January 8, 2013 • Volume 4, Issue 1 • ISSN: 2154-3240

In This Issue

♦	Feature Article: Fight Your Funk
♦	Ask Amanda: How can I manage my virtual team?
♦	Practical Tips: Handy 4-Letter Word

Fight Your Funk

It’s very common to fall into a funk after the holidays—the days are shorter, the weather is colder, and there’s not as much to look forward to. If your funk extends beyond a day or two, take action to make sure that your pity party doesn’t start to affect the perceptions of the influencers around you.

Wearing the right clothes can help. “There’s a psychological power to clothing, and choosing the right outfit can improve your mood,” says Karen Pine, Ph.D., a professor of developmental psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, England. According to her research, clothes that are well-cut, flattering, and made from bright, beautiful fabrics are “happy” clothes.
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	Wag more, bark less.

Practical Tips: Handy 4-Letter Word

No, it’s not a new variation on one of your favorites…the word is “site.” Save time by searching your favorite resources in a new way. Let’s say you’re looking for information on leadership and you want to know what the Harvard Business Review (HBR) has to say. Simply type in “Leadership” site:hbr.org (make sure your search term appears in quotes) and you’ll get a listing of everything on the HBR’s site on the topic without ever having to visit! You can do the same for any site as long as you know the URL.

About half of my team works from home and are located out-of-state. How can I make sure they’re being productive? G.F., Chicago, IL

While many staffers function well when working virtually, problems do tend to arise when supervisors and staffers occupy different spaces. Managing a team remotely requires more planning and structure. Those who do well working virtually—the independent, self-directed, resourceful workers—are less likely to ask questions.
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About Us: Our Corporate Life LLC (OCL) is a company that offers a new system for reducing unnecessary workplace suffering caused by the organizational, interpersonal, and ethical issues of our time. It is founded on the belief that adhering to core human values and achieving business success are always compatible. Working with both companies and individuals, OCL helps create solutions that enable corporate employees at every level to optimize profits while enabling them to thrive in the corporate environment. OCL was founded by Amanda Mitchell to help meet the needs of people working in corporate America during this transformative moment in our nation's history. The OCL system reflects her experience and insight gained from a 20–year corporate career working with Fortune 500 companies, and as an executive coach to senior–level corporate executives.