April 2015 by Loc8

April 2015 | www.Loc8.ae

Tea Break

Recognising how hard people work, LOC8 wants to provide some business free, easy reading for that all important Tea-Break moment. We hope you enjoy this production and find it interesting. September 2009 | Issue II | www.loc8.ae

800-LOC8(5628) March 2015 | www.Loc8.ae

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Table of Contents Numbers in the News Are you getting married this year? If so, you may want to know what other brides are up to—either to copy them or start your own trend. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Health Watch The allergy season is upon us, creating misery for more than 35 million people. . . . . . . . . . .

Safety Monitor

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Many organizations address safety issues with a safety committee that includes employees and managers. . . . . .

Workplace Workshop

Science Lab

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Every career has important transitions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . For creatures that went extinct millions of years ago, dinosaurs seem to be popping up all over the place. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Creativity

Whether you’re brainstorming on your own or with a team, your goal is to naturally generate creative ideas and solutions as quickly as possible. . . . . . . . . . .

Success & Personal Growth

Most people feel fear, but successful people refuse to let it overcome them. . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Anecdotes

Manager’s Mentor

Family Matters

The Greek physician Hippo crates prescribed the bark and leaves of the willow tree as a pain reliever and fever breaker more than 2,400 years ago. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Poor job performance can have many different causes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A simple fall can begin a complex series of lifestyle changes and health problems for seniors and their families. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Grins & Giggles

Bill and Claude were two avid golfers who met while waiting at their doctor’s office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Money Maters

“Happily ever after” doesn’t happen automatically. Many young couples start out married life without a clear idea of how to handle their finances, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Odds & Ends

Practical jokes and office pranks may be fun on April 1, but you and your friends and employees need to remain in the right spirit. . ...................

Quotes .......................................................

March 2015 | www.Loc8.ae

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Numbers in the News Here comes the bride … 2015 edition

Are you getting married this year? If so, you may want to know what other brides are up to—either to copy them or start your own trend. Here’s what Brides.com found out in its most recent American Wedding Study: • Cost. Brides and grooms spent an average of $28,000 on their weddings in 2014, the highest amount seen in almost 20 years. The average wedding cake costs $461. • Planning. Social media is a big tool: Fifty-four percent of brides have used Pinterest to share their wedding-day dreams; 59 percent posted images of their engagement rings on Facebook shortly after the proposal; and 46 percent say most of their friends learned about their engagement via social media. • Traditions. Engagements tend to last longer these days, in part because more couples are paying for their own weddings instead of relying on parental support. Thirty-seven percent wrote their own vows in 2014. May is now the most popular month for weddings, with June in second place, and January and February tied for last. Twenty percent of couples will be married by a friend or family member ordained for the occasion instead of a religious official. • Romance. Forty-eight percent of brides knew their fiancé was “the one” within a month of their first date.

People who lunch: Chew over these facts about spending habits

Unless you brown-bag your lunch every day of the year, you’re probably one of the many employed Americans who go out to lunch about twice a week on average. A study of 1,0005 U.S. adults by Visa found that consumers spend about $10 for lunch each time, or an average of $936 per year. Men go out more than women, and tend to spend more money—$21 per week, as opposed to the $15 that women spend. Surprisingly, people with more money don’t spend more on lunch, the study found: Participants with incomes of $50,000 or more spend an average of $9.60 per meal, while those with incomes below $25,000 eat lunch for an average of $11.70.

March 2015 | www.Loc8.ae

Health Watch Know your allergies to defeat them this spring

The allergy season is upon us, creating misery for more than 35 million people. Here are some tips for alleviating allergy attacks caused by pollen and mold: • Keep your windows closed at night. Use air conditioning, which cleans, cools, and dries the air. • Minimize early morning activities outdoors between 5 and 10 a.m. This is the time of day when pollen is most prevalent. • Keep your car windows closed when you drive. • Take a vacation during the height of the pollen season. Pick a place that’s more pollen-free, like the beach or the sea. • Take the medications prescribed by your allergist. • Don’t spend too much time outdoors when the pollen count, humidity, or wind factor is high. • Avoid raking leaves or mowing lawns, which stirs up molds and pollens. Delegate these tasks to someone who isn’t allergic. • Don’t hang sheets or clothing out to dry. Pollens and molds may collect on these items. • Don’t grow too many indoor plants. Wet soil is a breeding ground for molds. Pollen The pollen of such trees as oak, western red cedar, elm, birch, ash, hickory, poplar, sycamore, maple, cypress, and walnut is often the cause of early spring seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever). Late spring and early summer hay fever is usually caused by pollinating grasses, including timothy, bermuda, orchard, sweet vernal, red top, and some blue grasses. Other weeds that can cause pollen allergy include sagebrush, pigweed, tumbleweed, Russian thistle, and cockleweed. Note that pollen from plants with bright flowers, such as roses, usually does not cause allergic problems, since these flowers have large and waxy pollens that are carried from plant to plant by insects such as bees. On the other hand, many trees, most grasses, and certain low-growing weeds are primarily wind-pollinated. Mold Molds are parasitic, microscopic fungi without stems, roots, or leaves. They contain no chlorophyll, and their spores float in the air like pollen. Mildew is caused by molds. Outdoor mold spores begin to appear after a spring thaw and reach their peak in either July, August, September, or October in the northern United States. Molds are present in almost every possible habitat. Outdoors, they can be found in soil, vegetation, and rotting wood. Inside, molds are found in attics, basements, bathrooms, refrigerators and other food storage areas, garbage containers, carpets, and upholstery.

Stay healthy with these simple tips

A healthy lifestyle isn’t that hard to achieve. Start with these basic tips for getting into good shape and staying there: • Energy. For more energy that lasts longer, avoid sugar and eat foods like lentils, soybeans, couscous, and dried fruits. • Water. Make sure that you drink plenty of water every day to replenish and cleanse your body. • Happiness. Pop a single chocolate kiss into your mouth. They’ve been shown to raise endorphin levels and make you feel better. Just don’t go overboard; a full bag won’t make you feel any better than just one. • Digestion. Add some ginger to your recipes. Ginger has been used since ancient times in China to help digestion and cleanse the body. • Exercise. After age 30, people begin to lose muscle mass, and weight-bearing exercises become increasingly important. • Nutrition. Eat 1 cup of yogurt per day. In one study, women who ate 1 cup of yogurt per day for six months got fewer yeast infections. March 2015 | www.Loc8.ae

Safety Monitor Form a successful safety committee

Many organizations address safety issues with a safety committee that includes employees and managers. If you’re tapped to set up such a committee, keep this advice in mind to support its success: • Make sure management is fully involved. If upper management thinks forming a committee is a quick fix for its safety problems, nothing much will change. Get top executives solidly behind the idea of working together with employees on safety issues before you start. • Design specific goals. “Safety” can be a vague concept. Will the committee focus on reducing the number of accidents, cutting workers’ comp costs, or some other measurable goal? Attack significant hazards instead of minor issues or regulatory concerns. • Recruit the right people. Look for employees and managers who have shown an interest in safety issues—perhaps people who have made safety suggestions in the past. (Bear in mind that trouble in finding volunteers may be a symptom that people don’t think management will take the committee seriously.) • Be consistent with meetings. Hold them at the same time on the same day so members can plan their schedules and won’t have any excuse for not attending. Changing meeting times often will disrupt people’s schedules and weaken their commitment. • Keep meetings organized. Prepare an agenda. Start and finish on time. Limit discussion to safety-related matters. Get input from every member by going around the table for ideas and concerns. • Assign people to take action. Once you’ve identified a problem, assign a member or a team to take action on it. Follow up at the next meeting with a solution or status report. Be careful to keep accurate records of each meeting to limit misunderstandings about who was supposed to do what. • Locate a safety professional as a resource. You’ll want to educate team members on safety matters, but you’d better identify an expert on workplace safety to whom you can go for advice and support on specific matters that may be outside your committee’s area of expertise—OSHA regulations, for example.

Protect yourself at work

Criminals can strike anywhere, and your workplace is no exception. Take these simple precautions to ensure the security of your personal belongings and your own personal safety on the job: • Question strangers. If you find people you don’t recognize wandering around your workplace, offer to escort them to the proper office or to a phone they can use to call their contact. If they seem nervous or try to make a hasty exit, remember their description and call building security or the police. • Lock up. Keep unused offices and storage spaces locked when unoccupied. Also, keep your doors locked when you’re alone. • Be discreet. Don’t discuss vacation plans or scheduled absences when a stranger could overhear. • Alert your colleagues. If you need to work before or after regular hours, let people know where you are and how long you’ll be there.

Lift safely, belt or no

Back belts don’t necessarily protect you from sprains and strains when you lift heavy items. In one study, the National Institute for Occupational Safety Health found that workers who use back belts don’t fare any better than non-belt-wearers in terms of supporting their backs. Some researchers believe that wearing such belts gives people a false sense of security. Your best bet in protecting your back is proper training and careful lifting at all times. March 2015 | www.Loc8.ae

Workplace Workshop Shift gears to advance in your career

Every career has important transitions. You’ve already been through some of them, but others wait in the future. Here’s what you can expect as you progress upward: • Managing people. Instead of making widgets, you’ll be responsible for other people making them. Shifting your mindset may be difficult at first, but you’ll need to learn how to motivate and delegate in order to succeed. • Managing functions. As you continue to advance, chances are you’ll find yourself managing more than one team, department, or business unit. When that happens, you’ll be in charge of people and processes outside of your personal experience. The most vital skill to master is listening. You need to learn how your position fits in with the organization’s strategic goals. • Managing the future. At the highest levels, managers need to make decisions that affect the organization’s future, especially in terms of its ongoing financial health. The issues you address will be less along the lines of “Can we do X?” and more in terms of “Should we do X?” Your people skills will become much more important than your technical know-how.

Get out of your career rut

Worried that your career is stuck in neutral? Try these strategies to get back up to speed: • Look into the future. Think about where you want to be 10 years from now. Now work backward. In order to be in the desired spot 10 years from now, where will you need to be in eight years? And to get there, where will you need to be in six years? Use this process to set incremental goals that will help you start moving forward. • Hire a coach. If you have trouble figuring out how to get from where you are to where you want to be, maybe you should seek professional help in the form of a career coach. A coach can provide an objective assessment of your strengths and weaknesses and can help you map out a strategy for achieving your goals. • Develop new interests. Even if you’re not ready—or in a position—to make a major career change, you don’t have to keep spinning your wheels. Try expanding your interests. Get involved in volunteer work, join a club, take up a sport, or enroll in a class. Becoming a more rounded person can help resolve your frustration and add to your skill set.

Success tip:

Position yourself as an expert One way to rise in your career is to become an expert in a specific area. People will turn to you when they don’t have the time or resources to find the information or master the skills they need. Becoming an expert isn’t a quick process, but you can get started by following these steps: • Define your niche. Select an area of expertise where you can excel, something related to your industry that you can get excited about. Ask your colleagues what they think you do best. Your natural skills may not be obvious to you. • Educate yourself. Look for seminars to attend. Read everything on the subject you can get your hands on—at least one article or book chapter a day. In 12 months or less, you’ll know more than most people around you. • Find a mentor. Identify someone with the knowledge and skills you’d like to master. Learn as much from that person as you can. • Help your peers. Try to do something every day to help the people around you to succeed. Don’t show off; just lend your expertise to people who can use it. March 2015 | www.Loc8.ae

Science Lab The latest dinosaur discoveries For creatures that went extinct millions of years ago, dinosaurs seem to be popping up all over the place. From the Sci-News website, here are just a few of the “new” dinosaurs discovered in the past year: • Dreadnoughtus schrani. Discovered in Argentina, this beast weighed as much as 12 elephants, making it the largest land animal to walk the earth 77 million years ago. • Pelagornis sandersi. With a 21-foot wingspan, this was the largest flying animal that paleontologists have yet discovered. It flew over North America about 28 million years ago. • Aquilops americanus. On the smaller side, this vegetarian was about the size of a small cat. It’s classified as belonging to the family of dinosaurs that includes the horned triceratops, although it had no horns or neck frills. At 108 million years old, it’s the oldest specimen of that family to be found in North America. • Cartorhynchus lenticarpus. The smallest ichthyosaur yet discovered (about 15 inches long), this amphibious dinosaur had flexible wrists that helped it crawl around on land about 248 million years ago. • Atopodentatus unicus. This dinosaur, which lived in China some 245 million years ago, was full of teeth: The front of its upper jaw held about 35 needle-like teeth, and approximately 140 more lined the rest of its upper jaw; more than 190 teeth filled its lower jaw.

The truth really was out there A series of UFO sightings in the 1950s that sparked interest in flying saucers may have an explanation: the CIA. The agency recently released a document describing top-secret tests of the high-flying U2 spy plane during that time. Because the U2 flew at higher altitudes than any other known airplanes, pilots and others who spotted the test flights may have believed that they were seeing machines from another world. The CIA estimates that half of all UFO reports during the 1950s and 1960s were actually sightings of the U2 in flight. The other UFO sightings? No one knows …

Volcanoes, asteroids, and mass extinction

The theory that a massive asteroid struck Earth and killed the dinosaurs about 60 million years ago has some competition: Scientists have evidence that a series of explosive volcanic eruptions shot huge amounts of climate-changing gases into the atmosphere some 66 million years ago—250,000 years before the extinction event known as K-Pg. The journal Science reports that the volcanoes, located in western India, ejected more than 260 million cubic miles of lava over 750,000 years. Researchers who reported the findings believe that the asteroid impact and the eruptions need to be considered together as an explanation for the K-Pg extinction event, noting that four of the five other major extinctions over the last 500 million years have coincided with other substantial volcano eruptions.

March 2015 | www.Loc8.ae

Creativity Be patient when seeking great ideas

Whether you’re brainstorming on your own or with a team, your goal is to naturally generate creative ideas and solutions as quickly as possible. But don’t stop looking for answers too soon. Sometimes an idea will catch everyone’s attention early in the discussion, and an immediate consensus will form around it. But further discussion will frequently yield more ideas, some of them better, so you don’t want to cut off the flow too soon. Allow your idea-generation process to run its full course, then take a look at your results. The initial winners will still be there, along with some possibly great late arrivals.

Share your ideas with solid communication

Even your best ideas are useless if you can’t share them effectively. Whether you’re trying to explain the idea to your boss, implement it with your staff, or sell it to potential investors, you need to be able to make other people understand exactly what your idea is and what it can do for them. Remember these tactics: • Practice your pitch. Start by explaining your idea to your family, friends, even strangers. Pick people who will be supportive and others who are likely to be negative so that you learn how to respond to both. • Know your audience. One size does not fit all. Practice tailoring your basic message so any audience can grasp its potential. • Check often for understanding. Ask, “Are you following me?” or “Do you understand?” Make your listeners paraphrase your thoughts so you can be sure they’re catching your drift. • Use your audience’s words. If someone asks, “So, it’s like Elmer’s glue?” and your concept is nothing like that at all, explain how it differs from the glue instead of reaching for a totally new analogy. • Don’t go overboard. Pick the most salient points to explain. Don’t overwhelm listeners with more information than they need.

Analyze your team’s capacity for innovation

A high-performing team thrives on creativity and innovation. Are you and your teammates too comfortable with the status quo? Too reliant on what’s worked in the past? Don’t take any chances. Ask these questions to test your ability to generate new ideas: • How do you define innovation? You don’t want to be too open-ended, but at the same time you should avoid unnecessarily limiting the scope of ideas. Just be sure that innovation has a clear, positive effect on how you get things done. • What are your goals? Let everyone know what you’re looking for: You want to launch a brand-new product every year, for example. • How do you measure success? If you can’t track the impact of innovation, no one will take it seriously. Maybe you want 10 percent of your revenues to come from products that are less than five years old. Or maybe you want to cut your energy bill by 20 percent in the next six months. • How do you encourage innovation? Analyze your process for generating, testing, and implementing new ideas. What obstacles does your team face? How could you streamline things? • Do you have a pipeline? Ideally, innovation should happen all the time. Your team should have new ideas coming in and being tested on a constant basis. If that’s not happening, dig deep to determine what you can do to spur more creativity.

March 2015 | www.Loc8.ae

Success & Personal Growth Explore—and overcome—your fears

Most people feel fear, but successful people refuse to let it overcome them. You can learn to control your fear and rise to any challenge with this advice: • Analyze your memories. Look back over your life. What situations have made you feel afraid? Do you see any common denominators? When was the last time you were afraid of something and did it anyway? • Examine your responsibilities. You have a lot of priorities at work and in your life. Which ones make you fearful? Why are you afraid of them? Dig deeply to get at the root of your fear. • Imagine the worst. When a situation makes you nervous, try to think of the worst-case scenario that could realistically happen. Examining the possibilities ahead of time will prepare you to avoid the pitfalls. Chances are the reality won’t be as devastating as you fear. • Shift your focus. When you’re confronted by a task that makes you fearful, stop and think Plan for future success about all the benefits it will produce in the end. Focus on those instead of what’s making you today feel scared. Your career success is too important to leave to chance. A solid plan is critical • Try new things. At least once a month, take on a new task or accept a different to forward movement. Start with these responsibility. This will increase your capacity to take risks. tips: • Review your risks. Look at some of the risks you’ve taken recently. Chances are, most • Make a five-year plan. What do you of them turned out OK. Figure out what made them work. Think about what actions you want to be doing in five years? What do took that ensured success, and how you can duplicate those actions and decisions in other you want to accomplish in that period situations. of time?

Before you congratulate yourself, analyze how you achieved success

• Build your contact list. Go inside and outside of your organization to expand Many people believe that results are all that matter. But how you achieve those results can be your professional network. The more vital to your long-term success, especially if you hope to duplicate your achievement in the contacts you have, the more diverse your career options will be. future. Ask yourself these questions to assess how your success adds up: • Were you ethical? In the short run, you can succeed by cutting corners, misleading people, or threatening those who work for you. But the next time you need someone’s help, you’ll have to deal with resentment and resistance. Operate by building trust with others, not by treating them as enemies.

• Look for challenges. When you get bored with what you’re doing, look for something new to do. Learn some different skills. Exploring fresh territory can open up unexpected possibilities.

• Did you overwork yourself? You can succeed for a while by doing everything yourself and micro-managing everyone else. Your skill and determination will carry you a long way, but like everyone, you have mental and physical limits. Inevitably, you’ll burn out or start making mistakes. Be a coach rather than a self-sacrificing hero. Track results instead of handling every detail yourself.

• Did you “catch a wave”? Temporary conditions and luck can help you get great results. But assuming that you’re guaranteed success forever will leave you in a hole when things return to normal. Look beyond your own efforts to the conditions around you and be realistic about your success. March 2015 | www.Loc8.ae

Anecdotes The story of a wonder drug

The Greek physician Hippocrates prescribed the bark and leaves of the willow tree as a pain reliever and fever breaker more than 2,400 years ago. That’s because they were rich in a substance called salicin, a naturally occurring compound that is similar to the chemical acetylsalicylic acid, now commonly known as … aspirin. Aspirin as we know it today came about through the efforts of many researchers. In 1763, Reverend Edward Stone wrote to the Royal Society of Chemists. He subscribed to the belief that natural maladies often carry with them their cures, and because the willow grew in a moist environment where rheumatic complaints often abounded, he tasted some willow bark. Despite its bitterness, he found it surprisingly effective for pain relief. In the 1820s and 1830s a series of breakthroughs and experiments made extraction from natural ingredients possible. Later the superior chemical components were derived and buffered (made easier on the stomach and mouth). In 1899 the Bayer company made aspirin powder available to physicians to give to patients, and a year later introduced the first water-soluble tablets that cut costs of the pain reliever by half—making it widely available and popular.

Micro-manage? Certainly not!

Micro-managers often don’t see themselves through their employees’ eyes, as this tale illustrates: A Hollywood mogul became president of a struggling new television network. With his career on the line, the CEO was determined to oversee every aspect of program development—right down to the set design. One day a television producer at the network called his lawyer to complain about the CEO’s overbearing ways. He was fearful that the debut of his new show would be delayed because the CEO was obsessed with the design of the sets.

The mustard seed

The attorney, who had worked with the executive before, agreed to help. Long ago a young mother lost her only son to a fatal illness. She was so distraught that she began asking her He invited the CEO to lunch. As they finished their meal, the attorney friends to somehow restore her child to life, and refused to opened his briefcase and began taking out carpet and drapery swatches. “I have a question,” he said to the puzzled executive. “My wife and I are accept their insistence that nothing could be done. redecorating and I’d like your advice on the best carpet to coordinate with Finally they sent her to a wise man for guidance. The this drape.” master saw her tears and listened to her story. Finally, he The savvy CEO was quick to get the point. “You think I’m microsaid he would help her, but she had to bring him some managing, don’t you?” special ingredients for a medicine. The most important item: a mustard seed from a house where no family Thanks to a combination of boldness and humor, the attorney helped the member had ever died. CEO see that his energy would be better spent focusing on his area of The grieving mother went from house to house searching expertise—and letting his employees focus on theirs. for the mustard seed needed for the medicine. Every person Then an administrative assistant said, “But we’d need to use helicopters she spoke to very gladly offered a seed in the hope that to place the pots at the top of the pylons, and the vibrations would frighten it would save the child’s life. But every time the mother the bears and chase them away.” asked whether anyone had died in the house, she found that That made everyone stop and think. Soon afterward, the company began every single family had suffered just such a loss. At the sending helicopters up into the air and using the vibrations and wind first house she stopped at, it was the husband who had died. created by their motors to knock the ice down. A casual comment had At the second house she stopped at, it was a daughter who solved the problem. had died. And at the third, it was an old grandmother. She could not find one household that had escaped suffering. March 2015 | www.Loc8.ae

Manager’s Mentor Why performance falls short: Explore these reasons

Poor job performance can have many different causes. When a member of your workforce isn’t meeting your organization’s needs, examine these factors before taking action: • Job role. Does the employee really understand his or her job— and your expectations? Go back to square one and clarify what your employee is supposed to do, and why. • Communication. You may think you’ve discussed the worker’s performance, but have you made your point clearly? Without getting angry, point out where the employee is falling short so he or she is aware of the need for improvement. • Motivation. Does the employee really want to do what the job requires? Often workers and job candidates agree to do whatever you ask at first, only to realize they really don’t have the drive to do what’s necessary to succeed. You may need to gently probe the employee’s motivation in order to help him or her recognize the truth. • Skills. Naturally, the most enthusiastic worker won’t have much success if he or she doesn’t have the ability or training necessary to do the job. The gap may not be obvious—a degree earned 20 years ago may not reflect the skills needed in today’s workplace. Make sure you and your workforce stay up to date on training needs and skill sets. And remember to provide support for your people to get the training they need. • Personal style. This may be harder to target than other problem areas, but it’s just as important. Does the employee fit in with the people he or she needs to work with—co-workers and customers alike? Do certain aspects of the job come more naturally than others? An outgoing personality will probably be more successful in an aggressive sales job than a shy person, no matter how much training and motivation the person has. You both need to be honest about your attitudes and personality issues to succeed. • Your relationship. Can you talk frankly and openly with each other? You don’t have to become best friends, but you do need to be able to communicate and understand each other’s point of view.

Guide self-directed work teams through these five stages

Self-directed work teams rarely come into being by themselves. They require the assistance of a leader to get up and running. If you’re assigned to form an independent work team, be prepared to work through these phases: • Orientation. Make sure everyone has the proper training to do his or her team job. Team members will initially welcome your influence and may feel dependent on you. Remember that this won’t last. • Challenge. As the team becomes more confident, conflicts over your role may arise, as well as subtle and maybe not-so-subtle disputes between team members over focus and direction. In this stage you’ll want to provide training and feedback on specific teamwork issues like conflict resolution. Your main task is to provide some objectivity and perspective on the team’s activities. • Cohesion. The team begins to gel, solving problems and making its own decisions. You can step back and become more of a coach than a leader. Be careful not to expect too much too soon as they learn how to work and interact with one another. • Disillusionment. After an initial burst of enthusiasm, the team often encounters a team-related problem or setback that causes it to question its ability to perform. Resist the temptation to retake control of the team when this happens. Instead, help team members work through the situation, and remind them that every team has conflicts to overcome from time to time. Additional training may be needed at this point. • Maturity. If successful, team members will realize they can survive and resolve conflicts and setbacks that get in the way of their performance. Concentrate now on providing the team with new opportunities to stretch their abilities and enhance their knowledge. factors:

March 2015 | www.Loc8.ae

Family Matters Protect family members from devastating falls

A simple fall can begin a complex series of lifestyle changes and health problems for seniors and their families. The most common causes of falling are slipping, tripping, or stumbling. Most spills occur in the home or just outside of it. Of the older adults who fall, 60 percent make trips to the emergency room, and almost a third of them subsequently require help with daily living activities. Whether you care for an elderly family member, or worry about falling yourself, here are some safety tips for avoiding stumbles and tumbles: • Survey your home. Do you have furniture blocking people’s way? Do you have slippery throw rugs on the floor? Do you have books, papers, or shoes on the stairs? Keep all pathways clutter-free and easily maneuverable. • Light your home adequately. Make sure to place lights beside all beds to help you and others see when getting up at night. • Watch where people stand. Invest in a sturdy, steady step stool to help get to items stored just beyond comfortable reach. • Get regular exercise. Staying in shape helps maintain strength and stability. • Examine medications. Talk with a doctor or pharmacist to determine whether pills will cause dizziness or problems with cognition. • Go to the eye doctor. Get vision checked at least annually. Poor vision can increase anyone’s chances of falling. • Stand with caution. Get up slowly from sitting or reclining positions to reduce the risk of feeling faint. • Pick the right shoes. Choose footwear with good traction. Avoid walking barefoot or in slippers in your home. • Check the lights. Make lighting improvements in your home. Use brighter bulbs to increase visibility. • Reduce window glare. Hang lightweight curtains to reduce the glare in your home. This will prevent moments when you or others might temporarily lose the ability to see. • Check your stairs. Paint a contrasting color on the top edge of each step of every staircase in your home. This will help people see exactly where they’re about to put their feet.

Fun is the secret to getting kids active

Children who spend all their free time on the computer or watching TV may develop health and weight problems as they grow up. As a concerned parent, you can tell them how important exercise is, but getting them up and moving around can be an exercise itself—in frustration. Overcome the challenge with these kid-friendly tactics: • Use the right words. Don’t use the word “exercise.” Instead, use words like “fun” and “play.” • Collect active toys. Keep a stock of items your child can get energetic with: beanbags, jump ropes, kickballs, hula hoops, and so forth. • Plan activities. Suggest a party or get-together for your child and his or her friends during which they can play games like “Red Light, Green Light” and “Simon Says.” • Target your child’s interests. If your child loves to read, suggest a bike ride to the library. If your child loves surfing the Internet, ask him or her to research a topic— gardening, for instance; then plant one together. • Get outside. Plan a nature walk or a day out skating, swimming, or engaging in any other active endeavor your child enjoys. March 2015 | www.Loc8.ae

Grins & Giggles Powers of imagination

Bill and Claude were two avid golfers who met while waiting at their doctor’s office. They found out that although they both enjoyed golf, the doctor had advised them to lower their stress levels, so they played with imaginary golf balls. Naturally, other golfers didn’t want to play a round with either of them, so they decided to shoot the links together the following Saturday. They got to the first tee bright and early. Both hit perfect imaginary shots straight down the fairway, and as they worked their way across the course, they avoided sand traps and water hazards and always made par. By the 18th hole, their imaginary score was tied. As they approached the green, they agreed to wager a little money on the outcome. Bill hit his nonexistent ball right up onto the edge of the green. Claude followed with his own shot, and told Bill that the ball had landed right next to his. Bill strolled confidently to the green, and made his putt with one smooth motion. “Right into the hole!” Claude followed, clutched his putter, then paused. “Uh-oh,” he said. “What?” “You hit my ball.”

A team effort?

May bought an old, run-down farm in the country. The fields were clogged with weeds, the farmhouse roof leaked, the fences were broken, and the barn was falling down. The day she started working the property, a minister from the nearby town came by to meet May and give the old farm his blessing. “May you and God work together to turn this farm into a thriving, vital endeavor!” Six months later, the minister dropped by and was delighted to see May’s progress. The fields had been plowed and planted, the farmhouse was snug and dry, the fence had been repaired with a herd of cattle safely inside, and horses neighed happily inside the rebuilt barn. “Look at what you and God have accomplished together!” the minister cried. Risky business “It’s true, reverend,” May agreed as she prepared to go out to the field. “But just A doctor and a lawyer ran into each other remember what this place looked like when God was working here alone!” at an exotic Mexican resort. Friends since college, they’d fallen out of touch, so they quickly asked what the other had A team effort? been up to. Dr. Jones got a frantic phone call from Mack, a longtime patient. “Doc, I looked The lawyer said, “I got sucked into a just horrible when I woke up this morning! I have dark bags under my eyes, a rash lousy real estate deal. Then one day a fire all over my skin, my hair is falling out, and my nose is twice its normal size! Can burned down the building and I collected you do something?” $100,000 in insurance.” “Get to my office right away,” Dr. Jones said. An hour later she walked into an “Really?” the doctor said. “Something exam room to take a look at Mack, and was stunned to see that he was even worse similar happened to me. I invested in off than he’d described. She struggled to think of something positive and reassuring a small business in Mississippi, but to say. then the river overflowed and a flood “What do you think, doc?” Mack asked. destroyed the place. I got half a million “Well … there’s nothing wrong with your eyesight.” from my flood insurance.” “Wow,” the lawyer said. “How on earth did you arrange a flood?” March 2015 | www.Loc8.ae

Money Matters Start your marriage with agreement on money

“Happily ever after” doesn’t happen automatically. Many young couples start out married life without a clear idea of how to handle their finances, leading to stress, arguments, and long-term marital problems. Head off conflict with these tactics: • Confront issues directly. Many couples are afraid to talk about the three D’s: divorce, death, and disability. Take time to discuss these fears instead of avoiding them. Planning will help you both feel better. • Explore your attitudes. How we were raised has an enormous effect on how we deal with money. If you and your spouse’s money attitudes differ, compromise and establish new habits you can both live with. • Trade financial tasks. If one of you usually pays all the bills, switch for a couple of months. You or your partner may get a crash course on how much running the household actually costs. Keep track of all spending for at least one billing cycle (usually one month) to actually see where your money is going, and decide which expenditures can be decreased or eliminated. • Keep some finances separate. A joint checking account is useful, but maintain some separate credit cards and car loans. A sense of independence will help both of you feel you have equal footing in the relationship, even if you have a big difference in salaries. • Collaborate on financial planning. Work on a money-related project together, whether playing the stock market or signing up for online-bill-payment programs. Anything that compels you to converse about finances will equip you to handle troubles down the road.

Don’t go broke on vacation

April isn’t too early to start planning your summer vacation. And with proper planning, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a good time. Here are some smart ideas for saving money while you relax and refresh with your family: • Research your destination thoroughly. The Internet, and a good guidebook, can help you find inexpensive hotels and restaurants. You may also discover free or inexpensive attractions, and find out whether museums, parks, and other attractions offer reduced admission on certain days. • Stay outside the city. You’re going to New York City, but you don’t have to sleep there. Often you’ll find better hotel rates and cheaper restaurants a few miles outside city limits. • Go to the grocery store. Avoid the overpriced hotel gift shops for snacks and drinks. You should be able to find a local grocery store where you can buy cheaper (and healthier) supplies for your travels. • Drive efficiently. Before an extended road trip, check your engine. Oil, air filters, and other components can affect your vehicle’s performance—and repairs can strain your budget. On the highway, keep your speed between 50 mph and 60 mph for the best fuel efficiency.

Take this ‘double your money’ test

Few of us know all the mechanics of our 401(k) or other retirement plans. That can cause unpleasant surprises when people retire or switch jobs. Here are some important things to learn: • Trading limits. Many plans allow you to move money, but with strings attached. Don’t move long-term retirement savings around for short periods of time. If you do want to switch from time to time, keep in mind that your plan may allow only a set number of trades each week, month, quarter, or year. • Account valuations. Find out how often the value of your retirement account is calculated. You can get the most out of your money by timing your retirement or departure. Most organizations value everything the day you leave, but some value your account weekly, monthly, or quarterly. • Withdrawal options. Some plans don’t allow retirees to keep their money in place. Instead, they’re paid the lump sum to be reinvested elsewhere. Other plans allow retirees to take a stream of payments as an income source while the rest of the money stays in the plan.

March 2015 | www.Loc8.ae

Odds & Ends Stay safe at work on April Fool’s Day

Practical jokes and office pranks may be fun on April 1, but you and your friends and employees need to remain in the right spirit. A thoughtless prank could lead to anger, dismissals, or lawsuits. Pay attention to these guidelines: • Choose the right “victim.” Don’t play jokes on new employees, humorless managers, or anyone you have a grudge against. Make sure your target has a good sense of humor. • Keep a lighthearted tone. Never humiliate a colleague. People who feel embarrassed in front of others can overreact or lash out in anger. Don’t let the joke drag on too long, and scuttle it if you sense that it might backfire. • Be open about your role. If you’re afraid to let anyone know that you’re the perpetrator, think twice before setting up any pranks. Play only those jokes you feel comfortable living with afterward. • Think safety first. You don’t want to damage office equipment or injure anyone. If a short-tempered co-worker is likely to start pounding on his or her disconnected computer monitor, stay close enough to call off the joke or try something else. • Keep humor appropriate. Sexual or ethnic humor will backfire in a big way, no matter how funny it seems to you or others. Even if the victim laughs it off, such humor could lead to “hostile workplace” allegations and court action.

The science of spring fever: It’s all in your physiology

When the weather gets warmer and your boss, teacher, or spouse asks why your mind is wandering, you might try blaming your spring fever on physiology. Spring fever’s symptoms usually appear during the onset of the vernal equinox. In the northern hemisphere, people begin to feel more energetic, enthusiastic, and amorous because of chemical changes in the body in part produced by increased exposure to daylight. Scientist cite a number of factors that contribute to spring fever: • Increased light sends signals to the brain’s pineal gland, which then reduces its production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates our body clock and controls our mood and energy levels. As the days grow longer, the chemical disappears and leaves people feeling more energized and confident. • Increased light also affects the hypothalamus, the section of the brain that regulates eating, sleeping, and sex drive. • Our other senses—sight, smell, and hearing—also wake up as blossoms and spring breezes assault them. Such stimuli can trigger strong emotions, from euphoria to sadness.

Taxes throughout history: Some surprising facts

“Nothing in this world can be said to be certain, except death and taxes,” wrote Benjamin Franklin in a 1789 letter. But although death is inevitable, taxes have changed and varied widely over time. Consider these ups and downs: • In the year 1913 the tax rates ranged from 1 percent to 7 percent on incomes above $3,000. The average annual income that year was $200. • In colonial America, bachelors were taxed in many communities because the people believed that unmarried men were too easily lured into mischief. • In 2000 the IRS collected more than $2 trillion in revenue and processed 226 million tax returns. That was its lowest collection rate since 1954, at 39 cents for every $100 (meaning the IRS had to spend 39 cents to collect $100). • Peter the Great, Czar of Russia, imposed a tax on beards in the 17th century designed to make Russian society look more European. Citizens who paid the tax and retained their beards were required to carry a token with them inscribed with the phrases “the beard tax has been taken” and “the beard is a superfluous burden.”

March 2015 | www.Loc8.ae

Quotes Mathematics is the science which draws necessary conclusions. —Benjamin Peirce Although math can’t teach us how to add love or minus hate, it teaches us that every problem has a solution. —Anonymous Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits. —Thomas Jefferson Good health is not something we can buy. However, it can be an extremely valuable savings account. —Anne Wilson Schaef Safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands. —Jeff Cooper There is always safety in valor. —Ralph Waldo Emerson It has been my experience that one cannot, in any shape or form, depend on human relations for lasting reward. It is only work that truly satisfies. —Bette Davis You do your best work if you do a job that makes you happy. —Bob Ross Science may be described as the art of systematic oversimplification. —Karl Popper The man of science has learned to believe in justification, not by faith, but by verification. —Thomas Henry Huxley Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. —William Pollard For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate. —Margaret Heffernan Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get. —Ingrid Bergman The way to screw up somebody’s life is to give them what they want. —Patrick Swayze Your agreement with reality defines your life. —Steve Maraboli The first myth of management is that it exists. The second myth of management is that success equals skill. —Robert Heller Divorced from ethics, leadership is reduced to management and politics to mere technique. —James MacGregor Burns Family’s not family unless it’s totally messing you up. I’m pretty sure that’s the point. —Alexandra Bullen It’s the family you choose that counts. —Andrew Vachss

March 2015 | www.Loc8.ae

Quotes One of the things that binds us as a family is a shared sense of humor. — Ralph Fiennes Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. —William James Money. The ultimate motivation. The ultimate way of keeping score. —Michael Connelly How can a world be good in which money is the moving power, and self-interest the guiding star? —H. Rider Haggard No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. — Hal Borland Death, taxes and childbirth! There’s never any convenient time for any of them. —Margaret Mitchell

JEFFERSON JOHN JOHNSON KNOX MADISON MARTIN MILLARD MONROE PIERCE POLK

March 2015 | www.Loc8.ae

QUINCY TAYLOR THOMAS TYLER VANBURAN WASHINGTON WILLIAM ZACHARY