A lot of my recent posts have been food-related (understandably, food is #1 on my list of priorities), so I thought I'd switch it up a little bit this week.
At work, I've been learning not only a lot about manufacturing, the food industry, and federal regulations, but also things like how to manage people and stay valuable in a company that may not decide you are worth the paycheck. I've started compiling a notebook of these things, in hopes I can share them with other people who may be hired on in a similar position.
Many of the notes I've taken apply to other industries, so I thought I'd share a few:
- If you are organized (not just your office, but also all of your documents/drives), your coworkers will rely on you more. And your IT person will be much more willing to upgrade your software... much more....
- Get some certifications from outside companies that relate to your business. Your resume always needs to look current and up-to-date, or else you run a higher risk of being let go.
- Look at what you are doing and think, "How do we know if this isn't working properly, and what would we do if it wasn't?" Easy way to improve current practices and make sure everything that heads out your door is thorough and something you stand behind.
- If your product is cans, make sure to have working can openers. Just sayin'.
- Have a notepad/whiteboard set up where people can write down what needs to be reordered - from lab equipment to coffee creamer - and the administrative assistant will love you.
- If the policy/etc pertains to more than one department, don't make the final call. Just because you are reliable and you know you are right does not mean you have the authority to make that sort of decision. You don't want to be the name that gets cut when things go wrong.
- You are going to go through stages when you want your name on every piece of paper to show you were a part of this meeting, this program, this development. But you will also have stages when you will regret your name on that paper, whether your site had a security breach or you simply misspelled your boss's name. Be prepared for this and examine each document for the little things that will make you look bad.
- If you send a ton of emails that are very similar, consider making a template that you can just stick in, with formal phrases like "Per your request", "Attached is the following", and "Best Regards". Customers aren't going to compare your emails to see how thoughtful you were - they just want your data.
- If you are doing something for another department, make them initial/sign off on it so they know what the changes are. And tell them that they owe you one - you aren't here to do their job for them.
- Sign/inital and date everything, just in case.
- Instead of printing out everything, keep the number of hard copies to a minimum. Not only does this save paper, but it also prevents out-of-date materials from circulating and ending up in the wrong places.
- Yes, there are federal guidelines on how to make a proper flowchart. Live with it.
- If you ever email a customer, always include the customer service rep that is in charge of that order.
- 10 people in a meeting that lasts a half an hour = 5 hours of paid work. Use meetings to exchange information, generate new ideas, make decisions, solve problems, and formulate plans. Otherwise, don't make it a meeting - make it a memo or a phone call.
- Take good notes and be willing to share - instant way to be valuable to others and get favors!
- Meetings fail without purpose, focus, preparation, too many/not the right people, poor/distracted leadership, or no follow-up.
- For each meeting, write an agenda distributed in advance, so everyone knows what the meeting is about and why/how they will contribute.
- Always start meetings on time. Don't waste other people's time just because someone got caught up on a phone call or woke up late.
- Start winding up 5 minutes early so you can end on time. People get antsy if meetings go over, and you want to be that person that consistently ends on time. You can always schedule a follow-up meeting or continue the conversation in an email.
- Don't work during your vacation. People will notice that and come to rely on you to answer them even if your out-of-office message states you won't respond until you return.
And a personal tip from me - Always have something that others can tease you about (like a mad addiction to coffee)! If they can make you blush or act flustered, even for a second, they are more likely to talk to you in person (about work, among other things) than avoid you and send emails when a discussion really should have taken place.
It's the holiday season, so watch out for all drivers - they don't know what they are doing. No one is focusing 100% on the road right now.
Don't drive and drive - and call me from jail!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Thursday December 8, 2011 8:48 PM
Guilty Confession of the Day: I have recently become addicted to the dairy-free bean tacos at Taco Bell (2 of them + one small drink + tax = $3.50). They are really good with the green sauce packets, and I only feel shame after I throw away the wrappers.
If they put more veggies in it, I would be obsessed. As it is, I'm wishing Taco Bell was further away and my job didn't have days where I eat while working at my desk or just skip lunch.
So, what do you do when faced with a fast-food/junk-food addiction? Especially when it is super cheap!
Please don't dye your hair half-red and half-green for the holiday season - that does not look good.....
If they put more veggies in it, I would be obsessed. As it is, I'm wishing Taco Bell was further away and my job didn't have days where I eat while working at my desk or just skip lunch.
So, what do you do when faced with a fast-food/junk-food addiction? Especially when it is super cheap!
Please don't dye your hair half-red and half-green for the holiday season - that does not look good.....
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011 8:00 PM
Sorry - it's been over a month since my last post!
I've tried out three new fake meat products - a fake burger, fake bacon, and fake beef tips.
First up - Gardein Beefless Tips, made from wheat and other grains.
I browned them in a pan with olive oil, onions, and a sprinkle of lemon juice.
The packaging had a recipe for Asian style teriyaki beef.
When the beef seemed ready, I tossed in some pasta and plated it on a tomato sauce heavily flavored with extra virgin olive oil and garlic. Very simple preparation.
The finished product was good - the 'meat' had browned nicely and had a bit of a sponge-y consistency. The taste was similar to meatloaf, and it wasn't overly salty like other fake meats. Would I buy it again? Yes, but not on a regular basis (fake meat is more of a curiosity for me than a staple).
Next up - fake bacon, made from tempeh.
I decided to go with the traditional American breakfast - 'eggs and bacon'. I scrambled up crumbled tofu with tumeric, rubbed sage, cayenne, zucchini, and mushrooms. Then I browned the bacon in the same pan after plating the tofu. I also baked some tater tots (not pictured).
The tempeh had greasy sections in it like bacon, and the texture was like partially hydrated beans squished up against each other (a bit crunchy and mushy at once). The taste was very similar to bacon, though a bit salty (I'm not sure if all bacon is that salty - I might just be out of touch with the original). Would I buy it again? No, the texture was very unappealing, and I had trouble finishing the package (2 servings) in three meals (kept pushing it to the side of my plate).
Finally - the rice burger - I got the Jerkin' Spicy.
I browned the burgers like the instructions said. Then I took some old rice, turnip greens, wild rice, and mushrooms in a pan with the burgers and made something similar to dirty rice.
I am not a fan of fake burgers, but I had really been missing Jamaican jerk flavors. I had high hopes for this baby, and luckily it did not disappoint. My only complaint - too salty. But everything else fell in place. OK, so it didn't taste like meat, but it was satisfying and flavorful. Maybe if I had eaten it on bread like an actual burger, it might not have come across so salty. Would I buy it again? Yes, but again, fake meat isn't a staple in my apartment. So it would be more frequently in my place than other fake meats, and one of the few kinds that would be a repeat visitor. But I'd rather test out other kinds and see what crazy foods are emerging in the health-centered world of chemicals and natural flavorings!
I've tried out three new fake meat products - a fake burger, fake bacon, and fake beef tips.
First up - Gardein Beefless Tips, made from wheat and other grains.
I browned them in a pan with olive oil, onions, and a sprinkle of lemon juice.
The packaging had a recipe for Asian style teriyaki beef.
When the beef seemed ready, I tossed in some pasta and plated it on a tomato sauce heavily flavored with extra virgin olive oil and garlic. Very simple preparation.
The finished product was good - the 'meat' had browned nicely and had a bit of a sponge-y consistency. The taste was similar to meatloaf, and it wasn't overly salty like other fake meats. Would I buy it again? Yes, but not on a regular basis (fake meat is more of a curiosity for me than a staple).Next up - fake bacon, made from tempeh.
I decided to go with the traditional American breakfast - 'eggs and bacon'. I scrambled up crumbled tofu with tumeric, rubbed sage, cayenne, zucchini, and mushrooms. Then I browned the bacon in the same pan after plating the tofu. I also baked some tater tots (not pictured).
The tempeh had greasy sections in it like bacon, and the texture was like partially hydrated beans squished up against each other (a bit crunchy and mushy at once). The taste was very similar to bacon, though a bit salty (I'm not sure if all bacon is that salty - I might just be out of touch with the original). Would I buy it again? No, the texture was very unappealing, and I had trouble finishing the package (2 servings) in three meals (kept pushing it to the side of my plate).
Finally - the rice burger - I got the Jerkin' Spicy.
I browned the burgers like the instructions said. Then I took some old rice, turnip greens, wild rice, and mushrooms in a pan with the burgers and made something similar to dirty rice.
I am not a fan of fake burgers, but I had really been missing Jamaican jerk flavors. I had high hopes for this baby, and luckily it did not disappoint. My only complaint - too salty. But everything else fell in place. OK, so it didn't taste like meat, but it was satisfying and flavorful. Maybe if I had eaten it on bread like an actual burger, it might not have come across so salty. Would I buy it again? Yes, but again, fake meat isn't a staple in my apartment. So it would be more frequently in my place than other fake meats, and one of the few kinds that would be a repeat visitor. But I'd rather test out other kinds and see what crazy foods are emerging in the health-centered world of chemicals and natural flavorings!
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