After watching the great video on the importance of saying thank-you, I realised that this is one area where I fail. Sure I say thank-you all the time, but those people are not really the ones who are important to me. They are not people who I spend all my time with. They are people I meet in an elevator at work, or in a class at university.

While I do connect with some of them, the time I spend with them is very short. Most of my time is spent with family and friends. These are the people who deserve a lot more thanks and appreciation then I give. In fact I probably give those superficial friends more thanks and appreciation than my closest family and friends.

I know I’m not alone, I know many people struggle with this. So what can we do about it?? What can we do to let people know that we appreciate them?

Here are 3 quick steps that you can follow to let people know you appreciate them.

Step 1: Take the Time to Say Thank You

Ok it seems pretty obvious that it is important to say thank-you…. but how often do you actually say it?

I don’t mean saying thanks as an off handed remark. e.g ‘thanks for passing the salt’…. but I do mean ‘Mum, I love you and I really appreciate all the work you put into dinner tonight, it was fantastic! Thank-You!’.

See the difference between those two remarks. Both were simple. Both conveyed thanks. However only one was out of genuine love and appreciation.

It is important that we do take that extra heartbeat to express our thanks in a meaningful way. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it shows how much you really care.

Step 2: Give a Hug

Such a simple gesture can mean so much! Giving people we appreciate a hug should never be awkward. It should be easy, and it means a lot. People need to feel loved and appreciated, and hugging is one of the best ways! and Men, a manly handshake is not going to do it for everyone! Don’t be afraid to go in for the big bear hug!

It is often said that people need up to 10 hugs a day to feel truly loved. Maybe that one hug you give a person could be the thing that brightens their day. If you really appreciate someone, maybe even more than one is appropriate.

Step 3: Repeat Steps 1 and 2

What good is a plan if you aren’t going to repeat it over and over again?

Take the time out of your day to truly let somebody know you care…. but don’t just stop with that one person! Let everyone who matters to you know how much they mean. A few simple words and a hug are enough to brighten someone’s day.

Not only will it make them feel great.. but you will be feeling pretty fantastic yourself!

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Photo credits, wedgienet, Lst1984, and Jey-Heich

Once of the most valuable resources a student has is time given by a teacher. Time is the ultimate gift, and is something that should be shared. Check out the video below of Dave Eggers great idea for tutoring, and then think about what you might be able to do in the life of a student you know.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3QbzvT6vko

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I logged into my email from home the other day to see a message from a colleague. The message basically came to the assumption that I had not been doing my job as was asked of me. The assumption was totally incorrect and based on incomplete information coming from someone who should not be making these type of calls.

While normally I try to keep a cool composure about such emails, this time I have reached boiling point. I have reached a level of anger which I don’t often reach. While I would normally think of how I could resolve the situation with out much conflict, for some reason this time I want to retaliate. I want to argue my case, I want to get the load off my chest, while at the same time inflicting the most negative emotions which I can summon up.

Strangely enough this has me concerned about a few things.

Job Security

If I can’t be trusted in my job by other staff members, sooner or later this will cause issues for my job. I am one of those people that doesn’t work well having people standing over my shoulder. I am a very quick and efficient worker. I do the job in a short time, and do it at a professional quality. Having someone stand over my shoulder makes me feel inadequate and like I’m standing in front of a firing squad. It is not beneficial to my work. It is extremely distracting. But probably the biggest issue is that it makes me feel like quiting. 

Working Friendships

Once you have one person off your side, it can easily cause issues to the other friendships with your co-workers. I love where I work. I love the people, and I love the job we do. It concerns me greatly that some people are so shallow as to not ask adequate questions before jumping to conclusions. I hate the feeling of having everyone off your side because of colleague telling everyone you don’t do your job. 

5 ways to deal with ignorant people at work

While my concerns may be valid, it still leaves me asking one serious question of myself. Am I really dealing with the situation in the best possible way? It can’t be good for me to be bottling up this hidden resentment. So what do you do? How do you deal with people that just trigger a nerve?

I’ve done a bit of searching and here are 5 ways which you can deal with the ignorant people in your life in ways that let you go about your day in peace. 

1. Ignore Them

This may or may not be the best solution. However one way to deal with those annoying people is to just not give their comments any time. 

When you receive an email from someone who does not know what their talking about, just push it to the back of your mind. Don’t let it get to you. Go and do something else to distract you from the situation. But whatever you do DON’T RESPOND.

If you respond to an email sent to you, it is likely that you will write something which reflects badly on yourself. If you confront them you will likely get into an argument. It is much better for you to go away and calm down, and then not dignify the email with any form of response. 

2. Talk to a Friend

One of the most effective ways to not let annoying or ignorant people get to you is to talk to a close friend. Tell them everything that’s going on. Yes I do mean everything! All the emotions your going though. All the stress your under. What you feel like doing in response. Sometimes the advice of a close friend is more valuable than you could ever imagine. 

As humans we very much make decisions based on what other people do or say. If you have a friend who will level with you. Who will tell you the situation how it is, then you will be fine. Even the act of getting the pressure off your chest is hugely beneficial. 

3. Be Kind

Ok, I know you read that and you started to cringe at the thought. However ignorant people are not bad people, they are just not well informed. They don’t know any better. So be kind to them. They can’t help their situation. It’s not their fault they have trouble keeping informed. Give them a hand, and bring them up to speed on the situation. 

Not only will being kind make you feel better in the long run, but it is likely that you will place your self in a good spot with the person. If you are kind to them it will be amazing how this might change their attitude towards you. Even if it doesn’t stop them being ignorant or annoying, it much just take the edge off the situation.

4. Do an amazing job. 

Sure if one person keeps making uninformed judgements or decision it can be a little off-putting. But you can use that emotion to do a better job. If you become better at your current job everyone else in your workplace will appreciate your work and will automatically not take the comments of the person on board. 

If you do your job well enough you may even be promoted into a position where you no longer have to worry about what that person says. Don’t let their comments ever hold you back from doing the best job you can!

5. Tell them your problem

Ok so this might be a little nerve wracking. But if everything else fails you should calmly and politely them your problem. Tell them that they don’t understand the situation and that they need to stop speaking before finding out information. 

Sometimes ignorant people just don’t know they are being rude. If nothing works then you do need to tell them. Who knows they may even appreciate you doing so. However if they are not appreciative don’t take it to heart. You won’t have lost a friend, but you will feel much better for telling them. 

Whatever method you go with, it is important that you find a solution. It is not healthy to build up unwanted anger or resentment. You will be a happier person, and you will feel much more secure in your workplace. 

If you have any other suggestions I would love to hear them. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. 

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Photo credit, rstrawser