There is no worse feeling than waking up in the morning, rested from good night's sleep, and glancing at the clock, only to do a double-take: You're late!
For most people, knowing they're running late for work strikes the fear of God within them and as a result, they move like there's a fire under their feet to get ready. They hustle, scramble, frantically throw things into a bag and are out the door to ensure a timely -- though unkempt and graceless -- arrival at the office.
But for a smaller group of people, knowing they are running late for work does absolutely nothing except stimulate their creative juices in order to make up the latest excuse as to why they are late for work -- again.
Twenty percent of workers said they arrive late to work at least once a week, according to a February 2009 CareerBuilder.com survey of more than 8,000 workers. Twelve percent said they are late at least twice a week.
One-third (33 percent) of workers blamed traffic for their tardiness, while 24 percent said lack of sleep was the culprit. Ten percent of workers said getting their kids ready for school or day care was the main reason they ran late in the morning. Other common reasons included public transportation, wardrobe issues or dealing with pets.
"While some employers tend to be more lenient with worker punctuality, 30 percent say they have terminated an employee for being late," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder.com. "Workers need to understand their company's policies on tardiness and if they are late, make sure they openly communicate with their managers. Employers have heard every excuse in the book, so honesty is the best policy."
Using your imagination
If you've decided honesty is not the best policy for you, don't try using any of the following excuses as the reason why you're late -- they've been heard before.
Here are 12 of the most outrageous excuses employees have heard for being late to work:
1. My heat was shut off so I had to stay home to keep my snake warm.
2. My husband thinks it's funny to hide my car keys before he goes to work.
3. I walked into a spider web on the way out the door and couldn't find the spider, so I had to go inside and shower again.
4. I got locked in my trunk by my son.
5. My left turn signal was out so I had to make all right turns to get to work.
6. A gurney fell out of an ambulance and delayed traffic.
7. I was attacked by a raccoon and had to stop by the hospital to make sure it wasn't rabid.
8. I feel like I'm in everyone's way if I show up on time.
9. My father didn't wake me up.
10. A groundhog bit my bike tire and made it flat.
11. My driveway washed away in the rain last night.
12. I had to go to bingo.
Follow the culture
The general rule is that you should be at your desk, working by your designated starting time. Technically, even if you're at your desk "on time" but you're still booting up your computer, saying your hellos and making a cup of coffee -- you're late.
Though you should always try your best to be punctual every morning, sometimes it's safe to observe the company culture. If you arrive to work every morning to find all of your colleagues diligently working as you're shuffling in, your tardiness will probably stand out. On the other hand, if most people filter in at their own paces -- within reason -- an occasional late arrival will probably go unnoticed.
To be on the safe side, try your best to be on time for work every day. Your boss, co-workers and reputation will thank you for it.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
5 WAYS TO STAY MOTIVATED WHEN THE PERKS DISAPPEAR
2009 has given employers and employees a run for their money -- literally. Budgets have been cut, layoffs made and furloughs instituted, and benefits and perks have evaporated.
At the beginning of the year, 38 percent of employers said the economy would force them to make administrative cuts sometime during 2009, according to a survey by CareerBuilder.com. Sixty-five percent of those employers indicated that they would cut back company social events, 61 percent anticipated curtailing business travel, 25 percent expected to scale back on health-care benefits and 11 percent planned to reduce wellness benefits. Other areas where companies planned to cut spending included special office perks, such as coffee, ice machines or discounted vending (34 percent), incentive trips (28 percent) and philanthropic activities (21 percent).
Such perks and benefits being taken away make for a tough situation for employees. Not only are they working harder to keep their jobs, but workers have to do more for less. While some argue that it's hard to keep employees motivated in this situation, others say that they shouldn't focus on incentives, but rather think about the bigger picture.
"When perks and benefits are taken away, management often does this to allocate resources where they're needed, elsewhere. The money being saved by not buying bagels every Friday or purchasing Christmas gifts for employees may be going towards your salary," says Tom Gimbel, founder and CEO of LaSalle Network, a staffing and recruiting firm. "If you had to choose between taking a salary cut and not having free coffee versus being let go, most employees would likely take the former."
Urmil "Tracy" Marshall, coordinator for the Office of Diversity and International Affairs at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Ga., agrees that it's important not to focus on what is being taken away. She says that due to budgetary constraints, furloughs were implemented at the school; but rather than get discouraged, she focused on the positive.
"I reminded myself how blessed I was to even have a job," Marshall says. "We need to remind ourselves of our priorities in life, placing a greater emphasis on what we have -- not what we don't."
Communication is key
Although it's understandable for employees to be upset, frustrated and discouraged when benefits or perks are taken away, Kevin Sheridan, founder and CEO of HR Solutions, which specializes in helping organizations to keep employees engaged, says that employees are less likely to be upset if management communicates with employees.
In fact, 82 percent of employees surveyed in HR Solutions' International Normative Database say that it's important that their organization allow them to choose from a variety of benefits to meet their individual needs. The survey consisted of more than 3.3 million responses from 2,400 organizations.
"If an organization's leadership team simply decided amongst themselves which benefits would be best to cut, employees will commonly become upset and their engagement will be negatively affected," Sheridan says. "Open communication is a key driver of engagement, and employees will immediately recognize the fact that they had no voice in the situation. If leadership had simply asked employees which benefits were important to them, this situation may be avoided."
Attitude is everything
Despite having to deal temporarily with a few displaced benefits or perks, there are benefits to sticking around with your employer until those things are reinstated.
"It's a good time to remember that the perks were never the reason that you liked the job. No one gets up in the morning saying, 'I'm really excited to go to the office because there's free coffee,'" says Paul Glen, author and management columnist. "If people feel that the [cuts] are being made in a good-faith effort to save jobs, they will be even more loyal than before, since they believe that the company is working on their behalf -- not just for executives."
Additionally, according to the HR Solutions survey, 37 percent of employees have thought of resigning in the last six months. Twenty-three percent said they thought about leaving because of pay; 18 percent because of a supervisor or manager; 15 percent because of career advancement; and 5 percent because of benefits. Thirty-nine percent considered it for other reasons.
"This statistic is especially important because many organizations have cut benefits over the last six months, and it illustrates that the majority of employees have not thought of resigning as a result of adjusted benefits," Sheridan says. "These employees recognize the advantages of sticking around with a company, benefits or not, for advantages such as career development and compensation. Also, as soon as the economy picks up, many benefits programs will be re-evaluated; employees sticking around with these organizations will not remain without benefits forever."
Workers should also remember that there could be consequences to abandoning a job just because you lost free coffee or a transportation reimbursement. If you're thinking about leaving your job for such reasons, make sure that your missing perks outweigh any possible career advancement or opportunities you would receive if you stayed.
"In this economy, it may be very hard to find another job, and there's no guarantee that one will have free coffee, either," Glen says. "Also, at the new job, even if it is good, the employee will have less tenure and is more likely to be cut in future layoffs."
If you've had benefits or perks taken away in recent months and need help staying motivated, remember these five tips from our experts:
1. Get over it
"The longer you talk about it to fellow employees, the longer you will have bad feelings, cause others to have bad feelings and be less productive yourself, which is not what will help the company be able to restore what has been taken away," says Aubrey Daniels, author of "Oops! 13 Management Practices That Waste Time and Money (and What to Do Instead)."
2. Find motivation
Sheridan encourages employees to find motivation through career planning with supervisors, interacting with co-workers or being proud of where they work. For example, an employee could volunteer to act as a sounding board for job candidates considering employment at the organization.
3. Create your own perks
Nancy Irwin, a motivational speaker and author, says employees can take turns bringing in coffee, bagels or potluck lunches to help fill the void of things that have been cut.
4. Understand what's still offered and take advantage
Darcy Eikenberg, president and chief creative officer of Coach Darcy LLC, recalls a client who didn't sign up for a course because she thought training costs had been eliminated. She realized that a co-worker was taking the course and getting it paid for from tuition reimbursement, an area that hadn't been cut. "Do a deep dive into your company's programs, policies and even discounts because there's probably something you can use now," she says.
5. Focus on the solution, not the problem
Concentrate on actions today that will affect your organization's success and growth tomorrow, says Jonathan Berger, director of human resources at Direct Agents, an interactive advertising company. "Take this time as an opportunity to offer new ideas to your managers and take an active and entrepreneurial role in helping your company overcome straining times. If you do a good job, you may be rewarded for your efforts when things improve," he says. "In addition, by taking on new challenges and opportunities, you can further develop your skills and make yourself a more valuable asset to any organization."
At the beginning of the year, 38 percent of employers said the economy would force them to make administrative cuts sometime during 2009, according to a survey by CareerBuilder.com. Sixty-five percent of those employers indicated that they would cut back company social events, 61 percent anticipated curtailing business travel, 25 percent expected to scale back on health-care benefits and 11 percent planned to reduce wellness benefits. Other areas where companies planned to cut spending included special office perks, such as coffee, ice machines or discounted vending (34 percent), incentive trips (28 percent) and philanthropic activities (21 percent).
Such perks and benefits being taken away make for a tough situation for employees. Not only are they working harder to keep their jobs, but workers have to do more for less. While some argue that it's hard to keep employees motivated in this situation, others say that they shouldn't focus on incentives, but rather think about the bigger picture.
"When perks and benefits are taken away, management often does this to allocate resources where they're needed, elsewhere. The money being saved by not buying bagels every Friday or purchasing Christmas gifts for employees may be going towards your salary," says Tom Gimbel, founder and CEO of LaSalle Network, a staffing and recruiting firm. "If you had to choose between taking a salary cut and not having free coffee versus being let go, most employees would likely take the former."
Urmil "Tracy" Marshall, coordinator for the Office of Diversity and International Affairs at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Ga., agrees that it's important not to focus on what is being taken away. She says that due to budgetary constraints, furloughs were implemented at the school; but rather than get discouraged, she focused on the positive.
"I reminded myself how blessed I was to even have a job," Marshall says. "We need to remind ourselves of our priorities in life, placing a greater emphasis on what we have -- not what we don't."
Communication is key
Although it's understandable for employees to be upset, frustrated and discouraged when benefits or perks are taken away, Kevin Sheridan, founder and CEO of HR Solutions, which specializes in helping organizations to keep employees engaged, says that employees are less likely to be upset if management communicates with employees.
In fact, 82 percent of employees surveyed in HR Solutions' International Normative Database say that it's important that their organization allow them to choose from a variety of benefits to meet their individual needs. The survey consisted of more than 3.3 million responses from 2,400 organizations.
"If an organization's leadership team simply decided amongst themselves which benefits would be best to cut, employees will commonly become upset and their engagement will be negatively affected," Sheridan says. "Open communication is a key driver of engagement, and employees will immediately recognize the fact that they had no voice in the situation. If leadership had simply asked employees which benefits were important to them, this situation may be avoided."
Attitude is everything
Despite having to deal temporarily with a few displaced benefits or perks, there are benefits to sticking around with your employer until those things are reinstated.
"It's a good time to remember that the perks were never the reason that you liked the job. No one gets up in the morning saying, 'I'm really excited to go to the office because there's free coffee,'" says Paul Glen, author and management columnist. "If people feel that the [cuts] are being made in a good-faith effort to save jobs, they will be even more loyal than before, since they believe that the company is working on their behalf -- not just for executives."
Additionally, according to the HR Solutions survey, 37 percent of employees have thought of resigning in the last six months. Twenty-three percent said they thought about leaving because of pay; 18 percent because of a supervisor or manager; 15 percent because of career advancement; and 5 percent because of benefits. Thirty-nine percent considered it for other reasons.
"This statistic is especially important because many organizations have cut benefits over the last six months, and it illustrates that the majority of employees have not thought of resigning as a result of adjusted benefits," Sheridan says. "These employees recognize the advantages of sticking around with a company, benefits or not, for advantages such as career development and compensation. Also, as soon as the economy picks up, many benefits programs will be re-evaluated; employees sticking around with these organizations will not remain without benefits forever."
Workers should also remember that there could be consequences to abandoning a job just because you lost free coffee or a transportation reimbursement. If you're thinking about leaving your job for such reasons, make sure that your missing perks outweigh any possible career advancement or opportunities you would receive if you stayed.
"In this economy, it may be very hard to find another job, and there's no guarantee that one will have free coffee, either," Glen says. "Also, at the new job, even if it is good, the employee will have less tenure and is more likely to be cut in future layoffs."
If you've had benefits or perks taken away in recent months and need help staying motivated, remember these five tips from our experts:
1. Get over it
"The longer you talk about it to fellow employees, the longer you will have bad feelings, cause others to have bad feelings and be less productive yourself, which is not what will help the company be able to restore what has been taken away," says Aubrey Daniels, author of "Oops! 13 Management Practices That Waste Time and Money (and What to Do Instead)."
2. Find motivation
Sheridan encourages employees to find motivation through career planning with supervisors, interacting with co-workers or being proud of where they work. For example, an employee could volunteer to act as a sounding board for job candidates considering employment at the organization.
3. Create your own perks
Nancy Irwin, a motivational speaker and author, says employees can take turns bringing in coffee, bagels or potluck lunches to help fill the void of things that have been cut.
4. Understand what's still offered and take advantage
Darcy Eikenberg, president and chief creative officer of Coach Darcy LLC, recalls a client who didn't sign up for a course because she thought training costs had been eliminated. She realized that a co-worker was taking the course and getting it paid for from tuition reimbursement, an area that hadn't been cut. "Do a deep dive into your company's programs, policies and even discounts because there's probably something you can use now," she says.
5. Focus on the solution, not the problem
Concentrate on actions today that will affect your organization's success and growth tomorrow, says Jonathan Berger, director of human resources at Direct Agents, an interactive advertising company. "Take this time as an opportunity to offer new ideas to your managers and take an active and entrepreneurial role in helping your company overcome straining times. If you do a good job, you may be rewarded for your efforts when things improve," he says. "In addition, by taking on new challenges and opportunities, you can further develop your skills and make yourself a more valuable asset to any organization."
Monday, August 2, 2010
WHY DO YOU WORK?
You get up at six every morning, rush to work, where you spend the sunniest nine hours of the day. This is the routine for millions of people. Any of you stopped to ponder spending those nine hours differently?
Why do we work?
There are various reasons why people work, and why they do the particular work they do. Some people stick to what they're good at, avoiding challenges. Some have been doing the same job for years and can't get out of the comfort zone. And some simply enjoy what they do. But the deciding factor is usually the security bought about by a sizeable income.
The majority of the world's employed population work for money, not love. Ideally, we'd all fall into the minority. But this would only happen if love could feed the family, cover the bond on your house and materialise into petrol. However, there is a way to do what you want, despite your circumstances or experience. Here's how…
Five steps to job satisfaction
1.Take time out
You need to think about what it is you really want. As graduates, we know exactly what we want from life, what we want to be and accomplish. But five years into the job we got straight out of varsity, when work life is devoid of challenges, it's difficult to remember exactly what those goals were. Your idea of a dream job may have changed along with your priorities, so it is important to get a clear idea of what kind of work will enrich your life now. Make a list of all your personal and professional goals. Then ask yourself whether your current job will help you accomplish them. If not, you need to reconsider finding another job.
2. Take the practical route
The most practical way to figure out what will make you happy is to take a career assessment or aptitude test. These assessments take your strengths, weaknesses and goals into account and will give you an accurate indication of the direction you need to go into. Another practical route is to undergo career counselling.
3. Make plans
Once you've figured out what your career goals are, you need to set plans in action. If you plan to leave the company, you need to re-work your CV and start looking for a new job.
4. Take action
According to About.com, there are 10 top reasons to quit your job. These are:
1. You are heading for a burnout, due to work stress.
2. Your relationship with your manager has become unbearable.
3. Your relationship with your colleagues has deteriorated to the point where you can no longer work together as a team.
4. You have ruined your good reputation through behaving inappropriately in the workplace. You may as well quit before you get fired.
5. Your ethics are out of sync with the company. Even though you're not involved with the malpractice, you feel guilty just for coming to work.
6. Your company is heading for bankruptcy.
7. Your priorities have changed. If you have started a family since joining the company and your new needs are not being met, you may want to find a job that can provide you with what you require to support your family.
8. Your values and beliefs differ with the company's corporate culture.
9. You are in perfect health and yet you struggle to get out of bed in the morning. This is a sign that you no longer enjoy your work, and therefore don't look forward to doing it.
10. Work is no longer challenging and there's no chance of a promotion in the next three years.
This is when you know that it's time to go. If things at the office are not this bad, you may want to stick around and make the best of it.
5. Love the one you're with
So, you'll never be the next president. But you can make the best of the job you have. If your work's not challenging enough, spend your free time doing what you love. If you don't earn enough, turn your hobby into an entrepreneurship in you down-time. You spend 40 hours at work every week. Work shouldn't take up your whole life. It represents only a portion of what you do and who you are. Ensure that you spend the rest of the week doing the things you love to ensure you lead a fulfilling life.
Why do we work?
There are various reasons why people work, and why they do the particular work they do. Some people stick to what they're good at, avoiding challenges. Some have been doing the same job for years and can't get out of the comfort zone. And some simply enjoy what they do. But the deciding factor is usually the security bought about by a sizeable income.
The majority of the world's employed population work for money, not love. Ideally, we'd all fall into the minority. But this would only happen if love could feed the family, cover the bond on your house and materialise into petrol. However, there is a way to do what you want, despite your circumstances or experience. Here's how…
Five steps to job satisfaction
1.Take time out
You need to think about what it is you really want. As graduates, we know exactly what we want from life, what we want to be and accomplish. But five years into the job we got straight out of varsity, when work life is devoid of challenges, it's difficult to remember exactly what those goals were. Your idea of a dream job may have changed along with your priorities, so it is important to get a clear idea of what kind of work will enrich your life now. Make a list of all your personal and professional goals. Then ask yourself whether your current job will help you accomplish them. If not, you need to reconsider finding another job.
2. Take the practical route
The most practical way to figure out what will make you happy is to take a career assessment or aptitude test. These assessments take your strengths, weaknesses and goals into account and will give you an accurate indication of the direction you need to go into. Another practical route is to undergo career counselling.
3. Make plans
Once you've figured out what your career goals are, you need to set plans in action. If you plan to leave the company, you need to re-work your CV and start looking for a new job.
4. Take action
According to About.com, there are 10 top reasons to quit your job. These are:
1. You are heading for a burnout, due to work stress.
2. Your relationship with your manager has become unbearable.
3. Your relationship with your colleagues has deteriorated to the point where you can no longer work together as a team.
4. You have ruined your good reputation through behaving inappropriately in the workplace. You may as well quit before you get fired.
5. Your ethics are out of sync with the company. Even though you're not involved with the malpractice, you feel guilty just for coming to work.
6. Your company is heading for bankruptcy.
7. Your priorities have changed. If you have started a family since joining the company and your new needs are not being met, you may want to find a job that can provide you with what you require to support your family.
8. Your values and beliefs differ with the company's corporate culture.
9. You are in perfect health and yet you struggle to get out of bed in the morning. This is a sign that you no longer enjoy your work, and therefore don't look forward to doing it.
10. Work is no longer challenging and there's no chance of a promotion in the next three years.
This is when you know that it's time to go. If things at the office are not this bad, you may want to stick around and make the best of it.
5. Love the one you're with
So, you'll never be the next president. But you can make the best of the job you have. If your work's not challenging enough, spend your free time doing what you love. If you don't earn enough, turn your hobby into an entrepreneurship in you down-time. You spend 40 hours at work every week. Work shouldn't take up your whole life. It represents only a portion of what you do and who you are. Ensure that you spend the rest of the week doing the things you love to ensure you lead a fulfilling life.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
TIPS FOR FACING CHANGE AT WORK
Most people can recall dozens of situations when they experienced change while on the job. Whether it's converting from one software system to another, relocating to a new office or adjusting to new or revised protocols, change is inevitable.
During economic turbulence, however, people often find that the changes they encounter on the job are suddenly much more frequent and substantial than usual. Unexpected layoffs, drastic budget cuts and the sudden expansion of one's job responsibilities are now all too prevalent in the midst of today's recession.
For employees left in the wake of such changes, it can be difficult to set aside their frustrations and anxiety to adjust to challenging new situations.
"When your company enacts change that represents some sort of threat or loss, the reflexive reaction is denial. You might tell yourself that it will never happen, it won't work or it won't affect me. Unfortunately, being resistant to change doesn't stop it from happening and may even jeopardize your job security," says Sandra Naiman, author of the recently released book "The High Achiever's Secret Codebook."
Naiman acknowledges that adapting quickly to significant change is easier said than done.
"We often resist change because we are afraid that a critical need will go unmet," she says. Naiman coaches her clients to identify exactly what they are losing. "In reaction to the same change event, one person might fear a loss of control while another might be threatened by a loss of status," she explains. "Once someone understands the source of their resistance, they are better able to manage it and proactively move forward."
In her book, Naiman reveals the unwritten rules for being successful at work. According to her, embracing and implementing change are keys to being a valuable and valued employee. To respond positively to change, despite being fearful of it or resistant to it, Naiman suggests the following strategies:
1. Define and acknowledge what is over and what is not. Honor those feelings of loss. Face them and do not deny any emotions that might surface. At the same time, identify what is not changing.
2. Look for the pony. Naiman recalls the joke about the quintessential optimist who jumps into a pile of manure, certain that there must be a pony in there somewhere. "No matter how tumultuous the change, there are opportunities available if people are open to looking for them," she says. "Identify the positives for yourself and the company, and then set your focus on them."
3. Jump on the bandwagon early. Once change is inevitable, people can choose to accept it or actively resist. "Whatever they choose, the change will take place. Those who engage sooner, rather than later, will be noticed and remembered, and so will those who go kicking and screaming," Naiman cautions.
4. Acquire new skills and knowledge that change necessitates. Be clear about what you need to learn in order to implement the change and take the initiative to do so. Read, take classes and seek opportunities to learn on the job.
5. Share with colleagues why the sudden change presents opportunities. Support peers by exploring with them ways that they can benefit from the change and help them take advantage of potential opportunities. They will appreciate your efforts, as will management.
Naiman advises that being a champion of change is not to be confused with indiscriminate cheerleading for every change in the offing.
"You will certainly lose credibility if you are perceived as misreading a situation, or worse, being untruthful. However, if a change is inevitable, you can still get behind it, do the best you can to make it work, and encourage others to do the same."
During economic turbulence, however, people often find that the changes they encounter on the job are suddenly much more frequent and substantial than usual. Unexpected layoffs, drastic budget cuts and the sudden expansion of one's job responsibilities are now all too prevalent in the midst of today's recession.
For employees left in the wake of such changes, it can be difficult to set aside their frustrations and anxiety to adjust to challenging new situations.
"When your company enacts change that represents some sort of threat or loss, the reflexive reaction is denial. You might tell yourself that it will never happen, it won't work or it won't affect me. Unfortunately, being resistant to change doesn't stop it from happening and may even jeopardize your job security," says Sandra Naiman, author of the recently released book "The High Achiever's Secret Codebook."
Naiman acknowledges that adapting quickly to significant change is easier said than done.
"We often resist change because we are afraid that a critical need will go unmet," she says. Naiman coaches her clients to identify exactly what they are losing. "In reaction to the same change event, one person might fear a loss of control while another might be threatened by a loss of status," she explains. "Once someone understands the source of their resistance, they are better able to manage it and proactively move forward."
In her book, Naiman reveals the unwritten rules for being successful at work. According to her, embracing and implementing change are keys to being a valuable and valued employee. To respond positively to change, despite being fearful of it or resistant to it, Naiman suggests the following strategies:
1. Define and acknowledge what is over and what is not. Honor those feelings of loss. Face them and do not deny any emotions that might surface. At the same time, identify what is not changing.
2. Look for the pony. Naiman recalls the joke about the quintessential optimist who jumps into a pile of manure, certain that there must be a pony in there somewhere. "No matter how tumultuous the change, there are opportunities available if people are open to looking for them," she says. "Identify the positives for yourself and the company, and then set your focus on them."
3. Jump on the bandwagon early. Once change is inevitable, people can choose to accept it or actively resist. "Whatever they choose, the change will take place. Those who engage sooner, rather than later, will be noticed and remembered, and so will those who go kicking and screaming," Naiman cautions.
4. Acquire new skills and knowledge that change necessitates. Be clear about what you need to learn in order to implement the change and take the initiative to do so. Read, take classes and seek opportunities to learn on the job.
5. Share with colleagues why the sudden change presents opportunities. Support peers by exploring with them ways that they can benefit from the change and help them take advantage of potential opportunities. They will appreciate your efforts, as will management.
Naiman advises that being a champion of change is not to be confused with indiscriminate cheerleading for every change in the offing.
"You will certainly lose credibility if you are perceived as misreading a situation, or worse, being untruthful. However, if a change is inevitable, you can still get behind it, do the best you can to make it work, and encourage others to do the same."
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PERFORMANCE REVIEWS
Do you remember the feeling you had when report card time rolled around in grade school? If you were a good student or had a particularly good semester, you didn't dread it. You might have even been excited because you'd get kudos and possibly a reward from your parents. On the other hand, if your grades for the past few months looked more like football scores than basketball scores, you probably had some butterflies in your stomach. Maybe you even "lost" the report card on the way home.
Jump ahead a few decades and it's déjà vu. Your annual performance review is like report card day, except with nicer clothes and W-2s. You get feedback on your work for the past year, hope that it's good and set new goals for the coming months or year.
The review is a chance to find out what your boss wants from you and for you to explain what you want from your job. While you could only wring your hands as you waited for the arrival of your grades, you can and should prepare for your review.
The self-assessment
"An employee should just spend a little time reflecting on the facts, feelings and results of the past period," suggests Paul Glen, author and columnist. "The facts include what happened, successes and failures. Feelings would be how the employee reacted to the facts and how she felt her supervisors felt about her successes and failures. And then review the concrete results of her work."
This preparation will put you in the right mindset for listening to what your boss has to say and get you thinking about what you want to discuss. The review is about you and your performance, Glen reminds.
"Ask questions about how to improve your performance and to clarify expectations for your current job and the next one you want," he suggests. "Do not make the discussion into a critique of your boss or your peers. That is deflection rather than being useful."
Accepting good and bad feedback
Nevertheless, you might find yourself wanting to deflect or raise a fuss if you receive criticism. Don't let that happen.
Says Glen, "Defensiveness is never useful. The boss wants an employee to try to understand the criticism first. Whether you disagree with the criticism or not, ask questions about it and try to understand it completely from the boss's point of view. Then if you feel that it's unfair, you can push back ... gently. But if you try to push back before you really understand, it will send the message that you are not interested in feedback."
Don't forget that all feedback, both the criticism and the praise, is designed to enhance your future work. For example, you've shown a command of your regular job duties, but you're not showing the leadership skills that you'd need to move on to the next level. Therefore, you know you can do the job, but you need to demonstrate that you're capable of handling a promotion. The review process isn't about scolding -- at least if you have a good boss -- it's about making you a better employee. If the company just wanted to criticize you, it could save everyone the time and send you a mean e-mail. Or just fire you.
Your responsibility after the review is to use the criticism and praise you received in the review as guidelines for daily performance.
"Take a few notes and then think about what concrete steps you can take to actually improve your performance and ensure that your improvements are noticeable," Glen advises. "Remember that you don't have to demonstrate things in the next week. After a suitable period of time, perhaps halfway to the next review, ask the boss for feedback on how you are doing on the specific issues that were addressed. That will get you feedback in time to do something about it and will get your boss to try to notice things as well."
The salary talk
When you're thinking about your review, you're probably also thinking about how the outcome affects your pay. In some companies, salary negotiations might be an entirely separate meeting that takes place at a different time. Other businesses use the performance review to handle compensation talks. Glen urges employees to think of the review and the salary discussion as separate issues. If your compensation is going to be discussed, the boss will be the one to mention it first.
"If the boss doesn't bring it up, at the end, ask how the salary review relates to the performance review," Glen suggests. "The purpose of performance review is to give an employee feedback about their performance with respect to expectations and to communicate future expectations. A salary review is to reset pay with respect to others in the firm and with the external market."
By letting the salary talk occur naturally, you're not moving focus from you or your performance. You show the boss that your mind is on more than the paycheck and you're concerned about what he or she has to say.
Jump ahead a few decades and it's déjà vu. Your annual performance review is like report card day, except with nicer clothes and W-2s. You get feedback on your work for the past year, hope that it's good and set new goals for the coming months or year.
The review is a chance to find out what your boss wants from you and for you to explain what you want from your job. While you could only wring your hands as you waited for the arrival of your grades, you can and should prepare for your review.
The self-assessment
"An employee should just spend a little time reflecting on the facts, feelings and results of the past period," suggests Paul Glen, author and columnist. "The facts include what happened, successes and failures. Feelings would be how the employee reacted to the facts and how she felt her supervisors felt about her successes and failures. And then review the concrete results of her work."
This preparation will put you in the right mindset for listening to what your boss has to say and get you thinking about what you want to discuss. The review is about you and your performance, Glen reminds.
"Ask questions about how to improve your performance and to clarify expectations for your current job and the next one you want," he suggests. "Do not make the discussion into a critique of your boss or your peers. That is deflection rather than being useful."
Accepting good and bad feedback
Nevertheless, you might find yourself wanting to deflect or raise a fuss if you receive criticism. Don't let that happen.
Says Glen, "Defensiveness is never useful. The boss wants an employee to try to understand the criticism first. Whether you disagree with the criticism or not, ask questions about it and try to understand it completely from the boss's point of view. Then if you feel that it's unfair, you can push back ... gently. But if you try to push back before you really understand, it will send the message that you are not interested in feedback."
Don't forget that all feedback, both the criticism and the praise, is designed to enhance your future work. For example, you've shown a command of your regular job duties, but you're not showing the leadership skills that you'd need to move on to the next level. Therefore, you know you can do the job, but you need to demonstrate that you're capable of handling a promotion. The review process isn't about scolding -- at least if you have a good boss -- it's about making you a better employee. If the company just wanted to criticize you, it could save everyone the time and send you a mean e-mail. Or just fire you.
Your responsibility after the review is to use the criticism and praise you received in the review as guidelines for daily performance.
"Take a few notes and then think about what concrete steps you can take to actually improve your performance and ensure that your improvements are noticeable," Glen advises. "Remember that you don't have to demonstrate things in the next week. After a suitable period of time, perhaps halfway to the next review, ask the boss for feedback on how you are doing on the specific issues that were addressed. That will get you feedback in time to do something about it and will get your boss to try to notice things as well."
The salary talk
When you're thinking about your review, you're probably also thinking about how the outcome affects your pay. In some companies, salary negotiations might be an entirely separate meeting that takes place at a different time. Other businesses use the performance review to handle compensation talks. Glen urges employees to think of the review and the salary discussion as separate issues. If your compensation is going to be discussed, the boss will be the one to mention it first.
"If the boss doesn't bring it up, at the end, ask how the salary review relates to the performance review," Glen suggests. "The purpose of performance review is to give an employee feedback about their performance with respect to expectations and to communicate future expectations. A salary review is to reset pay with respect to others in the firm and with the external market."
By letting the salary talk occur naturally, you're not moving focus from you or your performance. You show the boss that your mind is on more than the paycheck and you're concerned about what he or she has to say.
WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PERFORMANCE REVIEWA
Do you remember the feeling you had when report card time rolled around in grade school? If you were a good student or had a particularly good semester, you didn't dread it. You might have even been excited because you'd get kudos and possibly a reward from your parents. On the other hand, if your grades for the past few months looked more like football scores than basketball scores, you probably had some butterflies in your stomach. Maybe you even "lost" the report card on the way home.
Jump ahead a few decades and it's déjà vu. Your annual performance review is like report card day, except with nicer clothes and W-2s. You get feedback on your work for the past year, hope that it's good and set new goals for the coming months or year.
The review is a chance to find out what your boss wants from you and for you to explain what you want from your job. While you could only wring your hands as you waited for the arrival of your grades, you can and should prepare for your review.
The self-assessment
"An employee should just spend a little time reflecting on the facts, feelings and results of the past period," suggests Paul Glen, author and columnist. "The facts include what happened, successes and failures. Feelings would be how the employee reacted to the facts and how she felt her supervisors felt about her successes and failures. And then review the concrete results of her work."
This preparation will put you in the right mindset for listening to what your boss has to say and get you thinking about what you want to discuss. The review is about you and your performance, Glen reminds.
"Ask questions about how to improve your performance and to clarify expectations for your current job and the next one you want," he suggests. "Do not make the discussion into a critique of your boss or your peers. That is deflection rather than being useful."
Accepting good and bad feedback
Nevertheless, you might find yourself wanting to deflect or raise a fuss if you receive criticism. Don't let that happen.
Says Glen, "Defensiveness is never useful. The boss wants an employee to try to understand the criticism first. Whether you disagree with the criticism or not, ask questions about it and try to understand it completely from the boss's point of view. Then if you feel that it's unfair, you can push back ... gently. But if you try to push back before you really understand, it will send the message that you are not interested in feedback."
Don't forget that all feedback, both the criticism and the praise, is designed to enhance your future work. For example, you've shown a command of your regular job duties, but you're not showing the leadership skills that you'd need to move on to the next level. Therefore, you know you can do the job, but you need to demonstrate that you're capable of handling a promotion. The review process isn't about scolding -- at least if you have a good boss -- it's about making you a better employee. If the company just wanted to criticize you, it could save everyone the time and send you a mean e-mail. Or just fire you.
Your responsibility after the review is to use the criticism and praise you received in the review as guidelines for daily performance.
"Take a few notes and then think about what concrete steps you can take to actually improve your performance and ensure that your improvements are noticeable," Glen advises. "Remember that you don't have to demonstrate things in the next week. After a suitable period of time, perhaps halfway to the next review, ask the boss for feedback on how you are doing on the specific issues that were addressed. That will get you feedback in time to do something about it and will get your boss to try to notice things as well."
The salary talk
When you're thinking about your review, you're probably also thinking about how the outcome affects your pay. In some companies, salary negotiations might be an entirely separate meeting that takes place at a different time. Other businesses use the performance review to handle compensation talks. Glen urges employees to think of the review and the salary discussion as separate issues. If your compensation is going to be discussed, the boss will be the one to mention it first.
"If the boss doesn't bring it up, at the end, ask how the salary review relates to the performance review," Glen suggests. "The purpose of performance review is to give an employee feedback about their performance with respect to expectations and to communicate future expectations. A salary review is to reset pay with respect to others in the firm and with the external market."
By letting the salary talk occur naturally, you're not moving focus from you or your performance. You show the boss that your mind is on more than the paycheck and you're concerned about what he or she has to say.
Jump ahead a few decades and it's déjà vu. Your annual performance review is like report card day, except with nicer clothes and W-2s. You get feedback on your work for the past year, hope that it's good and set new goals for the coming months or year.
The review is a chance to find out what your boss wants from you and for you to explain what you want from your job. While you could only wring your hands as you waited for the arrival of your grades, you can and should prepare for your review.
The self-assessment
"An employee should just spend a little time reflecting on the facts, feelings and results of the past period," suggests Paul Glen, author and columnist. "The facts include what happened, successes and failures. Feelings would be how the employee reacted to the facts and how she felt her supervisors felt about her successes and failures. And then review the concrete results of her work."
This preparation will put you in the right mindset for listening to what your boss has to say and get you thinking about what you want to discuss. The review is about you and your performance, Glen reminds.
"Ask questions about how to improve your performance and to clarify expectations for your current job and the next one you want," he suggests. "Do not make the discussion into a critique of your boss or your peers. That is deflection rather than being useful."
Accepting good and bad feedback
Nevertheless, you might find yourself wanting to deflect or raise a fuss if you receive criticism. Don't let that happen.
Says Glen, "Defensiveness is never useful. The boss wants an employee to try to understand the criticism first. Whether you disagree with the criticism or not, ask questions about it and try to understand it completely from the boss's point of view. Then if you feel that it's unfair, you can push back ... gently. But if you try to push back before you really understand, it will send the message that you are not interested in feedback."
Don't forget that all feedback, both the criticism and the praise, is designed to enhance your future work. For example, you've shown a command of your regular job duties, but you're not showing the leadership skills that you'd need to move on to the next level. Therefore, you know you can do the job, but you need to demonstrate that you're capable of handling a promotion. The review process isn't about scolding -- at least if you have a good boss -- it's about making you a better employee. If the company just wanted to criticize you, it could save everyone the time and send you a mean e-mail. Or just fire you.
Your responsibility after the review is to use the criticism and praise you received in the review as guidelines for daily performance.
"Take a few notes and then think about what concrete steps you can take to actually improve your performance and ensure that your improvements are noticeable," Glen advises. "Remember that you don't have to demonstrate things in the next week. After a suitable period of time, perhaps halfway to the next review, ask the boss for feedback on how you are doing on the specific issues that were addressed. That will get you feedback in time to do something about it and will get your boss to try to notice things as well."
The salary talk
When you're thinking about your review, you're probably also thinking about how the outcome affects your pay. In some companies, salary negotiations might be an entirely separate meeting that takes place at a different time. Other businesses use the performance review to handle compensation talks. Glen urges employees to think of the review and the salary discussion as separate issues. If your compensation is going to be discussed, the boss will be the one to mention it first.
"If the boss doesn't bring it up, at the end, ask how the salary review relates to the performance review," Glen suggests. "The purpose of performance review is to give an employee feedback about their performance with respect to expectations and to communicate future expectations. A salary review is to reset pay with respect to others in the firm and with the external market."
By letting the salary talk occur naturally, you're not moving focus from you or your performance. You show the boss that your mind is on more than the paycheck and you're concerned about what he or she has to say.
Monday, July 5, 2010
WHEN CO-WORKERS GO FROM FRIEND TO FOE.
Growing up, plenty of people dished out advice about what kind of job to get. I was told to find a way to get paid doing what I love. I was also told to find a job that paid the bills because I'd resent my passion if it were my job. Each person had a story to prove why their advice was right. Ultimately, I listened to no one and just did what felt right. As a result, I realized one size does not fit all for career advice.
The same goes for befriending the people you work with, or bringing friends into the workplace. For some people, friendship and professionalism go hand-in-hand. For others, not so much. And for certain workers, friendship was integral to the workplace until things went very, very wrong.
"It can be very good or very bad -- depending on a number of factors, including the personalities of the people who are friends and their relationship in the workplace. For example: Is one person insecure, jealous, needy or passive-aggressive? Is one supervising the other? Are they in a very competitive environment? Are there wide discrepancies between their salaries or earning power?" says Irene S. Levine, author of "Best Friends Forever: Surviving a Breakup with a Best Friend."
"Because of the potential downsides, such friendships should be approached slowly and judiciously to avoid disappointments. You need to allow them to unfold slowly so you have a good sense of the other person -- and know whether the person is trustworthy and has good judgment," says Levine.
If only some people got this advice early in their careers.
First comes friendship, then comes betrayal
At a previous job, Crystal Brown-Tatum was a receptionist but had formed a professional friendship with a sales executive -- one of the few people in the office who showed her respect. That all changed when the sales executive became involved with Brown-Tatum's fiancé, who was a manager at the same company. As you might expect, the friendship suffered, and so did her career. As a result, Brown-Tatum was put on paid leave to "cool down" and her access to e-mail and the premises was restricted.
"By the time the affair came out, [my fiancé] was relocated to a New York office while [the sales manager] and I remained in the Houston office," she says. "When I returned to work, we were all advised by HR not to discuss the relationship or face severe consequences. I had to go out of my way to avoid her but everyone in the office knew. It was extremely awkward."
Another consequence of the situation was how distrusting she became with colleagues, even after she had moved on to a new employer. She was especially hesitant around the women in the office. Ultimately she started her own company, Crystal Clear Communications, because the thought of working in a similar environment was too much for her.
Leslie Jacobs of Les Mess Organizing Cards also found her work life go from peaceful to turbulent in a brief moment. She was friends with an office manager at a previous employer. They were regular lunch friends and spent much of their time together. Then one day the office manager stopped talking to her. Years before the friend had done something similar, but the silent treatment didn't last long so Jacobs dismissed it as a one-time event. This time it was permanent -- no explanation and no opportunity for Jacobs to understand what was going on.
"I asked her to talk to me -- let's talk this out. She refused," Jacobs remembers. "She would only talk to me in a very businesslike way. But, as office manager she had the power to make my job easy or not -- and she chose not." Not surprisingly, there was a round of layoffs shortly after and Jacobs was let go from her job. Although she was told it was a financial issue, Jacobs knew that wasn't the case -- especially when she saw the organization throw a party for 50,000 attendees. She never found out the reason for the sudden change of heart, but she knows former colleagues are being told a significantly different story to explain Jacobs' departure.
A friendship postmortem
Sometimes the friendship falls apart after the professional relationship ends, which can be just as hurtful. That's what happened to Linda Athans, now a marketing manager at Mangrove Employer Services. For a previous company she was a director and had hired an assistant from another department. She established a mentor/protégé relationship with the assistant.
"The two of us not only reshaped the entire department for the company, but also became great friends in the process ... almost sisters," Athans says. "We saw each other outside work frequently, shared secrets and could be both professional and silly with each other. I was even in her wedding!"
Unfortunately, Athans' position was eliminated and she left work permanently on a Friday afternoon. She didn't hear from the assistant until Monday morning, and then it was only to ask about project Athans had been working on. She was apparently filling Athans' role and made no attempt to approach her as a friend.
"Needless to say I was upset at the callousness -¬ I had just lost my job of four years.[I] told her that I didn't work there anymore and she should get direction from the VP," Athans says. "She got angry with me, hung up, and that was that."
They've seen each other since and their interaction has gone from cordial to nonexistent. For Athans, the lesson learned was that friendships shouldn't exist within the office.
"Most of what we shared revolved around work and being in the same situation. But once I left, it was obvious that we didn't really have that much in common and were two very different people. Sometimes I am reminded of her and remember the good times we had fondly, but that relationship definitely changed how close I get to people in the workplace."
How to deal
What do you do if your friendship with a co-worker is going south? And what if it's beyond repair? Levine has some tips for workers:
• Notice the warning signs and stay calm
"The first step would be to communicate, without casting blame, to see if a minor misunderstanding can be straightened out," Levine advises. "Perhaps it is a question of establishing boundaries with which both friends feel comfortable. Depending on what happened, for example, two friends may decide to only be friends in the workplace or to only be friends outside of work, limiting their conversation about work."
• Approach with caution
"If the friendship is falling apart, you might want to act cordial but slowly pull back, spending last time and sharing fewer intimacies with the individual. You still want to act friendly and greet them in the workplace. The last thing you want to do is to draw other people into your conflict [or] misunderstanding," Levine suggests.
• Understand the kind of friendship you have
"Workers need to remember that not all friendships stick," Levine reminds. "Most are transient and you don't want to do anything to jeopardize your employment and reputation, particularly in this economy. On the other hand, friends in the workplace can be your greatest collaborators, cheerleaders, and shoulders to cry on and re-energize."
The same goes for befriending the people you work with, or bringing friends into the workplace. For some people, friendship and professionalism go hand-in-hand. For others, not so much. And for certain workers, friendship was integral to the workplace until things went very, very wrong.
"It can be very good or very bad -- depending on a number of factors, including the personalities of the people who are friends and their relationship in the workplace. For example: Is one person insecure, jealous, needy or passive-aggressive? Is one supervising the other? Are they in a very competitive environment? Are there wide discrepancies between their salaries or earning power?" says Irene S. Levine, author of "Best Friends Forever: Surviving a Breakup with a Best Friend."
"Because of the potential downsides, such friendships should be approached slowly and judiciously to avoid disappointments. You need to allow them to unfold slowly so you have a good sense of the other person -- and know whether the person is trustworthy and has good judgment," says Levine.
If only some people got this advice early in their careers.
First comes friendship, then comes betrayal
At a previous job, Crystal Brown-Tatum was a receptionist but had formed a professional friendship with a sales executive -- one of the few people in the office who showed her respect. That all changed when the sales executive became involved with Brown-Tatum's fiancé, who was a manager at the same company. As you might expect, the friendship suffered, and so did her career. As a result, Brown-Tatum was put on paid leave to "cool down" and her access to e-mail and the premises was restricted.
"By the time the affair came out, [my fiancé] was relocated to a New York office while [the sales manager] and I remained in the Houston office," she says. "When I returned to work, we were all advised by HR not to discuss the relationship or face severe consequences. I had to go out of my way to avoid her but everyone in the office knew. It was extremely awkward."
Another consequence of the situation was how distrusting she became with colleagues, even after she had moved on to a new employer. She was especially hesitant around the women in the office. Ultimately she started her own company, Crystal Clear Communications, because the thought of working in a similar environment was too much for her.
Leslie Jacobs of Les Mess Organizing Cards also found her work life go from peaceful to turbulent in a brief moment. She was friends with an office manager at a previous employer. They were regular lunch friends and spent much of their time together. Then one day the office manager stopped talking to her. Years before the friend had done something similar, but the silent treatment didn't last long so Jacobs dismissed it as a one-time event. This time it was permanent -- no explanation and no opportunity for Jacobs to understand what was going on.
"I asked her to talk to me -- let's talk this out. She refused," Jacobs remembers. "She would only talk to me in a very businesslike way. But, as office manager she had the power to make my job easy or not -- and she chose not." Not surprisingly, there was a round of layoffs shortly after and Jacobs was let go from her job. Although she was told it was a financial issue, Jacobs knew that wasn't the case -- especially when she saw the organization throw a party for 50,000 attendees. She never found out the reason for the sudden change of heart, but she knows former colleagues are being told a significantly different story to explain Jacobs' departure.
A friendship postmortem
Sometimes the friendship falls apart after the professional relationship ends, which can be just as hurtful. That's what happened to Linda Athans, now a marketing manager at Mangrove Employer Services. For a previous company she was a director and had hired an assistant from another department. She established a mentor/protégé relationship with the assistant.
"The two of us not only reshaped the entire department for the company, but also became great friends in the process ... almost sisters," Athans says. "We saw each other outside work frequently, shared secrets and could be both professional and silly with each other. I was even in her wedding!"
Unfortunately, Athans' position was eliminated and she left work permanently on a Friday afternoon. She didn't hear from the assistant until Monday morning, and then it was only to ask about project Athans had been working on. She was apparently filling Athans' role and made no attempt to approach her as a friend.
"Needless to say I was upset at the callousness -¬ I had just lost my job of four years.[I] told her that I didn't work there anymore and she should get direction from the VP," Athans says. "She got angry with me, hung up, and that was that."
They've seen each other since and their interaction has gone from cordial to nonexistent. For Athans, the lesson learned was that friendships shouldn't exist within the office.
"Most of what we shared revolved around work and being in the same situation. But once I left, it was obvious that we didn't really have that much in common and were two very different people. Sometimes I am reminded of her and remember the good times we had fondly, but that relationship definitely changed how close I get to people in the workplace."
How to deal
What do you do if your friendship with a co-worker is going south? And what if it's beyond repair? Levine has some tips for workers:
• Notice the warning signs and stay calm
"The first step would be to communicate, without casting blame, to see if a minor misunderstanding can be straightened out," Levine advises. "Perhaps it is a question of establishing boundaries with which both friends feel comfortable. Depending on what happened, for example, two friends may decide to only be friends in the workplace or to only be friends outside of work, limiting their conversation about work."
• Approach with caution
"If the friendship is falling apart, you might want to act cordial but slowly pull back, spending last time and sharing fewer intimacies with the individual. You still want to act friendly and greet them in the workplace. The last thing you want to do is to draw other people into your conflict [or] misunderstanding," Levine suggests.
• Understand the kind of friendship you have
"Workers need to remember that not all friendships stick," Levine reminds. "Most are transient and you don't want to do anything to jeopardize your employment and reputation, particularly in this economy. On the other hand, friends in the workplace can be your greatest collaborators, cheerleaders, and shoulders to cry on and re-energize."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)