Newsletter

Volume 10, Issue 2 A Publication from Personnel Staffers, Inc. Spring 2007

The Squeaky Wheel
As a member of a team you are aware of problems with the team itself as well as the problems the team has with the authority that governs the team. What do you do about it? Do you play it safe and say nothing, or do you go to the authority figure with your list of grievances? There is an old saying, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease"; however, the squeaky wheel is also the first one to get replaced.
It is generally NOT a good idea to hide or bury your concerns, however, there is a difference between making your concerns known and being the "squeaky wheel".
· The squeaky wheel complains about every issue without carefully considering it, whereas the concerned group member addresses only issues of real concern that have been carefully considered.
· The squeaky wheel is concerned with only him or herself, whereas the concerned group member knows the only good solution is a win-win situation for all parties involved.
· The squeaky wheel is seen as needing replaced, whereas the concerned group member is seen as a respected leader who cares about the success of the organization.
Here are some suggestions for taking a positive approach:
· It is not “what” you say, it is “how” you say it. Remember the immortal words of Lincoln who said, "a drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall".
· Pick your battles. Most people can find something to complain about in all areas of their lives. You must focus on the positive and work on solving only pressing concerns. Your points will be considered more valid, rather than just being seen as a "complainer".
· Make it one issue. If possible, combine your issues or problems into one larger issue and break down the issue.
· Prove that you are looking out for more than your own best interest. To be effective at making changes that will benefit you and your group, you must demonstrate that you are looking out for the best interests of everyone involved, and do it sincerely.
· Drop the "us versus them" mentality. Once again, if positive changes are to be made all parties have to benefit.
As the squeaky wheel, you will get attention, but it will be negative attention. You will be associated with complaints, troubles and headaches. Change your attitude to one of creating a win-win situation where you have the best interests of all parties in mind. Once you do this, you will no longer be the wheel that needs replacement, you will be the leader who deserves respect.

Computer Tip

Here are 5 important email tips.
1.) Use more than One E-mail Account - You can't think of your e-mail address like your home address. You need to have more than one! Think of it as one for your home e-mails, one for your office e-mails and an extra one for all the other things you do online.
2.) Use the BCC - This works the best when you're e-mailing multiple people. Send the email to yourself and insert the e-mail addresses onto the BCC line, the recipients won't be able to see any of the other e-mail addresses you're sending the e-mail to.
3.) Unsubscribing to Nothing - Do you ever receive a newsletter in your e-mail that you never even signed up for? This is an old spam trick. They send you fake newsletters and then provide you with a link that will allow you to unsubscribe. The best thing to do is just block the e-mail address that the newsletters are coming from.
4.) Believing Scam Titles - We've all received them before. You know, the e-mails that tell us that someone wants to send us a bunch of money or maybe even one that told us we won an iPod or a laptop. No matter which way they come through, they are all junk!
5.) Falling for the Phish - Phishers send fraud e-mails in an attempt to trick you into giving out your personal information. This could be anything from your passwords to your bank account information, etc. Usually, the phishers will steal the logo from a well known company and pass it off for the real thing. Some of the most popular ones are PayPal and different banks. The e-mail will then ask you to click on a link to verify some information and once you do that, you're done. So, just be cautious with every e-mail you open. Don't give your personal details out to anyone.
Temp of the Month

You can reach us by e-mail at perstaff@stargate.net or call us at
724-942-5860 with any ideas or comments.
We would love to hear from you!