Staff members are often inherited. So what do you do when you’re a manager and your staff is comprised of unmotivated lifers who lack educational experience and basic skills? Relieving them of their duties is not an option. You must find creative ways to motivate them, and at the same time, protect yourself so their performance is not a reflection on you.Here are several tips for dealing with “dead weight” in a politically correct world:Log EverythingNo one prides themselves on being a micromanager, but when it comes to working with dead weight—staffers who are an oppressive burden—it’s important to protect yourself at all times. Keep a running log of all staff interactions. From meeting minutes to attendance calendars, log every detail so that you have a job journal you can present to your boss to make a case for changes.Good managers are often brought down by bad staff. Don’t let it happen to you. Read more of my article at U.S. News & … [Read more...] about How to Protect Yourself When You Inherit an Incompetent Staff
Office Candy Bowl Smackdown
Do you have those ubiquitous candy bowls in your office? I’m guessing right now they contain some kind of left-over little chocolate, foil-wrapped Easter eggs. One can only hope it’s a nice peanut butter filling. Oh, I got distracted for a minute. I’ll give a nod to Passover, but I’m thinking there probably aren’t any bowls filled with old matzo.Candy PoliceA WSJ article, “The Battle of the Office Candy Jar” got me thinking about this critical aspect of office politics. I first became aware of its importance when I started working in the alcohol and drug counseling field. Most of my colleagues were recovering alcoholics. I was a fairly newly-recovering nicotine addict and never knew I had a sweet tooth until I gave up the cigs. Here’s something to jot down – Don’t EVER mess with a recovering person’s sugar delivery method of choice.One day, the receptionist, who was no fun on so many levels, announced we would do away … [Read more...] about Office Candy Bowl Smackdown
They Took Our Jobs! Computers vs. Humans
Imagine a typical day where you commute to work, do some banking, grab a few groceries, and maybe pick up a video on the way home. How many humans did you interact with to help accomplish those everyday tasks? For a growing number of people, the answer to that question is zero. … [Read more...] about They Took Our Jobs! Computers vs. Humans
10 Must-Avoid Business Card Designs (and How to Make Yours Rock!)
In the ever-evolving business environment of usernames and cloud storage, somehow the old-school practice of making and exchanging business cards endures. Getting your cards done is the first thing you do once you've made up your mind to start a business or a new job. You order the little talismans and say to yourself, I'm really doing this. Then you pass them out by hand in hopes that in 3 1/2 x 2 inches you've managed to convey that you're competent, talented, and attractive—the best and the brightest bad-ass in your field. And yet so many business cards end up almost instantly in the trash or on the floor of the car, stepped on for days on end before we finally put them out of their misery. Those are people's dreams we're stepping on. Could our cards be in the same peril? Keep these 10 must-avoid business card mistakes in mind to save your card: Clutter. A business card is not a storage unit you cram all of your stuff into any which way it will fit. Leave some white space so … [Read more...] about 10 Must-Avoid Business Card Designs (and How to Make Yours Rock!)
Spills & Stains – Share Your Work Story and Win
Did I ever tell you about the time I showed up to work after stepping in a steaming pile of dog crap?Or the time that I went out to lunch, only to return to work looking like I had a fight with a bowl of marinara sauce?And I'm not even that big of a spaz!No matter what your occupation, a little stain can turn into a big problem. From being self conscious at a meeting to destroying your favorite pair of pants, the right stain removal product can help save the day. Our friends at Tide want to hook you up. Share your worst work spill, stain, or messy mishap and you could win a Tide to Go Mini – the tiny product that delivers big results. Slip one of these “pens” into your work bag and never worry again!I realize Tide to Go Mini wouldn't have helped me with the dog poop incident, but they could have bailed me out of the Spaghetti Incident! Now share those stories... … [Read more...] about Spills & Stains – Share Your Work Story and Win
Gaining Self-Confidence In the Workplace
Confidence is one of the most important personal qualities for succeeding in the workplace. Sometimes it doesn't matter how much you work or how skilled you are, it is how you project yourself that matters to co-workers and employers. If you are not confident in yourself and your abilities, others will pick up on it. If you don't think that what you are doing is worthwhile or of high quality, chances are no one else will think highly of it either. What's worse, in a competitive environment like an office, others may try to use your lack of self confidence against you. Whether it is fair or not, it is usually people who have the most self confidence that advance to a high point in their careers quickly. People lacking this important quality have to struggle harder to get ahead, no matter what skills they may have. Here are some tips for gaining confidence in your professional abilities. Focus on your abilities. You may feel totally unprepared for a job, but you undoubtedly … [Read more...] about Gaining Self-Confidence In the Workplace
Shhhhhh! Work Silence Is a Career Killer
Everyone requires a different set of circumstances to concentrate. And every job calls for a different level of communication. But why is it that the only sound emanating from many of today’s offices is the sleepy hum of electronic equipment?The demand by some companies for office silence is counter-productive, even Dickensian in its approach to basic human psychology. Silence can be deafening. A noisy office has its problems, too. But any boss who encourages a library-like atmosphere isn’t helping the employees or the company.A quiet office is bad because:1. Quiet effectively kills open communication. If you’re talking to a colleague or have an issue you need to discuss with someone, quiet will enable the world to hear your conversation. Being reduced to whispering is childish and stepping behind closed doors creates a climate of secrecy and suspicion, even fueling paranoia.2. A silent office makes people self-conscious.Knowing you have an unintended audience can … [Read more...] about Shhhhhh! Work Silence Is a Career Killer
9 Ways Bosses Kill Creativity
I've worked for enough large organizations to see first hand how office politics and bureaucracy can kill creativity in its tracks.Only a sick and demented person would want to suck the color out of a rainbow, yet employers are doing it every single day.Today's post is short and sweet; surefire ways that bosses kill employee creativity:- Add as many steps to the approval process as possible.- Have everyone and their mother, irrespective of skill and experience, critique a project.- Do not give praise and/or credit for a concept, idea, or completed project.- Make changes for the sake of making changes (see comic below)- Hold long meetings - Require incessant status reports - Reward longevity instead of ideas and measured success- Rush every project- Be inconsistent with your requirements … [Read more...] about 9 Ways Bosses Kill Creativity
4 Sites Recent Graduates Can Use To Find A Job
Graduating from college is a great accomplishment, but what is the next step? How do you find that dream job? Unfortunately, unless you attend a career school you won’t have much help finding a job. You’ll have the knowledge and degree needed, but where do you start looking? Luckily, we have the Internet and advanced technology to help us accomplish the most important step of finding a job. Here are 4 sites that recent graduates can use to connect with companies and find a job in their field of expertise. Ecademy Ecademy is a social network for business professionals, entrepreneurs and business owners. It’s very similar to the business network LinkedIn and has a lot of the same features. Ecademy gives you a place to connect and network with people in your field of expertise. You can find jobs by connecting with top executives and managers from companies that you’d like to work for. Companies can also find you by searching through profiles; so it’s very important to add your CV to … [Read more...] about 4 Sites Recent Graduates Can Use To Find A Job
Work Service Rewards, What Would Get You Out of Bed in the Morning?
As I mentioned in Part 1 of this post’s topic, I had no idea that lame service rewards would hit such a nerve! So I decided to follow up by asking what you would LIKE to receive from your employer recognizing your work with the company. No one said they wanted a company-logo enhanced item.HR ConcursIt surprised me that many of the folks I heard from work in HR departments. Most of them agree with the staff that the usual fare is totally uncool.One HR director offered, “In lieu of the company-logo’d binoculars, I’d much rather receive a day off with a spa gift certificate or cash gift card.”Listen to the ShrinkDr. Janet Civitelli is a workplace psychologist, career coach and manager of a career counseling team at a large urban university. So her experience with employees covers a number of niche sectors and she works to “help clients achieve greater work and life satisfaction.” Here’s her take on service gifts...“After 20 years of … [Read more...] about Work Service Rewards, What Would Get You Out of Bed in the Morning?