My Home Office

1) Get stuff done. Away from water-cooler gossip, desk interruptions and meetings, you can power through those work tasks and still make time for coffee. Demonstrate to your boss that you can achieve more on a day from home, and you can ask for another one next week. Focus on being productive instead of just busy.

2) Work when you are most productive. You have the freedom to choose what hours to work. If you are a morning person, start early and be finished by mid-afternoon. Or have a lie in and take the afternoon shift.

3) Get some exercise.

4) Save money.

5) Save your family life.

6) Your company wants you to take the day at home. Studies show that working from home makes for a more motivated workforce, reduces sickness absences, reduces staff turnover and reduces office costs. It also helps reduce workplace stress which costs UK business 5 billion per year. (http://www.workwiseuk.org)

7) Save the planet. If all commuting workers spent one day less on the road, rail and bus systems per week, vehicle emissions would drop, air pollution would be reduced and the carbon footprint could be drastically cut.

So talk to your boss and make a case for a day at home this week that benefits everyone.

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Some people hate their current jobs, but they don’t know what they would do instead. Here are 5 questions you can ask yourself to find out what you really want to do for a job. Grab a piece of paper and jot down your answers to these questions.

1) What did you want to be when you were a child/teenager? When you were young, you didn’t have to worry about the practicalities of living, working or earning money. When you thought about your future it was not constrained by reality, so you believed you could do anything. Write down all the things you wanted to be or do when you were young, however impractical. What do these early choices reveal about your personality and what you might want to do now?

2) What are you passionate about? What do other people say you are good at? What specific skills do you have? Write down these things and consider whether you could make a living from these. The ideal job is to find something you love, and figure out how to get paid for it!

3) What parts of your existing job do you enjoy? What do you want to keep in your ideal job? For example, the holidays might suit you, or the commute, or your friends, but you might not enjoy the actual work. How can you combine what you enjoy with a different job?

4) What do you definitely NOT want to do? Identifying these things will help you whittle down your ideas to more specific jobs. For example, you might think you want international travel as part of your ideal job. But you know you like being at home with your family, so actually you don’t want to work abroad. You might not like blood, so being a doctor/nurse is out, and if you are allergic to pollen, you won’t be a gardener.

5) What do you want to achieve, and by when? This is your practical question where you consider how much time you have and what resources you will need to get to where you want to be. You may have identified that you always wanted to be an Olympic athlete, but you are 38 and a bit on the heavy side. Is it likely you will make the Olympics and do you want to put the effort in to achieve this? You may want to retrain as a Doctor but do you have 7 years and the money to fund this program of study?

Read back over your answers and add anything else that comes to mind. Some ideas should be sparking already. This list will give you an insight into some of the things you want in a job, and what is important to you. Use it to start researching into what jobs you might be interested in pursuing.

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People deeply desire recognition and acknowledgement for what they do. Studies have shown that employees are motivated by praise and appreciation before promotion or a bonus.

A word of praise, a personalised email of encouragement or thanks can make all the difference to how people feel about their jobs. These mementos last longer than the pay cheque and show that someone has valued what they have done. There are some managers and even companies that people love to work for because they are known for having a special way of treating people. These managers and companies recognise that people really are their means of doing exceptional business, and treat them accordingly.

Many employers seem to think that employees are paid to work, so why should they be praised as well. But if companies do not have a culture of praise and appreciation, it will be reflected in their retention rates.

Here are 5 ways to incorporate praise and appreciation into your workplace.

· Encourage a culture of appreciation. Give out positive energy and appreciation of others, and you will find it coming back to you. Start appreciating what other people do at work. Focus on the positives, rather than the negatives. Try thanking other people, and they will begin to appreciate you in return. This works at all levels of the organisation. Appreciate your Managers and appreciate your direct reports and co-workers. Everyone’s role is important and if people start to tell each other this, then the effect will be felt throughout the organisation.

· Write a thank you note to someone who has performed well – on paper, with ink. In these days of email, a handwritten note will stand out as something special. Use a good quality card and be sincere in what you write. People will keep these cards and too often they are only given when they are leaving the company. Giving this recognition during employment will improve their job happiness and retention rates.

· Stop the blame and use it as a lesson learnt session instead. If companies have a blame culture, then people feel they cannot take risks or try to improve things for fear of censure. Encourage people to contribute and praise them for trying something new. If it works you will want to use their idea. If it doesn’t, then praise them for trying, and analyse how it can be done better next time. Don’t criticise and blame, but praise and encourage.

· Use the monthly meeting to award people for a job well done in a public forum. Have an original award and give it to people for going above and beyond their job description. This may relate to a demonstration of company values or for excellence. One example is the First Penguin award used at Carnegie Mellon, which is given for being a risk-taker and being ahead of the pack. It refers to the first penguin that dives into the ocean containing predators, someone fearless and ready for anything. What original award could you start at your workplace?

· Be aware of what people are doing in the workplace. If someone does a particularly good job, reward them unexpectedly. For example, tell them to have an expensive meal out with their family and put the cost on their expenses. Have a “Special Day Off” award when someone gets to have a day off for free and still get paid. Or get tickets to a sporting event and take a group of employees instead of clients. Make your employees feel that they are worthy of excellent treatment. After all, they are the ones who make the company work.

Praise needs to be genuine, so all of these should be done with sincerity. These points have nothing to do with the institutionalised “praise” of bonuses and organised rewards/commissions. These examples are for unexpected thanks and appreciation of what people do over and above their job descriptions. Reward people for their service and their loyalty, and you will find that they give even more.

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I moved to 4 days per week almost 2 years ago now, which is 20% of a working life. It has changed my life. I have written 3 books and now have a successful blog based internet business, The Creative Penn. This weekend I am running my first live seminar and I now speak regularly in my niche, as well as take part in teleconferences and podcasts. This new career was started in my 20% time and I expect it to become my main income source in the next 18 months. So if you can’t take a sabbatical, try moving to 4 days per week and see how it changes your life.

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Relax on your day off!

The US state of Utah has been trialling a mandatory 4 day working week for state employees (around 17,000 people). People work longer hours on the days they are at work, with Friday off.

This has the following benefits:

• For the company, a reduction in power and energy on Fridays resulting in savings to the company/government and tax-payer as well as lower emissions from the reduction in commuting.

• Increased productivity by 9% meaning happier works who can work more efficiently

• Improved quality of life and work/life balance for those employees involved. No Friday commute, more time with the kids, time for exercise or hobbies, reduction in stress. 70% of workers say they prefer it.

• Makes the employer more attractive to recruitment candidates with higher employee retention

On a personal note, I shifted to working 4 days a few years ago and it is definitely the best thing you can do to improve your mental and physical health if you are ground down by working every day.

Having that extra day means you get time to do things other than shopping, chores, washing and all the things you have to do just to maintain the status quo. You can improve relationships, exercise and generally feel like life is not just work after all!

If you think your company won’t go for it - well, just ask! You never know until you do ask and you may be surprised! In this economic climate, companies are more than happy to look for ways to reduce costs and retain key employees.

Image: Flickr Creative Commons Virginia Zuluaga

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This article, featured in Australian BMag discusses Mondayitis, the problems and solutions. It features the book “How to Enjoy Your Job” and author Joanna Penn. Thanks to Kylie Welsh for writing the article!

Click here to read BMag online as a ebook flipmag OR/ Click here to download the article only.

IMAGE: Flickr Creative Commons Studio Sushi

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There is a a campaign in Australia right now to encourage people to take their leave: No Leave, No Life. It informs employers why they need to encourage people to have a holiday, and also helps employees see the benefits.

Australian employees have built up a staggering 123 million days and $33.3 billion in accrued annual leave, with 1 in 4 Australian full-time employees accruing 25+ days leave. When did you last have a good holiday?

Benefits of taking a holiday:

• A Happier You. You, your family and your work colleagues will appreciate the rest you will get. You will be happier and more enthusiastic at work if you have had a break.
• Get some perspective. 40% of people don’t take holidays because of the amount of work they may need to do, but the workplace will carry on without you. It is easy to think those tasks you do are critical, but the world does not stop because you are on holiday. Yes, you may have a big To Do list the first few days back, but your productivity also improves with a break so you can deal with it faster. Life is also short, and you need to enjoy yourself when you can.
• Get well and healthy. Stay in bed for an extra few hours and catch up on sleep. While swine flu hits the world, it is important to be rested and well and having a break can really help.

If your employer has a problem with you taking some leave, check out these tools for employers.

Photo: Flickr Creative Commons Davide Schiano

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There is a simple solution. Resign from your job. It is not difficult. The barriers are in your mind.

So, how do you resign from a job?

1. Make a decision. This is the hard part because you will have many reasons NOT to resign. The pay is good, it’s not that bad, my friends are there, what if I can’t get another job…. and many more. But you WILL find other work, and you will be happy again. This job is not good for you if you are that miserable, so make that decision for your physical and mental health.
2. Tell your Manager/Boss. You will usually have to say something in person to someone. This can be hard, but I find the best approach is to be humble, apologetic and stay on good terms. “It’s me, not you”, kind of like splitting up with a date. It is an increasingly small world so don’t burn your bridges and storm out.
3. Write a resignation letter. The resignation letter does not have to be much at all, but it is legally required. This can be an email, or a physical letter. I would generally present it to my Manager when speaking to them as above. It needs to be dated to mark the day of resignation and you might want to include the date you expect to be leaving, or want to leave e.g. if you are on 2 weeks notice, note your last day. The company may choose to let you go earlier, or ask you to stay longer, but your contractual terms still stand. I usually include a Thank You of some kind, to keep things on a friendly note. You need to say you are giving in your resignation/resigning, and then you sign it. Typically, this will take 2-3 lines!

You will feel remarkable after resigning – the world will be lighter, you will smile and walk taller. You will have struggles ahead, we all do. But don’t let fear of resignation trap you in a miserable job. Life is too short!

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Some days at work are just not great! Here are 15 ways to life your mood.

1. Get some exercise, even if it is just a walk. You may feel like slumping in front of the TV, but the best thing to do is get moving. Exercise will release endorphins and make you feel better.

2. Go to bed early. Sometimes it’s just better to finish the day early and get some sleep. Have a warm drink, snuggle up and make sure it’s very dark. Tomorrow will be a better day.

3. Get hugged. Whether it is your partner or a friend, get some physical contact. A hug will always help. If there are no people around, love your pet. I’ll bet they will love you back.

4. Buy some expensive, high quality, yummy food and eat it with relish (and no guilt!). If you buy a small amount of luxury, it will make you feel good – as opposed to truckloads of cheap, sugar-loaded food. I am a fan of Green & Black’s organic Darker then Milk chocolate which you can buy in 30g bars.

5. Have a bath. Fill it with bubble bath or aromatic oil and relax.

6. Get a massage. Pay for a professional and you won’t regret it. During the massage, concentrate only on the physical sensations and forget all the troubles of the day

7. Talk yourself up. We all have inner self-talk and a lot of it is negative and can bring us down. Notice what you say to yourself, and be kinder. Write down some positive affirmations and carry them with you. Look at them when you feel down.

8. Go dancing, either with friends or go along to a club. There are all kinds of dancing classes available now and you will find you relax more and can groove your cares away.

9. Sing. It helps – really! Karaoke is a fantastic way to feel better. Belt out some early Madonna, or thrash your head to some rock. You may need a drink to loosen the vocal cords first.

10. Laugh. See the dance class above. You can’t help but smile when attempting to salsa! Get a funny movie out.

11. Phone a friend and catch up. Don’t moan and don’t focus on the bad things. Just catch up and be grateful for the friendship.

12. Plan your next holiday. Dream it and Google all the things you would do with unlimited money.

13. Breathe deeply. Sometimes your stress will be so high, you forget to breathe which holds in all the tension. Let it out with long, slow breaths.

14. Thrash a punch-bag at a boxing class. If you can exhaust your body and get all your frustrations out on the bag, you will feel a whole lot better!

15. Listen to happy music. Make a song list on your ipod for when you really feel down. Make it happy and uplifting, positive music. Cheesy is sometimes best in these situations. Some of my favourites: Christina Aguilera – Soar, Wilson Phillips – Hold On, Survivor – Eye of the Tiger, Chumbawumba – I get knocked down

If this day keeps repeating itself, ask yourself why and write down 5 things you can change so you are not still repeating this day in 6 months time. Take massive action and make sure this situation changes.

Photo: Flickr Creative Commons David Nikonvscanon

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Unemployment rates might be rising in some countries but there is always work out there for people who will apply themselves, be flexible and offer good value for their pay. Social networking is becoming more dominant as a force for change on the internet, so here are some tips for how to use it to get a job or extra work.

1) Build your online profile with the intention of using it for work. If you build a page at LinkedInhttp://www.linkedin.com/ or other sites, make sure it is professional enough to be used as a resume. Once you have loaded your job history, become friends with former colleagues and get recommended for previous work. If you are straight out of college, have a profile anyway as it makes you look serious about getting work. If you have a blog or a separate website, make sure it is professional. Google yourself and see what comes up. You can direct potential employers to this information in your paper resume if necessary.

2) Keep your professional social networking separate from your personal.Profiles have public and private settings. Sites like Facebook http://www.facebook.com may be for your friends and other sites might be your professional look, but both come up on search engines. Make sure you separate the two as professionalism still counts online.

3) Get friendly with recruiters. Many recruitment firms now have profiles on social networking sites like LinkedIn. Find recruitment agencies in your area of expertise and become friends with them. You can say that you are looking for work, and the recruiters will often post on the site with jobs.

4) Use job blogs and networks to improve your resume and skills. There is so much information online that you can use to improve your chances to get a job. Check out sites that help you improve your resume or interview skills, or those that recommend new job search sites.

5) Keep an eye on company blogs or press releases. Smaller, more tech savvy companies are using online press releases, blogs or their own social networks for recruitment. If people have joined their RSS feed, or signed up for their newsletter, that person is likely to have an interest in their services and may be looking for work. So become a joiner for those companies/groups you are interested in working for, and keep an eye out for work opportunities. If you become an active part of these communities, you could even ask the group if there are jobs available.

6) Work remotely. If you can work from home as a freelancer, you have the chance to work for anyone in the world. Elance http://www.elance.com is a site that connects people looking for work to be done, and those who can perform it. People submit projects, and then companies/individuals submit bids on the project. Payment is through the site by credit card, Paypal or their escrow service. Providers are rated and you can discuss projects on private message boards. If you have skills that can be used remotely, this is a great place to start. Although it is not a social networking site, you can use your other networking profiles to direct people to your elance provider profile which shows your availability.

7) Use Second Life. In May, the first virtual job fair was held on Second Life http://www.secondlife.com/ with big companies like Microsoft and Sodexho recruiting and avatars attending for discussions with recruiters. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20588553/ You can also drop into one of the virtual company headquarters and drop off your resume in Second Life. Virtual interviews are followed up on the phone or in person, so it might be an option for the tech-savvy person who can use their avatar professionally.

Use sites to find people to approach in the real world. If you want to approach a specific company, but don’t know how to stand out from the pack of resumes, make sure you direct yours to the right person. Use social networks and blogs to find out who the best person to approach is, and then send them your resume directly. Many companies have this information online, and you will be able to find out more personal information from social networks.

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