Earn Respect in the Office

Earn Respect in the Office

“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.”

~ Bryant H. McGill

Earning professional respect from both peers and employees is important for future success and overall personal fulfillment in your career field. Learn to stop the behaviors that might be holding you back from earning the respect you want and deserve in the office.

You might have already suspected that showing up late to the office or arriving late to a scheduled meeting is a big problem when you are trying to earn respect. Forcing a group of people to wait for you to arrive for a meeting will show that you don’t take your job seriously and more importantly, have no respect for their time. If you must be late, communicate with those you are meeting with. It’s easier than ever to take advantage of a call, text or tweet to inform your meeting partners of a necessary delay.

We have all attended a meeting with someone typing on their computer or using their cell phone. One of the most disrespectful behaviors you can exhibit is to focus on technology during a meeting instead of the speaker or the topic of the meeting. This behavior shows you have no interest in the meeting, the subject or the information being presented and sends a clear message of disrespect.  

            Of course, having loud conversations on the phone in your office or cubical is considered disrespectful to others around you. The office is a place that should be considered an environment with a professional atmosphere in order to make decisions, deadlines and think creatively without disruption.  

Remember to reinforce your own positive habits when you’re trying to achieve a goal. Retraining yourself to avoid a few simple behaviors that might be causing you a loss of respect in the office will help build your career.

Kelly D. Scott
Chairman/CEO
Vistage Florida

better leaders ● decisions ● results

Train Your Brain

Train Your Brain

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”

~ Buddha

We have all experienced a time sitting in front of our computers waiting for our brain to organize our thoughts into forming a cohesive breakthrough idea. But what if there was a way to trigger these actions to activate creative moments more often? Brainstorming ideas are often effective in prompting our brains to reach the goal oriented network, allowing access to the insightful and creative functions of our brain. Learn a few daily activates to train your brain to give rise to more breakthrough thinking.

Oddly enough, the most useful way to create a lightbulb idea in your mind at work is to focus on something completely different, a quick meditation, a stand up and stretch exercise, reading a news article or learning about a new product or service often helps you refocus. This allows your brain to recharge with new and innovative information that will help trigger a refreshed mindset.  

One of the most common and beneficial activities to help with brain function is exercise. Put on your walking shoes during your lunch break and get moving outside. Physical activity allows the blood to circulate and gives you a second burst of energy to your brain for the second half of the day.

You might think being at the office is the best time for breakthrough thinking but, physical activity before or after work can also be very compelling. Allowing yourself to be entertained by reading books, magazines or even playing video games can help build those brainstorming muscles.

Professional life should be enjoyable, including incorporating creative and thoughtful ideas. Take time to focus on training and building your brain to let in growth and understanding in other areas of interest.  

Kelly D. Scott
Chairman/CEO
Vistage Florida

better leaders ● decisions ● results

Change is Hard

Change is Hard

"Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."

~John F. Kennedy

Whether you’re a small startup or a large corporation, it is essential to embrace change in order for a business leader to inspire growth and performance among employees and to increase productivity rates. Change can be the most rewarding development for your business, yet one of the hardest for most of us to grasp. Most people fear change because of concern of loss or discomfort with the unknown. Learn to overcome your unease to open your mind and better yourself and your business.

As a business leader, the best way to navigate change is by sharing your plans with employees, getting them involved in the process while listening to their ideas and concerns. Understand that some of your employees may be looking at the change “what’s in it for them?” Make sure you show the positive aspects that this change will have upon the group, change can also be perceived as excitement instead of worry if promoted that way. This will make people feel more comfortable and on board with the change.

Instead of jumping right into the pool of change, take small steps in creating a bridge between your current situation and the change you want to make. This will serve as a map for your employees to follow to help them transition to the new change, allowing everyone to take the correct and necessary steps to create that change in the most rewarding and affective way to keep balance.  

Don’t settle for the way things are, overcome your own fear of change to help your company or organization grow in the world of business. Allow for open conversations and a clear road map to where you want this change to lead your company.

Kelly D. Scott
Chairman/CEO
Vistage Florida

better leaders ● decisions ● results