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Think Zink ::: Gossip: Cancer of the Soul
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 Sarah M. Zink Director, Business Development TECH Fort Worth Contact:
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Website: www.sarahzink.comMost of us wouldn’t be caught dead with a copy of “National Enquirer” on our coffee tables; yet, we engage in talk that is much more damaging. Have you ever considered the cause and effect of gossip? What is it, technically? Why do we love it so much? How do we excuse it? How to we eliminate it?
As humans, we crave news. Why do you think bad news sells? As women, we also crave connectivity. That’s a dangerous combination. Our conversation style puts us in a position where we desire to hear and know more about the fascinating tidbits of human conflicts, joys, sorrows, and flaws. Sadly, while a news reporter might check facts and verifies wording, those who spread and listen to gossip have no commitment, either to accuracy or good taste. The bottom line is that gossip tantalizes, and we listen.
Is There Such a Thing as ‘Good Gossip’?
I don’t believe so. The dictionary defines gossip as, "rumor, report, tattle, or behind-the-scenes information, especially of an intimate or personal nature." Sometimes, the informal ‘information network’ at our work or other gathering places often provides the only way to understand what is happening around us. We discuss with one another the latest scuttlebutt, trying to piece together some semblance of the truth from the rumors and events of the day. The crossover from information to gossip is subtle, yet distinct. Gossip is sharing negative and personal information (see – ‘tattle’ in the definition above), while information sharing is known and confirmed facts. If you’re sharing ‘extrapolations on known information’, and don’t want it to be gossip, don’t go into character issues, suppositions of intent, etc.
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Think Zink ::: Workbullies
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Sarah M. Zink Director, Business Development TECH Fort Worth Contact:
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Website: www.sarahzink.comIf not addressed early, bullying behavior moves from elementary school to high school to college to the workplace. The sad fact of the matter is that bullying in the workplace is more common than most people realize. What makes it hard to address is that workplace bullying is hard to identify—and even harder to manage. This is because bullying comes in many forms, it occurs at every level, and is often overlooked or unaddressed until it leads to more disastrous consequences.
In two surveys by the Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) and Zogby International, where bullying was defined as "repeated mistreatment: sabotage by others that prevented work from getting done, verbal abuse, threatening conduct, intimidation and humiliation," 35% of workers experienced bullying first hand, and 62% of the bullies were men. A Harris Interactive poll conducted in 2011 revealed that 34% of women reported being bullied in the workplace.
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Think Zink ::: Change Your Choices, Change Your Life
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Sarah M. Zink Director, Business Development TECH Fort Worth Contact:
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Website: www.sarahzink.comI'm very excited about 2012. I mean, VERY excited. I have learned something in the past few years that I plan to use this year to implement powerful personal and professional changes. These changes aren't just about health, wealth or career; they are about WHO I am as a person and WHAT type of impact I want to have on those around me.
Too often, it's easy for us to get caught up in the rat race or take a 'fall into the ditch'. When this happens, we are wrapped up in the same type of thinking that got us there in the first place. We focus on the day-to-day so much that our lifetime passes us by and we hardly notice. This year, I want to walk on that razor wire edge of 'being in the moment' AND recognizing that we are only here on this planet for a short time, so our lives must have VALUE.
And, while I encourage you to be hopeful, I don't want you to confuse hope with making choices. HOPE is not a strategy. Choose something, anything that will propel you in the direction of your dreams.
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Think Zink ::: That’s NOT My Name!
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Sarah M. Zink Director, Business Development TECH Fort Worth Contact:
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Website: www.sarahzink.comRecently, a friend of mine and I got into a discussion about people calling us by “pet” names (sweetie, darlin’, dear, love, honey, etc.). I can’t stand it, and after polling a group of my friends, I was shocked to find that 11 of 12 friends didn’t like it, either.
Of course, for the sake of clarity, I think it’s important that I frame the context of the use of said name-calling. I’m talking about the secretary, server, co-worker, or any other person (other than your family members or close friends) using a name other than your given name to refer to you. They may mean well, but that doesn’t excuse bad behavior.
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Think Zink ::: The Myth of Work/Life Balance
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Sarah M. Zink Director, Business Development TECH Fort Worth Contact:
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Website: www.sarahzink.comAre you tired of these types of articles yet? I hope not – give this one a chance and read a little further.
I want to start by saying: Work/Life balance is a myth. By that I mean there’s no “black and white” definition of how you can give the people and tasks in your life the focus that they need or deserve. By thinking that there is some “magic formula” that will give you this mythical gift, you are setting yourself up for disappointment, and worse, a sense of failure. It’s not about work/life balance, it’s about BALANCE.
I want you to think about balance as having PERSPECTIVE on your life. Perspective is having a healthy view of what matters in our lives AT THE MOMENT WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW, with a focus on where we want to be in the future.
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Think Zink ::: Men are Trees, Women are Flowers
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Sarah M. Zink Director, Business Development TECH Fort Worth Contact:
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Website: www.sarahzink.comSadly, most women I know have failed to realize early on that men are like trees – they just get bigger; women, however, are like flowers – they bloom and grow and spread their roots and evolve. BUT THIS DOESN’T MAKE MEN WRONG – OR IN NEED OF BEING “CHANGED”. (I hope the “all caps shouting” got your attention; please stick with me on this)
Ladies, I want you to think for a moment – so many times, women get into a relationship with a man, deciding that they “mostly” like him – but “isn’t it cute when he…. ____________?” (fill in the blank). In about 6 months, THAT is the thing that drives the woman crazy, so she decides that she’s going to change that about him (for his own good, of course!).
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Rantings and Reflections ::: Repositioning with an Attitude of Gratitude for 2012
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It’s so easy to get caught in how much you have to accomplish. I haven’t gone Christmas shopping and I really need to study. The list of what needs to be done sometimes seems endless. Listening to Jill Scott has put things in perspective for me. The song, “Blessed” is a reminder of the many opportunities we have to be grateful. As we come to the close of another year, it is important to count our many blessings and recognize that despite the setbacks, every single moment we experience is significant. I am blessed.
I am blessed because I am a mother to a child who is healthy, happy, and whole. She is the joy of my life and as much as I teach her, I find that I am learning so much more about her and about life. As she laments about her friends who make her sad one day and elated the next, she reminds me that situations that seem insurmountable at the time change quickly. No matter what comes my way, I can get through it. Those moments that seem unbearable aren’t always the case later. My child teaches me to laugh and allows me to experience life through the eyes of child. So often we miss out on the fun and silly things that really make life special and sentimental.
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