Posted by CathyG on Mar 10, 2010 in
job stress,
jobs,
office politics That was the subject of a New York Times article today. If you read this article, you will see many comments.
The author, a company owner, says he has a simple solution to finding good employees. If they’re not happy, out they go!
On the one hand, he’s got a point. If you are not a fit with a company, you have to go. But what happens if the compapny culture changes, so maybe you once were a fit but now you are not? What if your manager is being abusive or neglectful? What if there’s a situation that management needs to know about…but people are afraid to say something?
What do you think? Read the article and comment below.
Tags: job search
Posted by CathyG on Aug 8, 2009 in
office politics “Harry’s” network came through. He got a face-to-face meeting with a manager who had authority to hire him for a new position.
Then Harry blew it. At the meeting, he said, “I am very impressed by your new product, the Alpha gizmo.”
Unfortunately for Harry, the Alpha gizmo had been around for a long time. Harry made two mistakes. He hadn’t done his research. But even the most diligent research can miss a few things. Harry’s worst mistake was making an assumption.
Why did Harry make this assumption? Well, he went browsing through the company website. He came across a promotion for a product he had never noticed. “New promotion equals new product,” he reasoned.
In my experience, false assumptions are the most annoying, frustrating elements of any kind of relationship. So I recommend avoiding them, whether you’re dealing with colleagues, bosses, customers, or even friends.
Someone comes over and sees a few books about vampires on my coffee table. “You must like books about vampires,” they say. Or worse, I get a vampire book for my birthday The truth? I hate books about vampires. These books were sent to me, unsolicited, by well-meaning authors who want me to review them for amazon. They’re in a pile for library donations.
This happes a lot when you’re a frequent reviewer for online bookstores. If you’re an author who wants reviews for a book, I refer you to http://www.BoostBusinessWithBookReviews.com
So how do you avoid assumptions?
First, become sensitive to facts versus opinions versus assumptions.
I recommend practicing among your friends so you won’t make a mistake in a business or career situation. For example, When you catch yourself using words like “should” or “must,” you’ve got a clue. When you state a fact, practice asking yourself, “How do I know it’s true?”
For instance, people who are home during the day are not necessarily retired, sick or laid off. Make any of those assumptons and you’ve lost business from a fast-growing sector of the current economy.
Second, practuce asking questions instead of making statements.
You see a collection of cute animal figurines on John’s desk. “You must be a collector” would not be a good start. John might respond with, “No. My friend gives them to me and I don’t have a way to tell her I hate them.”
Now you’ve got an awkward conversation. On some level, disagreeing or correcting is not a conversational mode that builds relationships. You could just ask John, “Where did you get those objects?”
Regardless of how John answers, you can form a bond. “Oh yes…I’ve got a shelf of pottery my friend gave me after she took a class. Her feelings would be hurt if I tossed them.”
Finally, be especially of assumptions that limit your options. “They probably won’t want someone with my background…” may be deadly accurate. But you never know. Best to call and introduce yourself.,,with no assumptions.
Tags: career advice
Posted by CathyG on Sep 1, 2008 in
office politics,
workplace politics Writing for the New York Times, journalist Hannah Seligson muses on the reasons her female classmates went from being academic achievers to workplace drones. Even in the 21st century, she sighs, women still get stuck with coffee and note-taking duty.
But this young journalist is no fool.
First, she says, it’s okay to say no. Men are very comfortable with a direct and clear “No.” Often they don’t take it personally.
Actually, I have to add, men don’t take it personally because they often see “No” as the first step in the negotiating process, which is why we have so many he-said-she said sexual assault cases. It works in the workplace, though, when you’re negotiating salary. “No” often means, “Come back later with a new proposal.”
Second, she’s glommed on to a truth that eludes professionals and executives of both sexes who are twice her age and infinitely more experienced:
“The other dose of shock therapy I’ve undergone is reprogramming my brain to think that, yes, girls do brag. I’ve indoctrinated myself with the idea that my job is a two-part process. One part is actually doing the work and the second part is talking about it, preferably in bottom-line terms.”
I added the bold type. Whether you work for yourself or someone else, I recommend pasting this paragraph somewhere you can see it everyday (but hidden from everyone else in your business life.
This article is titled GirlPower but it’s really PersonPower. You can read the full story here.
Tags: power, women, workplace politics
Marci Alboher writes in her blog about the book Sway — why we respond to irrational impulses.
Interviewing the authors, she uncovered an important reality: first impressions count.
One described a lawyer who worked hard to impress everyone as a hard worker: first in, last out, few breaks, no personal calls. As time went on, he began taking more breaks and longer lunches . Nobody noticed. His reputation as a hard worker was safe.
That is so true! When I was an academic I was known as a researcher. So I was rarely asked to serve on time-consuming (and time-wasting committees and task forces. I was left alone to do research. I used to joke that I could sit in my office and do my nails and everyone would say, “Don’ t bother her. She’s doing research.”
Tags: first impressions, psychology
Q. I joined Blue Company three months ago. Since then my department has experienced a 40% turnover. I can see why. It’s disorganized and outdated. Our boss expects us to put in long hours to do meaningless work. Time to leave?
A. Maybe.
Here the key question seems to be: Are these departing employees reacting to a situation that (a) has happened recently, (b) is unlikely to change and (c) will affect you personally?
If circumstances changed a few months before you were hired (e.g., a merger or new CEO), you may be part of a new wave. You actually will benefit from these events.
Or maybe these departures have nothing to do with the company. Suddenly your field has opened up and recruiters have raided your group. If that’s the case, you may be in a position to raise questions about your compensation – always a judgment call.
Or you may be seeing the beginning of the end.
For example: I once worked for an organization with a truly incompetent department head. Unfortunately for him, employees in his department were highly marketable. One by one, they took off. They were hard to replace.
We thought the situation would go on forever.
But following the departure of 2 particularly valuable employees, management asked the department head to accept a lateral transfer. They promoted a well-respected employee to be the new manager until an outside search could be completed.
Bottom Line: We’ve all heard the saying about rats deserting a sinking shop. But is the ship really sinking? Has a new path to dry land just opened up? And can you find a safe corner that’s well-stocked with cheese — and nobody else is around to demand a share?
To fine-tune your intuition, I recommend my very own
Intuition Ebook.
and clients tell me they like my
Job Search Guide.
