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Every now and then some "forward-thinking" boss thinks they're going to extract more out of you by taking you off campus for some extended meeting.  I've been a part of my fair share of these torturous "change of scenery" experiments.  Like the time I was dragged to some townhouse owned by Art Garfunkel where they fed us soul food and had some British mediator cut us off when we went too long.  Or the time I had to go play tennis and we broke into small groups and participated in "icebreakers."Note to bosses.  Making me go to a new and fresh environment will not stimulate me.  It will frustrate me as a worry about how I'm going to get there and back without sitting in traffic.  I will also resent you for forcing me to interact with folks who won't even make eye contact in the hallway at work.  And then, we'll be forced to pretend we know each other... for a week... until it all wears off.But I have no right to … [Read more...] about Offsite Work Meetings Are Evil

Sometimes a thought just hits you out of the blue like lightning and you wonder how you never could have thought of it before.  Call it a revelation.Maybe I should stay home with a baby.  Me, Andrew G.R.My wife's not even pregnant, but I'm a born planner and over-analyzer.  It's something we plan for down the road.  Now, it always seems natural just to have mommy stay at home - but when I started to think about it - it hit me that I might actually be the better candidate for a healthy diet of diaper changing and Days of Our Lives.  Here are the questions you need to ask yourself (and your spouse!)Who makes more money?I lose this one.  My wife if the bread-winner.  And unless you turn this blog into a revenue-generating machine, it will stay like that.  Why should we give up X thousands a year?Who has better benefits?Put another one in my wife's checklist.  As a city employee her benefits far exceed mine.  Not only are they cheaper but … [Read more...] about Stay-at-Home Parent – A Career Killer?

"Tag, you're it" type questionnaires seem to sweep the blogosphere every now and then.  I figured, why not one by Jobacle.com!  We'll keep it career-related, brief and fun! Some bloggers talk about their "real" jobs - others don't.  I encourage everyone who has a blog or a Web site to post the questions below and insert their own answers.  Our careers all have ups and downs, and when we share the ride with the world, everyone sees that they are not alone. Give your readers some insight into your career - it's good karma!   Copy the questions and answer them on your blog.  Please try to link back to this original blog post and let's see if we can get something going!  Drop me a note at JOBACLE AT GMAIL DOT COM or leave a comment below and we'll get you a link on Jobacle.com in return.  Now all about me, Andrew G.R. Career Questionnaire 1 Worst Boss This nameless boss was your classic passive-aggressive control freak.  She let let emotion … [Read more...] about YOUR Career Answers – TAG, You're It!

In elementary school we were all forced into the lunchroom to eat.  I can still smell the mix of odors: sauerkraut, apple sauce and sawdust (used to help clean up barf).  Ew.These days, workers should be so lucky.  Many people are sitting in  the cafeteria right now - their desk.  Among the psychological implications, you might remember from my post "Your Cubicle, The Petri Dish" why this is such a bad idea. There are plenty of ways to do lunch WRONG.You can spend too much, drink too much, be a total loner or fudge up the freakin' office fridge.A survey from the American Dietetic Association once found that 75 percent of office workers eat lunch at their desks as often as two or three times a week. C'mon people, you're not that important!I went through a lunch-at-my-desk stage.  And I will be the first to admit, it's usually built into your employer's culture.  It's hard to break the mold.  But there's hope.  I used … [Read more...] about CONTEST! Eat Lunch AWAY From Your Desk and WIN

I always walk that fine line between a blog about work and a blog that is about MY work.  That's why you'll rarely read about specific happenings.  But sometimes, I just can't hold back.Today, my company announced that we have a mascot.  Yes, a mascot.  In short, it's a freakin' cartoon character that communicates important security messages to us.  So now, I have to get e-mails from a fictional character reminding me to wear my company ID at all times.  Are you kidding me?And if the passive-aggressive nature of it all wasn't so aggravating, wait until I tell you how many hours of waste have gone into this project.First, a committee was formed to come up with a "plan." Then an internal contest was held looking for mascot ideas and a slogan.  Then the creative folks actually had to work for days to design the darn thing.  Then the committee had changes to the mascot.  Then HR had to write a whole memo explaining to us that the … [Read more...] about ARGH Alert! We Have a Company Mascot.

The Beatles sang ""You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" and there's a good chance that at work you "Hide Your Ideas Away."  You know the drill, your brain tells you that someone will either take credit for it, steal it for their own purpose or look at you like you have three heads.Regardless of the risks, if you want to really make a name for yourself, especially in a creative industry, you must give all of your idea away so that more come back to you.The Top 5 Things to Do With an Idea:- Share it- Believe it- Stick with it- Don't get emotional- Create it I remember once reading a quote by TV writer Stephen J. Cannell (Rockford Files, A-Team, Knight Rider, etc.) which explained that the odds of someone "taking" your idea and actually running with it is miniscule.  In fact, in his 30-year-plus career, it's never happened.  I'm not saying you shouldn't protect yourself, but there's a smart way to share your brilliance.As an … [Read more...] about Top 5 Things to Do With an Idea

Being miserable at work is easy, being happy takes a lot more work!  Here are some surefire ways to be unhappy!- Don't take lunch or any breaks- Arrive early, stay late- Add emotion into everything you do- Take everything personally- Shut out others by being bi-polar- Slack off then cram at the last second- Concentrate on how you're treated unfairly- Find out what your co-workers earn a year- Complain about everyone and everything- Concentrate on your failing health- Eat heavy, fatty, salty foods for lunch- Load up on caffeine...then crash- Think that you're the only capable one- Watch the clock- Dread meetings to the point of rage- Have conversations in your head - Don't be creative or question anything- Take shallow and short breaths- Tell yourself you're stuckSubscribe now.  Over the coming weeks we'll pick apart the list and look at why each item is a problem and what you can do to avoid workplace misery.  And of course, there are a million other ways to be … [Read more...] about 19 Ways to Be Miserable at Work

It seems that there are dozens people in my area at work that were born under the sign of Taurus.  It's been absolute birthday celebration overload.  Gluttony.  That got me thinking about past jobs and the many different ways offices usher in the annual event.  Some places pull out all the stops.  Currently, we get bagels, spreads, pies, cakes and the most depressing rendition of Happy Birthday ever.  It's a thoughtful gesture on everyone's part but the singing bit could be the most uncomfortable 18 seconds EVER.  Also, your cube gets "dressed up" with recycled streamers and banners - ensuring that anyone who didn't know it was your birthday - now does.In the past, I've worked at offices that have ignored birthdays (secretly, it never feels good), that have forced you to go out for an obligatory drink (after hours) or have a forced lunch outing where everyone chips in a few bucks to cover your meal (always awkward when the bill … [Read more...] about Office Birthday Mayhem