Courtesy: Beware of the carpooling litterbug

Heads up. I’m gonna talk trash about a coworker. Nope, I’m not unloading nasty rumors, juicy gossip, or talking out of school. But there’s a messy problem, and I simply cannot sweep it under the rug.

Somebody stop me.

Or don’t.

Maybe this is a problem for plenty of people. I don’t know.

Here’s the stuff of it.

I have a delightful coworker, with whom I occasionally carpool to business meetings, conferences, trade fairs, and other off-site events. I enjoy her company. She’s bright and dynamic and fun, and she raises thought-provoking discussion topics that make the miles fly by.

She willingly shares trip costs, such as gas and tolls. She consistently takes her own turn at driving. And she’s always on-time.

Honestly, I enjoy carpooling with this colleague.

There’s just this one thing.

Every time she climbs out of my car, she leaves rubbish behind, even though I keep a very visible travel-sized trash bag in the center console. Arriving home after a shared excursion, I have to pull out a trash bag and my vacuum to pick up cookie crumbs, muffin bits, popcorn kernels, empty soda cans, water bottles, candy wrappers, half-full coffee take-outs, or bottle caps. I scoop up stray French fries, twist ties, and wadded-up papers. The floor mat by her seat is filled with clods of dried dirt.

I have to stop and wonder. This particular person is very tidy about her own appearance. Her clothing is clean and neat. Her hair and makeup are always tastefully done. Her workspace is clean and uncluttered. The work she does is consistently complete and well-organized.

So what’s with all the littering inside my vehicle?

I can easily overlook the condition of this coworker’s own car. When it’s her turn to drive, I step over debris and take my seat. I ignore the stray shoe or sock, the solo mitten, the dog-eared mail-order catalog, and the soiled coffee cup. Her vehicle = her business.

And I enjoy the ride.

But I simply cannot fathom leaving trash in someone else’s car. Like mine.

I’m not a neat freak, but this is sort of getting to me. (Can you tell?)

Although I try hard to keep my car clean, I do not have a problem with passengers eating or drinking neatly along the way. I even keep snacks aboard, in case we get hungry. I just don’t understand how folks can leave junk behind.

Maybe it’s a simple oversight. But it sort of feels like a form of disrespect to the driver – and it maybe doesn’t contribute to workplace harmony. Is that an exaggeration? Think this merits mentioning to my dear carpooling litterbug?

Image/s:

Adapted from public domain image

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Ever work on Thanksgiving?

Did you ever have to work on Thanksgiving? Did you miss the feast, or simply scurry away immediately afterwards?

Emergency response professionals, police officers, hospital workers, utility experts, and others routinely work on holidays, keeping daily life running for the rest of us. Pizza deliverers, gas station attendants, and lots of fast food workers don’t skip for the day, either.

What about retail?

Plenty of people are complaining about popular stores that are opening on Thanksgiving Day (or Thanksgiving night) to get a jump on the Black Friday shopping frenzy. Some even call for customers to boycott major retailers that expect their employees to report to work on this family-focused holiday.

Sure, we understand that lots of these employers offer holiday/overtime pay (or bonuses) for those who punch in on Thanksgiving. And lots of workers seem to say they are willing to forgo dishwasher duties at home (or at Grandma’s house) and head off to their jobs instead. Scores of sales clerks, cashiers, and stockroom staffers will work through the night, keeping customers happy and store shelves filled for the Black Friday stretch.

Like it or not, maybe we all have to face the fact that Thanksgiving duty is becoming a norm for retail staffs. 

But how about corporate 9-to-5’ers?

Should business professionals and office workers be called in on Thanksgiving?

Here’s an example. Not so many years ago, I was working as a public relations executive for a large Midwest manufacturing company. Part of my responsibilities included writing speeches for the chief executive officer, who was (Gotta say it.) a bit of a blowhard. OK, he was a real turkey.

The guy called me at home on Thanksgiving morning and demanded that I show up at the office to work through a section of his upcoming presentation for the board of directors. The meeting was still two weeks out.

Is he kidding? I thought.

I spent a more than a few holiday hours, tweaking phrases and editing visuals (with the graphics pros, who were also tagged for the day). Then I dashed off to my in-laws’ for some cold turkey and more than one cold shoulder. And, as a salaried employee, I received no benefit from the effort, except meeting one more unrealistic expectation from the boorish boss.

Is holiday work a fair demand? Maybe it depends on the job. In the very least, perhaps it ought to be spelled out ahead of time, if it is to be required.

Image/s:

Adapted from public domain image.

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Smart is swell in the workplace

Playing dumb doesn’t work at work (or anywhere else, for that matter). OK, we get that. But is playing smart any wiser?

Career strategists and efficiency experts offer all sorts of clever techniques and tricks by which an individual may seem even smarter than he or she may actually be. Here are a few examples.

1. Dress tidily. Maybe appearances can be deceiving. We’ve all been warned against judging books by their covers, so to speak. But folks still make such snap decisions. Well-groomed spells brainy to many. Like it or not, that’s just how it is.

2. Demonstrate personal organization. Does a messy workstation reflect poorly on a person? Would onlookers consider such a one as less smart than another with a tidy workspace? Wrong or right, it just might.

A person doesn’t have to display a solved Rubik’s Cube, chess board, or Mensa membership card on his or her desk to make an enlightened impression. But clearing the clutter can help.

3. Stay up-to-date on current events. The idea is that scanning daily headlines (or online listings of news trends) may make a person more interesting in conversation, painting that person as being both educated, well-read, and informed.

4. Go for good grammar. Proper speech need not be stuffy, but it ought to reflect correct usage of language, if the speaker (or writer) is to create an intelligent impression. Spell- and grammar-check programs can kick in to kick one’s brainy credibility up a few notches.

5. Employ the internal editor. American humorist Mark Twain said, ““It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt.” Maybe he was thinking of Proverbs 17:28, which says, “Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.” Either way, plenty of people seem smarter when they listen to their own internal filters.

6. Listening pays big dividends. Here’s another bonus from exercising the ears. Anyone who can pick up salient points from others’ comments can then tailor the ongoing communication accordingly. Did the prospective boss (or current manager or client or other key individual) just describe a weekend of paddleboarding, a seminar on conflict resolution, or a new market analysis? A savvy listener will keenly pick up on such details.

Perusing this list, a careful reader will likely realize that such techniques don’t really make someone appear much smarter, unless that person actually does possess some smarts in the first place. It takes a modicum of intelligence to practice these strategies authentically.

Appearances fall apart in time, if they aren’t backed by reality.

On the other hand, hosts of folks are a whole lot smarter than they likely believe. Maybe it’s time to start realizing that and practice owning one’s own intelligence.

Maybe self-talk is a good spot to start.

How about we stop using throw-away statements that demean our own smarts?

• “I know this is gonna sound crazy, but …”
• “I’d lose my head, if it wasn’t screwed on.”
• “I’m not smart enough to handle this assignment.”
• “I used to think I was smart, but now …”
• “This is probably a dumb suggestion, but …”
• “You’re a whole lot smarter than I am. What do you think about …?”

Hey, you’ve got the smarts, why apologize for them?

That’s not a license to boastfulness, but it is a push towards intellectual confidence. And that counts for plenty at work.

It’s just smart business.

Image/s:

Adapted from public domain image.

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