Thrive with 5 of the year’s best work tips
As 2019 comes to a close, it’s time to focus on making some big — and some not-so-big — changes to your situation at work. We’ve listed five of the strongest pieces of advice we received in 2019 for those workers who are hoping to improve their future with their current employers and aren’t too interested — at least not yet — in finding a new job.
1. Move beyond online networking:
If you’re looking for contacts in and out of your current field, don’t rely solely on online networking, says Marty Gilbert, founder and CEO of the NorthShore Executive Networking Group in suburban Chicago. While Gilbert understands the importance of sites like LinkedIn, he thinks some employees think their networking begins and ends with an online connection. “Use your contacts wisely. Find out who your connections are connected with and then try to go to the source,” he says.
Gilbert warns against over-relying on friends and family. “Those are people who know you really well — in most cases, too well. They may not feel comfortable mixing their professional and personal lives if a job comes up in their department that would be an ideal fit for you,” he says. “It’s usually better to use those contacts to introduce you to other contacts. You can use them to grow your network.”
2. Remember, failing is an option:
Tim Bono, author of “When Likes Aren’t Enough: A Crash Course in the Science of Happiness” (Grand Central Life & Style, $25), and the assistant dean in psychological and brain sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, says today’s employees shouldn’t be afraid to fail. “People who overcome adversity do better in life because they learn to cope with challenges,” Bono says. “Failure is a great teacher, helping us realize what doesn’t work so we can make changes for the better.”
3. Consider a mentor:
Jesus Bravo, assistant professor of management at the Carson College of Business at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, says finding strong mentors can help employees prepare for the future. “Mentors can give you valuable career information, expand your social networks and help with honing professional skills,” says Bravo, adding that there are benefits to mentors within and outside of your organization.
“Internal mentors can help with organizational issues and opportunities while external mentors can offer insights into larger career issues. Goal setting, career planning and role modeling are all ways that mentorships can help open your mind to new opportunities and experiences you may have not otherwise considered.
4. Basic decency applies in all settings:
Spending time with co-workers away from the office — whether at company events or casual, after-work get-togethers — doesn’t mean you no longer have to follow the behavioral guidelines you use inside the workplace. Stephanie Davis, an attorney with Maynard Cooper Gale’s Labor and Employment Division in Birmingham, Alabama, says harassment of a co-worker in a restaurant or bar is often less obvious than it is at work, which can make it difficult for women to come forward. “Inappropriate behavior in a quiet office is going to be amplified if the right people are present. In a bar, it may just sound like part of the scene, part of what happens. But it’s not. Ever,” Davis says.
“People say ‘hey, that was on our own time.’ Fine, if that’s your defense, fine. But don’t think you won’t be held accountable. Don’t think the women you say lewd things about or the women you lock into extended hugs or the women you casually, jokingly touch as they walk by are assuming it’s OK. Because they’re on their own time, too. And they don’t choose to get harassed on their own time. That’s you. You made that call. And you should suffer the consequences.”
5. Walk it off:
Does your brain feel a little cloudy during the workday? Step away from your desk and take a brief walk. According to scientists at the University of California Irvine Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, as little as 10 minutes of exercise can result in increased memory and problemsolving skills, meaning a quick walk around the office or up and down the stairs can help shake free some of the workday cobwebs.
If you’re looking for additional benefits, as well as a quick mood boost, try a vigorous 20-minute walk, suggests Michelle Paulson, a personal trainer in Concord, California. “It’s one of the obvious aspects of life that we don’t really put into practice,” says Paulson. “Whenever we exercise, we get a small rush of endorphins. People think they have to work out for 60 minutes and hit a jacked-up heart rate to achieve any sort of chemical change in their bodies but in reality, it varies from person to person.”