Archive for the ‘Office Politics’ Category
“So, What’s Your Book About?”
27June 2009
In my daily travels, after people ask me the name of my forthcoming book, their first reaction is usually laughter. They immediately understand that Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant™ (TOT) is a self-help guide to make the workplace more manageable, offering some laughs along the way. Mission accomplished!
But the follow-up comments are always fascinating.
“I could have written several anecdotes for your book!”
“Gosh, [to a nearby subordinate], I’m not a TOT, am I?!” The dutiful subordinate blushes and replies: “Ha. Of course not!”
“You must be the Dr. Spock of the workplace.”
“Yeah, I cringed when I heard how some (former) managers spoke to employees!”
When people want to know more, and ask, “What’s it really about?” – I usually say something to the effect of: “It helps you define your career rather than letting it define you.”
I quickly describe the “TOT™” and toddler parallel of out-of-control office behavior. Then I explain how mastering the “parental” techniques of dealing with the similar traits is invaluable and, transferable –and that it will help them in their careers –maybe even in life.
But one of the cornerstones of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant™(TOT): How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job is about shared responsibility. When I first realized the similarities between children and bosses with too much power, I knew that by offering that perspective to employees, it would help them manage up. But the other side of the coin was that it would also help managers do their part from an employer’s’ perspective – it would help them humanize the workplace. A win-win, collaborative proposition.
No matter your level in an organization, having the ability to master relationships with those around you is a legitimate, personal growth commitment.
Not surprisingly, it also the secret to being a great leader. CEOs and senior business leaders can “TOT-proof their companies” and make their environment safe for success. More than anything else, my book makes it crystal clear that it’s incumbent upon everyone to set limits to bad office behavior and reinforce the good. Just as a good parent can reward good behavior and rebuke the bad, the same techniques work 9 to 5.
So, what’s my book about? It’s a customizable guide to assist you in taking command of your own personal career currency. In the process, you can help your boss and fellow employees humanize your workplace.
Now is the Time to Increase Your “Career Currency”
7June 2009
In BusinessWeek.com, I’ve been talking about “Increasing Your Career Currency” during a time of hopeful impending economic turnaround. The comments I’ve received from career professionals at all levels have been relatively similar: it’s refreshing to get some empowering advice these days. There is so much understandable fear about change in every aspect of our lives, that it helps to know that fear of the unknown is actually the first step toward real change. How liberating! That pit in your stomach worrying about your resume, job search, your boss, his or her last tantrum, your co-worker, or your latest challenging assignment – can all be turned around – if you let it. Press “reset” and take a deep breath. Get ready to use all that incredible energy toward the positive. My article outlines some simple steps on how to achieve this.
Yesterday’s announcement that layoffs have slowed supports a new positive mindset and a focus on your own career currency. The available workforce is surging albeit with increased jobless claims that are expected to peak next year. This signifies that there is an expected lag time – and build up in – those filing claims. Companies are not ready to hire actively yet, but they are not laying off staff as they were before. Orders are gradually reappearing – and while this work is being absorbed by existing staff and other resources – needs will ultimately exceed current labor supplies: all positive signs for the future.
Increasing your career currency is part of my passion to help you gain control of your career, as in Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant™ (TOT): How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job (John Wiley & Sons, July 31, 2009), and humanize your workplace™.
I would be pleased to get your feedback, comments and questions.
Knocking Down Doors – Literally!
26May 2009
Keeping the lines of communication open in the workplace is critical – both metaphorically and literally, as illustrated by a national independent workplace study commissioned by Lynn Taylor Consulting, and released in March. Interestingly, in April, AOL’s new CEO, Tim Armstrong, took a significant symbolic step consistent with this study which made some headlines. He ordered that the locked glass doors which sealed off staffers from the executive suite in the company’s New York headquarters be removed. In doing so, he immediately earned the praise and respect of employees.
Armstrong’s gesture is also consistent with the theme of this blog and my upcoming book, Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant™(TOT). To employees, closed doors often suggest (intentionally or not) an unwillingness to communicate – or an exclusionary mindset. Especially during times of downsizing, they can instill unnecessary anxiety, hinder the free flow of information and impede interaction. In the end, they shut out more than people, but also morale and productivity.
Admittedly, AOL will be taking many other steps to bolster itself in the marketplace. But this micro version of taking down an “executive Berlin wall” was a great first step in bridging the communications gap.
Employees and employers alike can and should talk up this simple yet memorable move, because if nothing else, it says to a workforce: “we are a team,” as opposed to: “stay away.” Occasional privacy is understandable, but a non-stop blockade isn’t. Maybe in the latter case, an inexpensive alternative is to hand out free doorstops.
Taking the High Road with Your Boss
4May 2009
Lately the stories about taking revenge on the boss have been getting surreal. You may have read about “boss-napping”, an arrest-worthy sequestering of bosses in France. Having to deal with a Terrible Office Tyrant™ (TOT), especially during tough times, might inspire much less severe responses, like a hidden smirk, or some of the antics recently described in the N.Y. Daily News. Instead, call a timeout. And before you consider shouting “That’s it, buddy” (or “sister!”) – go to your room, NOW!” – consider less career-limiting options.
Here are some techniques to tame your TOT and help keep the corporate schoolyard at bay:
Use humor: Look through a levity lens™ and view work from a distance, seeing its humorous side. That provides a greater sense of career management and control.
Empathize with your managers: Everyone is under more pressure these, which can skew perceptions and magnify less than ideal behavior. Seeing things from another perspective helps ratchets down stress.
Don’t boss-nap, consider taking a nap: Break away from the office politics on your lunch hour for a 20 minute nap in your car – or at least try sitting outside and relaxing quietly or meditating. “Power napping,” popularized in the 1990s, has proven to be one answer to an increased incidence workplace sleep deprivation, according to numerous health organizations. Stay well rested in general and keep in mind that your health comes first.
Remember when you were a kid and your mother said count to 10 when you got angry? Not all clichés have lost their meaning. If you can take the high road, you’ll model good behavior to your Terrible Office Tyrant (TOT™). If your bad boss is untamable, and you’ve communicated and done all you can, then you can always take the highway.
Dial Down Mistrust in the Office
24April 2009
Are you still in shock by reports of Wall Street failures and bailouts? Do you ever relate the performance of these firms to Terrible Office Tyrants or TOTs™ in your company? If you do you’re not alone. Apparently, a bad boss can go under the radar just like global conglomerates until it’s too late.
According to 86% of U.S. adults in a recent independent national survey we commissioned, public failures of large companies are viewed as similar to the much less conspicuous actions of bosses who make poor decisions every day. Both can leave a wake of damage behind them - and no one is aware of it until disaster strikes. (Unlike toddlers, though, the office TOT leaves no juice or chocolate stains to for the CEO to discover!) Unfortunately, sometimes you feel that if you push back on a decision or idea, you may be pushed out!)
Don’t allow these frustrating office situations to ruin your day or your career. If you become catalyst for positive change, you’ll do your part to dial down the mistrust meter. Fine-tune your skills in managing up before things get out of hand. This will not only reduce your stress level. It may be the most strategic career move of your life.
Like so many aspects of achieving success, maintaining an objective, healthy perspective and being proactive can make all the difference. Here are some simple workplace strategies to manage counter-productive office politics:
Provide your managers with highly specific input: Your views matter and may be the “missing piece in the puzzle” that can help your company make better, more informed decisions. You’d be surprised how often your solutions are welcome, and even if one out of five are workable, they will be greatly appreciated. After all, you’re making your boss’s job easier if you have answers.
Don’t allow negativity to devour you: Despite the prevalent “sky is falling” mood in corporate America, keep your eye on the prize with regard to your career and opportunities. When things are in flux, chances for advancement can unfold before you at any time - if you allow them to - and believe it or not, that demeanor will be contagious to your boss.
Make tough times work in your favor: Make it clear your co-workers and your team that you’re a reliable, solutions-oriented person. Read my Managing Up tips under New/Articles, to find out more about how to effect change through diplomacy and problem solving.
Everyone can agree that this is an unusual and very challenging period of our history. But keep in mind that while you can’t control how Wall Street or the economy affects your company, you can help create more positive energy around you. Remember to make skillful communication, problem solving, and peace making a daily goal. Your efforts will reap innumerable benefits now, but especially when the uptick returns!
