Here are the advantages of working in the office

colleagues in a meeting

We are all aware that web advancements have enabled company employees to be geographically separated but always in touch.

This actuality, however, poses a significant problem for both workers and corporate leaders. We’re all being pressed more than before to decide whether it’s healthier to work remotely or in an office.

Either way, it is a decision that has far-reaching implications for an organization’s culture and productivity, and it’s one that even more individuals and businesses are having to make. That’s probably why even high-profile figures like Elon Musk have urged employees to return to work or quit. And, to be honest, it might turn out to be a wise move.

Here are the advantages of working in the office.

Better focus

According to research, recognizable environmental signals can cause your brain to avoid distractions and stay focused. This may explain why it’s so simple to work and disregard used cups in the pantry sink, but before you can even get work done immediately at home, your kitchen must be spotless. In an office setting, employees are automatically wired to know when it is time to work.

Healthy interaction
colleagues in masks conversing

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Working in an office makes it fuss-free to meet all of your bosses and coworkers. You can swiftly contact them whenever the need emerges and speak with them. Your superiors will have a clear understanding of what you’re up to as a result. Not only that, but you won’t have to email or phone them to get chunks of important information across. Thus, the office setting will benefit you if you like to communicate fast in person rather than through cold emails and emotionless text messages.

Improved work-life balance

Even if you enjoy your job, feeling like you have to labor every waking minute is unhealthy. Everyone approaches work-life balance differently, but researchers have previously suggested that there are two distinct groups: those who keep work and personal time separate and those who combine the two when they are working from home.

When work gets busy or difficult, the former can pause and devote enough energy to personal pursuits after office hours. They are also adept at switching mentally, which significantly lessens stress. However, for the latter, it could turn out to be a huge challenge. But since the office provides a specific “site”, anyone can readily know when to physically pause and draw a line when 6 o’clock strikes.

Working remotely has convincing arguments and can be extremely beneficial to working parents. When employees are dispersed too widely, though, organizational culture may suffer. With a clear line between work and play, returning to the office may not be that horrible after all. What are your thoughts on the issue?

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How to cope with being an outcast at work

a woman eating alone

Being a social outcast at work isn’t a matter of life and death, and social discomfort can be resolved if you’re willing to try. Though there’s no denying that it’s an unpleasant feeling.

The good news is that being a more socially adjusted individual capable of integrating into their work setting and favorably engaging with colleagues is feasible. Yet, the process of reaching such a position varies depending on the individual and circumstance.

Read on for methods you can take to cope with being an outcast at work.

Observe the social norms

Fundamental social interaction concepts can be learned from books, seminars, or socially aware folks, but they can also be comprehended by carefully examining the people you work with. Observe to understand how extroverted and possibly these socially outstanding people operate in their job. Implementing these findings in a job environment may help you change your social conduct and wave goodbye to any awkwardness.

Make the effort to socialize
team building bowling

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Likely, you’re not throwing yourself out there enough at the workplace, which could explain your uneasiness. If that’s the case, attempt to establish commonalities with your coworkers. Taking the initiative might make you appear more personable and open doors for connections. Try to be more social by joining in on tea breaks or attending after-work social engagements. Your coworkers will feel more at ease with you during office hours if you develop a personal rapport with them.

Talk to a trusted friend or mentor

Even if they don’t work for the organization, a trustworthy buddy can often help. They might be able to provide insight, advice, or at the bare minimum, a listening ear. Alternatively, a mentor from outside your immediate work circle may give you unbiased, forthright feedback on which actions are preferred and which are not within the corporation. If you don’t have a role model, look for someone who has skillfully risen through the ranks of the company and with whom you believe you could have an open, honest discussion about how to better fit in.

It may be a sign to leave if you’ve tried all that you can and still don’t feel relief in your present circumstances. This is especially true if your distress is driving you to lie awake at night or you’re dragging your feet to work even after a year. At this juncture, cutting your hardship and starting over at a new company that is more compatible with who you are will empower you to be more genuine in your skin. In the long run, you could have a higher chance of accomplishing successes that will benefit both your company and your professional career.

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How to disagree with your boss and still survive

two colleagues conversing

Disagreeing with your employer isn’t career suicide because fresh ideas can lead to greater insights. Therefore, if your company’s workplace culture encourages diverse viewpoints and perspectives, “clashing” with your employer will be a lot easier.

Nonetheless, it’s also important to remember that bosses are people with unique leadership approaches. The most crucial thing is to get to know your employer and their management style so you can gauge how much dissent will be welcomed with open arms.

So if you’re planning to disagree with your boss and still survive, stay on this page for more deets.

Avoid judgments

When it comes to communicating your concerns, be mindful of your terminology. You should avoid using judging words like “bad” or “ridiculous” as they may irritate your counterpart. Cutting away unnecessary adjectives can be an excellent move because they can be easily misunderstood or taken too seriously.

Pick the right time

When confronted with a dispute, we all react defensively to differing degrees. And the more stressed a person is at the time of a conflict, the less probable that the grounds for the conflict will be adequately heard. Picking a fight with your manager at a business meeting is pointless because he or she is unlikely to respond positively. Oppose only when you have sufficient time to speak with your superior regarding your dissatisfaction.

Be mentally prepared

There’s always the possibility that you will say what you’re thinking but nothing will alter. Thus, you better brace for such a scenario. Your viewpoint may be conveyed, but it may not be well taken, in the sense that it will not influence any processes, whatsoever. It doesn’t mean you will lose your job; it just means you will have to do what your boss thinks is best. If that’s the reality, even if you disapprove, strive to come to terms with the decision made.

Determine their communication style
colleagues at a meeting

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Taking the effort to figure out your boss’s main communication style will help you better connect. If your supervisor, for instance, prefers to interact through email, make it a habit to write them an email first, requesting to address them face-to-face about an issue. The more you know about how to connect with your manager, the smoother your work interaction will be. In short, be mindful of the other party’s preferred communication style while exerting your own.

Unlike most Western-style approach which encourages people to open up and establish their identities, Asian culture frowns on challenging hierarchy and articulating opposing viewpoints. Seniority takes precedence over all other considerations, and disagreeing with your boss implies going against the culture’s conventions. However, things are changing for good and there have been an increasing number of progressive businesses, notably in the tech and start-up sectors, embracing conflicting stances. Just remember to mind your tone and disagree politely in a way that adds value to the conversation.

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Why you should not add your colleagues on social media

social media apps

Without a question, social media is a fantastic way to remain in touch with friends and family.

When workmates are thrown into our digital lives, regrettably, the distinctions between our work and social lives disappear. Before adding your coworkers on social media, consider if you’re okay to allow this individual to see your posts.

Our coworkers are frequently also our buddies. We spend the entire day with them, so they’re certain to learn something about us over the months. Adding a coworker will give you a better idea of how they are outside of the workplace and might help you form a tight-knit team and provide you with topics to discuss. It isn’t always a bed of roses, though.

Read for reasons why you should not add your colleagues on social media.

Awkwardness

Although more information is empowerment, it may also lead to discomfort, especially if you know what a coworker has been up to in their spare time. They may have skipped work for the day owing to health conditions, but if they’ve been tagged in images getting wasted at a bar in the wee hours of the morning, that can be accessed on your social media feed. Knowing how they act outside of the office may blur the perception of borders between personal and professional behavior over time.

No 100% control
gossiping about a colleague

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Even if you’re familiar with your social media sites’ privacy options, they are constantly changing, and you may not have the degree of control over the content you believe you have. Yes, while you can maintain your profiles carefully, being mentioned in an embarrassing status posted by a friend is out of your control. Giving your employees a front-row ticket to a potentially damaging post on social media might harm your good name at the workplace and make you wish you could turn back time.

Saying the wrong things

You never know when the impulse to say anything nasty about your job is so powerful that you mistakenly talk badly about the company or a teammate, whether it’s because you’re extremely upset or drunk, or just because you’ve forgotten they are one of your “friends”. Even if the individual you’re criticizing doesn’t have access to your profile, another colleague may, and if they’re very close to them, might reveal your negative remark. We all have slip-ups at times but these mistakes can cost us big time.

Coworkers frequently request that you follow them on social media; this is particularly true if you work in the creative field. It’s quickly becoming the preferred method of keeping in touch. But it’s undeniable that social media blurs the divide between business and personal life. While this might help you better connect with your colleagues, it also puts a strain because any uncomfortable or insensitive occasion could impact your job or office interactions. Before you add your coworkers on social media, stop and think twice.

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Reasons why you should reconsider that office romance

office romance

Many individuals meet their spouses at work, however, at the same time, seeing someone you met at the office can be considered taboo. But what if you’ve been flirting with a coworker and want to pursue a further relationship?

Well, you spend a lot of time together at work, and when individuals are in close quarters working together, and having honest, emotional talks, there’s a strong possibility romantic ties may develop. It’s critical to consider the dangers before acting on your emotions, as there are many.

Stay on this page for reasons why you should reconsider that office romance.

Distractions

You neglected to post those social media updates while you were busy exchanging flirtatious texts. What about the month-end meeting’s PowerPoint presentation? When you allow yourself into a fast-paced office romantic relationship, it’s unsurprising that your brain wanders and focus diminishes, but you also stand at a risk of losing productivity.

Blurred boundaries

The most significant drawback of office romance is that it turns your personal life into the affair of the entire organization. The rumor of your relationship spreads through the air, and your love story becomes the center of attention. Additionally, workplace romance may cause tension between you and your coworkers. If a coworker has a strained connection with your partner, your relationship with that coworker is likely to suffer as well.

Breakup complications

If a pair end up ending the relationship, they have relatively more unfavorable sentiments toward one other, and their split might potentially impact the cordial connection across departments, forcing team members to take sides. This might lead to a major office rift, which would disrupt workplace dynamics. Sexual harassment allegations may also emerge in some serious instances.

Hierarchy may make things messy
office gossip

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Before you pursue a connection with a junior or superior, you should take more than a moment to think about it. Know that favoritism and accusations of power abuse, whether genuine or not, may cause havoc and affect how your colleagues perceive you. In this circumstance, you may have to pick between your career and your sentiments and be completely convinced that one is more paramount than the other.

Research over the years has shown that broken-up workplace relationships have been linked to distorted perceptions, sexual harassment lawsuits, and negative feelings about each other. Is it true that all office relationships are doomed? We can’t give a definite answer for sure as many employees have been blissfully married to past coworkers. But there’s no doubt that there are individuals going through breakups that have reverberations across the workplace. Therefore, before embarking on a workplace romance, thoroughly consider the implications.

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