Interview with Sheldon Cooke - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Interview with Sheldon Cooke - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Sheldon Cooke is a customer service professional and regular reader of this blog whos recently become manager of a team in a dot-com startup. I asked Sheldon to do an email interview to get his ideas and tips for creating a happy department. When I wrote the questions I knew that Sheldon has a strong commitment to happiness at work, but I didnt know how strong or the personal reasons behind it. It all comes out in Sheldons amazing story below, along with some great ways to create a happy workplace. Q: Sheldon, could you start by telling us a little about yourself and your work? Well, I have recently entered a leadership position in a retail dot com startup in the Support team. Ive worked all my career (getting close to a decade!) in customer contact centers, some world class, some not so. I consider myself a customer service professional, rare in an industry with a very high burn-out rate. Q: What were your expectations and goals going into that position? I wasnt completely sure what to expect I was warned that I had a department consisting of one person, a gigantic backlog of work that was discovered after the employee responsible for it had quit, plus outdated workflow and backlog of general support inquiries. Sounds scary, right? But the opportunity was too good to pass up I knew that I was more than capable for the task, and I knew the business model was more than sound. I guess my expectations were that I would get in there and dive right in and demonstrate that this wasnt an insurmountable task for me or my department. I did feel very intimidated about it, before I started. I was wondering what I could do to immediately boost morale and productivity, and get the ball rolling to a better functioning department. Then, one day, I was surfing a friends blog. It led me to another blog, and thats where I discovered a link to positivesharing.com. It was followed by a flurry of bookmarking posts (I still havent had a chance to go through them all in detail!), and I knew what my goal was to instill a culture of happiness! Q: I know that happiness at work matters a lot to you personally? Why is that? Happiness is my first and foremost goal in life. Let me relate to you a very personal story as to why. Just about two years ago, I sat in shock in my doctors office as he told me I had type 2 bipolar disorder a disorder that is characterized by long bouts of depression followed by mild periods of mania (hypomania). A very hard mood disorder to diagnose (as it is often mistaken for depression), I had been functional, but not particularly happy or motivated. I was mired in dead-end, entry level jobs and a dissatisfying personal life. I had resorted to finally talking about it after a devastating event in my personal life, and had a friend recommend this doctor to me. With the help of my doctor, who was one of the few locally who had experience with this disorder, I immediately began a treatment of a mood stabilizer and an anti-depressant. It was a dangerous treatment (the mood stabilizer has the potential to be highly toxic), but it was the best thing thats ever happened to me. Within weeks, I started feeling the most exceptional thing a certain feeling of normalcy. My self-esteem started to grow, and motivation entered my life. With some work, and some adjustments to my anti-depressants, I also started feeling something that I thought I understood, but it was then clear to me that I truly was beginning to understand it happiness. Now, although sometimes I get down in the dumps or a bit too hyper for my own good, I am more than just functional, I am highly productive. I have accomplished more in the past two years than most people do in a decade. Things have been falling into place the efforts of a year ago are now paying off in spades. My friends continually tell me how proud they are of me and what Ive done. Some days I feel like Im on top of the world. I have a better understanding of what happiness is and I dont take it for granted and since I spend 40-50 hours a week at work, why should I be miserable there? My life goal is to be happy in all aspects of my life and work is just one aspect of it. Q: What makes you happy at work? -Accomplishing goals -Hearing my boss tell me that Im on the right path and doing a great job -Laughing with my employees -Getting customer compliments -Hearing that the CEO has been saying some very nice things about you -Being comfortable in my space I spend more awake time here than at home, why should it be sterile? -Being able to create a culture from scratch Q: Going into this job, what were some of your greatest challenges? This is my first leadership role, and I am still fighting trying to be Mr. Nice Guy all the time. Unfortunately, there are times where as much as you try to promote happiness, there will be incidents where lack of respect for the culture or the leader leads to conflicts and must be handled in a less than ideal manner. I try to keep it as positive as possible, but sometimes you have to be firm and clear to resolve differences. Some other things? Realizing that people pay far more attention to a team lead (I can be introverted at times). Being far more organized than Im used to. Oh, and being more of a morning person. I love to sleep in. Q: Youve been following this site for a while. What ideas and tools have you been able to take away and how have you used them? (Yes, this question is wholly gratuitous :o) -Environment is key I loved your post on the top 10 cool workplaces. Our office was dingy and cluttered with old broken desks and other miscellaneous items. its much more productive now that its cleaned up, we all have ergonomic workstations, there are some things on the walls, and we even decorated for Christmas! Ive been trying to get my guys to decorate a bit, to some success, but Ive threatened them with Ricky Martin posters by their desks if they didnt put something up! (They are lucky I cant find any Ricky Martin posters). -Having a sense of humour is key. Laugh. Lots. There?s a lot of dialog and banter in our team, and its all light hearted and I even get good natured ribbing from the gang. Its all in fun, and we keep it in line -Finding key attributes that will help us all identify with each other we all love video games, and were saving up for a Wii for the team by handling the recycling at work! Its an identifiable goal for all of us, something fun, and we are looking forward to having one to play with on our breaks! -Productivity is linked hand in hand with happiness you say it again and again, and as things improve here and we are not dealing with angry and upset customers anymore now that our backlog is gone, we are even more productive! I have so many other things to try, and now that our holiday rush is over, I look forward to taking some time to further engage my gang in workshops and other tidbits that Ive picked up and will continue pick up from you! Q: What has worked best and what results did it get you and your people? -Well, our Wii fund is up to $75 (Ive tossed in a few bucks here and there as incentive), and we are all very excited about it! We still have about $200 to go, but we are already due for another trip to the recycling depot. -The change in environment not only helped our team, but it was noticed throughout the company and people were commenting on the renewed energy and positivity in our team in less than a month of me arriving. Q: Based on your experiences, what are your major tips to other new leaders? -Be prepared to make mistakes. In fact, your success depends upon learning from your mistakes, so embrace the opportunity they present. No one is perfect. (and if you arent making mistakes, then (although this sounds like an oxymoron) youre doing something wrong) -Although there is a line between a manager/leader and his/her employees, it doesnt mean that the leader stands apart from the team. The team cannot survive without a leader; the leader cannot survive without a team. The old paradigm where a leader is an authoritarian dictator is dead and should remain that way. A truly effective team is one where the division between leader and team isnt pronounced, but blurred -Always have a basic understanding of specific functions. Not knowing how something is done, or at least not demonstrating a willingness to learn, is a key way to lose respect and effectiveness as a leader. It is the best way to demonstrate empathy for your team A great big thank you to Sheldon for agreeing to do the interview and for sharing his personal story and ideas. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Resume Writing Services Are in Perfect Synch With Todays Job Market

Resume Writing Services Are in Perfect Synch With Today's Job MarketThe major challenge that a modern-day resume writer faces is to make sure that the resume is in sync with the job responsibilities of the job candidate. The modern resume format, with its mixture of functional details and career summary details, must be placed in an environment where it does not take away from the technical information of the position.This will not only provide the resume writer with a clean, crisp outline, but it also helps to provide the writer with an area in which to express their personal personality, style and values. The skills that are required in the job to which the person has applied must be emphasized as much as possible.Most resume writers want to ensure that the resume appears professional, which means it is well written. They may want to focus on expressing their skills, but they still want to show some of their personality through the layout. The resume writing service is going to be the one to do this.There are plenty of resources available for a writer looking to create a professional resume template. The service providers offer their clients the opportunity to focus on a few key points and to display them in a way that is as professional as possible.In today's economy, many people are searching for a career change, so they are choosing jobs that offer a fresh start to their careers. While a job that offers flexible working hours can be very beneficial, many people need something with a bit more substance than this.Professional resume templates are often created to fill this gap, allowing the potential employee to express themselves in a way that is as easy as possible. The best of these templates are user friendly and can be modified to suit the requirements of the individual, so that they may be able to highlight all of their skills and talents.Resume writing services are going to have plenty of skills to offer the writer, including web-based resume solution s. These can be designed for the particular needs of the applicant, as well as provide the right look and feel for the employer.A company looking to create a professionally formatted resume, including professional resume templates, is going to find that the most professional of their customers are the ones who use them for creating their resumes. There is no better tool to convey the professionalism of the writing service than a well-written resume, but this can only be done if the writing service is going to use its customers' own templates.

Golf Swing Tips - The Perfect Golf Swing Technique

Golf Swing Tips - The Perfect Golf Swing TechniqueWriting a casual objective on resume is a great way to advertise your expertise, achievements and professionalism. A casual objective allows you to differentiate yourself from the many other candidates, by highlighting your most recent accomplishments and skills, and your current status.Objective of resume writing is only effective if the content of it is clear and concise. If the objective itself is not specific enough, the reader will wonder what the purpose of the objective is. This is why you should use specific and precise words in your casual objective.In formal interview format, an objective on resume will be followed by the summary and duties of the job in detail. With such format, writing a casual objective will be effective. If the summary is to be short, you may omit some details in the objective and leave them for the summary.However, when writing the summary, you may include personal qualities in it that need to be highli ghted. The summary needs to be a clear description of your work history, achievements and skills. The summary should not overfill with details, which can lead to a lengthy resume.Since you have done your job well, you should now put your brief resume in the resume template. It should be an eye-catcher and show how professional you are.So, what is so great about writing a casual objective on resume? One, you will find it a very easy job to convince employers as it contains all the necessary information that they want to know.Second, writing a casual objective on resume is an easy task that has multiple benefits. So, go ahead and start writing one now.Writing a Casual Objective on Resume<|startoftext|> PARACOUNT 3 SENTCOUNT golf swing ENDPARAMThere are quite a few golf swing tips and techniques that can be used to improve your overall game, from improving your body position to improving your grip to improving your ball control. Now I would like to discuss the grip. As we all kn ow, the grip is the most important part of any golf swing and it's also very crucial to understanding that perfect golf swing technique. I think the best approach would be to start off with some basic golf swings in a warm up and then progress into the technique.In the case of a downswing, you should keep your left elbow inside your left shoulder, with your right hand hanging over the golf club. You should keep your left hand straight but remember you should look over your left shoulder at the target. As you reach your upper body, your shoulders should move slowly towards the target and you can use a horizontal or lateral movement as you hit the ball.In the case of a backswing, you should keep your body in line with the target line as you straighten your arms. As you approach the ball, you should keep your elbow bent but don't overcompensate as this will change the mechanics of your golf swing. Also keep your hands straight but don't try to juggle them, this will cause too much fric tion and can lead to incorrect balance and body movements. As you swing your arms straight, you should use your hips, not your arms to stay balanced as this is an important aspect of the perfect golf swing.

Software Engineer Resume Writing Tips Options

Software Engineer Resume Writing Tips Options Most engineers think that they don't have a thing to blog. Keep reading and you'll locate the answers. If you get a legitimate reason behind the short-term jobs, make sure the reason is clear. Be certain to use industry keywords along with some from the job posting. At the close of the day, the recruiter wishes to observe the way your background is related to the position. You ought to make sure you're staying on top of your job search procedure and you don't get distracted. My resume will offer extra details concerning my qualifications and accomplishments, and I would welcome the chance for an interview to talk about the performance you may count on from me. The manner in which you project yourself with relevance to the job is an incredibly important aspect when developing a killer resume. The majority of the huge employers and job boards utilize applicant tracking systems to shop and manage the large number of resumes recei ved by them. Hiring managers want engineers with a history of offering out-of-the-box solutions that may profit the business. Be sure to demonstrate that you've got the essential skills for the job. Essentially, you've nailed work at a unicorn business. Guess what, you aren't alone. An individual should be mindful to prevent common mistakes that will probably creep in while building a resume. It's possible to look at generic resumes, but engineering resume samples will be absolutely the most useful due to their specificity to your area. The Ugly Secret of Software Engineer Resume Writing Tips Functional Resumes of a software engineer should not be overly long and should fit within a couple of pages. To begin with, construct your master list of every skill you've got. Key skills are needed by the business in the job posting. Customize the abilities and experience in the resume you send out so it's optimally pertinent to the job which you're applying for. Lead engineers are required in a wide variety of fields. When you list a specific technology or platform on your resume, it is a fantastic concept to list adjacent technologies too. See, there are times when you could possibly be recruited directly by technical leads. The 5-Minute Rule for Software Engineer Resume Writing Tips A career for a software engineer is just one of the most marketable options at this time. He plays an integral role in any organization. Opportunely, engineering resumes have an extremely straightforward format. 1 The ideal example of a software engineer resume is one which receives the interview.

3 Companies That Encourage Employees To Play Outside - Work It Daily

3 Companies That Encourage Employees To Play Outside - Work It Daily Spring is FINALLY here - the birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and the snow is melting. We made it through another bitter winter! Related: 5 Companies That Encourage A Healthy Lifestyle If you’re like me, you can’t wait to get outside and enjoy the weather. But, if you don’t have a place hang out outside during the workday (or worse, don’t even have a window to look out of), you might not be able to enjoy your springs and summers the the full extent. But if you work for a company that encourages you to get outside and get some of that good ol’ fashion fresh air, that’s a game changer! Here are some companies that encourage their employees to play outside: Patagonia How cool would it be to be able to just grab your towel, hit the beach, and ride some waves during the workday? Well, at Patagonia, an outdoor clothing company, employees can do just that! And if you don’t feel like surfing, you can always check out the volleyball courts, go for a ride on company bikes, or stretch out some stress during their on-site yoga classes. Brooks Sports At Brooks Sports, they don’t just design and sell running apparel, they actually want to use it, too! The company encourages its employees to get out of the office and get active with its “Friday Runs.” And you think that’s cool? At the end of the runs, they have a theme party to celebrate the end of the week. #winning Hootsuite Playing outside doesn't always mean outdoor sports. In an effort to get its employees outside, HootSuite, a social media management platform, offers its employees a rooftop urban garden. “For those of us who live and breath in the digital world, it’s a place where we can grab a gulp of fresh air or grab ten minutes in the sun,” one Hootsuite staffer wrote. Not only that, but employees like to stay active and enjoy the outdoors as much as they can. Walking meetings, working outside, and biking to work are common occurrences at the company. These employees REALLY don’t want to miss out on good weather! Does your company encourage its employees to play outside? Tweet me @AriellaCoombs and let me know! Does your company have an amazing culture? Do YOU want to learn how you can showcase your amazing company culture and attract more great job candidates? Check out this FREE tool â€" It’ll breakdown the major parts of a great employment brand and show you EXACTLY what (and who!) you need to be showcasing. Check it out! Related Posts Culture Showcase: Fashion, Fun, And Bagels With The CEO 3 Sneaky Ways To Research A Company Company Culture Is Important To Hiring Managers   Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

The Number One Question You Must Ask for Hobbies and Interests when Writing a Resume

The Number One Question You Must Ask for Hobbies and Interests when Writing a Resume Hobbies and Interests when Writing a Resume Secrets That No One Else Knows About Technical writing, occasionally known as business writing, is writing for a certain purpose and with a specific goal. Painting You get a creative mind. Deciding upon a related hobby reinforces the simple fact that Jack has the skills essential for the job. Hobbies And Interests On A Resume Resume Writing To compose an overview of one of the main step is to find an appropriate job. Unique activities can be interpreted differently cousined on the job youre applying for. Reading as a hobby demonstrates that youve got a high degree of imagination. The hobby also wants a quick learning curve. Such hobbies signify that youre a person who has the capability to work as part of a team. Generally, the interests section needs to be placed at the base of your resume. They, on the other hand, may indicate topics youre cu rrently exploring or would like to explore and that might make you a good match for the company. Your interests help them know that youre exactly the sort of person they are seeking. Showing some interests and activities outside your work experience could really provide you with a leg up over the remainder of the candidates. Finding the Best Hobbies and Interests when Writing a Resume Hobbies and interests are two things. They are more vague, while hobbies are more specific. Your hobbies and interests probably incorporate a combination of team-focused pursuits and solitary pursuits. Athletic hobbies and interests are extremely important. An interest in games including Sudoku and chess indicates that you have the capacity to think strategically. For instance, you might list international travel for a hobby if its something which you do regularly.

Top Choices of Responsible for Writing Prosals Resume

Top Choices of Responsible for Writing Prosals Resume Top Responsible for Writing Prosals Resume Choices You may often convey the exact same info but in bullet list format. The templates allow you to remain formal in your letter writing layout and assist you to present each notion of yours clearly. They are available in various versions and formats of MS Word and PDFs to ensure that your message gets delivered in the right manner. Writing resume with the assistance of resume templates readily available on the web has become the most effective method of writing resumes that ensure that youre using the suitable format and correct information that is acceptable for the job youre applying for. The Hidden Gem of Responsible for Writing Prosals Resume The majority of the moment, clients are really going to appreciate that youre decreasing the workload for them and putting all appropriate info in the email in their opinion. Sweat every little proposal detail, watch for typos, use premium quality materials and make certain the correct individuals get the proposal punctually. Youre not likely to know everything about their project just by studying the work deutsche post ag so asking a couple of questions to further clarify things is quite proactive. Using Responsible for Writing Prosals Resume Concise writing doesnt contain unnecessary words. Many proposal writers are within the delusion that folks enjoy reading their long-winded proposals. You could also use quotes and anecdotes that are associated with the subject of your proposal. That means you can often stick out by writing a proposal aimed toward beginners. Due to how our writing crew is really large, we can offer academic assistance with nearly every topic possible. The more adventure youre going to have the ability to show, the more inclined you should get a great career. Responsible for Writing Prosals Resume - Is it a Scam? The consulting proposal is an essential evil. Especially with pr oposals, clients will often request a great amount of information. The client meant to ask three other firms the exact same question and solicit proposals. The Basics of Responsible for Writing Prosals Resume Our website is just one of the most appropriate for essay help. You can trust the ideal essay help online. Completely free amendments As the ideal essay writing service, we would like you to feel absolutely happy about your purchase. The Debate Over Responsible for Writing Prosals Resume For that reason, its vital to match your most relevant experience to the work description. Even if youre qualified for the job, if youre not able to convey your qualifications through a htte nicht viel gefehlt glance of your resume, the recruiter will assume that youre not capable and proceed. Each and every work type needs different kind of resumes. Always look past the basic skills of your previous trade or job when designing the career change format resume. An internet developer is accountable for planning, building and maintaining a sites infrastructure. Resume is not just a document. however, it defines you and is the very first important key that ensures your prospective employer takes interest in you. The students are given necessary study materials that are really helpful while attempting to understand the course modules and topics involved. Now you have planned what you are going to be writing in your proposal, now you can begin writing your proposal. Advertisement The ideal proposal is one you dont need to write. If you are searching for Writing A Proposal Template youve come to the proper place. A research proposal template is just one of the Writing Proposal Templates which are continuously presented.