Tips for a Happier Workplace

          You don't have to be friends with your co-workers, but you do need to be fri endly. Read on for fresh ways to make your office a kinder, gentler place.

          ◆Give a happy “Hello! ”in the morning

Do you walk into the office, eyes down, and immediately start work? If so, you are likely to find that co-workers ignore(忽视)you or avoid you.（1）{#blank#}1{#/blank#} It's really amazing how fast this small gesture can change unfriendly workplace relations.

          ◆Learn the art of small talk

          Ask your co-workers about their interests—their favorite music, movies, and books, as well as their hobbies. （2）{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Once you know what catches their imagination, pick up stories from newspapers or magazines to help start conversations.

          ◆Ask what they think

          People love to be asked for their opinion, so go out of your way to ask, “What do you think of this report? ” or “How do you think I should deal with this situation? ” （3）{#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

◆Avoid gossip(流言飞语)（4）{#blank#}4{#/blank#} So return the favor. When a co-worker walks towards you bearing a piece of gossip, respond(回应)with, “Really? ”and then change the subject or get back to work. If you don't respond, the gossiper will move on.

          ◆（5）{#blank#}5{#/blank#} 

To win friends at work, start with good office etiquette(礼节). There's nothing more frustrating(令人沮丧的)to busy co-workers than to have their emails and phone messages ignored. Your silence doesn't just make their jobs harder; it also conveys(传达)an unpleasant message: You are unimportant to me.

          A. Stop complaining.

          B. Return calls and emails immediately.

          C. Then give the advice giver a silent thank-you.

          D. Always work as hard as anyone working for you.

          E. You don't want anyone talking about you behind your back, right?

          F. Showing an interest in them will make them feel comfortable around you.

          G. Get into the habit of greeting your co-workers with a smile as you arrive in the morning.

quickly.

      A famous scientist was asked why he was able to be so much more creative than the average person. What set him so far1from others?

  He 2that it all resulted from a (n) 3that occurred when he was three. He was tryingto4a bottle of milk from the refrigerator when he lost hold of the bottle, spilling its 5all over the kitchen floor.

      Instead of 6at him,his mother said，“Robert, what awonderful 7you have made！Ihave 8seen such a huge puddle of milk.Since the9is done,would you like to get down and play in the milk for a while 10cleaning it up？”

        Indeed, he did.“Robert，11you make a mess like this，12you have to clean it up and restore everything to its13order.”And then together they cleaned up the spilled milk.His mother then said，“Robert,that is a 14experiment in how to 15carry a big milk bottle.Let's go out in the yard and fill the bottle with water and see if youcan 16a way to carry a bottle of water without dropping it.”

       The scientist remarked he learned from that moment that mistakes were just 17for learning something new, which is18scientific experiments are all about.Even if the experiment “doesn't work”，we usually learn something19from it.

Wouldn't it be great if all 20would respond like Robert's mother?

Notes：

①creative adj.有创造力的，创造性的，独创的　②creative work创造性的工作　③restore vt.恢复，复兴　④to restore law and order恢复法律和秩序