Office Insights Self Improvement

Most people associate Professional Development with taking a training class or obtaining the credits needed to keep your license or credentials current. But it’s more than that. Professional Development is about improving your knowledge, skills, and network – and it’s an ongoing process.

Professional Development opportunities are all around you – don’t wait for your employer to take the first step - make the decision to further your professional development on your own, and the sky’s the limit!

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

· Reading	· Getting a degree
· Self-study courses	· Attending conferences
· Taking college courses	· Listening to audio books
· Visiting other organizations	· Attending workshops & seminars
· Subscribing to technical publications	· Developing a mentoring relationship
· Learning more about company products	· Joining a community or civic organization
· Joining a professional organization	· Learning about other departments
· Learning more about customers	· Writing for publication
· Applying for a patent	· Viewing online tutorials
· Teaching	· Volunteering

As anyone with younger siblings knows, “copycat” behavior is highly irritating. And outright mimicry of another person’s gestures and expressions would certainly be inappropriate during any adult conversation. However, researchers have found that “mirroring” – a distant cousin of your bratty brother’s copycat tricks – can actually build rapport and make communication more effective.

“Mirroring” occurs when you subtly adopt postures, gestures, and expressions similar to those of your conversational partner. As a result, the other person feels that you are “on the same wavelength” and is likely to talk longer and share more information. Counselors are actually taught this technique as a tool for building empathy with clients.

To test this hypothesis, three business school professors conducted an experiment with their MBA students. They created a simulated negotiation between the seller of a business and a potential buyer. The buyer’s top offer was less than the seller was willing to accept. When the “buyers” were taught mirroring skills, 67% of the pairs reached a deal. Without the use of mirroring, only 13% came to agreement. (Source: HR Magazine, October, 2007)

So if you want to build better relationships at work, try “reflecting” the non-verbal behavior of your boss or colleagues. But don’t be obvious! If you appear to be playing “monkey-see, monkey-do”, the strategy will definitely backfire.

Are professional women starting to sound like first-graders? Recent media stories have described the spreading phenomenon of grown women speaking in high-pitched, babyish voices. To make it worse, many have a rise in tone at the end of each sentence, making every statement sound like a question. For example: “John and I met with the vice president today? And he approved our proposal?”

According to Bob Corff, a Los Angeles speech coach who has worked with actors and broadcasters for 27 years, this speech pattern conveys a lack of authority and accountability. Baby-talkers sound “like they’re afraid they’ll get in trouble for saying the wrong thing.” For professional women, speaking like a little girl automatically reduces their power and presence. It’s hard to take someone seriously when she sounds like Alvin & the Chipmunks.

You may have noticed this tendency in others, but do you use a baby-voice yourself? If you’re not sure, ask your friends or make a recording. For a quick check, listen to your voice mail message. Should you discover that you are indeed a childish speaker, don’t despair. Claire Corff (Bob’s wife), also a speech coach, says that this high-pitched pattern is not genetic. It’s simply a habit that can be broken. And if you have a professional or managerial position, you need to break it quickly. (Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 12, 2006)

Some folks have a naturally cheerful and optimistic temperament, always looking on the bright side. But others spend more time thinking about problems, irritations, and obstacles, often taking the good things in life for granted. While some aspects of temperament are innate, many of our emotions are strongly influenced by the way we focus our attention.

University of California psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky has determined that people can successfully increase their happiness quotient by making a conscious effort to do so. Her studies found three specific activities that seem to help people feel happier. (1) Literally counting their blessings once a week by writing down five things for which they are grateful. (2) Performing five acts of kindness towards others in a single day. (3) Making a specific effort to look for positive aspects of difficult situations. So if you’ve been feeling down lately, try these simple steps and see if they help. (Source: Psychology Today, October 2006)

We all know them – those people who have to check and correct every little detail. They never have a scuff on their shoes or a hair out of place. Their homes look like no on even lives there. If a picture on your wall is slightly askew, they immediately straighten it up. And if one of them becomes your boss, you will come to appreciate a whole new definition of the term “micromanager”.

Yes, perfectionists can drive other people crazy. But what do they do to themselves? According to a study published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology (Vol. 53, #2), perfectionism can be a risk factor for depression. Those perfectionists who are extremely self-critical seldom measure up to their own high standards. Doing their best is never enough, so they constantly feel like failures. And depression can be the sad result.

So if you are someone who wants everything to be just right, how do you avoid this trap? By learning to set realistic expectations and appreciate your own achievements. Try to see the great things that you’ve accomplished, not the few things that may have been left undone. And if you can extend this habit of appreciation to others, both your work and personal relationships are likely to improve!

Are you bored when you’re in the office? Do you constantly seek ways to make your job more exciting? Are you willing to take risks that others are not? If so, you might fall into the category of “sensation seeker”, a personality type first identified several decades ago by psychology professor Marvin Zuckerman. Sensation seekers enjoy novel experiences and intense stimulation. They often prefer hobbies that are physically exhilarating and somewhat risky, such as hang gliding, mountain climbing, or auto racing.

If you belong in this category, you like jobs that involve a high degree of risk, minimal office time, and an absence of routine. You probably prefer work that includes frequent new experiences and unpredictable outcomes. High-adrenaline occupations like law enforcement, firefighting, and emergency room medicine often have a high proportion of sensation seekers. But they may also become entrepreneurs or trial attorneys.

When sensation seekers get off on the wrong career track, they may attempt to create the excitement they crave, making them disruptive and hard to manage. Or they may become discouraged, feeling that they just don’t “fit in”. Studies have found that the sensation-seeking trait appears to be physiologically based and therefore difficult (or impossible) to change. So if you are an occupationally misplaced sensation seeker, you may want to avail yourself of some career counseling. (Source: Psychology Today, July/August 2006)