The Bottom Line On Professional Courtesy

It’s 2018 and the business world is constantly changing. People no longer walk around the office and talk to colleagues (many companies are distributed and workers are remote), and communication has become impersonal and technology-driven.

In my observation, people do not return messages in a timely manner (if ever), they send endless emails to communicate, and sometimes they become crickets. Professional courtesy seems to have fallen by the wayside. To see whether you have strayed from the basics professional courtesies, answer these five questions:

1. Are you reachable?

2. Do you welcome in-person visits with partners (or video chats if remote)?

3. Do you use the telephone/video chat to call people?

4. Do you answer the phone/video chat when it rings?

5. Do you return voicemails, Slacks, texts, email messages within 24 hours?

What’s your biggest professional courtesy pet peeve?

Nobody is Too Busy; It's a Matter of Priority

We all have the time we need. We always have. We simply have to decide how we want to use it. I decided last fall that I wanted a new challenge for 2018. I wanted to transform my 43 year old post baby body. My daugher would be turning three in April, and I would be turning 44 in August. No time like the present!  As someone who already worked out four-five days a week, stayed active playing sports, ate relatively healthy, and meal prepped, I knew that I'd have to make drastic changes. I hired a coach. Not just a coach. I hired a seasoned figure competitor who has competed in over 13 competitions starting when she was 40.

On January 8, 2018 with 14 weeks out, I started an intense training program that put me in the gym twice a day: one session of cardio for 30-60 minutes a day, plus one 60+ minute weight lifting session a day. I also followed a very strict meal plan --weighing to the ounce my foods. I get bored fast with food, so this was a challenge. (There are only so many different spices for chicken, fish, and eggs.) I continued to meal plan and prep, cooking everything from scratch for myself and my two year old daughter. We only ate whole foods: fresh veggies and berries, bananas, egg white omelettes, chicken, fish, quinoa, brown rice, and once a week early on, I was allowed one RX Bar... the only pre-packaged food I ate (although they are 100% whole food protein). Towards the end, however, the carbs were cut, the fruit was cut. I was left with canned tuna fish--which actually excited me. 

What did I need to give up for this to happen?
Alcohol.
Chocolate.
Work/Personal Travel. (except for one short biz trip to NYC)
Eating out. (except on a few rare occasions, see above)

I continued to go out with friends, but I didn't eat or drink. It's a challenge to eat out when on a strict meal plan. All the money that I normally spent on eating out went towards protein shakes, supplements, vitamins, and grocery shopping. I was at the grocery store and fish market almost daily.

The result? After 14* weeks of training, I competed in my first National Figure Committee competition, dropping over 20 pounds, and losing 8% body fat -- without compromising other aspects of my life.

Oh, did I mention that during this time I was a single Mom, and an entrepreneur running a successful business?  Since all my family lives back on the East Coast, I had no help. *And for nearly two of those 14 weeks I was in bed (yes, actually in bed for 20 hours a day) with the flu--only up to take my daughter to/from school. 

So next time you say you're "too busy to make your own chocolate cake," remember this: We all have the same number of hours in the day. How do you choose to use yours?

"Every once in awhile we need to challenge ourselves; set crazy goals, and fulfill them. When you say you don’t have time to make a cake— I say we all have the same amount of time. What you chose to do in that time, is up to YOU". -- A.Cannistraci

Home Office Setup Impacts Productivity

Your office space is very important. Heck, it’s where you spend a majority of your day. If your space isn’t conducive to working, you won’t be as productive.  And, when you work from home, it’s important to stay focused and have a positive work space that will attribute to an efficient work environment.  But let’s face it, when you work remote, your office could be your kitchen, closet, a nook in the bedroom, or a shed out back.  How do you make that space special and productive?

Several of my clients are 100% distributed, therefore, no one really “sees” the entire workspace of their colleagues. I thought it would be fun to poll one of the teams on the one change they have made to their physical office setup, and how it has positively impacted their work.

The answers I received fell everywhere from invest in a high quality office chair to throw out the printer (!!) I’m not one to argue a good chair with great ergonomics and lower back support. It certainly makes a big difference in how you feel at the end of the day.  However, throwing away a printer seems a bit drastic for me--I’m too old school.

One executive said he changed his background view to something interesting --the picture frame golf course view.  Apparently, he is asked if it is real in about 100% of the new calls he is on and people love it.  What a great conversational starter. 

Cleaning out, for most people, is quite therapeutic. I know I always feel better after I purge and re-organize.  One team member said she organized (cleaned) her office and has gone entirely paperless with her personal bills . The result is that she is more productive because she’s not distracted with disorganized paperwork. I may borrow this idea. There is way too much paper in my life. 

Stand up desks are all the rage these days—especially at tech companies.   One team member shared that she purchased an UPLIFT desk with her Tech stipend (another amazing benefits of working for some companies) and moved her new desk next to a window. She can adjust her desk to a stand up or sit down position and she likes the fact that she can see her back yard, flowers, and the bird bath.

A CEO mentioned the importance of having a door you can close while you are working and can open when you are not.

If you work remote, and are bored with your setup or struggling to stay focused and productive, a few small changes can certainly help.  I'd love to hear what changes you have recently made to your physical office setup, and how it has positively impacted your work.