Sharing is NOT Always Caring

Let me start this post off by clarifying that I am not a saint. I have been known to curse like a sailor when having general conversations with people - even at work - without thinking twice. I will drop the F bomb around folks without batting an eyelash - and sometimes I will apologize for the same - if I'm speaking with someone I'm not extremely familiar with. However, I will never direct my foul language at someone, using it to call someone an inappropriate name, nor will I talk about someone using foul language unless I'm in a closed office or conference room with a very select few individuals, who I know believe that the language I'm using is appropriate, and who I also know wouldn't be offended by my use of such language. Let me demonstrate:

The following is appropriate for a general office conversation in my book - which I know is going to be vastly different from other people's books. Especially my Mom's book - just in case she reads this, I will clarify - I would never use any of these sentences in front of my Mom - not because I'm ashamed of my foul mouth, but because I like the back of my head sufficiently unbruised, thank you very much.

Ahem - back to the point.

Appropriate
Co-worker: Today they're giving out free ice cream in the cafeteria
Me: Why the hell are we sitting around here then? Let's get our asses to that cafeteria, stat!

No Bad Days For You!

Today I had a training class geared toward defining your leadership style, motivating others, and keeping momentum in a not so positive environment.  One of my classmates, who I have nothing but the utmost respect for, revealed that one of her strategies for dealing with frustrations of her staff includes hanging positive statements on her office walls that help her to remember that she needs to maintain a positive outlook on her work and our organization if she wants to be a positive influence.  Specifically, she said she has one statement typed in bold, large print hanging on her wall that reads:

"Managers CANNOT Have Bad Days."  

Her basic managing principal is that she does not let her frustration, stress, aggravation, or unhappiness show to her staff.  She was quick to clarify that she does, in fact, have bad days, but she makes a conscious decision NOT to let her staff know when she is having one such day.

Oh Christmas Tree...

I'm sure you've all had one of THOSE days before in your life.  You know, the ones where everything that everyone says to you sets you on edge, and even the radio DJ's get on your last nerve for being so perky and awake in the morning?  If you claim that you haven't, I think you're lying.  But if you truly haven't, you are either extremely lucky or totally oblivious to the world around you.

Hopefully, you've also had some (or many) days where you feel overly excited about everything, where everything and everyone you meet makes you smile and you feel happy and content just to be alive.  Around this time of year, this feeling is usually accompanied by anticipation for Christmas and the New Year ahead, which seems full of endless possibilities.