Monthly Archives: October 2012

Computer Ergonomics: How to Use Your Keyboard Properly

shutterstock_23458258By Dr. Laura Hills, President, Blue Pencil Institute (www.bluepencilinstitute.com)

I spend a tremendous amount of time writing at my computer workstation and have learned that if I don’t use my keyboard properly that I will have quite a few aches and pains later. Here are some tips that have made a big difference for me and that I hope will help you, too.

Your computer keyboard should not be on your lap or on top of a traditional desk. Good computer ergonomics dictate that the keyboard be positioned below the desk on a keyboard pullout try. This helps ensure that your wrists and forearms stay in the neutral position roughly parallel to the floor and that your elbows stay close to the body and bent between 90 and 120 degrees. However, be sure that your keyboard tray provides leg clearance and has an adjustable height and tilt mechanism so you can position it properly. The keyboard tray also should not push you too far away from other work materials and equipment such as your phone.

Be sure that your keyboard tray allows adequate room both for the keyboard and the mouse and that the mouse can be kept close to the keyboard. Ideally, your keyboard tray should have space on either side to allow you to switch over and mouse with your other hand periodically.

Tilt the keyboard tray down and away from you so that you do not have to bend your wrists up to type. Sit with your elbows close to your body and place your hands on your keyboard with your forearms extended naturally. Make sure that your wrists are in a straight line with your forearms. Keep your shoulders relaxed and down. The space that you can move your hands over without moving your elbows away from your body is your keyboarding neutral reach zone. For good computer ergonomics, you shouldn’t have to reach out of that zone to use the mouse.

Pull your chair close to your keyboard and position it directly in front of your body. Determine which section of the keyboard you use most often (letters or numbers) and readjust the keyboard so that section is centered with your body. Wrist rests can help you maintain a neutral position and pad hard surfaces. However, the wrist rest should be used only to rest the palms of the hands between keystrokes. Resting on the wrist rest while typing is not recommended and has been linked to injuries. Avoid using excessively wide wrist rests or wrist rests that are higher than the space bar of your keyboard.

Finally, if you don’t have a fully adjustable keyboard tray, adjust your workstation height, the height of your chair, or use a seat cushion to get in a comfortable keyboarding position.

Do You Have a Collaborative Work Style? Take Our Quiz

shutterstock_33359911By Dr. Laura Hills, President, Blue Pencil Institute, www.bluepencilinstitute.com

Answer True (T) or False (F) for each statement below to evaluate whether you have collaborative attitudes, work style, and working preferences.

__ 1. I tend to knuckle under to group pressure easily.

__ 2. I produce my best results when I work on my own.

__ 3. My job would be so much easier if I didn’t have to depend upon others to do it.

__ 4. People will almost always let you down.

__ 5. I don’t care about my job that much; I just want to be told what to do.

__ 6. Too many cooks spoil the broth.

__ 7. I know what’s best and don’t see the value of hearing others’ opinions.

__ 8. I can’t stand some of the people I work with.

__ 9. When someone talks, I compose my answer before he or she finishes speaking.

__ 10. I’m just trying to get by here.

__ 11. It’s a “dog eat dog” world.

__ 12. I believe the best way to respond when you disagree is to bite your tongue.

__ 13. Meetings are a waste of time.

__ 14. No great work of art was ever created by collaborating.

__ 15. I always seem to end up pulling more than my weight on a group project.

__ 16. I run the other way from conflict.

__ 17. I hated being put on group projects in school.

__ 18. When someone challenges my ideas, I clam up.

__ 19. It’s all about me.

__ 20. It I want the job done right, I do it myself.

Count the number of False (F) responses and give yourself five points for each. Then see how likely you are to succeed when collaborating with others.

YOUR SCORE:

 95-100: Thriver: You are a collaborative superstar. You generally trust others and embrace the opportunity to work collaboratively with them. You are likely to excel in collaborative environments.

80-90: Team Player: You have many attitudes and preferences that position you well to succeed when working collaboratively. You will probably function well on a team. However, you do have some beliefs that may interfere with your ability to get the most out of collaborative opportunities. Continue to open yourself to new ideas and ways of thinking, especially as they relate to your working with others.

65-75: Doubter: You hold some beliefs and values that suggest that you don’t always see the value in collaborative work. Perhaps you’ve been burned in the past. Or perhaps collaboration doesn’t come naturally or easily to you. Spend some time thinking about what you can gain personally and professionally from the opportunity to work collaboratively with others. Continue to refine your thinking, especially it relates to your working collaboratively.

60 and Below: Loner: You probably find collaborative work difficult. Perhaps you don’t see the value in collaboration, or perhaps you feel that you’re not well suited to collaborative work. Chances are that you more naturally gravitate toward work opportunities that allow you to work and shine independently. That’s OK. However, if you’d like to excel in collaborative work, you will need to change many of your attitudes. Continue to learn more about collaboration, how it can benefit you personally and professionally, and what you need to think and do to be an effective collaborator.

Ask Dr. Hills: How to Deal with Meeting Participants Who Plug In to Plug Out

shutterstock_48957622Dear Dr. Hills: Meeting facilitation is a large part of my job. I’m always struggling with folks being preoccupied and not being focused on the meeting at hand. They’re often looking at their email and other items on their laptop vs. paying attention to the meeting. I understand that everyone is busy. But sometimes it can be frustrating as I’m trying to get things accomplished during these meetings.

How do I address this? These are folks who absolutely understand meeting etiquette and often times facilitate meetings themselves. My issue is that I have to lead by influence as I have no direct reporting relationship with this people. I’ve tried giving them roles in the meeting when applicable and I’ve tried engaging them and asking them questions. Do you have any other suggestions? – Feeling Frustrated

Dear Feeling Frustrated: You’re describing a common yet difficult problem. We didn’t always have so many electronic escape hatches. But there have always been problems with people not paying attention at meetings and classes. I remember my sociology professor ejecting one of my undergraduate classmates from a large lecture hall back in the 70s because he was reading the newspaper instead of paying attention to the lecture. Today’s electronic devices just amplify things by giving people easier and more ways to disconnect from what’s going on in front of them.

I appreciate that you have no direct reporting relationship with the people who are attending your meetings. That makes it an even tougher challenge for you.  I like the strategies you’re using of engaging participants by giving them tasks to do and asking them questions. I encourage you to do as much as you can to make the meetings as productive and engaging as possible.

However, realistically, that may not do the trick. There seems to be a white elephant in your meeting room and I believe that you may need to say so. I’ve found it helpful when things like this happen to be transparent, to call a spade a spade, to say what I’m seeing, and to say how it’s making me feel. Would you feel comfortable addressing the issue squarely with your meeting participants?

If the problem is with one or two people, you can address this with them privately. But if the problem is pervasive, you might tell your meeting participants as a whole what you’ve observed. A good way to broach this is simply to say, “I noticed….” You could stop there and see what they say. Ex: “I noticed today that several of you were engaged in activities on your laptop during our meeting.” Then pause. That’s sometimes all it takes to change the behavior. Often, people will realize that they’ve done something that they shouldn’t be doing. Some may actually apologize.

Or, they may try to defend their behavior. They may say something to the effect that they can’t help it because they’re so busy, or that the meeting isn’t a productive use of their time. If they say that, then that’s something you can then talk about. However, if they say nothing, you can go on to say that their practice of multitasking during your meeting makes you feel that they’re disengaged, uninterested, or otherwise unavailable to take part in the meeting you’ve planned. Don’t use emotionally-charged or judgmental words; don’t say they’re being rude or insensitive or that they should know better. Better: “When I see you engaging in tasks on your laptop during our meeting, I feel _____ because ______.” That’s not accusatory or disrespectful. No one can argue about what you’re entitled to feel.

This direct approach takes some courage. But I predict that if you don’t do something different that the behavior will continue or worsen. Electronic communication has brought us all closer together but has also enabled people to disengage from situations they don’t like. Some people use their electronic devices for escape. Some are afraid that they may miss something. And in some cases, other people may expect them to be on an electronic leash, available all the time. I believe our culture suffers when we can’t focus on deep learning and building trusting relationships. Don’t give up. Keep working on this. I think that with a direct approach that you can change the behavior without whining, begging, bullying, or belittling. – Dr. Laura Hills, Blue Pencil Institute, www.bluepencilinstitute.com