10 Free and Easy Ways to Celebrate a Co-worker - The Muse

10 Free and Easy Ways to Celebrate a Co-worker - The Muse10 Free and Easy Ways to Celebrate a Co-workerYou like your co-workers, right? Or, you at least appreciate them for all the hard work theyve done over the years. In some cases, you wouldnt even be where you are without their support, help, and positivity (especially on the rougher days). So, dont you want to acknowledge them when they have a small win, celebrate a birthday, or reach a big milestone? And the thing is, celebrating someone else is actually beneficial for you, too It makes people more likely to share your achievements, it makes you look good (you hang out with happy, successful people, so you must be as well), and it strengthens your relationships with all your colleagues.But the tricky thing is, most of us cant afford to congratulate our co-workers with the gifts and free drinks. Thats why I put together 10 completely free ideas thatll be just as good as (if elend, better than) purchasing something.1. Just Say ItS o simple, yet so overlooked. But it really is that easy- nothing feels better and more partieal than to hear from someone else that he or she is impressed by your work or remembered your special day. Because we tend to get glued to our screens and inboxes, we forget that there are actual people sitting near us who could use a genuine, honest boost. So, get up out of your desk, walk over to your co-workers, and say Happy Birthday or Great job on that big sale Its such a small gesture that you dont even realize how powerful it is.2. Shout it Out to the gruppeA lot of times people dont necessarily advertise their birthdays or achievements because they dont want to sound obnoxious or self-involved- which is why it can be your job to brag for them.Do you have a company-wide messaging app like Slack or HipChat? Tag the person and let everyone know how awesome she is with a bundle of emojis. Or, send out an email to your team (or if its a small company, your arbeitszimmer) highlighting the persons accomplishment. Or, if youre crafty, create a shout-out board. A what? We created a shout-out board at The Muse for people to share anonymous good work notes with the whole company. It lives in our kitchen and is always full of shout-outs to various teammates for hitting goals and just being all-around awesome people. 3. Send a Thoughtful EmailWe all get emails every day, and most of them arent too exciting- so why not surprise someone with a message he or she will actually look forward to reading? And its not just about sending Congrats and clicking send- its about taking the time to think about how the persons impacted you and sharing that. And it doesnt need to be super serious I celebrated a birthday over vacation once and my boss sent an email full of hilarious GIFs and a nice note. It cost her nothing to do, and it totally made my day to know my team was thinking of me. 4. Or, Write (or Draw) a NoteEmail is great, but lets take it up a notch and really personalize you r letter. Are you a good artist? Draw him a picture of his favorite animal, or a funny cartoon about your office. Do you have awesome handwriting? Print out a cute card online and fill it out with kind words about her. At The Muse, co-workers desks are full of cards theyve received from their colleagues- because on our rougher days, theres no better pick-me-up than kind words from our co-workers.5. Decorate the DeskIf youre up for it, get artsy. Decorate the persons desk, or hang a printable banner above her workspace, or cut out fun party hats for her, and your team, to sport throughout the day (brownie points from us if everyone actually wears them all day). 6. Give People What They WantOK, you probably cant guarantee your co-worker free reign on his special day (unless youre his manager and have that authority), but theres probably some perk you could offer him. Is there a pair of noise-cancelling headphones hes been dying to borrow from you or a shared office snack that always g et snatched up fast? If theres a way for you to sacrifice today- like giving up a conference room that he needs- do it. 7. Offer to HelpOffering to help a colleague out is always a nice thing to do, especially if youre not particularly swamped that day. But its also a great way to show your gratitude and make his special day a little less stressful. When I worked in a smaller office in a more administrative role, people would always do something nice on my birthday- a.k.a., take care of a few of the tasks I hated doing. It was great not to have to make the coffee on my birthday, says Kat Boogaard, a writer at The Muse.So give him a break from a big project youre both working on, or answer a frustrating email if youre both looped in and you know this person drives him crazy, or offer to attend a meeting and share notes so he can get ahead on his to-do list and leave early.8. Share Some Free SwagOdds are that your office and co-workers have extra swag thats not claimed by anyone. Why not grab a cool T-shirt or hat for a co-worker when he or she hits a goal or has a birthday? Remember one persons conference goody bag trash is another mans treasure. So dont overlook those free notebooks or tote bags.9. Post on Social MediaYes, social media is free- and it reaches an even wider audience When your colleagues celebrating something, share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Especially if that person is away or out of the office, it means the world to know your co-workers miss and care about you.10. Pen a RecommendationIf someone recently got promoted or closed a big deal, a professional and supportive thing to do is write a LinkedIn recommendation. This shows that you respect this person as a colleague and want to see him or her continue to succeed. Its also awesome because its something that most people feel uncomfortable asking for, but really appreciate when its offered unsolicited.Congratulating someone doesnt take money to be meaningful- if you do any, or all, of these ideas, youll be sure to make anyones day truly perfect.

Unforgivable Job Search Mistakes

Unforgivable Job Search MistakesUnforgivable Job Search MistakesUnforgivable Job Search MistakesAsk a group of HR people and hiring managers what drives them nuts about job candidates behavior, and their answers will be amazingly similar. Candidates regularly show up late, dress inappropriately, and use unprofessional email addresses. But most hiring professionals, while admitting to personal preferences and pet peeves, are far more interested in finding the right person for the job than rejecting a candidate for a single mistake. Kerry over at Clue Wagon posted a great article about candidate deal breakers last week. Bottom line Dont agonize if you made one little boo-boowere all human. Just know that certain big, bad behaviors are show stoppers that hiring managers have trouble overlooking. Here are three of themPutting the wrong company name in your titel letterWriting hear instead of here in your cover letter may elicit an eye roll, but it probably wont destroy your chance of get ting hired. However, if youre applying to Smith Co. and your cover letter talks about how eager you are to work for Jones Co., youve just told your prospective employer, I will probably embarrass you on the job because I dont pay attention to detail and I make stupid mistakes.LyingThis ones pretty obvious. If you lie on your resume or in your interview about your education, your experience, your skills, or your credentials, youll be rejected as soon as they find out. If youve got negative information to explain, be brief and truthful.Being rude or disrespectful to othersThis doesnt refer to just your interviewers. Youll be judged on how you treat the parking attendant, security personnel, receptionist, administrative staff, and anyone else you encounter. Good hiring managers always seek feedback from their support staff about a prospective new hire. And even if they dont, the office grapevine will ensure the news of your bad behavior gets relayed.I could go on and on about other way s job candidates sabotage their own efforts, but the whole concept is really as simple as mother always said Pay attention, tell the truth, and be nice.

The entrepreneurs list of 2018 New Years resolutions

The entrepreneurs list of 2018 New Years resolutionsThe entrepreneurs list of 2018 New Years resolutionsNo matter how busy you are as an entrepreneur, its important to still take the time to reflect on what you can do better in your work and life. However, even with the best of intentions, time often gets away from us and those goals to make improvements do, too. Thats why Ive started now on the changes that I want to make in 2018. While my plans to do things differently in 2018 may not be what you had in mind for yourself, I wanted to share them as an inspiration to get started on those things you have been considering but not acting on.Return to collegeRegardless of the fact that I run multiple businesses, actively participate in the conference speaking circuit and have a family, Ive decided to head back to college. Ill be enrolled in the masters program for entrepreneurs at Stanford University. Its accelerated so I wont be in school for a long time. Instead, it forces me to adjust my schedule and become mora regimented and diversified in what I do every day.Plus, the work Ill be doing as part of the program will only furtzu sich benefit my businesses. I can use the problems and issues I face in my own businesses as case studies for the work I have to complete to earn my degree. Taking this route also provides a different perspective that I didnt have while primarily working within my own bubble.When you consider making this kind of change to your schedule, it does require significant planning. Youll need to research the type of program you may want to enroll in, the type of degree you want to earn and the amount of time it will take. Do also take into account how long youll need to spend applying to the program, as paperwork must be filed typically months in advance.Once you are accepted, youll also need to determine which classes you might be able to take online and how it impacts on your daily work schedule, including any homework and research projects. I also had to discuss this significant change with my better half to see if it works for her schedule and how we divide up our responsibilities at home.Formalize business practicesIn the constant rush of entrepreneurship, the basics of business often are forgotten. This happens when you are on the go or are putting out fires that crop up as you build out a business. You can often overlook details regarding strict business practices, such as formalizing written policies and creating a structure for onboarding talent. These things are important. But in prioritizing what can be a mountain of responsibility, its easy to put them to the side to accomplish later.Ive realized that later long passed and that I have to make a conscious effort to formalize my business practices before the businesses gets any larger. It will take considerable work to create policies and procedures about how we work, the parameters and restrictions on any freelancers I hire and the need for security measures. Add itionally, I am implementing an onboarding program that includes an agreement for each freelancer or employee, online training and gruppe integration. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page and operates more efficiently as a cohesive unit.Define a company cultureMany entrepreneurs believe that a company culture is not necessary for startups and that you can work on developing it later in the business. I realized quickly that the culture starts with me and how I interact with those who work with me. Its never too late to get started with culture.Thats why its a priority for me in 2018. Since I already have a team in place, I am including them in developing the definition by asking them what they would like to see in our culture and how we can all make those values a reality, even when virtually spread across the world. Involving the team in the process will help them embrace the new culture more quickly than if I simply tell them about it.Once it is established, I plan to regularly communicate about what it means and how we can make it our own. Additionally, I plan to ask other members of my team to share what the culture means to them. This will help me understand each person, whats important to them and what they expect from me.Take on more social causesAs I participate as a speaker at larger conferences and further develop my thought leadership position online, I see an opportunity to leverage this growing audience and influencer ability to publicize social causes that are important to me. If I dont, then Im not taking advantage of the role to generate awareness and move people to action beyond just marketing my company and personal brands.It doesnt have to feel like a soapbox. Instead, share the various projects or roles that you have taken on in the new year. I like to mention helping others locally in Silicon Valley and around the world through projects my wife and I get involved in while we travel. Simply sharing ansicht causes and explaining why you got involved is a perfect way to influence others, including fellow entrepreneurs, team members or customers to do the same.What I wont be doing differently in 2018There are some things I dont plan on changing. Ill still work just as hard albeit smarter. There wont be any slowing down. It will be about finding ways to further accelerate my goals.John Ramptonis the founder of Palo Alto, California-basedCalendar, a company helping your calendar be much more productive.This column first appeared at BusinessCollectiveMore from Ladders10 ridiculously smart questions you should ask in a job interviewNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy6 reasons recruiters say theyll toss your resume in the trash