HowWhatWhenWhere

How to Handle a Bad Manager

During our career, most of us have had personal experiences with bad managers. I personally had one very unprofessional manager, and below is the story on how I handled this situation.

When I worked at a small PR agency several years ago, I had a manager who was going through a lot of personal problems. She was always complaining about her boyfriend and how things were not going well in her life. Although I felt sorry for her, it got tiring hearing her whine day after day. I worked on a team that handled several consumer brand accounts, and each week we had client strategy meetings. During these meetings, this manager would interrupt client updates by team members, to give us an update on how things were going with her boyfriend.

In addition to these meeting interruptions, my manager would also send emails throughout the day to all the team members asking if we felt she should break up with her boyfriend and move to another city. Some of us were tempted to say yes, and offer to help her pack. But we realized that this would not be the right thing to do. However we all agreed that we had to do something because these interruptions were starting to affect our morale and work quality.

I really liked the team I worked with, but I knew I couldn’t deal with this manager much longer. So I decided to handle this situation by creating a meeting agenda. This is the order of business I listed: status updates, client discussion, media strategy, and personal problems. The first time I distributed this agenda at our weekly team meeting, I saw a confused look on my manager’s face as she reviewed the order of business. The other team members were not surprised however because I shared the agenda with them a few days earlier. After we went down the agenda and finally arrived at the last item on the list, myself and all the other team members looked at my manager. However she just blushed and didn’t say anything. We all sat there for a few minutes waiting for her talk, and when we realized that she wasn’t, each of us gave a brief five minute update on our personal lives. As we were doing this my manager looked around the table in disbelief.

A few days later we received an email from the manager. In the email, she apologized for her past behavior and went on to say that she didn’t realize how much she was disrupting our work day with her constant meeting interruptions and emails. She promised to act more professional going forward. Obviously my “special” agenda had done the trick.

This is the story of how I handled a very bad manager.


What are American’s Thoughts on the Latest Current Events?

Most Americans are having a hard time keeping up with all the current events going on in the world today. Each day it seems like there is a news report about a potential war or government scandal.

At the beginning of the year the biggest news event was the IRS scandal. Media reports were being published weekly about how the IRS allegedly tried to cover up an intimidation scheme involving Tea Party and conservative organizations. There have also been numerous live TV sessions featuring house members and senators questioning and demanding answers from IRS officials.

Of course when there is any news reports about the IRS, Americans will listen. This is because many Americans have had encounters with the IRS in the past, which involved more than just processing tax returns. Some of these unpleasant encounters have involved wage garnishments and audits. So needless to say a lot of Americans are enjoying seeing the IRS get questioned for a change. They are also hoping that this latest scandal will prompt changes and more protection for taxpayers.

Another current event that is causing a lot of concern and discussions among Americans is the VA scandal. It is almost incomprehensible the way U. S. veterans are being treated. It is amazing (and almost unbelievable) how something like this could have gone on for such a long time. The only bright side to this scandal is that it has brought Tea Party organizations, Republicans and Democrats together. All three of these major political groups agree that something needs to be done quickly to help veterans and rectify this situation.

Many Americans have family members who have served in the military, and they are appalled at this situation. Some of their family members have lost limbs and developed mental issues as a result of military combat. Because of this they want to see all veterans get the help they have earned and need.

The next current event on the list that has a lot of Americans talking is the disappearance of flight MH 370. This plane disappeared a few months ago, and no one has been able to find it. This has resulted in a lot of theories and ideas about what really happened. There are some who think that the plane was hijacked by terrorists, while others believe that the plane and passengers are being held in a laboratory for experimental purposes. I personally think that the last theory is a little “out there“. However I do have to admit that a lot of strange things have been happening lately.

As of today there is no trace or no new updates about flight MH 370. So most of us have come to the realization that we may never know what really happened to that plane.


When you are Tired of Eating Chicken

Although I like chicken, there are times when I want something different. I normally eat some type of chicken at least three times a week, which is why I probably want a change.

I’m sure I am not the only one who occasionally gets tired of eating chicken. The problem is many of us have gotten so dependent on chicken, that we don’t know what else to eat. To help get rid of my “chicken dependency”, I created some simple alternative recipes.

To get some inspiration for alternative recipe ideas, I took a trip to several markets that specialize in fresh vegetables and organic foods. My goal was to find some ingredients I could use to create a main course dish. I was specifically trying to put together a recipe that didn’t require any meat. In light of the recent media reports about diseased cows and pigs, I am very hesitant about eating any type of red meat or pork. With this in mind, I took a trip to a local Farmer’s Market.

As I strolled up and down the aisles, I started getting a lot of ideas for some vegetable recipes. I purchased some sweet potatoes, zucchini, yellow and red peppers, and some black beans. I took all these vegetables and created a vegetable casserole. I start this recipe by peeling four sweet potatoes and cutting them up into chunks. Next I peel the zucchini and cut it into thin strips, and then dice the red and yellow peppers. I put all the vegetables into a large bowl, and marinate them with some black pepper, salt, and olive oil. Next I mix in the black beans, drizzle on a little more olive oil, and pour the entire mixture into a casserole baking dish. I let it bake in a 325 degree oven for 25 minutes.

When this dish is finished baking, the sweet potatoes and zucchini were firm and moist, the peppers were soft and spicy, and the black beans held everything together.

I also came up with an alternative recipe using green peppers, sunflower seeds, brown rice, and squash. I start this recipe by cutting out the core of four green peppers. (This is very easy to do. Just take a sharp knife and cut out the top of the green pepper and remove all the seeds and pepper veins on the inside). Next I cook some brown rice and add in a little curry powder for seasoning. I then cut up three medium size squash and brown them in a pan. I pour the rice in a bowl; add in the sunflower seeds, and the squash. Next I spoon the mixture into each of the green peppers.

These are great recipes to try if you are tired of eating chicken.


How to Spice Up Traditional Pound Cake

Pound cake has been around for a long time, and most of us like to eat it warm with a glass of cold milk. However eating plain pound cake over time can get a little boring.

If you have a pound cake recipe that you would like to spice up a bit, below are a few tips and suggestions.

One of my personal recipes involves adding pomegranate juice and dried cherries to the pound cake batter. Adding these ingredients gives the cake a beautiful color, and the dried cherries add a tangy tart flavor. Pour the batter into a pound cake pan and let it bake 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven. I like to serve this cake with some whip cream or some fresh cherries. Because this cake has such a beautiful color it would be great to serve at a birthday party. You could decorate the top of the cake with red, white, and pink candles.

Another recipe idea for spicing up pound cake is blending the batter with chopped walnuts, toasted coconut flakes, and fresh pieces of pineapple. I call this recipe “Hawaiian Island Pound Cake” because when you eat it you feel like you are on a tropical island.

I start this recipe with a traditional pound cake batter, and then I add in a half cup of toasted coconut flakes, and a fourth cup of fresh pineapple cut into small chunks. You can use canned pineapple for this recipe, but I like to use fresh pineapple because I think it taste better. If you are going to use canned pineapple, make sure you drain off all the excess juice. If you don’t, the batter will be too soupy. I bake this cake in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes. After the cake has baked and cooled, I top it with a very light glaze made with vanilla frosting and pineapple juice.

My “Hawaiian Island Pound Cake” is a great summer dessert, and it taste really good with pineapple or lime sherbet.

Another way to spice a up traditional pound cake recipe is by adding some chocolate icing and chocolate chips and slicing the cake up into small sections. Start by putting a whole pound cake on a large cake dish. Next take a sharp knife and cut the cake into twelve equal sections. Pull out each section individually and frost both sides with chocolate icing. Next, sprinkle each side with some chocolate chips. After you have done this to all the sections, take your hands and gently press all the sections tightly together. When you serve this cake everyone will get a mouthful of chocolate chips and rich chocolate icing.

There are lots of ways to spice up pound cake, and above are a few simple examples.


How to Throw a Housewarming Party

Buying your first home can really be exciting, and it is a good reason to invite a few friends over to celebrate. You can put together a really fun housewarming party without spending a lot of money.

Many of my friends have had housewarming parties, and all them were a lot of fun. The two key elements that made these parties so much fun was the food and atmosphere.

To create the right atmosphere for a housewarming party, you need to make your new home feel relaxed and inviting. To do this, start by creating a space in your home that allows guests to circulate freely. This space can be in the dining or living room area. When guests feel free to circulate, they are more likely to feel welcome and strike up a conversation with other guests. In other words, this is how you get the party started.

In the area where you want guests to circulate, make sure you have some type of finger food or small appetizers. Some suggestions include a cheese platter mixed with fresh fruit like kiwi and strawberries, a tray of gluten free crescent rolls filled with sour cream and peppers, or a platter of black and green olives. Also make sure you have plenty of small plates, toothpicks, and napkins.

If your home has a formal dining room, use this space to setup buckets of ice, bottled water, bottled juices, and any other type of drinks. To protect your dining room table from spills, use coasters and a plastic tablecloth. It is also probably a good idea to use plastic instead of glass bottles of juice and water.

To make this party even more warm and inviting, make sure you have plenty of seating room for your guests. If you have not purchased any living room furniture yet, borrow or rent some chairs. Although most guests will probably linger through your home and walk around, you still need to have chairs available in case they want to take a break and sit down. Keep the chairs spread out so you can maintain an ‘open flow”.

If you feel that finger food and appetizers are not enough for your guests, you can also serve something like a seafood pasta salad, baked chicken wings with a dipping sauce, a big pot of spaghetti, or a baking dish of lasagna. You could also serve some small and easy to eat desserts. Some suggestions are mini-strawberry cheesecake squares, a basket of chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies, small cups of fruit topped with cream, a platter of mini brownies, or a tray of mini-sized vanilla and lemon cupcakes. If you are really on a budget, you can bake a large sheet cake and top it with nuts and whip cream.