Very often, salaried positions can turn sour very quickly. We used to joke back in my salaried days that we worked undertime rather than overtime because the more we worked the less we made.
Salaried positions have their perks, but sometimes its best to evaluate some of the benefits that come with an hourly position, or a 1099 position.
Don't rush into a job because of a high salary. Look at the entire compensation package before making a rush decision on a job offer.
I call the type of comments I see lately on Facebook FDR - Facebook Displays of Regression.
If you or are your staff do any of the following, you probably are committing FDR's
- Making comments about how you are mad at "someone", but not mentioning the person by name, therefore arising suspicion in everyone.
- Making claims that you were wronged by "someone" you have done business with, but not being clear on who exactly of the many people you do business with has done you wrong, therefore arising suspicion in everyone you have done business with.
- Complaining about some government official, business, or other entity in a public forum without any basis or claim, just to participate in the complaint.
- Giving credit where credit isn't do to pander and panhandle as a sycophant to get the supposed support of someone who you think has good connections
If you want to do serious business on the internet, I suggest you avoid FDR's entirely, or risk being looked at as someone who is just a perennial malcontent.
]]>In cubicle world, retail, hospitality, or other businesses where the difference between privacy and the public eye is minimal, whispering is often required to avoid interrupting others. However, if communication really was up to the level that it needs to be, whispering wouldn't go on as people wouldn't be afraid of what everyone else was saying.
Next time you think about whispering, consider talking louder so everyone can hear, or take the conversation behind closed doors
]]>In the coming weeks, we plan on featuring several posts about Revolutionizing Retail. Based off of my experiences working retail for Gap, Apple, CVS and some family businesses, I will share perspectives on my learnings while working with these companies and best practices employed as a result of what I learned.
We will also explore ways that companies can look to change, especially from an HR perspective.
Tune in soon for our first Revolutionizing Retail post.
In addition, we are working on a series that we will be taking on the road and in webinars on hot topics in retail.
]]>A little competitive spirit in the workplace is usually a good thing. Competition can be highly motivating, and often promotes self-improvement and group camaraderie. That is unless of course competition begins to overwhelm your bigger picture. When your employees' desire to beat one another overshadows their motivation to succeed at their job, businesses become dysfunctional. This is where you come in: The change agent.
If you are a team manager struggling to build solidarity in the work place, here are a few things that you can do: First and foremost, lead by example. If you want your employees' attitudes to change, you must first change the way you think and behave. When addressing your team, use inclusive words like "We" instead of "I" and "You". Make sure that everyone takes ownership in your company's successes, and shares responsibility in its failures. Along those same lines, treat all of your employees as equals. If you're trying to tone down the competitiveness in the office, the worst thing that you can do is play favorites. This will only deepen the resentment in the office.
You might also consider taking more creative action for unifying your company. This doesn't require anything fancy - something as simple as organizing happy hours once every couple of months can release inter-worker tensions and build camaraderie. If you're not satisfied with your company atmosphere, you have to be the one to make the change. So don't settle on the status quo, and be the change agent that your company so desperately needs.
Back in the day, running a business team was simple. Employees worked in the same office, on the same 9 to 5 schedule, for the purpose of reaching a common goal. But as technology's role in the workplace continues to grow, an increasing number of businesses are making the switch to virtual teams. This move has brought a host of benefits, not the least of which is flexible work hours, lower costs, and the opportunity to recruit team members from anywhere in the world.
But despite its many benefits, leading a geographically dispersed team also has its share of challenges. Typically, effective communication is the most difficult thing to achieve in a virtual team. To avoid communication issues, ensure that you have dependable technologies. Video chat programs that cut out every couple minutes are not doing you or your business any favors - so make sure you invest in technologies that work. Next, set clear and realistic goals for your team. When everyone is on the same page, the team is more productive, efficient and cohesive. Finally, evaluate your team members. Are they dependable? Trustworthy? Ambitious? If not, it may be time to restructure. Never settle on the status quo and remember that the success of your business depends on your leadership.
Many people are unwilling or unable to let go of work that could easily be done by others.
In order to avoid this do or die proposition, you need to look at how you manage your time and how you can delegate better.
We hope you can join us in May for one of our Time Management and Delegation workshops in Saratoga Springs
For more information, visit http://saratogacollege.eventbrite.com
]]>The Baseball Page pointed out the following:
"Rosenthal points out how the pitcher he saw with the Yankees was "nervous and unsure of himself." Considering there is very little rope to hang yourself when pitching for the Yankees, it's not surprise.
2008 would have been the perfect year to stick with a struggling young pitcher like Kennedy. Joe Girardi was in the first year of his contract, and the team wasn't good enough to win a championship. Instead, the organization panicked and started to plug holes with mediocre stop-gap starters. Darrell Rasner was given 20 starts; Sidney Ponson 15.
After giving up 5 runs in 2 innings at Anaheim on August 8th, Kennedy was banished to the minor leagues. What's funny is that no one talks about how he was very good for Scranton that year. He struck out over a batter an inning with a 2.35 ERA."
If Kennedy hadn't had his character questioned, he may have made it as a tremendous part of the rotation for the Yankees instead of being included in the Curtis Granderson trade. Hopefully, with their patience with some of their latest young pitchers (Ivan Nova, David Robertson, Boone Logan), they have learned the errors of their ways.
In business, we need to give the young and untrained more leeway especially when they have the personality, interests and preferences we are looking for. Don't give up too early on people!
]]>I enjoy working in powerful spurts of 30 minutes to an hour several times a day with breaks in between. Typically, I get started with an hour of work between 6 and 8am (either 6-7 or 7-8), followed by or preceded by some stretching or a workout. I then have a nice relaxing breakfast, and then do another hour of work around 9/10am.
I also work for about an hour after lunch (1-2pm), an hour mid afternoon (3-4pm) and an hour after dinner (7-8pm). By taking at least an hour between my power work periods, I am able to recharge, refocus, and maximize my productivity by combining it to short, powerful periods of time.
What do you do to manage your time?
]]>"Apple CEO Steve Jobs is well known for his electrifying presentations. Communications coach Carmine Gallo discusses the various techniques Jobs uses to captivate and inspire his audience -- techniques that can easily be applied to your next presentation."
]]> ]]>Not all businesses would adapt to this new schedule, but think of the advantages of a tighter workday at the office - less driving home during rush hour; more time to spend with your kids before and after school; more productivity, knowing you only have 5 hours to accomplish what you could do in eight
What are the disadvantages? I see few, other than that people might not be able to attend as many boring meetings.
Next time I talk about this, I will share how I work by the hour, not in a 4-5 hour block of time.
]]>Professor Braathe has worked in management positions with Disney, Gap and Apple with hiring responsibility at all of those companies. He has used the same resume format since 1995 and has reviewed 1000's of resumes over the years. He is an avid LinkedIn profile user and consultant, a developer of solid resume content and influencer of positive energy in interviews.
Stop by the Saratoga Job Fair in Saratoga Springs, NY this Wednesday from 10am-4pm. Professor Robert Braathe will be doing free resume critiques from 2-4pm.
Career counseling and employment presentations will also be taking place
Employers at this fair include Curtis Lumber, Parsons, The Nurse Connection Staffing, Gideon Putnam Resort, Ellis Medicine, and more.
]]>Do you sound like one of these people?
- the person who micromanages every detail, despite having talented staff
- the person with 3000 emails in their inbox
- the person with no blank time slots on their calendar
- the person who doesn't trust that anyone can do what you do
If you sound like any of the above, it may be time to rethink your management of time, tasks, and technology.
]]>Almost all small businesses begin with simple organizational structures, also known as "flat" organizational structures, because authority and management is often centralized in one person or very few people. Unlike bureaucracies, which have several layers of management, simple structures are less specialized and less hierarchical, often leading to higher employee satisfaction due to their smaller numbers.
Simple structures work well for small companies because they eliminate the need for formalized rules and regulations, specialization, and standardization, causing them to be faster and more flexible when making decisions. They also make accountability more apparent and are less expensive to operate.
However, as small businesses grow larger, simple structures become difficult to maintain. Here are a few reasons why:
Information Overload
While reduced bureaucracy initially gives small companies a faster decision making advantage, the high centralization of power and management in a few people creates information overload at the top, so managers may find themselves overwhelmed by the sheer amount of decisions they have to make. This creates inefficiency within the organization, because decision making becomes slower and slower as the company grows larger. The structure must be changed if the organization grows too large, or else it will stop making progress and lose momentum.
Slower Reaction Time
Business and strategic planning becomes more difficult when the single owner running the company has to manage a large number of employees and does not have sub-unit managers (i.e. Production, Marketing, Accounting) reporting to him. If the company is in need of innovation, the owner does not know the specific needs of each department and is therefore unable to launch any sort of initiative.
Communication Breakdown
Because of their small size, simple organizational structures are characterized for having great management to employee communication, but when a small business becomes too large, simple structures can cause a breakdown in communication. The sheer number of employees can overwhelm the single manager or few managers in the company,and communicating tasks to be done, deadlines to be met, etc. can become a stumbling block for businesses.
In summary, small businesses with simple organizational structures simply become too inefficient to continue functioning properly as their employee numbers grow.
How can you inject "The Hunger Games" in your business? Well, first, don't follow the plot line in the book where you send your best to fight to the death for the good of an entire civilization. The business version of "The Hunger Games" is to create an environment where there is so much passion and love for the work that people do that they are hungry for more and more opportunity.
Many businesses fall short because they don't tap into that hunger that employees have to be all that they can be. Instead of pushing their best people even harder, they spend more time trying to fix those who aren't on board in the first place.
Cultivated that hunger in your staff, and you'll be able to get rid of the ones who don't have the hunger via attrition.