Werdna Yug

The invention of the middle manager created a buffer that effectively keeps a company's 'elite' segregated from the 'clerical riff raff.'  It also falsely empowers those who strive for success by placating them with a promotion.  It's the illusion of more control.  And I am that middle manager.I'm not sure about your world at work, but in my experience, simple job tasks have become games of connect the dots.  There are 17 people involved when there should be two.  This leads to too many opinions, a lot of static noise and a hyper-connectivity, which in this blogger's humble opinion, leads to work of a lesser quality.Many middle management positions are redundant and should be eliminated. (Not mine of course! I am uber important).With the way we communicate becoming easier, more instantaneous and cheaper than ever before, the middle man can truly be cut from the equation.  But our jobs are safe for now, because the fat cat, golf playing upper crust folks … [Read more...] about Playing a Game of Telephone at Work

Yesterday, it was 49˚ with high winds and on top of that, it was overcast. Fortunately, I have an elderly cat whose second favorite word (after “ham”) is “nap.” He and I could have easily made that nap last all day. I’m not a fan of fall or winter and admittedly have a touch of SAD - seasonal affective disorder. As a therapist, I also begin to see it in my patients this time of year.S.A.D., often called the “winter blues,” can be diagnosed, according to the DSM-IV-TR, after 3 consecutive winters (with complete remission in the spring and summer months) of the following symptoms:* Depression* Anxiety* Mood changes: extremes of mood and in some, periods of mania in spring and summer* Sleep problems: desire to oversleep and difficulty staying awake or disturbed sleep and early morning awakening* Lethargy* Overeating: craving for starchy and sweet foods resulting in weight gain* Social problems: irritability and desire to avoid social contact(Most … [Read more...] about The Season’s Changing: What If Your Job Status Isn’t?

There was a bit of a backlash to my post, How Not to Act Old, Especially in the Workplace; I heard quite a bit of grumbling. The book I reviewed took older folks to task for not trying harder to be young and fit in. Maybe my boomer peers are tired of hearing about these supposedly over-indulged younger people?I remember supervising Gen X social work graduate students on a work site. While I enjoyed their enthusiasm and curiosity, their lack of real-world experience made me grumpy. But I was still able to communicate with and direct them as we weren’t that far apart in age or ideology.Much has been written about how to interact and communicate with Gen Y. One book, Bruce Tulgan’s Not Everyone Gets a Trophy: How to Manage Generation Y, has some valid points, especially the fourteen myths about Gen Y in the workplace (Myth 12: Gen Y Won’t Do the Grunt Work). But the overall media message is that WE must adapt to THEM, not the other way around.Here are a few tips for Gen … [Read more...] about How Can Gen Y Quit Annoying Gen “Old” at Work?

Just Step Away from the Netbook, Ma’amLast weekend I took a three-day vacation from connectivity. Not even a peek at my email. It helped that I was in the middle of 180 acres of wilderness with nary a Wi-Fi in the breeze. Admittedly, I was a little twitchy at first. After all, I had made it to Level 130 in “Babylonia” - the procrastinating writer’s friend.There’s been much written lately on the emotional/mental and even physical effects of being in constant contact with everyone electronically. As a psychotherapist, I constantly stress the need for downtime. I wrote an article about it in 2007 (which sounds almost quaint now and predates Twitter); Disconnect Doesn’t Have to Be a Bad Thing. But as someone who also makes a living writing and glued to a computer, I realize that disconnecting is not easy. So maybe baby steps are indicated. Here are a few to try...* Turn off the mobile for a couple hours. If it’s really important, your callers will … [Read more...] about How to Disconnect During Downtime

I’ll Have a Side of Risotto with that PositionLast week, I posted about Extreme Job Hunting where people are using unconventional methods to get the proverbial foot in a company’s door for an interview. It made me recall some of the goofy hoops I’ve jumped through to get a job.Interviews where they make you do stuff…In the 90’s, I interviewed for a job with a psychiatric facility. The job was in marketing and was not a clinical position (I’m a licensed therapist), but several of the people who interviewed me were psych nurses and therapists. (There has to be a joke here about a roomful of therapists, light bulbs and/or change.) The interview was a disconcerting mix of touchy-feely therapist type questions and queries about market share, growth potential etc.In a second interview, they took me to lunch. I realize an interview over a meal serves a purpose - make it seem more relaxed for the candidate, check out their table manners, etc. These folks … [Read more...] about “Extreme” Interviewing – Part II

In this time of high unemployment numbers, how do you get noticed by potential employers? A recent Wall Street Journal article by Joanne S. Lublin addressed this question. Lessons of Extreme Job Hunting provided some examples of what desperate job-seekers have tried.The article describes one man who wore a sandwich board with “M.I.T. graduate for hire” in the financial district where he had worked. Creative? Possibly, but it didn’t land him any interviews. So in your effort to stand out in your employment search, what kinds of moves are not cool? An accompanying article by Dana Mattioli, Bold or Brazen? Bold Tactics Don’t Always Get the Job discussed behaviors recruiters advise against. Most often, people are not following established protocols for interviews, i.e., showing up in person when a phone interview was scheduled or harassing recruiters with phone calls. Starting my own business was a result of two layoffs in less than five years. It’s been … [Read more...] about Extreme Job Hunting: Where Do You Draw the Line?