Tag: positive working environment

Survival Guide For Your 1st Day In The Office

You went through the search for a new job, showed up dressed well and aced the interviews. Good news you have landed the job you wanted. The hardest part of a new job is that you are the new kid on the block and you have no clue who everyone is and what is expected of you. So let’s use your 1st day in the office Survival Guide.

  • Dress the part for the job. If it is a casual office, don’t be too casual your first day. Most businesses have a dress code. If you dress as you did for the interview you can’t go wrong.
  • Remember the company thought you would be a good fit, so take a deep breath and walk in with confidence, but don’t appear to be too cocky.
  • Pack a lunch. Until you know the ins and outs of the lunch schedule you want to be prepared. You don’t know if people order lunch, go out or if there is a kitchen where you can store your lunch. Pack something that does not require refrigeration.
  • Ask questions. It is important for you to know the culture of the office and what is expected of you. Knowing what is expected of you will go a long way to boosting your confidence.
  • Smile and be friendly with the people you meet, but above all do not get involved in office gossip. If someone wants to gossip, you can just politely say,” I don’t really know her/him”. You don’t want to feel pulled into one group or another. You are better served to remain neutral. You don’t want to be seen as someone who gossips.
  • Be punctual when taking breaks or lunch. If you have one hour for lunch do not take 1 hour and 5 minutes.

Just as preparing for an interview, preparing for your first day is important. The first impression you present to others is likely the one they will remember. You were hired to do a job, so do it to the best of your ability right from the first day on. Good luck!

Ways to Provide Constructive Feedback to Employees

feedback

 

Providing constructive feedback to employees is never easy and can be tricky. Effective communication in this situation is important and may make the difference between a productive employee and a destructive employee. Delivering your feedback successfully will build morale within your company.
One important way to provide constructive feedback to an employee is to be certain to discuss the situation not the employee. Discuss the core of the issue without coming being judgmental.

Another key in giving constructive feedback is to remain focused and specific. Give examples and reference situations so the employee understands exactly what message you are trying to get across.

Being a guide by offering suggestions can also be helpful when providing employee feedback. Create a conversation by sharing a positive course of action. This will allow for an exchange of ideas making the employee feel part of the feedback opposed to being spoken to.
Comparing one employee to another is definitely a no-no. Not only will this make the person you are speaking with feel horrible, but it will build a rift in your team dynamic. You never want to pit one employee against another. This will create an atmosphere of negative competition.

Try to provide constructive feedback whenever you are speaking with an employee. My last bit of advice is to balance the negatives with positives so that the employee is not getting overwhelmed. Putting a positive spin on things will create a positive work environment.