Making a good first impression is easy with these five top tips.

We have all heard the adage, ‘You never get a second chance to make a good first impression’ and the more slightly daunting ‘first impressions last’. While staying in the minds of your colleagues for all the wrong reasons shouldn’t have to remain a blot on your resume forever, there are definite ways to keep your colleagues onside – here are just five tactics to making a favourable first impression at work.

Dressing appropriately

The way you dress at your workplace will depend on the individual workplace culture or industry standards – there are not always hard and fast rules. To gauge what is considered to be appropriate, look at what your colleagues are wearing. You may work in an office where casual clothing is acceptable and you may stick out like a sore thumb if you rock up in a suit but in other companies, more formal attire may be required.

Using proper office etiquette

There are certain modes of behaviour that should be followed when you are in a workplace situation and answering phone calls, answering emails and other correspondence – remain professional at all times even if you are friends with your colleagues.  Remember that in some countries like Australia by law email belongs to the company so keep those funny gags and personal interactions outside of the workplace.

Acting in a professional manner

Whether you are at work, in a client meeting or going to an office function such as the Christmas party, you are still representing your company. Some employees who are new to a workplace are not always aware that office etiquette still applies. An company do might be the first official introduction to most of the employees in your organisation and your chance to make a good first impression with your colleagues.

Pulling your weight

If you have started a job and you are always throwing sickies or AWOL, you have just asked for a month’s annual leave, constantly missing deadlines or busy updating your status on Facebook, you’re not going to be making the best first impression on your colleagues. If news of your behaviour reaches the higher management, it may even get you fired if you’re within your probation period.

But being a hard worker is not enough

Some people fall into the trap of thinking of that being a hard worker is enough to win over the acclaim of your managers and colleagues but sadly in most organisations it isn’t enough. Rightly or wrongly, it’s also important to a lot of companies that you fit into the office culture. Understanding the office politics and cultural dynamics and what attributes outside of hard skills are valued by your company can be critical to your success.

Fitting into the work culture is important but it’s also vital not to lose your identity or change who you are as a person. As you start getting to know your colleagues and settling in, you can start adding little touches to your outfits and work space to show more of your personal style and individuality and make it yours. If you make a good first impression, this can keep you in good stead for your career at the company.

Here are ways to change your outlook not your job description and improve your work satisfaction…

Can’t get no satisfaction at work? Lack of work satisfaction is one of the major causes for workplace stress, a high rate of absenteeism and a high company turnover. But is it you or the workplace that is making you feel this way and holding you back from achieving workplace happiness? Before handing in your notice, read these seven tips on you can increase your job satisfaction.

Identifying triggers for your personal work satisfaction

Psychologists have distinguished there is a link between your attitude to work and work satisfaction. They have identified three basic approaches to work and what motivates people to come to work. This could be a job, a career and a calling and each brings certain motivators and triggers for job satisfaction.

• Job: You do a job for nothing other than the pay cheque at the end of the week. This will have the greatest impact on whether you stay or go and achieve work satisfaction.
• Career: This involves a deeper personal investment in work. You mark your achievements through money, but also through advancement. Each promotion brings you higher prestige and more power, as well as a raise.
• Calling: A calling or vocation, on the other hand, is a passionate commitment to work for its own sake. The work is fulfilling in its own right, without regard for money or advancement.

Identifying the triggers for your job satisfaction, will help you to identify and adjust your expectations at work accordingly and find a job, career or calling that will bring you the most work satisfaction in line with those goals and aspirations.

Nature of the work vs nature of the job

The secret to job satisfaction? It’s not just about the work you do, but the people you do it with, according to a study published on March 2010 in the online Journal of Applied Psychology. The authors expected to find that the nature of the work affected job satisfaction, but they were surprised that social factors were even more important to work satisfaction.

Frequent interaction with others, office friendships and emotional support were strong predictors of job satisfaction. So the next time you want to skip out on office work drinks or miss out on a birthday lunch, take the time to bond with your colleagues and this may increase your workplace happiness and work satisfaction.

Pinpoint the exact problem of your work dissatisfaction

It’s important to find out why you are unsatisfied at work and the cause of your unhappiness. What exactly are you struggling with? This may be one central problem or a combination of problems.

Is it due to difficult co-workers, a long commute to work, poor working conditions, working excessive hours or your job role? Once you work out the exact nature of your unhappiness, you will be able to work out a course of action and tackle the problem head on.

Accept that workplaces are not perfect

It’s inevitable that you will be working with people where there may be a personality clash or you may not have any common ground or interests. The beauty of being human is we all have different communication styles, personality traits, and ways of thinking and doing things.

You don’t have to necessarily want to party with your colleagues on Friday night although that does help but you do have to maintain a level of professional courtesy, accept the inevitable personality differences and be respectful of your different working styles.

Revaluate your work goals

Perhaps your unhappiness at work is due to unfulfilled personal and professional goals. Remember this may only be a stepping stone to your dream job. Find ways to ease the boredom of your role and create new challenges for yourself within the scope of your role. This may include the following:

• taking on a new and exciting project;
• volunteering for new tasks;
• furthering your education and training;
• mentoring a new employee can also improve work satisfaction.

Working with a different team or department, focusing on your career development and improving your skills development may give you a fresh perspective and increase your work satisfaction.

Maintain a work-life balance

Those unhappy in life are unlikely to find satisfaction at work, a new study published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology in March 2010 says.

Keeping a balance in your lifestyle is important; if it’s all work and no play, you may find your enthusiasm starting to wane. In order to maintain balance in your lifestyle, the first step is to take an overview of your current lifestyle and see which areas are out of balance.

You should make for other important priorities in your life such as family, friends and other hobbies and interests such as the gym. Overtime is a necessary evil but if you find that it is the exception and not the rule, you need to take stock of your work situation and bring your life back into balance.

Think positive

Before a lack of job satisfaction turns you to drinking, take a ‘glass half full’ mentality and look at the positives of your workplace. Walking in with an optimistic attitude and see if changing detrimental and negative talk patterns can help you see your situation more clearly – it may not be as bad as you think.

Assess your current state of mind, and make some changes in yourself so that you see things in a more positive light, and you may just find you’re much happier where you are in life!

There are just a few of the things that may change your outlook and increase your work satisfaction. If you’re hopping from workplace to workplace and you find the same problems cropping up, you may just find the common denominator is you! So find out what motiviates you to come to work, what makes you happy or unhappy and face the real cause of your problems.

A lot of forward thinking companies are offering a work-life balance, embracing flexible work arrangements and recognise the benefits of employees working from home. However, before you speak to your manager about flexible work arrangements, find out all the ins and outs of working from home to put you in a stronger negotiating position.

Is flexible work arrangements really for you?

Working from home isn’t for everyone. While some people enjoy the freedom of working in their pyjamas and not having to suffer a long commute to work, others will feel socially isolated and prefer to come to a physical office and enjoy the day-to-day interaction with colleagues.

Before you make the big move, you may want to experiment and test the waters by spending a few days a week working from home to see whether if it is really for you. After the novelty wears out and the boredom or social isolation hits, you may find yourself longing for a traditional work environment.

Have you done your research?

There are many benefits for employees working from home and you need to include these advantages in your proposal to your boss. Some of these benefits include:

• increased motivation and productivity
• improved retention rate, lower absenteeism levels and increased loyalty
• cost savings for the company in terms of office space, stationary and other costs
• lower work-related expenses for the employee
• improved work-life balance and employee morale.

Is your job suited to flexible work arrangements?

Your role may be a client-facing role or require liaison with different team members or departments or working with technology or machinery and thus may not translate well to a work at home environment. Jobs that are ideal for flexible work arrangements have the following characteristics:

• a role that requires little face to face interaction
• a role that can work independently of a team such as a copywriter, designer or accountant
• a role that requires minimal software and equipment
• a role that requires minimal supervision.

Are you suited to working from home?

It’s important to get the runs on the board before trying to negotiate flexible workplace arrangements. While the nature of your role will be a huge factor in the decision making process, other key factors will include your work performance, work habits and personal characteristics. Here are some of the things your manager is likely to consider:

• Are you a person who is self-motivated and disciplined?
• Are you organised and able to manage your time efficiently?
• Are you able to work self-sufficiently and with minimal supervision?
• Do you meet or exceed job expectations?

Employees who constantly hit deadlines, can work with minimal supervision and can work independently of their colleagues are good candidates for working from home.

You may find that in order to achieve a work-life balance, you may enjoy a blend of working from home and working in an office. Flexible work arrangements and working from home bring their own unique challenges and isn’t for the faint-hearted so do your research before you transition into working from home.

Studies show that Australians work longer hours than all other OECD nations and do not use their full annual leave entitlement. Signs of obvious workplace stress include headaches, increased anxiety, high blood pressure, depression, increased drinking and reduced work performance and productivity. Here are some career tips for reducing stress in the workplace and alleviating that sense of dread when you wake up in the morning.

Develop friendships at work

Cultivate friends and allies at work that you can turn to and exchange jokes and funny stories about your weekend. Try and avoid negative or toxic people in the workplace. This will deflect the focus off your workplace problems and give you a safe haven where you feel more relaxed and in control. If you are going to vent about your workplace problems, make sure that your colleagues are trustworthy. Generally, it’s better to discuss any problems with your partner, friends and family outside of your workplace.

Manage your workload

Learning to manage your time at work is a major factor in decreasing your stress levels. Try employing time management tips such as prioritising your workload and managing your employee’s expectations, learning to say no to work tasks and ask for additional help or resources. Give yourself some breathing room and delegate repetitive tasks that don’t take much supervision and focus on tasks that require your individual expertise to manage your stress levels to try and achieve a work-life balance.

Take short breaks

Taking regular short breaks during the day to stretch out your legs or walk around the office to speak to colleagues can help reduce anxiety levels. Even after a short break, you will return back to your desk rejuvenated, refreshed and ready to tackle the problem, project or day that lies ahead of you. Step away from your desk, computer and telephone at lunch time and eat your lunch at the park, go shopping or have a coffee with a work colleague.

Mentor programs

Finding a mentor can be a great way to reduce workplace stress for junior staff or middle management. Mentors can be assigned within the company or can be found externally through industry associations and networking groups. A mentor can help work through work problems and how to negotiate work conflict, help employees build self confidence and develop interpersonal skills.

De-clutter your office

Even doing something as simple as cleaning your office can clear your mind and increase your focus. It can be very draining and overwhelming to face a messy office every single day. This is only a temporary measure so to keep disorganisation at bay; you need to incorporate a proper filing system and system of managing your documents. Adding plants to your office and changing the layout of your desk so your back doesn’t face the door can be good feng shui as well.

Exercise

Exercising at lunch times or before or after work has a host of psychological as well as physical benefits. Aerobic exercise can help you manage stress in the workplace by producing endorphins that uplift your mood and mental well being. It increases your social networks and decreases your social isolation. Exercise also improves your sleep patterns and gives you time to think and focus on other things.

Go on a holiday

Holidays can be a great way to unwind, de-stress and shake off workplace blues. Make sure you that you have organised someone to take over your work, arrange an adequate handover or hiring a temp or casual to do your work while you are gone. You want to be free of worries and stress when you do go away and relax knowing your work is in good hands and you won’t have any face any problems when you arrive back at work.

As a very last resort, you may have to consider changing jobs if you cannot cope with the workload, demanding boss, toxic colleagues or unrealistic deadlines and you have undue stress in the workplace. You spend an average of 40 hours a week with your colleagues so you need to be happy. Your mental health and relationships with your friends and family are far more important.

There is no doubt that stress starts to play a role when our busy schedules get on top of us. Effective time management can help you keep on top of your workload and keep the stress at bay. Here are seven of our top tips for time management…

To Do Lists – Don’t avoid the ugly tasks

Do the work tasks you are trying to avoid when you’re at your peak and keep procrastination at bay. Work around your internal body clock.

If you find that you’re more of a morning person and your concentrate is lost later in the day, do those mind numbing tasks earlier in the day and the tasks you enjoy later in the afternoon when you’re struggling to get motivated.

Get into a habit of writing Your To Do list just before you leave work so you can return the next day and hit the ground running.

Learn to prioritise – Do the most important things first

Effective time management is all about prioritising your tasks and doing the most important things first. The easiest way of managing your workload effectively is prioritising each task. The Motivation Expert suggests prioritising tasks as follows:

A = Top priority jobs – those which must be completed today

B = Jobs that should be completed today

C = Jobs that you’d prefer to complete today but can put off until tomorrow

D = Jobs where the deadline is some way off and you can complete later

If you are having problems prioritising your tasks or there are two tasks that seem as urgent as each other, speak to your manager who will be able to clarify which task is more important or better still, set priority of tasks in your regular meetings.

Be Proactive Not Reactive – Don’t fight fires

Encourage your employees and colleagues to be proactive and not reactive and pre-empt any possible problems with project management, client management or general day to day work tasks.

There is little point having an ‘ostridge in the sand mentality’ because when the problem does reach the surface and become known to your manager, it will more likely take longer to fix and use more resources. Ways to avoid this are:

• set up regular work in progress meetings and catch up sessions
• put reporting mechanisms in place and
• establish benchmarks or key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure workload.

These are a good way to foresee any problems before the proverbial hits the fan in an office.

Learn to Delegate – You are not an island

Delegation plays a defining role in being able to manage your workload. You need to be able to let go and trust your staff and/or colleagues to take on part of your workload. There are many advantages to delegating work:

• The motivation of employees is increased as you trust them with more responsibilities.
• It increases employee’s self confidence and leads to development of decision making skills.
• It encourages an environment where creative ideas and alternative ways of working are expressed.
• It saves time – we can achieve at least twice as more through delegation than we can by doing all the work by ourselves.

It can be quite difficult granting someone else the authority and responsibility and they may make mistakes along the way and not do everything as you may have liked. However, with patience and guidance, it can alleviate the less crucial parts of your workload leaving you to work on more important tasks.

Managing expectations – Learn to say no

Effective time management can sometimes be more about managing expectations from your manager and/or colleagues. While there may be occasions where you work overtime, this should be an exception rather than the rule. If you find that you are continually working more than a standard 8 hour day through no fault of your own, speak to your manager about:

• assigning extra resources;
• delegating your workload to other employees or;
• hiring a temp or casual staff member

This should all help you bring your workload down to a more manageable level and allow you to skip out the door at a reasonable hour.

Manage your employees and colleagues – Don’t Let Them Manage You

Attending to emails or tasks and answering adhoc questions or the telephone can take up valuable time in your day. It may only be a task that only takes five or ten minutes but that can easily add up during the day but this can be avoided by:

• encourage your employees and colleagues to save non urgent questions for meetings where you can discuss the project;
• asking colleagues to email you when rather than come to your desk or call you directly so you can attend to the email when you have time;
• making your priorities known to your colleagues and ask them if you can do their task later after you have finished your more important tasks.

Take control back of your workload and don’t let your colleagues dictate your work patterns. Attend to urgent or more important tasks first and attend to the tasks further down your list later on.

Manage yourself – Time management is a myth

It is also important to manage yourself and make sure that you are hitting your deadlines, not working excessive amounts of overtime and also taking regular breaks throughout the day. It is important to set aside regular breaks in the day for the following reasons:

• decreases levels of procrastination and work avoidance;
• maintains the level of quality and productivity across the day;
• increases your concentrate and motivation levels;
• reduces stress and maintains your health.

Remember you can’t manage time – there are only 24 hours in a day. The only thing you can manage is yourself, your colleagues to a certain extent and your workload so incorporate these time management tips into your workday to create more of a work-life balance that will have you leaving the office at a reasonable hour.

Early this week, Channel 7 did an interview with an analyst for Macquarie Private Wealth and David Kiely, was filmed in the background looking at emailed pictures of Victoria Secret model Miranda Kerr. The banker is now in ‘discussions’ with Macquarie executives to discuss his future.

With the help of Youtube, this incident has received even more coverage than the ham sandwich debacle of 2005 and is a timely reminder of the proper use of email at work. Here are six ways to curb your email habits and play nice in the office.

Do not use your work email to discuss personal issues with your colleagues

You may be friends with your work colleagues but only try and limit your work email to work issues only. If you need to discuss any personal issues, pick up the phone and speak to your colleagues, use your personal email or wait until your break times or after work drinks.

Take a note from the two secretaries at prestigious law firm Allens Arthur Robinson. Their ‘discussion’ over an alleged stolen ham sandwich turned into a tirade of abuse and was quickly forwarded around the world in a matter of seconds.

Be professional in all your dealings with your clients

You may own your own business and be your own boss but that doesn’t mean that a rude email to a client will not be detrimental to your business. Email exchanges are not the forum for angry outbursts. In yet another warning of the power and pitfalls of email, a New Zealand couple’s war with an abusive wedding planner was forwarded around the world.

If you have been sent a ‘suggestive’ or ‘emotive’ email, don’t respond straight away. Wait until you have calmed down and then reply back in a professional manner. There is no room for emotions at the office.

Don’t use your work email for a private exchanges with your partner

Work email is not meant for indulging in cyber sex and you need to be particularly careful of email ‘sexchanges’ if you’re indulging in an office romance. Claire Swire naively wrote a somewhat amorous email about how much she enjoyed oral sex with her now ex boyfriend who in the most public demonstration of kissing and telling, forwarded her email to his friends.

The email was forwarded onto friends of friends and made international headlines which resulted in him being suspended for breach of contract and no doubt resulted in the break-up.

Double check your email addresses in group emails

With programs like Microsoft Outlook, it is very easy to type in the wrong address for people with common first and last names. Before you send a group email, double check that you are sending it to the right person.

Schoolgirl Claire Mcdonald was the reluctant recipient of emails from high security emails from the Pentagon and the Ministry of Defence. Further investigation revealed that a Royal Navy officer based at the Pentagon had inadvertently included Claire on a mailing list and breached security because of a mere typo.

Proceed with caution when using ‘reply all’

The ‘reply all’ button is fraught with disaster and should only be used when necessary. Nielsen in a desperate attempt to declutter inboxes took the extreme step of deleting the ‘reply all’ from Microsoft Outlook. This may have been a response to curb trigger happy Mitchell Habib, Executive Vice President at Nielsen, obviously a huge proponent of the ‘do as I say and not as I do’ management style.

Habib allegedly sent an email to an employee and accidentally copied in all Nielsen employees ending his e-mail with the now famous punch line “Who do you work for, and why do you think copying me on this is appropriate?” showing even high powered executives are not exempt from email blunders.

Do not read or forward inappropriate attachments at work

As much as we would like to, we can’t control the emails that are coming from outside sources like our colleagues, friends and family but we can control our own behaviour and delete the email and not forward the emails onto others.

As a result of the banker’s inappropriate use of email and the resulting public relations disaster, Macquarie’s human resources department apparently has e-mailed all 11,500 staff around the world with its Internet policy, telling them to “familiarise themselves” with it. Most organisations have an Internet policy readily available on their intranet or can be easily accessed from the IT department.

While email bloopers can be amusing and good watercooler fodder, always remember that emails are owned by the company, they are a written record of your conduct and can be used in a court of law. While David Kiely’s colleagues have launched a campaign to save his job and seem to view the whole saga as a joke, Macquarie Private Wealth cannot be seen to take this so lightly.

What will happen to David Kiely is yet to be determined but think thrice before you press that button and forward an inappropriate attachment, use abusive language in an email or write a personal email to your partner. Your career depends on it.

At first you were excited about your job but the honeymoon period has well and truly ended and disillusionment and resentment has started to settle in. Before you know it, you’re starting to look at career websites and flirting with the idea of moving on and finding another job you think you can love more. Here are five ways to fall back in love with your job and bring back the passion and all those feelings of excitement back.

Give your job a makeover

You may have simply reached a point where your job no longer challenges you and you’re looking further afield for a job that can provide you with the mental stimulation that you need. Break the monotony and have ‘the talk’ with your boss and discuss taking on more responsibility, investing in further education or possible career paths available for your role and ask them to map out a career plan for you.

Change your mindset

It’s easy to take the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ road when it comes to breaking up but people rarely mean that. Sometimes you need to change your perspective when it comes to your work environment. If you walk in with a negative attitude, your day is likely to be just as you expected. Alternatively, if you walk in with a spring in your step, acknowledge your colleagues with a smile and start your day on a happy note, people will notice the change in attitude and respond similarly. It’s a cliché but it’s amazing what a simple smile can do.

Stop taking your job for granted

Think back to the first day you found out you got your job and how happy you were. Sometimes, we need to take stock and think about what the benefits of our job and show gratitude. Life is about a compromise and money is often not the biggest incentive when we accept a job. The problems you are facing at your workplace may come up in another office environment after the initial shine has worn off. Start appreciating the little things about your job such as the short commute, your colleagues or flexible work hours and you will become much happier.

Find the passion

If you loved your job once, you can love it again. All you need to do is reignite the passion and figure out why you fell for the job in the first place. Finding out what drives you to come to work will help you become enthusiastic and passionate about your role. Your passion for that job makes you want to get up in the morning and go to work and it motivates you to do your best and it motivates the others around you. When you rediscover what truly excites you in your career, you’ll find the passion you once had for your job.

Get yourself out of a rut

When you’re feeling unhappy about your job, it’s easy to let your appearance slip and get into a rut about your appearance. Often changing the way we look and present ourselves to others can make a huge psychological difference to the way that we feel. Update your work wardrobe with clothes that make you feel good about yourself and start making an effort with your appearance. The small things that you do will pay great dividends in the way you feel.

Before you take that big step, re-evaluate your grass is greener metality and step back and remember all the things that made you fall in love with your job. It might be a case of better the devil you know and you decide to stay with the one you’re with. Like any relationship, you can fall in and out of love with a job but make sure you don’t quit in haste and do anything you might regret in the cold heart of day.

The first impression you make at a company is often a lasting impression so make sure you impress your colleagues from day one. Follow this career advice to endear you to your colleagues, fit into the workplace culture and build a good rapport with your managers.

Be on time

Make sure you have allocated enough time to travel to your new office to make sure you are not late on your first day or during your first week. This has to take into account factors like peak hour traffic, parking availability and transport delays. It is preferable to arrive early but arriving more than ten minutes early can be just as bad as arriving late. Establish a good attendance record from the start and try not to take any days off, come in early and arrive late and don’t take extended lunch breaks.

Make small talk

Smile at your colleagues and make small talk at the photocopier or in the kitchen to try and bond with your team and find common ground. They may live in the same neighbourhood as you, watch the same television shows or follow the same football team. It is important however not to over share about your personal life and its best to wait a few weeks until you add them to your Facebook account or share intimate details about your private life.

Blend in with the crowd

While retaining your individuality is important, it is also important to fit into the corporate culture. Take note of whether people in your department at your level are dressed casually or in corporate dress and mirror their style of dressing for the few months. Once you have proven yourself as an employee and established your capabilities, you can start to test the waters and experiment with different forms of dressing.

Keep work and play separate

Make sure you keep personal emails or phones to a minimum and only check your Facebook, Twitter or personal email account during lunch time. Some companies do not allow their employees to look at certain websites like Facebook or send personal emails through the corporate email system so check your Internet policy before you start surfing the web or sending email jokes to everyone in your team. Put your mobile phone on silent and only check your messages during your breaks.

Be positive

Make sure you bring your positive attitude in the morning along with your briefcase and work documents. Work is not the platform to air your gripes about public transport, the ageing photocopying machine or difficult filing system. Be courteous and polite to everyone that you meet regardless of whether they are the receptionist or the head of the company. Try to avoid gossiping and talking about your colleagues. It’s also important to volunteer for projects or tasks, show enthusiasm and show your team spirit.

Every organisation has a specific workplace culture. When you work for an organisation for a period of time, you will start to get a feel for what is and isn’t appropriate etiquette within your own specific corporate environment. This will ultimately determine your success or failure within a company.

Workplace bullying is still rife in Australian workplaces, a recent Drake International survey of over 800 Australia-wide employees has revealed. More than 50% of survey respondents had witnessed office bullying and over 25% had been a target of bullying at work themselves. Here are five strategies to outwit, outplay and outlast the office bully and be the last one standing.

Stand up to the bully

This is much easier said than done. Bullies pick on people who they feel are weak and vulnerable but bullies by nature are insecure in personality. Stand up straight, look the bully in the eyes and speak to them in a calm, controlled and unemotional manner. Bullies do not like direct confrontation and when they see that they are no longer having an effect, they will start to get flustered and lose their composure.

Don’t give them any material to work with

If you feel that your career is being sabotaged by an office bully, you need to be on your best behaviour. This means you cannot turn up late, keep personal emails to a minimum and make sure you meet deadlines even if you need to work overtime to do so.

If you are sent a snide email, ensure you write a polite response back without any emotion and speak to the bully in a respectful tone. Do not respond in anger. Walk around your office if need be, make a cup of tea or speak to a colleague and then respond in a professional manner.

As tempting as it may be, do not mirror the bullies’ email manner or respond to them rudely. The office bully is just waiting for you to make a mistake so don’t give them any ammunition to work with.

Safety in numbers

Bullies will target employees who appear to be easy targets and are socially isolated. By befriending your work colleagues and having lunch with other friends who work locally, you are less likely to become a target.

Encourage your partner, your family or your friends to visit you at the office for lunch or after work drinks. If the bully can see that you have a lot of support networks, they are less likely to bully you for fear or recourse.

Document everything

Diarise every encounter that you have with the office bully and keep every email, memo and fax. Details are important so make sure you note down dates, times, any witness and specifics of what was said and the person’s behaviour towards you.

Make sure this is kept externally so forward emails to your home computer and keep documentation at home. You may need this information for any discussions about your colleague or manager or worst case scenario, for legal matters.

Go through the right processes

Speak to your human resources manager, union representative or your direct manager about the problem first. You may feel that your human resources manager and direct manager are ineffectual or may refuse to acknowledge the problem but they should be the first point of contact.

Often if you speak to someone higher in the company, the first question they will ask is whether you have spoken to your direct manager and more than likely send you back to talk to them first. This will only complicate matters as your manager may be annoyed that you haven’t approached them initially and this may weaken your position.

There is no one size fits all approach to stopping a bully in their tracks. An office bully may not be responsive to any given tactic. The most important thing to remember is to act professional at all times, do your work to the best of your ability and seek outside counsel if the situation becomes untenable and it cannot be resolved at management level.

Here are five essential wardrobe staples for women and men that will take you from the boardroom to the bar with only a few strategically placed accessories.

Women

Little black dress

If Audrey Hepburn has taught us anything, it’s that a little black dress is essential in any woman’s wardrobe. Worn with the right shoes and accessories, this multi-purpose dress is timeless and a perfect RSVP for any invitation.

Classic white shirt

The classic white shirt is a foundation piece on which to build an outfit. Pair a white shirt with a pair of pants for a stylish work ensemble or team it up with jeans for a more casual look. Three elements to look for when purchasing a white shirt are wearability, style and tailoring. There are a variety of styles that you can choose from such as classic man tailored shirts, the wrap shirt or ruffled shirts.

Trench coat

A trench coat gives you a ‘don’t mess with me’ attitude that no PowerPoint presentation or well written strategy can ever accomplish. Trench coats earn their keep at work and over time at after work drinks. Buy a trench coat in a neutral colour like basic black or cream that will transcend all season’s trends.

Jeans

A well fitting pair of jeans is an essential wardrobe item and can be dressed up or dressed down depending on the occasion. Buy jeans in a classic dark blue colour and avoid embellishments as they do not always translate well into next season. There are a variety of cuts to suit any body shape from skinny jeans to boyfriend jeans.

Peep toe pumps

A pair of classic black, peep toe pumps looks equally at home with a pair of jeans, work pants or dress. Peep-toe shoes can be worn virtually all-year round; the exposed toe is perfect to wear in warmer months, or paired with tights for an updated winter look

Men

Suit

A well cut suit is your calling card. Make sure it makes a statement and not a question about your abilities. A suit is an investment and it’s better to buy one well designed suit or tailored suit than three ill fitting ones.

White shirt

A crisp, white shirt is an essential item in any man’s wardrobe. The clean lines of a freshly ironed man’s white shirt has an understated elegance, charm and long lasting appeal. Three important elements in a white shirt are a luxurious fabric, beautiful design and expert tailoring. For the best investment, buy a white shirt in 100% cotton. You won’t regret it.

Jeans

You can’t go wrong with a pair of well fitting, straight leg denim jeans in dark navy and a simple pocket design. You don’t really need to break the bank to buy the trendiest pair of jeans, just make sure they fit well and they are comfortable. A darker denim is a more versatile colour and a classic look in any man’s wardrobe.

Shoes and belt

Every man needs a pair of well polished black or brown shoes and belt in his wardrobe. Invest in a quality leather pair of shoes and belt that will last the distance. As the adage says, you can tell a lot about a man by his shoes.

Tie

A tie in a solid colour such as grey or black is a functional and stylish core wardrobe staple. Leave the gaudy prints for the work Christmas party.

Your wardrobe ideally should consist of 70% classical items of clothing and 30% trend based clothing. If you invest in wardrobe staples that will last you for a few seasons, you’ll never wake up in the morning wondering what you’re going to wear.