One Little Work Thing

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Today's one thing was to tackle my desk at work. I've been doing it bit by bit for the last two weeks or so, but I have a top left drawer that was stacked with about seven random files of STUFF.

I processed some donations from this week (good thing), sent some paperwork that my national office has been clamoring for (another good thing) and got rid of a lot excess paperwork. Gotta love the shredder.

Now to tackle some MarComm stuff like sponsorship and restaurant recruitment packages. The tasks were good to handle, but now it's back to strategy!

Tonight, I go back to that etsy thing - again. I will get a store set up!

One Thing Starts Today

OK - so I totally flaked out on the "One Thing" concept over Thanksgiving. I figured I'd wait till the first of the month to get inspired.

Today's one thing isn't anything exciting at all. it's actually reactive a bit more than proactive. I ended up getting rejected for something I really wanted today. My one thing was to not sulk (too much), and get out of the office for a walk in the snow and wind. It was slightly refreshing. I have a feeling the part about not letting myself get down about my situation will be a recurring theme, until the right thing comes along.

Tonight, I'll actually sign up for an etsy seller account for Sock Monkey Creations and perhaps knit a scarf for the store!

Also, I posted this late because I didn't get online last night, and Blogger doesn't offer scheduled postings, as far as I know.

A Little Inspiration

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A high school friend posted this on Facebook, and I felt I needed to pass it along.

Do not become subservient. Do not dwell on every tiny setback in the course of pursuing your chosen path. To do so would be foolish. Victory or defeat is determined by our entire lives. Moreover, our final years are the most crucial. What is enviable about the pretentious rich? What is great about conceited celebrities? What is admirable about political leaders who gained their positions of power by treating others with contempt? Dig right where you stand, for there lies a rich wellspring! - Daisaku Ikeda

One Thing a Day

I came across a blog yesterday, My Thing A Day, and I loved it. A simple concept - do one thing a day that makes a big difference in your life. I'm not so sure about the "big" thing - but I do like the thought of one thing a day that's meaningful to ME.  It could be as simple as applying for one job, or one I really need to do - mail a baby gift to the 5 month old twins I've known about for a year now.

And, it will make me blog. Or it should.

So I think I'll add a page to this blog and do my "one thing." Even if it's boring to my one reader, it should mean something to me!

Being a Jerk vs Being Direct

The Daily Beast posted the classic story on the perception of women in the workplace when they are assertive, direct and less apologetic. The results - women who cut out the niceties such as Please, Thanks and I'm Sorry often get more respect in the workplace -to a point. Push that assertiveness to the point of being disagreeable, and it will come back to bite women. But not men.

I see why being assertive works. Completely. It makes total sense. If it's my job to delegate something, and your job to do it, I really don't need to say please and thank you, nor should I be apologetic for tasking you. That's doing my job, not being mean. And yet, I still nearly always sign my emails with a Thank You, and look for a "Please" from my manager and colleagues when they would like me to do something. I rarely get this from my manager (nor a thank you), and I find it incredibly aggravating.

I guess I am a sucker for being polite. When a greeter in a store opens the door, or wishes me a good morning, I always return the salutation, or look them in the eye and say thank you. It's not pandering, or being meek, it's being NICE. My mother the psychotherapist would call it co-dependent. I still call it being nice.

Interestingly,  when males fight or bully others it is more physical and direct. Female bullying is often referred to as "relational" bullying, and we fight on a much more emotional plane. Sociologically, women make "everything" a  relationship (I know, major generalization).

I've succeeded throughout my career because I am great at building relationships, and caring about my customers. Within those relationships I am appreciative and of course polite, but I am also direct and clearly define my expectations. That is why I succeed. It's how I am able to increase sales, close long-standing business in the pipeline and affect customer (donor) loyalty. I make the ask - I don't apologize for it at all.

One afternoon with my colleagues waiting to go to lunch and literally lined up at my cubicle, I asked my process champion at UPS what it would take to get them a contact. Nothing more, nothing less. She right then said she would purchase the product at XXX price, and I should get her a contract that day. My boss' eyes just about popped out of his head when he heard me openly ask for the sale (we were not usually that direct), but of course he was terribly pleased with the result. And of course, I thanked her at the end of the call!

Clearly, there is a place for direct communication. Things get done when you say what you need to say. But there's no excuse for not thanking someone for their contribution or assistance. And  there's no need to demand things rudely when a simple "please" will go so far in their mind.

And on that note, thank you for reading, and oh, please help me find a job!