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5 Compelling Business Reasons to Carpool to Work

November 27, 2012 by Guest Author

by
Paul Ellett

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5 Compelling Business Reasons to Carpool to Work

We’ve all heard those in the eco-climate field tell us about the dangers our cars are using and that we must act now, and we might all be sick of it. There is only so much talk about “being green” that we can handle at any one time. This is why many dismiss car-pooling as one of those options that are always discussed but never so seriously. I mean, who would want to share their car with someone who they only occasionally speak to at the copier at work, right?

Wrong. There are in fact several compelling reasons why carpooling or car-sharing to work is a viable way to travel. Whether you share a ride either each day or a few times a week, it makes solid sense and can grow your business and professional career to do so. Keep reading to find out more.

1: Strengthen Relationships

Because workplaces see many people from various backgrounds come together every day and interact regularly, there can often be little in the way of common-ground which can make for awkward lift-conversations or lunchtime conversations. If you’re in a job for the longhaul, change this outlook now! You may even find that you have a lot more in common with particular individuals than you originally thought;whether it be material things like sports, or deeper circumstances like lifestyle. This bonding can make team-projects or exercises that much easier and smoother. Additionally, if we have someone with which to coordinate with to get to work, we can teach ourselves to be more careful with how we manage our time, if we know someone else is relying on us.

2: Company Incentives

If you do take part in carpool schemes within your company, you may be able to apply for petrol-incentives or have these reimbursed in return. Ask your supervisor, human resources representative or even boss about this. This may be possible if your company pays for public transport travel costs for some employees currently. If you can show that you can save money, the person who you speak to within your company will be more susceptible to that as everyone is looking to save where they can.

3: Your Boss

Some people find it hard to stand out from a crowd which can be a killer when it comes to promotions in a large company. It can be a case of really being able to present yourself on a one-to-one basis rather than in a group or during the general workday. If you can arrange something with your boss, then it might be a grand opportunity to let them get to know you. You might find some common ground you didn’t know you had, and show them qualities that don’t make themselves so clear otherwise. Carpooling can be a lot less formal than being in the office too. If your boss can see from these daily interactions that you are capable, you’ll be more likely to be considered for projects and promotions.

4: Share the Stress

Often road-rage arises from a fear or frustration that we’ll be late for work, but why? Probably because we’re scared that we’ll look inferior to our colleagues and be knocked down the totem pole. If we’re late often, then we can often feel like we’re the only one in the world where we shouldn’t be and it can gain unwanted attention from those higher up if a frequent occurrence. It makes sense that if we’re late with someone else, we share the brunt of this stress and are less likely to feel so on edge that we’re running late. The company we get from having someone else with us in the car, can distract us from stressful situations we would otherwise focus on. It also makes sense that if more people carpooled, there would be less traffic on the road in certain areas, like heavily-congested motorways which join cities to surrounding areas.

5: Can’t Drive?

Often the jobs we apply for depend on how easy or possible it is to travel to it each day. This can limit the options available to us which impacts how we make a living. You may also wish to consider what happens if your circumstances change for the short-term. What if you’re found guilty of a drink driving offense and are temporarily suspended from the road? What if your own car is off-the-road due to repairs? Are you taking any medication which makes it difficult to drive or that requires you to stay away from heavy machinery of any kind? Can you get to work via public transport or would it be easier to speak to someone about carpooling? Will it save you money if you do this? In a large company there should be at least a few others who travel the same route as yourself; you just need to find them. Carpooling may be your only viable option to get to work and save money.

Author’s Bio:

Paul is working with a firm of drink driving solicitors in London and across the UK, who defend those who have been caught speeding, driving while under the influence etc.

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Filed Under: management, Productivity, Successful Blog Tagged With: bc, business growth, carpooling, LinkedIn, ride-sharing, small business

What I Learned By Eating Pizza from the Wrong End First

April 23, 2009 by SOBCon Authors

Today we are featuring a guest-post from Robert Hruzek:

blogging-buddies[Note from the Proprietor: The basis for this post comes from an – well, let’s call it an “incident”, shall we? – that happened last year at SOBCon08 in Chicago. Unlike your typical episode of Dragnet, however, names have NOT been changed to protect the innocent because – hey, let’s face it – there ARE no innocents here!]

All right y’all; I have what is (or if it ain’t then it should be) the Question Of The Ages: Is there, in fact, a “wrong” way to eat pizza?

The reason the question comes up at all is because of a little-known incident that happened at last year’s SOBCon08.

An Urban Tale

I arrived in early afternoon on Friday (May 2), ready for pretty much anything – or so I thought. The incredibly talented, always witty, and tremendously all-around good guy Brad Shorr gave me a ride from O’Hare to Hotel 71 in downtown Chicago. It was an extremely bighearted gesture that ranks right up there on the kindness scale with, er, doing your homework for you, helping you on moving day, or donating a kidney. (Don’t mind me, y’all; Brad kindly offered to do it again this year, so I figured I’d better keep, y’know, layin’ it on thick.)

Anyhoo – as assorted SOBCon’ers drifted in over the course of the afternoon, we gathered at the sidewalk café out front of the hotel. The weather cooperated nicely, and it was kinda like old home week. We shook hands, posed for countless pictures, and generally had a great time getting to know each other face to face. It was a great way to start the weekend, I’ll tell ya!

Now besides Brad, one of the OTHER folks I really looked forward to meeting was Joanna Young. (I’m not sure, but I think Joanna may have won the “I travelled farther than you did” award, having flown all the way from bonnie Scotland for the weekend.) After nearly a year of getting to know her and Brad via each other’s comment boxes, we’d developed quite the friendship, and it was time the three of us finally met in person.

(As you can see from the photo, we make quite a fine-lookin’ bunch, don’cha think? I’m the handsome galoot there on the left. Although I’ve asked around, I still don’t know who the Bubba behind us was – the fellah with the funny white hat.)
While we all glad-handed each other, the café waiters kept pretty busy delivering a steady supply of snacks and drinks, among which were several of those little hors de oeuvres type pizzas. (Hors de oeuvres, as you probably know, is French for little tiny food – not something we see a whole lot of in Texas.)

I helped myself, along with everyone else, and it was only after a few bites I noticed Joanna had committed an incredible faux pas, actually taking her first bite of pizza from the wrong end! I would swear (if I was the swearin’ type – which I’m not) it was as though a dark cloud passed in front of the sun, the birds stopped singing, and the air became suddenly very still. (A lot like those E.F. Hutton commercials when that guy is about to tell you what “they” would’ve said…)

Well, not wanting to be a party to, y’know, the end of the universe as we know it (and of course bein’ the soul of tact), I naturally did the gentlemanly thing and discretely pointed out the minor error in judgment. (If memory serves me right, I believe I pointed at Joanna, hollering out something along the lines of, “I can’t believe you just took a bite of pizza from the wrong end!”) [I’m almost positive that last never happened. – Proprietor]

I’m tellin’ ya; if you weren’t there you missed a definite Kodak moment! For about 27 milliseconds, Joanna’s eyes got about as big as that plate the pizza was sittin’ on. But then of course (after nearly falling over in a dead faint – or nearly taking a swing at me – I’ve never been quite sure which) she quickly realized I was merely yankin’ her chain.

Anyway, it’s no exaggeration to say that little memory remains a cherished favorite from my entire SOBCon08 experience.

What SOBCon is All About

Now, you may be wondering about that last statement. After all, this happened before the conference had even started, y’know? And over the next two days we were privy to all kinds of great workshops, keynote speeches, and working sessions, all filled with powerful – possibly even life-changing – information.

But in truth, it made me think about something much more fundamental. For instance:

  1. SOBCon is About Blogging. Hey, the S.O.B. acronym says it all, doesn’t it? Successful and Outstanding Blogger. After all, I bet the likelihood is probably fairly high you initially connected with each other via this incredible now-not-so-newborn medium called blogging. I’ll tell ya, the ONLY reason I knew of this event is via Liz Strauss and the amazing blogging community at Successful-Blog.
  2. SOBCon is About Writing. Over time (and through the patient encouragement of several special folks I trust), I came to realize that for me, blogging was more than just tellin’ folks what I had for breakfast, or which episode of Seinfeld was lined up for the evening’s entertainment. Nope, somehow it transformed itself, like a lump of bauxite into a polished aluminum aircraft wing, into something ‘way more powerful: writing. What’s the difference, you ask? Well, if you slave over a keyboard, searching for just that perfect word – if you find yourself considering what kind of reaction you’ll get from those words – if you truly care about what you write, and how it’ll be received by your readers – then surprise! I’d say you’re a writer.
  3. SOBCon is About Business. Although the initial SOBCon back in 2007 was kind-of a prototype event, since then the focus has more narrowly been lasered in on the business of blogging. And that’s a good thing! The fact is, most of us are probably in various stages of turning our writing into a business, and I’m no exception. Although just a hobby at first, nowadays my thoughts turn more and more to making an income – maybe even (dare I hope for it?) a genuine living – from the words I spend so much time crafting. If that’s you (or might, one day, be you) then you owe it to yourself to come to Chicago and find out how it might change your life! Besides, ya gotta start somewhere, right? If not now – when?
  4. SOBCon is About People. Without a doubt, though, THE most important thing SOBCon taught me is this: When you get right down to it, it’s about the relationships we develop that really count. And the fact that we’re actually a pretty diverse group of folks merely underscores that fact, y’know? Despite that fact – or more accurately, because of it – we represent an amazing force in this ol’ world! Hey, it don’t matter one whit if you eat your pizza from the pointy end or (shudder) the round end. The only thing that matters is our mutual care, respect and support for each other’s abilities – and potential. I don’t know about you, but as far as I’m concerned, that’s what I call a game changer!

So What About You?

Now, if you’ll pardon my, um, waxing eloquent (which is an ancient Chinese saying that translates roughly to lay it on thick and polish it to a nice, shiny coat), I said all that to bring us down to this one final question:

sobcon09-goingIf you’ve ever looked in the mirror and thought to yourself, “Self, maybe there’s something to this blogging thing after all. Maybe I should find out more about where it’s goin’ – and where it might take little ol’ me.”

Well, if that’s you, my friends, then my totally unsolicited, but completely heartfelt advice is for you to beat a path to Chicago on May 1st for SOBCon09! (In fact, come a day early for the festivities!) Hey, I’ll be there, and I hope you are too. Just look for the hat!
____________________________
Photo: Blogging Buddies, by Joanna Young
____________________________

Robert Hruzek
Robert Hruzek

Robert Hruzek Robert Hruzek currently lives in Houston, Texas, and thoroughly enjoys being married to The Most Wonderful Wife in the Whole World (sorry fellas, it’s no contest). He is usually employed as an engineering project manager, a job that allows him to travel, live and work in many interesting locations within the United States and around the world.

Robert writes on the Web at Middle Zone Musings (http://middlezonemusings.com/). It’s described as a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. He doesn’t ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Why not drop by, grab a seat, take a load off, and relax…

You may contact Robert by email at: rhruzek [at] sbcglobal [dot] net.

Filed Under: Attendees Tagged With: bc, Blogger Conference, carpooling, Community, SOBCon 2008

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