If you were upset at hearing about air traffic controllers falling asleep on the job, you shouldn’t be, according to Tony Schwartz, a business consultant.  The problem here is basically biological.  We have evolved to be awake during the day and to sleep at night.  The later it gets, the more tired we become.  Some of the worst accidents in history occurred at night – Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, the Exxon Valdez running aground.

The government did a study about the effects of napping on the night shift and found that the more time the air traffic controllers had to sleep, the more alert they were.  Other studies of airline pilots showed the same thing.

What all of this points to is the fact that our society does not value rest and recuperation as much as it should.  And this hurts us all.  When we have a lot to do, rest and sleep usually are the first things to go, even if by cutting out sleep we do a poor job.  Businesses tend to judge their employees purely by the number of hours they put in, rather than the value they create.

But rather than get to work early and stay late, it would be better to get to work at little later and leave a little earlier, and take a few more breaks at work.  The fact is, if you do this, you will be more alert and do a better job.  And you will be more productive, because you will get more things done in a smaller amount of time.

You can see for yourself if resting more really does work, according to Schwartz.  For the next few weeks, try getting about 20 to 30 minutes of sleep between 1 and 3 p.m. You shouldn’t sleep for more than 30 minutes, or you will wake up groggy.  Then, at the end of the day, see how productive you were during the time after the nap.  You will be surprised at how much of a difference it makes.  If for some reason you don’t have the opportunity to sleep for a short time, find some other way to get some rest during the work day.  The best time schedule for this is to do it every 90 minutes.

The bottom line, according to Schwartz, is that there is nothing more important to improving your productivity and effectiveness at work than making sure you get enough rest.

RealStreet Staffing helps Washington Metro-area businesses in the construction, engineering and architecture sectors find productive and effective professionals. If you’re a Washington Metro engineering, construction or architecture firm looking for help in sourcing terrific professionals, contact us today!

One of the most vexing things for otherwise talented and ambitious business professionals is when they fail to reach their full capabilities, when they are less productive than they could be.

Often this is because they are reluctant to take on new challenges and new ventures, preoccupied with the worry that their performance in this new area will not measure up to the way they have performed in the past.

Because of their ability, they may not have struggled all that much to acquire the expertise they have, and they are unwilling to risk the reputation they have gained in attempting something new where they feel they  might embarrass themselves.  Even when they do encounter problems, these high-achievers are usually reluctant to ask for help, again out of concern for the way they feel it would reflect on them.

If you are one of these people, there are ways to manage yourself out of these mindsets and into excellence.  You need to do a self-examination and try to identify the things that are preventing you from taking on new challenges, the things that raise your anxiety level.

Also, you cannot let the past interfere.  Often we make comparisons between something we did in the past and something we are doing now, and we tend to assume, if the past event didn’t turn out well, that something similar might happen again, although there usually is no basis for such a belief.

When this happens, it is useful to ask yourself some questions about your assumptions.  In the past negative experience, why did you take on the challenge?  Why do you think you had difficulty with it?  Did you ask for assistance?  Does your viewpoint about what happened match the view of others?  In hindsight, what would you have done differently?  When you are able to see more clearly how the past event differs from the current challenge, it will be easier to tackle the new challenge.

Another thing to do is develop and use a support network.  Those who are outstanding performers generally don’t believe they need any help.  Or, again, they may be afraid to ask for help out of concern for how it may affect their reputation.  But in doing this, you are simply holding yourself back, depriving yourself of valuable advice that may help you.

Also, it is important to look at the big picture, to think long-range.  This helps you put things in perspective.  When you look at the big picture, small mistakes don’t seem so catastrophic.  And so you are more willing to take more risks.

Have you been putting off looking into new opportunities because you’ve heard “it’s tough out there?” If so, let RealStreet Staffing help you find a great position in the architecture, construction or engineering sectors in the Washington Metro area. Contact a recruiter today!

Keeping a diary is ordinarily not something we associate with a work strategy, but recording daily thoughts and events can actually help in providing focus to what we are doing, in giving us more patience, in providing ideas to help with planning, and in helping with personal growth.

At first, keeping a diary may seem a little awkward, and you may feel that you could be making better use of your time.  But recording thoughts on a daily basis can have valuable results.

By using a diary about work, you can gain a focus to help determine your strengths and to identify the things you do that give you the most satisfaction.  You may learn where you can be the most effective and successful in your workplace.  By sitting down to write each day and writing out your thoughts, you learn patience.

Your journal will become a record of your progress, and an aid in helping you to pinpoint where you might have made errors.  It will help you gain perspective on your career – looking back over time, it may show that what appeared to be huge obstacles were actually only minor disturbances.  It may even become habit forming.

Psychological research has also shown the value of writing about daily experiences.  Writing about traumatic or stressful events helps a person develop a stronger defense system to adversity and actually helps improve overall health and sense of well-being.  It may even lead to some unexpected discoveries.

One of the most important benefits to be gained from keeping a diary is personal development.  Keeping a daily diary will help you to gain a new perspective on yourself and your job and what you need to do to make yourself better.  One person who kept a diary noticed that in reading over his entries, he had a rather pessimistic attitude toward his days’ activities.  He now tries to approach new activities with a more optimistic frame of mind.  Another person said that keeping a diary helped him learn more about how to motivate and get along with the members of his team at work.

If you’re an experienced professional in the architecture, engineering or construction sectors in the Washington, DC area, bring your resume to RealStreet Staffing. We can place you in temporary, temp-to-hire and direct-hire assignments with some of the DC area’s top employers. We look forward to hearing from you.

In the world of classical music, orchestra musicians are notoriously unhappy – with a job satisfaction lower than that of a prison guard.  While at the same time, the people at the top of the job satisfaction ladder are chamber orchestra musicians.

It is this dichotomy that has important lessons for everyone on how to lead and learn in business and in life, according to Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra.  For him, the difference in outlook between the two comes down to leadership.

In the large orchestra, the management is top down.  It is for the most part a very autocratic arrangement, with the conductor having all of the power.  In the chamber orchestra, however, each player is pretty much autonomous, and the players cooperate to perform.

Taking his cue from the chamber orchestra, Zander sees his job as a conductor to help the musicians he is conducting achieve their best performance.  They need to look at possibilities, not limitations.  The same is true for businesses, which are taking note of Zander’s approach.

To look at things in terms of possibilities, we must realize that all of our actions are the result of a choice.  We can do things as we have always done them, or we can make the choice to question the assumptions we have always had.  Zander uses a piece of music as an example.  We can play the music as it has always been played, or, by questioning our assumptions about it, and reinterpreting it, we can change it into something altogether new.

As part of his leadership style, Zander now focuses on what he can offer to society, not just what he can accomplish for himself.  Looking at things this way takes the image of success and failure out of the picture.

When it comes to managing and solving problems, we all have choices, Zander says.  We can take on a problem with a range of different attitudes – fear, anger, boredom.  But we also can see the possibility inherent in each situation.  And looking at the possibilities in each problem will lead us to take a hard look at our assumptions because it is these assumptions which are often obstacles to making real innovation.  In every organization, we all need to look at the assumptions we make and make those assumptions explicit so that we can examine them and adjust as needed.

If you’re looking for a great new position in the engineering, architecture or construction sectors in the Washington, DC area, conduct yourself on over to RealStreet Staffing. We’re waiting to hear from you!

A recent study has shown that the way managers are viewed is likely to change in the future as more women move into management positions.

Currently, only about two percent of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are women.  And so when most people think of leaders, they envision a male in the position.  But in some businesses, women have moved into leadership roles, and in these areas, there is no stereotype of who a leader is.

Another survey has shown that these stereotypes of leaders as men have been an obstacle for women who want to move up the corporate ladder.  Because of these stereotypes, surveys have shown that businesses are not fully using the talents and abilities of the women in their organizations.  Women make up more than half of the people serving in management, professional and related jobs, but only a little more than 15 percent of them were corporate executives at Fortune 500 companies.

The research has shown that it is not women’s management style that is to blame for the dearth of female executives but gender stereotyping.  And because of this stereotyping, companies are losing out on a lot of female management talent.

Men are still seen as capable of better leadership because of gender stereotyping, which often puts women in a no-win situation, as they are faulted for whatever methods they use.  For example, if they act according to gender stereotypes, they are thought to be too soft, but if they oppose those stereotypes, they are thought to be too hard.

Female executives are held to higher standards than men, but they receive less compensation.  They often have to work even harder than a man just to get the same level of recognition.

Women who are assertive as leaders are stereotyped as cold-hearted and not friendly, but if they take on a more feminine leadership personality, they are considered poor leaders.

All the research shows that businesses need to develop plans for how to combat these stereotypes so that they can get the best use out of their female management talent.  Educating employees about these stereotypes and their effects was listed as a key method of changing attitudes about women and leadership.

Organizations need to give all workers the resources to enable them to be more aware of the skills that women leaders have and how stereotypes can harm organizations.  Businesses also need to look at new ways of counteracting stereotypes in the workplace.

RealStreet Staffing can help you find exceptionally talent for all levels within your organization. Whether you’re looking for entry-level architects, engineers or construction professionals on up to project managers and beyond, we can help your Washington Metro firm. Contact us today!

The office party.  It’s meant to help boost morale and help people get to know each other better.  But it can also present challenges – a tricky maze to navigate.

What workers should always keep in mind about the office party is that it is another aspect of the workplace, and they should act with that in mind. It’s definitely not a party with family and friends. It is certainly a time for enjoyment, but it is also an opportunity to network with people in other areas of the company, and even the people in charge.

There are, however, some things you should avoid when it comes to office parties, if you don’t want to offend anyone.  The first is not showing up at all.  If you don’t put in an appearance, you may give the impression of having a little too much ego.  Plus, you miss the opportunity to network.  Another thing to avoid is mingling only with people you know and not meeting new people.  The office party is a place to make yourself known.

Also, you want to thank the person or people who organized the party.

Make sure that it’s acceptable to bring guests before you decide to bring a friend.  And then you need to make sure that your friend will fit in with your co-workers. You will need to fill your date in on the organization as well.  He or she also should dress appropriately, know who the company leaders are, and stay away from gossip.

Another thing to watch is how you dress. The rule of thumb is to dress for the job you want, not the one that you have.  Leave the nightclub attire for the nightclub.

You also want to watch any criticism you make of the company.  The wrong word said at the wrong time could end up affecting your career.  You want to have good things to say about the company, without looking too much like a yes-man or -woman.

You also need to be careful of the language you use – nothing off-color, or discriminatory.  And it may be an obvious point, but good manners apply at the office party as anywhere else.  Make the proper introductions, and watch how you eat.
The office party can be a great opportunity, if you handle it in the right manner.

When you’re looking for a position in the engineering, architectural or construction fields, contact a recruiter at RealStreet Staffing, your Washington Metro staffing firm. We look forward to hearing from you.

The market for online learning –  where users go at their own pace and on their own schedule — has been growing constantly, led by the corporate sector, one of the top users of online training.  Small- and medium-size businesses also are using online training much more than in the past.

According to a recent report on Web-based learning, the corporate sector will continue to be the leading buyer of Web-based training programs.  The education sector is expected to be the second biggest buyer of online educational programs.

The market for online learning has passed $17 billion and is expected to continue growing at more than seven percent a year, according to a recent report. There has been growth in online learning in all groups, including corporations; healthcare; non-profits; federal, state and local governments; school and colleges; and consumers.

The healthcare industry is expected to expand the most in online learning, with education, both scholastic and collegiate, second in line.  Healthcare has been relatively immune to the pressures of the recession, according to the report’s authors, which accounts for its continued expansion in the online learning area.

Online learning is now second in demand to classroom learning for acquiring skills and knowledge.  The use of the Web has become more common for purposes of personal development and as a reference source.

Online learning has become a widely-used companion to classroom learning.  But when people needed to find information quickly to meet a business deadline, they rated Web-based learning as the best place to go.  Classroom learning finished second in people’s ratings for finding knowledge quickly.  Web-based learning has become such a key component for business training because people can use it for immediate results when researching or referencing something.

When looking at the different types of training programs available – both classroom and Web-based – people valued depth of knowledge the highest, followed by how fast the knowledge could be accessed.  Below these priorities, learners looked for the amount of interaction with the instructor and other learners.

The combination of both classroom and Internet learning seemed to work best because it enabled people to get the knowledge background they needed to help them with their training program and also to learn particular pieces of knowledge when they needed to.

Have you recently upgraded your construction, engineering or architectural skills via an online learning program? If so, be sure to add it to your résumé and then bring your résumé to a recruiter at RealStreet Staffing. We have many terrific temporary, temp-to-hire and direct-hire positions available with the Washington Metro area’s top firms. We look forward to hearing from you.

Taking on a new career path is more prevalent now than in the past.  Different reasons have been given for this – the rise technology, the pace of change.  The days when someone spent their entire career at one company or in one job are certainly becoming less common.

People change jobs for many reasons.  But the most common reasons probably will come as no surprise – people change jobs out of boredom, for more money, to move to a better location, because of a conflict with a supervisor, for better benefits, from not feeling appreciated, not having a sense of purpose, and because of a layoff.

A lot of people have named boredom as one of the main reasons for having left a job.  By boredom, they mean more than just feeling listless now and then, but an overall feeling of dissatisfaction with the job that affects their performance.

That money is a prime reason for changing jobs or careers probably comes as little surprise to most people.  Everyone would like to earn more money.  If people feel that they are not being compensated fairly, they are much more likely to look elsewhere for employment.

Job location is another big factor in determining where people want to work.  People seldom enjoy making a long commute to work and constantly fighting rush hour traffic, all of which affects your mood at work and overall quality of life.

Conflict with supervisors is often a reason for leaving, and it’s much more common than many people realize.  If you are working under a boss who does not communicate well or often, or who tries to manage every little detail of your job, or who gives you little control in decision making, you soon may feel there are better places to work.

With the rising cost of healthcare, factors such as job benefits play an important role in where a person might work.  Some employers offer better benefit packages to employees, while some pass off more of the costs onto workers.

Some people look for new careers simply because they don’t feel fulfilled working in their current job.  They are looking for a sense of purpose in their work – feeling that what they are doing is significant and important, that they are making a real contribution.
Many people also switch careers because they feel that they are being taken for granted in their current job.  They work hard, perform well, but receive little in the way of praise or feedback.  This leads to a loss of motivation.

Unlike the other reasons for a career change, people have little control over a layoff.  But many take the opportunity to explore new career options or even return to school to train for something new.

Since work is such a big part of life, it should be more than just about getting a paycheck, but should be something that is enjoyable and fulfilling as well.

If you’re looking to change jobs or even careers and you live in the Washington Metro area, RealStreet Staffing may be able to help. If you have a background in construction, engineering or architecture, those skills may be transferable to another business sector. Bring your résumé to us and let’s talk!

With the new year just begun, many people may have made a career resolution or two: “This year, I’ll get at least a five percent raise.” “This year, I’ll go to my boss before June and ask for a promotion.”

And, while these certainly can be worthwhile plans, resolutions of any type too often  fall by the wayside come Feb. 1.

Instead, why not put together a career plan for 2011? A plan is a bit different than a resolution in that it involves the creation of steps that will get you to your goal, whatever that goal may be.

So here are some steps you can take to follow through on any goal you make for you career in 2011.

• First of all, you’ll need to come up with a goal. You’ll also need to make this goal (or goals), very specific. For example, instead of saying “I’m going to find a great new job,” say, “My goal in 2011 is to find a new job with a company that offers more flexibility and will give me at least a 10 percent raise.”
• If you have more than one career goal for this year, you’re going to have to prioritize them, otherwise it’s too easy to lose focus and accomplish nothing. You rank your goals in priority as well as sequential order. Citing the goal above, for example, in order to get that 10 percent raise, you may have to get certified in another skill, so your first goal would be to “obtain certification” followed by getting that new job.
• Goals can feel overwhelmingly large, so it’s best to break them down into steps, or tasks. Need to get that certification? Well, this week you can have the goal of researching programs. Next week your goal could be to contact the programs that interest you for more information. And the following week your goal could be to enroll, etc.
• You’re going to have to figure out what you’re going to have to give up in order to get your goal. After all, there’s only so much time in a day. If you’re adding something to your to-do list, you’re going to have to remove something else. Looking at the certification goal, above, can you give up watching two hours of TV a night? Could you give up your bi-weekly karate lessons? Can you give up the latte at Starbucks every day on your way to work in order to pay for the certification course? And so on.
• Understand that you will encounter setbacks. Anticipate them as best you can, but don’t give up when they smack you in the face. Aim not to look at any obstacles you encounter as “failures.” Instead, think of them as an opportunity to learn and to change course, if necessary. It’s a cliché, but it’s nonetheless: you only fail if you quit.
• Document your successes. Celebrate and reward yourself for achieving them. If you record your progress you can look over your journal and see that you’re moving forward. This can come in very handy if you meet a roadblock that’s taking you a bit of time to move around.
• Finally, once you achieve a goal, immediately set another goal (if you haven’t already). Humans need something to look forward to, something to achieve. Enjoy your success and them move on to fulfilling your next career goal.

If a professional goal of yours in 2011 is finding another job, contact one of the recruiters at RealStreet Staffing. We have established strong relationships with many of Washington Metro’s top construction, architecture and engineering firms. Take a look at our open positions and apply today!

If you’re looking to move up your company’s corporate ladder relatively quickly, the quickest way to do so is to become problem solver for your firm. You’ll need to be proactive, finding problems that need fixing before they even develop (or at least before anyone else knows they’re a problem). Problem solvers get hired before others and they get promoted more quickly than others. Bring in new revenue, create a new product, put together a process that makes production more efficient, etc. is truly a way to shine and get the notice of your superiors.

Yet there are other ways to get a promotion.

Opportunity — just being in the right place at the right time — also is a way to see yourself move up the rung a notch or two. These are situations where, for example, someone leaves your firm and you’re automatically the next in line for his or her slot.

However, it’s not always the case that the person next in line, or even the most qualified person gets the promotion — sometimes it truly is “who you know” and the person closest to he or she who decides on promotions gets the nod.

The takeaway? Make sure you not only exceed expectations and take it upon yourself to anticipate problems — and then create solutions — but be sure you have allies in “powerful” places. This isn’t to mean you should become a sycophant to higher ups just because you want to be promoted. Your ruse will be quite transparent and could easily backfire.

Instead, be friendly, cooperative and a go-getter. And be sure your boss and other managers know of your good deeds. Keep a log of your accomplishments and periodically send it do your boss. You’ll also want to have this document handy when it comes time for your yearly performance review.

When you’re ready to promote yourself to a great new position at some of Washington, DC’s top construction, engineering and architecture firms. Contact us today!