Ladies, Please step away from the schoolyard!
Moms, do you drop off and pick up your kids from school every day? Whether you are a proud Stay at Home Mom or a Working Mom that takes extreme measures to juggle your schedule for pick up duty, here’s my urgent plea for you to stop! It is not because of guilt that I make this request. My own son is picked up from school by our babysitter almost EVERY DAY, but I do not feel guilty.
Moms, I truly understand that you have the best intentions, but please stop corrupting my son. He is only six. There is still hope for him to grow up believing that both men and women have really important work to do in their professional lives; that being Mommies and Daddies is a really big and special part of life, but there are other interesting aspects too; that Mommies and Daddies share in the responsibilities and joys of parenting; that parents get to choose how they divide these joys and responsibilities; that there is no default woman’s work.
Filed under Just Life, Unsolicited Advice, Women | Comments (3)
5 Reasons Not to Friend Your Babysitter or Nanny on Facebook
Friend your Nanny on Facebook at your own risk! You might quickly discover that she is no Mary Poppins and then your blissful ignorance will vanish forever.
Obviously the Nannies and Babysitters have the most to lose! Please, save yourselves and your jobs! Even if you think you boss is cool, or a friend, or whatever, think about it before you send that friend request! The photo below is what got me thinking on this subject. What might people read into your status updates, especially your boss?
1. This is your new profile picture? Are you kidding me? No wonder my 2 year old daughter has been begging to watch Miami Ink instead of Dora the Explorer!
Filed under In the news, Just Life, Unsolicited Advice | Comments (3)
Jargon as a Deadly Weapon
Conversations between colleagues can be more difficult for an industry outsider to decode than an obscure foreign language. Jargon and acronyms should be avoided in Business Communications, but for many people it is a hard habit to break.
Here’s an example of jargon gone wrong that might get a belly laugh out of you, and at the very least, remind you not to assume that “everyone” knows what you mean when use jargon.
B2B is a common abbreviation for Business to Business sales or marketing. Imagine the comedy and horror that could ensue when a Business Owner, in industrial sales no less, comes across the acronym in a trade journal and misinterprets B2B to mean Belly to Belly!
The cringe factor escalates when the Boss adopts this trendy new buzz phrase and spreads his newly found wisdom throughout his organization! The puzzled looks from the sales team as they are urged to get Belly to Belly with their clients can only be imagined if you have ever seen an episode of The Office.
Technology and Social Media are both jargon traps, increasingly difficult to avoid as the tools and terms rapidly evolve. It may be comfortable or refreshing to encounter people “who speak your language”, but make sure your lingo isn’t putting too many people off, or even worse, making them look (or feel) like a fool.
People want to do business with you if you know your stuff and they like you, making them feel stupid won’t necessarily help. Explaining industry terminology without sounding condescending can be a fine line. How do you avoid the jargon traps?
Photo Credit ijiwaru jimbo
Filed under Corporate, Just for fun, Tech, Unsolicited Advice | Comment (0)
3 ways to minimize time wasted in initial meetings
You are building your network and meeting people, but it is often painfully clear in the initial meeting that there is a mismatch (no love connection)! Many of these meetings come about from a referral in your network. Here are 3 tips to minimize the number of these meetings you have and the amount of time you spend needlessly.
1. Be extremely clear to your acquaintances about the following; what you do exactly and for whom, as well as your goals, priorities and the opportunities you are seeking.
(You might be surprised what people actually think you do, so check for comprehension!)
Filed under Entrepreneurship, Unsolicited Advice | Comment (0)
