So close, yet so far away...

Anticipation - expectation or hope.  This describes me today but times 100!

I mentioned that I received a promotion, but have not yet transitioned to my new role.  Having formally accepted the offer about two months ago, I am beginning to feel as if I am on an episode of Punk'd and my boss will any day now let me know that there is no new job! 

While I am helping recruit for my own backfill, I am taking on more projects and tasks in my old/current job, which leaves me to think that I will never get on to my new position.  I am definitely taking it all in stride, staying positve and optimistic and training my colleague so she knows what to do when I finally leave. 

Money ~ Power ~ Respect

Wow! I am really slipping here with the blogging.  I've definitely got to do a better job at managing my time and making the time to blog on a consistent basis - phew!  But I am determined to do just that.  Vogue's March  issue titled "The Power Issue" helped me put some pep in my step.  With Lady GaGa on the cover I was compelled to read it, but once I opened it there were lots of articles about women famous and not so much who are making power moves.  Those with hectic schedules, kids, demanding careers, etc.  So I thought to myself - Get it together girl!

Soooo, what's been going on - Money, Power, Respect...

Money
Corporate America never ceases to amaze me.  I've gotten a promotion, ummm about two months ago, but am still working in my current position.  When will I transition??  Good question.  Tell you more about that later.  But very excited about the promotion - right on track with the goal I set for myself.  A promotion with a side of raise.

Power
Lots of volunteering - here, there, and everywhere.  Hey - trying to get my philanthropy on!  The power of giving (time, money, advice, skills) is priceless, nothing compares.

Respect
Hmmmm - what else - joined a book club through www.meetup.com.  Very cool, check it out.  We just finished "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls.  Very, very good book - check that out too.  Next up - "Water for Elephants".  Respecting myself by continuing to learn, grow and meet new people.

Help me to help you

This week I confirmed that as a "right-hand man" you are required to watch the act of thinking.  In my job, while I am not an assistant by title, I always end up assisting my boss with numerous tasks and projects, making copies, fetching files, and the most fairest of all - watching her think. 

With some internal company restructuring we have a new leader with a different management style, and different needs and priorities.  With this comes more complex projects requiring me to assist my boss on assignments I've never been exposed to before.  This is great news for me, because I now have the opportunity to learn some new skills and interact with other colleagues.  Yea Me!

However, I realized that its not enough to listen to my boss debrief the situation, get educated on the details, retype documents that our predecessors did not save electronically, analyze the next steps based on my perspective as a newcomer to the information, BUT I also must sit in my boss's office and watch her as she thinks of where additional documents may be, who could have possibly signed the missing document, what the calculation on the 19th page of the contract means and so on!!!!!   How do I know that this to is a requirement - because when I position my body to leave her office to return to my desk, she snaps "Wait, give me a minute".  A minute to do what, I ask myself.  While it would be fantastic if my superhuman power was mind reading, I don't possess that skill set and watching someone think is a waste of time if it isn't an active brainstorming session.

At the end of the day, don't ask someone to watch you think, help them to help you accomplish whatever outcome you are looking for by not wasting their time, but telling them what you are trying to achieve, uncover, or make a decision on.  Next, write down the follow up items that need some additional thought and lastly, decide on a time to reconvene once you had the opportunity to actively think and discuss next steps. 

Gracefully Unhelpful

When I sought out clarification on data provided to me in an excel spreadsheet at work today, I realized that sometimes you just aren't able to be helpful. 

This applies to any situation:  You may just not know the answer due to lack of knowledge on the subject, you may be familiar but it's not your expertise and you don't want to commit to an answer, or you may simply be new to a city, neighborhood, company and just clueless altogether.  No one can fault you for not knowing. 

BUT....there is a courteous way to be unhelpful.

Here are a couple of pointers:

1. Don't have an attitude and get irritated that someone had the audacity to ask you something you don't know.  They may not have known you didn't know.
2. If you have a suggestion on who might be able to help - share it. 
3. Don't tell a tall tale just to get the person off your back - it's OK if you don't know and you shouldn't send them down the wrong path trying to make yourself look good.

I have to admit, I don't watch the local news too often nor CNN or MSNBC.  However, I will read www.cnn.com or even www.msn.com for world news to keep current as to what is going on around the globe.

For those of you who do make it point to watch Anderson Cooper, Diane Sawyer and your local newscasters - kudos to you.  But don't stop there, it is also very important to stay in the loop of what is going on in the industry in which you work.  I often read Human Resources themed periodicals and magazines.  It is important for me to keep up with industry innovation, newsworthy leaders and benchmarking standards that are being set in my field.

As an HR professional I read:

• HR Magazine
• Staffing Management
• Diversity Executive
• Risk Management
• Employee Benefit News

While I don't subscribe to all of these magazines, my employer does!  Try to get your employer to subscribe to those magazines that are applicable to your job function as well.  Assure them that their investment in you staying current in your field is a win-win.  Depending on the industry these subscriptions can get pricey, so you can always check them out at your local library, or go online to get digital version or ezine versions of the publication within your career field, if subscribing is not an option.

With the click of my mouse (Google Queen Alert) I located resources for magazines in a couple other industries, take a look: 

Marketing

• Advertising Age - http://www.adage.com/

Medical

• Advance - www.advanceweb.com - this is a good find as it caters to a wide array of medical professionals.  Some of the magazine subscriptions are FREE for those licensed in the field.  FREE is always good.

Engineering

• Mechanical Engineering - www.memagazine.asme.org
• Civil Engineering - www.asce.org

Business

• Forbes - www.forbes.com
• Business Week - www.businessweek.com

Science

• Science - www.sciencemag.org

Information Technology

• Computer World - www.computerworld.com
• Information Week - www.informationweek.com

Next time you contemplate something to read, pick up or log on to some industry info and while you do that, I will put forth some effort to watch the news!

Ode to mute...

Oh do I love the mute button on my Cisco Systems telephone at work.  The button is similar to the "no smoking" sign, except it's this little microphone being crossed out instead of a cigarette.

Now, why do I love this feature on my phone - well, in my line of work, I administer benefits for over 2,000 employees in the US and Canada.  Benefits are important to people - hey, they're important to me....So it is to be expected that I receive numerous calls ranging from - where is my benefit card, why was my dental claim denied, I want to drop my ex-wife, I want to add my newborn baby, why am I getting a spousal surcharge taken out of my paycheck, where is my pension check, why did the retiree medical costs increase so much, and so on and on and on and on.....

So with that said, I use the mute button at least 3 times a day:

When my phone is on speaker so I can multitask - type an email, file documents, or even eat my lunch.  I just read that the latter task is rude - but au contraire mon frere - I'm muting my smacking with the mute button!

When an employee, retiree or pensioner is talking out the side of their neck.  Sometimes I can't understand why someone would go off on someone who can help them.  That is my job - to solve problems.  I am all for fighting for your rights, venting your frustrations - I do it all the time, you should hear me talking to my cell phone company - but really, sometimes you need to just listen.

When I have to laugh - as serious as I am, I am equally goofy and love to laugh.  At times I find humor in difficult situations and to prevent upsetting or frustrating the caller on the other end, I use my trusty mute button to get out my chuckles.

Beware of checking that the button is pushed before saying something smart.  One day, a medical vendor made my colleague very mad and irritated, while she was shouting over the cubicle to me to come over and assist her with this annoying customer service rep for a vendor, she uttered, "this lady is irritating me and I'm tired of talking to her" well, when I got over there, the rep responded to my hello with "although your colleague thinks that I am annoying and irritating...." Whoa - Not good - my colleague did not double check the mute!

So make sure you check and re-check that button.  In a perfect world, we would not feel the need to say smart aleck things and not allow our buttons to be pushed - but at least until I reach my ultimate level of Zen - I will continue to use my mute button. 

Thank Goodness it's Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday...

It is so funny to me how the attitudes of office workers progress throughout the week. I have memorized the responses to my over the top "Goooood Morrrning" during my 3 floor ride on the elevator each day.

Monday - Ugh - It's Monday...

Tuesday - Is it Friday yet?

Wednesday - It's hump day - we are almost there!

Thursday -Isn't this week going by slow?

Friday -Happy Friday!

I am proposing that those of you who take on this weekly transformation from down in the dumps to on cloud nine, try something different next week. When you enter the elevator, pass someone in the hall, or hold the door for those entering with you, greet them with a Good Morning and a smile. It's really not that hard to do.

No need to share the dark cloud of negativity that hangs over your head with someone else, just because you don't want to be at work. Fake the funk people - Fake - the - funk! Here's why:

A) It's not professional.

B) You don't want anyone going around telling people that you seem like you don't want to be at work - what if that gets back to you manager or the CEO?

C) It's just not healthy. Think of the self fulling prophecy, I think therefore I am. You don't want that attitude to carry through your entire day, better yet the entire week until Friday?

jhjhhlhlh

Remember moods and attitudes can be contagious, so make sure your are passing on the right one.

Here is an interesting statement, my boss heard on a radio show yesterday and shared with me today. Add this to the career growth section of your mental notes file. I am paraphrasing a bit, but the message still speaks loud and clear...

"Your talent can take you places, but your character can keep you from getting in."

The job is the perk...

In the past 6 months to a year, my colleagues and myself have noticed our premium coffee and hot chocolate supply vanish, the disappearance of business lunches and holiday parties and the our company trinkets (shirts, coffee mugs, and just because items from corporate express) leave our king fu grips. Looking on the bright side we should have seen this coming after the 1st rounds of company-wide lay-offs (which left us thankfully with our jobs), the halting of the 401k company match and tuition reimbursement, the introduction of mandatory furloughs and disappointingly the freezing of bonuses and pay increases.

While we are thinking that this sucks and how are they gonna keep taking these things from us, it is important to keep in mind at all times, that companies are doing these things to try to prevent the lay offs and save money which will be used to pay your salary!

At the end of the day, I can bring in my own beverages, have a holiday party among my own family and friends, use the unpaid vacation days I am required to take to relax or run errands, and dust off my old company trinkets (because in reality we really don't use that stuff anyway) and crack a smile every 1st and 15th when I get the ultimate perk - my paycheck!

Delinquent Notice #2

Last we talked, we discussed the topic of paying your dues in the workplace. Putting in hard work, busting your tail or even waiting your turn to get to the top. As mentioned, today's millenials find it odd to be following the same directions as those of the baby boomers, Gen X'ers and Y'ers - especially when 2 important things are present: Observation #1 was discussed in the first half. 1 -We are innate job hoppers. We aren't really trying to put in 25 to 30 years at a employer. To be honest, we aren't trying to be anywhere for 5 years - so technically our dues should be much cheaper!

It is time to move on to observation # 2- its hard to follow the same principals when we so often find managers and bosses who are in their high power positions not because of talent but simply because a) they know someone, b) paid the due of 'time' or c) not only do they know how to kiss butt but more importantly...whose butt to kiss - it does make a difference!

So I got to thinking... the older workforce is appalled at the younger workforce's idea of promotion, career growth and how to rise to the top, and want us to follow these dated rules and politics. But if we have non-talented leaders, how confident can one feel about paying dues, putting in time and sucking up?

I've worked in a place where not only was my direct boss incompetent, but her boss possessed the same lackluster qualities. This made me mad and I consistently wondered "how did you get this job?" every time I encountered either one of them. To make matters worse, there was nothing that could be done about that situation, as they were in their positions and had been for a couple years, which was weird, because I don't know how they were able to keep getting by???

So, what can we do to break the cycle, sorry to say, nothing. Just do what you have to do, learn everything you can, and you will because with a stupid boss, who usually winds up doing their work and coming up with fantastic ideas and suggestions -YOU. By the time you move on, and you will move on, you will be so on top of your industry game! (Question: So, should we be grateful to our bosses who know nothing, yet challenge us to complete their high level projects? - that's another entry...)

I am no longer naive to think that all executives and managers are super smart, savvy and strategic. Some people will get ahead by sucking up, knowing people or simply by default. But one tip: When you get there you better learn something and fast - you will be asked to prove your ability sooner or later! For the sake of the business and mostly your own reputation, because to this day, my former coworkers and I often indulge in uncontrollable laughter when we reminiscence about our stupid bosses!

Working to the top ~ Delinquent Notice #1

"I should be getting a raise soon!" ~ "I better get a bonus this quarter." ~ "Where is my promotion, I've been here 9 months!"

I spoke to a 21-year-old recent college graduate a couple months back and she indicated to me that she thought upon graduation that she would have gotten an On-Air Radio Personality job because she had gotten her degree in Broadcast journalism. I looked puzzled, wondering why did she think that she would have started immediately upon graduation at the top when her experience clearly rested at the bottom!

In today’s society is anyone really working their way to the top? Does "Generation X" (mid 20's-40's) and the newly titled "Millennials" (newest workers) know how to pay their dues? Or "are we even still in an era of owing them in the first place"?

With reality TV phenomenons like “The Apprentice”, "American Idol" and "America’s Next Top Model" in addition to "who you know and networking circles", hard work and experience are appearing obsolete. There has been a shift from working 60 hours a week and devoting 20 or more years to an employer to graduating college, wanting to be the boss and reaping all the perks that come along with it your first week out of school.

There was a time when interning for free (starting at the very bottom) was the all time success story of working your way up. Remember the inspiring story of young Sean “Puffy” Combs starting as an intern at Uptown Records who is now a “Music Mogul" and "Fashion Icon".

According to the article "Generational Teach Back: What Older Workers and Younger Workers Can Learn from Each Other" on Monster.com younger workers are functioning in the work world with the following ideals:

New Technology: I totally agree with this one, lots of young people are excited by new and futuristic trends - no one has patience anymore, including me. We just want things done, now!

Diversity: Born and raised in San Francisco and going away to college did expose me to different ways of life, theories and work ethic.

Job-Hopping: I know sooo many job hoppers! Younger workers do not share the value of company loyalty with older workers, jumping ship whenever a better opportunity presents itself. Instead of putting in the time, they just look elsewhere.

Risk Taking: Just call us rebels - me normally with a cause, occasionally without one! Younger workers take bigger risks, whether its quitting your job to start your own business - (then you will be the boss), or travelling the world and seeing where you land but always being optimistic. Whoo -today people are a little more gutsier and savvy.

Balancing Work/Life Issues: I love to travel and do things in my spare time. But how much time do we really get to devote to our own agendas. Can you believe the article called young workers "not career driven". Perhaps not - but more so "success-drive".

Fulfilling Dreams: I'm all for fulfilling my dreams! Younger workers want to fulfill their own dreams, and not necessarily those of the company! Often times they are only using the company to further their own objectives.

I still believe there will always be dues to be paid, but they may get cheaper!

Next time, we will examine those who made it to the top, yet know nothing! Be careful what you wish for...

Lessons Learned - "The Devil's Advocate"

When it comes to giving advice, there are two types of people:

1. People who are afraid to make their own decision, so they ask for advice and actually take it.
2. People who ask for advice in hopes to validate the decision they already made.

Because its a 50-50 chance that you are going to do "what the hell you want to do" anyway, this column is my way of fulfilling my civic duty, like jury duty. My objective is to supply you information, possible options and alternatives to help you make an informed decision that works best for you.

DEAR Workerbee,

"I will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism next year and I really want to work as a writer for a magazine or newspaper. I don't have any experience in the field but I am willing to work hard and do whatever it takes. Since I have a year until graduation do you have any suggestions as to how I should prepare to job hunt once I graduate?"

~Girl who doesn't want to graduate without a job in my field.

Dear Girl who doesn't want to graduate......

I am glad that you are attempting to take a proactive approach to your career planning. First, I want to say that it is very common for recent graduates to take a job that is not in their field of study upon graduation. There is nothing wrong with doing so; gaining professional work experience allows you to gain exposure in different environments and become well rounded. With your lack of experience, I suggest, if you haven't done so already join a writing club, join the newspaper staff at your college or university and try to secure an internship. Gaining these types of experiences although unpaid will give you items to put on your resume as well as compile a writing portfolio of your writing to present at a job interview. Lastly, start researching potential employers that you may be interested in working for and going as far as reaching out to contacts at the company to inquire about paid internships and entry level positions. You know what they say....the early bird catches the worm!

Good Luck!

Got a question, let me know!