The Fools of April

Surviving April Fools
April 1st has come and gone and maybe you had some fun with April Fool's jokes. I like to read The Onion and the April 1st issue is usually very good. But jokes and rumors can be very damaging in the work environment. Here are some tips to keep you out of the rumor limelight.

-Avoid gossip, listening or passing.
-Seek to cultivate office and business relationships that are positive. Being polite means just that - treating others like we want to be treated.
-Check your demeanor. The way we dress, hold our body, and our facial expressions all say a lot. This doesn't mean we need to have no reactions, just make sure they match our intent.
-Get to know others; what makes them tick and what ticks them off.
-Be observant and use what we learn to maximize our relationships with others
-Be social but aware of social events. What we say at the baseball game to colleagues will get back to the office.
-Check your temper. Being professional and diplomatic may take practice, but in the end it will serve us well. There is a difference between being angry and losing our temper!

Working with others will mean that feathers get ruffled, feelings get hurt and people will be disappointed. Accepting that this will happen may help all of us keep April Fools day as the only day we behave foolishly.

Second Quarter Tips
The Truth is Out There
Rumors can be devastating, often just annoying. My inbox sometimes gets overloaded with email petitions; virus alerts and scares about lost children. Some have been very convincing but before I forward any, I always check out the rumor mill at http://www.snopes.com/  by typing in some keywords. This reference site for urban legends is a well-researched non-profit business. So the next time you get one of those guilt-loaded emails - check it out first!

Changing Employees-Change Passwords
When employees change, it is a good time to change passwords on computers and files. Best idea-change all the passwords, not just the exiting employee's. Doing this as a habit will maintain integrity of current and past employees while protecting critical data and information.

Time is all we have
Two percent of America's gross domestic product - about $97 billion - is "frittered away" by workers tinkering with their computers, messing around with typefaces, and endlessly polishing charts, graphs and other things. Focus on what is important and minimize tasks that are time-wasters. Find an oasis of sanity through common sense efficiencies.