You worked so hard to get your new job. Now, in addition to the many details you’re learning in order to be proficient in your position, you should also be mindful of things you can do to help you keep it. Paying attention to the corporate culture and making an effort to fit in is crucial as a new employee. Let’s look at eight things in the realm of people skills you should be mindful of to help you integrate into the new company.
1)Flowcharting – Fitting in and building respect and a good reputation are important early on. One of my former supervisors used to flowchart out the positions and divisions in each company he worked for soon after he began. This initiative can aid your understanding of the company and who you could approach if you have an issue or need beyond the scope of your department. If you’re just not sure how to track this information down, your supervisor may have done this flowcharting already or be able to help you with the process.
2)Internal Networking – Have a brief “elevator speech” for what you do in your position. You can use this as you meet your fellow employees. Starting in your area, meet as many people as you can, even if they’re outside your department or not on your floor (the aforementioned flowchart will help.) This will help you develop good relationships with coworkers and build goodwill. Cultivate a network of relationships with coworkers at many levels. Higher-ups can help give you perspective from a management point of view; those at your level can answer questions and help you become more effective in your work. Avoid spending much time with those you find to be complainers and negative Nellie’s.
3)Excellence and Communication – Communicate clearly with vendors and coworkers alike, and really listen during your training. Show energy, enthusiasm, and excellence in your work, and strive to be visible.
4)Tooting Your Horn – Especially as you near performance appraisal time, find little ways to subtly point out your value and what you’ve accomplished since the last appraisal. Most supervisors are pretty overwhelmed, and it doesn’t hurt to work what you’ve recently accomplished into a conversation. Think about things like great customer feedback, compliments on your work from coworkers and higher-ups, meeting deadlines ahead of schedule, and positive facts or figures like sales achievements or how much you just saved the company.
5)EffectiveCollaboration – Making valuable contributions to projects can showcase you as a standout collaborator. Big projects need collaborative teams to carry them out. Perfect your persuasion skills, and if you’re not really a detail person, cultivate an eye for detail. Identify the positives and benefits of the thing in question; solicit feedback from friends, colleagues, and coworkers; then match the communication style of those you need to persuade when presenting. For example, if the members of the project team are big picture people, don’t get too deep into details. Use hot button words, lingo, and language they’re familiar with.
Further, think beyond just planning to implementation. While planning is important, employees who can create, revise, administrate, and execute ideas are setting themselves up for recognition and advancement.
6)Teaching Others – Obviously as you move up the ladder at your company, you’ll have picked up a lot of things. Or perhaps you bring to the table quite a bit of valuable knowledge from a long, rich career. Teach, and share what you know. There’s definitely opportunity for this with new employees. Help others gain wisdom, experience, and insight.
7)Avoiding Burnout – Years of service in the same position can sometimes make one stagnant in thinking or lead to frayed attitudes with coworkers or customers. When the phone rings or that next customer approaches you, stay positive and think “opportunity” not “obligation.” Don’t let your attitude get worn down, and be mindful of burnout. If you feel you’re getting burned out (or overloaded) but want to stay in your current position, work with your supervisor to come up with some changes that will make your work more pleasant and manageable. Or you could seek a position in a different department.
8)Being Persistent Not Pesky – The Marketing Director at one record label for which I worked liked my go-get-’em style and called me The Bulldog. In nearly every position, your work and your success rate in meeting deadlines will (unfortunately) depend on input from other people. When you follow up, don’t be such a bulldog that you tick people off or get branded as a nag.
After waiting for a reasonable time, and based on the urgency of the project, you’re your move to remind those who are holding you up. A good sequence of touch points is: request, log, remind by email, then finally—if need be—call or drop by the lagger’s office.
My Stephen Minister gave me some wise advice once, “Attitude and mood trump ability every time.” In other words, keeping your interactions and responses pleasant and professional is more important than mowing people down to meet deadlines to avoid anyone thinking you’re incompetent. And I’ve found that to be true most of the time.
What tips would you give others as far as people skills to develop that will help them fit in and keep their jobs?
Looking for a new job? Want to get what you want fast? Check out my book, Here Today, Hired Tomorrow, and subscribe to my blog (kurtkirton.com) for free advice on your job search.
There’s a World Atlas from 1977 on my bookshelf that shows countries that don’t exist anymore. Despite it’s antiquity, this book gets more use than you’d think! I’ve been very blessed to have had the resources to take many international trips in my life, and I use that atlas to plan my travel. I’m a country boy from Terry, MS, and I never dreamed as a kid that over the past fifteen+ years I’d see so much of the world I studied about in school.
I’d recommend international travel to anyone. Here’s why. It will exhaust you, yet refresh you. It’ll give you something extra not only to look forward to but something that makes life worth living. This kind of travel makes you appreciate your own country and educate you as to the plights and wonders of other countries—expands your world view, if you will. More often than not you’ll find that the kindness of the people you meet will stand out in your memories above the touristy places you’ll see.
From the glittering night shore of Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro to the breathtaking mountain vistas of northern Colombia, I’ve been blessed to see some of the most beautiful sites in the world. And I’ve met people that have enriched my life and spoiled me with their kindness and hospitality as I explored their countries.
So now that I’ve got you jazzed up to hit the road, I want to share what I’ve learned about preparing to travel that can make your trip easier and less stressful. Here are some important tips to keep in mind as you plan your trip (and some of these can be applied to domestic or business trips as well.)
1) Itinerary – Regardless of whether your friends think you’re too structured, plan your trip—at least to an extent. Talk to people, read travel guides, and use tripadvisor.com to get an idea of what you’d like to do in each city. Research! Does the country require a Visa? Are there certain times of the year to avoid to save money (Carnival, Easter, local holidays, etc.) When is the weather not too hot or cold? What is the local time zone? Will you need to bring or buy an AC adapter for your electronics? Start planning at least six months prior to your target departure so you can plan during your leisure time.
Keep a copy of the main page of your passport with your itinerary. With this it’s easier and faster for your Embassy to help you get another passport in the event you lose it.
2) Language – If you’re going to a country where your native language is not prevalent, brush up on key phrases (e.g. “Where is the restroom?” or “How much does this cost?”) Google translate even has a button you can click to hear pronunciation.
Ibirapuera Park – Sao Paulo, Brazil
3) Flights – Use your credit card points for a discount. You’ll probably have to buy tickets through your credit card company’s interface, but you could save hundreds. Don’t feel like you have to return home from the first city in which you landed. Not only will this save you time, but it may cost less than you think. If you’re seeing several cities, start with the furthest, and work your way back. Flying home from the closest city to yours will make for a shorter flight when you are tired and just ready to be home.
Price “broken tickets,” i.e. using Delta to fly into city #1 and out of city #3 and use a local airline for the middle flight; sometimes this is cheaper than buying a circuit of airfare between all cities from a big carrier.
Pay careful attention to your gate number. Some smaller airlines, while cheap, may change your gate number between when you get it and your boarding time—it’s happened to me!
4) Packing – Don’t over pack. Try to get it all in a medium-sized suitcase, and bring a backpack or satchel for use on the plane as a carry on and to take your convenience items around each day. You can cut the amount of clothes you’ll need in half by packing a detergent pod and doing a load of laundry halfway through your trip. Put your crucial items in your carry on in case your checked luggage is lost or delayed.
Mecardo de la Merced (bazaar) – Mexico City, Mexico
5) Money – About a week from leaving, alert your bank and credit card company of the dates and places that you’ll be travelling. This way they don’t shut off access to your accounts assuming there is fraudulent activity happening. Bring only enough cash with you to have a bit for your expenses coming and going from your native country, but use the ATM upon arrival to get cash in the native currency. Yes, your bank* will charge a small fee for each withdrawal, but this is better than bringing travelers checks which many shops and restaurants may reject. Add the exchange rate to your itinerary the day before you leave so you can remember what it was. Remember to exchange any money you haven’t spent before your departing flight; international airports always have a currency exchange.
Include a budget in your itinerary. You’ll need it to have a rough idea of how much to save for your trip. This should include not only the cost of airfare and hotels, but in-city travel such as bus, subway, and taxi fare; money for shopping and admissions to attractions; food; Passport; Visa (if necessary); and traveler’s insurance.
6) Safety&Health – Be aware of your surroundings, especially at night. Walk around with friends, and get off the bus as close to your destination as possible. Leave your Passport in your main bag at your room; don’t carry it around with you as an ID; use your drivers license for that. If mugged, scream or start yelling to attract attention to yourself and make the attacker flee. If he has a weapon, don’t fight back.
If chased, run to a public place like a museum, bar, or restaurant, and call the police. Never smell anything someone you don’t know asks you to (there’s a drug that can incapacitate you.) You may need to wear your backpack on your chest if you’re, say, in an outdoor flea market that is subject to pickpockets or grab-and-run thieves.
Never eat food from a beach vendor that a local friend does not approve. Frequently this food has not been kept at a proper temperature for many hours and can be a top source of food poisoning. Likewise, try to steer clear of street vendor food, especially if you have a sensitive stomach.
As soon as you buy your airfare and know what other items you’ll pay for prior to departure, buy travelers insurance. You never know when you might be injured, have items stolen, or become sick enough to want to see a doctor. I’ve used Travel Guard, and like their rates and options. Insuremytrip.com will give you a quote comparing many insurers. The level of coverage you should choose will depend on the riskiness of the country to which your travelling (e.g. Colombia vs. Canada.)
If in a risky country, stick mostly to using cash, not your credit card. You never know when a waiter is going to write down your card info and use it later.
Let your neighbor know the dates of your trip so he or she can watch out for suspicious activity and possibly park an extra car in your driveway. You may even consider using a timer on a light to give the appearance you’re home. Don’t post to your social accounts that you’re leaving so that people don’t know you’re not at home.
Use hand sanitizer after holding on to bus or subway rails and especially before you eat if there’s not a way to wash up beforehand. Put a luggage lock on your bag if you are checking one.
Casa Oniri Hotel Boutique – Barichara, Colombia
7) Water – Stay hydrated on the plane to avoid headaches, etc. Plan to buy large bottled water(s) on your first day—but only enough for the days you’ll be in that city. Any more and you’ll have to throw it away at airport security. Keep your small water bottle so you can refill it from the one you bought and bring it along each day. Due to the quality of some destinations’ tap water, use bottled water to brush your teeth or clean your contact lenses if you’re in a country like Mexico or India where ingesting the water is ill-advised. Keeping hydrated will help stave off constipation as well as well.
8) Communication – Use your smartphone as a wi-fi device to Skype, check your email, email loved ones that you’ve arrived alright, and in some cases, text for free. Check with your cell phone carrier prior to leaving about the cost of using your phone in the countries you’ll visit. At work, change your phone greeting so callers know the date you’ll return, and set up an out of office alert on your email. Remember to change both back.
London Eye/River Thames – London, England
9) Sickness – Pack Zicam (and maybe your treatment of choice) in case you feel a cold coming on. To avoid becoming sick during your flights, try these tips. Tray tables have been used to change diapers and many surfaces are not sanitized when planes are cleaned, so use hand sanitizer before eating. Keep your fingers out of your nose and eyes. Never use plane restroom water to rinse your contact lenses: It’s non-potable water and full of germs. Use your paper towel to unlock the restroom door. Point the A/C vent away from your nose. Wear a scarf to keep your neck warm, and get up every couple of hours and walk around to keep the blood flowing (and your immune system up.)
10) Flexibility – Let me tell ya, unexpected things will happen; you can count on it! I’ve had friends I came to see cancel, an airline go under and thwart my visit to paradise in Santorini, rain ruin my beach side trip, a bad cold send me to the doctor—twice!, and my stuff stolen—also twice. So be flexible. Make alternate plans. Spend a little extra money if you need to substitute something else last minute. Breathe, and people watch or journal if you’re subjected to a wait longer than expected. Stay positive. After all, this is your vacation; you don’t want to sit fuming and angry for days on end because of disappointments.
St. Mark’s Basilica – Venice, Italy
BONUS – Packing! Don’t forget to bring:
• Airborne
• Anti-mosquito cream (the healthy version of this can be made with hand lotion and eucalyptus oil)
• All charger cords (& AC adapters for the countries you’ll visit if needed)
• Earplugs (great if you’re using the Euro-rail, need to sleep in a noisy environment, or want to keep out water when swimming)
• Hand sanitizer or sanitizer wipes
• Laundry detergent pod
• Logins for your email, Facebook, etc. accounts
• Luggage lock & key
• Passport (and Visa if necessary) and a copy of it
• Pencil or pen
• Pills/meds/vitamins
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Swimwear and swim items such as flip flops and goggles
• Trip info – all addresses, phone numbers, flight details, email addresses, etc.
• Walking shoes
• Water bottle, small and empty (I have a camping one that flattens as it empties!)
• Zicam, your favorite cold medicine, and muscle cream (e.g. Icy Hot)
So spin a globe or crack open an atlas, and dream about where you want to go. Save what you need so you can get there debt free. And with a reasonable amount of preparation, you can create a safe and fairly stress free trip. After all, haven’t you earned a vacation?
Looking for a new job? Want to get what you want fast? Check out my book, Here Today, Hired Tomorrow, and subscribe to my blog (kurtkirton.com) for free advice on your job search.
Employee engagement refers to the level of commitment and dedication that employees feel towards their job role and the organization. The phenomenon is often confused with employee satisfaction, which refers to the level of contentment and satisfaction of an employee towards their job.
Employee engagement has a broader scope though—it includes the emotional commitment, the level of pride, and the magnitude of discretionary efforts that employees willingly contribute to the success of the organization.
An engaged workforce is committed to pursue whatever goals and visions the organisation sets ahead of them. Here are some effective tips to foster employee engagement within your organization.
Individualize Your Engagement Efforts
Gone are the days when you could apply a generalized engagement strategy to your entire workforce. Since personalization is on the rise, nowdays engaging employees will require you to motivate each employee and increase their level of dedication, commitment, and involvement in organizational growth through an approach that is personalized and individualistic engagement.
The “treat people the way you want to be treated” philosophy has changed to “treat people the way they wish to be treated.” Implementing this change in philosophy will improve your relationship with your employees, making it more genuine, trusted, and profitable.
Create a Feedback and Response Mechanism
Incorporate a system of feedback and response mechanisms in your HR strategy. This will provide you realistic insights into the tasks and operations being performed. Such insights collected in real-time will make it convenient for you to track status and progress, provide instant feedback and response, and resolve questions and concerns. This will enhance the efficiency of employees’ work, eventually optimizing end results and boosting employee morale and motivation.
Introduce a Fair Recognition Mechanism
It’s a good practice to review and reflect upon the individual and collective performances that have made significant contributions to the organization’s growth and progress over a specific period of time. Incorporating a reward and recognition platform in your management designs and strategies will create a thriving and competitive culture within your organization.
Your employees will try to take the lead and put in their best efforts when they are assured that their efforts will be recognized, praised, and duly rewarded.
Break the Monotony
A workplace doesn’t have to be all about work every day. Although you cannot possibly arrange an activity on a regular basis, make it a point that you organize an interesting activity or excursion at least twice a year. Take your employees on a staff cruise, or arrange some beachside fun to help them get rid of stress and fatigue and spend a good day out in the sun.
Also, presenting customized gifts such as bespoke drink bottles, tees, or caps will make a good souvenir and keepsake to commemorate the day.
Engage Line Managers
Line managers act as an anchor or intermediate link between the workforce and top management. Since employee engagement is a top-level management function and starts at the top, it is the responsibility of organizational leaders and senior management to engage and involve managers and focal persons. This will encourage a culture of leadership at all tiers and ensure maximum involvement, commitment, and dedication from employees.
