A colleague, who we'll call Chris, recently approached me about feeling like it was time to look for a new job. This is actually a conversation I've had a few times recently, including with my own manager. After reading up on it a little bit it was clear to me that Chris has several of the tell tale signs of someone who should think about moving on. Here are three resources you can use as a quick reference to see if you should be thinking about moving on from your current position:
Forbes.com
About.com
Careerealism.com
Feeling like you need to leave a job is completely natural, especially today. Very few people do the same job over the course of their entire career. Life circumstances change, our interests change, opportunities come and go, the organizations we work for change and we as employees are left to deal with all of this in an effort to do what is best for us as individuals. What's interesting, however, is that this issue is not something that we feel comfortable talking about openly at work. Chris came to me in confidence, which is the natural reaction of someone who has made this decision. While publicizing a job search and networking are the most important things you can do when looking for a new job, we feel like we can't do them with those that we currently work with even though our co-workers and colleagues are probably some of the best people with whom we can network. This adds a level of complication to the decision to leave a job that's not easily overcome.
I'm lucky to currently have a manger who is very much down to earth when it comes to looking for a new job. I've had several conversations about what's next for me in my career and gotten a lot of great advice. The department philosophy realizes that employees come and go for all different reasons and that the best thing they can do is support the person rather than making it harder for them to go. After all, as you can imagine an employee who starts to show signs of needing to leave is not going to be as enthusiastic or productive as the employer needs them to be so supporting the person who reaches this stage is probably a smart way to keep them engaged while they execute their transition. But not all managers and employers are like that so many of us need to be cautious with whom we share our intentions. Thus, it's best to proceed carefully as you hit this stage because you certainly don't want to risk making a difficult situation worse.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
10 Tips for Negotiating Your Salary
Your heart races. Your palms are sweaty. Your mouth is dry. Pound!...Pound!...Pound!...you heart is about to fly out of your chest...
If you've been faced with negotiating your salary you're likely familiar with these feelings. After surviving the interview process, this is probably the hardest part about taking a new job. There's no doubt that it's not fun and no one likes it but if you don't do it right you are seriously losing out by leaving money on the table.
You need to remember a couple of things. First, no one works for free and the person offering you a job knows this. Second, everything is negotiable. EVERYTHING. The process of negotiation involves two parties with mutual yet sometimes conflicting interests working together to find common ground. It is important to remember that both parties want to find a suitable agreement and that each will need to give and take in order to make that happen. The employer wants you and has a number in mind they would like you to accept. They also have a number they are willing to go up to in order to secure your services. Likewise, you want to work for the employer. And likewise, you have a number you would like to make as well as one you can't go under. Now, the trick is finding out what each other's numbers are.
The worst thing you can do when accepting a new job is accept less than you think you are worth. Even though you think you won't, you'll end up resenting the employer because they are under valuing your services and that could harm your entire time of service at that organization. Yes, this process may be uncomfortable for a few minutes but accepting less money than you need and want has the potential to be uncomfortable for years! And once this process is over, any reasonable employer isn't going to give the negotiating process a second thought. They will be glad they have you aboard and be ready to get started.
1. Be prepared for the negotiating process. Do your homework and find out what positions such as this one pay in your geographical area so that you can set your expectations. Then you'll have a scale on which you can place the initial offer to know if it is high, low, or just right. When you feel that an offer might be coming, make sure you spend some serious time thinking about the salary and your own financial picture. We all have bills to pay. You need to know how much you need to earn in order to really assess if what is being offered will be enough for you to live on. Realistically, think of your salary in three ways: Bare minimum you need, the amount you can settle for, the amount you want. Head into the negotiating process with a clear head so you'll know how the initial offer will affect your life.
2. Don't become emotionally attached. You need to be willing to walk away if you can't get the employer to offer the amount you need to live on. If you have $3000 per month in bills and they offer $2700 a month and won't go a penny higher you can't take that job. It's that simple. Be ready to respectfully decline the offer and walk away.
3. Listen to the offer. Thank the person for such a generous offer. Tell them you are very excited by the possibility of working for them. And then ask them when they need a response because you need to think it over. Hopefully they'll give you some time to go away to "think"...er...prepare a counter offer. At the very least, try to get them to agree to let you think it over one night and then call them with an answer in the morning. If not and they need a response right then and there, take a minute or two to gather your thoughts. Remember, you should be prepared for this (see step #1) so it won't be that big of a deal to do it on the spot. And then launch into the process of a counter offer.
4. Consider the benefits package. Your compensation isn't just the amount of money you are taking home, although that is obviously a substantial part of it. It's the entire package you are being offered including: sick time, vacation time, personal days, medical and dental benefits, retirement options etc. Factor all of this into your thinking. Maybe they aren't offering as much money as you'd like but the other benefits are so terrific that you can afford to not bring home as much in your paycheck.
5. Always ask for more money. ALWAYS. You will never know if you could have gotten more unless you ask. And trust me, they aren't just going to thrown more money at you then they need to so you absolutely have to ask for more. Determine your counter offer. Don't be afraid to ask for more money. It's what you are supposed to do. Even if you only get a few hundred dollars, your first salary increase, every increase thereafter, and any potential retirement contributions they make will all be based on that higher number. So you won't just be making more now, you will be affecting your future earnings.
6. Make your counter offer higher than you really want or need. This one is tricky. How much higher should you go? You need to counter with something within reason so don't be greedy. But at the same time don't short yourself. Your real goal here is to create wiggle room in the negotiating so that you can have room to come down to where you need to be while getting them to come up as high as possible. If you get the high counter offer, then you've just made extra money. If they counter it, you'll have a place to go down to without going further than you want or need. Use this initial high counter and work down from it to where you need to be.
7. Ask about standard of living increases, merit increases and bonuses. When are they awarded? What is the criteria for determining such increases? Can you get more money now and defer your first increase? Can you accept less now but increase the level of that first increase? You need to know how your future salary is going to work as much as you need to know about your current one.
8. Once you land on an acceptable salary, start talking about everything else. Are there other places the employer can give if they aren't giving on salary? Is there a charge for parking at work? Can they buy you a permit or at the very least increase your salary to cover parking? Can you get additional vacation days, personal days or sick days? Can their contribution into a retirement plan be increased? Is there any subsidy program offered for using public transportation? What is the health insurance like? How much of the premium does the employer pay? This is your one and only chance to find out about your benefits package and see if there is room for the employer to improve it. Again, if you don't ask they won't improve it. So ask.
9. Find out about your hours. This is the time when you want to figure out when you will be working. Is it 8-4, 8-5, 9-5, or 9-6? Is there a lunch break? Do they have a flexible schedule program? These days many employers are willing to consider work from home or other flexible schedule scenarios and you'll never know about them unless you ask. You need to know heading into the job when they will expect you to be there and if that will work with your life so ask about it now rather than on your first day and come to an agreement before accepting the job..
10. What if they say "NO!"? It depends on what they are saying no to. If they are saying no to your need for more money and you can't possibly work for the amount they are offering and they won't budge then you need to think about declining the offer. But if they are saying no to something relatively inconsequential that doesn't mean that much to you, accept the no and move on in the conversation. No big deal.
Always remember, you'll never get anything unless you ask for it. Employers aren't in the habit of offering employees extra money and benefits but that doesn't mean they won't. The only way to find out if they will is to ask. They are going to offer the minimum they think they need to offer in order to secure your services and it is our job to increase that offer in any and every way possible. Everything about going to work for an organization is negotiable even when they say it isn't. Just ask.
If you've been faced with negotiating your salary you're likely familiar with these feelings. After surviving the interview process, this is probably the hardest part about taking a new job. There's no doubt that it's not fun and no one likes it but if you don't do it right you are seriously losing out by leaving money on the table.
You need to remember a couple of things. First, no one works for free and the person offering you a job knows this. Second, everything is negotiable. EVERYTHING. The process of negotiation involves two parties with mutual yet sometimes conflicting interests working together to find common ground. It is important to remember that both parties want to find a suitable agreement and that each will need to give and take in order to make that happen. The employer wants you and has a number in mind they would like you to accept. They also have a number they are willing to go up to in order to secure your services. Likewise, you want to work for the employer. And likewise, you have a number you would like to make as well as one you can't go under. Now, the trick is finding out what each other's numbers are.
The worst thing you can do when accepting a new job is accept less than you think you are worth. Even though you think you won't, you'll end up resenting the employer because they are under valuing your services and that could harm your entire time of service at that organization. Yes, this process may be uncomfortable for a few minutes but accepting less money than you need and want has the potential to be uncomfortable for years! And once this process is over, any reasonable employer isn't going to give the negotiating process a second thought. They will be glad they have you aboard and be ready to get started.
1. Be prepared for the negotiating process. Do your homework and find out what positions such as this one pay in your geographical area so that you can set your expectations. Then you'll have a scale on which you can place the initial offer to know if it is high, low, or just right. When you feel that an offer might be coming, make sure you spend some serious time thinking about the salary and your own financial picture. We all have bills to pay. You need to know how much you need to earn in order to really assess if what is being offered will be enough for you to live on. Realistically, think of your salary in three ways: Bare minimum you need, the amount you can settle for, the amount you want. Head into the negotiating process with a clear head so you'll know how the initial offer will affect your life.
2. Don't become emotionally attached. You need to be willing to walk away if you can't get the employer to offer the amount you need to live on. If you have $3000 per month in bills and they offer $2700 a month and won't go a penny higher you can't take that job. It's that simple. Be ready to respectfully decline the offer and walk away.
3. Listen to the offer. Thank the person for such a generous offer. Tell them you are very excited by the possibility of working for them. And then ask them when they need a response because you need to think it over. Hopefully they'll give you some time to go away to "think"...er...prepare a counter offer. At the very least, try to get them to agree to let you think it over one night and then call them with an answer in the morning. If not and they need a response right then and there, take a minute or two to gather your thoughts. Remember, you should be prepared for this (see step #1) so it won't be that big of a deal to do it on the spot. And then launch into the process of a counter offer.
4. Consider the benefits package. Your compensation isn't just the amount of money you are taking home, although that is obviously a substantial part of it. It's the entire package you are being offered including: sick time, vacation time, personal days, medical and dental benefits, retirement options etc. Factor all of this into your thinking. Maybe they aren't offering as much money as you'd like but the other benefits are so terrific that you can afford to not bring home as much in your paycheck.
5. Always ask for more money. ALWAYS. You will never know if you could have gotten more unless you ask. And trust me, they aren't just going to thrown more money at you then they need to so you absolutely have to ask for more. Determine your counter offer. Don't be afraid to ask for more money. It's what you are supposed to do. Even if you only get a few hundred dollars, your first salary increase, every increase thereafter, and any potential retirement contributions they make will all be based on that higher number. So you won't just be making more now, you will be affecting your future earnings.
6. Make your counter offer higher than you really want or need. This one is tricky. How much higher should you go? You need to counter with something within reason so don't be greedy. But at the same time don't short yourself. Your real goal here is to create wiggle room in the negotiating so that you can have room to come down to where you need to be while getting them to come up as high as possible. If you get the high counter offer, then you've just made extra money. If they counter it, you'll have a place to go down to without going further than you want or need. Use this initial high counter and work down from it to where you need to be.
7. Ask about standard of living increases, merit increases and bonuses. When are they awarded? What is the criteria for determining such increases? Can you get more money now and defer your first increase? Can you accept less now but increase the level of that first increase? You need to know how your future salary is going to work as much as you need to know about your current one.
8. Once you land on an acceptable salary, start talking about everything else. Are there other places the employer can give if they aren't giving on salary? Is there a charge for parking at work? Can they buy you a permit or at the very least increase your salary to cover parking? Can you get additional vacation days, personal days or sick days? Can their contribution into a retirement plan be increased? Is there any subsidy program offered for using public transportation? What is the health insurance like? How much of the premium does the employer pay? This is your one and only chance to find out about your benefits package and see if there is room for the employer to improve it. Again, if you don't ask they won't improve it. So ask.
9. Find out about your hours. This is the time when you want to figure out when you will be working. Is it 8-4, 8-5, 9-5, or 9-6? Is there a lunch break? Do they have a flexible schedule program? These days many employers are willing to consider work from home or other flexible schedule scenarios and you'll never know about them unless you ask. You need to know heading into the job when they will expect you to be there and if that will work with your life so ask about it now rather than on your first day and come to an agreement before accepting the job..
10. What if they say "NO!"? It depends on what they are saying no to. If they are saying no to your need for more money and you can't possibly work for the amount they are offering and they won't budge then you need to think about declining the offer. But if they are saying no to something relatively inconsequential that doesn't mean that much to you, accept the no and move on in the conversation. No big deal.
Always remember, you'll never get anything unless you ask for it. Employers aren't in the habit of offering employees extra money and benefits but that doesn't mean they won't. The only way to find out if they will is to ask. They are going to offer the minimum they think they need to offer in order to secure your services and it is our job to increase that offer in any and every way possible. Everything about going to work for an organization is negotiable even when they say it isn't. Just ask.
Friday, March 9, 2012
My Thoughts on 10 Job Search Rules to Break
Thanks to Alison Green we have some insight about shifting trends in job searching and we can start to dispel rules that have become outdated. Below, I offer my comments on her suggestions for what rules we can now break in the world of job searching:
Limit your resume to one page: I love it that this is #1 on the list! I actually recently did the exact opposite. I had a two pager for a few years and recently paired it back to one. I was talking to a Career Counsellor who liked my 2 pager but as an exercise told me to try to get it down to one page by listing only those things I am most proud of about each job. It was actually much easier to do than I thought it was going to be and I love the results. It is very clear and concise. So I am back down to a one pager but that doesn't mean you have to be too. The point here is that now both are acceptable whereas previously two page resumes were frowned upon.
Write in formal language: I very much agree with this one. Your resume is a representation of you and thus should sound like you. Hey, if you speak in a formal mechanical language then go ahead and make your resume like that too.
Include an objective: I didn't even realize people still listed objectives on their resume. I'm not even sure why anyone would have ever used one in the first place. The very nature of me giving someone my resume should make my objective pretty clear shouldn't it?
Lead with your education: This is very true but is also very tricky if you are just starting out. So if you're not just starting out definitely list your work experience first. In many cases, the employer isn't going to care what you actually got your degrees in and will just be looking to see that you have them. But if you're on the hunt for your first job out of school and your college career amounts to the most significant thing you've accomplished then listing it at the top is probably your only choice isn't it? If this is the case, consult with your college's career office and get their help on your resume.
Include "references available upon request" on the bottom of your resume: This is just like listing an objective. It's not needed and takes up space you can otherwise use to articulate the value you will bring to the company.
After you submit your resume, wait a few days and then call to schedule an interview: Making this phone call stinks and is awkward. I was so glad to read it on Alison's list. The Career Counsellor I worked with when I left the theatre told me that I should call every organization I apply to so I can get them to find my materials and bring them to the top of the pile. I hated doing it and from what I can tell it has never paid off for me. Thanks to Alison I won't be making any of these calls any more.
Arrive early for interviews: While I understand what she is saying, there is no possible way I would ever risk being even one second late for an interview. The only alternative to that is to be early. That being said, I'd never actually appear more than 10 minutes early and generally I shoot to be less than 5 minutes early. This definitely means sitting in the car or around the corner. So I say, be early. Be as early as you want to be to make you feel comfortable. The most important thing you can do is assure that you are on site on time so do whatever it takes to do that. But also, yes, don't actually report to the interview until it's time.
When an interviewer asks about your weaknesses, answer with a positive framed as a weakness: To begin with, this is such a stupid question. Everyone has faults and weaknesses including the interviewer. I hate being asked this. But at the same time, I am prepared with an answer. If you want to win you have to play the game right? So yes, admit your weakness like Alison says and then let the interviewer know how you are proactive about overcoming it.
Don't name a salary number first. Talking about salary is so taboo in our society that it has made us all afraid to talk about it when we actually need to. So by all means, don't be afraid to bring it up first assuming that you do so at the appropriate time. Knowing when the right time is, however, is another story all together as you need to be reasonably confident that you are their top choice. If the interviewer knows one thing, it's that you are not going to work for free. He/She knows that you will be getting paid so talking about the amount you are getting paid shouldn't be as hard as many people find it to be. I am going to get into the process of negotiating a salary later so keep your eyes out for that post.
Ask for the job. As Alison says, treat the interview as a collaborative process. You need to know if you could work there just as much as they need to know if they want you. It pretty much goes without saying that by submitting your resume and attending the interview you have already asked for the job. Assume the interviewer is required to go through some sort of process and that actually asking for the job during the interview isn't going to do you any good because they wouldn't be able to upset their process and give it to you on the spot even if they wanted to. Rather, use your thank you note to reiterate your interest in the position without going so far as to ask for the job directly.
Limit your resume to one page: I love it that this is #1 on the list! I actually recently did the exact opposite. I had a two pager for a few years and recently paired it back to one. I was talking to a Career Counsellor who liked my 2 pager but as an exercise told me to try to get it down to one page by listing only those things I am most proud of about each job. It was actually much easier to do than I thought it was going to be and I love the results. It is very clear and concise. So I am back down to a one pager but that doesn't mean you have to be too. The point here is that now both are acceptable whereas previously two page resumes were frowned upon.
Write in formal language: I very much agree with this one. Your resume is a representation of you and thus should sound like you. Hey, if you speak in a formal mechanical language then go ahead and make your resume like that too.
Include an objective: I didn't even realize people still listed objectives on their resume. I'm not even sure why anyone would have ever used one in the first place. The very nature of me giving someone my resume should make my objective pretty clear shouldn't it?
Lead with your education: This is very true but is also very tricky if you are just starting out. So if you're not just starting out definitely list your work experience first. In many cases, the employer isn't going to care what you actually got your degrees in and will just be looking to see that you have them. But if you're on the hunt for your first job out of school and your college career amounts to the most significant thing you've accomplished then listing it at the top is probably your only choice isn't it? If this is the case, consult with your college's career office and get their help on your resume.
Include "references available upon request" on the bottom of your resume: This is just like listing an objective. It's not needed and takes up space you can otherwise use to articulate the value you will bring to the company.
After you submit your resume, wait a few days and then call to schedule an interview: Making this phone call stinks and is awkward. I was so glad to read it on Alison's list. The Career Counsellor I worked with when I left the theatre told me that I should call every organization I apply to so I can get them to find my materials and bring them to the top of the pile. I hated doing it and from what I can tell it has never paid off for me. Thanks to Alison I won't be making any of these calls any more.
Arrive early for interviews: While I understand what she is saying, there is no possible way I would ever risk being even one second late for an interview. The only alternative to that is to be early. That being said, I'd never actually appear more than 10 minutes early and generally I shoot to be less than 5 minutes early. This definitely means sitting in the car or around the corner. So I say, be early. Be as early as you want to be to make you feel comfortable. The most important thing you can do is assure that you are on site on time so do whatever it takes to do that. But also, yes, don't actually report to the interview until it's time.
When an interviewer asks about your weaknesses, answer with a positive framed as a weakness: To begin with, this is such a stupid question. Everyone has faults and weaknesses including the interviewer. I hate being asked this. But at the same time, I am prepared with an answer. If you want to win you have to play the game right? So yes, admit your weakness like Alison says and then let the interviewer know how you are proactive about overcoming it.
Don't name a salary number first. Talking about salary is so taboo in our society that it has made us all afraid to talk about it when we actually need to. So by all means, don't be afraid to bring it up first assuming that you do so at the appropriate time. Knowing when the right time is, however, is another story all together as you need to be reasonably confident that you are their top choice. If the interviewer knows one thing, it's that you are not going to work for free. He/She knows that you will be getting paid so talking about the amount you are getting paid shouldn't be as hard as many people find it to be. I am going to get into the process of negotiating a salary later so keep your eyes out for that post.
Ask for the job. As Alison says, treat the interview as a collaborative process. You need to know if you could work there just as much as they need to know if they want you. It pretty much goes without saying that by submitting your resume and attending the interview you have already asked for the job. Assume the interviewer is required to go through some sort of process and that actually asking for the job during the interview isn't going to do you any good because they wouldn't be able to upset their process and give it to you on the spot even if they wanted to. Rather, use your thank you note to reiterate your interest in the position without going so far as to ask for the job directly.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Breaking Job Searching Rules
We've all met the know it all who insists that everything needs to be done a certain way. It seems that when it comes to careers and job searching the know it alls know even more and are doubly insistent about the breadth and accuracy of there expertise. Increasingly, however, when it comes to searching for a job the standard know it all rules are becoming obsolete. So tell your know it all co-worker or friend to pipe down a bit, open their mind a little and consider breaking the steadfast rules of job searching we've all come to know.
I am going to turn to Alison Green again for guidance on this matter. She writes a fantastic blog called Ask a Manager and has recently written about 10 Job Search Rules to Break. While I don't agree 100% with everything she says there's a lot you can learn from this post. I will comment specifically about each of her 10 suggestions in a few days. In the meantime, take a look and let me know what you think.
I am going to turn to Alison Green again for guidance on this matter. She writes a fantastic blog called Ask a Manager and has recently written about 10 Job Search Rules to Break. While I don't agree 100% with everything she says there's a lot you can learn from this post. I will comment specifically about each of her 10 suggestions in a few days. In the meantime, take a look and let me know what you think.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Ug...the Performance Review
I had my yearly performance review the other day. In truth, I have been here almost 4 years and this was only my second review. So it's not at all yearly. While I've never actually had a bad one (knock on wood), it's still not my favorite thing. You schedule this meeting at which you know the potential exists for you to receive criticism and then you have to spend the next few days anticipating what's going to be said. It's that anticipation I don't like. It'd be a heck of a lot easier if I could just be blind sided by the review so I don't have to spend time worrying about it. Just call me down to an office out of the blue and lay it on me. I can take it. But, like I said, I've never had a bad one. I subscribe to the notion that if there was a problem with my performance they wouldn't (and shouldn't) wait for my review to tell me about it.
Since nothing remarkable happened this year I thought I would tell you about an interesting review I had several years ago. One of my previous bosses travelled a lot. When I say a lot, I mean A LOT. He would go away for two weeks, come back for 2 days and then leave for another week. He would even take a red eye back to the office, work for the day and then head to the airport after work that same day for another multi-day trip. I was his executive assistant. In fact, I was one of his two assistants. So what work there was to do, and there was a lot, was split between two people. Needless to say, when he wasn't around there wasn't much to do. There were very few, if any, self sustaining parts of the job description that didn't require his presence. No boss meant no letter writing, no phone calling, no emails, no calendar maintenance, no meetings to schedule and prepare. He'd call in once a day but that was about it when he was away.
During one of my yearly reviews he told me that he knows he isn't around a lot but I "need to do a better job finding things to do" to keep me busy. Really? OOOOO...K?
This was by far the most head scratching comment I've ever gotten in a review. I understand this as a piece of useful feedback on face value. If you are a server in a restaurant on a slow night you might clean the coffee machine, wipe out cabinets and sort silverware. But this was an office and I was there to work for this man in any and every way he needed. When he would leave town for 10-12 days I would be left at work for several days in a row without even speaking to him. I could go an entire month of work and only see him for 3-5 work days stretched out over that entire period. I would even go into his office before a long trip and ask him for work to do while he was gone. When you are an executive assistant and you haven't seen your boss in 5 days and aren't going to see him for another three, there are heaps of time when there's nothing to do. I wasn't upset with the comment, it made me laugh more than anything because it was so absurd. Mostly, I couldn't believe he said that.
After some consideration, I realized that this comment came as one piece of criticism in a review that was extremely positive. He felt the need to at least offer up some level criticism as my boss and that's what he came up with. I mean, I know I am perfect and all, but he probably didn't want me to know that I knew he knew I was perfect!!!!
I learned that in our reviews we need to be prepared for whatever comes our way no matter how insane it may sound. How we react to it, in what context it was delivered, and what we do with it is what make all the difference. It is important to not react emotionally during your review as hard as that may be.
There are a lot of great resources available to help us survive our reviews. Boston.com has a great guide so try starting here: http://www.boston.com/jobs/galleries/performance_reviews/.
Since nothing remarkable happened this year I thought I would tell you about an interesting review I had several years ago. One of my previous bosses travelled a lot. When I say a lot, I mean A LOT. He would go away for two weeks, come back for 2 days and then leave for another week. He would even take a red eye back to the office, work for the day and then head to the airport after work that same day for another multi-day trip. I was his executive assistant. In fact, I was one of his two assistants. So what work there was to do, and there was a lot, was split between two people. Needless to say, when he wasn't around there wasn't much to do. There were very few, if any, self sustaining parts of the job description that didn't require his presence. No boss meant no letter writing, no phone calling, no emails, no calendar maintenance, no meetings to schedule and prepare. He'd call in once a day but that was about it when he was away.
During one of my yearly reviews he told me that he knows he isn't around a lot but I "need to do a better job finding things to do" to keep me busy. Really? OOOOO...K?
This was by far the most head scratching comment I've ever gotten in a review. I understand this as a piece of useful feedback on face value. If you are a server in a restaurant on a slow night you might clean the coffee machine, wipe out cabinets and sort silverware. But this was an office and I was there to work for this man in any and every way he needed. When he would leave town for 10-12 days I would be left at work for several days in a row without even speaking to him. I could go an entire month of work and only see him for 3-5 work days stretched out over that entire period. I would even go into his office before a long trip and ask him for work to do while he was gone. When you are an executive assistant and you haven't seen your boss in 5 days and aren't going to see him for another three, there are heaps of time when there's nothing to do. I wasn't upset with the comment, it made me laugh more than anything because it was so absurd. Mostly, I couldn't believe he said that.
After some consideration, I realized that this comment came as one piece of criticism in a review that was extremely positive. He felt the need to at least offer up some level criticism as my boss and that's what he came up with. I mean, I know I am perfect and all, but he probably didn't want me to know that I knew he knew I was perfect!!!!
I learned that in our reviews we need to be prepared for whatever comes our way no matter how insane it may sound. How we react to it, in what context it was delivered, and what we do with it is what make all the difference. It is important to not react emotionally during your review as hard as that may be.
There are a lot of great resources available to help us survive our reviews. Boston.com has a great guide so try starting here: http://www.boston.com/jobs/galleries/performance_reviews/.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
So What Should Scott Do?
I thought I'd start with things that Scott shouldn't do before I talk about what he should do:
Set up a meeting to speak with the Regional Director to confront him about all of the Friday presentations that are then asked about on Monday to prove that his Friday presentations are thorough and well prepared.
In general, it's never a good idea to confront your manager no matter how right or wrong you think you are. Think about it this way, the people that are above you on the career ladder, while perhaps not because they are smarter, more talented or even a better person, got there by doing their jobs well in a way that works for them. Could they learn to do things better? Probably! But for the most part, they are usually there because they are good at what they do. It will help you a great deal if you understand that you probably aren't going to get them to change and it could be a problem for you if you try. It's a classic case of the risk far outweighing the reward. Instead, think about trying to understand who they are, how they work, and what you need to do in order to compliment their style rather than pointing out what is wrong with it.
Complain to his coworkers about how frustrating it is to work with the Regional Director but don't really change the way he's handling the Friday presentations.
Let's face it, it helps to vent. And if you have a trusted colleague (and I mean TRUSTED), then by all means go ahead and vent. But do not go spouting off to anyone who will listen about all of your supervisor's flaws. And certainly, venting to a colleague isn't the only thing you should do because it is a passive response that won't yield anything but trouble no matter how good you feel afterwards.
So this leaves us with what Scott should do:
Try creating a PowerPoint slide and then handing out a one page synopsis of his Friday presentation that people could take away from the meetings and refer to later.
Now there is no guarantee that this will work. Perhaps Scott's boss isn't someone who responds well to hand outs or slides. But what this does show is that Scott is being proactive in trying to find effective solutions. What he has done here is create new a presentation style that he thinks might positively affect the most amount of people. The PowerPoint is designed for those who respond well to taking in information visually. The handout is designed to help those that understand and absorb information by reading. Those two, combined with his verbal presentation, now gives Scott a fair chance to reach everyone in the room and makes sure the information is going to be retained by almost everyone. After all, if you don't absorb information by visual aids, reading or listening than chance are you don't retain much now do you?
A more formal name for what Scott is doing is Managing Up, which means going above and beyond your actual job description to enhance the work of you manager. Making his/her life easier by providing what he or she needs, anticipating those needs and often satisfying those needs before you are asked. It's a method of assessing the working styles of those around you are figuring out ways to compliment them for the benefit of efficiency and progress.
Set up a meeting to speak with the Regional Director to confront him about all of the Friday presentations that are then asked about on Monday to prove that his Friday presentations are thorough and well prepared.
In general, it's never a good idea to confront your manager no matter how right or wrong you think you are. Think about it this way, the people that are above you on the career ladder, while perhaps not because they are smarter, more talented or even a better person, got there by doing their jobs well in a way that works for them. Could they learn to do things better? Probably! But for the most part, they are usually there because they are good at what they do. It will help you a great deal if you understand that you probably aren't going to get them to change and it could be a problem for you if you try. It's a classic case of the risk far outweighing the reward. Instead, think about trying to understand who they are, how they work, and what you need to do in order to compliment their style rather than pointing out what is wrong with it.
Complain to his coworkers about how frustrating it is to work with the Regional Director but don't really change the way he's handling the Friday presentations.
Let's face it, it helps to vent. And if you have a trusted colleague (and I mean TRUSTED), then by all means go ahead and vent. But do not go spouting off to anyone who will listen about all of your supervisor's flaws. And certainly, venting to a colleague isn't the only thing you should do because it is a passive response that won't yield anything but trouble no matter how good you feel afterwards.
So this leaves us with what Scott should do:
Try creating a PowerPoint slide and then handing out a one page synopsis of his Friday presentation that people could take away from the meetings and refer to later.
Now there is no guarantee that this will work. Perhaps Scott's boss isn't someone who responds well to hand outs or slides. But what this does show is that Scott is being proactive in trying to find effective solutions. What he has done here is create new a presentation style that he thinks might positively affect the most amount of people. The PowerPoint is designed for those who respond well to taking in information visually. The handout is designed to help those that understand and absorb information by reading. Those two, combined with his verbal presentation, now gives Scott a fair chance to reach everyone in the room and makes sure the information is going to be retained by almost everyone. After all, if you don't absorb information by visual aids, reading or listening than chance are you don't retain much now do you?
A more formal name for what Scott is doing is Managing Up, which means going above and beyond your actual job description to enhance the work of you manager. Making his/her life easier by providing what he or she needs, anticipating those needs and often satisfying those needs before you are asked. It's a method of assessing the working styles of those around you are figuring out ways to compliment them for the benefit of efficiency and progress.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The Importance of Determining Working Styles
When I was a student in college picking my classes I payed almost as much attention to who was teaching a class as I did to what the actual class was about. I wanted to know before enrolling what my chances were of getting a good grade. And even then, after enrolling and starting the class the first few weeks were all about figuring out what I needed to do to survive the course and (hopefully) bring home the A. What are the professor's expectations? How hard does he/she grade? How many tests and papers will there be? How strict or lenient are they regarding deadlines and punctuality?
Believe it or not, many people forget about these survival techniques after they enter the work force. But when you think about it, a big part of managing your career should be about figuring out how to work with those around you, especially your boss, in order to reach your desired level of success. In this respect, you are learning how to do that in college just as much as you are learning the subject matter of your courses yet many people don't realize this part of their education and how important it is. Everyone around us has a particular working style and learning what those are can be crucial to our success.
Considering the following example:
There is a 10:00am meeting every Friday at which department heads meet to report to the Regional Director. They are required to summarize their department's progress during the week that has just past and look ahead to their goals for the week ahead. Each department head gets 10 minutes and must present a clear and concise picture to the Regional Director.
Scott has been with the company for 18 month and has realized that the Regional Director routinely forgets what he said on Friday and often has to call on Monday and ask Scott about things he had just presented the Friday before. Not only does this frustrate Scott because it takes time away from the things he needed to accomplish Monday morning but it also makes him feel that his Friday presentations are inadequate no matter how well he prepared them. At the same time, the Regional Director is frustrated at having to call Scott every Monday to ask questions about the things he felt Scott should be telling him. This became such an issue that it was brought up in Scott's yearly performance review and he became very discouraged.
Scott decided to spend some time thinking about ways to solve this problem and came up with three ideas:
Believe it or not, many people forget about these survival techniques after they enter the work force. But when you think about it, a big part of managing your career should be about figuring out how to work with those around you, especially your boss, in order to reach your desired level of success. In this respect, you are learning how to do that in college just as much as you are learning the subject matter of your courses yet many people don't realize this part of their education and how important it is. Everyone around us has a particular working style and learning what those are can be crucial to our success.
Considering the following example:
There is a 10:00am meeting every Friday at which department heads meet to report to the Regional Director. They are required to summarize their department's progress during the week that has just past and look ahead to their goals for the week ahead. Each department head gets 10 minutes and must present a clear and concise picture to the Regional Director.
Scott has been with the company for 18 month and has realized that the Regional Director routinely forgets what he said on Friday and often has to call on Monday and ask Scott about things he had just presented the Friday before. Not only does this frustrate Scott because it takes time away from the things he needed to accomplish Monday morning but it also makes him feel that his Friday presentations are inadequate no matter how well he prepared them. At the same time, the Regional Director is frustrated at having to call Scott every Monday to ask questions about the things he felt Scott should be telling him. This became such an issue that it was brought up in Scott's yearly performance review and he became very discouraged.
Scott decided to spend some time thinking about ways to solve this problem and came up with three ideas:
- Set up a meeting to speak with the Regional Director to confront him about all of the Friday presentations that are then asked about on Monday to prove that his Friday presentations are thorough and well prepared.
- Try creating a PowerPoint slide and then handing out a one page synopsis of his Friday presentation that people could take away from the meetings and refer to later.
- Complain to his coworkers about how frustrating it is to work with the Regional Director but don't really change the way he's handling the Friday presentations.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)