ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2006 > August
August 2006
Enthusiasm has left the building
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last week I talked to a friend about his company’s merger with another. There was an announcement of a great marriage between two former competitors, joining forces for the sake of strength.
Merging technologies, customer bases, and consolidated operations is one thing, but how well do companies plan for the merging workforce (that’s business speak for people). Is it ever a perfect match or can it be a culture clash of gigantic proportions?
After six months of ‘integration’, my friend described more power struggles and secret plots going on right now than you would have in any Shakespearean play.
The cast of characters is to be expected. The rumormongers who take particular pleasure in spreading panic with speculation that one department is going dominate because the other will become extinct.
The new boss who says we are moving on to new and better ways. Get on the train or get off. The resisters who say the new ways will never work, just wait and see.
Apparently, you don’t know exactly the moment or how, enthusiasm has taken a quick exit and paranoia has swept the building causing a contagious disease of epidemic proportions.
What is a person to do when enthusiasm has left the building and negativity has taken a strangle-hold?
Is it one rotten apple in the bunch that is poisoning the people, and how easy is it to identify the culprit or culprits?
Do you ever just get tired of listening to other people complain about their jobs, and wish they would either shut up altogether or move on with another job?
It used to be a great place to work. Help my friend with suggestions on how to beef up morale.
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Take a vacation why don’t you?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In the last days of summer consider this: Americans are taking less vacation time than ever.
In one recent study by the Families and Work Institute, more than one third of employees said that they didn’t plan to take all the vacation days owed to them.
When we finally do pull away, we still answer emails and take work calls. Why?
A few reasons: Not wanting to be swamped when we return, demanding bosses, self-imposed expectations and a reluctance to delegate tasks to others.
If you find your job satisfying, it seems even harder to pull yourself away. The reasons for working vacations are varied.
And the irony here is that we know that reduced stress, increased perspective and renewal all result when we remove ourselves from the workplace, even for a brief time.
So what is your excuse? If you haven’t used up your days, why not?
If you are an entrepreneur, do you give yourself a break now and then?
Does anyone take a two-week vacation anymore or is that gone forever?
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First day on the job!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s coming up on my favorite time of year, when summer is winding down and kids are heading back to school. Having worked in higher education for years, I’ve grown to love that certain electricity that pervades a campus when everyone is gearing up for fall classes.
It’s the excitement of a fresh start and the clean slate that is the new school year, which promises limitless possibilities.
The first day of school, in many ways, is not unlike the first day on a new job.
The new employee is excited, a little nervous, and often a bit intimidated by the prospect of learning a new system, mastering a new set of responsibilities and remembering all the names and faces that he or she will encounter over the course of the coming weeks.
It may be hard to imagine it, but even the most jaded employee was a fresh-faced newcomer at one time.
After being on the job for a number of years it’s easy to forget how it feels to be the new kid on the block.
Many offices have traditions in place to welcome new employees, whether it’s a formal orientation, or simply lunch with key staff members.
Whatever the tradition, it’s usually a nice gesture and can make a new employee feel more at ease.
Sometimes, unfortunately, the first day doesn’t run as smoothly as we would hope.
We’ve all heard embarrassing “first day” stories of people walking around with food in their teeth, getting lost inside the building or falling down stairs in front of the new boss.
Despite your best efforts to make a good impression, have you ever been the victim of an unfortunate first day on the job experience?
Young grasshoppers and old dogs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In today’s workplace, it is not uncommon to observe the proverbial young grasshopper given the job of teaching the old dog new tricks.
When and how did this come about?
With the Baby Boomers slowly exiting the workforce and Gen X and Yer’s dutifully marching in to fill the empty spaces, the probability of younger workers assuming positions of authority becomes considerably greater.
However, with the inherent differences in values and lifestyles between the generations, the workplace can become an unanticipated source of tension and anxiety, affecting your productivity and essentially the quality of your life.
Not too long ago, I met with a young man, recently graduated from a well-known university, who was noticeably stressed and unhappy in his new position.
It wasn’t that his job and pay weren’t good—quite the contrary—it was due to the unexpected surprise at having to manage workers who were often twice or even thrice his age. As a individual taught to respect his elders almost to a fault, this proved a most difficult task.
While his ambition and work ethic urged him to pursue a more efficient and perhaps, more immediately self-interested course of action, his upbringing and empathetic nature suggested otherwise.
His discomfort with the idea of sitting back with his feet up in an air-conditioned office while workers, roughly the age of his parents, manually implemented his efficiency plan layout for the warehouse in 100-degree weather, prompted him to roll up the sleeves of his dress shirt and move boxes with them.
Sure enough, not only did the old dogs slowly warm to him, he earned their respect and feels they may be open to learning some new tricks without biting.
The point is, with more and more young grasshoppers slowly hopping up the rungs of the corporate ladder, compromise and empathy become more important characteristics to exercise.
By establishing a level of trust, despite the fact that it does take valuable time and effort, you’re investing in a happier future not only for your coworkers, but for yourself. And a note to the old dogs: try not to play so rough with the young grasshoppers.
While smug and superior attitudes may tempt you to exhibit such behavior, remember that your empathy and experience could well be used to teach and improve these young minds of the corporate future.
Not only that, but here’s a small reminder that should keep your eyes on the big dog bone— they’ll be supporting you in your posh retirement.
When does borrowing become theft?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You decide to take work home for the weekend. You are going to need your stapler, a three-hole punch, a couple of writing pads, and a few file folders.
It is very productive weekend for you at home. Your mission is accomplished. You anticipate this is going to happen again, so you decide to leave these tools at the home office for the next project.
After several projects, you have pretty much established a fully functional home office, from equipment and supplies furnished by your company.
There is a question out there that looms. “Is this morally right, legal and would my company CEO approve if they knew?”
Most of us would justify our actions by saying, “I am doing work on my own time”. “I have just borrowed a few things.” Do you use the same material for non-work related tasks?
What about if you leave your job? I have seen many a stapler going out the door at the top of the box.
Is it ok to claim stationary that you have been using for years? Does that make it your property?
When does borrowing become company theft?
IM at work: Tool or Distraction?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Recently, I have been wondering if Instant Messaging (IM) has a place in the workplace.
Having seen a friend’s teenage son become completely obsessed with IM to the point that he can’t carry on a conversation without looking at his phone and keying in responses,
I began to wonder about IM’s effects on employee performance. Workers usually have direct internet access on their desktop and IM programs abound, so what happens when an employee is addicted to IM?
For example, an employee complains about not being able to finish assigned tasks but others tell you that this person is constantly instant messaging friends, family and co-workers throughout the day.
Ever had this scenario in your office? Typically, detail-oriented people make more mistakes and take more time on tasks when IM distracts them.
Some say that IM is the salvation of the workplace.
Employees can IM each other and avoid trips to other’s desks, walks to other parts of the building and distracting phone calls.
IM can even be considered more efficient than email. I say on the other hand, IM can be a total distraction that can be difficult to control - an untreated addiction.
How can you find out just how much time an employee is involved in IM or who they are instant messaging?
Is it any of your business as a co-worker or supervisor? Are there policies in your workplace about personal phone calls? How about IM use?
I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade but I think the values of IM in the workplace are outweighed by the amount of down-time and distraction.
Am I living in the stone age or does anyone else see this as a problem?
Personality tests: Power in Self-Awareness
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It is not uncommon these days to see a personality profile or personality assessment at some point in your job search.
After completing an assessment myself, I found out how a company can benefit and save money spent on a bad hire and also how a job seeker can benefit from knowledge of this information.
Discovering your own personality profile may give you power in answering interview questions that you could be asked in advance so you may perform better. They can also help improve your problem solving skills.
When I completed a personality profile to see what all the hype was about, the accuracy was surprising. I completed a DISC theory-based assessment.
Here is a synopsis of how mine came back:
1: Assertive, competitive and direct.
2: Friendly and verbal.
3: Restless and Alert.
4: Firm and Independent.
This is only an overview but the profile went into much more detail. If you take one of these tests, take a look at the entire profile so you can see how an employer could view this information.
Candidate may demonstrate the following:
1: Pro: Appreciate being ranked.
Con: Bossy and could be hard to manage.
2: Pro: Can develop client relationships.
Con: May focus on people and could distract other employees.
3: Pro: Can multi-task.
Con: May bore quickly if not challenged, may be unorganized.
4: Pro: Little need for manager supervision.
Con: Not a team-player.
An interview strategy for anyone armed with this information could be to observe your skills and seek positions that appreciate the pros and are not as concerned with the cons.
You can also use the results to your benefit in an interview situation. The pros demonstrate that this candidate (in this case me) would be good at talking with clients and closing deals, but can get bored quickly in any position and not appreciate authority.
For the Job Seeker, you can understand your weaknesses and explain how you’ve overcome these areas in an interview if asked.
You may find that a personality profile is just what you need to identify your perfect job and help you become the best hire through your self-awareness!
You can find additional information on personality profiles here:
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Where does Human Resources stand?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Eighty-percent of all decisions made at the C-Suite level and in the board room impact people, and in many organizations,
Human Resources (HR) is there helping the organization set organizational strategy.
HR is a challenging and complex business discipline because it covers everything from strategy to administration and from looking out for the well being of the organization and the people.
In addition to strategic involvement, HR is still responsible for employee selection and promotion, succession planning and terminations; employee training; compensation and benefits; health, safety and security; employee and labor relations; and compliance and administration. HR is also the organization’s conscious and internal cop.
Managers often become resentful of HR because, it is HR that says “you can’t fire Bill for performance because you don’t have enough documentation”.
Employees become standoffish because it is HR you see on your way out the door. Or it is HR telling you “the medical procedure that just cost you $5,000 to have is not covered”.
The key to a successful culture and climate is communication, and it is HR’s responsibility to provide that communication to management and employees.
Is your HR department up to speed? How is your HR department perceived?
The Big Gap
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Do you wish you could work for a while and then take a break for a couple of months?
Even though you are now gainfully employed, do you wish you still had the proverbial “summer off”?
Supposedly the Gen Y, 20-somethings want flexibility, travel, and life balance. Sounds good to me.
Even though I’m sandwiched between the Gen X cynics and the work-a-holic Baby Boomers, whose idea of a good time is flipping TV channels and obsessing over their “crackberry.”
I still think the rapidly rising Gen Y’ers have a great concept.
The unfortunate part is that recruiters and many of the Boomer hiring managers are going to have to find a way to bridge the gap (or better yet chasm) between these generational divergent work forces.
As good as it sounds, while you hike the Appalachian Trail, someone in the next cube may have taken your job and left you in the dust with an unemployment gap to explain.
While you are enjoying expanding your personality with cool life experiences, the Boomers are sizing you up as unfocused, not ambitious, and nearly unemployable.
So here is my advice. The self-motivated Gen Years need to quickly work their way into leadership roles and change the rules. The Gen Yer’s will be grateful and the Boomers will be jealous.
As long as you Gen Yer’s can accomplish what needs to be done in 10 months rather than 12, I say get ‘ahead’ quickly and show the rest of us a new way to work, live, and play.
What do you say? Would you be more likely to join a company, or stay with your current employer, if they offered you a “summer off” as part of your benefits, even if it was without pay or meant less money to total compensation?
What’s blood got to do with it?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Recently, I wrote a BlogBreak entry about assessment tests and their validity in hiring decisions that received a lot of comments from people who have had negative experiences in a job selection process where an assessment test was used.
I remembered that on one of my radio shows, we discussed how the Japanese assess prospective employees, and everyone was totally undone.
Apparently, the Japanese are big believers in blood typing in profiling the nature of a person and their compatibility working with other team members.
Several major companies use blood typing for hiring and promotion decisions. The practice really got momentum in the 1970’s (about the time when Americans would ask on a regular basis, “What’s your sign?”).
There are four different blood types (A, B, AB, and O) that appeared at different times our evolution and reflect our basic survival instincts.
According to various studies and research, blood type A were considered Farmers; B, Hunters; and AB, Humanists; and O, Warriors. Blood type A’s are more detail oriented and fastidious while blood type B’s tend to be creative and unconventional. Type AB’s have a great spiritual sensitivity, while O’s are goal oriented and enthusiastic.
I don’t know the validity of blood typing myself, but there are a lot books that have been written on this subject with Toshitaka Nomi, author of You Are Your Blood Type, being a leading proponent for determining personality traits by blood typing.
Not only in Japan where it is considered normal to ask someone what their blood type is, you can also get your blood type tested at vending machines in public places.
Where does this go? Is this a more scientific approach to assessing compatibility or behavior traits? Or, is this a direct path to stereotyping?
In other words, can only blood type O’s become a CEO?
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Do language barriers and accents cause problems?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“I don’t understand a word he says most of the time?”
“She needs to learn to speak English without that accent!”
“I’m tired of trying so hard to understand him?”
“I’m just tired of people talking with a foreign accent?”
“I’m having problems getting my work done because I don’t understand him.”
We live and work in a multicultural country with people of many, many nationalities, and Atlanta is a microcosm of our country.
Given the rapid growth rate of Atlanta, you may have moved here from a city in the U.S. that is not multicultural. What kind of a culture shock has it been for you? What’s been your experience in the workplace?
If you’ve moved to the U.S. from a non-English speaking country and have been told or you think that you have an accent, what’s been your experience in the workplace?
I work with a company headquartered in Australia, and when some of those employees come here, even they can be a challenge to understand. It can be fun, too!
We hear plenty about how irate some folks can get with people who speak with heavy accents.
How prevalent are foreign accents in your organization? If you have an accent, how has it impacted your effectiveness on the job? What have been some of your problems day-to-day?
What kinds of resentments are there in the workplace and how are you addressing them?
Any commuter solutions?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta commuters are woefully aware of the traffic jams and fuel costs associated with getting to and from work each day. It’s an issue that is guaranteed to stir up a controversy in most crowds.
In any conversation about Atlanta traffic, you’ll find those people who feel strongly about the issue on one side or the other. No matter what the reasons are, or how one feels about it, commuting is a fact of daily life.
As heated as some of these conversations can get, you’re guaranteed to fuel the fire when you mention public transit in Metro Atlanta. Whether it’s for financial or environmental concerns, the reasons behind choosing public transportation are as wide and varied as the opinions about it.
And yet, Atlanta highways are clogged each day with thick traffic. Could more Atlantans switch to public transportation? Sure they could. Are there good reasons why it’s sometimes not possible, practical or convenient for everyone? Absolutely.
Rather than criticize our neighbors for their decisions to commute, how can we as a community begin to think creatively about transportation options that people will choose. Transportation officials have worked hard to initiate programs, but getting people to choose these options is an on-going challenge.
For example, a commuter living in North Fulton County could certainly take the train from North Springs into downtown. However, a common complaint is that it is inconvenient, or that it doesn’t really cut down on the length of their commute.
Would it be more attractive option if commuters could board an express train that began at North Springs and stopped only at Lindberg, Five Points and the Airport? Would people be more inclined to take public transportation if their company were to offer a financial or lifestyle incentive?
Are there are other ideas out there that haven’t been heard? Do you have a good suggestion that will enhance or improve upon our existing options?
That Old Green-Eyed Monster
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jealousy can be one of the most damaging emotions impacting your personal life or workplace.
Whether you are jealous of a co-worker or they are jealous of you, this emotion can be dynamite in professional and personal relationships.
Not to be confused with your feelings toward the person who continually makes an ass of themselves by bragging about their salary, their kids, their huge house, their new car, the pool they’re having put in this week, jealousy goes to the next level.
Sometimes you can control your feelings by knowing that this person is just annoying, unaware and probably insecure.
Real jealousy can be harmful not only in terms of professional progress and/or office politics and it can also damage your emotional and physical health if it becomes a focus of your energy.
Ah, you say, not me, I haven’t anything others would covet and I don’t want anything someone else has. You may be wrong!
Ever been told you shouldn’t need the extra money in a pay raise or promotion because your spouse’s income should be enough for the both of you?
Ever felt the subtle effects of jealousy because of the size of your office, your raise, your spouse, your vacations, the clothes you wear or any of the other things that can unleash that green-eyed monster among office mates or even friends?
Real or imagined, when someone wants what you have, the emotion of jealousy can grow and cause subtle damage.
On the other side, as a supervisor or co-worker, have you ever retaliated in any small or perhaps more vicious way when you are jealous of what someone in your office has achieved, their looks, their car, their house, their friends, their kids?
Are you the one who has let jealousy affect your evaluations of others, your relationships or your work?
Jealousy has been around since the beginning of time and it sure isn’t going to disappear now.
As long as there are perceived inequalities among people or as long as you want something another person has, it can damage relationships, health and productivity.
One of the by-products of a material, consumer-driven society and conspicuous consumption may be very visible differences between families and individuals. Competitiveness is another contributor to the emotional storm of jealousy.
How do you control jealousy and envy in the workplace among associates or is this possible?
Have you seen or experienced the effects of jealousy in your office or company? How do you control your own emotions when it comes to wanting what someone else has?
Personal vs. public information
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
More and more frequently candidates are electing to put a P.O. Box instead of an address on their resume.
In years past, recruiters interpreted a P.O. Box as a red flag. Their first reaction was what is this candidate hiding?
Did this candidate get kicked out of their apartment? Are they going through a divorce? Are they running from creditors?
Today, the tides are turning because many candidates are hesitant to reveal their personal information.
With increasing identity fraud and ever-looming security threats, job seekers may be vulnerable by sharing home addresses, social security numbers, and salary information to people they don’t know, including recruiters or possible employers.
In fact, some female job seekers feel especially exposed by having to include home addresses on their resumes.
In the age of information where sites like Myspace, Zoominfo, and LinkedIn can give volumes of information to employers about prospective employees, the downside for employees is nothing you have done in the past (good or bad) or may do in the future is likely to remain on the down-low from the world of work.
The tough question is how do you get ahead and protect yourself.
Are you afraid to reveal your personal information online or off-line?
If so, will you take these risks in order to get a new job?
