Author Archives: Charlee Beasor

Listening is Good Business

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Categories: Human Resources

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I love to talk. My mother reminds me of this constantly. Recently, we were watching “Cast Away” with Tom Hanks (you know, the one where he’s stuck on a desert island with no one to talk to but his trusty volleyball).

Upon pronouncing that I absolutely could not imagine being stuck on a deserted island for four years, she said, “Yes, you would go crazy without anyone else to talk to all day long.”

I laughed and pretended to be offended for sport, but she’s spot on. The downside of the fact that I love to talk often means that I’ve had a hard time with listening because I’m excited to say whatever it is I want to say.

But I’ve become vastly better at listening over the years – as a journalist and writer I simply had to do it. Often, silence is the best tool in my repertoire. People feel uncomfortable with silence and are determined to fill it, which means I get to hear more about the topic. So I make myself shut up and listen.

Listening is a critical skill to develop professionally. You have to follow direction from your boss, listen to and analyze customer feedback or problems and deal with those things. You aren’t likely to succeed if you’re not paying attention.

Complicating the issue is technology. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people having conversations when one of the participants whips out a cell phone to text or post to Facebook while the other person is speaking. Quite rude.

Here’s a hint: It looks terribly disrespectful in the middle of a business meeting.

As a quick reminder of how to be a good listener, here are 10 quick tips from Ragan Communications:

  1. Look at the person speaking to you. Maintain eye contact
  2. Watch for non-verbal clues: body language, gestures and facial expressions
  3. Eliminate all distractions. Don’t multitask
  4. Ask questions that let the other person know you heard him and want to learn more
  5. Don’t interrupt
  6. Don’t finish the other person’s sentences
  7. Avoid using words such as “no,” “but” and “however” when you respond
  8. Don’t prejudge
  9. Display a friendly, open attitude and body language
  10. Ask questions to clarify what you heard

Next time you’re in the middle of a conversation, take stock of how well you are listening and adjust where necessary. And always remember that even our most basic skills need refining and sharpening over the years.

On the Job Hunt? Remember These Few Interview Dos and Don’ts

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Twice now I’ve had the pleasure of venturing back to my alma mater (Franklin College) and helping the journalism department with some student mock job interviews. In the interviews, I am the employer and the student is testing out his or her interviewing skills, with the ultimate goal of helping the students build confidence in those skills.

I came across this infographic on Ragan Communications and found it pertinent to that experience and to anyone currently searching for a job. If you’re getting ready to interview or if you’ve had no luck in landing new employment, read on for some helpful guidelines that might just tip the scales in your favor next time.

Make sure you’ve done your research. Of 2,000 employers surveyed, 47% said the No. 1 mistake job seekers make during interviews is having no knowledge about the company.

Another one to be aware of (but this should come as no surprise): 65% of employers say clothing influences the decision between two candidates. But don’t think being overly fashionable or trendy will land you the job: 70% of employers claim they don’t want applicants who dress that way. Aiming for modest and professional is probably your best bet. And don’t go too heavy on the perfume or cologne. Your interviewer can’t focus properly on your responses if there’s a giant pink cloud of perfume surrounding you.

When I work with college students, most have some serious handshake work to do – and 26% of employers also see a weak handshake as tanking your probability of landing the job. Other physical actions that aren’t great: failure to make eye contact, not smiling, hunching over, keeping your arms crossed over your chest, making too many hand gestures, or just simple fidgeting.

The infographic also gives some handy lists to help with your interviewing, but here’s a quick one to keep handy:

  1. Learn about the organization.
  2. Have a specific job in mind.
  3. Review your qualifications for the job.
  4. Be ready to briefly describe your experience.

Good luck!

Reporting Truth is More Important Than Speed

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Categories: Technology

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When you work as a reporter at a small community newspaper, you learn early on that making a mistake – grammatical, factual or otherwise – will typically earn you a public flogging by way of scathing letter to the editor. So, you double- and triple-check your facts before printing.

But, something has happened in this 24/7 news cycle and Twitter-as-news cycle. Accuracy and truth in reporting has become less important than being the first to break a story.

I was shocked to observe it happening during the immediate aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. For example: The name of the shooter most news outlets had been using all day was the wrong name (it was the shooter’s brother). The first victim – the shooter’s mother – wasn’t, in fact, a teacher at that school. At one point there was a second shooter, and then there wasn’t.

Bad information. Just plain wrong. But it was out there and people were repeating it. Re-tweeting it.

It seems history is repeating itself with the Boston Marathon attack.

Shortly after the blasts, one news outlet said 17 people were killed. We all know that the actual number is three. Another outlet reported that a Saudi national was in custody and being guarded at a local hospital as a suspect. It turns out the innocent man was held down by frantic people in the crowd who thought he’d had something to do with it. He was never in police custody as a suspect; just recovering at a local hospital, like so many others.

Then, two days after the bombings, news outlets and social media erupted that a suspect had been arrested. An hour later: No arrests. It wasn’t until the Boston Police Department and FBI confirmed there had been no arrest made in the attack that the claims died down.

It dawned on me during the early moments of the Boston Marathon attack that as news consumers, we’re all part of the problem. We all want the information as quickly as possible. We re-tweet and share on Facebook the moment things are announced, whether or not stories contain a credible source. An “unnamed” or “unofficial” source does not count as credible, people.

Like so many Americans, Sandy Hook will always be on my heart. As a journalist, my mind will also linger on the shooter’s brother, who not only lost his family and has to live with the pain his brother caused, but whose name was vilified for the better part of a day, despite his innocence.

In the future, do your own fact-checking and wait for a named source. Contact the news outlet to let them know you value accuracy over rapidity.

It’s time to demand better.

Exercise Balls for Chairs (aka the 2011 Trend I’m Just Now Getting Into)

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I’d like to introduce you all to my new friend, "Blue" – the exercise ball. Not a really original name, I know, because it happens to be the color of the ball, but I also feel weird giving a human name to anything I sit on.

I recently slept on an airbed for about four days during a “vacation” to Florida (I say it in quotes because I had my 13-month-old daughter with me and every parent knows you need a vacation from your vacation when they are done).

It did quite a number on my back, hips and knees. I should probably just head to the chiropractor soon, but I’m also on a budget and looking for a cheaper way to strengthen my back and alleviate pain.

When I was pregnant, I’d read that using an exercise ball for a chair was a great way to stretch out the hips and deal with pain, and at that point I was desperate for relief. It worked. The only place I felt comfortable sitting was on my exercise ball.

I’ve seen numerous articles about how American workers are sitting more than ever and that it’s awful for our health and that moving more throughout the day is one of the best things you can do for yourself. A few co-workers have been using exercise balls at work instead of (or in addition to) their chairs. So I’m jumping on that bandwagon.

There are a few exercises you can do on an exercise ball that are low intensity, but work your core (listen to me saying “core” like I’m an exercise enthusiast!) and strengthen your back. I’ve used a few of them since I started using my ball instead of a chair – alright, I’ve only been doing this for two days – but I can already feel the difference.

I’m finding myself able to concentrate longer on my work. Another bonus is that it requires me to get up a little more often. Anytime someone comes to talk to me, I have to turn all the way around, which isn’t really that easy on a ball. So, I stand up.

I can’t find much conclusive evidence of any potential negative impacts. It seems like the most worry surrounds safety: balls rolling away, people falling off of them, etc. Though, if fifth grade students in classrooms around the country are switching chairs for exercise balls and can safely sit, I’m assuming most adults shouldn’t have a problem.

Obviously, check with your doctor before starting any kind of exercise routine or switching your chair for an exercise ball. And at least do a little research into the types of balls available and the correct size for your frame. For example, since I am six feet tall, I need a 75 cm-sized ball – and I found one for $26 that came with a pump, exercise band and DVD of exercises.

‘Suit Up’ for IT Job Interviews

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Categories: Business News, Human Resources

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Sometimes it’s best not to imitate what you see on TV and the Internet (great advice, I know), especially when it comes to fashion choices for the workplace.

Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg is well-known for promoting his social media juggernaut while sporting hoodies or dark grey t-shirts. And those young technology creators in the new Samsung commercials are dressed down in jeans and t-shirts while discussing their “Unicorn Apocalypse” phone application.

While Facebook has been wildly successful and those creative geniuses look like they are having a blast deciding whether or not the unicorn zombies should have glitter in their manes (I couldn’t even make this stuff up if I wanted to) – it’s best not to expect a relaxed atmosphere when interviewing for IT jobs.

In fact, a recent survey from Robert Half Technology says IT professionals seeking a new job in Indianapolis should interview in a suit if they expect to be taken seriously. Almost half of Indianapolis chief information officers (49%, over the national average of 46%) cited a formal business suit as the appropriate interview attire.

If you don’t have a suit, khakis and a collared shirt were preferred with 34% of respondents; tailored separates were then preferred by 14% of the CIOs interviewed nationally. Only 4% of CIOs expected anyone to show up wearing jeans and a polo shirt.

Of course, the point is to let your skills and experience shine – so don’t overdo or try to be ironic by showing up in a tuxedo with tails or ball gown, either.

Want to be ‘Smart?’ Ditch Your Smartphone for a While

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Every so often, you observe an encounter so poignant that it must be shared.

Here is the scene I observed this morning on a crowded elevator: A young man enters, absorbed with his smartphone. In steps an older man, who pushes the button to another floor. Looking around, he spots the first gentleman staring at the phone.

“You know there’s life happening all around you, right?” the older man says with a smile.

The first man takes a beat and chuckles awkwardly, not sure how to respond and not sure if he should take it as a slight or just a social commentary. I’m sure I spotted a red blush creeping up around his neck and face. I should have gone up a few extra floors to see how it played out.

I told a co-worker about the encounter and she added how she’d seen a news story about a woman that had walked into an open manhole because she was distracted on her phone. A little Google search confirms her story. It also turns up a 2012 study by BMJ (British Medical Journal), in which pedestrians were observed at 20 high-risk intersections and their behaviors recorded. Those who were texting took an extra 1.87 seconds to cross and were almost four times as likely to display at least one unsafe crossing behavior (not looking both ways, ignoring traffic lights, etc.).

Not only are we missing out on life, but technology addiction can lead to accident and injury!

I’m just as guilty as the next person; I play on my phone and listen to music on the way to the parking garage after work. Also, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to stop taking my phone into the bathroom with me. The bathroom! (Don’t even pretend I’m the only one.)

Another danger: This is breeding a new generation of workaholics. While technology allows convenience by being able to work wherever and whenever, employees who are constantly “on” aren’t getting time to relax and recover for the next work day.

Some companies have caught on to how this negatively impacts their workers. In 2011, Volkswagen created a new policy that its servers would stop routing company emails 30 minutes after the workday ended and would not resume until 30 minutes before the workday began (the rule doesn’t apply to senior management). Other companies are tackling the issue as well, realizing that blurring the line of work and personal life is bad for employee well-being and business.

What’s that famous proverb? Oh yes, “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy,” seems appropriate at this moment.

Do yourself a favor: Put your smartphone away today. Encourage your employees to rest and relax on their off hours. Remember the wise words spoken in my elevator and stop missing the “life happening all around you.”

Survey: Many Americans Living Paycheck to Paycheck

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Categories: Tax/Finance

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Most national news stories right now are focusing on the seeming ineptness of our Congress and Presidential administration to agree on a plan to avoid the so-called “Fiscal Cliff.” While an agreement has now been reached, none of the information surrounding how this deal came to be is positive.

Americans are mostly annoyed and aggravated, some downright outraged, about this. And we absolutely should be – we elect these people to act on our behalf, not like squabbling children (sorry, that’s offensive to all children).

But maybe we also need to point a finger in the mirror. At least, one in every two Americans should do that, as apparently we’re not much better off at handling our own finances than the federal government is at handling its finances.

A December survey from online lender NetCredit.com has discovered that almost half of Americans indicate that they are living paycheck to paycheck and 44% of Americans are just trying to stay current on their bills and avoid debt and bankruptcy.

Using 1,000 Americans in the poll, there were some demographics that stood out as the most likely to face this financial reality, including: 62% of Americans in their 30s; 54% among those Americans under age 60; 57% of families with children; 64% of families with five or more people in the household; and 53% in southern states, versus those in the northeastern U.S.

Also mirroring our political leaders, borrowing money seems to be the go-to answer in case of an emergency (car repairs, medical bill, high utility bill, etc.).

Twenty-three percent of these Americans would whip out a credit card; 16% would hit up their families and friends; 5% would head to the bank for a loan and 2% would use installment loans. Other possible solutions include using general savings or a separate rainy day fund, selling or pawning items or short-term cash advances.

But the poll’s press release also noted that a recent FDIC study found that nearly half of Americans can’t come up with $2,000 in 30 days if an emergency did arise and they used these options.

So what can be done to prevent this? The first advice I’ve seen from anyone who deals with money and finances is this: have an emergency fund. Start small; say $1,000 in a savings account (separate from the checking account). The ultimate goal is to have three to six months of living expenses in an emergency fund, which would cover a sudden loss of income and delay the added stress that would come with a job loss.

Slow and steady wins the race though; it’s not a quick thing to have six months of living expenses sitting in the bank. Create a budget and stick to it. Live within your means.

Now, would anyone like to share this with the federal government?

Overspending is “Jingle Bell Wrong”: Don’t Buy Your Way Into a New Year’s Mess

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It’s amazing how it happens every year: All of a sudden, it’s the middle of December and Christmas is just a couple of short weeks away.

Because even though Christmas is always on December 25 (each and every year, guys), it seems that there is always financial stress at crunch time when you realize you are going to buy gifts for your family, the in-laws, your friends, your spouse and your children. (Notice I said “going to” and not “have to.”)

Have we not realized this was coming ALL YEAR LONG?

Why, then, do we continue to spend ourselves into a hole that we have to dig our way back out of at the beginning of the New Year? Do the happy holiday blinders go on and we just say, “Charge it!”?

Try just saying, “No.” Because, like my Papaw Kermit always said: “’No’ is a complete sentence.”

You don’t have to buy love with Christmas presents. But, if you enjoy giving and it makes your heart happy, go for it. Just start planning earlier than December 12. 

I’ve listened to a few financial planning “gurus” over the years. Just recently we had a visit from local financial smarty, "Pete the Planner" (as part of the Chamber’s internal wellness programming, our staff will be able to participate in a financial wellness program with Peter Dunn throughout 2013).

They’ve all pretty much said something similar: Start saving up your cash earlier in the year to pay for Christmas. Don’t touch the money unless you are using it for your Christmas shopping purposes (whether that’s in May or on Black Friday). And DON’T spend money you don’t have.

It’s time for Americans to start taking back control of the economy, which will start with each family getting in control of their finances. And no one can do it for you (not even the government). It’s not easy – sticking to a budget takes work, but financial strain and daily turmoil causes more work and stress than living within your means.

As it is only a few weeks away from Christmas and it’s a little late to start stockpiling your money for Christmas 2012, my advice is this if you are fretting and can’t afford gifts. There’s no shame in telling your friends and family that you are working to right your financial ship and that spending time together – or offering to clean their home or cook dinner for them or just listening when they need a shoulder – is a better gift than anything bought in a store. If they are truly your friends and family, they will be understanding and help you on your path to financial peace. 

And next year, you can start saving money early … unless you decide that offering your time and services is a much better gift anyway.

Unexpected Germ Nightmare: The Office

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You might think that because your office is professionally cleaned, dusted and swept regularly that it’s one of the cleanest places you could spend your day (that’s more cleaning than happens in my house, for instance, on a weekly basis…).

But, it’s not. It’s really, really gross.

Ragan Communications has posted an infographic from MASTER Cleaners Ltd, which points to just how dirty our desks, phones, and other work surfaces are – and no, I’m not talking about clutter on your desk, or even the pile of shoes under your desk (shoe graveyard, as I’ve affectionately called mine).

Be prepared: You’ll want to have your anti-bacterial wipes ready.

The dirty details:

  • Office phones have about 25,000 germs per square inch.
  • Cold and flu viruses can survive for up to 18 hours on hard surfaces; and bacteria actually increase by up to 31% per day on surfaces that aren’t regularly disinfected. If you’re sick, this just proves that you should stay at home until you are better.
  • Wash your hands – and then use antibacterial gel when you get back to your desk, because 75% of office tap handles are considered a serious risk for illness transmission.
  • I’ve saved this one for last: office desks have been found to be more than 400 times dirtier than a toilet seat. On average, about 10,000 bacteria reside around the area where your hands rest. Most keyboards contain 70% more bacteria than a toilet seat.

Alright, now that you are thoroughly disgusted, here are a few simple ways you can combat office germs as we head straight into cold and flu season:

  • I’ll say it again: Wash your hands. The same lesson that applied as children still applies now (though, as I witnessed a woman leave a library bathroom without washing her hands the other day, some people still don’t get this simple message).
  • Clean your stuff – disinfecting your phone, desk, door handles and other hard surfaces regularly and often will help keep bacteria at bay.
  • Take an actual lunch break and eat somewhere else – if you must eat in the office, absolutely don’t place the food straight onto the solid surfaces of your desk.
  • Do your coworkers a favor and stay home if you’re ill – there’s just no good excuse to come in to work if you’re infectious.

Of course, you can’t live life in a bubble. Germs and sickness are a part of life; but remember that there are a few easy things you can do to keep yourself and others around you healthy. We’re all in it together!

Honoring Our Volunteers: Marci Crozier

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Whenever I get new assignments for BizVoice® magazine, I get excited about the stories I’ll get to research and share with our readers; particularly when it’s time to interview our Chamber Volunteers of the Year.

So far, I’ve gotten to speak to some of the most earnest, humble people and each time I’ve come away from those interviews with such an excitement to share the passion and drive these Chamber volunteers possess.

This year was no exception. I’ve actually been using the term “salt of the Earth” to describe her to my co-workers. And we had so much to discuss, that I only got to put a fraction of her story into our November-December edition, which you can read online.

Marci Crozier has been involved with the Wellness Council of Indiana since its onset in the early 1980s. She’s well-known as one of Indiana’s Biggest Losers from the popular NBC television show and is regional director of marketing and sales for Franciscan Omni 41 Health and Fitness Connection in northwestern Indiana.

Here are just a few other things Marci had to say about volunteerism, life and health and wellness:

“Fifty percent of the people that write us and talk to us about personal things are about weight and fitness, but the other 50% is about everything from gambling, to alcoholism, to especially relationships issues. They can’t figure out why they have these problems. I try to tell them, ‘I’m not a doctor, I’m not a therapist. But I will tell you from my own experience that you have to love yourself before you’re going to be able to be in a good relationship.’ ”

A story about her mother’s philanthropic spirit:

“She worked in a deli and she told me this story just before she died and she said ‘There was this lady that used to come to the deli and she couldn’t cook and her in-laws thought she could cook. She would come to me and I made this banana pudding…and I said to this lady, I could make this great thing; I’ll make it for you. I didn’t make it at the deli; I made it at home because I didn’t want her to pay for it.

“…She doesn’t pay me with money; she pays me by her thankfulness. That helps me to feel good about life. I’m able to do for other people because I can; God gave me the gift to cook and this lady can’t do that. But she has other things and I make her promise to do something good, something that’s a gift for somebody else.’

“That’s the kind of stuff I try to teach my kids. It doesn’t have to be money especially; people always think of money. But sometimes it’s just about being there for somebody.”

On what wellness really is:

“I didn’t even know what wellness was. I really thought it was fitness. I thought, if we can get people moving, it’ll make all the difference in the world. But it’s not all the difference in the world. People need to know how to invest their money. People need to know that if you want to have wellness, you need to surround yourself in your social life with the people that have your same kind of interests. People need to know that family relationships are probably the most important things and how can they work through those.

“…One thing people are always afraid of talking about and I think that’s why I love working for this organization as much as I do, is the spiritual aspect of wellness. Religion means different things to a lot of different people. When you talk spirituality with people you can speak their language. Sometimes when I talk spirituality with people it’s about centering themselves – not knowing that there’s a God; I don’t really care who their God is, they can believe whatever they want to believe. But they have to know there’s something greater than them, that they’re serving a purpose, a greater good that is way better than them.”