On Careers
-
How to Fight the Office Shark
Continue reading… 0 CommentsA Washington insider once observed: “In the White House, you’re either fighting Sammy Glick or you are Sammy Glick.”
Some readers might not remember the driven and opportunistic protagonist of Budd Schulberg’s 1941 novel “What Makes Sammy Run?” but most have encountered Sammy. He is the colleague who intentionally over-promises and under-delivers in the hope that you’ll be embarrassed. He shamelessly lies and then lies again in denying his lies. He takes undue credit, avoids all well-earned blame, and dismisses any critics as naïve losers. He is, in short, a shark.
One of the most important job skills is being able to spot Sammy. The Glicks of the world can be quite charming and they are always sly. They are capable of doing good work and even good deeds. Fortunately, they usually leave an array of witnesses whose stories of transgressions leave no doubt as to the perpetrator.
-
How to Get Employer Promises in Writing
Continue reading… 1 CommentI was given a long awaited promotion yesterday, but was advised that I would not be receiving a salary increase due to the economic climate. I am ok with this because no one who made more than $60k received an incremental increase, promotion or not. We were all happy that we even received bonuses.
I was however told that when the climate improved and it was salary increase time again (February), I would be recognized at that point. What is your advice on tracking that and making sure it happens. I fear that as the year goes by, it will be forgotten. Is it appropriate to request the promise in writing? I don't want to come across as ungrateful, but want what I deserve.
It is absolutely appropriate to request a promise like this in writing. And you are wise to be concerned about this now. However much we'd like to think others care about our salaries, they just don't. I'm not saying that your boss is a bad person who is trying to cheat you out of a promotional increase. I'm just saying that he's got other things on his plate.
-
5 Tips For Loving a Job You Hate
Continue reading… 9 CommentsHere in Seattle, layoffs at Microsoft, Starbucks, and Boeing (“The Big Three”) have us pretty darn jumpy. After Monday’s mass layoffs elsewhere, you may be feeling the same way.
So, if you still have a job, you’re lucky. You should feel grateful. Right?
But maybe, deep down, you don’t feel grateful. Maybe you hate your job.
-
Captain "Sully" Sullenberger: Where Are You?
Continue reading… 13 CommentsWe need heroes, and I thought maybe the US Airways pilot who so skillfully landed his Airbus A320 in the Hudson River on January 16 would fit the bill.
We've read about his courage/bravery/skill/heroics in saving over 150 lives that afternoon. All of us watched as pictures were released, showing patient passengers standing on the wings waiting for the first responders to respond.
If you were like me, I'll bet you kept one eye on the TV that night, hoping that Anderson Cooper would track down the pilot and help us understand how one simple man could do such things. "And he walked the aisles TWICE after everyone exited the plane, making sure no one was left behind!!"
-
How to Handle a Boss Who Yells
Continue reading… 9 CommentsA reader writes:
I'm hoping you can help a friend of mine who is stuck in a tough situation. After a long job search, my friend has found his dream job--it's what he wants to do, in the field he wants to do it in, it pays the salary he wants to make, and he feels like he's making a positive difference in the world. But his manager only has one way of talking: SCREAMING. Peppered with curse words, no less. At first, my friend just thought this person had high standards, or was trying to "break in the new guy." But it has been months and it's not getting any better. Alhough my pal tries to respond to the feedback that is buried somewhere in all the shouting and swearing, none of his efforts to give his boss what he wants have been met with anything but rage. The few times this manager has tried to give my friend a compliment about a job well done, he still somehow ends up angry and yelling! It is so bad that I would not be surprised if this person has some sort of undiagnosed mood disorder and should be on medication. With the economy the way it is, quitting the job is not an option. Is there anything my friend can do to improve his work environment?
Well, first, chronic yelling should be a deal-breaker. It's abusive, it demeans the person being yelled at, and frankly, it diminishes the authority of the yeller because it makes them look out of control. Yelling is the sign of a bad manager--and a jerk. So yes, the economy is bad, but your friend should at least look around and try to find another job. Sure, it might not pan out, but if he doesn't even try, it definitely won't.
However, here are some survival strategies for whatever period of time someone is stuck with a boss who yells: -
On-Staff Whistleblowers Can Help Companies Prepare for Disaster
Continue reading… 5 CommentsThe standard vision of disaster is that it strikes—perhaps out of nowhere and sometimes after ample but ignored warnings. When it does, so the vision goes, all debate about its existence is suspended as people scramble to contain or remove it.
But what happens when disaster creeps? There is no call to arms because the disaster is silent and forms slowly. Unless someone is astute enough to spot its signs, the full threat may not be seen until remedy is beyond reach.
We routinely chart and scrutinize our projects and plans, but that very process encourages positive thinking. Anyone who has sat through a staff meeting knows how often such sessions turn into pep rallies or, at the least, progress reports. They seldom become "lack of progress reports," and even if they do, attention is paid to the identified problems, the ones that the department is willing to acknowledge. So often, problems exist that everyone knows about but no one discusses. At other times, the problem may be unknown but is lurking just outside of our campfires. Mentioning a problem that may arrive sometime way out there in the future is a good way to gain a reputation as a kook.
-
How to Renege on Two Weeks Notice
Continue reading… 4 CommentsI have given my notice verbally, but not in writing to my managing director. My husband and I plan to move, but we just found out the apartment we're in won't let us out of our lease until the end of February (we had planned to leave no later than the 15th). My question is this: If I have not provided a written resignation and I tell my boss I plan to continue working- -can he summarily discharge me without any notice on the grounds that he doesn't need me anymore or that I said I would be leaving sooner? If he does terminate me, am I then eligible for unemployment as he would have laid me off rather than my quitting?
Your boss can terminate you any time he likes, as long as his reason is legal. But, the real question is, why would he? Usually people give two weeks notice. This is rarely enough time to find a replacement. Many employers would be thrilled if you came back and said: "Hey, you know what? We're not leaving until the end of February, so I can work until the 28th."
-
How Effective Journaling Can Minimize Anxiety
Continue reading… 0 CommentsIn the work world today, stress and anxiety are on the rise. If they're creeping into your life, you can either grit your teeth and bear it, or you can be proactive about minimizing them. One approach that I have found particularly effective is writing a "positive journal."
Despite how it might sound, positive journaling isn't one of those sugar-coated techniques where you just sit around thinking happy thoughts. Rather, it's about focus and awareness.
A few months ago, I did an experiment where every morning for 30 days (to start with) I wrote in a journal in which I would focus on only two things:
-
How Seeing the 'Big Picture' Can Help Your Career
Continue reading… 1 CommentYesterday we inaugurated a new president who, among other things, is a great career role model. President Obama is not only a self-made man—focused, persistent, dedicated, and hardworking—he also looks at the big picture. It's a trait we would all do well to emulate.
Why? Because big-picture people are more effective at their work and they enjoy it more. Too many of us get bogged down in the minutiae of life on the job. Too few of us understand our professional roles in the overall scheme of things.
-
Should You Hire a Career Coach?
Continue reading… 8 CommentsI was talking to my son the other day and he admitted that he didn’t understand what career coaches could do for anyone. “They just offer up a bunch of clichés, or stuff you could look up online,” he said.
He might be right. Or wrong. What do you really think?
Even though I am not a career coach by occupation (although, admission: I do "coach" a very few people), I decided to test his theory of cliché-driven advice and what he knows from his Googling.
-
Why Gen X vs. Gen Y vs. Boomers = BS
Continue reading… 6 CommentsMillenials, the once pejorative term that has morphed into a positive label adopted by so many blogs (many of which I have the utmost respect for), is absolute BS.
Whether you're a "boomer" or a member of Generation X, Y, or Z--we are not each other's competition. At least no more so than we are within our respective generational capsules. Members of each group are essential at every job.
What would the office be without the benign and crusty old-timer; or the still wet behind the ears know-it-all rookie? I'm not suggesting that differing advice may not be applicable to each group, but I do think the whole thing is overblown; nothing more than career Websites honing in on a niche. In an overcrowded blogosphere, it seems many people would have you believe one generation is dramatically different than another when it comes to the world of work. -
How to Fire Someone
Continue reading… 34 CommentsFiring poor performers is one of the hardest things managers do--and also one of the most important.
Firing is about being committed to having great employees. You can do everything else right--setting clear goals and expectations, delegating effectively, giving feedback, striking the right balance between being hands-on without micromanaging, and so forth--but if you aren't willing to transition out people who aren't performing in the way you need, you'll never accomplish what you otherwise could. If you're serious about running a high-performing department or organization, you will have to fire people.
Most managers, however, get little training in how to fire someone. I have needed to fire more times than I would have liked, and here's some advice about how to make it go smoothly: -
From HR: The Truth About Job Postings and the Hiring Process
Continue reading… 7 CommentsIf human resources departments had full disclosure requirements, this is what we’d find:
“Our job requirements are rough and incomplete estimates of what might actually be needed to do the job. Most are obsolete. Many are ridiculously inflated and ones such as ‘five years of experience’ were chosen because they sound good. Often, we don’t really know what we want.”
“Just because we recruit for a position doesn’t mean we plan to fill it with anyone from outside of our organization. We may already know our selection-- it’s Gretchen from down the hall--but we won’t say that.”
-
Some 'Insensitive' Advice on 401(k) Loans
Continue reading… 18 CommentsA few weeks ago, I advised readers to save money in case of a layoff. I got a few angry comments from people calling me insensitive. Whether I'm insensitive or not is up for debate, but I thought I'd go ahead and offer some additional insensitive layoff-preparedness advice:
Do not take out a 401(k) loan.
I know; it's tempting. You need cash. Or the value of your 401(k) has dropped so substantially that you feel as if you're entitled to some fun. (Really. I read on a message board how a bunch of people were planning to take 401(k) loans out to go on vacations because the economy was so depressing.)
-
How Your Sense of What Is Possible Is Probably Wrong
Continue reading… 0 CommentsBack when I used to rock-climb a lot, I was constantly learning lessons that applied to the rest of my life. One of those lessons is the possibility expansion principle—the idea that getting out of your own way and reaching for the seemingly impossible can end up expanding your concept of what is possible.
Twice in a short time, I balked at climbing routes I thought were too hard for me (climbing routes are rated by difficulty, and these were rated as harder than I typically climbed). Both times, my climbing partners pushed me to try it, and both times—after a suitable amount of whining—I tried and succeeded. The second one ended up being one of my most fun climbs ever.
-
How Not to Worry About the News
Continue reading… 4 CommentsThe holidays are behind us. Back to a steady news diet of layoffs, bankruptcies, defaults, Ponzi schemes, bailouts, the deficit, dwindling property values, and a skyrocketing unemployment rate. Who could blame you for wanting to hide under the bed?
But what we tend to forget when we're being constantly bombarded with gloom and doom is that human beings and human society are amazingly resilient.
What's more, there are things we can do to become even more resilient:
-
When Do You Know It’s Time to Work for Yourself?
Continue reading… 2 CommentsSince there are precious few jobs available right now, many of us have started thinking about working for ourselves or starting a company.
There is a quick and simple test to determine if you are ready for this step. First, know that it's not really about working for yourself—so you're asking the wrong question.
The question should really be: When do you know it's time to work for others?
To be successful in your own business, you simply have to have an intense focus on working FOR your customers and prospects. In other words, it is not about you; it's about them. It's not about you simply making money—it is serving them that will bring you what you need.
-
The 8 Best Ways to Mentor Someone
Continue reading… 3 CommentsThere's little at work that is more satisfying than spotting someone who's relatively inexperienced but smart, driven, and generally awesome—and then helping that person develop professionally. I think it's one of the most rewarding things about managing people (second only to having the power to make things run well rather than being at the mercy of an ineffective manager).
If you have some great but inexperienced people on your staff, consider taking them under your wing and doing the following:
-
How to Vaccinate Against Recessionitis
Continue reading… 2 CommentsThe media—and that includes blogs—love to drop the term recessionproof.
News flash: It's impossible to recessionproof anything. That's like trying to stop a world war with a slingshot or hold back the ocean with your retaining wall. If the stuff is gonna hit the fan, it will find you. Sorry if it hurts, but that's life.
There is seemingly no escape from the mood of economic doom and gloom that has permeated American society. But I have important news for you: All this recession talk is hurting your career. Jobacle.com urges you to vaccinate yourself against the latest illness plaguing working stiffs: recessionitis.
-
Career Quiz: Look Around, Are You in Siberia?
Continue reading… 3 CommentsOne of the most important things you can do for your career is to look around.
I don't mean gazing at the horizon and fantasizing about that dream job you hope to land some day. I mean the foreground, which is often less pleasant and where you may be find career warning signals.
If you see a team of highly competent and upwardly mobile folks, then that's a good sign. If you see a collection of characters who will never be promoted and who have been dumped into their jobs from elsewhere, then you should scramble to a dog sled—for you are in Siberia.
Siberia is not reserved for fools or losers. It often contains very talented people who, at some point, crossed a person who could exercise the power to exile. Regardless of the reasons behind the presence of any of its inhabitants, Siberia is career-confining. There is an unwritten understanding within the organization that the Siberians (and this apparently includes you) aren't going anywhere.
