What determines a bully?  Bullies purposely try to make people feel uncomfortable OR purposely put people down.

Some also have a habit of keeping you in a state of “psychological emergency.” This makes them feel important by continually keeping you in a scrambling mode.

You are constantly walking on eggshells around them and they love it.  This is one of the worst forms of bullying. MORE

Cell phones and smart phones are here to stay and we love them!

The convenience of making or receiving a call at any time, any place (well, almost), far outweighs the negatives about cell phones and smart phones.

So how can a cell phone possibly be troublesome in the workplace? What exactly is the growing concern?

Perhaps this inexcusable scenario may sound familiar to you: MORE

Ever notice all the music around you?

It’s played in grocery stores, restaurants, elevators, doctors’ offices, nail salons, car dealerships, gas stations (yes, while you are pumping gas), business offices and even the parking lots!

Is music appropriate in the workplace? You bet it is.

Does music boost employee morale? Yes to that one too.

Music plays a positive role in most of our lives personally and professionally.

Music acts as an important component in building a customer service culture in the workplace. MORE

If you choose to have music in your place of business, set some rules:

• If employees are seated in an open area, no music at their desks. This is about as popular as gum snapping.
• Music in the office needs to come from a single source with the speaker(s) set on low volume.
• Music needs to be appropriate for the type of business you work in.
• If employees or customers are complaining about the music in any way, listen to them. MORE

Back in the day… the job interview process was like hopping on the merry-go-round at the park.

Businesses sang the same song (here we go with singing again), “do you have experience?” And of course, our thoughts were “how do we get experience if no one will hire us?” Can’t they see we are trainable and happy people?

Eventually, someone took a chance and gave us a break.

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Many businesses don’t take the time to get to know their customers.  Companies run them through like a bunch of cattle and then wonder why they don’t come back.  While that may help long lines, it does nothing to build loyalty.

Yes, customers want fast service but they also want your attention and want you to take time with them.  Find a happy medium.

A major complaint is that no one really seems to care anymore. MORE

Laughter and attitude go hand in hand. Without these two qualities, the workplace is not only boring, you could actually lose employees and customers! Really, who wants to work everyday or do business with a grump?

Grumpy and stress are close relatives. A recent survey said 90% of Americans live in a constant state of stress. YIKES, no wonder customers are treated poorly.

If you work on improving your attitude and start to smile a little more, you will be taking a huge leap on reducing that stress. Add a little fun and laughter and you will feel and see the difference. MORE