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3 Ways to Stop Undermining Yourself at Work

Ian Christie, Monster Contributing Writer — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:30:00 -0700

From time to time, you may undermine yourself on the job with your behavior. This form of self-sabotage not only prevents you from performing at your full potential, but also gives colleagues and customers an opportunity to think less of you as an individual and professional.

With self-awareness, determination and practice, you can minimize these negative behaviors. Try this three-step process.

Name Your Behavior

The first step is to understand exactly how you undermine yourself. Three of the most common ways are:

• Dwelling on the Negative: Whether in a recurring internal dialogue or conversations with colleagues, the themes are the same. You focus on what is bad about your situation versus what is good, what is not possible versus what is. You remember all the bad things that have happened to you, not all the good things or your accomplishments.

• Falling into Work-Habit Traps: We all have bad work habits that act as traps we walk into again and again. Common examples include procrastination, tardiness, careless communication and sloppy work.

• Listening to Your Gremlins: Gremlins are the limiting beliefs and assumptions that subconsciously sabotage your progress. They tell you that you aren't good enough somehow -- that you're not smart enough, not worthy enough or just not up to the challenge. They embody your biggest insecurities.

Next Page: Zero Tolerance →

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Zero Tolerance

The second step is to decide which behaviors you will commit yourself to improving. Recognize that it's easier to overcome some behaviors, such as bad work habits, than others, such as deeply held, limiting beliefs. Also consider how failing to change certain behaviors could cost you professionally both now and later. Once you decide, put your personal integrity on the line and make a commitment not to tolerate those behaviors from yourself any longer.

Support the Positive

The third step is to create structures and systems to support the positive behaviors and discourage the negative. Here are some examples:

• Begin noticing when you're undermining yourself. When you find yourself complaining, falling into a work-habit trap or heeding a gremlin, stop. Tell yourself what you are doing and correct yourself. One common way to raise self-awareness is to snap a rubber band around your wrist each time you realize you've fallen into one of your old patterns.

• Remove yourself from environments that encourage the behaviors you're trying to change. For example, if you always talk negatively about work with the same people at lunch, break the pattern by refusing to engage in such conversations or by having lunch elsewhere or with different people.

• To avoid falling into work-habit traps, design ways that support your good behaviors and discourage or minimize your bad ones. If you undermine yourself by being late, schedule buffer time in your calendar. If you procrastinate, set an early, artificial deadline for projects. Immediately determine what you need to do and get to work.

This strategy can also help combat some forms of negative thinking. If you think your failures outweigh your successes, objectively reflect on your wins. Collect positive performance reviews as well as emails and letters containing positive comments about you and your work. Build the collection and refer to it whenever you need a boost.

• To quiet your gremlins, you may need help from a therapist, mentor or coach. If, for example, you avoid challenging assignments because a gremlin tells you you aren't up to snuff, a therapist can help you understand why you think this way and work out strategies with you to overcome that limiting self-perception. A mentor or coach can help you focus on your goals, highlight your strengths and encourage your forward progress.

When it comes to undermining yourself, you are both the cause and the solution. By successfully managing such behaviors, you allow yourself and others to experience your best qualities.

This article was originally published on Monster.com.

How to Disagree with Your Boss Without Losing Your Job

Denene Brox | for Yahoo! HotJobs — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:30:00 -0700

You're at your weekly staff meeting, and you've just presented your brilliant idea on how to boost productivity and save money. But then your boss shoots down your idea with a vague reason or two. You know you're right and your boss is wrong. So should you remain quiet or stand up for your idea?

Joseph Grenny, a coauthor of "Crucial Confrontations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High," says that with the right set of skills, you can respectfully disagree with your boss, without damaging the relationship--and without risking your job.
Here are some tips:

Speak up!

First, recognize that your opinion counts. "The ability to master crucial conversations is vitally important in the workplace," says Grenny. "Those who have difficulty confronting others negatively impact their organization."

Emily Bennington, a coauthor of "Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job," agrees that learning how to speak up is vital to success. "As you move up in your career, it's important to understand how to handle difficult conversations," says Bennington. "The sooner we can all learn to solve problems rationally through mature dialogue, the better."

Make sure your concern is "boss-worthy"

While being assertive is important, don't bring every little issue to your boss--be selective.

"When bosses are bombarded with interpersonal issues between colleagues, they feel like they are babysitting more than leading. Always try to resolve issues with your colleagues before running to the boss," says Grenny.

Larger concerns that impact your performance or the performance of the organization are boss-worthy, as are times when you need to own up to a mistake.

"Always tell your boss when you've made a mistake that could potentially damage a relationship with a customer or client," says Bennington. "A good boss would rather hear about a problem before it becomes a fire."

Get a room

If you disagree with a decision your boss has made, the worst thing you can do is voice your opinion in front of others or fire off a heated email.

"Make sure you pick the right moment," says career consultant Andrea Kay. "It may not be a good idea to challenge your boss in a meeting."

And don't just burst into your boss's office; request an appointment in a private place. "It's always better to have it face-to-face. And if there's a high degree of emotion involved, email is not your medium," says Bennington.

Start on a positive note

Don't start the conversation with the negative; kick things off by complimenting something about the situation that is working, advises Bennington. Then clarify your intentions, concerns, and recommendations to make it better.

"If your boss becomes defensive, pause for a moment and check in. Reassure them of your positive intentions and allow them to express any concerns they have," says Grenny.

Stay company-focused

Always stay company-focused, says Kay, by asking thoughtful questions and presenting various ways a situation will impact the organization.

Finally, don't be discouraged if your boss ultimately fails to change his or her mind. Remember that voicing your opinion is good for the company and lets your boss know that you care about the success of the organization.

This article was originally published on Yahoo.HotJobs.com

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The Science of Google Web Presence

Emily Bennington, Monster Contributing Writer — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:28:00 -0700

We’ve heard the message -- loud and clear -- that employers are using social media and Google to screen candidates. But what if you don’t like what they’ll find when they Google you?

For example, remember that snarky comment you made on The Huffington Post? It’s not so funny when it ranks No. 2 on a search for your name. Alternatively, what if you’ve been in trouble with the law? Or, as one of my students did, you share a name with a porn star?

These are all valid questions, and reveal why online reputation management is critical these days. And while every situation -- just like every search -- is different, you may have a bit more control over your Google search results than you may think. So, if you want to put your best Web-foot forward and own the search for your name, here are the first things you should do to manage your personal brand and control your online reputation. Note: This advice also works if you have the opposite problem, meaning you’re living in a Google ghost town with practically nothing about you online.

Get LinkedIn

Don’t just sign up or maintain a skeletal presence. Make sure your profile is 100 percent complete. LinkedIn ranks very high in Google, so the more applicable content you have on your profile, the better.

Own Your Domain

Purchase your-name-dot-com from a host site and start a Web site or blog. The good news here is that you can use the blog to promote yourself (or your business) and control what shows up on Google at the same time. A warning, though: While blogs are cheap and relatively easy to set up, don’t start one unless you have the discipline and writing skills to maintain it. An untended blog grows the equivalent of “digital weeds” that will undermine the positive impression you’re trying to make. However, if you do decide to launch a blog, the Google-owned Blogger.com blogging platform ranks crazy-high in searches. Coincidence? Another option is Wordpress, where you can incorporate your name into your blog URL, which can also improve your search rank. Remember it’s always best to have your own domain.

Claim Your Name

According to Dan Schawbel, personal branding expert and author of Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success, you should own your name on all of the top social networks. In addition to the Big Three (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn), if you want to view a list of additional sites where your name is available, Schawbel recommends KnowEm.com. (Warning: I visited KnowEm, and it’s a little addictive.)

Get Some Press

Because media hits also tend to fall exceptionally high on Google, get yourself covered. Find a reporter to write about your volunteer project, write an article for a business journal or guest post on a popular blog you follow. The trick here is to keep it going so you can (hopefully) bury whatever it is you don’t want people to locate under an avalanche of things you do. Also, your comments on high-profile sites can show up in results as well, so use them as an opportunity for others to see you at your very best.

Be Honest

While this advice does work, if you have more serious issues -- like a rap sheet -- the truth will come out eventually. As such, it’s a waste of time to try to manipulate search results. That’s not to say you shouldn’t be doing steps 1 through 4. On the contrary, it’s more important for you to do them than ever. But since you won’t be able to hide behind clean results for long, be prepared to articulately and compellingly discuss the mistakes of your past and how you’ve grown away from them.

Finally, I promise not to get too technical on you, but the phenomenon we know as “Google Web presence” is really nothing more than an algorithm entitled PageRank (named for Google founder Larry Page, not actual Web pages). It’s a pretty complex formula but, at the core, PageRank is about one thing: relevancy. In other words, the more popular the Web page -- that is, the more links, eyeballs and applicable keywords it has -- the higher it will rank in search results. As the title of this piece notes, it’s a science. The art is up to you.

[Emily Bennington is coauthor of Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job (Ten Speed Press, 2010). She is a contributor to The Huffington Post and a frequent speaker to college students and organizations on the topic of career success. Bennington also teaches a graduate-level course on social media and hosts the Professional Studio 365 blog that helps new professionals successfully navigate their first year in the workforce. She can be reached via email at ebennington@msn.com or on Twitter @EmilyBennington.]

8 Ways to Make Your Resume More Marketable

Margaret Steen, for Yahoo! HotJobs — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:28:00 -0700

The economy is shaky -- and it may feel like your job is, too. Whether you're already job hunting or believe you may need to soon, there are steps you can take to make yourself more attractive to potential employers. Here are eight tips from the experts on increasing your marketability:

Use Your Name as Your Brand, Especially in Email

Don't confuse potential employers by using your maiden name on your resume and your married name in your email. And the nickname your friends find funny may not look professional.

"Manager jobs don't go to people with cute email addresses," says Marianne Adoradio, a recruiter and career counselor.

Meet an Employer's Need

Employers "want a round peg for the round hole," said Kathryn Ullrich, a career expert and executive recruiter.

You may want to stretch yourself by trying a job you've never done before, but there's not much in that for the employer. Any time you apply for a job, make sure you can tell a story about your career that shows why you would be the best person for the job. "It's really about what the employer is looking for," Ullrich says.

Maintain a Smart Online Profile

"All that stupid stuff you put on Facebook -- take it off," says Richard Phillips, owner of Advantage Career Solutions. At the same time, find industry blogs and forums and start contributing comments.

Ask for Help

"Ask everyone for one thing they would suggest you do if they were in your shoes," Adoradio says. "It seems to reveal things that you wouldn't have thought to ask."

Become Active in a Professional Association

This means doing more than paying dues and showing up for meetings. Find a way to help. For example, perhaps you can organize expert speakers in your field to be on a panel. It will boost your resume, build your self-esteem and give you valuable connections. "You're building up relationships with people who are going to hire you," Ullrich says.

Take a Class or Get a Certificate

This is especially helpful if it teaches you a skill -- new technology that's being used in your field, for example -- that you don't already have.

Take on a New Project at Work

It should be "something that lets you add something new to your resume," Phillips says. "Think in terms of the resume that you're going to be writing. What do you want to have on there that isn't on there now?"

Be Flexible

You may not want to commute more than 10 miles, but being willing to bend a bit will open up more opportunities. It will also make you a more attractive candidate because it signals to employers that you're able to handle change.

This article originally appeared on Monster Career Advice.

8 Quirky Types of Hospital Visitors

Hamsa Ramesha | Allhealthcare — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:46:00 -0700

Nurses, you've seen it all. You’re on the frontline when it comes to patient care. From the most disgusting patient cases (mysterious bodily fluids and "code brown") to the most heartwarming (pediatric miracles!), what haven't you seen on your floor?

Unlike doctors, you don't just deal with a patient's medical condition; you're often left to face the patient's family and friends too. On the job, your people skills are just as important as your medical ones. Whether it's lending an ear to distressed parents, or patiently listening to an angry tirade, a big part of your job is to take care of your patient and their loved ones.

Like your patients, hospital visitors come in all shapes, sizes, and attitudes. Most may be considered normal, but there are a few characters in the mix that definitely stand out. In a humorous tribute, we've rounded up eight examples of some of the quirkiest visitors ever to grace the whitewashed walls of the hospital.

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Next: The M.D. >>

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1. The M.D.

There are M.D.s and then there are M.D.s, better known as Make-believe Doctors. You know, the type who thinks they hold an M.D. degree and force their medical know-how upon anyone in the near vicinity. This kind of hospital visitor doesn't trust anybody's diagnosis, no matter what degree they hold. Armed with the power of Google, WebMD, and of course, Wikipedia, these wannabe M.D.s are nothing but trouble and potentially a danger to the patient if they get in the way of your treatment plan.

They question each move you make (from changing bandages, to upping the patient's meds), quibble over every notation on the patient's chart, and pester the hospital staff about signs, symptoms, and experimental treatments that they think you should be doing instead.

Next: The Hospital Mommy >>

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2. The Hospital Mommy

If you thought that M.D.s were all over the place, wait until you've met the Hospital Mommy. This kind of hospital visitor, who may or may not be the patient's biological mother, is a mommy to everyone. She won't just bring the patient homemade chocolate chip cookies; she'll bake enough for a small army and feed the entire hospital if given the chance.

The Hospital Mommy decorates every spare inch of the patient's room with flowers, cards, stuffed animals, food, and other miscellaneous knickknacks. Don't be surprised if her motherly love and attention spills out of the patient's room and onto the nurse's station, showering you with little treats. You may often find her by the patient's bedside, knitting needles clacking away, or gabbing with another nurse.

Next: The Clinger >>

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3. The Clinger

Like static cling, this hospital visitor never leaves. Like super glue, the Clinger adheres to the patient's room, becoming an immovable fixture, no matter how many shifts go by. Like a magnet, this visitor is drawn to the patient, always there at the start of visiting hours, only to be pried from their post with a crowbar when it's time to leave. Like white on rice… well, you get the picture! There's no letting go for the Clinger.

Next: The Absentee >>

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4. The Absentee

No matter what time of the day you're working, you never seem catch a glimpse of the Absentee. This kind of hospital visitor is an invisible specter, a ghost haunting the halls of the hospital. The Absentee is usually someone close to the patient: a parent, child, sibling, cousin, or other relative, who should be present but never is. While every Tom, Dick, and Harry out there may visit the patient, the Absentee remains conspicuously … absent.

Next: The Telecommuter >>

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5. The Telecommuter

Like the Absentee, the Telecommuter is rarely around, preferring to hide behind a digital smokescreen than make a personal appearance. The Telecommuter is always plugged in and reachable via phone, email, text, and even (gasp!) Twitter. But being physically present at the hospital is an impossible feat.

Whether it's calling up the nurse's station to see if the patient is out of surgery, or emailing the attending physician about the latest treatment plan, the Telecommuter may send flowers, balloons, and baked goods to the patient, but he will never give the gift that matters most – time.

Next: The Groupies >>

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6. The Groupies

Groupies at the hospital are the patient's personal fan base, always there for emotional support and positivity. Their dedication surpasses all bounds as they hang around from dawn 'til dusk, catering to the patient's every whim. Whether it's cheering the patient through a rough recovery period, or holding her hand as the doctor delivers some bad news, the Groupies are like mountains, steadfast and unshakeable to the core.

Always ready with a pep talk and a silly balloon, Groupies don't just support the patient; they support the hospital staff too, and try to do anything to help. In fact, they'd probably be overjoyed to take on some of your nursing responsibilities (hello, sponge bath!) … tempting, hmm?

Next: The Advocate >>

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7. The Advocate

The Advocate is the type of hospital visitor who isn't shy about making her opinions known. She'll get loud and angry fast if she thinks something is off. But despite her actions, know that she always has the >patient's best interest at heart, even if she is wrong. The Advocate can get a little – ok, a lot – in your face, but her intentions are the same as yours: making sure the patient gets better.

Like the M.D., the Advocate is prone to questioning every decision made by you and the doctor. She wants – and demands – the very best for the patient, and isn't hesitant to put everything you do under a microscope. Nothing escapes her critical eye, which means any mistake made is an opportunity for her to put you out to dry. Don't take it personally.

Next: The Hypochondriac >>

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8. The Hypochondriac

The Hypochondriac's agenda is purely selfish. He visits the patient under false pretenses, as his real goal is to float his medical theories by the first doctor he comes across. Don't be surprised if you get a lot of hypothetical questions from this visitor, who may ask you about various aches and pains, mysterious illnesses, exotic diseases, and "theoretical" medical situations.

The Hypochondriac uses this opportunity to get his own medical diagnosis, and use the hospital facilities to his advantage. Don't be surprised if you find yourself caring for two patients, the real, sick patient, and the Hypochondriac.

Next: Continue >>

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Like patients, hospital visitors are a crazy bunch. Most of the time, these eight quirky visitors just want their loved one to get better, which makes their questionable antics easier to swallow. Whether it's the overeager Advocate, the doting Mommy, the suspicious M.D., or the faithful Groupies, these oddball visitors can give you a tough time, but they mean well.

Got any other strange hospital visitors you'd like to add to the list? Tell us in the comments below!

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Is Your Employer Taking Advantage of You?

Larry Buhl | HotJobs — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:27:00 -0700

Since the recession began in December 2007, more than half of all American workers have become unemployed, taken a pay cut, suffered a reduction in hours, or had to take a temporary job because they couldn't find a full-time position, according to the Pew Research Center's Social and Demographic Trends Project.

You probably don't need a study to tell you the job market is still less than robust. In such an environment, you might assume that employers are taking advantage of employees--by withholding raises and promotions, loading on extra work, and even eliminating fringe benefits long after their balance sheets are healthy.

And in some cases, you'd be right.

"Now that corporations have learned they can do with fewer workers, many are using it to their advantage, whether it is essential to their survival or not--and that trend could go on indefinitely," says Douglas McIntyre, editor of 24/7 Wall Street.

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Mike Manoske, a business development manager and recruiter for the staffing and consulting firm Yoh, believes that that up to a third of companies that are raking in gobs of money are not sharing it. He adds that such stingy behavior is usually not due to greed but rather to "nervous senior managers who are worried the economic recovery won't last."

"There are a lot of organizations who say, basically, 'You're lucky to have a job now, so here's more work,' but nobody in management is communicating why they need to take on more work," Manoske says.

If you suspect that your long days, flat paychecks, and stingy perks are helping make someone at your company very rich, experts offer tips on assessing the situation.

Don't believe everything you hear or read. "The rumor mills are on hyper-drive now, and people hear and repeat only half the story, but they rarely validate it," Manoske says. "Most of the time, it's a lack of communication from the top and from managers that causes rumors and resentment to run wild."

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Holly G. Green, CEO and managing director of The Human Factor, agrees that it's important to learn the full story. "The company could have gone into deep debt to keep the doors open but has now had one great quarter--a long way from full recovery but starting to do well. There are times when externally facing statements don't really tell the whole story, so you have to be cautious about assuming too much from them."

When in doubt, ask HR. Manoske shares a story of a colleague who was given a raise in January that wouldn't take effect until June. It was a moot point, because the colleague was laid off in May. "What he should have done is reached out to someone in human resources in February and asked, 'Where are we?'"

That's not to say that HR will always share information, or that they even know. But it's still important to ask, Manoske says. "If HR doesn't know the answer, they will almost always ask upper management, and if upper management receives enough queries, they'll be forced to better communicate and explain the company's method of compensating employees."

Do your own snooping. You need to do some sleuthing yourself, Manoske says. One great source is people who have recently left the company: "Even though someone who quit may have an axe to grind, they still can have some valuable information to share about what's going on in the company." Manoske adds that it's up to you to determine what the truth is once you've consulted enough sources.

Ask, don't demand. If it looks as though your company is squeezing you unnecessarily, approach your supervisor to ask for more money, better hours, a lighter workload, a promotion, or perks. But don't demand. "The way you ask is important," Green emphasizes. "Start the conversation with phrases like 'It seems as if the company has really turned around and is doing well, based on our most recent quarterly results. Can you help me understand how this will affect employees as we continue to do well?'"

John O'Connor, president of Career Pro, advises against letting emotion get the better of you when you're asking for what you think you're due. "Don't speak out in anger because it will never advance your career," he explains.

Look for greener pastures. Some companies are hiring, and new hires don't always have to accept rock-bottom wages and meager perks. If you do some salary research and learn that the compensation structure in your company really is out of whack, you have options. "Companies are asking for a lot right now, but if they don't live up to their promises and it's affecting your health and sanity and performance, be looking for a place that validates you," O'Connor says.

Make sure you land a place in one of these greener pastures before quitting, advises O'Connor. "You don't want to voluntarily un-employ yourself right now. You should make sure you have another offer waiting."

"In the end, you have to decide if it's worth the trade-off to stay with an employer you feel is taking advantage of you, versus moving on to a new one in tough times," Green says.

This article was originally published on Monster.com

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How to Make Friends in and out of the Hospital

Jeff Hindenach | Allhealthcare — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 11:58:00 -0700

When we were younger, making friends was easy. School provides us with an instant pool of people our own age that we interact with on a daily basis, who are in the same boat we are. But once we leave nursing school and enter the real world, finding friends can be a more difficult task, especially if you have to relocate for a job.

Whether in or out of the hospital, you are dealing with a myriad of ages, interests, and personalities. So how do you sift through it all to find true friends? Here are some tips on how to make it happen.

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Make Yourself Accessible

At the Hospital: The workplace can be a hard place to approach people. Conflicting shift schedules and running around after patients makes it hard to interact with your coworkers. Make an effort to show you’re a friendly person. Engage in some friendly hospital banter. Ask coworkers how their weekend was. Any excuse to interact with your colleagues will help show them that you are willing to make the effort to be friends.

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Out of the Hospital: When you aren’t working a shift, you don’t have a direct pool of people to interact with. The entire city is a pool of possible friends. The best approach is to simply be approachable. Be friendly. Smile and say hi as people pass. Strike up a conversation in the line at the grocery store or the bank. The friendlier you are, the more people will want to interact with you.

Reach out of Your Comfort Zone

At the Hospital: You can’t sit in your little bubble and expect people to approach you. You are going to have to handle some awkward social situations before you can find your hospital BFF. Take every invite to go out to lunch, even if you’ve brought your own. Attend every work happy hour. If your coworkers want to sing Love Is a Battlefield at karaoke, get up on stage with them. You need to show you’re a team player if you want to be included in their reindeer games.

Out of the Hospital: If you continue to go to the same bars or same places to eat, you are going to keep running into the same people. Branch out. Take a class. Start shopping at a different market. Go to a movie or dinner alone, or grab a drink by yourself. Strike up a conversation with the bartender. If you have social anxiety, and strangers scare you, try starting small, like chatting with the Starbucks barista you see every morning.

Next: Find Common Interest >>

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Find a Common Interest

At the Hospital: If your hospital has groups or clubs for employees, it could be the perfect way to meet coworkers with similar interests. Volunteer for the hospital’s philanthropy efforts. Or start your own group at the hospital. Finding coworkers with similar interests guarantees that you have something to bond over that’s not just work.

Out of the Hospital: No matter what city you are in, there are people who share your interests. Find the local groups of your interest. Love to bowl? Join a bowling league. Enjoy a good book? Find a book club. Are you an avid runner? Get into a running group. Finding smaller pools of people also allows you to interact with people in a closer, more personal way.

Try Unconventional Methods

At the Hospital: If you have tried the subtle approach and nothing is happening, try taking charge of the situation. Invite some of your coworkers out for a happy hour. Organize an after-work movie night. Find a good excuse to get some of your coworkers to hang out in a social setting.

Out of the Hospital: If social settings aren’t working for you, take your search online. Some local sites can offer ways for locals with similar interests to connect. Dating sites can also be an excellent way to make friends. And you could even find a significant other during the process.

Making friends can be a trying experience, but all you need is one new friend to help you branch out and find more. Remember, in general, people are friendly, you just need to make the effort to get to know them.

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Should Bashing Your Boss on Facebook Be Legally Protected?

Kathy O'Reilly | Monster's Director of Social Media Relations — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 12:02:00 -0700

Employees have been criticizing their bosses since the beginning of time.

Until the birth of social media, these conversations generally played out in lunchrooms or restrooms, around the water cooler, over a few cocktails at the local pub after working hours, and in the smoker’s circle outside the office building.

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Regardless if the criticisms were true or not, the context remained private for the most part, usually involving a few other employees who also had similar disdain and negative feedback regarding the boss. Now, via social channels like Facebook and Twitter, private thoughts shared among a few are becoming very public statements broadcast to the world in real-time.

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Should employees be allowed to bash the boss on Facebook? More importantly, should they be legally protected when they publicly disparage their boss in social media?

These questions and concerns hit mainstream media last week following a recent case in Connecticut where the National Labor Relations Board ruled that
companies can’t fire employees for complaining about their boss on Facebook.

To set the historical context around the recent ruling, in 2009, American Medical Response (AMR), an ambulance services company, fired one of their emergency medical technicians for posting a criticism of her supervisor on Facebook. Several of the woman’s coworkers agreed with her Facebook post, in which she “referred to their supervisor using AMR’s code for a psychiatric patient.”

Fast forward to October 2010, when the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in turn
filed a complaint against the company on behalf of Dawnmarie Souza, the fired EMT. The NLRB argued that “the National Labor Relations Act made Souza’s comments protected speech; the act gave her the right to discuss terms of employment with AMR with her coworkers and other people.”

The NLRB also felt AMR erred in not providing Souza with union representation when supervisors met with her to discuss her Facebook post.

Next Page: Three Questions for Employers To Consider →

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What happens when the workplace and social media collide? What precedent does this now set in labor law and what repercussions will this ruling have on future employer/employee relations? And what does this mean for existing
employee policies and their use of social media?

HR blogger Lance Haun recently authored an
article on The NLRB-Facebook Firing Case, looking at the Four Things Employers Need To Know. Lance brings up some interesting points, in particular, does this ruling only protect union employees and is this a victory for free speech, or something else all together.

We’d like to open up the conversation further and suggest additional questions for employers following last week’s NLRB ruling.

Social Networking: Three Questions for Employers To Consider

1. Isn’t this behavior just another form of workplace bullying or harassment?

While companies are going to great lengths to protect employees (including the boss) in the workplace, what is the employer’s role in protecting the employee being bashed publicly? If boss bashing is a form of workplace bullying, should such behavior be tolerated, let alone protected by law?

2. Are current social media policies/guidelines now at risk?

Even if employers have clearly defined social media guidelines established within their organizations, this ruling could challenge social media policies currently in place. If employees can now cite AMR vs. Souza in their own defense, existing social media guidelines may now need to be revisited by organizations.

3. What damage control and legal risks potentially lie ahead?

When a company’s dirty laundry is aired in public for the world to see, what negative impact does it have on the brand reputation of the organization, and what processes can they put in place to get back on track? If the information posted in a public online setting is libelous and slanderous, does boss bashing now put the company at risk for a potential lawsuit brought on by one of their own employees?

We suspect this is just the beginning of the discussion, and while we continue to watch how things will play out, we do predict two things in the aftermath of this current ruling:

1. Employers will be re-thinking their in-house social media policies immediately.

2. Anyone thinking about getting into social media law as a career choice will likely have excellent job security in the years to come.

This article was originally published on MonsterThinking.com.

When to Argue With the Doctor

Steve Berman | Allhealthcare — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:14:00 -0700

Most of our daily problems, including common annoyances such as arguments with coworkers, are dismissed as not life or death. However, when nurses, healthcare professionals, and doctors are involved, it can be a matter of life or death. Egos need to be left outside the hospital by the professionals entrusted with the health and safety of the patients they care for, which sometimes means you must argue with doctors.

The problem is that a hospital isn't really conducive to arguing. And doctors aren't like lawyers, who argue for a living. They're used to having everyone accept their opinion as gospel, and can take it as a personal affront when anyone disagrees with them. Unfortunately, doctors are people and people make mistakes, and with nurse practitioners and RNs taking on more and more duties, nurses and doctors butting heads is becoming increasingly common.

Here are four times when it's OK to argue with your doctor.

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1. When the doctor isn't listening to you or the patient

You often have more contact with patients than doctors do leading up to surgeries or consultations. It's during those interactions that you often find out relevant information about a patient's condition that may not be obvious otherwise, especially if you're a nurse. If you have something to add and the doctor blows you off, it's probably a good idea to take them aside and let them know that they shouldn't ignore the information you're conveying.

2. When the doctor is belittling you

Most doctors are professional, respectful, and courteous. There are some bad apples, though. Doctors who make you sound stupid in front of patients and/or coworkers need to be told that what they're doing isn't acceptable. Otherwise your ability to do your job will be compromised.

3. When the patient's safety is in danger

If the doctor is showing any signs of incompetency — be it poor decision making or even signs of intoxication — it's a must that you take it up with the doctor involved before he or she does something harmful to the patient. If that doesn't work, tell your superior immediately.

4. When the doctor isn't letting you do your job

Depending on your job, you may be asked to assist or even handle some surgical procedures, or even anesthetizing patients. If a doctor comes in and pulls the whole, "I'll take it from here" routine and tries to keep you from handling your duties, you should say something to him or her. Otherwise, they're likely to keep pushing you aside.

Next: What You Can Do >>

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Now that you know when it's okay to argue with a doctor, here are four things to keep in mind if an argument with a doctor can't be avoided. Follow these rules to ensure you do the least amount of damage possible to your reputation and the relationship with the doctor.

1. Think before you speak

If you feel like you need to let the doctor know that he or she did something wrong, or that you disagree on the course of action they're taking, don't just blurt out your concerns. Not all doctors do things the exact same way, and no two patients are exactly alike. What looks strange or incorrect to you may actually be the correct treatment for a patient, or the doctor might be using a technique you aren't familiar with. Thinking for a minute about the doctor's point of view and whether it has merit before you say anything can save you from countless arguments.

2. Don't raise your voice

Personality conflicts at work only get worse at higher volumes. Even if the doctor is yelling or belittling you, the best thing to do is always stay on an even keel. A calm, professional demeanor will earn you respect – if not from the doctor you're arguing with, at least from other coworkers.

3. Be aware of your surroundings

The last thing you want to do is argue with a doctor in front of a patient. Just imagine how you would feel if your life is in the hands of people who are arguing about how to care for you, or just don't get along. Nobody wants to be under the care of someone who's emotionally unstable or downright angry. Move the argument to a neutral area, preferably an empty room with a door that closes.

4. Let your supervisor know

Anytime you have a disagreement with a doctor, it's a good idea to go to your supervisor and let him or her know what happened as soon as possible. That way, if the doctor complains about you, your supervisor will be aware of your side of the story. If the first time they hear about the disagreement is from a complaining doctor, then you're going to be in the unenviable position of having to explain yourself to your superior.

Nobody strives for conflict with coworkers, but sometimes it can be unavoidable – especially in the high stakes and high stress environment of a hospital. You will need to stand your ground at some point in your dealings with doctors. If you follow these tips and make sure to keep your emotions out of the equation, you will be able to navigate these workplace landmines so you can concentrate on getting your work done and giving your patients the best care possible.

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Build a Great Working Relationship with Your Boss

Peter Vogt | Monster Senior Contributing Writer — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:19:00 -0700

One of the worst things you can do when you start your new job is to make your supervisor look bad for hiring you. After all, your boss is key to your current on-the-job satisfaction and to your future success in the organization -- and perhaps even beyond.

If there ever were a relationship for you to invest in, this is it. So here are five ways to get off to a great start with your new supervisor. Your efforts now will lay the groundwork for a productive working relationship over the long haul.

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Watch Your New Boss and Learn

"The No. 1 thing is to observe the company culture and your supervisor closely during your first few weeks," says Terese Corey Blanck, principal of College to Career, a career-consulting firm in suburban Minneapolis. "Keep your opinions to yourself until you understand the company culture well and know what people will look upon with favor and what they'll look upon with disdain."

Even something as simple as asking intelligent questions will make a difference in how your boss perceives you as an employee. "It's always better to clarify than to charge off and go completely in the wrong direction," Corey Blanck says.

Communicate the Way the Boss Wants To

Some bosses are very hands-on, keeping close tabs on you throughout your workday. Others may talk to you once a week or less often and send you on your way to do your job.

Whatever your supervisor's style, typically it's up to you to establish and maintain the lines of communication between the two of you. Using either email or the occasional stop-by-the-office visit, make sure you keep your boss informed with the answers to these questions:

• What are you working on?

• What have you finished, and what are the results?

• What can you help your supervisor with?

Next: Look and Act Professional >>

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Look and Act Professional

Allison Hemming, author of Work It! How to Get Ahead, Save Your Ass, and Land a Job in Any Economy and founder of The Hired Guns, a Manhattan-based interim workforce agency, talks about a candidate she recently placed with a major investment bank -- quite easily, thanks to the candidate's background and skills.

"Two weeks into the job, we got a call from her manager, saying that she was doing a terrific job, but that she sometimes dressed inappropriately, in short, short skirts and open-toed shoes," says Hemming. "The manager asked me to have a chat with the person, because they really liked her and didn't want her attire to impact her ability to get promoted in the future."

The new hire was a bit shocked to discover her fashion faux pas were damaging her relationships with her supervisor and colleagues, but she quickly made the necessary changes to her wardrobe, Hemming says.

Demonstrate Initiative

Any new employee can sit around waiting to be told what to do. Why not be proactive enough to figure it out yourself so your supervisor doesn't constantly have to hold your hand?

"Take initiative to get something done when you see it needs getting done," says Corey Blanck. "It can be something as simple as taking a stack of files and going through them before you're asked -- anything to show that you're not beneath the small tasks that take up everyone's time."

"Come in early and stay late," says Stephen Viscusi, author of On the Job: How to Make It in the Real World of Work and a frequent workplace contributor on ABC's "Good Morning America." "You should be busy whenever you're starting a new job, learning the ropes, but even when you're not, perfect the art of looking busy."

Do Great Work

This might seem like painfully obvious advice for developing a solid relationship with your new boss, but it bears repeating. "Make your boss look good by, guess what -- just plain working hard," says Viscusi. "It's old-fashioned, but it really works."

This article was originally published on Monster.com.

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Baby's Death Spotlights Safety Risks Linked to Computerized Hospital Systems

Chicago Tribune — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:27:00 -0700

CHICAGO _ The medical error that killed Genesis Burkett began with the kind of mistake people often make when filling out electronic forms: A pharmacy technician unwittingly typed the wrong information into a field on a screen.

Because of the mix-up, an automated machine at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital prepared an intravenous solution containing a massive overdose of sodium chloride _ more than 60 times the amount ordered by a physician.

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When the nutritional fluids were administered to Genesis, a tiny baby born 16 weeks prematurely, the infant's heart stopped and he died, leaving behind parents stunned by grief to this day.

Although a series of other errors contributed to the tragedy, its origin _ a piece of data entered inaccurately into a computer program _ throws a spotlight on safety risks associated with medicine's advance into the information age, a trend being pushed aggressively under health reform.

The federal government is aiding the shift with $23 billion in incentives to medical providers who buy electronic medical records or computerized systems that automate drug orders and other medical processes. The hope is that these technologies will enhance access to vast amounts of information now tucked away in paper files and meaningfully improve medical care.

Doctors should be able to see test results quickly and communicate more easily with each other, for example. And electronic safeguards also can remind physicians about recommended medical practices or alert them to harmful interactions between medicines.

Yet with these sizable potential benefits also come potential problems. Hospital computers may crash or software bugs jumble data, deleting information from computerized records or depositing it in the wrong place. Sometimes, computers spew forth a slew of disorganized data, and physicians can't find critical information about patients quickly.

Meanwhile, different electronic systems used in hospitals may not be able to communicate, and the alerts built into these systems are often ignored because they are so frequent and often are not especially useful, physicians and other experts report.

Technology vendors tend to dismiss incidents like the death that occurred at Advocate Lutheran General in Park Ridge as arising from human errors, not product deficiencies. But other experts say health information technologies can lead to mistakes when they aren't in sync with the way medical providers work.

"We see problems much more often than we would like" because many health information systems are poorly designed and difficult for doctors and nurses to use, said Dr. Rainu Kaushal, chief of the division of quality and medical informatics at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.

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Exactly how often safety concerns arise is not known. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December acknowledged getting 370 reports of problems involving health information technology since January 2008, including several dozen patient injuries and deaths, but those numbers are likely to be low because such reports are voluntary. Some examples:

_A patient died after a computer network problem caused delays in transmitting a critically important diagnostic image.

_Vital signs from patient monitors disappeared from electronic medical records after being viewed by hospital staff.

_A patient died after getting therapy meant for someone else after a wrong name was entered electronically on a scan performed by radiologists.

_Data about patients' allergies were eliminated from medical records during an automatic computer update.

"(These) technologies can be enormously helpful, but what is emerging is that when implemented poorly, they can be harmful," said Dr. Ashish Jha, associate professor of health policy at Harvard University's School of Public Health and a member of an Institute of Medicine committee appointed late last year to study safety concerns associated with health information technology. That panel's recommendations are expected to be issued in 2012.

Carla Smith, executive vice president of HIMSS, the industry's largest trade group, based in Chicago, said that "safety concerns are on our radar screen" and "we want to make sure we have checks and balances in place (in vendor systems) to prevent unintended harm."

The story of Genesis Burkett's death at Advocate Lutheran General last October underscores the potentially devastating consequences of a single wrong piece of data put into a software system.

The infant's parents, Fritzie and Cameron Burkett of Chicago, said they were overjoyed when their son, born four months early and weighing 1 pound 8 ounces, survived and began to improve under the hospital's expert care. For about six weeks, the Burketts and other family members said, they were at the baby's side, singing Christian music softly at his bassinet.

Having endured two previous miscarriages, the couple said they named the baby Genesis, signifying a new beginning.

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Genesis emerged from a heart operation on Oct. 15 without any clear complications, said the Burketts' attorney, Patrick Salvi. Yet later that day, Fritzie Burkett said she got a call from the hospital telling her to come in immediately. When she arrived, Burkett said, medical staff were performing CPR on Genesis, and about 40 minutes later they pronounced him dead.

"I lost all self-control; I didn't know what to do," Burkett recalled.

Dr. Lee Sacks, chief medical officer for Advocate Health Care, the Chicago area's largest health care system, said the hospital's investigation revealed that a pharmacy technician had entered information incorrectly when processing an electronic IV order for the baby, resulting in a massive sodium chloride overdose in the solution.

The problem could have been identified by automated alerts on the IV compounding machine, but those were not activated when the customized bag was prepared for the baby, according to the hospital. Asked why, Sacks cited ongoing litigation and declined to elaborate.

Advocate's investigation also found that the outermost label on the IV bag administered to the baby didn't reflect its actual contents, Salvi said. And while a blood test on the infant had shown abnormally high sodium levels, a lab technician assumed the reading was inaccurate, Salvi added, citing the hospital's investigation.

Still another issue that played a role in baby Burkett's death was a communication gap between the hospital's electronic ordering system and the machine that prepared his IV fluids.

Almost all medication requests at Advocate are transmitted by a doctor's keystroke to the hospital pharmacy's drug-dispensing system. But in this case, there was no electronic connection with the automated compounding system that prepared the IV bag for baby Burkett, a specialized device that handles low-volume, highly individualized orders.

So, a technician transcribed the order by hand and an error was introduced.

Electronic communication gaps are common at large hospitals, which typically use upward of 50 to 100 different information systems at their facilities, with different technologies used in emergency rooms, labs, pharmacies and other medical departments, said Ross Koppel, a sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania who studies health information technologies.

"To some degree these systems talk to each other, but mostly they don't, so hospitals have to design custom-made software 'bridges' to make this happen," Koppel said. With each jury-rigged software solution comes the potential for new software bugs, transcription errors and other problems.

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The lack of so-called interoperability between computer systems is a "huge problem" in hospitals and a significant contributor to potential safety issues, said Marc Probst, chief information officer at Intermountain Healthcare, a 23-hospital system in Salt Lake City and a member of the Health Information Technology Policy Committee, a federally appointed group. What's needed, he suggested, are better, more uniform national standards.

Other experts have called for more oversight by the FDA, which currently doesn't review new health information technologies or study their safety or effectiveness; mandatory reporting of adverse events to a national database; or the creation of an independent body like the Federal Aviation Administration that would oversee the safety of these technologies, bringing vendors, hospitals, doctors and others to the table.

The Burketts filed a lawsuit in April against Advocate Health and Hospitals Corp., alleging that the hospital's actions led to their son's death and asking for an unspecified amount of money. Hospital officials said they are pursuing a settlement.

"It has been really hard to move on," said Fritzie Burkett, wiping tears from her eyes. "This didn't have to happen."

For their part, Advocate officials apologized to the Burketts for the errors that killed Genesis while vowing that similar mistakes would not happen again.

Since last year, staff have activated alerts for similar IV compounders used in the system's hospitals and strengthened "double check" policies for all medications leaving pharmacies, among other measures. Having poured $100 million into health care technology over the last decade, the system plans to use federal stimulus funds to institute a host of upgrades to electronic systems over the coming months.

The Burkett's case remains a "humbling" reminder that "we've got more work to do," Sacks said.

___

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Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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The Right Way to Say, "I Quit!"

Margaret Steen | HotJobs — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:06:00 -0700

The job market is finally showing signs of life--and that means more workers will likely have the opportunity to change jobs in the coming months.

It's clear that many will welcome this: A recent survey by the Corporate Executive Board, a research and advisory services company, found that 25 percent of workers whom employers had labeled as having high potential were hoping to move to a new company in the next year. This figure is up from just 10 percent in 2006.

Once you've found a new job, you may not give too much thought to the one you're exiting. But leaving a job--and the colleagues who will now become part of your network--the right way is crucial to your career.

"Reputation is very important," says Marianne Adoradio, a career counselor in Silicon Valley. You'll cement yours with how you leave.

Experts explain how to avoid four common mistakes when leaving a job:

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Staying too long

In most jobs, the standard is to give two weeks' notice when resigning. When you give notice, you may feel as though you should stay longer to make sure you don't leave your former employer short-handed.

Sometimes this is a good idea--for example, if you're working on a project that will be done in three or four weeks. However, you may discover that as soon as you announce your resignation, you are no longer considered indispensable and are left out of the loop. Your continued presence can even be a drain on an employer if you're no longer being useful.

Plus, "it's depressing and very demotivating," Adoradio says.

Saying too much

Whatever your reasons for leaving, now is the time to simply say that you have accepted a position that will move you closer to your long-term career goals.

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"Leave graciously, and take the high road," says Kathryn Ullrich, the author of "Getting to the Top: Strategies for Career Success." "Don't use it as a time to air your grievances."

If you have an exit interview with the human resources department, it's OK to raise legitimate issues and let them know why the new offer seemed better. But don't use either formal or informal interviews to trash your coworkers.

Not preparing

If your job involves confidential information or you're leaving to go to a competitor, you may find yourself escorted out the door as soon as you tender your resignation, Ullrich said.

You should prepare for this possibility by making sure you have removed any personal items from your office or computer. (Do not take company items or information, of course.)

Accepting a counteroffer without careful consideration

Your company may offer you a raise or promotion to get you to stay. Sometimes this is a good deal--but keep in mind that much of the time, workers who accept a counteroffer end up leaving anyway not too much longer after. (And your employer might have lingering doubts about your loyalty.)

"People need to know why they're leaving in the first place," Adoradio says. If the boss you don't get along with is still there, or if you still don't see a likely promotion path at your current company, it's unlikely that a counteroffer will give you what you're looking for.

And even if it will, "you have to question, well, why didn't they offer this to me in the first place?" Ullrich says.

This article was originally published on Monster.com

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How Toxic is Your Workplace?

Larry Buhl | HotJobs — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:00:00 -0700

Nobody loves going to work all the time--but there's a difference between routine workplace hassles and a working environment that stresses you out to the point of illness, according to Linnda Durre, the author of "Surviving the Toxic Workplace."

Durre suggests that hostile working environments typically have one or more types of dysfunction--how many symptoms does yours have?

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Unfairness

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Immoral and illegal activities

Abusive bosses and poisonous coworkers

Physical danger

Just plain annoying

Any one of these issues indicates a toxic environment and should not be tolerated, according to Durre. And if you've got check marks next to items in more than one category, your workplace may be dangerously poisonous. Unfortunately, employees often believe that these problems are the cost of doing business and must be endured. "Many workers believe they are helpless to change the situation and suffer devastating physical problems from the stress and anger," Durre says.

Next: Detoxifying Your Workplace >>

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Detoxifying your workplace

How you respond to any of these problem areas depends on you, on the level of threat the situation poses, and on the supportiveness of the company.

Confront, politely. You should be able to resolve many interpersonal problems--gossipers, time wasters, and game players--without intervention, according to Hilka Klinkenberg, founder and managing director of Etiquette International.

"If someone's always invading your space, for example, you can say you need to work and you'll speak with them later," she says. "If someone is talking loudly, you can say, 'You have a good, strong voice, but it's hard to concentrate when you speak at that volume.' When teammates waste your time, tell them what will help you meet your deadline. But don't vent and don't blame. Present every issue in terms of a solution, not a problem."

Do not confront. Situations where you're in physical danger should be handled as if you're meeting a bear in the woods: back away slowly and don't antagonize. But don't let it go. Report the problem to HR or to your supervisor if there is no HR department. If your supervisor is the threat, seek the next higher level--or in extreme cases, the police.

Go higher. If your boss won't resolve the problem (or is the problem) and if HR doesn't resolve the problem (or is part of the problem), you still have options, according to Durre.

"You can get an attorney or even hire a lawyer to write a letter merely threatening to sue, and you don't have to spend thousands of dollars to do it," she says. If you are part of a union, let them handle it. If you are part of a professional organization, tell them about it and recommend that the offending party's license be revoked." If it's an illegal or unethical situation, you can threaten to bring the situation to the media," Durre adds. "Companies hate bad publicity."

Have back up. When HR becomes involved, you'll need documentation to prove your case. Keep scrupulous records by writing down who said and did what, and when. It's even better if you have other coworkers who witnessed the situation and are willing to go to bat for you.

Plan your exit. Some companies have a culture of dysfunction. If the toxicity is coming from the top down, and it bothers you a lot, you're better off coming up with an exit strategy, according to Marie McIntyre, author, columnist, and creator of YourOfficeCoach.com.

"You can't change a corporate culture on your own," McIntyre says. "Give yourself a timeline for leaving, and start working on it. Just focusing on a more positive future will help your stress level while you're still in that negative environment."

You shouldn't have to leave just because of a bad boss or insufferable coworkers. But if the situation prompts you to start the company you've always dreamed about, that's not such a bad thing. The bottom line is, you don't have to suffer in silence. "The workplace shouldn't have to be nasty," Durre says. "It should be and can be a win-win for everyone."

This article was originally published on Monster.com

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Make Any Job Less Stressful

Heather Boerner | HotJobs — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 09:08:00 -0700

Stress is inevitable. But the debilitating strain of chronic work stress is not, even if you're in an inherently stressful profession.

In fact, learning to manage your stress is likely to improve your career, according to career coach Julie Jansen, the author of "You Want Me to Work With Who? Eleven Keys to a Stress-Free, Satisfying, and Successful Work Life--No Matter Who You Work With."

"The number one tip I give to people who want to get ahead at work is 'Manage your stress,'" she says. "People who are stressed act out, and behaving badly can mean that when a promotion comes up, you'll be passed over."

Consider these tips for recognizing and managing work stress:

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Become mindful

"The most important thing an individual can do is have awareness of both what's causing the stress and how you're responding to it," says Dr. Steven Rolfe, principal of the Boswell Group, a business consultancy in New York City.

Focus on your stress response and pinpoint causes:

• What activities, duties, or people leave you feeling drained?

• What or who causes your neck pain, headaches, or racing heartbeat?

• What tasks or situations do you avoid?

• How do you talk to yourself about your stress? What stories do you tell?

Take control

While you probably can't control layoffs or reorganizations, there are things you can control--and you should focus on those, says Diane Lang, a health and wellness counselor in New York City.

"I had a client who couldn't leave her job at the moment because she was a single parent," she said. "So we made a list of everything she could control and worked on the list."

Such a list might include focusing on improving your own job performance and setting short- and long-term goals for changing jobs.

Breathe

"Don't hold your breath" is a cliche for a reason. When people are stressed, they literally forget to breathe, says Jeffrey Brantley, director of mindfulness-based stress reduction at Duke University's Center for Integrative Medicine and a coauthor of "Five Good Minutes at Work: 100 Mindfulness Practices to Help You Relieve Stress and Bring Your Best to Work."

Even taking a few minutes to breathe deeply can calm your body's stress-spurred flight-or-fight response.

First things first

"You cannot get control of your stress without getting control of yourself physically," says Karissa Thacker, a Delaware-based management psychologist.

So go back to basics:

• Sleep. Your body may need more rest to deal with the stress.

• Avoid excess. "Stress is a physiological phenomenon that is immediately increased by lots of sugar or alcohol, which stress the system," says Thacker.

• Move your body. You don't have to train for a marathon. Even taking the dog for a walk will help clear your mind.

Change your pattern

Try this: talk to someone at work you haven't visited in a while. Go out to lunch if you usually eat at your desk. Introduce yourself to someone new. Do something to interrupt the usual cycle of stress and anxiety.

"Humans are routinized creatures," Thacker says. "Upset the routine, and you will also unfreeze the thought and emotional patterns that are keeping you constantly worked up."

This article was originally published on Monster.com

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6 Ways to Ask for a Summer Vacation

Hamsa Ramesha | Allhealthcare — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:36:00 -0700

Feel like the dreary walls of the hospital are closing in on you? Time for a summer break! Whether it's a relaxing cruise, an exotic island getaway, or a sandy beach adventure, it's high time you got out of those scrubs and away from the dreariness of your busy working life.

Worried your workload will keep you from some summer fun? If you follow these practical dos and don'ts, you'll find yourself out the door before you know it!

Dig out your swimsuit and grab that bottle of sunscreen! We'll help you get around an overbearing boss, angry coworkers, and looming patient files so you can get the sunshine you deserve.

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1. Do Ask in Advance

The fastest way to get shot down when asking for time off is asking at the last minute. Your boss is a busy person, with a lot on their plate. Why not make their job easier, (and show how considerate and responsible you are) by asking weeks — or months — in advance? Not only are you doing yourself a favor, but your manager will appreciate the heads up and can plan accordingly. They’ll have the time to consider the request fairly … and you'll have the added bonus of having plenty of time to try again if you're denied.

2. Don't Mention the Fun Factor

Just because you're planning a vacation doesn't mean you have to advertise it. Making a big deal of your upcoming trip might not just distract you from doing your work — it might even irritate your coworkers as well. Don't act like you've started your vacation early! Nobody wants to hear you go on and on about your impending trip to the Bahamas when they're going to be stuck at work.

3. Do Emphasize How Much You Deserve This Break

Vacations are statistically proven to boost employee productivity. For once, the math is on your side! When asking your manager for time off, point out how hard you've worked this year. If this is the first major vacation you've taken in a long time, don't hesitate to mention it. By emphasizing your hard work thus far, your employer will realize the benefit of having you come back refreshed and recharged to do even more great work.

Next: Don't Leave Loose Ends >>

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4. Don't Leave Loose Ends

Have you wrapped up your end of the shift? Got someone to cover your daily tasks? Designated a point person to handle any questions while you're gone? Leaving work left undone and coworkers hanging is a big mistake — one that will annoy your coworkers and make your manager think twice the next time someone wants to go on vacation. Manage your responsibilities yourself and make sure you're covered. There's nothing more inconsiderate than a someone who leaves work for colleagues to finish.

5. Do Get it in Writing

You politely asked your manager two months ago if you can take a vacation. You did everything right and got approval to go. But now your trip is a week away and your boss has no recollection of the conversation. Should've gotten it in writing! When you go in to ask for time off for a few months down the road, get your boss to put it in writing — either on paper or in an email. That way if they back out at the last minute — or simply forget the conversation — you have tangible proof that you weren't making it up!

6. Don't Feel Guilty

It's easy to feel like you're being a lazy employee if you want to skip town for some fun. But you shouldn't. Don't feel bad for taking time off! After all, your vacation days are yours to do with as you please, and what's the point in wasting them by feeling bad about it? Instead, channel the focus you have at work into having some serious fun! Work hard, play hard.

5 Ways to Keep Your Career Moving Forward

Caroline M.L. Potter | HotJobs — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:59:00 -0700

The adage says, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," and its wisdom is applicable to job seekers. It is usually far easier to find another job if you're already employed. But how can you ensure that the worst never happens to you -- that you're never left without a job and possibilities for your next opportunity?

Here are five suggestions from career coach Deborah Brown-Volkman:

Keep Thinking Positive

It sounds deceptively simple, but try embracing the power of positive thinking when you're thinking about your career. "When you tell yourself something bad will happen to your job, something bad will probably happen," says Brown-Volkman. "If you tell yourself that you are marketable and confident and that you will always be working, your words can make this true."

Keep Thinking Ahead

If you're not following trends within your particular industry, you could be caught off guard by a layoff. Is your position or division vulnerable to outsourcing, further automation or elimination? Brown-Volkman says, "If your job is being eliminated or outsourced, you will want to know about it before you are in the room with the human resources person telling you that your job is going away."

She urges professionals, "Look for trends and then train yourself in growth areas. Having the right skills at the right time ensures that no matter what is happening around you, you will be needed and employable."

Keep Your Resume Ready

Having your resume at the ready gives you confidence. You always know that if opportunity casually knocks, you're prepared to answer. Brown-Volkman reminds her clients, "Even if you are not looking for work, your resume reminds you of the contributions you make on a regular basis, something you can easily forget when you are immersed in the day-to-day. Whether you are looking for a job, or you already have one, an updated resume is essential for your career."

Keep Cultivating Your Network

Brown-Volkman says networking should always be a part of your professional life. "If you start to network only when you need something, you will have a lot of catching up to do," she says. Instead of waiting until the 11th hour, she advises workers to network in some way every day. "Wherever there are people, there is an opportunity to network," she says.

She also urges workers to network within their own workplaces. If coworkers understand what you do and your value, this could help safeguard your job in dicey times.

Keep Your Eyes and Ears Open

You're up on the trends. You're networking. You've got a current resume. You're thinking positive thoughts. Now it's time to get creative -- by creating your own opportunities.

Read up on what your peers are doing and what you aren't. Consider how you might strike out on your own -- or on the side. Brown-Volkman adds, "Rather than thinking, 'It cannot happen,' believe that what you want is possible and is within your reach. Then, make it happen."

This article was originally published on Monster.com.

Related Reads:

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Guide to Work Happy Hour Etiquette

Jeff Hindenach | AllHealthcare — Tue, 18 May 2010 14:27:00 -0700

At the end of a hellish day, it can be fun to go out and have a few with your favorite coworkers. But drinking with your office mates isn’t like drinking with your friends on the weekend. The same rules just don’t apply.

No matter how laid-back your office may be, your actions always reflect on your professional persona. So what kind of behavior is appropriate? We’ve put together a little work happy hour etiquette guide for you.

Pretend You Are Still at the Office

What happens at happy hour doesn’t necessarily stay at happy hour. You don’t want to be the butt of the office joke the next day, so keep your wits about you when joining your coworkers for drinks. Act like you are still in an office setting, and that all the usual HR rules still apply. This should give you a solid guideline of how to act.

Treat Your Boss Like You're Still at Work

Just because you’re sharing a pint doesn’t mean you’re now BFFs. Pitching him ideas while he’s trying to enjoy his Pilsner is not going to gain you any brownie points. Chances are he’s not going to remember what you talked about the next day anyway, so why are you trying so hard? As with your other coworkers, keep the conversation light and superficial.

Don’t Overstay Your Welcome

Having a few drinks after work with your coworkers is fine. Closing down the bar with them is not. The drunker you get throughout the night, the more likely you are to embarrass yourself in front of your entire office. If you feel like you just have to stay out late, call some friends to meet up with you at a different bar.

But if you do find yourself stuck at the bar until last call with your coworkers, remember to avoid the following …

Office Relations Are Off Limits

No matter how hot he is and how drunk you are, it’s not ok to flirt with the guy from Sales. While legitimate work relationships may be acceptable at your office, sloppy drunken hookups are not covered in the HR training. These are people you will have to work with on a daily basis — having an awkward hookup relationship with your coworkers just makes it more difficult for you to do your job properly.

Next Page: Don’t Get Sloppy →

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Don’t Get Sloppy

Doing shots off the stomach of the girl from Accounting is a big no-no. Dancing on the bar is probably frowned upon. And joining in on Jager-bomb races can only lead to trouble. These are extreme examples, but even having one too many beers can put you on the road to embarrassment. Keep track of how much you are drinking, and have a glass of water handy to sip between drinks. If you find yourself getting tipsy, excuse yourself and hail yourself a cab home.

Keep Trash Talking to a Minimum

You may find it a little harder to keep work gossip to yourself once you’ve had a few. Try harder. Chances are if you’re drunk, you may be talking at a louder volume than you think. It’s true what they say — loose lips sink ships, and you could be sinking your career ship if you’re branded the office gossip.

This Is Not Jersey Shore

Alcohol is a mood accelerant. If you dislike someone from the office, emotions can run high once you start knocking them back. Don’t pick a fight. Whether it be physical or verbal, fighting at a work happy hour creates an uncomfortable situation for everyone involved and could even lead to your termination if it gets out of hand.

Remember the Consequences

No matter what happens during happy hour, you’re going to have to deal with the fallout the next day. As fun as your coworkers might be, you have to know when to say enough is enough. If you are worried you won’t be able to cut yourself off, designate a responsible coworker to tell you when you’ve had enough.

While an office happy hour can be a great way to network at work, it can also easily destroy your career with one wrong move. Watch your alcohol intake, keep a cool head, and keep the conversation light and you’ll be fine. Enjoy yourself!

10 Pearls of Motherly Wisdom for Your Career

Hamsa Ramesha | MediaBuzz — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:31:00 -0700

Oh, mothers. They catch us when we fall, console us when we're feeling down, and offer us advice – whether we want it or not. As children, we were told to never talk to strangers, look twice before crossing the street, and remember that sharing is caring. But did the Mommy-isms really stop there?

We may have flown the nest for college, a job, and maybe even married life, but some things never change. As it turns out, that sage advice our mothers preached (and sometimes practiced) makes for solid career advice too! Take a look at our roundup of motherly advice that you can use for your career.

If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

The cardinal sandbox rule of playing nice with others also applies at the office. You're lucky if your coworkers are also your friends – in most cases, colleagues will remain just your colleagues. Keep unnecessary opinions to yourself and people will respect you for it. Office gossip makes for amazing television, not appropriate work conversation. After all, you never know who could be your boss one day!

'I don't know' is not an answer.

This piece of motherly advice should caution you against coming unprepared to the office. You should always know what your job requires of you, and be aware of current industry trends. Whether it's familiarizing yourself with the national health care debate, brushing up on company policies, or researching the latest product development in your market, don't use "I don't know" as an excuse for not bothering to find out. That said, if you genuinely don't know, don't lie! You don't have to be the resident know-it-all either.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

What's true for Jack is true for everyone else: Work hard, play hard. Nothing good ever came of working all the time – in fact, you could burn yourself out by never taking a break! Make sure to take a vacation from time to time – a real one. Not only is this important to maintaining your work-life balance, but it's also a good way to come back to work with more energy, and new ideas. Taking some well-deserved time off isn't just good for you, it's great for the company as well!

Next: Clean your room, I'm not your maid!

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Clean your room, I'm not your maid!

"Cleanliness is next to godliness," goes the saying, and it's also vital to your professional career. If your office space looks like the aftermath of World War II, you may want to consider breaking out the rubber gloves. Having an orderly desk and clean workspace shows not just how organized you are, but how seriously you take your job. Unlike your childhood bedroom, your desk at the office should always look professional.

What part of 'no' don't you understand?

You can't always get what you want, according to the Rolling Stones, your mom, and, well, Life. Learning to accept things for the way they are, and respecting boundaries you can't change is just a part of that. Work, like life, isn't always fair. When you ask for a raise, apply for a job, or propose a new project, you'll get turned down many times before you hear "yes." Chin up soldier, there's always next time.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Diversifying yourself, both personally and professionally, goes a long way. You want to keep yourself competitive in your industry, with the flexibility to adapt to sudden, unpredictable changes (see: recession). Sure, becoming an invaluable expert in a subject area or specialty is great, but not at the expense of updating other important skills. Whether it's taking certificate classes, refreshing yourself on the latest technologies, or simply expanding your professional interests, make sure you're staying on top of your game.

If everyone jumped off a cliff, would you do that too?

It's easy to go with the flow at work, especially if you're just starting out in your career. The pressure to blend in with everyone else, keeping your nose to the ground, is pretty standard. But it isn't always the smartest career move. Be proactive in your job and look for ways to shine. You don't have to make grand gestures to get noticed; speak up, bring up something innovative, lead a team in a new venture – there are many ways you can go against the grain without overstepping boundaries. Individuality is a beautiful thing.

Next: If you act confident, people will think you have a reason to be.

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If you act confident, people will think you have a reason to be.

Looks aren't everything, but they do count for a lot. It was true in high school, and it's definitely true at work as well. Work can be overwhelming – looming deadlines, performance reviews, coworker drama, staffing shortages – it's understandable if you feel like locking yourself up in the restroom for a good cry. It happens to the best of us. But don't let the stress get to you; keep your head high, and power through it. You'd be surprised at how much respect a confident attitude garners. Rock on!

Do as I say, not as I do.

This is probably one of the most hypocritical Mommy-isms, removing the parent from any and all consequences of their actions. Unfortunately it's also something to take note of in the workplace. Leaders come in all shapes and sizes, and you're fortunate if you have a good one. Not all bosses practice what they preach – although they should. As an employee (and measly underling) the best thing you can do is to grin and bear it, and remember this lesson when you become the big boss on campus.

You come first. Always.

Motherly love has a way of giving us strength when we need it most. That unyielding support and confidence lifts you up to great heights, every time. In her eyes, you are the finest employee, and deserve the best of everything. The reality of life is that often, we push aside our own interests to better serve the company at large. We sacrifice our time, labor, and even our professional goals for the sake of the big picture. When this happens, take a step back and evaluate yourself. Take stock of your accomplishments and what you bring to the table. It's okay to look out for yourself! Don't forget about that. Ever.

Mother knows best!

It's true, she does. She coached you through childhood, and even had a word or two to spare to help your professional career. Where would we be without our mothers to guide us? She's a life coach, a shoulder to cry on, and our best friend, all rolled up in one package. Give your mother a shout out this Mother's Day (May 9) and thank her for her countless pearls of wisdom over the years. She really does know best.

10 Most Influential Female Nurses of All Time

NursingLink — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:52:00 -0700

Nurses impact lives every day. But once in a while, a nurse comes along who touches the lives of the world, and not just her patients. These women went above and beyond for the field of nursing. They served in wars, broke down racial barriers, and campaigned for women's rights. They have become role models for women everywhere, not just nurses. However, nurses can be especially proud to share a title with these ten ladies.

h4. 1. *Florence Nightingale*

h4. 2. *Margaret Sanger*

h4. 3. *Clara Barton*

h4. 4. *Mary Eliza Mahoney*

h4. 5. *Anna Caroline Maxwell*

h4. 6. *Dorothea Lynde Dix*

h4. 7. *Ellen Dougherty*

h4. 8. *Mabel Keaton Staupers*

h4. 9. *Linda Richards*

h4. 10. *Claire Bertschinger*

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Nurses impact lives every day. But once in a while, a nurse comes along who touches the lives of the world, and not just her patients. These women went above and beyond for the field of nursing. They served in wars, broke down racial barriers, and campaigned for women's rights. They have become role models for women everywhere, not just nurses. However, nurses can be especially proud to share a title with these ten ladies.

h4. 1. *Florence Nightingale*

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"The Lady with the Lamp" is the quintessential nurse figure. She cared for the poor and distressed, and became an advocate for improving medical conditions for everyone. In her early life, Nightingale mentored other nurses, known as Nightingale Probationers, who then went to on also work to create safer, healthier hospitals.

In 1894, Nightingale trained 38 volunteer nurses who served in the Crimean War. These nurses tended to the wounded soldiers and sent reports back regarding the status of the troops. Nightingale and her nurses reformed the hospital so that clean equipment was always available and reorganized patient care. Nightingale soon realized that many of the soldiers were dying because of unsanitary living conditions, and, after the war, she worked to improve living conditions.

While she was at war, the Florence Nightingale Fund for the Training of Nurses was established in her honor. After the war, Nightingale wrote _Notes on Nursing_ and opened the Women's Medical College with Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell.

International Nurses Day is celebrated on Nightingale's birthday, May 12, each year.

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h4. 2. *Margaret Sanger*

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Best known as an activist for birth control and family planning, Margaret Sanger pioneered the women's health movement. She distributed pamphlets with information on birth control and wrote on topics such as menstruation and sexuality. Her controversial opinions and disregard for the law often get Sanger in trouble. At one point she left to England under an alias in order to avoid jail.

In 1921, Sanger founded the American Birth Control League which eventually became Planned Parenthood. She began the Clinical Research Bureau in 1923 - the first legal birth control clinic in the US.

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h4. 3. *Clara Barton*

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Clara Barton grew up wanted to take care of people. When her father fell ill, Clara helped to care for him until his death. This inspired her to take an interest in nursing, although she first went to school to become a teacher.

During the Civil War, Barton organized medical supplies to be brought to the battlefields. Soon enough, she was allowed to go to the battles herself in order to care for wounded soldiers. Her father taught her to be a true patriot, and these ideals shown through during Barton's years serving during the Civil War. In 1864, Barton became the "Lady in Charge" of Union hospitals, and the following year President Lincoln charged Barton with finding missing Union soldiers.

During a trip to Europe, Barton encountered the International Committee of the Red Cross, and was motivated to create a branch back in America. In 1873, Barton began the American Red Cross, dedicated to helping disaster victims. She served as the organizations first president.

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h4. 4. *Mary Eliza Mahoney*

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Mary Eliza Mahoney was the first African-American woman to become a nurse in the United States. Mahoney worked at the New England Hospital for Women and Children for 15 years before she was admitted into the adjacent nursing school. Mahoney dedicated her life to nursing, heading up the Howard Orphan Asylum for African-American children in New York. She was also one of the first members of the Nurses Associated Alumnae of the United States and Canada which later became the American Nurses Association.

In 1908, Mahoney co-founded the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses which eventually became part of the ANA. Each year, the ANA honors Ms. Mahoney with an award that represents her dedication to nursing and ending racial segregation. She has been inducted into both the ANA and National Women's Hall of Fame.

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h4. 5. *Anna Caroline Maxwell*

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Anna Caroline Maxwell was known as the "American Florence Nightengale." During the Spanish-American War, Maxwell headed up the army nurses, thereby establishing the Army Nurse Corps. During WWI, Maxwell was given the Medal of Honor for Public Health.

Maxwell was an essential element to the progression of practical nursing. She began working at a hospital before she was formally trained, and after graduating the Boston City Training College for Nurses, Maxwell began the nurse training program at Montreal General Hospital. She also served as the superintendent of nurses at a number of east coast hospitals including Massachusetts General Hospital and St. Luke's Hosptial. Maxwell was the first director of the New York Presbyterian Hospital which would become the Columbia School of Nursing.

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h4. 6. *Dorothea Lynde Dix*

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Dorothea Dix is best known for creating the first mental health system in the United States. Inspired by a trip to England, Dix returned to America curious how the US government treated the mentally unstable. Dix spent many year petitioning Congress, drafting legislation, and documenting her visits to various states.

Dix first succeeded with the construction of the North Carolina State Medical Society in 1849, dedicated to the care of the mentally ill. Dix also assisted with legislation that called for 12,225 acres of land to be used for the "insane," with proceeds of its sale going to build mental asylums.

During the Civil War, Dix served as Superintendent of the Union Army Nurses, although she was eventually relieved of her duties after butting heads with Army doctors. She was a staunch believer in caring for everyone, though, and her nurses were some of the only caretakers of Confederate soldiers.

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h4. 7. *Ellen Dougherty*

Ellen Dougherty, of New Zealand, was the first Registered Nurse in the world. New Zealand was the first country to initiate the Nurse Registration Act that allowed for legal registration of nurses prior to completion of training. Dougherty trained at the Wellington Hospital and was the matron at Palmerston North Hospital.

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h4. 8. *Mabel Keaton Staupers*

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Mabel Keaton Staupers was an advocate for racial equality in the field of nursing. Staupers served as the secretary of the National Associated of Graduate Colored Nurses. She advocated for the introduction of African-American nurses into the Army and Navy during WWII.

In 1945, she won the fight and all nurses, regardless of race, were to be included in the military. In 1950, Staupers dissolved the NAGCN as it re-aligned with the American Nursing Association.

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h4. 9. *Linda Richards*

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After receiving little training during her first attempt to become a nurse, Linda Richards enrolled as the first student in the first American Nurse's training school. After graduating, she began work at Bellevue Hospital in New York. Recognizing the disorganization of keeping records, Richards developed a system to track individual records of each patient. The US and UK both readily adopted Richard's system.

In 1874, Richards became the superintendent of the Boston Training School for Nurses and virtually turned the fledgling school around. Richards also traveled to England and was taught by Florence Nightingale. In her later years, Richards established the American Society of Superintendents of Training Schools and led the Philadelphia Visiting Nurses Society. In 1994, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.

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h4. 10. *Claire Bertschinger*

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Claire Bertschinger worked for the International Red Cross during the highly-publicized 1984 famine in Ethiopia. She regularly was seen on television, and helped to inspire Bob Geldof to create the Band-Aid charily single. While in Ethiopia, she ran a number of children's feeding centers, although she was never able to feed everyone.

Along with Ethiopia, she also worked in Panama, Lebanon and Papua New Guinea. Her experiences motivated her to write a book on her work, entitled _Moving Mountains_. Bertschinger has received the Florence Nightengale Medal, the Woman of the Year Award and the Human Rights in Nursing Award.

Funniest Ways to Quit

Christina Macres — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:32:00 -0700

We’ve all been there — you’re sitting at your desk or laying in bed actively imagining the infinite ways you could tell your lunatic boss “I quit!” Throwing him your resignation, haphazardly stuffing a box full of your most precious desk knick-knacks, and high-fiving coworkers as you bound out of the office, never to return again.

Dream all you want, but when reality strikes and future recommendations and contacts are on the line, you’ll probably just neatly pack your belongings and write one heck of a resignation letter that not only sings your bosses praises but also thanks your coworkers for all the “good times.”

Or will you?

Here’s a list of the funniest ways people have quit their jobs.
(Hint: they weren't so worried about future character references…)

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Quit ... Virtually >>
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Quit ... Virtually.

What’s better than doing the “Who’s comin’ with me?” Jerry McGuire resignation boogie out of the office? Not being in the office at all!

How you do it? Via the Internet, silly.

Quitting makes people nervous. It causes crazy eyes, sweaty body parts, and sometimes renders its subject unable to properly articulate thoughts, sentences, and yes, even words. That being said, this guy thought it was perfectly logical to record himself in said state — posting his craziness on the Internet for all to see.

Check out what happened...

Which brings us to…

Quit … With Nakedness >>
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Quit … With Nakedness.

What makes grown-ups rip off their clothing and get Spring Break rowdy?

Quitting of course!

And, while we admit we’re not sure the connection between nudity and job-loss works exactly, lots (and we mean lots) of men think it’s completely legitimate to do an “I quit” striptease before punching their timecards for the last time and being chased out of the building by security.

Just take a look at this naked-inspired quitting situation we drummed up — of course it's safe for work. We don’t want to get you fired. Thanks to the powers of YouTube, your act of quitting a la nude can live in homes around the world … joy!

Quit … in Writing >>
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Quit … in Writing.

All who’ve read Hemingway know the guy isn’t known for cutsey, cuddly ways. A vicious drunk and a pretty rough and tumble fellow, it’s doubtful that anyone would think twice about letting him do whatever he wanted — even if that meant quitting a job or failing to finish out his book deal. Obviously, those people don’t know book publishers…

So when Hemmingway found himself unhappily locked into a three-book deal, he did what any cerebral mastermind would do — he found a loophole. That loophole? Write a first manuscript so heinously riddled with themes of corruption, sexuality, and race that the publisher not only felt uncomfortable editing it, he rejected it on the spot. The result? Hemingway was sent forth on his merry way, plus a novel (The Torrents of Spring) and minus a tiresome publishing contract.

Quit … Like Coco >>
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Quit … Like Coco.

Think about it — Conan O’brien really got a bum deal. Imagine this: You’re a famed stand-up comic and people come from miles around to hear your innermost thoughts, feelings, and punch-lines. NBC not only recognizes your brilliance, but also gives you a sweet new show and an even sweeter paycheck. And just when you’re high on life and everything seems hunky-dory, bam, the Peacock decides your show isn’t the ratings juggernaut it was hoping for. You’re left feeling cold and alone with your only comfort the mild satisfaction that at least your shtick was better than mediocre.

We can only imagine this was how Conan felt after what we call “The Dreadful Conan vs The Network Debacle of 2010.”

In the end, however, the network bigwigs were the ones left feeling pained. Not only did Conan escape with $45 million in his pocket, he also managed to hang on to his dignity. How you might ask? By spending wads of NBC’s cash during his last shows. Putting mouse ears on a Bugatti Veyronn, also known as the most expensive car in the world? So necessary. Having the band play a Beatles song, costing the network a cool half-million? Why not?

Yikes.

Quit … Via Interpretive Dance >>
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Quit … Via Interpretive Dance.

Ever been so crazy about a song you thought, “Man, I just love this song so much I want to dance to it while I quit my safe and lucrative position at my safe and lucrative place of work?”

If this sounds even vaguely familiar, we have good news for you — you can! We also think you’re a little odd. But first make sure to get two of your buddies, meticulously choreograph a dance routine, and set your life-changing moment to the sweet, melodic voice of the one and only Mr. Vanilla Ice.

Quit … With Food >>
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Quit … With Food!

When you think cake, you think birthdays, celebrations, couples gingerly feeding each other sweet confections on their wedding days and … quitting? Somehow the two just don’t go together, right? Wrong.

Check out W. Neil Berrett’s resignation letter. Instead of handing HR a paper document declaring his liberation from the company, Berrett decided to convey his intent to resign on a full sheet cake.

He wrote:

"Dear Mr. Bowers,

During the past three years, my tenure at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard has been nothing short of pure excitement, joy, and whim.

However, I have decided to spend more time with my family and attend to health issues that have recently arisen. I am proud to have been part of such an outstanding team and I wish this organization only the finest in future endeavors.

Please accept this cake as notification that I am leaving my position with NWT on March 27.

Sincerely,

W. Neil Berrett"

And what’s better than quitting with just food? Quitting with food and drink!

Quit … With the Power of Cheez Whiz >>
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Quit … With the Power of Cheez Whiz!

What says, “I’m not happy with my current position and therefore resign as store clerk” better than writing “I QUIT” in Cheese Whiz on the front windows of your workplace? Um, nothing.

And, no kidding, it actually happened. According to an employee at the Magnolia QFC in Seattle, WA, an employee of the store arrived on the scene drunk and disorderly only to verbally abuse one of his fellow checkers before scribbling (might we note legibly!) a cheese-whizy “I quit” while coworkers stood by in astonishment.