Some things you just know. For everything else, ask an expert. Six alumni share their smart responses to everyday situations.
How to Make the Most of Your Commute
by Mitch Hill
During my twenty-five-year career, I’ve worked in Connecticut, New York, Southern California, and Florida. My current commute is about twenty minutes, but in previous jobs it has been as long as two or more hours each way.
Technology has certainly contributed to making commuting more productive. It’s both a great enabler and a productivity tool, but it’s also very distracting and dangerous—even deadly—if not used properly.
What to do during your commute:
- Return phone calls. Use the time to stay in touch with friends and family using a hands-free device. Morning and evening commute times work well for communication with people in different time zones. I try to bundle many business calls when I’m driving so I don’t have to spend as much time on the phone during my work day. I use *67 if I don’t want my calling party to have my cell number.
- Listen to music, podcasts, audio books, satellite radio, general conference talks, scriptures, etc.
- Visit with friends. In a previous job I was in a car pool with two other guys, four days a week to an office about sixty miles away. We bought a Toyota Prius specifically for carpooling. We ran the wheels off that car and enjoyed lots of time talking about not only our business but also our families. We became great friends.
- Ponder. Commuting is a good time to reflect on any problems or challenges you’re trying to solve in your business, family, or other responsibilities. It’s also a good time to leave behind any problems you might be experiencing at work.
What not to do during your commute:
- Men—shave while driving (I’ve seen this)
- Women—apply makeup while driving (I see this all the time)
- Text message (I’ve done this)
- Email (Guilty of this too)
- Watch movies on a dvd player on the dashboard (I’ve seen this)
- Read the newspaper (Not unusual to see)
- Floss teeth (I’ve seen this)
Mitch Hill is CFO for Visiogen Inc. in Irvine, California. Hill has gotten to and from work using trains, planes, automobiles, buses, ferries, limos, motorcycles, and even his own two legs. Hill earned his BS in accountancy from BYU in 1982 and his MBA from Harvard in 1987.
How to Stay Up-to-Date on the News
by Jennifer Wagner
There are so many media formats, it’s really easy to find one that fits into your lifestyle. For me, I’m on the internet constantly, so getting my news online is best. I visit msnbc.com and cnn.com, because they have original content plus AP wire stories and are intuitive, easy-to-use web sites.
When I think of staying up-to-date on industry-specific news, email alerts can be very helpful. They can help you follow trends, know about competitors, and stay up-to-speed on marketing. There’s a great daily email I subscribe to: GMA SmartBrief. It sends me a synopsis of stories that affect consumer packaged goods, and if I’m interested I just click on the link.
There are lots of great podcasts you can subscribe to, especially if you can listen to them during your commute or while exercising. NPR has an evening news summary that I enjoy; another one I like is the Slate Explainer podcast, a three-minute explanation of terms in the news that you might not understand. Podcasts are really convenient if you’re on the go. I have a friend who listens to at least five each day. You have to be careful and trust the source though. There are also a lot of good blogs online. Blogs aren’t necessarily a common way of getting news, but they can be informative.
If there are topics I want to read about more in depth, I like to subscribe to magazines as well, like BusinessWeek or Newsweek. For example, I’m in health care and love reading about that topic—whether online, on television, or in a news magazine.
Staying on top of what’s going on in the news is a way to connect with your community, country, and world—to be more aware of what’s going on. If you know what’s happening, you can better understand what role you can play and how you can contribute, and you can position yourself to make a difference.
Jennifer Wagner is an assistant marketing manager for Nestlé Nutrition in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is a self-described news junkie, which partly comes from being a public relations undergrad at BYU and also from Professor Hal Heaton’s current event quizzes in advanced corporate finance class. Wagner earned her MBA from the Marriott School in 2007.
How to Keep Your Breath Fresh at Work
by Michael Bennett
Having good breath all day starts in the morning. Start with brushing in little circles near the gum line. Start in one place and follow the gum line around each set of teeth; be thorough, because that’s where plaque tends to accumulate. Then brush other areas—chewing surfaces and sides of teeth. Lastly, brush the rest of your mouth—tongue, sides of cheeks, roof of mouth. Reach as far back as you can on the tongue without gagging yourself. Rinse thoroughly.
Flossing is another important step—you clean only 60 percent of your teeth’s surface area with brushing. Using a proxy brush—a small, triangle-shaped brush—in between your teeth will give you an amazingly clean feeling.
The last part of your morning routine should be gargling—you’ll sound weird when you gargle, but it’s really beneficial. Gargling will help loosen food particles that get caught in the back of your mouth, which can cause tonsil stones or halitosis.
If these steps don’t help bad breath, you should meet with your dental professional. You may have a medical condition—acid reflux, diabetes, or tooth decay can cause bad breath.
To continue to keep your breath fresh at work, water is a great buffering agent. It neutralizes the pH in your mouth, which becomes more acidic after you eat. Keep a bottle at your desk to sip on, or at the very least, rinse your mouth after lunch with water. When you’re dehydrated your body doesn’t function as well. Your mouth tends to be an indicator of your overall health.
Gum is also a great option. It stimulates saliva flow, which helps kill bacteria in your mouth. Chew gum with xylitol—it’s a type of sugar that specifically kills bacteria.
Dr. C. Michael Bennett earned his BS in business management from the Marriott School in 1994 and graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry in 1999. He owns Advanced Dental Care in Provo and proudly doles out toothbrushes and candy on Halloween.
How to Reward a Co-Worker
by K'Lynne Johnson
1. Say thank you. Give specific appreciation when others do great work; a quick note or email is so meaningful, but somehow we all forget that. When writing a note, include the “because”—I really appreciated this because it let me do this or resulted in that.
If you’re regularly saying thank you to people, it doesn’t look odd when you do. A thank-you card is direct and personal, and no one has to know about it. This isn’t about extravagance; it’s about personal recognition. It’s better to express appreciation than to avoid it.
2. Give a small treat or gift card. I’m amazed at how effective these are. If someone clearly did something outside his or her area to support a request of mine, I like to give them a small box of chocolates or a $5–$10 gift card. I find it’s more the gesture of taking the time to do something.
It’s about knowing what they like and picking something specific without it being too much; otherwise, they’ll feel uncomfortable. Find things that are personal but aren’t necessarily extravagant. You don’t want to come across as fawning or false in those scenarios. Simple is better.
Some companies have budgets for rewards, and I think managers should support that. Giving a thank-you can be less expensive than taking everyone out to lunch. Don’t be too practical; I’ve heard that gas cards don’t go over so well. I think people respond better to a treat—something a little indulgent.
3. Tell other people. People appreciate it when they are recognized in real conversations. Announcing accomplishments in meetings is a good tool, but when you talk informally about the good things people do, it gets back to them.
Sometimes co-workers have different bosses; sending a note to his or her manager, expressing things you value about that co-worker, helps build a culture of recognition and appreciation. It might not work in all organizations, but in general you’re better off expressing appreciation than worrying about what others will think.
K’Lynne Johnson is CEO of Elevance Renewable Sciences, a company based out of Bolingbrook, Illinois, that converts natural oils into chemicals. She earned her BS in psychology in 1989 and MOB in 1992 from Brigham Young University. She loves receiving chocolate or a bookstore gift card as a reward.
How to Throw an Office Party
by Brad Jensen
One of the keys to a successful office party is doing something interesting or unique. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but do something that people will talk about. Create some type of memorable effect—a funny comedian, cool door prizes, executives poking fun at themselves, a talent show, or karaoke. Surprise the audience a little bit.
When planning the party, form a committee and let some of the employees organize it, instead of only upper management or HR. You’ll likely have a better event.
Book the venue and entertainment as far in advance as possible. If you’re hiring an entertainer, be sure to watch his or her demo and to check references. Give the entertainer a short list of dos and don’ts before you sign a contract. Be up-front about what you want without trying to write their script or cramp their creativity. One of my clients from Texas hired a comedian without consulting others, and the performance was so offensive that the president of the company got up and apologized afterward.
Gauge whether you think the group wants something formal or informal. Some groups like to dress up, and their office party may be the only time of year they can do that. But some groups don’t even want semiformal—they’d prefer jeans.
Door prizes can be a great perk, and you can do several cool things that are a little more expensive while not blowing the budget on something for everyone.
The white elephant gift exchange usually works really well at office parties. People love to buy and give unique gifts.
A good office party can be as simple as a potluck lunch. Consider doing the party early in the holiday season or at another time during the year. Some companies will have a summer BBQ, then hold a potluck lunch during the holidays and give employees the rest of the day off.
Some people don’t want to attend office parties. Gift cards or baskets can be a good alternative. One company I worked for gave its employees tickets to see the Blue Man Group, which was something all the employees were interested in. It was a big hit.
Finally, remember that shorter is usually sweeter. You don’t want to plan a six-hour office party, no matter how much you like your co-workers.
Brad Jensen is executive director of event services at USANA Health Sciences. He was director of special events at Modern Display for five years. Jensen earned his BS in accountancy from the Marriott School in 1990 and his MBA from the University of Utah. He has handled corporate events for many clients, including Sports Illustrated, Chevron, Novell, and USANA.
How to Plan a Business Lunch
by Kent Andersen
1. Analyze your situation. A restaurant that’s considered fine dining will segment its menu and service component so it meets corporate American needs. You should look for a restaurant that caters to that or at least has thought about it. Most large-chain restaurant concepts are not structured that way. If I needed to impress somebody, I wouldn’t take them to a loud, impersonal, or booth-oriented restaurant.
2. Cultivate a relationship with a restaurant. Even if you’re new to a city or you’re a junior-level executive, you should eat lunch in good restaurants so the restaurant staff gets to know you. If they see you periodically, you’ll be able to confidently say to a waiter, “I’m hosting some business associates. Can you help me with a table? I don’t want to be too near the piano, kitchen, or bar; I really don’t want to be next to a table of twelve.” Become familiar with restaurant staff so you can leverage that opportunity if needed.
3. Remember, timing is everything. It’s so important to make a reservation, confirm it, and show up early. You’ll also want to plan an appropriate amount of time. At my restaurant the average table time for lunch is 47 minutes. From 12:30 to 1 p.m. we sit more business executives; people who come in earlier are typically social diners.
If you anticipate a staggered arrival of your guests, you might want to order appetizers if you think that will set people at ease. Another option is to order appetizers but indicate you would not like to have them presented until everyone’s arrived.
4. Be the best host. Ask the people who will be attending if they have any dietary constraints, and inform the restaurant.
If you’re hosting a group that’s larger than six people, bring a colleague or peer—somebody who can bounce conversation and can build upon common ground with the people you’re hosting.
If the reservation number changes, let the restaurant know. Changing a reservation from four to five is probably the hardest table to change. If it’s a last-minute change of plans, call on the way to the restaurant. Then when you arrive you can just walk in, and you won’t have to wait in the lobby.
Kent Andersen is a certified executive chef and is owner and executive chef of Chef’s Table in Orem. He earned his MBA from the Marriott School in 2001 and ate his first hot dog at a Red Sox game when he was twenty-five years old. The opinions shared in this article are those of individual alumni and not necessarily those of the school or its sponsoring institution.
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Illustrations by Adrian D'Alimonte
