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How to Fight the Office Shark
Tweet Share on Facebook January 30, 2009 CommentA 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.
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How to Get Employer Promises in Writing
Tweet Share on Facebook January 29, 2009 Comment (1)I 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.
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5 Tips For Loving a Job You Hate
Tweet Share on Facebook January 28, 2009 Comment (10)Here 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.
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Captain "Sully" Sullenberger: Where Are You?
Tweet Share on Facebook January 27, 2009 Comment (13)We 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!!"
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How to Handle a Boss Who Yells
Tweet Share on Facebook January 27, 2009 Comment (26)A 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
Tweet Share on Facebook January 23, 2009 Comment (5)The 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.
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How to Renege on Two Weeks Notice
Tweet Share on Facebook January 22, 2009 Comment (4)I 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."
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How Effective Journaling Can Minimize Anxiety
Tweet Share on Facebook January 22, 2009 CommentIn 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:
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How Seeing the 'Big Picture' Can Help Your Career
Tweet Share on Facebook January 21, 2009 Comment (1)Yesterday 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.
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Should You Hire a Career Coach?
Tweet Share on Facebook January 20, 2009 Comment (8)I 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.
