CATEGORY | Workplace Experiences

It's a jungle out there. A concrete jungle, that is. While humans have evolved way past all other animals in a cognitive sense, we still need to navigate many of the situations that animals encounter in the wild. While many animals are categorized as predators or prey, people can also act in a predatory fashion and see other people as their 'prey'. Except in the human world, the predatory person doesn't eat their prey - they try to manipulate or take advantage of them instead. Predatory people don't see EVERYONE as prey though - they instinctively pick people they think they can exploit for their own gain. Overly nice people are one of the main groups people try and exploit, for reasons we'll discuss. Nice people aren't off the hook, though. Many times, they're not taken advantage of by just predators, but by everyone - and they ask for it! The workplace is one of the main places nice people get taken advantage of, and it affects workload, promotions, salary, reputation and more. In this article, we will discuss how to stop being too nice at work using twelve simple techniques.
Project Manager Soft Skills

How To Stop Being Too Nice At Work: 12 Simple, Quick Techniques

It’s a jungle out there. A concrete jungle, that is. While humans have evolved way past all other animals in a cognitive sense, we still need to navigate many of the situations that animals encounter in the wild. While many animals are categorized as predators or prey, people can also act in a predatory fashion and see other people as their ‘prey’. Except in the human world, the predatory person doesn’t eat their prey – they try to manipulate or take advantage of them instead. Predatory people don’t see EVERYONE as prey though – they instinctively pick people they think they can exploit for their own gain. Overly nice people are one of the main groups people try and exploit, for reasons we’ll discuss. Nice people aren’t off the hook, though. Many times, they’re not taken advantage of by just predators, but by everyone – and they ask for it! The workplace is one of the main places nice people get taken advantage of, and it affects workload, promotions, salary, reputation and more. In this article, we will discuss how to stop being too nice at work using twelve simple techniques.

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Common Weaknesses Of Project Managers
Project Management

Common Weaknesses Of Project Managers: Overcoming My 6 Main Flaws

Are Project Managers born, or made? Most likely, it’s a combination of both. Whether our specific discipline is in Engineering, Software Development, Architecture, Construction Management, Business Management or none of the above, we decided to pursue our fields in part because of our natural passion and inclination for the craft. In this way at a minimum, Project Managers can be born. In the vast majority of cases, though, people within these fields need to get several years of experience on the job before being promoted to ‘Project Manager‘. These several years include valuable work experience, training and continual development. In

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How Can I Get Back My Focus At Work
Workplace Experiences

How Can I Get Back My Focus At Work? 4 Common Situations

It happens to all of us. Normally we’re a machine at work – we know what needs to be done, we come to work prepared and we tackle another day head on. While we certainly face challenges, we know we can handle them and plow right through them. We raise our hands victoriously at the end of the day and are satisfied by another job well done. Then it strikes. Whether it be sickness, personal stuff, burnout or something else – we lose our focus at work! The things we normally breeze through take longer than usual. Deadlines and assignments pile up. Where a neat to-do list once sat is now a scribbled pile of scrap paper and a bunch of tasks “we’ll remember to do” swirling in our minds. Maybe bosses or coworkers are noticing that we’re not the same. “Are you OK?” they ask. This is a place no one likes to be, and only one question remains: how can I get back my focus at work? Luckily, there are many things we can do. Let’s dive in.

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Can An Engineer Become A Project Manager
Career Planning

Can An Engineer Become A Project Manager? 5 Realities To Consider

The field of engineering has grown drastically in the past couple of decades, as has the overall demand for engineers in the workplace. Well over 100,000 students graduate with a degree in engineering each year, according to ASEE – that’s in the US and Canada alone. Engineers are sought after by many companies for their problem solving abilities, discipline and technical backgrounds. There is a caveat worth mentioning, though – many of these companies aren’t engineering firms. Statistics vary, but I’ve heard as many as ~50% of all engineering degree holders are not actually working as engineers. Supply and demand dictates that the more engineers there are in the workplace, there’s less of a demand for them all, and the job market gets more saturated as the pace of supply outruns the pace of demand. If you’re an engineering graduate, it’s a coin toss chance as to whether you’ll work as an engineer or not. There are, however, many alternative careers that engineers are a good fit for. Onto the main focus of this article: can an engineer become a project manager? Let’s explore it.

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How To Not Get Bullied At Work: 10 Essential Tactics
Workplace Experiences

How To Not Get Bullied At Work: 10 Essential Tactics

Are you getting bullied at work? Do you feel like people take advantage of your good nature or friendliness? Do you find yourself doing extra work or being treated differently than your coworkers? You may be experiencing a form of workplace bullying. Luckily, there are tactics you can start using today to stop being bullied at work, and prevent workplace bullying in the future! Let’s dive in.

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Project Management Perfectionism Rise Above With These Simple Tips
Project Management

Project Management Perfectionism: Rise Above With These Simple Tips

Are you a perfectionist? Do you want every little detail to look just as you picture it? If things don’t go exactly as planned, do you struggle to cope with it, think straight, or even to breathe? (Half kidding). You may in fact be suffering from perfectionism! Project management perfectionism may sound like a good thing at first, but anyone who has either dealt with it themselves or has managed a perfectionist knows better. Luckily, overcoming perfectionism at work may just require a few changes in perspective. Let’s dive in.

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managing projects as an introvert: essential tips
Project Management

Introverted Project Manager? 13 Must-Know Tips For Introverted Managers

Are you an introvert? Being an introverted person comes with a unique set of challenges when working with others, and managing projects as introvert is no exception. However, not all hope is lost. In fact, introverts can learn to become great project manager, leaders and even elite-level professionals. Let’s dive in to the details of being introverted, and how one can be successful managing projects as an introvert!

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How To Be More Efficient At Work - Easy Ways
Project Management

How To Be More Efficient At Work: 8 Easy Practices

“Efficiency equals time saved; time is money; a dollar saved is a dollar earned”…you get the idea. Workplace efficiency is important for reaching goals and living a balanced life. Check out this hypothetical tale of two project managers, plus eight ways to be more efficient at work!

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How To Relax After Work - Easy, Simple Ways
Workplace Experiences

How To Relax After Work: 10 Easy Ways

While not physically dangerous or exhausting, many jobs are still mental taxing. Chronic stress, burnout and even depression are increasingly common in the workplace. Combine this with longer hours, larger workloads and constant emailing after-hours, it’s easy to see that we all need a way to relax after work days are done! There are thankfully many ways to do this – which have you tried? This article is written for the people with crazy jobs who are anxious, stressed out, and need to figure out how to relax after work! Enjoy.

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Making A Mistake At Work - Solutions & Steps
Project Management Experiences

Making A Mistake At Work: Causes & Solutions

These four areas are the root cause of making mistakes at work. Since I did all four of them in this one example situation, I promise that this article is not written with any judgement or holier-than-thou attitude. Let’s take a look at these four things that contribute to you making a mistake at work!

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About This Topic

The workplace can be a modern-day jungle, full of issues, disputes, difficulties and a host of other things. If you’re interested in reading about common workplace experiences, browse our archive of dozens of article on topics like working with different personalities, managing egos and emotions, professionalism, career planning, workplace practices, bad bosses, manipulative coworkers, office politics, work-life balance and so much more. Browse our archive of free articles related to common workplace experiences!