What did this teach me about credit cards and debt in general? First, you DON’T want to be in debt. Second, you don’t want to be under the power of someone else telling you that they are going to screw you, whether you like it or not. It honestly sounds painful. Luckily, one credit card is down (paid off), I have refinanced another debt that was at 18% to 11%, and I’m working on paying off a few more things. I would rather have my own money working for me, than working for scumbags that don’t care about you one way or the other. The money used to pay off that last credit card is going to be used to pay off my other debts. The cycle will continue until the majority of my debt is paid off and I can use the money I have to have true financial freedom. This may be the end of an era with credit card companies. Asta La Vista, Baby!

It depends on the individual and how he/she views their workplace. Each workplace is different. Where one workplace can be cut throat and everyone is out to be number one (i.e. Sales <– this is an example, don’t quote me! lol), another workplace may be a place where people work together to get things done as a team and rely on one another (i.e. U.S. Army, Special Forces), whereas another you may not be a player because (drum role)…. its nepotism central. It depends on your perceptions and how each person plays “the political game”. Office politics doesn’t have to be “evil”. I have seen people play it well where both sides are amicable and things get done without an all out bloodbath. Usually the players are professional, courteous to one another, and they know the rules (whatever they may be for their particular business). I have also seen the other side of politics- gloves are off and fisticuff’s and termintion followed. It isn’t pretty and it says a lot about the ethical values followed by the parties. Don’t lose your ethical values when playing the game – it usually says a lot about you.

It’s one thing if you don’t care if they do/don’t forget, but its another when these same people have to work with or for you again. Its also another matter when these same people end up being your superior or have input on your career. Good luck.

If you are getting irritated or ticked off it may be in your best interest to move away from the person(s) that are upsetting you. It doesn’t take much to excuse yourself. “Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. If you want we can talk about the issue later”, you want to provide yourself with some time to think clearly.

The more you hang around, the more you are liable to lose your temper. This also gives you time to regroup and rethink how the conversation got you upset and what you could have done differently. Sure, you wanted to put your fist through Dee’s head, but would that have solved the problem? Obviously not! Also, don’t keep replaying what happened to you that made you angry, it will just make you more angry. Find out what triggered the anger, analyze it, then realize that it wasn’t really worth getting angry over and move on. Learn from it, but don’t replay it!

It takes clear thinking to realize that you are getting angry and controlling it. Research has shown that the angrier we get the more primitive our reactions are. The best bet, keep your cool, think things through, and don’t let anger control you. If you have anger issues you may need to speak to someone about it, get treatment for it, or learn to release it (i.e. exercise). The bottom line is that you don’t want to let your anger be the undoing of your career. Keep your composure and keep your career intact.

Original Everquest

What do real life and an online game have in common? Sometimes we can be inconsiderate and cruel. We look at our status in society and belittle others. At times we look at the less fortunate and walk by them without even offering something in return. That’s not to say that there aren’t good people out there. Thank God we have more good than evil in this world- at least that’s what I believe.

Many years ago I put a simple concept to a test in a virtual gaming world (Everquest)  and was surprised at the results. I created a character and made sure I emphasized good virtues. I made sure I would help those in need, gave virtual items or money new players, and thought of others before myself. I even created a guild and I have to say, as a guild leader I was the most under dressed and poorest guild leader ever. I can’t say that for my guild members though. We would do quests and they got the gear instead of myself. I made sure that I gave, much more than I received.

I actually played this character for many years and ended up having a good amount of friends. Truth be told I grew attached to the game and many people that I met in the virtual world. But, I’m jumping the gun. I put many hours into my character and there were a few people that I trusted. One of those few people betrayed my trust. Suffice it to say this person took items from my character and sold it. I got hacked. The worst part – I never gave them account information. I was naive enough to do a trade so that I could get on another character and collect my items from them. When this person stole my gear I was devastated. All of the good I had done and this person ruined it all. The time I invested, the good deeds I had done, everything seemed wasted. I informed my guild that I was going to leave the game and why. I had no gear, nothing; all that time I spent acquiring the little that I had went for nothing because some online jerk stole it. Even though I reported it to the Game Master there was nothing they could do.

Well, word spread fast about what had happened to me. My guild mates banned together to get me some gear, but it gets more interesting. I began getting gear from all over the online world. There were people that I had helped in the past with my character that truly never forgot. One day while sitting in an area a gnome character approached me and gave me some items, then it was a human from a guild that I had helped out months ago, then my mailbox had items in it from people thanking me for buffing them and giving them items. This went on and on until my character had his gear and more back. I actually had to tell people to stop giving me items, I literally was overflowing with the things that they gave me.

It’s the same thing in real life. Your act of kindness to a total stranger, aid that you have given to those in need, items that you have given to those that need them, nothing ever goes without a reward. One day it may be you that needs something and all of your acts of kindness will be repayed in kind. When I needed it the most all of these people came out of nowhere and helped me out; and that was just in a gaming world. Imagine how much more you can get from acts of kindness in the real world.

I think that John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a great leader. For example, when he said, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win” President Kennedy declared that there was potential that it could and would be done, not that it “may be possible to do”. There wasn’t a limit or boundary that he set, yet each of us at one point or another may kick ourselves for those things we could have done but didn’t do. I can’t imagine how many times I have had people tell me that I couldn’t or wouldn’t do something. I would say that for the times I have heard that I actually took the challenge head on. It’s not to say that I succeeded every time, but you know what? They may knock you for failing, but at the very least you got up and took the challenge head on. So what if you didn’t make it? The lessons from not making it gave you the knowledge to reach another goal and surpass your potential.

I ask  you. What is your potential? What is your answer to that? Don’t limit yourself, continue to dream and make your dreams a reality.

Reference:
John F. Kennedy speech http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/jfk-space.htm

People fail to realize at one point in their careers that there are some things that can be career killers. That is, the person may still have a career even if they are known as the office gossip, but there may be some restrictions on how far they are going to get due to that problem.

When it comes to some types of talk its a no no. One is talking/discussing sex at work. I’m sure people will say, Ed, these things happen. Of course it happens, it happens all the time at one place or another. The problem is do you really want others listening to what you are discussing? Worst yet, is the person truly thinking before they speak?

There was a case where a new guy had been hired by a company and was going to be trained by one of the “veteran” employees. As the “veteran” was training the new employee the “veteran” employee made a derogatory comment on the CEO of the company. The next day the “veteran” was fired. It turned out that the new employee was the CEO’s son. 

When it comes to your professional career one of the rules that you should follow is: Think before you speak. You just never know who is listening to what is being said. One of my friends, Tom, was asked by a new employee on what he thought about his supervisor. Tom thought for a moment before he spoke and told the new employee that he thought that his supervisor was a great person and someone that knew their job well. Take a wild guess who was behind Tom as he said it? Imagine if Tom, without thinking, started to bash his supervisor. What could have happened then? At times, you need to consider what is worth mentioning at work and what needs to stay out of the discussion.

If you want to be professional it means that you need to act professionally with others. Of course you have friends at work that you want to talk to, but you need to know what can/can’t be discussed and who your friends truly are. It can also turn out that the information you shared with one person may be the information that gets spread to others.  Business is business, so if you don’t want to be sharing too much information make it a point to be concise and to the point and move on. Not everyone wants to know that you or someone else contracted some unknown disease that came from one of your family’s best friends uncle. Remember, Think before you speak.

At times the quickest reaction to many companies is to go for the pink slips. The quickest and shortest route to show some type of financial life in a company is to get rid of anything (or anyone) that is cutting into their costs. Unfortunately, instead of looking at employees as a last resort, many companies look for them as a first resort. They may be thinking of that one employee that’s making $100,000 a year. If they can cut him/her off they will be saving $100,000 more. Of course, thats the short term savings. What they may not realize is that particular employee that is making $100,000 a year may actually be earning the company an extra million a year due to their particular innovations. Over the long term, that one employee and employees like them are actually giving back to the company ten fold.

Another problem? That quick short term solution is going to turn into a long term problem. Your company has put in resources to train many of its employees. If the short term solution is to remove them what is going to happen over the long term? Most likely the first impact is that productivity will go down. One big hit on productivity is morale. People are thinking that they may be next or upset due to others being let go. Of course the organization is going to want the people that remained to take up the slack. Again, another hit on morale. In time you are going to end up with less and less output from your current employees because you are wearing them down. Why? They are expected to do more and more to take up the slack from the employees that were let go. Is it fair? Honestly, no. Think of a four engine airplane. If you lose one engine the plane can most likely still operate with the other three. If you lose another, it will most likely operate with the remaining two. However, the more engines that you lose the more taxing it is on the other engines that are operating. With no engines that airplane is going to go down. The same holds true for the people. The more you tax them and force them to take up the slack of the ones that left, the more difficult it will be. You may end up with people that will be disgusted enough that they too will leave. Your organization may end up paying more money later to replace the talent that left.

I realize that at times the short term solution may be the way to go. Before the short term solution is implemented one needs to ask:

1.) Why do we need to implement a short term solution?

-Can a long term solution be implemented instead?

2.) When does the short term solution need to be implemented?

- If we implement a short term solution, why can’t we add the long term solution with it? Think ahead!

3.) Where will the short term solution be implemented?

- What areas will be affected. Perhaps we don’t need to look at employees for lay offs.

-What will be the long term effects?

4.) How will we begin the short term solution?

- How will we add our long term solution to the mix?

- How will the short term solution offset any problems? Perhaps we need to take a closer look at what we think “feels right” and have the data to what truly is right.

- How can I compliment the short term solutions with the long term solutions?

It also doesn’t hurt to write things down on a list, for example:

Good                                                                        Bad

We save people jobs.                          Our budget is scarce.

We keep talent with us.                     We may have to remove somene else.

Long term growth possible.           Short term may suffer.

We earn more in long term.                                       (nothing)

If you end up with more good than bad in your list you know what needs to be done. Likewise if you end up with more bad than good. Simple enough. At times writing things down on paper may give you the real results. Try to remove biases and beliefs when making the decisions. Look at the data and stick with facts.

I am a firm believer in education and improving yourself if you are capable. Our employer also believes in education; enough so that they provide 100% tuition assistance. Two years prior to that I had a conversation with that same exact person about continuiing their education. So, what was the result? I could write a book on his excuses, but here is a quick sample along with my thoughts & observations:

1.) I’m too busy.

—Yet, he talks about how he has nothing to do at times when he gets home.

2.) I have kids.

—The majority of people that I went to school with had kids too and these people did extremely well.

3.) I’m starting my own busniness.

—To this day I ask myself, ‘what business?’

4.) It’s too much money.

— I guess he missed the class at our company about the 100% tuition assitance.

5.) I don’t have time.

— Does anyone? I learned that at times you need to make your own time to get things done. Yes, it’s possible to have time for school, work, family, and your personal time. It’s hard, but it can be done!

The excuses kept coming and I just finally quit trying to speak to him. So, there we were a few years later and he was worried on what could happen to him. So, why wasn’t I worried? Ok, someone with an education gets laid off, what then? There are skillsets that the person can use to get back on their feet. It may not be overnite, but it can happen. The person with an education has a much higher chance at getting something due to that education. If I was a potential employer I would be much more impressed with someone that DID something with their time at a company, such as educating themselves, than just being a busy worker bee. It’s not to say that a company may not opt for a busy worker bee, but a simple resume doesn’t always say: Look, I work really hard! A serious employer will not only look for a resume that stands out, but also look at what the person did (other than work) with their time. I would be much more impressed with a worker that not only worked, but actually took advantage of the tuition assistance the company provided. Wouldn’t you?

Why is it that people are so busy with putting up excuses that they fail to realize that there actually is a benefit to pursuiing an education? This part eludes me. I knew one person that had 3 children and their significant other had left them. One of his children had asked him why he was still going to school. As he put it, “Life isn’t always easy. You need to work hard to get where you want to be. If that means I have to go to school to be an example to you three, then, so be it.” His three children got the message, so why is it that there are adults out there that don’t?

I have received emails from superiors with numerous spelling errors which could have been easily fixed using a combination of spell check and proof reading the material before hitting send. Other emails have been outright horrible where you could not make out what the originator wanted at all due to all of the mis-spelled words. The mis-spelled words can have a detrimental effect on people and how they view the sender. It also puts into question their true education. If you know that spelling is your particular problem you can always improve. It just takes time and practice on your part. Here is what you can do to improve:

1.) I have a manager that has a calendar that gives him the word of the day. He uses the word of the day during meetings and emails.

2.) Read a good book. If you don’t know the word as you are reading your book then take the time to look it up and learn how to both spell it and know its meaning.

3.) Read the paper. At times the paper can be invaluable because you may actually pick up on mis-spelled words or pick up on new words. It happens to everyone.

4.) Play a crossword puzzle. This can be done in the newspaper, you buy a crossword puzzle book, or look for a crossword puzzle online.

5.) Go to forums and join the discussion. Look at how other people write and see what you can learn from their sentence structure and writing skill as you look at their spelling.

5.) Join a club. It doesn’t matter if its a book club, a spelling club, as long as it involves putting words together, spelling, or organizing your thoughts. As long as you are doing something to develop your ability to spell.

I hope this puts you on the right track to developing your ability.