Wumbik!

Customers are the key to success in the retail business. Your goal is to let your customers know they are important to you, and that you are focused on meeting their retail needs. The best way to do this is to concentrate your efforts on assisting them promptly and efficiently with exceptional customer service. With the right training your employees can develop the skills needed to recognize and respond to non-verbal body language cues from a customer.

Body language is an often overlooked manner of conveying satisfaction or dissatisfaction in a retail setting. Body language is defined as ‘The bodily gestures, postures, and facial expressions by which an individual communicates nonverbally with others.’ Employees should be aware of body language signs from customers. They may notice them glancing around the store looking for assistance, or perhaps fidgeting with impatience. With practice your employees should be able to notice any signs of bewilderment, confusion, or dissatisfaction on a customer’s face and respond appropriately before the customer has the opportunity to express a complaint verbally or exit your store without making a purchase. At a hint of an outward sign of frustration employees should step in and offer assistance. The longer a customer waits for assistance, the greater the chance that they will leave the store in frustration and seek goods and services elsewhere. In most cases, this will result in you losing a customer and your competitor gaining one.

Since this learned talent for reading body language and assisting customers before they ask for help can lead to extremely satisfied customers, it is imperative to instill this attitude in all store employees. With proper training, this is a skill that can be easily developed. Sales personnel with the ability to read a customer’s face, their postures, and detect subtle cues that help them understand the customer’s needs are a valuable asset for your business.

The body language of employees is important as well. It is imperative the customer know that you are there to assist them. A friendly smile and a willing attitude will reap big rewards for your store. Even during extremely busy times, a customer will have more patience once they have been recognized. A friendly nod, a gesture, or a quick comment is all a customer needs to be reassured that you have not, and will not forget about them.

Additionally, every transaction or interaction with a customer should conclude with a smile on the face of both the customer and the employee, a clear body language sign of satisfaction. A satisfied customer equals repeat business.

Pleasing customers is the bottom line for any store. Establish your reputation for top notch service. It is very beneficial for all employees to have a checklist visible to them in a work area. Employees often become very busy, and in such cases are easily distracted. A checklist is a constant reminder of the store’s goals. It is a positive reinforcement of the service you wish to provide.

Jim O’Donnell of Jaguar Consulting in Kingston, NH provides marketing and business development services for small business and has developed a series of Business Checklists to help business owners achieve higher growth and profitability. See Retail Marketing to review all checklists that are currently available. He can be reached at (603) 642-8338, JimODonnell@JaguarConsulting.com, or http://WWW.Checklists4Business.com

You are committed and on your way. This time you will burn away the belly fat and get the body you’ve always wanted. Maybe you’ve just started. Maybe you’ve been at it a while and are already seeing results. But you aren’t where you want to be yet.

It’s time to start looking like the person you are becoming. A few simple tips can change the way you look now and set the stage for what’s to come. And this isn’t vanity. There are good reasons to change your look while you change your body:

Looking better makes you feel better and more confident, which makes it easier to stick with your fat loss program.

The changes in your body may not be visible to others right away. Some people will use this to discourage you from becoming who you want to be. Looking slimmer and fitter right away will keep the naysayers off your back.
People will start treating you better, giving you even more incentive to keep at it.

Self-help experts will tell you that one of the best ways to change who you are now is to be like the person you want to be. You want to be slim and fit, so start looking that way!

Ok. So there are definitely some good reasons to look better now while you are becoming better. How do you do it? Here are some easy secrets guaranteed to make you look better today:

Vertical Stripes and Patterns. Vertical stripes and patterns draw the eye up and down, which makes you look taller and thinner.

Watch Your Posture. Stand straight and tall with your shoulders back. When you slouch you look sloppy and make your belly bulge.

Choose clothes that Fit. Clothes that are too loose or too tight both make you look fat. Wear clothes that fit properly, even if that means you’ve got to break down and buy those pants with the 38-inch waist you swore you would never wear.

Wear Your Shirt Untucked. If you are in a casual situation, consider leaving your shirt untucked. People may argue about whether this is in style anymore, but it does hide a belly a lot better than a tucked-in shirt.

Consider a Polo Shirt. If you are a guy and unless your gut is really big or your shoulders really small, try on a polo shirt. The V shape that these shirts have (wider in the shoulders with a v-shaped neckline) tends to emphasize the V shape of your upper body and de-emphasize your belly.

And there you go. Five tips for looking great while you’re getting rid of that excess fat. But remember that these are just temporary fixes. The goal isn’t just to look like you got rid of that gut, but to actually do it!

Get past the “dress to hide your fat” stage as fast as possible. Read my unbiased reviews of the top fat loss programs here: http://fatlossatlast.com/

The Beijing Olympics have now begun - all the excitement and anticipation of the past four years or more has come to a head, especially for the Chinese. Before the Games, China was warned of a likely shortfall of accommodation space during the Olympics, and hundreds of Chinese businesses looking to capitalize on the excellent opportunity built new hotels. However, there are plenty of rooms still available, and you could grab a luxury hotel room in Beijing at a very reasonable price if you act quickly.

Beijing had some seven years notice of the impending Olympic Games. They won the right to host the games in 2001, giving them several years to make up for an expected accommodation shortfall in the city. Administration officials estimated that around 450,000 to 500,000 visitors would inundate Beijing for the Games, with a further 1.2 million to 1.6 million native Chinese visitors coming to the city from other regions and centers. With around 660,000 beds available in Beijing currently, you would expect that the city would be packed to the rafters. However, it is still possible to find hotel rooms in the city, and they are being sold at excellent prices to those travelling to China for the latter part of the Olympics.

Part of the reason for this is an erroneous perception in the international community, of a city filled to bursting point with tourists on top of an already large native population. In fact, the government has put its considerable resources to work in coordinating and organizing the city to be tenable and manageable for Olympic visitors.

Thousands of tourists, though, will take advantage of the incorrect perceptions of many in the next two weeks, as they are able to stay in luxury hotels in Beijing at budget-friendly prices for the Olympics.

Shangri-La is one such chain where you’ll find luxury hotel rooms in Beijing at unexpected price tags. The chain actually has two locations, in the west and north west of the city. These hotels are close to full, yet still have some space available. The staff and the impeccable service are one of the chain’s major selling points, in a country where the government sponsored star-rating system does not have minimum service standards, and the ratings only cover facilities.

The health club at Shangri-La Beijing has a sauna and solarium, as well as all the usual facilities. Once you have been inspired by watching the athletes, you can imitate them - to the best of your abilities! Shangri-La also has lovely lush gardens, in the middle of a very industrial city, and offers easy access to Olympic facilities via the third and fourth ring roads.

The Kerry Center hotel is another that offers easy access to Olympic venues, and luxury surroundings as well as great service. The hotel has free in-room broadband access, and executive rooms offer full home-style bathroom facilities as well as little luxuries like CD players. In a twist of individuality, there is a rooftop track for running and inline skating, as well as indoor basketball, tennis and badminton courts.

If you are looking to book a hotel room in Beijing for business reasons connected to the Olympic Games, then China World hotel will be the hotel of choice. The impeccable service aligns well with business expectations, and the facilities are a match for the personality of the hotel. A new oxygen chamber in the health club, as well as a golf simulator, three indoor tennis clubs and an aromatherapy spa make the China World hotel a great choice for keeping your mind and body in shape while visiting for the Games.

Now that the Olympics have begun, it is a great opportunity to travel to Beijing and stay in luxury hotels that don’t have Olympian price tags.

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently owns and manages 54 hotels under Shangri-La and Traders brands with a rooms inventory of over 27,000. Shangri-La hotels are five-star deluxe properties featuring extensive luxury facilities and services.

If you are planning on moving to another country and have never hired international movers before there are a number of questions that you should ask to make sure that you have selected the right international movers for your needs. These questions have to do with geography, mode of transport and experience in the industry and in the country that you are moving to.

Geographically, international movers charge you by the mile, the weight and the degree of difficulty that is involved in traversing the geographical terrain between your current home and your new one. For instance, if you are moving from Atlanta to Nova Scotia you will need international movers to relocate you but they have a choice of sea, air, or land routes that pose different degrees of difficulty. Always ask what the prices are for each option so that you can compare and select the best one for you.

International movers also charge more or less based on the mode of transport. Trucks, trains, cargo ships and planes are all vehicles that can carry your belongings to another country. International movers usually have a preferred mode of transport and many advertise it on their website. Trucking companies are a good example.

Other international movers will have a variety of choices available and you should price each one of them before you make your final decision. The most obvious choice may not always be the most affordable. Air, sea and land rates fluctuate based on season and the prices of fuel so don’t assume that you know what mode of transport is best before you do your homework.

The miles traveled by international movers are another factor in the price quote you will be given when you first begin your arrangements. Remember that miles are not calculated in a straight line, or as the crow flies. Each leg of the journey that your international movers take is measured and charged for. If you are moving your belongings overseas by ship you will be charged for the transport to the seaport, the trip itself, and then the transport to your new location.

It is very important to know what route will be taken and make sure that it is the shortest and most direct available. Ports of exit and entry should be close to pick-up and drop-off locations and shipping routes should be non-stop. Confirming these details will save you time and money during the actual move.

Experience is something that cannot be substituted for. Anyone can familiarize themselves with regulations and entry requirements for a country and calculate the tax rate, but actually going through the process is something else entirely. Customs officials and border patrols have a certain way of doing things and if the international movers you hire are not familiar with them your shipment could get detained or even seized upon entry into your new country. Make sure that you only hire international movers with experience in the country you are moving to.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression and you wouldn’t want yours to be having to retrieve your seized belongings from Customs.

Nir Dotan is a writer and promoter of
International Movers services,
and
Omega Shipping Local
as well as International Moving.

You probably have heard of the cookie diet and you probably wondered to yourself how on earth it works.

I was in the same boat as you and I’ll admit I was even a little skeptical at first myself. I said to myself, “what is the cookie diet?!….That sounds like a nice dream..” Well, I was wrong. It is very much a reality and I will explain how.

It’s not the cookies that make you lose weight per se. You see the cookies, I found out, are made up of specific ingredients that include certain types of amino acids. These acids are food proteins that actually suppress your hunger. This is the key to losing weight.

Normally, a diet doesn’t work because you need to consume LESS calories every week in order to lose weight. When you eat a low calorie diet, it is very hard to deal with severe hunger pains so we succumb to our hunger and over eat.

Most foods that suppress our hunger successfully are fatty foods that are high in calories. That’s where the cookie comes in. This particular cookie successfully suppresses your hunger while also remaining a low calorie food. BOOM. How come nobody came out with a natural hunger suppressing food before?!

I did the research and it doesn’t appear that anybody has which is very surprising to me. Of course, the amino acids don’t have to be put into a cookie in order to work. You could put them in soup, shakes or anything really. But, a cookie is the most convenient, durable and easy to carry snack.

What the Doctor who invented the cookie diet plan did was create a food that is LOW in calories, but also suppresses your hunger naturally using amino acids and food proteins. He is one of the only people to ever develop a low calorie food that is a natural hunger suppressant. Why more people haven’t done it, I have no idea. It’s simple, logical and scientific.

Basically, you eat 7 cookies a day which is about 500 calories and then a nutritious dinner consisting of lean meat and a green vegetable which is about 300. This gives you an 800 calorie/day diet and would normally be near impossible if it weren’t for the hunger suppressing agents in the cookie. I would recommend the cookie diet plan to anyone who is looking to lose weight the healthy way.

It could go in your purse, pocket, briefcase, car, etc. Plus, who doesn’t love cookies? Also with the cookie diet, you are supposed to eat lean meat, chicken or fish and 1 cup of green vegetables for dinner every night. So, it’s not just eating cookies all day!

Get more about The Cookie Diet Plan by visiting http://MyDietWithCookies.com.

Tyler Monesy is a fitness and health enthusiast. He enjoys sharing his experience and research with others on the internet. Visit his site for additional

If you decided to buy a motorcycle, you need some accessories,so here is my advcie about the best gadgets you can get to have a better ride and to protect yourself.

Motor cycle boots should be stiff in order to provide protection, but not too much so. First you need an insurance. Motorcycle insurance quotes help you estimate the available insurance options for your bike. We can choose insurance policies either through insurance agents or online.

Also you need protective gear: Motorcycle pants come in many variations. Regular motorcycle pants are like normal pants only that they give extra protection especially on the butt. Motorcycle boots come in different colors and designs to fit your mood and lifestyle. However, it is wise to choose a design that’s not only based on appearance, but also on durability and safety features.

Choosing motorcycle boots apparel can be a tough task. The perfect motorcycle boots apparel needs to have certain qualities and sometimes you don’t want to sacrifice anything, making it harder to find the right boots. Choosing motorcycle boots with thick rubber soles will help absorb vibration from the motorcycle that can cause foot and leg pain. A deep tread pattern is essential for traction and stability.

Motorcycle saddlebags are far more advanced and high tech than the sacks used on horses. At an average speed that a motorcycle travels it required a secure and convenient mean of carrying the rider’s belongings. Motorcycle tires are oftentimes misunderstood. This is a saddening fact.

Helmets, protectors and boots also available as add ons. Find packages for your street bike apparel, dirt bike and off road motocross MX and cruiser gear for your Harely Davidson!! Helmet must make you feel safe yet comfy. You can have the fiberglas shell helmet if you want your helmet to be high-impact resistant and durable. Helmets are key in keeping safe the fragile bones in the head. What we need to teach our children is to prepare for the unexpected.

Leather can lasts up to 30 years. Through the years it has already established an attitude and traditional beat. Leather, over the years, has proven to be the best material for motorcycle clothing. It is resistant to tear, naturally warm and acts as the first defense by coming between the biker and the rough asphalt road. Leather jackets and the fabric on textile jackets protect a motorcycle rider’s skin from road rash with the aid of body armor inserts. There are many types of motorcycle jackets and helmets to choose from.

Leather motorcycle boots with thick flexible uppers provide much better protection against road debris and hot exhaust pipes. Frye boots is just one manufacturer that produces these kinds of quality engineer boots.

Goggles are a great way to protect the eyes without having the heaviness of a helmet. You won’t have any protection for your head though, when you just have goggles on. Goggles don’t do much for your head in an accident, but you will at least be able to see the road when you are taking that favorite ride around town.

if you are looking for a great motorcycle, check more info about Yamaha Majesty Accessories and the very cool 2006 Yamaha Majesty Manual.

It seems that street dance is becoming more and more popular in the UK. Lots of dance styles have had their turn in the spotlight over the years and it looks like it is the turn of street dance at the moment.

But what exactly is street dance? And what can you expect to learn in a street dance class in London? The London scene is very different to many other countries and it’s worth exploring.

Street dance classes often teach street dance routines which loosely take dance moves from a variety of dance styles which may include hip-hop dance, locking, popping, street jazz and jazz amongst others. It can also include acrobatics when danced in dance troupes and can fuse with other styles very different from street dance such as contemporary too.

In fact looking at the term more closely, ’street dance’ is more an umbrella term encompassing all these dance styles and many more. Different people have different opinions on what constitutes street dance. For example some people would also put dance styles such as the breakin’ and the crip walk under the street dance categories whilst others would not.

So if you see a dance class advertised as street dance you can expect to learn dance routines which are very similar to hip-hop dance and including elements of the other styles, but not necessarily to hip-hop music. Whereas most of the time a hip-hop dance class will have routines to hip-hop or R&B music for the most part.

There are other clues for what you might expect form a street dance class in London. Sometimes ’street’ will be followed by another name. For example ’street jazz’ would combine street and jazz, ’street locking’ would be lockin’ and ’street urban’ would be similar to hip hop dance or urban dance.

The term ’street dance’ is popularly used in the UK and a number of other countries. So if you decide that you want to start going to some street dance classes it’s helpful to know what style of street dance you want to learn.

Dance styles which might fall under the street dance category such as popping, locking and hip-hop dance will often have dance classes which are just called by their names instead of ’street’ something.

If in doubt about a street dance class in London, take a class so you can find out whether it’s general routines you’ll be learning or a specific street dance style. Many times you’ll find you’ll enjoy a dance style that you weren’t even planning to learn!

Kevin Shwe runs the Hip Dance Moves street locking dance classes in London. Teaching students funky moves that are ideal for all settings, in just weeks he can transform a complete non-dancer into a confident dancer with the funkiest demeanour. Check his website www.hipdancemoves.com for more details.

Selecting skill drills is a very important decision that might make the difference between your success and failure.

You see, practicing the wrong motor patterns can spell doom when it comes down to game time. Everybody that’s been in a big game will tell you that the intensity is at a high level and it’s all about reactionary movement.

Your reactions can also be enhanced by that of natural instincts but that in itself is a completely individual thing. Natural instincts detecting
movement and intent for movement are paramount in any game where the strategies of invasion is present. For example, the actual basket is the invasion point in a basketball game.

This is why its crucial to select the right drills that prepare you for the movements that occur within the game. For example, a shooting drill you select must contain movement. Standing and shooting only
improves standing and shooting.

When you have to move to advance and effectively handle momentum shifts with your balance to get a shot off it will be a slightly different story. I would estimate a person that stands and shoots will make 20% of their shots during competition.

Now, think about the actual position you play during games and the lanes you run in…Think about how available you are to the basketball and your teammates at all times…Could you be more available?…

These questions and answers will allow to to get to the grass root of things. Now, with that, lets move onto another pivotal factor; confidence during
competition. When you do the right drills with game like intensity and focus, competition flows.

This is when everything seems effortless and all the shots go in. If youve never experienced this its due to a lack of the right drills that build confidence to produce in the clutch.

Its common to know that a good shooter makes half his shots. Whats often overlooked is shooting drills and game time shots are two completely different things. When someone is in your face and theres crowd in the house its different than a drill during an empty practice gym.

Two completely different environmental factors that give way to tremendous adrenaline and energy potential. When you have confidence in yourself, you can draw energy from that environment like a continuous force of controlled adrenaline. Trust me, when you dunk on someone with thousands of fans cheering, you dont get tired.

When you select your skill drills look to break down exactly what you really doing. Break it down like this, hand/eye accuracy, foot/eye accuracy, periphery, etc…Otherwise training for basketball or any other sport seems like it has to be ten thousand drills a day.

Dave Lemanczyk is the C.E.O. of Dave Lemanczyk LLC, a leading developer of superior human performance products in todays fitness industry. http://www.basketballstrength.com

In his 1932 fiction novel titled Brave New World Aldous Huxley wrote about a futuristic society in the year 2540 that ubiquitously consumed a mind altering substance called Soma. It was a drug that was distributed freely by the government to keep the people happy. In the Veda, which is some of the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, Soma is a god and a sacred drink. It is both a divinity and a drink that is divine in nature, consumed by priests during sacrificial rituals. In Western medicine of today, Soma is a muscle relaxant medicine that is prescribed regularly by doctors, mostly to patients with painful musculoskeletal related injuries and muscle spasms. It is a very strong medicine that controls pain by blocking the nerve signals from reaching the brain.

Soma is quite pervasive in the book Brave New World. It is a mind altering substance that people depend on to escape from the reality of their bleak and government controlled lives. The people in this futuristic world take soma in pill form, liquid and even frozen as an ice cream. Almost everyone in this society is addicted to soma. The few people who are not addicted to this drug are considered to be unusual optimists who do not need soma to be happy.

Before there was Aldous Huxley or the Veda there was the soma plant that had been growing in the wild for thousands of years. It is a psychotropic plant with long, yellowish colored stalks that grows best in the mountainous regions of the northwest part of the Indian subcontinent, most notably the Kashmir region. Today there is a very high percentage of Vedic people known as Brahmans who live in this area. Their ancestors settled there many years ago mainly because of the high quality soma plants that were found growing there.

Several thousand years ago when human civilization sprouted up in the Kashmir region of India, people began to experiment with the juices, powders and extracts of plants. They were eager to discover the effects they may have on the health of the human mind and body. These resourceful humans soon discovered that the soma plant possessed medicinal and mild altering qualities that are very powerful. It was not long before they began to use soma in rituals of healing and sacrifice.

According to the Veda scriptures, from 1500 B.C. to 500 B.C. the juice of the soma plant was used during animal sacrifice rituals called the yajna. Priests would drink the soma juice during the ceremony and work themselves into hallucinogenic trances while sacrificing animals over a fire for many hours. It was a complex ceremony that could only be performed by holy men called Brahmans. The goal was to enter the mental realm where the god known as Soma lives to offer gifts of thanks and ask for good health and good fortune in life. Soma is the god who is considered to be the master of all plants, the one who heals all diseases and the one who provides riches and good fortune.

In the Twenty First Century, Western medicine has its own form of Soma. It is a prescription drug made with an active ingredient called carisoprodal. It has nothing to do with the ancient soma plant mentioned in the Veda scriptures, or any other historical writings. While some of the pain killing effects may be similar to that of the soma plant, the prescription medicine soma is very different. It is not classified as a hallucinogen.

The modern medicine with the name Soma was developed by a pharmacologist named Dr. Frank M. Berger back in 1959 at Wallace Labs. The goal was to create an analgesic pain killer that is very helpful in the treatment of certain severe muscle injuries.

Today, Soma the prescription medicine can be purchased at most brick and mortar pharmacies, or even at one of the many US licensed online pharmacies that sell FDA approved drugs on the Internet. It is available by prescription from US licensed physicians.

Despite the fact that Soma can be purchased at any pharmacy, there are some health risks that should be weighed with the benefits before this medicine is taken, as is the case with all prescription drugs. It is important to know that Soma can be dangerous to your health if it is abused. When Soma is taken in excessive amounts some of the dangerous effects that can be experienced are dizziness, headaches, impaired vision, extreme drowsiness, seizures, shaking, tremors and loss of coordination. Soma can also be habit forming and should only be taken as prescribed by US licensed physicians who are currently practicing in the field of health and medicine.

The word Soma has been used by many different cultures throughout history to describe a variety of different things such as a deity, a hallucinogenic drink for Hindu priests and a government issued narcotic in a futuristic fiction novel. In Western medicine today it is used to describe a pain killing prescription drug. It is a muscle relaxant that works by blocking neurons of pain before they reach the brain, and it has been very effective when used to treat musculoskeletal injuries and spasms. Although Soma use comes with certain health risks, US licensed physicians prescribe this medicine every day to thousands of patients who can benefit greatly from it during their healing process.

Michael P. Connelly is an Author, Artist and award-winning Filmmaker who writes on a variety of topics that effect people in their every day lives.

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Someone I’ll call “Gloria” told me this story:

“At a recent potluck dinner, my friend Brian brought a six-pack of his special cider. We had more beverages than we needed. At the end of the evening, Brian went into the refrigerator and grabbed his untouched cider. He took it home.

“Our hostess, Nancy, was furious. She wrote Brian a strong email, claiming he had insulted her”

My sympathies are with Brian. To me, a potluck means you bring a contribution to the party, not a gift for the hostess. And I avoid those events whenever possible.

So…what’s the relevance for careers?

Clients often call me when they’re puzzled by events in a new job (”Why would I be asked to edit this report when I’m a senior manager?”). Or maybe they’ve got a new employee and they’re tearing their hair out, wondering, “Why would anyone skip a meeting when we specifically said attendance was expected?” And more.

It’s all about fitting into a new environment — whether you’re new to a job, career or even service where you’re the customer.

(1) Don’t get mad — get inquisitive.

A prospective client asked if I could edit some content. I explained that I don’t do editing. I don’t tweak other people’s words, commas and paragraphs.

But I discovered she used the word “editing” to mean “writing copy starting with a written discussion of our target market.”

So “edit” might be a polite way of saying, “This report is worthless. Just start over.”

And some folks distinguish between “expected” and “required.”

(2) Study the lunchtime lingo.

Groups have norms about teasing, dressing up, initiating conversations, writing memos and lunch.

Some people see an invitation to lunch as the closest thing to a marriage proposal, especially if a male invites a female or vice versa. (I wish I were kidding.)

Some groups have norms about bringing lunch, eating out, and skipping lunch to work out.

I once heard about a department where bringing your lunch meant you had taken yourself off the fast track. I heard about another where nobody ate at all: the “in” crowd went running. A consulting firm took seriously the maxim of “Never eat lunch alone.” Associates were expected to sacrifice their waist lines by taking clients to lunch several times a week. I suspect doggie bags were a big no-no.

If these issues are important, you can usually find out before you get hired.

But if you really hate meetings, you might get a pass by feigning ignorance. When asked why you didn’t show, you say, “I though ‘expected’ meant ‘lightly suggested.’ So I skipped the meeting and took a client to lunch.”

Use at your own risk…once.

(3) Avoid the old-timer trap.

Every time I changed jobs, even in the same career field, even in universities with similar structures, I bumped up against new cultures.

What do you ask the admin staff to do? Where do you get coffee (and when)? And if you miss a meeting or turn down a lunch offer, are you branding yourself as a maverick?

Inevitably I made mistakes. And I watched other newcomers do the same.

The reasons were innocent. If you’ve asked a staff assistant to make copies or calls for the last 5 years, you’ll automatically do the same at your new job. You probably won’t even stop to wonder, “Should I do this?” unless you’ve been made aware that customs might vary in that particular area.

But old-timers (who can’t imagine any other way either) tend to assume the worst. When I became an old-timer (or at least a medium-timer), colleagues would ask rhetorically, “Who does he think he is?”

It took awhile, but over the years I learned to say, “He thinks he is a lost, confused newcomer. Let’s explain that we need to go have coffee and it’s a non-negotiable right now.”

Returning to the potluck example: I suspect Brian’s friends always took home the leftovers — their own and maybe everyone else’s. It never crossed his mind to leave his cider in someone else’s refrigerator.

That’s my own favorite part of a potluck. The folks who know how to cook never want leftovers. More for me.

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