Respecting Your Time Allowance

By Juanita Ecker

I was once speaking at an event which had several speakers scheduled for the day. We were all given “slots” in which we would give our presentations. Unfortunately, the person before me went 30 minutes over the scheduled time! I was annoyed because it meant my presentation would start and end later than was planned. I almost wished there was an orchestra who could play her off the stage.

I kept wondering, “Should I rush through my presentation to end on time?” That, of course, would have meant cutting out a lot of the material I had worked hard on, and feeling rushed and nervous.

I ended up asking the person who hired me what time she wanted me to finish. That way, I let her decide if I should cut the presentation short or continue as planned, which would delay the person speaking after me. In the end, we all worked around it, but that one person going over her allotted time impacted the rest of the speakers for the day.

As business professionals who are often called on to give a report to a work committee or are asked to speak at a community event, we all need to be conscious of the schedule and be considerate of the other speakers planned for the day. Organizers spend countless hours planning everything to the last detail. Unless there is some organizational glitch, you’ve no doubt been given the time limits for your speech and had plenty of time to craft a presentation that fits into your given window.

Do You Look For What’s Wrong or What’s Right?

By Juanita Ecker

One of my favorite shows, “America’s Got Talent,” just ended its season. I have to say, I’ll miss it. I love how the three judges are very kind to the contestants, even if they don’t like the act. They always look for something good to say rather than pointing out all the things that are wrong. There’s so much negativity in the world, it’s nice to have a little positive thinking for a change!

If only the workplace were more like that. It seems like every time we’re presented with a new idea, we fire away with negative statements. We’ve become a corporate culture of naysayers, and the negativity can be toxic.

Of course, that’s not to suggest that we all become “yes men” who blindly agree to everything, even if we secretly have doubts. That’s not healthy either. Case in point: the recent economic meltdown, in which those who pointed out the risks of the mortgage loan process were fired.

How Your Facebook Posts Can Jeopardize Your Career

By Juanita Ecker

A friend of mine keeps in touch with various co-workers from her old job. Not long ago she noticed that one woman from that company had posted a derogatory Facebook status that said something along the lines of “I’m tired of making money for people who don’t care.” The catch? This woman—who was once nearly fired for complaining about her supervisor on company IM— is Facebook friends with several other people who work at that company, including the boss. My friend felt like warning her to delete the post—didn’t she know that the CEO would likely see it?

According to a 2009 study by Proofpoint, about 17% of companies with more than 1,000 employees have had issues with workers using social media, while 8% of those companies have actually fired an employee over something they posted on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Among the complaints were employees who revealed confidential company information online; those who publicly insulted their bosses, company, or customers; those who posted inappropriate or offensive remarks while representing their company (such as on a branded company Twitter feed); and those who simply spent too much time online while at work.

Sound familiar? These tips will help you enjoy social media while keeping your job safe.

Avoid social networking while on the clock. Most companies monitor their employees’ Internet usage, so don’t get busted playing Mafia Wars or Tweeting from your desk. That includes not using your phone to update your Facebook status during work hours—the phone may be yours, but your time belongs to your company. Save social networking for after work.

Leaving a Detailed Phone Message

By Juanita Ecker

While I was on vacation I received a voicemail from a woman who left only her name and number—no message about why she was calling. I had no idea who she was, what she needed, or if the matter was urgent.  

Curious, I called her back and got her voicemail; she then called me back and got my voicemail. This happened two or three times. I was quite annoyed with the situation—especially since I was interrupting my vacation to make the calls. I kept wondering, what did she want from me and why didn’t she leave a more detailed message? Eventually, when she did get a hold of me, she wanted to sell me a product! Had I known her motivation, I would not have bothered to return the call.

Redefining Failure

By Juanita Ecker

There are a million books out there that will tell you how to succeed. But how about how to fail? Everyone—yes, everyone—has encountered roadblocks along their path to success. For an image consultant, it could be losing a client, getting a low turn-out for a seminar, working on a project that goes nowhere, or writiin ng a book that barely makes any sales.

Some choose to let those so-called “failures” define them. Their confidence shaken, they retreat or even give up entirely. They shy away from pursuing their ambitions.  Others, meanwhile, are in denial about their hardships. They charge ahead without taking the time to assess the situation and see how things went wrong. More often than not, this results in yet another “failure.”