These days, it’s hard to go anywhere without seeing people face down, looking into their smartphone screens. Between tweeting, using Facebook, browsing the internet, instant messaging and dare we say it…making phone calls, it appears as if using a smartphone is the favourite leisurely thing to do for most people.

That’s why when Josh Rubin of The Toronto Star, released an article yesterday asking what would Canadians ditch first – TV or social media – we were under the impression that social media had no competition. Well, we had to think again. Contrary to what may be popular belief, television is still the favourite “time waster” of most people.

According to a recent global survey conducted by Ipsos, 58 per cent of those surveyed would first give up their use of social networks over letting go of TV watching. Only 42 per cent of the survey’s respondents chose social media over television. So apparently, the boob tube still rules the roost when it comes to entertaining the masses.

However, while TV may have won out, the margin isn’t big enough to convince us that it may lose its foothold on Canadian entertainment-seekers in the near future. “I barely even watch TV anymore,” mentioned one of our associates when hearing of this survey, “I pretty much stream everything online these days. Music, movies – it’s all on the net!”

Nevertheless, Canadians are still very much in favour of watching TV over using social media. Rubin reports that the survey found that 72 per cent of Canadians were in favour of sticking with their TV sets over their social media profiles. In the United States, that figure was just slightly higher with 76 per cent of those surveyed saying that they’d stick with television.

“I agree,” responded another of our associates, “Television provides a much greater sense of entertainment as far as I’m concerned. I can only read so many status updates before I get either bored or annoyed. People’s lives aren’t as interesting as they think they are. If I want a good laugh, I’d much rather turn on my favourite show.”

Interestingly, Rubin notes that this sentiment is prevalent throughout North America and most of Europe. But, in developing countries, the responses were noticeably different. He writes that “in the so-called BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), 58 per cent of people said they’d ditch TV before giving up social networking.”

Over this past week, the MeloTel Blog has taken a look at the concept of embracing office politics. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea to get involved in office politics, but it just so happens that it is a necessary part of being in the business world. Especially, if you wish to get ahead and excel within your company, you’ll need to know how to play the game.

After all, we all want to get ahead don’t we? So what to do when it seems as if there are no apparent signs of job development at your work place? None of us like the feeling of being stuck. So how do we “unstick” ourselves? On About.com, Alison Doyle provides some advice to those who are looking to get a promotion.

Do a Good Job. Seems like simple enough advice, doesn’t it? We all must remember that there is little no possibility of having your position in a company become elevated if you are not excelling at your current position. Are you a leader? As Doyle writes, “excellent performance reviews and your reputation as an above-average employee will carry a lot of weight when the company is making staffing decisions.”

Be a Team Player. As we’ve mentioned in our last couple of blogs, you do not need to step on others in order to get ahead. In fact, the opposite is true. Helping those around you proves that you’re a leader and that you are capable of handling more than just your own current responsibilities.

Don’t Miss Work. This is a big one that people tend to take for granted. Writes Doyle: “Be on time for work and don’t take more time off than you are allocated. If you’re known as a sloucher and someone who misses more work than is appropriate, it will be held against you.”

Continue Your Education. There is always room for learning. Do what you can to increase your knowledge and skill set as you never know when the extra smarts will come in handy! In many cases, your skills may need updating as technology is ever-advancing. Be sure to stay on top of your game.

Network. Be sure to keep yourself involved. Doyle recommends that you attend company parties and gatherings so that you become more connected and engaged with your colleagues. The more that others know about you is the more that you will stand out. This will make you more likely to be considered for a promotion.

Follow the Application Process. Take nothing for granted. The job isn’t automatically yours, even if it seems as if you’re next in line for the position. Don’t let tenure or qualifications fool you. Be sure to update your resume and prepare a targeted cover letter for your hiring manager. Good luck!

In our last blog, we discussed the interesting and yet, uncomfortable-to-discuss topic of office politics. It’s important, of course, to get along with co-workers and do all that you can to assist your company in its mission to be successful. But considering your own personal gains shouldn’t necessarily make you feel guilty.

Today, we’d like to take a look at a Penelope Trunk article from DumbLittleMan.com to review ways that one can become an expert at the game of office politics. Being a good person in the office can go a long way. Not just in that in can help others, but that it can help yourself as well. And there’s nothing wrong with that!

Realize that it’s about being nice. According to Trunk, “you need a lot of self-knowledge about your strengths, and you need a lot of emotional intelligence to understand what other people struggle with.” Helping to foster a positive working environment will help for everyone’s work to be completed more efficiently. It will show that you are a leader, as well.

Don’t rely on your job competence. Remember, just being good at your job won’t necessarily help you to take your career to the next level. Trunk insists that people need to like you, simple and plain. She reiterates the importance of being likable. Get to know the people in your office and show genuine concern for others. This is what co-workers and employers will remember most.

Blame yourself first. If things aren’t going your way, you may want to first consider your role in the situation. Trunk writes that someone with strong emotional intelligence can get along with anyone. Try not to complain, but instead review your ability to engage in positive interactions with other people.

Go to couples therapy. This is an interesting tip, isn’t it? Writes Trunk, “A great way to figure out how to overcome your personality challenges is to go to couples therapy and practice on your spouse or whatever the person is to you. They have more patience than your boss, for one thing. For another, it feels safer. I mean, you probably won’t get fired.”

Be your true self. At the end of the day, no one is asking you to be fake. You should have a genuine interest in helping others. Know that this will pay off for you in the long run. Feel good about the work you are doing and don’t be afraid to accept compliments – especially if they are in the form of a promotion!

Being good at office politics does mean being authentic. Again, it’s more about the relationships that you develop than it is about your work competency. So, to go back to the question posed to us that sparked the past two blogs – if you’ve been offered a position that will mean taking over for a former supervisor – accept graciously and be proud of your accomplishments. You’ve earned it.

Getting ahead in life often requires possessing some key character traits. Being determined, a self-starter and a hard worker are some of the obvious ones. Making sure that you are always willing to make sacrifices in order to push yourself to the next level is also something to consider. But what about the act of stepping over other people?

When putting it that way, it sounds absolutely horrible. No decent person should have the intent to hurt others during his or her quest for success, right? However, even if that isn’t the intent, is it not inevitable that leapfrogging over someone’s position may be necessary in order to get yourself to the next level?

A friend of MeloTel’s was recently offered a job position that would mean replacing a supervisor. Wanting this position presented a moral conflict that she had a tough time dealing with. How is one to be happy about getting a promotion when it means the demotion, or worse, the firing of another individual?

The answer may not be the easiest one to find. But there are a number of things that one should consider when presented with this dilemma. In order for some people to win, others must lose. It’s simply the nature of the business world. How to handle it is the key to finding success and being proud of it.

On DumbLittleMan.com, this entire issue is addressed. Penelope Trunk discusses office politics and admits that it is simply a part of life that we all must become well versed in. That is – if we truly do wish to get ahead in our lives. Her article, by the way, is by no means a lesson in being mean. It’s quite the opposite.

Writes Trunk, those with good office politics are “people with empathy, people who are great time managers, and people who see themselves as part of a team. Which means, of course, that you should get good at office politics, because the people who are bad at it have dead-end careers.”

Trunk lists a number of ways to get over the hump of office politics. Dealing with co-workers in a respectful manner is important. But remember, it can be to your detriment to allow yourself to miss opportunities simply because you don’t want to have to deal with office politics.

In our next blog, we will take a close look at some of Trunk’s advice. We hope that it will help you to handle certain situations in your work place with greater confidence. That way, you will be able to get ahead without offending others or feeling as if you have stepped on toes to climb to the top.

Have you done your tax return yet? If not, it may be a sign that you are falling into some bad financial habits. Most often, when people find that they are strapped for cash, it’s not because they aren’t making any money – it because they are simply not managing it well. Especially if you run your own business, good money management is of paramount importance.

Last month on Moneyville.ca, Krystal Yee wrote about the most common money mistakes that people make. She contends that avoiding certain bad habits will vastly improve the economic situation of many an individual. Some of us simply have bad habits that need to be broken. We’d like to take a look a list of some of those today.

Relying on your parents. It’s time to flee the nest people! Even if you’re not still living at home, it’s important to find a sense of independence as it relates to your finances. “It’s time to grow up and take control of your own life,” writes Yee. Remember that your folks won’t always be around to help you out. So learn to stand on your own two feet now!

Delaying saving for retirement. Yee writes that it’s never too early to begin saving for your retirement. Many people tend to not even consider their financial situation at retirement because the time seems so far away. It’s important, however, to invest in your future to ensure that you will be financially stable well after you are no longer working.

Having a bad attitude towards money. You know how some people just tend to complain about money all the time? Those who put themselves into negative states of mind tend to never get out of them. Know anyone like that? They’ve probably been stuck in the same financial state for years with no sight of getting out. It’s time to think positively. Change will come.

The balance transfer game. Earlier this week, one of our clients filled us in on a simple tip about how to save money. “Only buy things that you can afford,” he insisted, “If you have to extend payment on something, don’t buy it. Other than a house or a car, you shouldn’t be paying interest for a thing. Interest is a killer!”

Yee concurs – as do we. She writes that too many people tend to make use of balance transfers only to find out that they don’t ever get them out of debt. Instead, consider lowering your budget and simply spending less. It’s important to have a good grasp on how much money you’re making so that you can properly determine how much you can spend.

Being too generous. Everyone loves generous people. But be careful not to put yourself into debt by being such a sweetie. Find a way to be generous for less instead of overspending on gifts, dinners and vacations. Some people are easily persuaded, says Yee. Don’t be one of those people! Break your bad habits and build up that bank account!