Beth Beutler's Blog, page 9
August 12, 2018
Five Things a Real Professional Should Not Say (3 minute read)
We’ve all let out the snippy retort or the thoughtless response to an email. But a true professional will be conscientious about how he/she responds to others at work, knowing that good relationships are the foundation of professional effectiveness.
The following examples are based on real-life dialogues I’ve experienced or heard about.
“You obviously missed the message.” Ouch. Talk about putting the blame on a colleague or customer.
Instead: I may not have communicated well. Here’s the info…
Similarly
“I’m sorry that’s how you heard that/how you understood that/assumed that.” Be careful when using “you” statements. They can feel accusatory. It’s putting the responsibility of understanding on your receiver. It’s more professional to take responsibility for clearly communicating. For example, you could say, “I’m sorry…looks like I didn’t communicate clearly.”
“Oh, I clean out my inbox every few weeks.” Meanwhile, requests for information your colleagues need sit unanswered. Instead, get a handle on managing your email and take responsibility instead of working in crisis mode all the time.
“I’ll be happy to hear from you every ____weeks until I’m ready for your help with the project.”
This email between potential client and service provider comes off as an expectation to be served in an ongoing way by the provider without paying them for their time. Sure, vendors should have a follow-up policy as they seek to invite customers and clients into a working relationship. But the follow-up frequency should mostly be determined by the vendor, not set as an expectation by the potential customer. That’s just positioning someone to be your assistant for free. If you believe you may use this vendor in the future, mark YOUR calendar to contact them later.
“Happy birthday. Be sure to use your birthday money on (my product, app, service.)” Um…do I even need to elaborate on the tackiness of this one?
Think about how your communication will come across before you say it or send it!
Appreciate this free information? Become a Friend of HOPE today!
The post Five Things a Real Professional Should Not Say (3 minute read) appeared first on Beth Beutler.
August 5, 2018
Simple Steps to Make Alphabetizing Easy and Fun (Flashback)
My client sent me a box of hundreds of 8.5 x 11 personalized sheets of paper in random order, along with imprinted labels. He needed these sheets sorted, labeled and mailed.
90% or more of my work for clients is done using technology. But on rare occasions, there have been times to still do an “old fashioned” project like stuff a mailing. Despite claims for paperless offices that were predicted years ago, we still handle a lot of snail mail and paper files.
So, when you have a project like this and need to alphabetize it, what are the quickest ways to do it? Here is a method I’ve been using:
First: I divide sheets into two piles based on first letters of last name
A to K and L to Z.
The benefit of this is that it does not require a lot of thought to sort. I don’t want to get hung up in specific detailed alphabetizing yet.
Second: I divide the two piles into four, again using first letters of last names:
A-E / F-K / L-Q / R-Z
Notice that these divisions complement the first one of A-K and L-Z.
Third: Now taking one pile at a time, I further divide it by individual letter
A B C D Etc.
In this project, there were many recipients who were getting more than one sheet, but there was no need to match them exactly quite yet.
Fourth: Now working with each smaller pile, I sort and match everyone appropriately. If necessary, I move to further divisions using second letters of last name using vowels or common consonants, depending on what I feel will sort it fastest.
Now I can find the mailing label that matches the name.
The key to this divide and conquer method is to keep the number of piles to a minimum initially. The more spread out your project becomes, the more unwieldy it can get. Keeping divisions simple in the beginning, and then progressively more detailed, saves space and does not feel as overwhelming.
*The above scenario is partially fictional, to provide a helpful demonstration. However, it is based on a real-life project HOPE helped a client with. Contact us for your administrative support needs. Our pre-pay 10 or 20 hour retainers allow for short term projects or long term relationships or check out our monthly “On Call” membership!
Our blog and resources are funded in part by our Friends of Hope. A gift of ANY amount is helpful if you appreciate the free material. Thanks in advance!
The post Simple Steps to Make Alphabetizing Easy and Fun (Flashback) appeared first on Beth Beutler.
July 29, 2018
“As an Executive, I Don’t Have Time for This” (Microlearning Exercise)
“Please communicate with my (support staff) because as an executive I don’t have time for this.”
Yikes.
That was the essence of an email received from a busy executive. How does it strike you?
One phrase or sentence can give an impression to others that you may later regret. (I don’t know if this person regretted it or not–but I learned something about them in a short email.)
Before reading further, take a moment to consider how YOU would edit that response. Practice for a minute or two. I’ll wait.
Let’s take a look at this response and see how it could have been framed differently.
Positives
The executive is aware of his/her limitations of time and scope.
The individual has a support system in place, apparently trained and empowered to act at least somewhat on their behalf.
They said “please.”
Negatives
The response comes across as consdescending. They unnecessarily reinterated that they were an executive.
They used a standard excuse of “I don’t have time for this” but blamed being an executive. It comes across like their work is more important than the work of non-executives, even if it wasn’t intended that way.
Suggested Improvements
One simple improvement could have changed how this person comes across. Remove the phrase, “as an executive.”
An even better approach would be to avoid both “as an executive” and “I don’t have time for this.” The first, because it’s condescending. The second, because ANYONE can use the phrase “I don’t have time for this.” It’s cliche. It’s lazy writing. Both phrases are unnecessary.
How much better would the following response be?
Hi Beth, thanks for writing! My assistant (Name) will be happy to help you with this. You can reach him/her at ____________. I hope you have a productive day!
Now, share with me your edits of this response and let’s grow together! Feel free to share the graphic below for practice with your work team!
Our blog and resources are funded in part by our Friends of Hope. A gift of ANY amount is helpful if you appreciate the free material. Thanks in advance!
The post “As an Executive, I Don’t Have Time for This” (Microlearning Exercise) appeared first on Beth Beutler.
July 22, 2018
What to Do When You Feel Like You’ve Failed (3 Minute Read)
News flash: You aren’t perfect at your job.
Neither am I.
Some time ago, I went through a season in my business that required me to learn some new communication skills. In reflecting on the situations, I admit I feel like I failed in some elements of how I handled each unique situation. At the same time, I saw lessons to strengthen my skills for the future. Here are a few:
Reputation is important, but worshiping what others think is unwise.
As a people-pleaser who prides herself on getting along with just about everyone, it’s difficult to accept the realization that someone may not feel that what we offer is valuable. Sometimes I have to revisit one of my internal business distinctives: we are not a fit for everyone, and everyone is not a fit for us.
We are blessed with a great client family, and are glad to meet new potential clients. But each need is different, and sometimes, our model or level of expertise is not a match. I cannot live in fear of what a potential client might say about us if we don’t end up feeling alignment with one another. I just need to handle each situation with the best professional spirit that I can.
Fault is rarely one-sided.
After a work history primarily in good hearted non-profits, it’s been a learning curve to discover that there are people who will take advantage, lie, not follow through, or approach things in a self-absorbed way, all of which can cause a situation to go sour. It doesn’t happen a lot, but it’s intriguing or disappointing (or both) when it does.
Even then, I can ask myself, “What could I have done to handle or guide the situation differently?”
This is a wise question provided I don’t go too far and use it as a reason to beat myself up. It’s fair to acknowledge that I may only be 10% of the problem—but I still contributed. Too often, we aren’t even willing to accept a small percentage of responsibility, and we lose out on growth because of it.
Is it failure, or learning?
You’ve probably heard the quote, “There is no failure, only learning.” I think that’s probably true much of the time. In the situations I grew from, I did feel some sense of failure, but I sure learned some things that will help me temper or even avoid such situations in the future.
We often grow more from the situations where we made mistakes or wrong turns than in the general day-to-day of life. The goal is to keep those mistakes small enough that the negative impact is minimal, while we maximize the lessons to be learned.
What lesson have you learned recently that will help you in the future?
Our blog and resources are funded in part by our Friends of Hope. A gift of ANY amount is helpful if you appreciate the free material. Thanks in advance!
The post What to Do When You Feel Like You’ve Failed (3 Minute Read) appeared first on Beth Beutler.
July 15, 2018
10 Ways to Rest at Work (List)
Rest at work? Isn’t that, well, wrong? Lazy? Unproductive?
True. Taking a nap at work may not be the best idea, although napping is becoming accepted as a healthy practice.
What I mean by rest though, is more of a state of mind, and some intentional actions.
For example:
Accepting that you cannot control all aspects of your work.
Letting go of some expectations of others, or at least making your expectations more realistic.
Taking a few moments here and there to gaze beyond the computer and take a few deep breaths.
Pulling up a #30secondsofhope and concentrating on it for the full amount of time.
Taking the long way around for a restroom break, so you can get some steps and movement into your day.
Taking a real lunch break away from the computer, and preferably, outside.
Being content with your current salary/profit, even while taking steps to improve it.
Thinking about serving others through your work more than serving yourself.
Avoiding getting caught up in all the trending conflicts. (Related, take a break from social media.)
Being grateful every day.
How about you? What would you add to this list?
Related Freebie: Grateful or Grumpy – Personal Reflection Guide – Grumpy or Grateful
The post 10 Ways to Rest at Work (List) appeared first on Beth Beutler.
July 8, 2018
Sole Hope Shoe Party! (HOPE In Action Update)
Each quarter, we share a HOPE in Action project to involve our community near and far. For Q2, we collected a number of Hope Hints from Pros We Know to share on our social media networks perpetually. Earlier in the year, we colored cards to bless some military wives.
Now it’s time for our Q3 project, and it’s another fun one!
HOPE Unlimited and Bed, Bikes and Beyond AirBnB are co-sponsoring a Sole Hope Shoe Party. This party is an opportunity to prepare materials that will be sent to shoemakers in Uganda, who will create pairs of shoes to protect residents from diseases and issues related to walking barefoot.
This project is a great fit for us for the obvious reason of bringing hope, but also because it provides work to shoemakers, and will require a number of people here to do simple but meaningful work of prepping the denim.
We’ve designed the event to allow anyone in the HOPE community to participate, even if you don’t live in upstate, South Carolina. We’ve created three types of “tickets,” two of which involve participation from afar. Click below to get all the details and help us bring hope to others across the world!
The post Sole Hope Shoe Party! (HOPE In Action Update) appeared first on Beth Beutler.
July 1, 2018
Freedom Week – (Highlights)
In the United States, we’ll be celebrating Independence Day on the 4th. It’s also prime time for summer festivities and a more relaxed attitude. So this week, instead of a formal post, we’ll have a “Freedom Week.” Here are some past posts that you might have missed, all with the idea of giving you freedom from various work-related stresses! Enjoy!
Work Wisdom: Ten Tips to Help You Excel & Exhale
Thanks for Asking, But that Won’t Work for Me
The Daily Five: A Kindergarten Lesson for Adults
What Body Boarding Can Teach Us about Career and Business
Four Small but Mighty Changes to De-Stress Your Email Life
A Free Tool to Help You Face the Overwhelm in Life
The post Freedom Week – (Highlights) appeared first on Beth Beutler.
June 24, 2018
Avoid Sick Days: 10 Quick Tips to Boost Your Immunity (Tips)
Cough. Sore throat. Low-grade fever. Should you go to work?
Let’s face it. Nearly everyone gets sick here and there and needs to take a sick day from their job (or allow themselves a low-key day if they run a business from home.)
But there are things you can do to boost your immune system to reduce the need for sick time in the first place. Here are a few tips, many of which have been working for me. (Please note…I am not a medical professional so please always consider your unique makeup, advice from your health care provider, etc. before adopting a regimen.)
Sleep and rest. Find out what you need in terms of hours per night and block off that time more nights than not. Take a day off each week from your regular routine of “rush rush get things done” and take a nap if you can. The world will survive.
Consider using essential oils. No, I don’t sell any. We get most of our oils from non MLM manufacturers. I diffuse some in the bedroom at night and we also apply topically, usually diluted. We NEVER ingest them. Used safely, they can be helpful. There is lots of information on this…research for yourself.
Eat an 80/20 diet (as in 80% whole foods and 20% processed, not 80% fast food and 20% dessert.) Unless you are ultra-disciplined, you probably can’t avoid processed foods altogether. Over time my diet has become more whole food based. I also am currently following a more intuitive eating approach that I learned from AudreyChristie.com. Basically, it’s eat when I’m hungry (not based on the calendar or clock so much), stop when I’m satisfied (before full) and enjoy any type of food I want in moderation, emphasizing healthier foods.
Drink a lot of water. Start carrying water everywhere you go and sip throughout the day. My son gave me a fantastic Hydroflask one year for my birthday. This is the BEST flask I’ve ever carried. It amazes me how the water stays cold all day even if it’s been sitting in a hot vehicle. It’s my go-to flask to keep by my bed at night so I have refreshing water to drink when I first get up, and to leave in the car to sip on throughout the day.
Consider taking supplements. I’m becoming more of a believer in getting vitamins from food, but I’ve also taken some sort of supplements for years as well. Find what works for you…it may take some experimenting, but it can cooperate with a healthy eating plan.
Get probiotics in. I take a probiotic supplement every day. Studies have shown the value of good “gut bacteria.”
Exercise. I do some basic exercise most mornings, and use a FitBit Hr to track steps, heart rate, activity time, etc. Exercise has lots of benefits, including boosting your mood and immune system.
Develop a thankful and generous spirit. Sometimes I’m around people who have an “Eeyore” mentality and don’t even realize it. Their words, body language, and expressions give off a spirit of frustration, sadness, etc. I’m not discounting emotional issues that need to be dealt with. But in general, if we realize how very much we have, instead of what we feel entitled to, we can become happier, and possibly healthier. You have to be intentional about it sometimes, but it’s a healthy habit.
Feed your spiritual life. Spend time to build your faith and realize life is much bigger than just about you. A widened perspective can energize us to diminish focus on not feeling so well.
Get help–and take that sick day–when you need it. Whether it be medical, emotional, or educational help or coaching to help you go forward positively–realize when it may be time to bring in a professional. For example, I’ve served on the board for Life In Abundance that offers biblical-based counseling and coaching. I also provide services as a virtual assistant/consultant to help you stay on track with projects and business plans and alleviate some of your stress! One of my colleagues is a holistic wellness practitioner who uses a unique combination of approaches and has been helpful to me. Perhaps one of these resources will be helpful to you. And, if you feel sick, take a sick day!
A few healthy habits can help toward building your immune system and perhaps reduce the number of sick days you need to take.
*Disclaimer: sharing about a product or resource may not indicate a full endorsement of all related products, services, or approaches available at the site at which it appears, nor should this be considered medical advice.
Feel free to share this summary graphic!
The post Avoid Sick Days: 10 Quick Tips to Boost Your Immunity (Tips) appeared first on Beth Beutler.
June 17, 2018
Consider Yourself a Professional? Here’s What You Should Avoid on Facebook (Acrostic)
If you don’t use Facebook or Instagram, you can skip this acrostic. 
June 10, 2018
Summer Book Club – Procrastinate On Purpose (Invitation)
Did you know that procrastinating can be good for you?
This summer, I’m going to explore the concept by reading Procrastinate on Purpose: Five Permissions to Multiply Your Time by Rory Vaden, and I want to invite YOU to join me! I have NOT read the book yet, so I’ll be on the journey with you.
In our newly-opened-to-the-public Facebook group, I’ll be posting 1-3 questions per week on Thursdays and you can add your thoughts and comments there. (Not part of the group? Click to join. Not part of Facebook? You are probably wise! Contact me if you want to receive the questions a different way.)
We’ll follow this reading schedule:
Date questions posted / Chapter
June 21: Introduction and What You Thought You Knew About Time
June 28: Managing and Prioritizing Your Time
July 5: Multiplying Your Time
July 12: Eliminate: The Permission to Ignore
July 19: Automate: The Permission to Invest
July 26: Delegate: The Permission of Imperfect
August 2: Procrastinate: The Permission of Incomplete
August 9: Concentrate: The Permission to Protect
August 16: Multiplying Your Results
Interested? You can get the book here and I’ll receive a small commission. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see my recommended books.
Looking forward to learning together!
The post Summer Book Club – Procrastinate On Purpose (Invitation) appeared first on Beth Beutler.
