My father owns an electrical contracting business. He built a strong company that has lasted for over 40 years. He has never advertised in his life. He went out and proved he was good and his customers referred him to other friends and contractors all over eastern Pennsylvania. Seth Godin would have been proud.

I worked for him in the summers when I was out of school. Working with him was a pleasure and a pain. He was born German and insists on everything to be perfect. He always set the bar higher than I could reach.

I look back on it now and realize how much I’ve learned. I was lucky to have a father who owned his own business and wanted his son to tag along. I was probably more work then a help, especially in the early years.

As you read this list try to picture a German man with a graying black beard, a tool belt on and a pair of dirty jeans as he says each one. It makes it more fun.

1. Never worry about the time, all it will do is make work go slow.

2. Take time to hang out with co-workers, it makes work interesting.

3. Be able to laugh at yourself because people like to be around someone that doesn’t take himself too seriously.

4. A good cup of coffee is worth the price it costs.

5. Do it right the first time.

6. Why take a longer break then you really need?

7. If it works then you did well. If it works and looks good then you did great.

8. Be able to explain how you made the mistake. No one wants to hear how you’re not sure.

9. The earlier you wake up the earlier you can get home.

10. Nothing wrong with daydreaming as long as you pick the right spots.

11. Don’t worry about how a customer looks, just worry about their ability to pay on time.

12. Always lend a hand to another contractor because you are going to need them to help you before the job is done.

13. Set the bar higher then you can presently reach because one day you’ll reach it if you keep trying.

14. Buy coffee for everyone every once in a while. We all need to spread good will.

15. Can’t force a person to care about their work. It’s really up to them to make that decision.

16. It’s only money. The real joy is in the accomplishment.

17. The customer doesn’t always know what he wants. Sometimes they need to be enticed with good ideas.

18. Don’t walk too fast and don’t walk too slow because you’ll either wear yourself out or you’ll look like a slacker.

19. Even if you don’t know how to do it, give it a try because you may surprise yourself.

20. Eat lightly during the day because you’ll weigh yourself down if you eat too much.

21. Always have a system for each task because then you can do it without too much thinking, which frees your mind up for planning the next task.

22. Never be afraid to walk away. Not every relationship will work.

23. You can enjoy your work or you can think about going out tonight. It’s up to you.

24. Don’t do what I do unless you really love it.

25. Hard work may make you tired, but it’s a good tired.

Happy Father’s Day!

I love you Baba (German name for Dad). My friends always made fun of me for calling him that and now they ask, “How is Baba?” It’s cool how unique things stick in people’s heads.

What is one lesson you’ve learned from your father?

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Image courtesy of Nikki Staib. It’s an image of my father holding his grandson (My nephew Kris).

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Being a man in today’s workplace isn’t easy. There are always more unwritten and official rules that we must follow. What was okay a year ago might have changed, but I believe the core principals of being a man in the workplace haven’t changed.

The core principals of being a man at work are timeless. I’m not talking about honor and draping your coat across copy toner that spilled on the floor. I’m talking about values that every man should possess in the workplace.

Here are the 12 ways to live consciously as a man at work:

1. Thinks Outside the Box

A man is able to think outside of the normal range of choices to find the best solution. He doesn’t keep going back to the same idea well, using old resources to solve a new issue. He dedicates himself to constantly create and has a willingness to listen to other people’s ideas no matter what level they are within the company.

2. Not Afraid to Make a Mistake

A man who isn’t afraid to make a mistake will be more willing to take a risk and win big. To be a great co-worker or boss a man can’t just do what is expected; he needs to try things beyond his comfort level and fail. Then use those failures as a way to make himself and the company better.

3. Gives Others Credit

He won’t take credit for other people’s work. If he would he knows that it will come around to bite him in the butt (Karma). He makes sure that no matter how good the idea is, he informs the powers that be that he supported the idea, but didn’t come up with it on his own.

4. Regulates His Emotions

A man understands that emotions are a part of working life, but he never ever lets them dictate his choices. He knows how to control his emotions so he doesn’t blow up at a colleague or staff member. All emotions pass and there is no reason to take out frustrations on someone that deserves to be treated with compassion.

5. Trusts Others

A man knows he can’t do it all alone. Whether he runs a one man business or is a CEO of 5,000 employees, when he needs help he asks for it. He trusts that the person he asks will do a good job. If a person or company fails him, he lets them know and if it happens more than twice he lets the employee go if necessary or takes his business else where.

6. Confident

A man trusts his own choices. He uses logic to ascertain the situation then trusts his instincts to come out on top. If he fails, he acknowledges it and moves on to the next pressing thing on his list.

7. Believes What He Says

He makes statements he believes in. He won’t make up information to cover his butt and he sure won’t say that he believes in an idea when he doesn’t. He isn’t afraid to put himself on the line for a good idea, but refuses to go along with a bad idea because the rest of the group wants him to.

8. Looks People in the Eyes

A man always looks people in the eyes because of rule # 6. He is confident in who he is and isn’t afraid to show it.

9. Respects His Superiors but Never Kisses Butt

A man respects his boss’s choices, but never kisses his/her butt to get ahead. If the boss has a bad idea he may voice his opinion, but doesn’t pout as he continues to work on the project that he doesn’t believe in. He knows that he isn’t perfect and neither is his boss, so the boss must be given leeway to make mistakes too.

10. Makes Quick Decisions with the Information He Has

A man gathers the best information that is at his disposal and makes the best choice he can with the information that he has and never looks back. His choices are only as good as the information that he has, so if he makes a mistake he doesn’t beat himself up because he tried his best to make a good choice.

11. Listens to Co-workers Opinions

A man listens to his co-workers before he makes a decision. He believes that there should be input from all levels before a project goes into effect. The collective mind is smarter than any single individual. But if they don’t like what he says then he must weigh out their opinions. If he still believes in his idea then he must go with it; hopefully everyone else will understand his choice.

12. Increases His Wisdom

Every great man improves at work by researching better ways to do his job, whether it be through classes, mentors, conferences, or reading a book. He does it to constantly improve himself and become more valuable to the people who depend on him.

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Steve Pavlina wrote an article “How to Be a Man,” which inspired this article. He also threw a gauntlet down on writing a post about “How to Be Woman,” so I took the challenge. You can read my article “How to Be a Woman at Work” right here and don’t forget to check out the comments where I got beat up by some of my readers and defended by others. It was a cool discussion.

With that being said, all of the traits could also apply to women. That’s the beauty of this day an age. The barriers and mental boxes aren’t as strict. We are growing as a working culture. We still have a long way to go, but I love the direction we are heading.

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You read that title correct. In Google’s Zurich offices they have a slide in their building.

An awesome

shiny

big metal slide

that the employees can slide down to get to the cafeteria.

Working happy at its finest!

Raise your hand if you want to work for Google.

Yep. I thought so. That’s why working happy works. When people are happy they perform better.

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