Overworked?

The truth is, we all are. The never-ending emails which require some form of actions on our end, and the amount of time each effort requires makes us constantly drained at work. Sometimes, the stress could be reduced by asking colleagues for assistance, but you feel it will be a move that is constantly frowned upon by others.

The fact is people are willing to help – but this comes as a disclaimer that only if you show you have put in adequate effort into your work. You must think about these few pointers before proceeding with simple delegation.

WHICH TASK TO ASSIGN

You might want to assign tasks that are very simple but administrative. This times up a lot of your personal time at work. These tasks are best as they do not require complicated instructions or constant supervision. You would not want to assign tasks that your other colleagues constantly ask you questions because they are unsure of the instructions.

COMMUNCIATE WHAT YOU NEED

If you have already decided to ask a colleague, you must communicate what you need very clearly. If you have not communicated clearly enough, it might result in duplicate work. If someone has decided to help you, you can do away with less formalities by “Would you be able to help me”. These choices of words might seem like an option to the one receiving the instructions.

BE RECEPTIVE

You might only want a colleague to help you, but if they have shared that they too lack the time to assist you or they shared they might not be the best person to help you but recommend someone else – you might want to give it a go with that someone as well.

How to assist your colleague during their challenging times

We always say that it is good to separate work from personal issues, but we also know and understand that it is not always possible. While handling Human Resources must be an objective approach, we must always remember that we are still handling people. It is good to strike the correct balance between empathetic, yet objective.

These are things you could help your employees going through a tough time. 

SETTING YOUR CULTURE RIGHT

If you think that your colleagues are going to approach you to share their problems when you have been nasty throughout the entire year, you’re wrong. You might even be the last person that they want you to be aware of their personal issues.

You must start it right by being seem as approachable and making the extra effort to be approachable and non-judgemental. By constantly engaging your peers, it will also be easier for you to take notice when you know that something is not right with them and you can approach and then lend your listening ears.

LISTEN AND SET THE CORRECT TONE

When someone is sharing their challenging times with you, you should not be asking too many private questions that one might be unwilling to share. You might want to give them the opportunity to share with you, if you’re willing. Do not be quick to provide advice or solutions – they could just need a listening ear.

SHOW YOU CARE

Not about your business, or your daily operations – but about your colleagues. Imagine after hearing about their personal issues and asking them “I understand, but how will this help you focus at work?” – how would your colleagues feel?

The questions you can ask could be “How can we assist or support you during this critical period of time?” to show you care more about their feelings and understanding what their thoughts process are.

Do your follow up with your employees if you know they are going a tough time. Conversations like this is not concluded over one time. Remind them you are available to listen when any more issues happen.

BE OBJECTIVE

The rule of the thumb is still not to be over empathetic. You would want to clear about your company policies and understand any restrictions before over promising or committing yourself to their recommendations. If you need to check and get approval, you can explain you’ll need to check before committing. You would not want a situation where you promise and not deliver.

How to overcome challenges during your first day of work

On your first day of work, you need to step out of your comfort zone. Being in your previous job was your comfort zone where you were comfortable with your colleagues, your assignments, your routine at work as knew the working style of your colleagues.

On your first day, you might not be very sure with regards to what you were supposed to be doing, and assignments with very short deadline could have been thrown to you.

Here are some tips to overcome that.

ENJOY THE PROCESS

We all must start from somewhere. You must understand that during your previous job, the transitioning process was not that easy as well. When you are experiencing discomfort, it means you are challenging yourself, and are progressing. You are also likely a skill which makes you feel incompetent for now, but you must keep reminding yourself that it is all right.

ASK FOR HELP AND ACCEPT IT

This is crucial because it makes more sense to shout for help in the initial stages in comparison to shouting for help a few months down the road when people assumed you should be well familiar with it. It is acceptable for you to put your pride aside and ask for help from someone who have done it before. Do not assume your colleagues are too busy to help you in transition because as the saying goes – never ask never to know.

When you ask, you also gradually build relationships among your colleague. An intelligent person would make use of the resources instead of just self-reliance.

DON’T GIVE UP

Gradually, it will get better. The starting is always the most challenging, but you will get there one day. You will likely be very uncertain, hence not very comfortable in speaking up during meetings or unsure of how is the best approach to handle your boss.

PATIENCE IS KEY

Being in the highly competitive society, one would always stop and consider on whether is one doing well compared to other peers. You get competitive or would feel unjust when one person who have graduated with you has attained a higher position in her individual’s career. You start to wonder if your career progression is too slow.

At times, you wonder if what you are doing is enough or whether are you in the right company who recognizes your effort enough? Generally, the higher your expectations, the greater the fall when it is not met.

Generally, it is important you enjoy the journey and not the destination. We should all learn to appreciate the small progression and strides we make during the climb of the corporate ladder. Because no matter how fast your peer’s progression is, it takes time and it will consist of multiple attempts and failures.

PATIENCE IS GOOD WHEN YOU HELP IN PROCRESS IMPROVEMENTS

When you feel that the current system is too slow or too many steps, and you seek to create process improvement, this is good, and this can help you with your career progression. Let your impatience question process that are inefficient and ineffective, be it whether your direct change or you could engage a productive conversation with someone involved to make it more effective at work.

PATIENT IS BAD WHEN YOU ARE IMPATIENT WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES

Doing follow up to remind your colleagues on tasks they need to complete is good, if you are not a nag. People generally do not like working with people who are impatient and are constantly sending chasers for an update.

As much as you want to attain your deliverables, you should plan your deliverables where there is enough time for your co-workers to do something and communicate to them on when is the deadline. If there is no submission, then should proceed to enquire and follow up.

PATIENT IS GOOD WHEN IT MAKES YOU PROACTIVE

If your colleagues are not able to deliver what they are expected to, it will be good if you focus on what you can do and help in comparison to when you are waiting for the deliverables, which in turn affect your performance.

It is also good if you are eager to help another colleague out as well, when you know the other colleague has a lot of tasks assigned. Being proactive helps you to learn and progress as an individual. It makes you constantly challenge yourself, and eventually lead to a better you.

It really reflects well if you go ahead and ask your manager on whether are there anymore responsibilities you can take to learn and progress with the Company, instead of asking your manager on when would your next promotion be.

PATIENCE IS BAD WHEN YOU ARE PROGRESSING WHEN YOU ARE NOT READY

You must set reasonable targets, because there is no way of getting a progression when you are merely 6 months into the job, or getting a pay raise. You might have heard from your other peers that they have attained the progression, but you must remind yourself that you must EARN the progression by showing you are ready to progress into the new role.

It is most definitely better when you take on the role only when you are ready, if not you will just be taking the role with more responsibilities and not be able to deliver to your stakeholders.

3 Tips to Achieve Healthier Work Relations

Daily interactions are key milestones to our everyday movements, but it can get tricky when trying to figure out a balance between work and personal relations. However, cultivating meaningful relationships does not necessarily mean that it will take excessive time and energy. Usually it boils down to sincerity and effort at the right moments. 

Trying to maintain good relations can be highly beneficial in the long run, as it can increase productivity and positivity in the company. While not everyone in the office will be friends with one another, here are some ways to achieve healthy work relations for a better working environment.

BE AS REAL AS POSSIBLE

It is understandable if you want to keep your work and personal lives separated, but in order to form deeper connections with your colleagues, try to be as real as possible. Revealing bits of yourself outside of the office will help them create an impression of you better than what they perceive from just the desk. A little self-disclosure is healthy in this case, because it will help to create better understandings that can aid working partnerships in the future.

OFFER TO HELP WITH THEIR PROBLEMS

When your colleagues face problems at work, always be proactive in offering to lend a helping hand. This encourages them to trust you and therefore return the favour when necessary. You also get to show a different side of yourself when you offer to do tasks outside of your work scope. It will also help them to see you as not just a co-worker, but also a friend. 

CONSIDERATION IS KEY

In the office, working as a well-oiled team is paramount for any company to flourish. So be considerate towards your colleagues, and remember that it is not just important that you’re happy, but consider their needs as well. For example, turning down the volume of your music or keeping your things neat are good ways to show that you have considered their presences as important as yours also.