The Electric Car to Reduce Humanities Ecological Footprint

Human life and all of our human actives on this planet depend on nature. Humans have used nature since the dawn of time and have consumed nature’s resources at an alarming rate. The lack of regulations or guidelines for using Earth’s resources, renewable and non-renewable, has enabled society and humans to over consume. There is a growing global concern that our current way of life cannot be sustained based on the resources and technology that exist today.

One way for scientists to calculate human activity and its harm to nature is by use of an ecological footprint. The ecological footprint estimates humanity’s demand on the Earth’s ecosystem. Our current global ecological footprint estimates we use the equivalent of 1.5 planets to provide us with resources and to absorb our waste (GlobalFootPrintNetwork 2013). So for every one calendar year our Earth takes an extra six months to regenerate our usage and absorb our waste.  

Our current global ecological footprint is comprised of humanity’s needs and wants but in order to live within the Earth’s capacity we need to collectively reduce our impact on the environment. We need to re-evaluate what aspects of our lives are necessary in order to survive and which ones are luxuries.

Most recently, society has changed gear and is finding that electric cars may be the way to go. Major car companies have recently come out with affordable and reliable electric cars. Many are asking themselves if this could be the big change our environment needs to replenish itself. With society’s demand for products and services that reduce our Ecological Footprint, the demand for electric cars is on the rise. Time will have to tell if in fact the electric car will help diminish our Ecological Footprint. 

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read my blog. I hope that together we can help diminish our Ecological Footprint. 

CJ

Photo Credit

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Managing Up to Benefit Your Career

Starting a new job is always exciting but also very challenging. I have recently started a new role with a very successful company and am excited to start a meaningful career. As an Admin Assistant, my ability to work well with others can mean the difference in whether my career advances or becomes stagnant.

With a new role comes new challenges and the first challenge has been a big one. In my last role, my relationship with my boss was strong as we both had similar work styles and communicated effectively. I wish this was the case with my new boss, I am now learning that a lot of effort will need to go into this relationship to ensure that we are harmonious and productive.

My first task has been to learn and identify his role within the organization. Based on some advice I found in the below links here is the outline one can take to learning about their boss`s role:

Who reports to your boss – this will give you a better sense of how much time they can give you and how independent you should be.

What are their goals – these soon become your goals as you take on tasks to help accomplish them

Who do they report to – it is important to know who these people are so that you can identify how important these reports are and understand the pressures your boss may be experiencing.

Their experience – knowing their past will help outline their strengths and weaknesses which will allow you to better assist them and become a productive duo.  

Communication is key in the beginning of a new dynamic. Discussions of communication preferences can be awkward at first but are vital in the long term success of your relationship. It is also a good opportunity for you to take the time to identify what your preferences are and which avenues you are good at. Does your boss want to be aware of all routine office matters, or do they want to be consulted if issues arise?

Russel Matters

This is my next obstacle to overcome with my boss in that we have yet to have time to sit down and discuss our communication styles. I know that I take more of a direct approach than my boss in that I like clear defined goals and assigned tasks. I would prefer an email about what our goals are and who is accountable for each task. My boss tends to enjoy talking about the goals but lacks the delegation of them.

Understand your manager’s management style and learn to work with them – Deadlines can provide insight into your boss’s management style. Your manager may not value time management the same way you do in that they could be more of a last minute type of person. If there is a deadline approaching, you could be feeling the pressure whereas your boss may not feel the need to address the report until the day before. It is important to anticipate and plan for how your boss will deal with deadlines. This will allow you to work with them and feel less pressure when last minute changes are made because you planned and adapted to their style.

As my relationship with my boss evolves I need to keep in mind that his productivity and success directly relate to mine. If he isn’t producing reports and meeting deadlines then that affects me and my work. I need to learn as much as I can about him to ensure that I provide the right assistance so that we both can be successful. My determination and drive to succeed will continue to fuel the need to understand my boss as I want my role to develop into an extremely rewarding career.

Sources:

http://work.com/blog/2010/09/managing-up-adapting-your-working-style-to-your-boss%E2%80%99s/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2013/04/29/how-to-manage-your-boss/

http://www.management-issues.com/advice/4950/how-do-i-deal-with-my-lazy-boss/

Your IQ isn't the only thing that is important to your employer.

Emotional Intelligence (EI) has become a well-known topic discussed by many individuals and their employers.  EI can be argued to be just as important as someone’s IQ in that it helps create a well-rounded individual who is more emotionally stable. Just as some of us are born with higher IQ’s than others, some people have more dominant EI’s than others. As outlined by Psychology experts, Emotional Intelligence refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions.

Tamilyouth

Can we develop our EI’s?

As more employers see value in higher EI’s the debate has been sparked - Can we learn to develop our EI’s? 

Some researchers argue that you can learn emotional intelligence, while others claim that it is an inborn characteristic. 

My family has always spoken of how important emotional intelligence is. As  I establish myself in the workplace and gain more knowledge of the world around me, I am starting to understand that it involves both IQ and EI to create a well-rounded individual. 

To continue to develop my EI, I have started a journal that captures my emotions as I deal with new work place challenges. I had previously read about keeping a feelings diary a couple months ago and decided to try it out.

The purpose of the journal is to write down my emotions as different scenarios arise at work as well as in my personal life. Stress can trigger negative emotional reactions and can therefore cause someone to act differently than they would in a less stressful situation. My hope is that I can start to recognize patterns in my reactions based on how I am feeling in those moments or prior in the day. My goal is to be able to be more aware of how I am feeling so that I can anticipate my decisions and be able to compare them to how I would normally react. I want to learn to be more consistent in my reactions and decisions as I feel that consistency is a gateway to success.

In my findings thus far, I have found that it takes a lot of energy to fully access situations when dealing with stress. When stressed, I feel that I do not have time to hear all of the information and must quickly provide a solution. This can often make me look bad as I tend to not provide the proper resolution to the problem. I am starting to learn that I must take the time to fully hear the issue and all of the information before I can provide a solution.

Stress will always be a part of my life and therefore I must learn to better deal with it. My feelings diary seems rather silly at times, especially when I am stressed and short for time. But I do feel that in the long run I will be able to better understand myself and therefore continue to develop my emotion intelligence.

For those readers who are interested in developing their emotional intelligence or simply just learning more about it, I recommend visiting the following sites:

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Improve-Your-Emotional-Intelligence-Avoid-Self-Destructive-Behavior

http://psychology.about.com/od/personalitydevelopment/a/emotionalintell.htm

I also took this free Emotional Intelligence Quiz which I found beneficial:

http://www.ihhp.com/free-eq-quiz/

source

Get that raise you know you deserve!

I have never enjoyed the process of asking for a raise. I find it stressful and extremely awkward having to “toot my own horn” in order to be given a raise.  I’m sure we are all also aware that if you don’t ask you will never receive. It’s the asking part that tends to cause stress and anxiety. Whether you want or need the money, you are still going to have to have that discussion with your boss. I know the easiest choice would be to stay quiet and hope they give you a raise but in doing so you never get the opportunity to be heard and seen as a confident and strong employee. I encourage you to ask for a raise if and when you feel it is deserved. I feel it is positive to compare yourself and measure your successes. That way you continue to challenge yourself while setting realistic goals.

Some good things to know prior to that awkward conversation:

• §  How much do you want? Know how much you want and what you are willing to settle with. You may be at a point where it is “make or break” and so you need to know what number you are willing to accept or what number will result in your resignation.  I’m not saying give an ultimatum (because nobody likes those) but I’m saying know how much you’re worth and know how much you are willing to work for. You can find plenty of information online about salary calculators and how to compare your role to the industry standard but each situation is unique. You could have higher expectations of yourself than someone else and therefore be asking for more than the average “receptionist.”

• §  Focus on the future -  yes, it is good to highlight your past successes but the reality is that if they are going to pay you more then they will likely want to know how much more of an asset you can be. A company is more often than not willing to invest in someone or something if they see a value in it. At the end of the day we are all here to make money and so treating your discussion as if it were a business transaction may in fact be the best approach and yield the best results.

• §  Timing – I would hope that you would have the common sense to know when to ask for a raise and when not to. If people in the office are getting laid off or are worried about the future of the Company then perhaps asking for a raise may not be the best idea. I have learnt that there never really is a good time, however, I would hope that you would know when the Company is being successful and try to capitalize then.  Some good examples of a good time would be if the Company exceeded its sales forecasts, if you have received some public recognition or perhaps if your boss is simply in a good mood.

• §  Be prepared for a NO. Regardless of how hard you’ve worked, how great your negotiation skills are the answer could very possibly still be no. The most important thing to do when receiving the negative news is to try to keep your emotions under control. You obviously don’t agree with their answer of no but you cannot express this. They know you are disappointed so don’t bother telling them about it, instead see it as more of a challenge than a defeat. Ask when there is a good time for a follow up discussion, that way you can plan for it and come even more prepared. 

 You could also ask for a non-salary option. Asking for a better benefits package does not cost the Company much money and is a great perk. You could also ask for more flexibility. Maybe you would like to have Friday’s off and so working a condensed work week would interest you. I would also encourage you to ask your boss what you can do in the future to ensure that your next discussion results in a yes!

Remember, you are only worth as much as someone is willing to pay you, so go out there and get what you deserve! 

Some helpful websites to visit in preparing for your discussion:

Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/learnvest/2014/05/07/how-to-ask-for-a-raise-and-get-it/

Huffington Post: 

Intro

To my readers,

My name is CJ and this is my first ever blog post! I am blogging in the hopes that I can interact with others who share the same interests as I do. I also hope to get exposure to others thoughts and opinions while exploring my own.

I currently live in beautiful British Columbia and am a part time student. My hobbies are: soccer, outdoor activities, reading, writing, cooking, water sports and spending time with family. I can often be found out for a run or enjoying a nice glass of wine with friends. I am a hard worker and I thrive in competitive work environments. I am determined to succeed in life and often push myself to ensure I meet my own expectations. I am not afraid of change as long as I have a clear vision of the end result. I have a "no bull-shit" sort of attitude and will tell it like it is. I am a firm believer in tough-love as it challenges myself and other individuals to adapt and overcome.

My main blogging topics will focus on Human Resources as this is what I am studying in school and also hope to build my career around. Other areas of interest are the environment and the need for sustainable solutions.

I look forward to reading others posts and am excited to hear their opinions of my thoughts and ideas.

Regards,
CJ

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