Facebook and Twitter are social media vehicles designed to help us communicate with others. They allow us to easily share information. However, what is posted is never lost plus it can have a tremendous reach to even millions of people.
 
So are these tools our friends or enemies? 

For example, take a recent court ruling reported in the Chicago Tribune by Ameet Sachev on October 1st “Judge backs car dealer that fired employee over Facebook post.”
 
For another example, see the Tribune story on October 9th which discussed that as many recruiters rely on Social Media tools  as they do “word of mouth” in candidate searches. 

Social Media can be a wonderful tool to promote yourself and your brand but it is definitely a balancing act. 

So be sure Social Media promotes your brand and rather than tarnishing it.

In today’s work environment most of us are working longer hours and spending a great deal of time at our desks. It would be great if each of us had our own office. However, in most cases we have a desk next to someone else or are separated by just a thin wall.

To insure you are the person folks will sit next to please follow these simple rules:

Don’t

Eat food that emits odors which will permeate throughout the floor (That means no hot dogs, pizza or Chinese food to name a few.).
Floss your teeth at our desk (The bathroom is perfect for this exercise.).
Talk or laugh loudly so the whole office can hear you.
Make personal calls at your desk where others can eavesdrop.

Follow these simple guidelines and you will be considered a model citizen at your office.

Here is the first guest blog entry from my go to person for writing and editing-

The generally accepted thought is that sans serif font (serif means the small projecting features at the end of strokes) is easier to read on a screen. Examples of sans serif are Arial, Calibri and Verdana. Serif fonts are easier to read in print. Examples of a serif font are Times New Roman and Courier.

With this in mind, and assuming that your resume will probably always be read first on a computer (or phone) screen, a best practice is to use a sans serif font on your resume and cover letter. Use an 11 point size.

– Always keep your resume to one or two pages (one is better, if possible). If you’ve been in the workforce for less than ten years or been with only one or two employers, most likely you can keep it to one.
– Avoid using an objective because that is all about you. Instead, write a summary of qualifications which coherently presents what you bring to the employer.
– If you’ve been out of school for less than two years, lead with education, otherwise, place it at the end of the resume.
 
Steve Wyrostek
No Cliché Copy
www.noclichecopy.com

The one-upper is the person who is always one step ahead of you. They have tried every experience even before you bring it up. Resist being this person even if you have actually done the activity.

If you are being one-upped by someone, smile and let them have the air time. Those around you will admire you more than the know it all!

I recently had dinner with a group and was shocked at these dining don’ts I witnessed at the table:

• Flossing teeth
• Putting on lipstick
• Starting to eat before everyone is served
• Introducing sensitive political issues

Avoid these critical don’ts. That way everyone will want you as a guest at their table!

Often, we forget these rules when talking with new or even familiar acquaintances to make sure we keep them fully engaged in conversation.

Use these Six Golden Tips to ensure success:

1. Never assume; question and clarify
2. Listen with total focus
3. Say thank you quickly when you receive information
4. Think what has been said and process – avoid commenting
5. Respond effectively (be brief)
6. Follow-up in a few days (suggest a by-when date)

Having been delayed two hours plus at O’Hare I did a lot of people watching. It’s a great way to notice the good, bad and ugly. Today’s ugly is how folks sometimes eat.

Here are the four big uglies:

The Chomper: Chewing food with the mouth so wide open you can see the food being pulverized. It is not a pretty sight.

The Smelly: This is where the food aroma becomes a clinging odor that the clothes of the folks next to and three seats away from the eater will carry with them for the next several hours.

The Food Critic: This person needs to share with the world how good or how bad each bite tastes.

The Spiller: This person has spilled food on himself as well as on individuals in his immediate vicinity. This is because the food choice is meant to be eaten outside or behind closed doors. So, I understand that eating is a great way to cope with delayed flight frustration.

However, if you are going to eat in the waiting area don’t be one of the four uglies or at the very least if you are one, eat in a restaurant.

It is important to remember that in a critical situation, the customer is always right. Especially when the mistake is yours.

Recently, I was involved in a scenario where the client was right and the service company was wrong. After the service person validated it was an error on their part, they unfortunately continued grind about the situation. As a result, the issue got escalated to the point where this potential new client was definitely not coming back.

Here are some do’s and don’ts to ensure this does not happen to you.

Do’s
• Apologize immediately
• Offer a solution
• Present a way to atone in the future if there is no immediate solution

Don’ts
• Defend the mistake
• Make the person feel like it was his/her fault
• Make the person continue to prove they are right

If this service company had taken responsibility by using 2 out of the 3 dos, they would have obtained a new client.

In business, there is always going to be a shark.  These are the individuals who will always try and upstage you or persuade others to view themselves as smarter than you. They are always one step ahead of everyone and never hesitate to boast about how smart they are. They are usually very articulate and take no prisoners when a mistake is made. They will throw you under the bus instead of taking any responsibility for any problem. My recommendation is that unless you can be objective (stay calm), have very little interaction with them.

In our diverse culture, many names are not easy to pronounce. I think it is absolutely wonderful when a writer writes out pronunciation in an article or story.

I think it’s also important that if you have a difficult to pronounce name, you help people you meet pronounce it. It is a very gracious act and demonstrates elegance and empathy in handling difficult names.

For example, I always pronounce my name twice and in some cases spell it out. Wil-der-muth. It also has the side benefit of quickly engaging the other person.