Elf on the Shelf is a common holiday staple for many households with children. While most Elf of the Shelf posts on social media serve as an entertaining and creative reminder for kiddos to behave, the elf in our office tends to be a little more career-oriented.
Delf (DirectEmployers Elf) has observed a lot over the last two years and made great strides to improve his work habits. But sometimes it helps to have a mentor provide deeper guidance. So, we decided to surprise Delf with Drewelf, an old friend who came down to help him get ahead in the working world. Over the last several weeks, Drewelf has taught Delf a lot. Here are a few of Drewelf’s pointers:
1) Avoid Pouting When You Don’t Get Your Way
According to ViralNova.com, you will spend 99,117 hours at work over your lifetime, so it’s inevitable that you’ll face conflict such as difficult colleagues and challenging customers. This will require compromise and flexibility. If you need a refresher on compromise, check out this article from the Harvard Business Review.
2) Practice Good Phone Etiquette
We’ve all done it, or been on the receiving end – loud obnoxious music pipes through the phone because someone on the conference call put his or her line on hold, you hear a person eating or breathing into the receiver, or you just feel like you’re being flat out ignored.
When taking important calls, find a quiet place, don’t put the user on hold, smile when you talk and lastly, don’t get distracted by your mobile devices – respect the other caller’s time.
3) Be Punctual
Sure, life happens – traffic, sick kids, lack of sleep, or all of the above. However, according to an article published earlier on thenextweb.com, we tend to underestimate things. Be honest with your time and account for things like the commute and time needed to park your vehicle. If you’re joining a conference call, don’t wait until the start time, begin to dial in a few minutes early so that by the time you enter your credentials, you’ll be on schedule.
4) Get to Know Your Co-workers
As previously mentioned, we spend a huge chunk of our lives at work, and while you may not like every single person you work with, it’s important to try and get to know your co-workers. It will help foster a more cooperative and positive working environment. If you’re not sure how to go about getting to know your colleagues, check out this great article from Levo League.
5) Take Advantage of Any Opportunity to Learn
Many companies offer career paths and opportunity for internal mobility, but not all of them. If you feel stuck or like you’re facing a career plateau, take a look around and seek out leadership and colleagues that may be able to provide you with some counsel and enlightenment. Just be respectful of their workload, and don’t be creepy or annoying. If you find someone, but he or she doesn’t seem interested, seek out another option.
6) Respect the Communal Snack Area
If you work in a location that has a designated area and/or provides snacks, remember to clean up after yourself. Use a scoop for things like popcorn instead of your hands. Use the trashcan, wipe up any spills and don’t leave food out that could spoil or mold. And please, don’t leave your leftovers in the fridge for someone else to clean out months later.
You may also want to consider contributing to the food stash in which you partake by pitching in money or bringing in food.
Lastly, don’t be a snack thief who is always stealing the good stuff or hoarding food in your office. Sharing is caring, right?
7) Give Back
Many companies do some form of charitable work around the holidays or year-round. Giving back is a great way to help the community you serve and an opportunity to meet some great people along the way. If your employer doesn’t currently work with an organization or charity, consider starting an effort yourself. At DirectEmployers, our staff members have organized several great initiatives including recycling, volunteering over Thanksgiving, Habitat for Humanity, and many more.
Yes this was all in fun, but hopefully you got some inspiration or friendly reminders. Check out all of our Delf and Drewelf shenanigans on our Holiday Pinterest board and see if you can spot Delf in our Holiday Greeting video.