For the Perfect House Party, Avoid these Mistakes

Overdoing decorations or themes. Enhance your home with adequate trimmings without overwhelming it. Strategically place decorative pieces where they give the best visual effect and lend the proper mood to the area. Your party should be the theme; not the adornments. Don't deck your halls to the point where guests get tinsel-tied each time they take a step. Balance and arrange decorations for everyone to enjoy; not just the first who arrive or the last who leave. Include the seated and the standing.

Overlooking food preferences. Consider all your guests when planning your menu. Provide an array of food and drink choices for everyone; Dieters, Vegans, Drinkers and Non-drinkers. Search the internet for Cocktails, Mocktails, and a variety of other GREAT RECIPES . If you're not sure what kind of substitution you need to make for one of your guests, check with them beforehand. They'll be thrilled that you asked, and will be happy to share their favorite recipe with you and others.

Putting your food out and forgetting about it. Try to serve food throughout the duration of your party. Especially if cocktails are offered because your guests will need to "feed" their drinks. Instead of setting everything out at once, have various trays brought out in intervals. This way, food stays fresh and  your guests stay intrigued over the wonderful surprises that keep coming. They'll also stay "upright" since you're constantly giving them something to nibble on as they sip their drinks (if you know what I mean).

Cleaning only the public areas of your home. Include your personal areas when tidying up for your party; even if you plan to entertain in only one room. Don't leave personal items lying around and clear medicine cabinets of anything you don't want "accidentally eyeballed" by your guests. And most of all...

Forgetting to enjoy yourself. Give yourself enough prep time to grab a nap or just relax 30-40 minutes before your guests are due to arrive so you can greet them with a smile that's fresh and sincere. Days before your party, arrange for cleanup assistance so it's not on your mind as you watch the dishes stack up. Remember, this party is just as much for you as it is for your guests. So enjoy the fun!

~~~~~Tell Tammy~~~~~

What festivities are you planning over the holidays?

Tips for a Stress-free Holiday

Save decorating time and money this Thanksgiving. Use these tips throughout the holiday season (and also get a jump on Christmas):

1. Use white Christmas string lights to drape around the room; the mantle, tables, shelves or even add to plants.

2. Create an illuminating centerpiece with 12 clear votive candle holders. Tie a ribbon around each one and make a bow. Form a circle with the candle holders; bows facing out to give it the appearance of a wreath. Add white votive candles or use other colors that coordinate with your table. A smaller arrangement can be used for cocktail or end tables. Keep out for the holiday season or give them away to guests as they leave.

3. Create taste, function and visual appeal using small, well-shaped pumpkin gourds. Scrape out the inner meat to make pie or soup. Then create soup bowls from the shells. Or fill a large, hollowed-out pumpkin with flowers and use as table decoration.

4. Too busy for your usual workout? Try slipping in some exercise ahead of time and give your kids something to occupy their time as well:

• The day before or early Thanksgiving morning, take the kids for an early morning walk around the neighborhood.
• Turn your walk into a nature-gathering hike and round up colorful leaves, pine cones and small branches from holly berry trees.
• When back inside, lay the leaves out to dry completely. Have the kids create personalized place cards out of the leaves by inscribing guests' names in brightly contrasted marker colors. Place at each person's setting. Decorate tables, shelves and the mantle using the remaining treasures found during your walk.

Use these tips to adorn your house naturally, keep you in shape, and keep the kids occupied while you plan the greatest Thanksgiving Celebration your family has seen.

Put Life Back into the Dying Workplace Party

Do you cringe when you think of the dreaded holiday party at work with its age-old themes and done-to-death menus? If you're tired of the same old stuff, chances are your co-workers are, too. So stop the dread and make things better instead. It doesn't take a lot; just interest, an open mind, and a plan to have fun.

Jump on the planning committee if you aren't already there. Initiate holiday plans early because this time of year brings with it lots of vacations and you don't want anyone to miss out on the fun. Which brings us to the next thing...

Be sure to include everyone...yes, even the "Ebeneezer Scrooges". Include them in the planning process before they have a chance to dampen the holiday spirits of others (probably because their own spirits are in the dumps). Find out what they like to do and ask them to do it. If they enjoy baking, ask them to share their special dish; if they sing, get them to lead the group in a festive song of the season. They’ll be less likely to spread their holiday 'jeer' and will probably feel better for it…everyone else will.

Schedule games, gift-giving or other inclusive activities for later in the party, preferably toward the end. This reduces the “break-and-run after breaking bread” effect. 

And don't play the same games year after year. Rotate them for variety. Personalize regular games with workplace facts or a festive twist. Try something like musical chairs with the staff singing holiday music in place of a CD. Appoint a 'conductor' to signal the stopping points. Or play Win, Lose or Draw the best _____. You can fill in the blank with a work-related theme. 

Celebrations aren't just for celebrating families. They're also times for hope and gratitude for the blessings we have; and the workplace is a blessing. Treat it as such.  

Don't just think holiday; think fun. Be a joyful example; inspire joy throughout your team. You may just find yourself part of a miracle by making next year's party-planner out of this year's Scrooge. It's worth a try.

~~Tell Tammy

What're your holiday party plans this year? Please share with us by posting a comment below.   

The Best-Kept Secret to Turning A Difficult Customer into a Happy One

If you have a job, you have a customer; a customer who may be internal or external, virtual or physically face-to-face. They could be co-workers that you see every day or simply voices on the phone.

But no matter who your customers are, at some point, you've probably considered a few of them 'difficult'. You know the ones, those who expect you:

...to know their needs (even when they don't know themselves)
...to quickly deliver those needs, and
...to answer every demand and challenge they toss your way in order to get their needs met (and with a smile on your face to boot)

Since the success of your job lies in keeping all of your customers happy and satisfied, it's important to know one of the best-kept secrets on how to turn a difficult customer into a happy and satisfied one.

So what's the secret?

STOP CALLING THEM DIFFICULT

That's the secret?

Yes, that's it. It's that simple.
You see, it's not about what you should do; it's about what you should not do...You should not label them 'difficult'.

Here's why...

Labeling a customer 'difficult' sabotages your relationship with them and is unfair to both you and your customer because...

• You put yourself in defense mode which negatively affects your attitude toward them; an attitude that's bound to be felt by the customer and ultimately resented by them.
• It causes you to inadvertently restrict yourself from providing the full scope of service that you could be giving.
• It creates a negative impression for you, your workplace, your customer, and for anyone who hears you call them difficult.

Then why do we do it?

• Sometimes we don't realize it's what we're doing.
• Sometimes we're just repeating what we've heard others say about the customer. We may have heard  about how hard it is to please them, causing subconscious prejudgment.
• You might even feel challenged because it's you who doesn't know what to do to please them.

When you think about it, you may be the one who's actually creating the so-called difficult customers in your work life. So when you begin to think of a customer as challenging, what can you do?

You can...

• Choose a better attitude and create a better customer...a happy customer.
• View the challenge as incentive to up your game of service, and 
• Don't try to figure out what they want or need; listen for indications of what will please them. Directly or indirectly, they will let you know.

So regardless of what your customer has done in the past or what you've heard they may do in the future, the next time you feel the D-word coming on, do the right thing...the fair thing;

1) Recognize your customers for who they are and what they need...people who need your help. 
2) Then do what's necessary to help them. 

Loyalty will be created and trust will be built. And instead of thinking of them as difficult, you'll learn to appreciate them for the value they bring.

            City of Hampton's
          Administrative Professionals 
                    Support Group

                            April 26, 2012 

Author & Keynote Speaker,
TAMMY THOMAS HOPSON

                                          
                             
                            Getting Ready...                           

Setting Up

My Hype-man makes sure
everything's Just Right!

Final Inspection...Everything's A-Go!

A Blissfully Full House!

Mmmm...the food was
DELICIOUS!

Robert & Me

Bliss Book  Event 

                for the

First Fuits of Praise

                   
                           Women's Day 
                                               Hosted by 
                     The Women's Ministry
                                         April 21, 2012

Speaker Tammy & Hostess Lisa

Mary, My Blissful Associate

     

Pastor & Brother Rick taking care
of the set-up

Vendors Getting Ready

7 Ways to be and Stay Satisfied With Your Job

Do you get excited when you think about the functions of your job? Or are you only interested in doing what's necessary to get you from Monday morning to Friday evening without a hitch?

The way you feel about your job depends on you; your perceptions and your attitude. Maybe you feel you're lacking in the job satisfaction department. If so, consider the following to bring satisfaction back to your position:

Pride and a Positive Attitude 
Keep in mind the fulfilling position you hold and take pride in your role as a service provider. Pat yourself on the back for the great job that you do. Feel good about yourself when you think of the responsibilities that have been placed in your care.

Shared Vision
Determine your definition and your vision of quality service. Compare it to that of your department and team. If you're not all on the same sheet of music, take the initiative and request input from your colleagues to create the necessary steps to get there. Work with your team. Understand, create and agree on new processes and procedures to provide quality service.

Knowledge & Focus
Know your job inside and out. Familiarize yourself with company policies so you can focus on your customer without worrying about your performance. For example: let's say that in the interest of trust, you offer your customer a refund for a prior service mix-up; however, policy dictates this should not be done. Knowing the rules beforehand eliminates the chance of making a bad situation worse by offering something you'd have to either take back, or take a career hit for. Understand just how far you are able to go for your customer. If necessary, ask your supervisor for clarity. Then you can focus on your customers' needs without worrying about errors in job performance.

Improvement 
It's not enough to provide great service. It's also your duty to continuously strive to improve and provide the highest quality of service to your customers, both internal and external.

Dedication
Meet and surpass the expectations of your internal and external customers. Be dedicated to them and to yourself by staying focused on your job-related goals and your current performances. How do you measure up to your own expectations?  

Commitment
Like your dedication, commit to creating a positive experience for everyone. Go above and beyond the expectations of your customers and colleagues. Commit to this and deliver quality service.

Willingness
After studying the previous areas of performance, how willing are you to do what it takes to get the job done?

Job satisfaction begins and ends with YOU. Whether you work 20, 40 or 60 hours a week, the time you put in becomes less stressful when it is spent in a positive frame of mind. Keep in mind that you can't do anything about the actions or attitudes of others, nor can  you control those unexpected situations that constantly creep up. But you can control the way you perceive them which determines how you deal with them.

Whenever there's an issue preventing you from having a great attitude, identify it and do what's necessary to fix your perception of it. Equip yourself to confidently deal with whatever comes along and improve your overall performance.

Become passionate about your job again. And at the end of each workday, ask yourself,

                          "Am I satisfied with my performance...with my job?"

       
                Then think of how good you'll feel when your answer is a resounding "YES".