How a $26 Trip to Walgreens can Improve Your Professional Life

How a $26 Trip to Walgreens can Improve Your Professional Life The 40-hour workweek used to sound like a good deal of work, until it crept up to the 46-hour workweek. Thats the equivalent to working three extra 8-hour days per month. We spend a lot of time at work, and we arent exactly in a bubble. Matters will arise, lunch dates will happen and you need to be prepared. These are the 5 must-have items for any desk, which probably arent in yoursThank You Cards $7The multi-purpose lifesaver Truly, if you get nothing else on this list, get a stack of thank you cards. Nothing shows appreciation more than an unexpected, hand-written thank you note. Your co-workers are far more likely to be there for you in the future when they know that you value their help and input. From assistance with a project, to acknowledging a recommendation, thank you cards are great for fostering strong professional relations hips.Protein $5I dont know about you, but at least once a month Im headed out the door and my lunch options are a can of tuna and some expired oatmeal. Whether you get a lunch break or not, there are going to be those days when you are either too busy to leave work, or your blood sugar feels like its tied to a bowling ball. Have a stash of nuts, jerky or even a jar of peanut butter in your desk for quick pick-me-ups throughout the day. If you see someone dragging, and you know theyre buried in work, offer them a bag of peanuts and watch their eyes light up like you just gave them an iPad mini.Headphones $8Sometimes you just have to go under. Have you ever been on an airplane and put your ear buds in just so that no one would talk to you? Its the universal sign for go away. Every day, every hour at work there are multiple distractions. Were used to it for the most part, but sometimes its crunch time. No distractions, just getting work done They are also great to have on hand for hand s-free calls. And please feel free to send me a thank you note when you win that radio contest, and you and your anfhrer are going to the super bowl.Hygiene Products $6It happens to the best of us, the cleanest of us even the afternoon funk. Three simple things will keep you from being the smelly guy mints or gum, deodorant and wet wipes. Whether you need to freshen up before a client lunch meeting, or your coffee breath is kickin, $6 worth of products can keep you fresh at work. Smelling good and feeling fresh are serious game changers for confidence levels at work. Ever had to give a presentation when you were unsure? Its the absolute worst.A To-Do List $0I prefer to use notes on my Apple devices. That way, my to-do list is refreshed across all of my devices, and it is always with me. Be sure that this list is prioritized and constantly in front of you. If you prefer an old school pen and paper, be sure to have a notebook dedicated specifically to this purpose. Having five sheets of random paper with various tasks written on them doesnt do anyone any good.One trip to Walgreens may not change your life, but it can make the office a far better place to be. We spend a considerable amount of time at work why not make it better for you and those around you with these simple and cheap items? Try being the grateful, good smelling, go-to co-worker. I think youll like it.

The Best Thank You Note to Send After a Promotion - The Muse

The Best Thank You Note to Send After a Promotion - The MuseThe Best Thank You Note to Send After a Promotion When Tina Wascovich got a promotion early in her career, she picked out cards and gave handwritten thank you musiknotes to her manager as well as a senior VP, both of whom she felt had been instrumental in helping her take a step up. The high-level executive was so enthusiastic about her note that he wrote her one in return to tell her how pleased hed been to recommend her for the promotion. Everyone felt good about Wascovichs accomplishment and about themselves. Who wouldnt want that?If youve just been promoted, well then first, you deserve a big congratulations, and some celebrations are certainly in order. Go on, do a happy dance, raise a glass, treat yourself to a promotion gift, or all of the above. But while youre basking in the glow of validation that comes with a shiny new title or role, take a moment to consider how you got there, who mightve helped you along the way , and how you can acknowledge that support. Its the perfect time to show appreciation to your boss or your company for a promotion and the recognition of the value your contribution is making to the company, says Wascovich, a Muse career coach. One easy and effective way to do that is with a thank you note.Why You Might Write a Thank You Note for a PromotionWriting a thank you note for a promotion, unlike for an interview, is not a must-do, mora like a really-nice-to-do. In fact, I think that if you do this, it will be remembered by that boss likely for a long time because today people are not writing handwritten notes or much of anything, Wascovich says. To get a note of appreciation from someone on your staff that recognizes that you may have helped them on their career path, that makes an impact on anyone in a supervisory management or leadership role, who will be more likely to go the extra mile for them in the future.Al Dea, a Muse career coach and the founder of CareerSchooled , also emphasizes that its all about gratitude and appreciation. Having been on the receiving end of such thank you notes, he says, I was super thrilled to see they got promoted and it made me feel good knowing that they considered me to have played a small role in that.Who You Should ThankThe most obvious person on your shortlist for a thank you note following a promotion is, not surprisingly, your direct manager. Theyre often the one most closely involved with your success, but theyre not necessarily the only one. Think about whether your boss boss or another senior leader played an active role in your growth as an employee or in advocating for or approving your promotion. Or perhaps you have a formal or informal mentor outside your reporting structure or even outside of your organization. To summarize it, I would thank people who you thought were instrumental in helping you achieve that, says Wascovich. What a Thank You Note After a Promotion Actually Looks Like (With Examples)If the logistics allow, consider a handwritten note. It shows that you took the time, in todays digital age...to walk outside, go to the store, pick out a card, buy the card, write something thoughtful, and give it to someone, says Dea. That shows a genuine kind of sincerity behind it. And while the gesture may be small, I think that another person would appreciate it.That being said, if you dont work in the same office or dont have someones physical address, an email is a perfectly good vehicle for your thank you note as well. Either way, you dont have to write a novel. Your note should be short and sweet. Here are a couple ways to go A Formal Thank You NoteDear Name,Its been a pleasure to learn and grow under your leadership. Thanks again for recognizing my contribution with this promotion. I look forward to continuing to work together.All the best,Your NameA Thank You Note With Specific ExamplesDear Name,Thank you so much for recognizing my hard work and believing I was ready to ta ke on a new role and more responsibility. Im grateful for something specific they did that helped you get to where you are, e.g. your guidance as I took on the X project and learned to lead a cross-functional team how you went to bat for me to make this promotion happen, and excited to thing youll be taking on in your new or more senior role, e.g. lead this new team or take on such an important client.Thank you,Your NameOther Ways to Show Your GratitudeEveryone has their own way of showing gratitude, and you shouldnt be afraid to go with your gut and do whatever feels most natural. If a thank you note doesnt seem quite right, you could platzdeckchen aside some time at your next one-on-one- or in a separate meeting- to express your appreciation in person. If you got a huge promotion and theres someone who played a major role in that, Dea says, you might even consider getting them a small gift or taking them out to lunch. The bottom line is that you want to genuinely and authentically thank someone. How you choose to do that is up to you and certainly it needs to jive with what you feel comfortable doing, Dea says. Im less concerned about the mechanism of how you do it and more about the spirit of deciding to go and do it.What to AvoidOne time in high school, I profusely thanked a teacher for a high grade on a research essay I wrote, says Muse writer and career coach Abby Wolfe. He looked at me and said, Why are you thanking me? Youre the one who did the hard work. And he was right.She learned that theres a balance to strike between recognizing someones contribution to your success and owning your accomplishments. After all, she says, youre the one who worked hard to get the promotion. Youre the one who earned it.Even worse than letting your thanks cross the line into too much in such a sincere way is to write a note you dont really mean simply to check a box, Dea says. If you dont feel an honest desire to thank someone and do so out of obligation, it could come across as inauthentic and frage flat. If you, like me, are now convinced that writing a genuine thank you note for a promotion is a meaningful gesture, remember too that its never too late to show appreciation, says Wascovich. Even if it comes a few weeks or months later, we can brighten someones day. Now, excuse me while I make a run to the stationery store.