12 Principles to Help You Thrive in the Workplace Part 3

Hello friends!

So, as I said yesterday, I'm back with part 3 of the 12 Principles series. I know, 3 parts seems like a lot, but I feel this last one deserves an entry all on its own. This philosophy was assigned to my coworker Jorge. He really ran with it and did an excellent job. Most of the credit for this entry should go to him. Let's dive right into it...

12. Work with Love and Spirit...

In order to really understand what this principles means, let us first break it down. There are three words that truly give this philosophy its meaning; work, love, and spirit.

Work: There is a mathematical equation tied to this concept. Work is the amount of energy transferred by a force acting through a distance. In essence, work is energy. This means that we must put in real effort in order to consider each day a good day of work. When I think of energy, I think of excitement, enthusiasm, and zeal. Be enthusiastic about what you do. Make the most of every task and duty assigned to you. Put your heart into it, which leads me to...

Love: The Greeks broke love down into four different terms (the 4 loves). The first is Eros, which is a passionate and romantic love. This is shared between couples. The second love is Agape, which is called the "ideal love. This love is often a choice made out of principle. It is sacrificial, and unconditional; a love one is willing to die for. A successful marriage relationship consists of both Eros, and agape. The third love is Storge, which is natural affection. We see this with our parents. It cannot be explained, other than to say that our parents love us because we are a part of them. The final love is Philia, which is a virtuous, brotherly love. It is loyalty and affection for friends.

As we all know, to love is to place a great importance on an object or person. It connects you with that object of your affection deeper than anything else possibly could. When you love what you do, the passion and affection is obvious. As is the effort and energy you put into it.

Spirit: In Latin, the word means soul, courage, vigor or breath. When you put your soul into something, it becomes more than a task. It becomes embedded into who you are. It becomes part of your identity. To put your "breath" into something is to put your life into it. Our breaths keep us alive. Essentially, we are breathing life into our work.

If I may, let me give you some personal examples. I sing, create, and produce music. As you may know, this is no easy task. I would spend weeks locked into my little studio creating full songs from scratch. I was also in a rock band, and would spend weeks writing songs with my band. There is no greater example of working with love and spirit than a group of guys getting together through a shared love and passion for music, tirelessly expending energy and pouring their soul into chords, beats, lyrics, melodies, and harmonies. The end result may not appeal to everyone (different people have different musical preferences), but it made me happy because I knew my blood, sweat, tears, heart and soul had been poured into the music.

Another great example would be my wedding day. Over a year of insane planning, sleepless nights, budgeting, tasting, dieting, designing, shopping, premarital counseling, and countless other things...to put together one 5 hour event. No other day in my life has merited this principle more than June 7, 2010. That day redefined who I am as a person, in that it united me with another person until death parts us. My heart, soul, mind, and strength were poured into that year of preparation. I have never worked so hard in my life. Was it worth the effort? Absolutely!!

We must expend energy with great force and effort over distance in a passionate, ideal, and affectionate manner with all our breath, soul, and vigor! If you want to succeed at any task you are endeavoring to accomplish, you must work with love and spirit. True greatness in our work (whether in a piece of art, a business venture, a home cooked meal, or a late inning home run) comes only when we apply this ultimate principle into our work. If you can't see yourself doing this at your current place of employment, then maybe you should be thinking about getting into a new profession....

-Danny
www.cbt.edu
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12 Principles to Help You Thrive in the Workplace Part 1

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It's a grind most days, isn't it? For most people, Monday through Friday harbors the dreaded work, eat, sleep routine. Just about everyone I know is "working for the weekend". No one wants to be sitting in the office, living the Dwight Schrute life, but that's exactly where most American professionals find themselves. As I said, it's a grind. Sadly, most of us make our work experience even worse than it should be by the attitude we adopt. This attitude doesn't start when we arrive at work. It doesn't even begin when we wake up in the morning. For most, the negativity and dread begins while laying in bed thinking, "aggghhhh, I don't want to go to work tomorrow!!" It all starts with the mind. Perception is reality. If I get it in my mind that I cannot comprehend this little math problem I'm working on, my mind will just shut down and make it a reality. We underestimate just how powerful our mind is.

How can we as professionals in the modern business setting find enjoyment, and thrive in our workplace? How can we achieve personal and professional growth, while demonstrating excellence and commitment? Recently, we had a "Pow Wow" here at CBT West Kendall, and came up with twelve principles, that if followed, would lead to success in the workplace. At first, I thought this activity was pointless, and a huge waste of time. I felt like I was living an episode of The Office, and Michael Scott had called us all into the conference room for an absolutely ridiculous time waster. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that it turned out to be productive, , and created an identity for us as individuals and as a team. We saw coworkers in a different light, a light that for some, had been left in the dark until then. It actually helped us gel.

I decided that I would share five of the principles we outlined. Why five? Because twelve would take me too long, and I have other things to do today. I really believe these "philosophies" can make a difference in your daily life, and help you thrive at your workplace.....


1. Attitude is a Choice:

As was stated earlier, it's all about your attitude. Wake up thinking positively! Tell yourself it will be a good day. Get in a good morning workout, take a shower, and actually have a real breakfast (coffee doesn't count). It will truly go a long way to shaping your day. The flip side is you getting up with a bad attitude, driving angrily and hastily because you are running late, and maintaining those bad vibes all day. Any little hiccup in your workday will just push you off the cliff. Not only will you be highly unproductive, but chances are your bad attitude will rub off on others. Don't be "that" person. Don't be Buzzkillington. Don't drag the rest of your coworkers down into you misery. Change your attitude, change your outlook, and create a positive atmosphere for yourself and those around you. Attitude is a choice.


2. Be consistent:

I realize this leaves room for consistently mediocre, but in speaking with several executives and company higher ups, consistently mediocre is better than maddeningly inconsistent. There is nothing worse than a person who only "shows up" when they want to. Why is this so bad? Your employer, friends, family, and significant other never know who they are going to get: the pleasant, hard working, and caring version, or the moody, lazy, lethargic, and irritable version. If you are consistently mediocre, at least everyone knows what to expect from you, right? The goal is not to be consistently mediocre, though. Your goal should always be consistent excellence, and consistent max effort. As humans, we should always be striving for the very best in everything we do. Consistency is key to that excellence. The guy who gets up early every morning to do his P90x workout, have a great, healthy breakfast, get to work ten minutes early, and put in a full day of hard work will achieve much more than the guy who is a superstar one day, and a superdud the next. Be consistent. Be consistently excellent, which leads to our next to point.....



3. Autograph Your Work with Excellence:

Everyone likes to hear the words, "good job!" I have never met a single person who prefers being ripped into for poor performance. We should always try to stamp our work with excellence. Whether it's school work, a blog, our job duties, our home life, a piece of art we are working on, a party we are planning, or a poem we are writing for our significant other, always strive to make it the best. Don't cut corners, don't cheat, don't do things half heatedly. Be ethical and considerate of others. How can you make sure your work is excellent? Be consistent with it, and try your very best. Also, keep a positive attitude throughout. Yup, I'm tying things together.



4. Go the Extra Mile:

"If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." Hard work, compassion, and kindness are essential to a good workplace. Picking up your teammate/coworker is a big part of that. If you see someone in need of help, don't hesitate to lend a hand. Be the one to step up for your team. Be the one who is willing to make a difference. It means putting the needs of others before your own. Going the extra mile is often an inconvenience for us. Believe me though, people (including the ones who sign your checks) will take notice.


5. Manage your Time Effectively:

One of the biggest issues we as people face is poor time management skills. We spend our time taking a nap rather than finish our English homework, or browse through Facebook for five hours instead of finishing those expense reports, or Call of Duty as opposed to helping our wives with housework, or even watch New Moon for the nineteenth time when we should go visit our parents. Worst of all, it's not that we don't to do those things, it's just that we lose track of time. We don't prioritize our time. We don't set schedules for ourselves. We don't place the more important things ahead of the self gratification stuff. We place ourselves and our petty and unnecessary wants above what we really need to accomplish. Is it possible to play Call of Duty after helping with housework? Of course! Can we fit a nap into our schedule, once the homework is completed? I'm sure we could. The point is that we don't manage our time properly. I guarantee you, if you set a daily tasks schedule at work, with allotted time for each task, we will be more efficient and effective that day. Do that on a vacation, and you will get to do all the things you wanted to. Plan, schedule, and follow through. If you set your schedule to wake up at 6:30 for a morning workout, shower, and healthy breakfast before work...do it! Don't hit snooze. If you plan on doing homework for three hours when you get home, make it happen, and make sure you use that time as effectively as possible. Don't allow yourself to be distracted!

I will be back later in the week with the rest!

Maximize Your College Experience

It's a fact: College is a huge investment in every way. It's a major investment of money, time, and energy. It requires countless hours of hard work, reading, writing, reviewing, analyzing, critical thinking, cramming, Red Bulling, and bad eating. For some, it's a big party centered around sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Most of the time, those people eventually -but not always- realize that this isn't high school, no one is going to hold your hand, and push you to stay the course. In most colleges, they have zero problem failing you. There are no parent-teacher conferences, no principal visits, no desire to make sure you will stay in school. Why is that? Well, they could easily find someone else to take your place, and fill your seat. Don't believe me? Check Miami Dade College's graduation and retention percentages. It's not pretty. Is it their fault? By no means! MDC is a great college with solid professors, and good programs. They are, however, the second largest college in the country behind the University of Phoenix (let's not even get started down that road). Being that large, you are bound to have higher drop rates, and more trouble making sure students succeed. This discussion isn't about that though. My point is simply that no one will hold your hand and guide you through it. It's all on you. So, what can you do to maximize your college experience? How can you get the most out of college?

I have done some research and have found some keys to collegiate success. I hope these help some of you on your journey through academia.

1. Prioritize!!!

There is no bigger mistake that a person can make in college than not having their priorities in order. Let's just get this out of the way, because I can literally go on about this for 938 pages: College is not a party! People go to college to learn, and prepare themselves for the professional world. The main goal is to get the training and education necessary to succeed in the field you will eventually enter. It is not a 4 -6 or 7 for some- year excuse to go out every night and get hammered, sleep with Regina Random or Stevie Somebody. While you may think those things are important, in the long run, they can end up doing more harm than good. I don't think I need to go into detail about the dangers of excessive binge drinking, drinking and driving, or drinking and sexing. I'm sure you have heard it all before. Remember, you are paying (or borrowing money that will be repaid by you later on) to be in class, learning the skills necessary to be a success in life. Whether you are studying to be a doctor, lawyer, teacher, chemist, speech pathologist, or librarian, your goal should be to become the best in that field. Don't settle for mediocrity in your career because you were too busy partying in college to actually learn anything. Stay on top of your degree track, keep your GPA as high as possible, don't procrastinate, do your own work, and make sure you don't sacrifice your school work for a couple of drinks with the guys. You have your whole life to party, but that assignment can only be turned in once. You can't undo a failing grade in a college transcript. Keep your priorities in check!

2. Learn How to Think...Critically

What does that even mean? Well, in college you are going to come across material and subjects that are new territory for you. These may come in the form of lower division, or very difficult level 4000 courses. Regardless, new material means you will have to actually take the time and LEARN the material.

First, you will have to learn a skill most of us have eluded for years: listen. I don't mean to hear things. I am referring to the practice of filtering the truly vital and distinguishing it from the unnecessary. I am referring to proper note taking (not scribbling every single word spoken by the professor). Learn to speed read through your books (there will be plenty of them), "identify the main points, concepts, and reasoning behind them".

If you don't understand a concept, or idea brought up in class, ask the T.A. or professor. Don't be afraid to speak up in class; raise your hand and ask your question. You will not be laughed at, or thought less of for not understanding. Chances are you aren't the only one with that question. Don't wait for someone else to ask it because they are probably waiting for you to ask. Most professors won't mind going over something again. After all, they get evaluated after each semester, and believe me, those evaluations actually mean something. I work at a college, and have seen bad evaluations lead to dismissal of professors. Take what you learned in the lectures, and expand on it. Learn how to think "critically". Ask yourself “What if” questions. Try to look at what you learned from other possible angles, not just the one that was presented to you by your professor or book. Draw your own conclusions, find different ways of looking at things. Always be able to back up your points, though. Do this, and not only will you impress your professors and build a good rapport with them, but you will take your though process to a new level and develop one of the most useful life skills that you can acquire in college.

Critical thinking often appears in research papers, liberal arts courses, group discussions, and essays. While we did a lot of these types of assignments in high school, the college professor will not give you the same grade you received in high school. Why? Your thought process and critical thinking should improve and mature as you progress through academia. You will have to put more into your papers than fluff and restated introductions. In the case of group discussions, you will hear from a variety of people, each with slightly different perspectives and thought processes. Sometimes, these classmates could blow your mind with their take on a subject. You want to be able to contribute to these discussions. Develop this skill, and it will aid you all your life.

3. Build Lasting and Quality Relationships

This one is quite overlooked in the era of the Social Network. We think that our 762 Facebook "friends", 241 Linked In "connections", and 458 Twitter "followers" form our network. While some of those connections may be very valuable and could pay off big time in our future, it's always a much safer bet to develop quality connections with people at school. What constitutes a quality relationship, though?

It's a simple idea: Make quality friends. Devote some time and energy to the development of lasting, beneficial, friendships. Get out there and connect with classmates. Once you start getting into your program courses (not so much with general education courses), you will begin to see the same faces over and over. Make friends with those faces! Listen to them, provide comfort and advice when necessary, help each other out without expecting a return. Share notes, help them get a job if you can, introduce them to your social circle. These relationships are the ones that can last for a lifetime. High School friends rarely stay friends. Those young relationships often deteriorate and fizzle out as you embark on different paths. It's sad, but so very true. The things that I believe helps maintain these college friendships are common life interests (career), similar fields (which could put you in constant contact), and maturity. The whole maturity thing actually does make a difference. Often times, we find that our middle and high school friends were our friends because we shared common interests in our youth, but as we grew in college, our interests and goals became very different. Now, I'm not saying to dump your high school buddies, I'm simply stating the what and why of it. I have seen this happen dozens of times, and it's usually for these reasons. Your best relationships are almost always created in college.

Join clubs and associations. Get involved in student government, support school athletics, join organizations. Not only does that allow you to become a contributor to the college, but it gives you another avenue to build relationships.

I haven't even gotten to professors yet! Build relationships with the faculty in your program. Chances are you will have the same professors often, so make sure they know who you are by name. Build a great rapport with them. If they have functions or events, attend them. Network with their people. Get noticed in your department for the right reasons. Those professors will one day become great recommendation letters for grad school or future employment. It won't be the case if you do not build relationships with them, though. A professor will not recommend a student who was a ghost in their classes. A professor will not recommend a nameless face. Make sure to build these vital relationships! You will be glad you did...

4. Take Interesting Classes

You don't have to limit yourself to classes in your major. That's what electives are for! Classes unrelated to your major, that offer great skills, and knowledge are great. Take a class on something you have always found interesting but never had the chance to learn about (like Greek Mythology, Latino Literature, French, or History of The Beatles).

In college, Steve Jobs took a calligraphy course. Weird right? Well, he says it ended up influencing the "typography of Apple". You never know what you may take from an outside the box type of course.

"By taking classes that interest you, not only will you learn interesting things about the classes and about yourself, you may find it helpful to you indirectly down the road".

5. Socialize

Being shy is not an option in college. Learning how to socialize is not only important in college, but it's extremely important life skill for your career. It can help you develop more than almost any other skill. What better place to learn these skills than in college?

Talk to your classmates. "By socializing in class, you can easily form study groups", have someone to share notes with in case you miss a class or didn't feel satisfied with your notes. And of course, you can develop quality relationships (you remember that, right?)

6. Gain Work Experience

Rather, gain good work experience. I know it's much easier to just work at American Eagle or Starbucks, but where will that get you? It may help you pay for things in the short term, but this is not the ideal job for college students. Again, it is the easiest job to find, but I recommend you go in a different direction.

Take the time to find a quality job or internship related to your field. This is very important, because it can help you figure out whether you really WANT to do that. Too often, a person spends thousands of dollars and 4 to 6 years of their lives on something they soon discover is not for them. That is completely tragic and possibly avoidable. Find jobs or internships in your field. If you want to be a lawyer, apply as a legal assistant, or law office receptionist. If you want to be a nurse, apply as a medical office front desk. If your career allows for internships (journalism, advertising, business, etc.), find one before someone else takes it. Who knows, they may love your work so much that they keep you on after your graduate as a full time, well paid employee. It could also help you "Build Quality Relationships"!

Trust me when I tell you that this is extremely important, and always everyone puts it off until after they graduate. By that time, you shouldn't be interning, but full time, and salaried. So many people fail to do this, and then wonder why they can't get that job they want. There will be plenty of graduates in your degree program. What separates you from them? Your work experience and connections.

7. Time Management!!

Why do today what you could put off until tomorrow? That's the typical person's mentality. Instead, don't put of until tomorrow, what can be accomplished today, that way you can stay ahead of everyone else tomorrow! Believe it or not, you have more activities to accomplish in college than beer pong, and flip cup! You have a ton of classwork.You have to learn, study,, think critically, build relationships, exercise, work, etc. That's a loaded schedule. Oh, and don't forget family time. Never neglect your family. Few things in life are more important than our families, yet they often fall behind friends, and fun. So, how can you manage your time? Create "to do" lists, create updates calendars using tools like Outlook and Google. Keep a schedule and stick to it. Don’t procrastinate. Go to class, study, do your work. Make time for friends, and a social life, but not at the expense of your school work. Remember, you have your whole life to have fun. Most people will only work from 9AM through 6PM, and they don't take their work home. That leaves weekends, and nights open for the rest of your life. Get through college with effective time management, and prioritizing properly. Read up on time management techniques, and USE THEM!!!

8. Have Fun!

I know I have sounded like Johnny No Fun throughout this entire rant of mine. The reason for that is that I want to stress the importance of success in your collegiate life, above all else. That success in the classroom can lead you to huge success (through financial success and life satisfaction). Don't sacrifice your grades for the parties. That doesn't mean you shouldn't have fun, though. I'm not going to say, "hey guys, go to the parties, the clubs, the midnight underwear runs, the games, the concerts, and drink beer with your buddies on Thursday night". That's not me, so I won't tell you that those things are awesome, and essential to the "life experience". I personally don't think they are, and can say that having done those things. I prefer going out to eat with my friends, and just cracking jokes, talking, eating, playing games, going to watch the Marlins or Dolphins, and watching movies and TV shows. That's me, though. Expand your social circle, try new foods, listen to different types of music, join clubs, and associations at school, volunteer for charitable events, help the homeless, visit a nursing home! Have fun and take pictures!

-Danny
www.cbt.edu
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A Good Portfolio: Sushi for the Graphic Soul!

When we were in our early elementary school years, we were introduced to this amazing activity known only as "Show and Tell". We probably think we haven't played a rousing game of Show and Tell since those kindergarten days. The fact is nothing could be further from the truth. When one goes out looking for a job, they bring along with them a very important Show and Tell item. We call it a resume! This is especially true for anyone in the arts, particularly a Graphic Designer. It may be an age old cliche, but a picture really is worth a thousand words. A graphic designer’s entire livelihood depends on his/her ability to communicate effectively with their audience using visually striking material. So it should come as no surprise when I tell you that your graphic design portfolio is the most important thing you bring with you to a job for potential employers. While your education level, previous work experience, industry certifications, or any other qualification you may possess are useful for bringing you into the interview room, it will not suffice if you present a sloppy portfolio or mediocre samples. You can have all the qualifications, all the certifications, all the degrees, and all the prestige, but if you don't have good work to show, you will be going nowhere fast.

I have done some research, and found these tips on how to put together a great portfolio. If you are an up and coming graphic designer, read carefully and heed these small tidbits of wisdom. They could be the difference between your dream job, and the unemployment line...

1. Make it "Catchy" not "Kitschy"

So, you may be asking yourself, "what the heck does that mean?" Well, kitsch is defined as a form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art. Now, I may not be an expert on copyright laws, or principles of advertising, but I seriously doubt knock offs, and imitations of other pieces of art will not appeal to a potential employer. "You're trying to show your work to its best advantage, so don't distract from it with too many bells and whistles."

2. Don't lose sight of your primary objective

While it is always a good idea to set yourself apart, don't overdo it. You should differentiate yourself from your competition with a clever layout, but don't lose sight of your graphic design portfolio's objective: to display your WORK. Don't divert attention away from it with "fluff". It doesn't work in a college English course, it won't work in a graphic designer's portfolio.

3. Diversity is not just an old wooden ship used in the Civil War era

Just as a singer can show their vocal range, you as a graphic designer must do the same with your portfolio. "Choose pieces that required you to utilize a variety of design skills. Versatility is an asset. If you've got it, flaunt it. And if you don't, develop it." Bring a smorgasbord of work, to demonstrate how diverse and well rounded your skills are as a designer. Nobody wants to hire a "one trick pony", remember that...

4. Seek out the experts

It's hard to examine your work objectively. It is also not a great idea to seek an outside opinion from a parent, significant other, or close friend. While they may have certain pieces they prefer, they are not experts, nor have they ever presented a portfolio to a potential employer. "Find someone whose design judgment you trust and get their feedback on your graphic design portfolio. Sometimes a brutally honest critique can be the best thing that happens to you." Side note, even if your parent, significant other, or best friend is an expert, it's best to find an impartial third party expert, who won't pull any punches, and can offer truly valuable insight.

4. K.I.S.S.

When asked what the greatest piece of sales advice Michael Scott had ever given him, Dwight Schrute responded, "Keep it simple, stupid." Don't clutter your portfolio with sentimental pieces. "Just because it was your favorite project ever, doesn't mean it should be in your portfolio. Hang it on your wall, or frame it for your mom. If it's not your strongest work, keep it out of your portfolio." The ability to look at your work critically and realistically is vital for a graphic designer. "Your portfolio should reflect both your ability to produce high quality design and your ability to discern what qualifies as high quality design."

5. Go viral with it

We are living in the 21st century, in what is known as the "App Age". The internet is the default tool for everything now. The best thing about this tool is its ability to take something and multiply its value exponentially. Just take Linked In as an example: You make 146 connections with people you know and people in related fields, and you are now "linked" to 2,865,525+ professionals. Imagine how many resume views you are opening yourself up to that way! Another example is Facebook. You post a status update, and your 384 friends view it, and 7 of those friends comment on it. Now, all of their friends have the opportunity to see your update. Should any of those people decide to "like" to comment made by someone within your update, all of THEIR friends now get to see it, too. The internet doesn't multiply viewership by 2 or 3, it multiplies it by 100, 1,000, and for some people 1,000,000. "Why not make it easy for prospective employers and clients to view your work?" Keep in mind that an online portfolio will not replace your hard copy, it's an easy, affordable, and convenient way to get your work out there for the entire world to see.

-Danny
www.cbt.edu
www.cbt.edu/facebook