In This Issue

News from Joan (right)

Life Balance–Who’s in Charge?(below)

Quotes for the Month

Job Seeking Tips: Mending mistakes when you start a new job

Quick Links

News from Joan!

Judged Art Show and Sale March 31, 2 to 4 PM
Open to the public. Land, Sea and City Scapes, and Abstract art works in all mediums. I will be showing many watercolor paintings.
Sponsored by Sugar Land Area Artists at Artists Alliance
104 Industrial Suite Q, Sugar Land, TX 77478
Come see, enjoy and buy something wonderful for you home or friends.

What clients say about Joan:

“ Dear Joan,
I want to thank you for advising me, listening to me, pushing me when I was stuck, making me laugh, and lending me your assertiveness when I couldn't find my own. Life continues to be interesting. Thank you again.”
D.S., Assistant Director, Large Nonprofit, San Diego, CA


A spam-free newsletter written and published by Joan Bolmer, Executive, Business, Career and Personal Coach. For more helpful ideas, visit http://www.bolmer.com

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Life Balance–Who’s in Charge?

To have good balance in our lives, we have to pay attention to and make time for things that really matter and set boundaries for other things that distract or interrupt us.

Email, cell phones, Blackberries and other technology wonders were intended to save time and add convenience to our lives, not run our lives. When a client says he or she receives 200 emails a day that have to be read and often answered, it is clear that email has become more of a time waster than a time saver.

Recently, I was teaching a class and two of the participants were texting away like mad on their Blackberries. I asked if they were taking notes or playing a game. The answer was that there was a problem with a project and they were giving instructions. They may have just been bored but, if as a manager they could not confidently leave their staff to work on their own for two or three hours then there is a leadership problem.

On the other hand, ego issues may be a factor in such constant interruptions. Does being constantly interrupted by phone calls and text messages make you feel important and needed? Is it a status symbol to always be on call? (As a side note, paying attention to laptop and cell phone messages during a meeting is rude and implies that the meeting, client or leader is less important than your messages from others.)

These constant distractions often keep people from doing the more demanding and important work that needs thoughtful, undivided attention. Thus the distraction may be a way to escape doing more demanding tasks.

An operations manager that I was working with complained of constantly being interrupted by her project managers even when she was in meetings with clients.

I asked her if perhaps by being constantly available, she was training her staff to depend on her instead of learning to think for themselves and be responsible for making decisions on their own.

She had not considered this, and soon changed her outgoing voice message to say that she was in meetings and would check and return messages at 11 AM and 3 PM. She was amazed at how quickly her staff started to manage their work more effectively. She was now more in control of her time. The best part was that her staff grew in confidence and capability, which is what she needed and wanted.

Take a look at your life to determine who is in charge, you or your communication devices? Placing too much priority on message interruptions puts others, not you, in charge of your life.

Quotes for the Month

“ Quality of life is more often improved by what we eliminate than by what we add.”

Cheryl Richardson, Master Coach, author of Take Time for Your Life

“I've learned that you can't have everything and do everything at the same time.”

Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine, April 2003 US actress & television talk show host (1954–)

“Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons.”

R. Buckminster Fuller, US architect & engineer (1895–1983)

“Technology is a way of organizing the universe so that man doesn't have to experience it.”

Max Frisch

Job Seeking Tips: Mending mistakes when you start a new job
Abridged: Changing-Directions.com

SPRING LAKE, MI --When you start a new job, chances are you may make a mistake. If you do, the best thing to do is take responsibility for the mistake and report it immediately! Most employers understand that accidents happen, but lying or covering-up the mistake will never work and could cost the company as well as you. If you make a mistake at your job, you can recover well by doing the following:

• Report it immediately to the person it affects most.
• Stay focused on the facts of the situation.
• Don't make excuses, take responsibility.
• Sincerely apologize.
• Offer possible solutions.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you understand how the mistake happened?
• Do you understand what the mistake affects?
• What did you learn from it?
• How will you handle it differently next time?

And remember…

• Be clear about what you're doing before you start.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions to avoid mistakes.
• Pay attention and follow your notes.
• Follow directions exactly.
• Mistakes are made when you're rushed, distracted, or won't ask for help.

LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES!

If you want to power up your resume, job search and interview skills, give me a call at 281-293-8864 or email me at joan@bolmer.com for a free consultation.

Quick Links

Balance vs. Juggling

Living Well

Phaedra Cook, The Thinking Designer

Check out Joan's paintings and notecards.

Iris