Participation in Staff Meetings in the Working Environment

The Working Environment demands your input
When you are working for an organization or company you have to realize that there are many expectations that the company expects from you. Remember, as an employee in the working environment you are no passenger. You have to continuously prove your relevance at meetings, at important work events or at workshops. Its an ongoing exercise that demands your commitment and foresight wisdom, you have to be relevant and not be a passenger at all. You should also realize that sometimes new management may join the organization and most times they are scrutinizing who to lay off and who to recruit. Lets look at one area where some employees just completely fail to prove their relevance, it is at meetings. Now when we talk of meetings we mean meetings from the regular staff meeting, board meetings or workshops. You got to believe it, some employees will never learn.

Employees who fail to learn.
In the working environment, when your boss suddenly comes to the office and invites you for an important meeting he isn't inviting you because you look handsome or beautiful, he is expecting serious input from you. He wants you to participate in the meeting and bring out constructive ideas. Now imagine this scene, here is an employee called Mark in the middle of a meeting with his boss seated across the room. They are talking about investment options with other staff members. Notice this scene,

Boss: Investment in this country is just so unbelievable. Cost of doing business in country A and country B are just terrible. The interest rates aren't even right at all, I think we should go for country C. But one economist mentioned that going for that option would be too risky, what do you think Mark?

Mark: Am sorry i missed you the first time, can you repeat.

Boss: I said that cost of doing business is so expensive in these countries. You obviously read the reports right? I mean we need to make a decision today on where to put our money on. What do you think?

Mark: Yeah I think throwing money around is a good option. We really need to invest you know.

Boss: Yes Ofcourse we know that already, but what I am asking is where do you think we should invest? You obviously read the reports right?

Mark (smiling) : Oh that....Yes now I remember.

Do you see any problem with this scene? It is obvious isn't it....Mark wasn't at all prepared for the meeting. It's either he wasn't paying attention or he just wasn't relevant. If he continues to keep that up, he will be making himself a possible target for eviction from the working environment. There is need to remember a number of things when you are invited for a meeting in the working environment. See the pointers below;

Making a Meeting a grand success
Whenever you have an opportunity to participate at meetings, you have to participate and give constructive points and contributions that can go a long way. There is need to pay attention to what is being discussed and not just agree on anything that comes your way. You have to pay attention and respect everyone's contribution because that is basically where it begins. Now here are a few pointers that can help you  become a grand success at meetings in the working environment.

1) Prepare for the Meeting; When your Boss invites you for a meeting well in advance his gone easy on you because many times bosses will just invite you at short notice. Now if you have had the privilege of receiving news early make sure to prepare. You should prepare by knowing exactly how you will contribute to the meeting. You shouldn't feel shy to ask what the meeting is about.

2) Arrive early for the Meeting; In the working environment, don't be late for the meeting because that is just rude and doesn't show that you are professional. Arriving for meetings early will enable you start the discussions and end them without having to catch up to speed had you been late for the meeting at all.

3) Be Confident; In the working environment, when you are invited by your boss its not because you are good-looking. Its because your boss knows that you can provide the needed input for the meeting to move things forward. You must build your confidence if you are to be of any help or assistance to the company, you have to work hard work smart by building your confidence. How can you build your confidence? you can start by looking confident and preparing your mind for the meeting. Have a good nights sleep in the first place and wear your best suit or clothing for the meeting. Be yourself!

Incentive in the Working Environment, Employees need it

Setting the best incentives for your employees
In the working environment it is important to realize how important and vital it is to retain your workforce whatever it takes. You know how it is right? to get the best you have to give the best. In the working environment retaining the best employees will require employers to give their staff attractive mouth watering incentives to stay. This is especially important because employers definitely wouldn't like to lose their best workers to their competitors because that would really be a huge loss. Nobody wants losses no matter how good and gracious they look. Now, what exactly is an incentive and what are some of the most common incentives in the working environment these days?

Understanding Incentives in the working environment
Incentives are basically that which motivates an employee in the working environment to do more. Basically when you discuss incentives you are looking at both the Monitory benefits and the Non-Monitoring benefits. Lets look at some of the Monitory and Non Monitory incentives in the working environment shall we.

1) Monitory benefits; These could be staff like end of year bonuses or other sort of allowances that are designed to make you happy. One allowance that you may actually find in some organizations is the holiday allowances which ofcourse gives you a lot of some cash to travel around the world with your family and friends. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to realize that these benefits are meant to boost employee performance. If you are an employer you are to be commended for trying to motivate your employees.

2) Non-Monitory benefits; These include benefits such as being given your own accommodation, your own vehicle, your own phone and the list may go on. It is usually the higher management who are loaded with these sort of benefits but that is not to say that common employee don't also receive something of the sort.

Negotiating for better Work Incentives in the working environment
Sometimes as employees you may feel that you are not being appreciated enough and as usual, you may want more. There is nothing wrong with asking for better conditions of service but in most cases employers don't like the sound of  it. In fact, most employers would rather save the discussion until a much later date like...............FOREVER! But all the same as employees you are giving your best so you actually deserve the best. So how do you lay out the beans. Imagine you are representing all the employees in airing your views to the board during a private meeting, how will you ask for better conditions of service?

Remember, although you have every right to be given incentives of better service there is always need for you to negotiate and not actually demand. When representing other employees try to make it clear to your employers that you really appreciate there efforts in making your working environment a great place. In doing so, you want to create an atmosphere for dialogue. When you are certain that the atmosphere and the mood of all the employers is calm, then can you begin to express your request for better conditions of service. Always mention why employees want a certain incentive and try to be accommodative to the views of your employers as you discuss. Remember, discussing these issues in a calm way may yield good results. Make your working environment meaningful.

The Working Environment, Your Working World

The Working Environment is Your World

When working for a company or any institution that is paying you a salary at the end of the month it is important to appreciate your working environment as an environment that is dynamic. The working environment is constantly changing and people are changing with it. Don't let the pressures and anxieties from this world pull you down from really achieving an output that would really add value to the company. You have to be strong, you have to be focused. Don't let the working environment take control of you but take control of the working environment. Lets look at some scenarios in the working environment that demands you to be in control.

Taking control of anything that comes your way

1) A Rude Boss; Sometimes you may have to put up with a very rude and aggressive boss. How you wish you hadn't accepted the job in the first place right? thinking about all those times during your previous job when you were always met with a nice happy smile from your supervisor. Well those times are gone, atleast for now....You have to grab the bull by its horns. When a boss comes yelling at you because you were only 5 minutes late because of traffic, you have to be strong. How do you take control? Well, it really has to do with how you handle your emotions. You can either overreact back at him and get into further problems or you can alternatively look for possibilities to avoid trouble. In the working environment it is highly important to remain calm in situations like these and if there are possibilities to launch a complaint, make sure to use the correct channels. Remember to remain calm and respectful. 

2) Mounting Pressure; The working environment can just be filled with pressure that affects almost everybody. You may fall victim anytime but the way you react to pressure either from work or from home really can determine your future in the company. Mounting pressure in the working environment can lead to poor performance and poor performance can lead to frustration. You don't want pressure to affect your overall performance including the relationship with others in the working environment. How do you take control?;

a) Ask for a day off from work. Spend some time alone or with family. Arrange for a massage somewhere.
b) Take leave at least for a 2 weeks or so. If you are single, maybe that may be the best time to find someone special in your life.
c) Take a deep breath, watch your food intake and drink lots of water.
d) Have a good nights sleep

Making every minute count in the Working Environment
As you make the working environment your working world you should take every opportunity to make the best of it. Spend some time learning about the organization you work for, get to know others at a professional level. Be more productive and more useful to your employers because in doing that you will soon realize how easy it is to enjoy work despite any obstacles that may come your way.

Health and safety at the workplace

Health and Safety at the Workplace, employees need it

Employees need to to be safe and healthy in the working environment. For the working environment to be truly enjoyable there is need to for it to be filled with healthy employees who feel naturally safe in the workplace. Most countries require it by law to treat employees properly and provide the necessarily safety requirements. Often times employers choose to ignore such reminders resulting in really serious consequences. But lets briefly understand what is health and safety at the workplace and how it relates to all individual employees in the working environment.

Understanding Health and Safety issues
Naturally, for productivity to improve in the working environment you have to invest a great deal in your employees. Picture this, your car usually needs a series of maintenance works to improve its performance especially to avoid even greater problems. In the working environment, employees are exposed to alot of harmful things which could be both caused in and outside their working fields. Employees get sick, get injured and also wear away because of the many hours they devote to making money for their company. It usually hurts to have to incur huge sums of costs for the sake of employees, but no matter how bosses at the workplace choose to ignore the laws of Safety at the workplace as well as health at the workplace the reality is that it is a very serious issue. Take for instance at a construction company, it is absolutely a must that companies provide their employees with the necessary protective clothing's and other stuff to protect them from possible injury. But what if they do get hurt, then it is the responsibility of the company that their injured person gets the necessary care and attention for health and safety at the workplace to be promoted.

Five things Employees and Employers must do
1) To promote Health and Safety at the workplace employees must cooperate with their employers on issues of health and safety at the workplace and if there is a problem, they should talk with their supervisor or the health and safety representative.
2) To promote Health and Safety at the workplace employees must follow the initial trainings received from their company on the use of dangerous equipment. Employees have the responsibility to take reasonable care of themselves
3) To promote Health and Safety at the workplace Employers must have insurance that covers their individual employees and must provide adequate substantial first aid facilities.
4) To promote Health and Safety at the workplace Employers must provide the necessary health facilities to ensure that you are safe such as toilets, clean water and washing facilities
5) To promote Health and Safety at the workplace the Employers must report serious fatalities to local authorities.

Health & Safety and You
It is important as an employee to realize that you are entitled to a safe working environment. So what can you do when you find the Health and Safety conditions are being compromised, you have to take action. First of all, talk to your supervisor, if that doesn't seem to work then you will have to seek legal assistance. Fortunately these days as long as a law is broken, then definitely the company should be brought to book. So, take care of yourself and best wishes.!!!

Networking Skills for all Employees in the Working Environment

Networking and You in the Working World

You have heard this saying before right that no man is an island where ever you go to. The thing is the world as we know it today is a global village and it is just not possible to remain isolated. The truth is we need each other and so do you. The same goes with the working environment were you find a combination of alot of participants such as employees, employers, customers, competitors and the list goes on. When it comes to the working environment, there may be things you need from person A which person B cannot offer you, or perhaps person B may need something from you which person A cannot offer. That's were the art of networking comes in which involves you connecting yourself with various players of the working world in order to get your job done and make it alot easier. However, lets go deeper into understanding networking in the working environment.

Networking in the Working Environment, A Necessity???

Depending on what you think or how you do things, networking is a necessity in a way. Here is a good example, you are a consultant who is always on his toes in search of a lucrative contract. Everybody understands how horribly difficult it is to find business when self employed. But you may ask yourself, how do consultants actually make it especially in harsh economic times when even the governments of the day are not really giving contracts? it is only through networking. Most consultants are well connected with others which allows them to receive information about possible opportunities at any time of the day or month or year. You have to understand that some people don't provide this information for free but when you are well connected and networked, you don't go looking for information but information goes looking for you. Now when it comes to networking you must realize that if its your first time you will always have to start from somewhere. And whether you are self employed or employed by someone else networking can be really useful to you. Now what are the benefits of networking?

Benefits of Networking in the Working Environment

Basically when you are well connected the information which should have been so difficult to find will usually be well accessed. In the working environment you may be an employee who wants to find a better opportunity in a different company with better conditions of service. When you are well connected you will easily get to know of an opportunity even before its advertised in the newspapers. How interesting it would be if you dropped in your application as soon as possible with no questions asked. Did you know that you stand a better chance to getting a job if you applied early. Apart from that, information will allow you to know of various things before making a decision as a company or as a person whose self employed such as the risk attached in undertaking a venture, the costs, the possible results and implications that may affect you. You see when you are well connected its like you know things even before it spreads out further, such can give you a head start against all your competitors.

In future we will discuss how to build networks and how to maintain those networks. Remember, no man is an island. Nobody!!!!

employees and employers, signing the first contract

Signing Your first Employment Contract, Getting the Best Deal

You have finally got a chance to work for the company of your dreams and everybody knows you have a good deal. You are an employee and employers have just handed you a employment contract to sign. The first thing you run your eyes to, is the salary and you scratch your head a little and wonder whether that was really what you had agreed on. You look further down the employment contract and you find a lot of other discrepancies. But you say to yourself, anyway things could get better. Immediately you sign your contract with no questions asked and no problems at all.....................Atleast for now. Months down the line, you regret not having negotiated or consulted further on the conditions offered in the contract.

The picture just shown to you can happen to some people who have just landed a job. Employees and employers alike have an important role to play especially the employee. There are ofcourse ways you can get the best deal and negotiate for better contract conditions but first, lets see what employers should do when offered a contract for the first time.

Must Do things Employees shouldnt forget
When an employee receives their first contract ofcourse there is alot of excitement. It may not even be the first employment contract but the fact is you just landed yourself a job you wanted. It is very important for an employee upon receiving the employment contract to read it carefully. There are a few things that can be checked for such as the name of the employee as it appears on your registration cards, date of birth, agreed salary scale, hours of work and so on and so forth. Make sure to check on every detail. Where you are not clear about the employment contract don't hesitate to ask, especially if it calls for you to ask about the salary. Now when you recieve your employment contract always make sure to have you own copy of the contract for reference and always ensure that both your employers signature and yours are both present. It is important to be open but in a very tactful convincing way. Lets see how you can get the best deal.

Negotiating for the Best Deal 
Last minute negotiations are quit risky but could pull off well if you are skillful. You see employee and employers both have their own interests. At that point in the contract signing, an employer is looking forward to receiving a service from you that he needs while you on the other hand are looking for benefits, salary and a lot of other things. Now, if you as an employee feel that the employment contract is not to your expectations you can always negotiate tactfully... But how?? Well usually discussing salaries is always a problem no matter how nice you lay it out or how friendly you ask for an offer, salary will always be difficult to negotiate for. But if you are bold and brave, just planely mention that you expected something better. Look at this example;

Employer: Congratulations for getting the job, here is the contract you should now sign Okay.

Employee: Thanks very much for such a well developed contract, I have read through most of it but I was particularly interested in the remuneration section. I was under the impression that I would earn a net pay of $5,000 instead of the $3,500 I see.

Employer: Well, who gave you that impression?

Employee: Considering that there will be alot of extensive work and I foresee myself in the coming months having to apply my skills further, such possibilities will attract alot of my effort and time. 

Employer: We can discuss Salaries after your probation period has ended.

Well although you haven't really nailed the money aspect, the truth is at least your employer has heard about your plea. Come six months later, he may not just offer you the $5,000, but if your performance is brilliant, he may add some more. Dont lose hope but always keep hustling. All the best!!   

  

Working Towards a Promotion in the Working Environment

Your dream of getting a Promotion

A promotion is certainly every employees dream in the working environment. At the end of the day, as an employee whose constantly under pressure to make ends meet, it is not hard to see why. Every employee dreams of having a higher salary, better conditions of service and better lifestyle. Most employees also want better benefits which they can visibly see their bosses enjoying as he/she walks in and out of the door. Now, not everybody can be the boss, but in the working environment you can certainly earn yourself a promotion. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that as long as it doesn't get to the point that you begin envying others or holding personal grudges on somebody else who got the promotion instead of yourself. Now before we discuss how to earn yourself that long awaited promotion, what do employers look for in a potential manager or boss.

Stuff Employers want to see in You

Employers are pretty straightforward if you come to think of it. Most employers want to see their business make more money each and every time. If you can do that for them then you are gold in their eyes. Employers want to see more clients come in and more money in their pockets every single time they see you working. So if you have mastered the business so well and are doing a fabulous job, they may feel that you would make an excellent employee if they placed you in the front line. Ofcourse its not always about the money, but its also about loyalty. Many employers hate dishonest employees no matter what they tell you. You have to understand that at the end of the day employers want somebody they can rely on and leave confidential matters in his/her responsibility if need arises.

Getting your promotion in the Working Environment

1) Commitment: If you want a promotion you have got to be committed to the job like it was your third important thing to you. This should be noticeable to all your superiors. What does committment mean? for starters getting to the job late wont earn you any points. You have to realize that employers are always observant on what you do. Questions they ask themselves is 1) How does he handle tasks and assignments 2) How is the quality of his work and 3) How is his relationship with others....SEE!!

2) Handling Pressure: Employers are interested to know how you handle yourself in the face of pressure. This is critical because if as an employee you can still maintain your cool, then even under pressure the possibility of poor judgement or poor discussions are not likely to be a serious issue. In the working environment, pressure is just simply unavoidable and as you climb the ladder you have to be able to handle it.

3) Delegation of Responsibility: Lets say you are given a management responsibility, there will be need to delegate and supervise others. If you can't handle that effectively then why in the world should you even be promoted.

4) Qualifications and Experience: Not sure too much about qualifications but if you have been in the working environment for many, many years then you are assured that your superiors would automatically feel that you may be the best person for a promotion because it is assumed that you understand the organization pretty much better than anybody else.

Again, there are so many other things that can help you get your promotion but the point is that you have to keep on learning. The working environment is dynamic so learn to change with it.