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FEBRUARY 2019
MOMENTSOF JOY
Joy comes from many different sources. During the month of February, thanks in part to Valentine’s Day, people take a little extra time to share their love with one another — sharing the joy that makes each relationship special. For me, joy comes from my family, my work, God, and countless little everyday moments — and sometimes a mix of all of the above. Joy is something I think about frequently. Specifically, I think about what gives me joy in life. When you take time to think about what offers you the most joy, it pulls you out of the fast-paced daily grind. It’s a way to ground yourself and really look at the moments that make up your day. When you’re getting older, you may look back on your life at the moments that brought you the most joy. For a lot of people, myself included, you’ll think about the lives you touched and the differences you made, whether big or small. This includes the lives of the people who are closest to you, from your family and friends to the people you work with every day. Sometimes it includes the lives of people you pass on the street and only see once. No matter the situation, what you put into the lives of other people can be a fundamental source of joy. For me, one of my greatest sources of joy comes from my most important relationship — my marriage. My wife was my first and only girlfriend. I still remember the day I asked her to be my girlfriend. It was December 14, 2002. I had dated before that, but I had never gone as far as asking anyone to be my girlfriend. Now we’re going on 14 years of marriage. In searching for joy, it’s easy to be distracted by various things in life. For some people, it’s career and money. For others, it can be their kids. I say that as a parent myself. It’s easy to pour your entire life into your kids — so much so that other relationships can pass you by. Some people forget about the foundational relationship they have with their spouse. They forget that they’re a team, working together to build their own lives, as well as the lives of their kids. There’s a certain balance to it. Of course, our kids are an immense source of joy, too! They’re a part of so many moments that, if you’re not careful, can slip away. Here’s what I mean.
Back in December, there was one evening when my wife and I returned from a Christmas party. We got home around 9:30. Ordinarily, our 5-year- old daughter would have been in bed by this point, but this evening was a little different. The moment I stepped through the door, she wanted to show me a Christmas tree she had colored. She was excited to share it with me — but she wasn’t quite finished with it. Given how late it was, I could have told her it was time for bed and that she could finish it later. But I didn’t. I saw how happy she was, and I stopped myself short. She finished her drawing and showed it to me. She was absolutely beaming as I told her how great it was. It’s so easy to breeze past little moments like this. When you look back on your life, it’s these moments that will have the most significance. It all comes back to the joy that was created in that moment. My daughter showed me something she was proud of — and I paused to share in that joy, recognizing what she had accomplished. As I leave you this month, I encourage you to think about what brings you the most joy. I do have a little more I want to share on the topic, but I’ll leave that for next month. Until then, I hope you have a great February!
–Ja y Willi s
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3 WAYS A BAD RECEPTIONIST CAN RUIN YOUR COMPANY THEMOST IMPORTANT JOB
If you have a receptionist in charge of answering phones and greeting people who walk through the door, you need to know they’re making an excellent first impression. This applies to every company, from dental offices to law firms. A great receptionist can make your life easy, but a bad receptionist can lead your company to ruin. Here are three important red flags to watch out for.
1. They push clients away.
client’s file goes missing in a messy filing cabinet? A receptionist with poor organizational skills can increase stress around the office and anger clients.
As your gatekeeper, part of your receptionist’s job is to filter the lines of communication and make sure no one’s time is wasted. However, a receptionist should never treat clients like intruders interrupting their workflow. You want people to feel welcome at your company. Otherwise, they won’t want to keep doing business with you. This attitude should also extend to the rest of your employees. If your receptionist treats their coworkers like pests, there’s a chance they will treat clients the same way.
3. They’re not tech-savvy.
As your company’s jack-of-all-trades, your receptionist should be able to learn whatever software the company uses, from word processors and Excel to industry-specific programs. Your receptionist should also be able to easily learn new skills to facilitate system improvements and new technology. The last thing you want is company-wide changes to come to a halt because your receptionist insists on doing things their way.
2. They’re disorganized.
Your receptionist is responsible for relaying information to the rest of your company. What happens if a client calls while you’re in a meeting and you never call them back because you weren’t informed? What if a
When you are hiring a receptionist, take the time to find a candidate who will make life easier for everyone at your company. You won’t regret it.
GET THEMOSTOUTOF PRODUCTIVITYAPPS BY CHANGING YOUR HABITS
If you’re like most people, you’re always looking for new ways to boost your productivity. You’ve downloaded time-management and productivity apps onto your smartphone. You jump from emails to projects to appointments like clockwork. Or, at least, you intend to. You started out with every intention of becoming a productivity master, but in reality, all of those apps and intentions may not have come together like you imagined. In this effort to become exceptionally productive, you’re not alone. There are thousands of apps on the market aimed at improving productivity and organizing our lives. While some apps make for wonderful assistants when used with consistent effort, are they truly useful? App developers would like you to think so. However, a 2015 BBC report suggests that these apps are useless — that is, unless you change your current habits. What app developers don’t tell you is that making that kind of change — particularly to the way you do things on a daily basis — is a hard thing to do. Downloading a nifty app is one thing. Developing the habits and self- discipline to use the technology the way it’s designed to be used is an entirely different beast. How can you make the change toward improved time management and streamlined productivity?
Your first step is to identify where you fall short. What areas of your day do you need to improve? Emails? Meetings? Distractions? Look at where you’re losing productivity and how time is being wasted. That way, you can appropriately respond and start developing new habits. If you’re bad about remembering appointments, a number of apps can help you “remember,” but only a proactive response on your part will determine whether or not the app is a success. So, are all these productivity apps really useful? If you try to use a productivity app without the appropriate behaviors to supplement it, then probably not. Using apps like Evernote, Dropbox, Workflow, Outlook, or even a basic calendar takes effort. You already need to have certain habits in place in order to get the most out of any productivity app. Otherwise, you’re just collecting icons to clutter up your smartphone.
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WHAT’S INANAME? HOWCREATIVE JOB TITLES CAN BOOST JOB SATISFACTION
Did you know that job titles can influence job satisfaction? Recent research suggests people who have creative job titles — those that go beyond the standard “account manager” or “office administrator” or just about anything else — feel their work is more appreciated. Creative job titles can even have a positive influence on recruitment and organizational growth, as well as productivity. In a study published in 2014, Dan Cable, a professor at London Business School, took a close look at job titles. In the study, he used the Make-A-Wish Foundation as the chief example. At the foundation, employees can assign themselves a creative job title, which they use in addition to their official titles. As part of the study, Cable enlisted the help of a hospital. Using the Make-A- Wish approach, he asked a set of hospital employees to come up with new titles. There was also a control group of people who were not asked to change their titles. A nurse who was known for giving immunization shots became “quick shot.” An infectious disease specialist became “germ slayer.” The employees had five weeks to try out their new titles. When Cable returned to the hospital, he discovered changes in the group with creative titles. Compared to people in the control group, they were less emotionally drained and felt their work was more appreciated. Since the study, Cable has continued coaching businesses on job titles. His work with a brewery also produced positive results. When they switched to creative job titles, job satisfaction went up 16 percent over a three-month period.
Does this mean creative job titles can work for your organization? Possibly, but you have to make sure the job titles fit within the context of your organization — they have to make sense. For businesses where client sensitivity and professionalism are top priorities, creative job titles might not be the best fit. Consider Cable’s two-step titling method: 1). Identify your job’s full purpose and your identity within the organization. 2). Come up with titles using that information and speak with coworkers, managers, and others to come up with potential titles. Pick what fits while having a little fun. Once implemented, changes will be subtle, but over a period of a few weeks to a few months, you may notice an increase in job satisfaction. If you want to quantify employee satisfaction, send out a satisfaction survey before the title change and then the same survey three months later.
SUDOKU
TIRAMISU
Inspired by foodnetwork.com
INGREDIENTS
• • • •
6 egg yolks
• • •
2 teaspoons dark rum 24 packaged ladyfingers 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish
3 tablespoons sugar
1 pound mascarpone cheese 1 1/2 cups strong espresso, cooled
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large mixing bowl, use a whisk to beat together egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. 2. Add mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth. 3. Fold in 1 tablespoon of espresso. 4. In a small, shallow dish, combine remaining espresso with rum. Dip each ladyfinger into mixture for 5 seconds. Place soaked ladyfingers at the bottom of a walled baking dish. 5. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture on top of the first layer of ladyfingers. Top with another layer of ladyfingers and another layer of mascarpone. 6. Cover and refrigerate 2–8 hours. 7. Remove from fridge, sprinkle with chocolate shavings, and serve.
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INSIDE 1
What Brings You Joy?
2
Is Your Receptionist Chasing Away Clients?
Are Productivity Apps Worth Your Time?
3
Use Creative Job Titles to Boost Job Satisfaction
Tiramisu
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Book Review: ‘Do theWork’
‘DOTHEWORK’ OVERCOME RESISTANCE AND GET OUT OF YOUR OWNWAY
Few modern authors have a resume as colorful or textured as Steven Pressfield. A graduate of Duke University, the best-selling author served in the Marine Corps, drove tractor trailers, taught school children, and worked as an oil field roustabout — all before penning his first published work. Having struggled as a writer for 17 years before seeing his first paycheck, it’s no surprise that Pressfield has plenty of wisdom to share when it comes to making long-term dreams a reality. Pressfield first addressed the challenges aspiring artists, entrepreneurs, and athletes face in “The War of Art.” This guidebook lays out Pressfield’s core philosophy that creators are their own greatest enemy. It’s in this work that he first coined his idea of “resistance,” Pressfield’s word for the self-defeatist attitude that causes so many great ideas to be left on the drawing board. “Do the Work” is a follow up to it, prescribing Pressfield’s antidote to resistance — you guessed it: doing the work . Compared to its predecessor, “Do the Work” is a quick read. Though it’s less than 100 pages, what this guide lacks in length it makes up for in specificity and approachability. The book is laser-focused on helping anyone who is undertaking creative endeavors to identify their own resistances and overcome them. Combined with Pressfield’s no-nonsense delivery, every page is filled with
the distilled, biting wisdom of a man wholly dedicated to his craft.
Pressfield manages to strike a tone that is stern, humorous, cynical, and at times even whimsical without missing a beat. You can feel the author smirking at you through the page when he tells you, “Stay stupid. Follow your unconventional, crazy heart.” He dares you to pick your pen back up and return to your drawing board. “Do the Work” crackles with the tempered passion and biting wit of a learned master. If you’re looking to reignite your creative spark, “Do the Work” needs to be a permanent fixture on your nightstand.
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