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4 Lessons Learned From Blog Commenters
Tweet Share on Facebook August 19, 2008 Comment (9)There is nothing worse than getting older and dumber.
Last week, I tried to make what I thought was—and had intended to be—an innocent comparison between the motivated followers of Rep. Ron Paul and passionate, excited employees. In 250 words, my goal was to point out some of what was working for Paul and show how you could do something similar. That was dumb, consensus showed.
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What to Do if You Think You’re About to Get Fired
Tweet Share on Facebook August 18, 2008 Comment (30)Often, when someone is having serious performance issues and in danger of losing their job, they simply do...nothing. Sometimes it's denial about the severity of the situation, but other times people just feel helpless to change anything. If you're getting signals that your job may be in jeopardy, however, doing nothing is about the worst thing you can do. Instead, here are some ways to take control of the situation and turn it into something more manageable:
1. First, drop your ego. It's human nature to want to defend ourselves against criticism. But focusing on your defense—or the idea that your boss is crazy/tyrannical/wrong—can keep you from an objective analysis of whether there's any truth to the complaints. I've seen a sad number of cases where the things that got someone fired could have been fixed if the person had truly heard the criticism, rather than put up walls and refused to process it. Even if your boss is a tyrant, you do yourself a disservice by not hearing the feedback with an open mind.
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The Pros/Cons of an Online Masters
Tweet Share on Facebook August 18, 2008 Comment (11)Ten years removed from college, and for the first time in a decade, I'm flirting with the idea of continuing my education. I'm honestly not sure where this newfound idea is rooted. Boredom? Ego? A challenge? Thirst for knowledge? The truth will shake out over the next few weeks as I begin to familiarize myself with the GMAT, online programs, and the positive/negatives of the endeavor. (My sneaking suspicion is that the MATH will ultimately keep me away.)
Here are some questions that need to be answered before I move forward:
- What will I study and how will it help my career?
- Will an advanced degree help me at my current job or is a company/career switch necessary?
- How will I pay for it? What's the ROI?
- Even though my job doesn't outwardly offer tuition reimbursement, is there a way I can convince them to foot the bill?
- Do I have the time to commit?
- Are there other alternatives that can satisfy my list of pros? Perhaps a certificate program?
- How important is the name of the school attended? What if they only have an online presence? (Stay away from diploma mills and understand the differences between nationally and regionally accredited schools.)
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How Much Personality Should You Bring to the Office?
Tweet Share on Facebook August 15, 2008 Comment (2)A true challenge in the workplace is learning how much of our real personality can be revealed without producing serious career damage. This should not imply that our genuine nature is defective, of course, but who among us would not benefit from Tongue-Biting 101?
Employees rightly assume that while management might talk about embracing diversity, acting like rebels, and thinking outside of whatever geometric shape is the latest rage, none of those activities are without limits. Visit your organization's fringe offices and you'll probably meet a lot of eccentrics, some of whom earned that label by speaking their minds. There is a fine line between the genius and the crank, and sometimes no line at all.
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5 Rules for Laying Off an Employee
Tweet Share on Facebook August 14, 2008 Comment (2)Last month, we talked about what questions to ask if you are ever laid off. But what if you are unlucky enough to be the manager of someone whose position is being eliminated? This is different from a termination for cause—this is someone who has the misfortune of being in the wrong position at the wrong time.
Here are five things to help you through this stressful experience:
1. Don't give any false hope. By the time you sit down, the decision has been made and everyone has signed off on it. Don't let your employee think that maybe there's a chance. It just makes the layoff more painful.
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Say No to Black-and-White Thinking
Tweet Share on Facebook August 14, 2008 CommentWant a surefire way to limit your ability to create a future that energizes and inspires you? Think in black and white.
So often I see people looking at life's options and obstacles as though there were only two possibilities for any given scenario. "Either I do it this way or I can't do it at all. Either I do it perfectly or my efforts are completely flawed. Either I take this path to my goal or there's no way to get there."
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How to Lead a Headhunter to Your Head
Tweet Share on Facebook August 13, 2008 Comment (1)Need a job? A headhunter may be your answer. But how do you get your head hunted?
It's simple but not easy: The way to find a good headhunter is to put yourself in places where headhunters will find you.
Headhunters don't exist to get you a job. You as a job-hunter can't hire a headhunter. Headhunters work for employers—it's important to remember that's where their paycheck comes from and that's where their loyalties lie. Many headhunters won't even take calls from job applicants.
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Overwhelming Your New Employees Will Kill Productivity
Tweet Share on Facebook August 13, 2008 CommentLast week was the beginning of a new project at work. I am practicing a new role and the employee below me is only three weeks into his first career. Needless to say, we are both expanding our skills.
We began our project, like most, with a pre-engagement meeting to help familiarize everyone with the data and the client. The concepts we were covering were fairly foreign to our new employee and rarely covered in the college classroom.
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What Ron Paul Knows That Your Company Doesn't
Tweet Share on Facebook August 12, 2008 Comment (113)I am no political commentator, pundit, operative, or shill. Consider me "A-Political." I do vote, but that's about it. (I say this so I do not get spammed to death from one political campaign, party, or candidate. This post is NOT about politics. So spare me, puh-lease.)
But still...
I am a "connection theorist" by habit. I like to see how something works in one area and think of how I would apply that activity to another. You probably do the same—we can connect seemingly unique or disparate activities to make a bigger point. Our daily mantra is: "Can this work over here?"
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Work: Where Good Ideas Go to Die?
Tweet Share on Facebook August 11, 2008 Comment (3)George Jetson was hired to push a button. Nothing more. Nothing less. His boss, Mr. Spacely, never wanted to hear from George about how he could push the button differently or be more productive.
Where I'm going with this is how there are many jobs where you are merely expected to carry out a function—that's it—case closed.
For some people, this type of work is easy and appreciated. Others find it boring, frustrating, and claustrophobic.
