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When You Are Down, Depressed, and Angry
Tweet Share on Facebook September 30, 2008 CommentI am with you ... sometimes "it all" makes me want to kick a small animal. (Jk, PETA, jk. A figure of speech.)
Here's what to do instead:
Don't wallow in it. Maybe you are the kind of person who loves to stand around and play: "Ain't it awful, ain't it awful?" or, worse, its cousin: "(insert names here) are just stupid and awful." That's fine. I just know that when I do that—when I speak ill of something or someone—I feel diminished and worse. If you think it's "venting" and therefore good for you, great. Do it by yourself.
Self-talk and good stories: We all know someone whom we can call because they are like sunshine pumps for us. They pump sunshine into our lives and actions. Call them ... or even better, resolve to be one yourself. It's counterintuitive, maybe. Nothing works faster than being extra nice today. Go out of your way to pass along a compliment on a job well done, smile more, give bigger tips, and be extra polite.
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Lessons From the Mets' Historic Collapse...Again
Tweet Share on Facebook September 29, 2008 Comment (5)For the second consecutive season, the New York Mets have failed in the clutch, coughing up an opportunity to advance to the playoffs. This has led sports pundits and media talking heads to speculate on personnel changes, even a full-blown team overhaul. As sports fans are already aware, this is highly unlikely because (a) players are bound by contracts, (b) good talent is hard to find, and (c) the Mets will fill the stadium next year regardless of who is on the team.
Good leaders never point fingers (at least publicly), but they are able to identify the problem and repair it. Only fools make the same mistake over and over again. And unfortunately for the Mets and their ownership, they are repeat offenders. Sure, several changes were made: a new midseason manager, rookie call-ups, and the signing of an absolute stud of a pitcher in Johan Santana. And yes, they were plagued by injuries (but what team isn't?). The bottom line is that the core of the team is the same and so is the result.
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Help! I'm Being Micromanaged!
Tweet Share on Facebook September 29, 2008 Comment (9)One of the most common complaints that people have about their boss is that they're being micromanaged—their work is being overly scrutinized, the boss is checking up on things they don't need to check up on, and they generally feel they're not trusted.
First, let's define micromanagement. There's a difference between hands-on management and micromanagement. A micromanager dictates exactly how to do something and watches over every little step in the process, refusing to truly delegate any decisions—and, in the process, lowers morale and productivity. But good hands-on managers do get heavily involved in ensuring that employees are clear on the desired outcomes, and they do check in on progress (so that employees can make needed adjustments before it's too late). So, don't confuse being hands-on with micromanaging.
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10 Phrases You Should Never Say in Business
Tweet Share on Facebook September 26, 2008 Comment (7)There are certain words and phrases that can trigger the rapid loss of points during a job interview or meeting. While this may not always occur, these terms have such frequent side effects that they should be avoided.
1. "The bottom line." Effective when first uttered, it is now two steps removed from "Great Caesar's ghost!"
2. "Walk the talk." Another clunker. If I received royalties for every time the talk has been walked—or at least taken out for a short stroll—at diversity conferences, this post would be coming from Maui.
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Performance Appraisals: How to Make Them Easy
Tweet Share on Facebook September 25, 2008 Comment (4)I know that companies are always trying to get you to set goals in categories like "Trust" and "Teamwork" and "Leadership." Those are gushy little categories that leadership teams just love, but for managers it's a huge pain. Since I promised to make your next year's performance appraisal writing a snap, I'll tell you how to set goals so that the appraisal just falls into place.
A typical goal for teamwork would read something like this: "Suzanne will work with her team members to successfully execute all necessary tasks. She will collaborate with her coworkers in order to increase the departmental knowledge base and facilitate the timely completion of projects."
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How to Overcome the Voice of Judgment
Tweet Share on Facebook September 25, 2008 Comment (1)When you think about pursuing your dreams, do you ever hear the "voice of judgment"? It's that snide little voice saying, "yeah, right," and giving a negative spin to whatever you're looking at.
That voice is far too common, and it can be a huge obstacle to creating our dreams. Most of us have it hanging over our heads in some way, limiting what's possible.
Maybe it's a constant feeling that what we do is never quite good enough (shades of perfectionism). Maybe it's a judgment about the path we'd like to take but won't let ourselves even consider (what would people think?). We're constantly judging ourselves, others, and the world around us, and often it's completely counterproductive.
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Is Telecommuting Risky?
Tweet Share on Facebook September 24, 2008 CommentIt's a dicey economy. And if you are a telecommuter, you may be at special risk.
Fact 1: In these days of economic uncertainty, everybody is looking for ways to cut back. That everybody may include your employer.
Fact 2: Employers are only human. Humans tend to take the easy way out. And it's easier to lay off someone you only see rarely than to lay off someone you see every day and who has become an integral part of your work life.
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How You Can Support Entrepreneurs
Tweet Share on Facebook September 23, 2008 CommentMuch has been said lately about how entrepreneurship is one of the strengths of our economy. I agree.
In every community, small and large, entrepreneurs are creating new products and services. The process of doing this is dirty, hard work.
The public sees the resulting success or failure much later, after the entrepreneur has adjusted and allowed market forces to refine and correct his original ideas. Some fail. For those who succeed, it is easy to look at such success and say, "Well, that was obvious." No, it wasn't.
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What to Do About a Bad Reference
Tweet Share on Facebook September 22, 2008 Comment (57)One of the most common questions I receive over at Ask a Manager is what to do about a previous boss who is likely to give you a bad reference.
First, yes, it's legal for an employer to give a negative reference as long as it's factually accurate. It's true that some companies have policies that they will only confirm dates of employment and job duties and will not comment on the employee's performance—but (a) these policies are simply policies, not the law, and (b) good reference-checkers know how to get around them, by asking the candidate to arrange a direct call with the candidate's former manager.
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Seduced by Job Title Glitz
Tweet Share on Facebook September 19, 2008 Comment (1)It has been said that much more pleasure can be found in being the one who tells the lawyer to prepare the necessary papers than in being the one who has to prepare them. That hard truth is acquired, often too late, by many a young attorney who entered law school with visions of being the next Atticus Finch or Clarence Darrow.
The image doesn't match the substance of many a job. The romantic view of the cowboy masks low pay, hard work, and the questionable pleasure of dealing with cattle, storms, and barbed wire. Another celebrity job group—writers—soon discover they have to hold down a regular job to pay the bills and that their leverage with publishing firms possesses echoes of the farm workers in The Grapes of Wrath.
