use the water for plants and gardens.
  • Get a wood stove to supplement heating.
  • Use baking soda and borax for cleaning and deodorizing.
  • White vinegar is also good for cleaning, deodorizing, and getting rid of mold.
  • Replace mothballs with cedar blocks or shavings. Another alternative to mothballs is to fill cheesecloth bags with herbs such as cloves, rosemary, eucalyptus, bay leaves, and lavender.
  • Bay leaves also get rid of spiders and meal moths.
  • Use dishtowels instead of paper towels.
  • Use old T-shirts and cotton socks for dusting and polishing.

Do you have any other green money-saving ideas to share?

by tinadh | with no comments
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Renew You!
Sunday, March 01, 2009 12:08 AM



4 ways to get your creativity flowing 

Creativity is the ability to create an original and unique thought or idea. In a business setting, it’s most often associated with marketing where it’s more about explaining an idea creatively. But there are many ways to be creative in a business setting—just steer clear of creative accounting!

 

Regardless of what the end goal of your creativity is, here are some tips on how to best get those creative juices flowing.

 

Random word or object association

When posed with a problem, look around at the items in your immediate vicinity and try to use them to find a solution.

 

For example: 

You need to figure out a place to put a new potted flower. You look at your desk and conclude that you don’t want to place it there. On the desk you see a sea shell and think – The beach, I can’t put it on a beach! No, that doesn’t make sense. Next you see a pencil.  That does nothing for you, but the cil portion of the word makes you think of a window sill and – voila! – your new potted flower has found a home on your window sill. 

 

Create a mind map

This is an exercise in which you take a piece of paper and, in the center, write down a problem or objective. From there, start creating different branches or sub-sections of that problem. And from each sub-section, write down whatever words or thoughts come to mind. Like the previous exercise, this is a form of word association. By writing down all your thoughts you’ll end up with a “map” of them which can serve as an invaluable source of inspiration when trying to tackle the issue at hand. Click here for some examples of mind maps.

 

Don’t think about it!

It may seem counter-intuitive, but often the best way to come up with a unique or creative idea is to not actively think about it. There’s a theory that creativity comes from one’s subconscious, and that we’re at our most creative when we engage in other “mindless” activities which allow our subconscious to do its work. This is the reason people go on a long walk or shoot hoops when they’re stuck on a problem. This is also the reason why our best ideas often come in the shower or while driving to work. 

 

Carry a small notebook

As quickly as inspiration strikes, it can disappear. If you are driving to work and come up with a great idea, but have no way of getting it down on paper, it can be a monumental struggle to stay focused on the idea until you get to work and make note of it. Carrying a small notebook and pen will ensure that you won’t lose that million dollar idea when it strikes.

 

What do you do to open up your creativity?

by tinadh | with no comments
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The Giving Tree
Sunday, March 01, 2009 12:06 AM

Students for Organ Donation 

In 2003, Richard Ludlow and his brother John formed Students for Organ Donation when they learned a family member was on a waiting list for a kidney transplant. They found out that the lack of awareness about organ donation was the reason that few donor organs were available.

 

Through this organization, the brothers taught high school and college students about the importance of organ donation and helped the students register as donors. Students for Organ Donation quickly increased to more than 120 high school and college chapters with more than 3,000 student volunteers across the United States and Canada. Each chapter holds regular events to teach students and staff, as well as members of the surrounding community, about the need for organ donors, to confront the mistaken ideas about organ donation, and to help people register as an organ donor.

One major accomplishment of the organization was registering 1,000 new organ donors at Yale University in one week! Accomplishments such as this have helped Students for Organ Donation receive $100,000 in funding from the Goldman Sachs Foundation, Do Something, and the US Department of Health and Human Services. In 2005, Students for Organ Donation received the Youth Education Award from Donate Life America.

Students for Organ Donation has helped to bridge the gap between the supply and demand for organs and tissue. According to Richard Ludlow, "No college student should go through college without learning the importance of organ donation. For me, the decision is easy. I don't need my organs when I am dead."

For more information about organ donation and how to get involved, visit www.organdonor.gov.

Know someone under the age of 18 who has started their own charity? If so, let us know!

by tinadh | with no comments
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Ask the Expert
Sunday, March 01, 2009 12:04 AM

 

Income Tax Tips

by Quill Sr. Manager Financial Analyst Mark Schacher

 

Start planning now as April 15 is just around the corner! Here are a few things to think about when pulling it all together.

 

Commonly overlooked tax savings 

  • Recovery Rebate Credit: The Recovery Rebate Credit is a one-time benefit for people who didn't receive the full Economic Stimulus Payment last year and whose circumstances may have changed, making them eligible now for some, or all, of the unpaid portion.

  • Earned Income Credit: This is designed to offset the burden of Social Security taxes for low-income workers. You can claim this tax credit even if you have no tax liability. 

  • Hybrid Vehicle Tax Credit: If you’ve purchased a hybrid vehicle, you may be eligible for a tax credit. Refer to the IRS Web site at www.irs.gov for a full listing.

  • Child Tax Credit: You can claim up to $1,000 for each child, subject to limitations.

  • Savers Credit: Low- and moderate-income workers can take steps now to save for retirement and earn a special tax credit in 2008 and the years ahead, according to the Internal Revenue Service. The saver’s credit helps offset part of the first $2,000 workers contribute to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) and to 401(k) plans and similar workplace retirement programs. People have until April 15, 2009, to set up a new IRA or add money to an existing IRA and still get credit for 2008.

  • Education Credits: If you’re paying for tuition/fees for yourself or your family, you may be eligible for one of the following credits and deductions: Hope Credit of up to $1,800 per student; Lifetime Learning Credit of up to $2,000 per year; Tuition and fees deduction up to $4,000 per student; or the Student Loan Interest Deduction up to $2,500 for interest paid.

  • Mover’s Credit: You could potentially deduct moving-related expenses if you moved to be closer to a new job.

  • Charitable Donations: You may deduct your charitable donations if you itemize:  monetary donations, item donations, mileage for volunteering.

  • IRA: It’s not too late. You can still contribute to or open a qualified retirement plan by the end of the year (April 15 for IRAs) and lower your taxable income.

For more detailed information on these and many more tax exclusions/deductions, refer to www.irs.gov

by tinadh | with no comments
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Editor's Note
Sunday, March 01, 2009 12:02 AM

This past August, Utah instituted a mandatory four-day work week for most state employees. Instead of the typical eight to five, five days a week schedule, state employees now work 10-hour days, four days a week. I say bravo! Where do I sign up?

 

While being forced to work 10-hour days might be a little aggressive, I see so many benefits to this schedule. I wish more companies would consider this option for their employees.

 

As a wife, full-time employee, and soon-to-be mother of one,  keeping a realistic work/life balance will soon become difficult, I’m sure. So many working parents struggle with this, especially since most families consist of two working parents. If employees were granted the option of having three days off, instead of just two, that would allow more time for family…something we could all use a little more of.

 

A four-day work week also reaps environmental benefits. Earth Day is next month and everyone’s focus will be on ways to “Go Green” and reduce your carbon footprint. A four-day work week means less traffic on the road, which means fewer car fumes emitted into the air, which makes for a happier Mother Earth! Think about your commute on days near big holidays. There are hardly any cars on the road. This is what a no-work Friday could look like all the time!

 

We all saw many companies take a big hit during the economic decline at the end of last year. Companies laid off employees, cut salaries, and reduced raises. Perhaps a four-day work week could help companies prevent this from happening again. If a company can turn off the lights and close up shop for an extra day a week, maybe the energy savings could offset some of their expenses.

Right now might be the best time to shake things up by looking for creative solutions in the workplace. I think this is a great place to start.

 

Christy Wolf, Editor

 

What do you think about a four-day work week? Let me know!

by tinadh | with no comments
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