How To Spot A Bad Boss -- Before You Accept The Job Offer

I’ve worked for some pretty bad bosses during my career. Some were managers who became my boss after I was already working in the job, but others were toxic bosses that I should have spotted before I even accepted the job offer.

 


Here are 10 ways to spot a bad boss – before you take the job:

1. They’re late for the job interview. I once sat outside a hiring manager’s office, waiting for my job interview. I waited. And waited. And waited. 45 minutes after the interview should have started, the hiring manager walked past and then stared at me. “Who are you?” he demanded. I told him I was his 10am interview candidate. He rolled his eyes. “Oh great. Another interview. Like I don’t already have enough to do,” he grumbled. “Fine. You might as well come into my office so I can get this over.” This hiring manager had not only forgotten about my interview, he also hated his job. A dangerous combination to avoid.
2. Their office is unusually disorganized. Earlier in my career, I accepted a job working for a manager whose office was a mess. Well, that’s an understatement. Her office looked like a tornado had swept through it. I should have spotted the telltale signs during my job interview: She didn’t have a copy of my resume or even the job posting, there were sticky notes all over her computer screen and desk, stacks of paperwork were all over her office, even her clothing and hair were messy. Unfortunately, her disorganization spilled over into how she managed people and managed her department.
3. They ask illegal questions during your interview. Does the hiring manager ask questions about how many children you have or if you plan on having any? Do he/she ask about your religion or your age? Hiring managers should always avoid asking any questions based on race, religion, gender, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, veteran or military status, and physical, mental, or sensory disabilities. That’s because these are all “protected classes” under most state law. If you’re asked any of these types of questions, it means the hiring manager either isn’t trained and experienced or may be unethical.
4. Other employees avoid the hiring manager. As you walk down the hallway to the hiring manager’s office or conference room for your interview, be aware of how other employees react to the manager. Are they friendly and positive toward him/her? Or, do they quickly turn around and walk away or dive behind cubicles to avoid being seen? Look for signs that other employees are afraid of the hiring manager or trying to avoid the person.
5. They don’t focus on the job interview. The goal of a hiring manager should be to hire the best possible candidate for the job. That means being 100% focused on the candidate and interview. Look for red flags, such as: checking email, answering telephone calls, texting, and speaking with other employees during your interview. Avoid accepting a job for a boss who doesn’t give you his or her full attention during your job interview.
6. They don’t ask difficult questions. To find the best candidate takes a lot of digging and questioning. So be wary of the hiring manager if he/she isn’t asking you tough questions about your knowledge, skills, and experience. They should be trying to find out as much as possible about your background as well as testing your skills with “Tell me about a time when…” questions. If they aren’t doing this, be suspicious.
7. They keep changing the topic of conversation to talk about themselves.  I once interviewed with a manager who kept interrupting me, so he could tell me stories about himself. There is almost nothing worse than working for a narcissistic boss. These are managers who have an excessive sense of self-importance and are extremely preoccupied with talking about themselves. These are also the bosses most likely to steal your ideas, take credit for your work, and who often have deep-rooted insecurities. Run quickly in the opposite direction.
8. They display anger management issues. Don’t put yourself in the position of working for a verbally (or physically) abusive boss. Signs to watch for are: yelling at his/her assistant or other employees, slamming doors, throwing things, saying negative things about others, going from calm to angry in a split second, tension you can visibly see (clenched fists, furrowed eyebrows, sweaty forehead, fast breathing), and over-reacting to things you say during the interview.
9. They can’t clearly communicate what it will take for you to be successful in the position. The hiring manager should know what it takes to be successful in every job within their department. This includes the knowledge, skills, background, education, and attitude necessary. If they don’t know this, why are they the department manager?
10. They don’t have a clear vision with goals and objectives for their department. Same here. If the hiring manager can’t clearly articulate the vision, goals, and objectives for their department, then they shouldn’t be in that role. Trust me, this isn’t the kind of manager you want as your leader.

Work Attitude and Benefits

Have you ever noticed that the employees with the most positive attitudes in the workplace have the most friends? People want to be around those who make them feel better about themselves. Employees with positive attitudes tend to be more productive employees because they always see the accompanying opportunity with every challenge. Things are seldom as bad as you think they are: Research shows that only eight percent of the things we worry about are worth being concerned about. People with positive work attitudes know this, therefore they do not waste time worrying, and they expend their energies on more positive activities. There are several benefits to having a positive work attitude, and many ways to cultivate a positive work attitude.

 


 Benefits of Having a Positive Work Attitude

• Better for your mental health because you are better able to cope with stressful situations at work [link to Stressed Out on the Job? Relief is on the Way!].
• Ability to inspire and motivate self and others.
• Ability to turn every challenge into an opportunity, or make less than ideal situations into better ones.
• Seen as role models and garner more respect.
• Other employees around you will also adopt a positive work attitude making it easier for everyone to get along in the workplace.
• Perceived as a leader and get more special projects to work on.
• You expect positive outcomes and results, and you usually get them, resulting in more success at work.
• Ability to stick to activities and see them through.
• Resilience – ability to bounce back from setbacks.
• Stronger immune system.

How to Cultivate a Positive Work Attitude

• Take responsibility for your own life.
• Prepare for the day’s activity at a reasonable pace.
• Think about all the positive things you expect to accomplish during the day and always expect the best.
• Smile and laugh often – it’s powerful and relaxes the whole body. Go to comedy clubs, take “laughter yoga” classes and read comic books.
• Develop a habit of using only positive language.
• Surround yourself with positive people.
• Perform your work with passion and enthusiasm.
• Always give thanks, acknowledge a job well done, and celebrate successes, even the small ones.
• Look for the good in every bad/challenging situation.
• Eat healthy.

Each week take a couple of items on the list to cultivate a positive work attitude and practice until they become second nature to you.

Ebola Virus – Is truth stranger than fiction?

What is Ebola?

Ebola is a virus and like other viral illnesses, causes fever, body aches, headache and sore throat.  Unlike most viruses, it can also cause internal bleeding, causing it to also be known as “hemorrhagic fever.”  It is native to Africa, and was first found along the Ebola River.  It is thought to live in animals such as monkeys, bats or rodents, but exactly where is unknown.  It can spread to humans from contact with an infected animal, and is spread from infected person to another by contact with body fluids – blood or other droplets.  It is not an airborne virus like the flu.  

Symptoms can be seen from 2-21 days after exposure to infected fluids.  Ebola has a 40-90% fatality rate - which is why it evokes such fear and makes for thrilling subject matter in books and movies.  Outbreaks are usually limited by isolating the sick and preventing further spread of the virus – since humans are not the natural host, the outbreak burns out.

What is happening in Africa?

There have been sporadic outbreaks of Ebola in Africa since we began tracking such things.  The last was 2 years ago in Uganda and The Democratic Republic of the Congo.  Both outbreaks involved less than 100 people.  This pattern has been seen over the past 10 years.  This map shows all cases since 1976 – both locations and number of cases.

In March 2014, the first West African cases were reported, and as of the end of July, over 1300 cases and 700 deaths have been reported in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria.  This outbreak is far larger than the usual outbreaks; in fact this epidemic has more cases than the last 10 years combined.  Why this outbreak is larger and growing is not clear.  Analysis of the current Ebola Virus shows it to be a common form of the virus, not a “superbug” or mutant strain, which would mean that the population is either more susceptible or not able to isolate patients safely to avoid coming into contact with infected secretions.

Treatment

Ebola is a virus, and there is no specific treatment proven to kill the virus.  So, we treat it like we do a cold – support the patient with fluids and nutrition, and hope their immune system will defeat the virus.  There are experimental treatments that have been shown effective in animals, but no human trials have been performed as yet.  Doctors and hospitals have been receiving alerts from the CDC to increase awareness so doctors encountering people traveling from West Africa with fever are evaluated for possible Ebola, and to implement appropriate infection control procedures – just like we do for other contagious diseases.  The patient transported to Emory will be placed in an isolation room and treated by those who train to handle infectious material, limiting the chance of spread of Ebola to the US population.

What does this mean for us?

The average person should not be concerned with catching Ebola, even if you are in the vicinity of Emory Hospital.  Ebola is not an airborne virus – meaning you need to have direct contact with infected droplets to be infected.  You can not catch Ebola by breathing the same air as someone who has Ebola.  In addition, the plane the patient travelled on was not a commercial flight and was set up to prevent the spread of droplets.  Same for the ambulance that took the patient to the hospital.  So I do not think there is a high contagion risk in the US.  The CDC has issued a travel advisory, recommending non-essential travelers leave the affected areas in West Africa, and for those in the US to avoid travel there.  They are also implementing screening and reporting systems to identify and isolate potentially sick people boarding planes from the area, as well as decontamination procedures for the airlines, as they have done with other infections like SARS.  So as frightening as Ebola is, and no matter what happened in that movie you saw, there is little risk of infection to the average person.

What’s the secret sixth sense behind every successful entrepreneur?

I’m often asked what’s the great secret to being an entrepreneur. I always reply that in fact there isn’t one, and that you just need to rely on your senses:
1. An eye for opportunity
No one gets anywhere as an entrepreneur without being able to spot an opportunity. Without a good eye, Steve Jobs would never have returned to Apple.
His eye allowed Jobs to see something different from what everyone else did when they looked at Apple. They saw: a failing computer company that didn’t have the common sense to run Windows like everybody else was doing. He saw: the potential of technology to transform the way we live our lives, and the way to put his brand on it. Think different indeed.
2. A nose for nonsense
As soon as you achieve any kind of success, you’ll be amazed by how many people want to share their expertise with you. You need to be able to tell the difference between the ones who are just trying to sell you something and the ones who are telling you something you didn’t already know. Because they’re the people you know you can trust who you want beside you going forward.
3. A taste for planning
Plan, plan and plan again. It’s that simple. Nothing good happens by accident in business. Think about the way Dr Ruben Rausing brought Tetrapak to market. First, he had to develop a unique product, make sure he had the finance he needed, and find factories to manufacture it – all without letting the competition know. Only then was he ready for launch. It took eight years of planning and development. Over the sixty years since, they’ve sold tens of billions of cartons. That’s the only real kind of overnight success.
4. Selective hearing
No matter how successful you are, at some point people will start telling you to stop doing the things you do. Some of them may be right, and others may be wrong. As an entrepreneur, you need to know who to ignore and who to listen to. You need to tune your ears so you can work out what’s really important and what really isn’t. That judgment comes with experience, but we all need to keep on working on it. It’s not always the people who think they’re important who can tell you what really matters. In fact, it’s more often the people on the frontline. That’s why I make sure I spend as much time as I possibly can listening to the people who really matter for my business: my colleagues in our Business Centres and the customers we exist to serve.
5. A touch of paranoia
What drives entrepreneurs? I can’t speak for anybody else, but for me at least, it’s not about success. It’s not about money. What keeps me going is the fear of failure. That’s what gets me out of bed at five every morning. It’s the last thing I think of when I go to bed at night. The only answer to it that I know is sheer hard work. And as the South African golfing great Gary Player famously said: ‘It’s amazing that the harder I work, the luckier I get.’
6. Common sense
You can’t learn to be an entrepreneur at business school. You need to have an instinct, and no amount of professors can teach you that. But with hard work and by trusting your senses, you can make yourself better at it. It’s a task that’s never finished, though. You need to keep working on that instinct, polishing it and honing it to make sure it’s always sharp.

Save Lives - Blood Clots & Strokes Information.

 

I will continue to forward this every time it comes around!


STROKE:Remember the 1st Three Letters....S.T.R.


STROKE IDENTIFICATION

It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke....totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Remember the '3' steps, STR . Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a by-stander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S *Ask the individual to SMILE.
T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today)
R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms t o the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other,that is also an indication of a stroke.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will b e saved.

Why Charity Is Important

 

 

 

 In today's materialistic society, charity is often seen as low priority. However the reality is that the community we live in has a huge influence on us personally it fosters safety, responsibility and sustainability so it is important that we take our community seriously for the greater good of humanity and for our own personal benefit.

Most importantly though, you'll gain an appreciation for what REALLY matters and it's not fame or fortune!

After-all, there are many high-profiled people who are great believers in charity and the planet. Bill Gates donates millions of dollars to charities, Bob Geldoff and U2's Bono are great crusaders against world poverty, and many other celebrities offer money and their time to a variety of causes.

Yes, these people have the money to give and their image has done pretty well out of their endeavours but at the heart of their generosity is the genuine desire to make a difference. And they do.

But, you don't need lots of money or fame to contribute to the community we all can.

It is my honest belief that we should all help those less fortunate than ourselves and trust me, if you have the resources to be able to read this article on-line, then there are lots of people out there who are less fortunate!

Whether this help is financial through appropriate donations or through donating your time as a volunteer doesn't really matter, but we should all feel some social responsibility to do something.

Everyone can do something. YOU can do something. If you don't have the time, DONATE. If you can't afford to donate money, VOLUNTEER and offer your time or services.

Making Donations

As a general guide, aim to donate 10% of your income to charity. You may have heard the phrase, "Charity starts at home" so make sure your budget can afford it!

EBOLA VIRUS AND HUMANITY .......BATTLE

 

 

 

What Is the Ebola Virus?

Ebola disease—also called Ebola hemorrhagic fever or Ebola fever—is a rare and often fatal illness that humans and nonhuman primates (such as monkeys and gorillas) can contract. There have been several outbreaks of Ebola fever in Africa. There has never been a reported case of Ebola fever in people in the United States.
The Ebola virus causes Ebola fever. The virus is found in Africa and the Philippines—but, the virus from the Philippines does not cause illness in humans. The virus was named after the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it was first discovered.
The Ebola virus was discovered in 1976 and has appeared in sporadic outbreaks since then. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 2,265 reported cases of Ebola fever in humans around the world since 1976. Of these, 1,531 resulted in death (CDC, 2012).

Part 2 of 9: Types

Types of Ebola Virus

There are five subtypes of Ebola virus:

• Ebola-Zaire
• Ebola-Sudan
• Ebola-Ivory Coast
• Ebola-Bundibugyo
• Ebola-Reston

All of these subtypes are found in Africa, except for Ebola-Reston, which is found in the Philippines. The Ebola-Reston virus is also the only subtype that will not cause illness in humans—it only affects animals.

Part 3 of 9: Causes

How Do You Contract the Ebola Virus?

You can get the Ebola virus through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected animal or human. These include blood, saliva, semen, vomit, urine, or feces.
According to the World Health Organization, you can also get the virus by handling a sick or dead wild animal that has been infected with it (WHO, 2007).
There is some evidence that the Ebola virus can be spread through the air from nonhuman primate to nonhuman primate, such as monkey-to-monkey, in research facilities. No definitive studies have proven this, however.

Part 4 of 9: Symptoms

What Are the Symptoms of Ebola Fever?

If you are exposed to the any of the African forms of the Ebola virus, you will begin to display symptoms anywhere from two to 21 days following that exposure. The onset of the illness is rapid. The initial symptoms resemble those of a common flu infection and include:

• fever
• headache
• sore throat
• joint and muscle soreness
• weakness

As Ebola fever progresses, the symptoms become more severe. Late-stage symptoms of Ebola virus may include:

• vomiting
• diarrhea
• redness in the eyes
• swelling of the genitals
• internal and external bleeding (some patients may have blood coming from their eyes, nose, mouth, ears, or rectum)
• a bleeding rash over the entire body

Part 5 of 9: Diagnosis

How Is Ebola Fever Diagnosed?

Ebola fever is diagnosed using blood tests to detect the Ebola virus in your blood. Your doctor may test you for the Ebola virus if you have symptoms of Ebola fever and have recently been in an area where the virus is found.

Part 6 of 9: Treatments

How Is Ebola Fever Treated?

There is no cure for Ebola fever. The only available treatments are those meant to help to ease your symptoms. These may include:

• oxygen therapy
• intravenous fluids
• blood transfusions
• medications to treat shock
• pain medications

Part 7 of 9: Getting Help

When to Call a Doctor

Call your doctor right away if you develop symptoms of Ebola fever and have recently traveled to Africa or been exposed to the Ebola virus. The earlier you receive treatment, the better your chances will be for survival.