Five Ways to Win Over Everyone in the Office

Is it possible to like everyone in your office? Think about how tough it is to get together 15 people, much less 50, who all get along perfectly. But unlike in friendships, you need coworkers. You work with them every day, and you depend on them just as they depend on you. Here are some ways that you can get the whole office on your side.

41. If you have a bone to pick with someone in your workplace, you may try to stay tight-lipped around them. But you won’t be helping either one of you. A Harvard Business School study found that observers consistently rated those who were frank about themselves more highly, while those who hid lost trustworthiness. The lesson is not that you should make your personal life an open book, but rather, when given the option to offer up details about yourself or painstakingly conceal them, you should just be honest.

42. Just as important as being honest about yourself is being receptive to others. We often feel the need to tell others how we feel, whether it’s a concern about a project, a stray thought, or a compliment. Those are all valid, but you need to take time to hear out your coworkers, too. In fact, rushing to get your own ideas out there can cause colleagues to feel you don’t value their opinions. Do your best to engage coworkers in a genuine, back-and-forth conversation, rather than prioritizing your own thoughts.

43. It’s common to have a “cubicle mate” or special confidant in a work setting. But in addition to those trusted coworkers, you should expand your horizons and find out about all the people around you. Use your lunch and coffee breaks to meet up with colleagues you don’t always see. Find out about their lives and interests beyond the job. It requires minimal effort and goes a long way. This will help to grow your internal network, in addition to being a nice break in the work day.

44. Positive feedback is important for anyone to hear. And you don’t have to be someone’s boss to tell them they did an exceptional job on a particular project. This will help engender good will in others. But don’t overdo it or be fake about it. One study found that people responded best to comments that shifted from negative to positive, possibly because it suggested they had won somebody over.

45. This one may be a bit more difficult to pull off, but it can go a long way to achieving results. Remember in dealing with any coworker what they appreciate from an interaction. Watch out for how they verbalize with others. Some people like small talk in a meeting before digging into important matters, while others are more straightforward. Jokes that work on one person won’t necessarily land with another. So, adapt your style accordingly to type. Consider the person that you’re dealing with in advance and what will get you to your desired outcome.

How to Get Active Again

Getting back into exercise can be a challenge in the best of times, but with gyms and in-person exercise classes off-limits to many people these days, it can be tricky to know where to start. And it’s important to get the right dose of activity. “Too much too soon either results in injury or burnout,” says Mary Yoke, PhD, a faculty member in the kinesiology department at Indiana University in Bloomington. The following simple strategies will help you return to exercise safely after a break.

41. Don’t try to go back to what you were doing before your break. If you were walking 3 miles a day, playing 18 holes of golf three times a week, or lifting 10-pound dumbbells for three sets of 10 reps, reduce activity to half a mile every other day, or nine holes of golf once a week with short walks on other days, or use 5-pound dumbbells for one set of 10 reps. Increase time, distance, and intensity gradually. “This isn’t something you can do overnight,” says Keri L. Denay, MD, lead author of a recent American College of Sports Medicine advisory that encourages Americans to not overlook the benefits of activity during the pandemic. But you will reap benefits such as less anxiety and improve sleep right away.

42. If you’re breathing too hard to talk in complete sentences, back off. If you feel good, go a little longer or faster. Feeling wiped out after a session? Go easier next time. And stay alert to serious symptoms, such as chest pain or pressure, severe shortness of breath or dizziness, or faintness, and seek medical attention immediately.

43. Consistency is the key to getting stronger and building endurance and stamina. Ten minutes of activity per day is a good start, says Marcus Jackovitz, DPT, a physical therapist at the University of Miami Hospital. All the experts we spoke with highly recommend walking because it’s the easiest, most accessible form of exercise. Although it can be a workout on its own, if your goal is to get back to Zumba classes, tennis, cycling, or any other activity, walking is also a great first step.

44. Even if you can’t yet do a favorite activity, you can practice the moves. With or without a club or racket, swing like you’re hitting the ball. Paddle like you’re in a kayak or canoe. Mimic your favorite swimming strokes. The action will remind you of the joy the activity brought you and prime your muscles for when you can get out there again.

45. Exercising with others “can keep you accountable and make it more fun, so you’re more likely to do it again,” Jackovitz says. You can do activities such as golf and tennis or take a walk with others and still be socially distant. But when you can’t connect in person, consider using technology. Chat on the phone with a friend while you walk around your neighborhood. FaceTime with a relative as you strength train or stretch at home. You can also join a livestream or on-demand exercise class.

Net-zero Rules Set to Send Cost of New Homes and Extensions Soaring

New building regulations aimed at improving energy efficiency are set to increase the price of new homes, as well as those of extensions and loft conversions on existing ones.

The rules, which came into effect on Wednesday in England, are part of government plans to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. They set new standards for ventilation, energy efficiency and heating, and state that new residential buildings must have charging points for electric vehicles.

The moves are the most significant change to building regulations in years, and industry experts say they will inevitably lead to higher prices at a time when a shortage of materials and high labour costs are already driving up bills.

Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders, says the measures will require new materials, testing methods, products and systems to be installed. “All this comes at an increased cost during a time when prices are already sky high. Inevitably, consumers will have to pay more,” he says.

Gareth Belsham, of surveyors Naismiths, says people who are upgrading, or extending their home, will be directly affected. “The biggest changes relate to heating and insulation,” he explains. “There are new rules concerning the amount of glazing used in extensions, and any new windows or doors must be highly insulated.”

Windows and doors will have to adhere to higher standards, while there are new limits on the amount of glazing you can have to reduce unwanted heat from the sun.

Thomas Goodman, of MyJobQuote, says this will bring in new restrictions for extensions. “Glazing on windows, doors and roof lights must cover no more than 25% of the floor area to prevent heat loss,” he says.

As the rules came into effect last Wednesday, property developers were rushing to file plans just before the deadline. Any plans submitted before that date are considered to be under the previous rules, and can go ahead as long as work starts before 15 June next year.

Builders which have costed projects, but have not filed the paperwork, may need to go back and submit fresh estimates, says Marcus Jefford of Build Aviator.

Materials prices are already up 25% in the last two years. How much overall prices will increase as a result of the rule changes is not clear. “Whilst admirable in their intentions, they will add to the cost of housebuilding at a time when many already feel that they are priced out of homeownership,” says Jonathan Rolande of the National Association of Property Buyers. “An average extension will probably see around £3,000 additional cost thanks to the new regs.”

John Kelly, a construction lawyer at Freeths law firm, believes prices will eventually come down. But not in the immediate future. “As the marketplace adapts to the new requirements, and the technologies that support them, the scaling up of these technologies will eventually bring costs down, but in the short term, we will all have to pay the price of the necessary transition,” he says.

However, the long-term effects of the changes will be more comfortable and energy-efficient homes, adds Andrew Mellor, of PRP architects. “Homeowners will probably recoup that cost over time in energy bill savings. It will obviously be very volatile at the moment, but they will have that benefit over time.”