Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom

Book Review: Escape from Cubicle Nation

Pamela Slim’s blog, Escape from Cubicle Nation, was one of the first ones of its kind.  Back when I entered the blogosphere in 2006, Pam had already established herself as an authority on all things entrepreneurship.  She’d hobnobbed with the likes of Guy Kawasaki and Seth Godin.  I wanted to know more about her.

When Pam had me as a guest on her podcast a few times, she told me her story.  Pam had spent the better part of her career traveling across the U.S. doing trainings for large corporations and had been self-employed from a relatively young age.  In a quest to answer audience questions about self-proprietorship, Pam interviewed hundreds of experts and corporate prisoners turned free agents.  The result was her blog, and then her brand new book that has been two years in the making – Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur. 

If you’re looking for nuts and bolts, you won’t be disappointed.  Escape from Cubicle Nation tells you exactly how to break out of Corporate America and start your own business.  But it does more than that.  It discusses – in depth – the emotional and financial difficulties associated with being on your own.  Throughout, Pam’s own struggles and triumphs are revealed for her readers so that she comes across as the genuine person she is rather than an impartial author who’s just there to report the facts.

The book sparkles with Pam’s personality.  Among my favorite gems:  “set up a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup by looking for a peanut butter friend who would be perfectly served by a chocolate bar,” “form a high council of Jedi Knights,” and “get jiggy with it at unexpected times.”  You’ll love it, I promise.

Tax Trials of the Entrepreneur

Now that we’re finished with tax season, we’ve all been reminded of how much taxes suck.  It’s such a pain to collect all those official-looking government documents, fish out those receipts, and itemize all your deductions.  And that’s before you have to sit through a root canal-like meeting with your accountant or H&R Block guy to finalize your return. 

The only thing that can make doing your taxes suck even more than it already does?  Doing them as a corporation rather than an employee or self-proprietor.  My accountant convinced me to incorporate my business last year, and I was never sorrier than I was in March of this year. 

When people talk about how great it is to be an entrepreneur and to work for yourself, no one ever mentions how impossibly complicated the U.S. government makes the tax paying process.  I’ve become intimately familiar with obscure bureaucratic dynasties like the Department of Employment Security, and am just about ready to kill another tree with all the documents required to place an employee on payroll. 

My accountant insists that I will save on Social Security taxes by filing as a corporation instead of an individual.  The question is, is it worth the agida?  For me, I think the jury it out.  As for you, I simply suggest that you consider the implications of forming a business before you decide to do it.  If you can afford to hire a business manager to take care of taxes and other unsavory aspects, I recommend it wholeheartedly.  If not, be prepared to spend some time in the IRS’ trenches. 

Do What You Say: My Favorite Golden Rule

Everyone knows this golden rule:  “Do unto others as you’d have done to you.”  But I think that fewer people are familiar with this one:

“If you say you are going to do something, follow through.”

There are some people who never volunteer to do anything.  Others simply don’t respond when asked to do a favor they aren’t interested in doing, or don’t have time for. 

And then there are the people who say yes, and then let you down.  These are the most annoying people, don’t you think?   They lose more points for being reminded and still shirking their responsibility, and still more points if you did something for them recently, they told you that they’d love to reciprocate in a specific way, and then they never followed through. 

Look, we’re all busy.  There’s just no way we can be all things to all people.  Therefore, I encourage you to stop for a moment and think before you agree to take something on.  Please do not say yes just because you are non-confrontational or a people pleaser, because I guarantee that you will risk a much more awkward confrontation and will definitely not please the person if you do not deliver once your action is expected.  Those of you in positions of authority or who are high-profile in your industries or organizations are not excused from this advice.  You may not see any consequences from dropping the ball now, but you never know when the person you’ve let down might be the one from whom you need help.  Unless their long-term memory is seriously compromised, there will be trouble.

If you’re worried about forgetting what you said you’d do, write the item on your to-do list and leave it there until it’s completed.  I’ve also gotten into the habit of asking people to e-mail me in a month and remind me if I can’t help them right then and there but think I can in the future.  It has saved me more than once!

 

Research Shows That Absenteeism Drops When Jobless Rate Rises

Workplace absenteeism goes down when jobless rates go up, research has shown.  But, the drop in absences during times of higher unemployment is largely among unhappy workers, according to a study led by John Hausknecht, an assistant professor of Human Resource Studies at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.  Unhappy workers are more motivated to go to work when the economy signals joblessness is increasing, he said.

Unemployment rates, high or low, have the least impact on absenteeism of highly satisfied workers, according to the study.  It followed 12,500 employees of a state department of transportation for five years.  "The good news is, if you've got a committed and satisfied workforce, it really doesn't matter what the economy is doing. Those people tend not to be taking days off," Hausknecht said.

The study also found that absenteeism crept up at a pace of about 5 percent annually over five years.  Since each day of an employee's absence costs employers an estimated $500 a day, that uptick grew to millions of lost dollars for the organization studied.

One possible explanation for the rise in absenteeism rates is that workers tend to exaggerate other workers' absences and then use those perceptions to legitimize their own absences, Hausknecht said. He conducted the study with researchers from  Florida International University and Vance & Renz, a management consulting services firm.

They used employee surveys to have workers rate their job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and collected unemployment rate data from the Department of Labor. They focused on short-term absences (one to two days) since longer times away from work are often assumed to be medically based.

5 Tips for Giving Praise at Work

Anita Bruzzese has a thought-provoking post on the perils of praising people too much at work.  Says Anita:  “Flattery is nice, but it can also backfire.  If not done sincerely and at the right time, it can have the same impact -- possibly even worse -- than criticism. Why?  Because it's humiliating to know that someone thinks so little of you that they would believe you would fall for such hollow words.”

Hmm…

“Believe it or not, offering praise that really counts for something takes some thought,” she continues.  “If you think offering a compliment is no big deal, then maybe you need to reassess how and why you offer such words. Because if you're going overboard, it could just be that people will start to wear hip waders when you come around, just to get through the river of bullsh*t you seem to spew.”

This last part may be a little harsh, but in general Anita’s points are valid, and she has five terrific tips for giving praise that really matters:

* Don't be manipulative. Don't offer words of praise right before you make a request.  

* Don't go overboard. Be specific when you offer a compliment. Instead of saying someone gave the "best presentation ever," cite an example: "I thought what you said in your presentation about green alternatives will really spark some innovation, which is what this company needs right now." Don't get caught up in saying "good job" for everything that passes your way. Take a minute and think about why it was a good job, then offer the compliment: "You really helped calm that customer down by not getting upset and by focusing on finding a solution. You really helped keep him as a customer."

* Don't give back-handed praise. "That was really a great idea you had for the new advertising campaign. Not bad for a guy who nearly lost us a big account last week." Compliments should not be used as a diversion for sticking a knife in someone's back.

* Do take the time to do it right.  Sincere forms of flattery can not only motivate you, but give you confidence. Why would you rush through something so meaningful?  Look the person in the eye and make sure you have their full attention.  And remember: Sometimes it's especially nice to give words of praise in front of others.

* Do understand that everyone likes praise. Some people at work are quiet and seem to exist in their own world. You can't imagine that what you think would matter to them. Or, there are the brash employees who constantly proclaim they don't give a dead rat's ass what anyone else thinks. But everyone likes to hear kind words.  It's a form of nourishment for the spirit that is especially important during tough times like these in the workplace.

30/20 Vision Radio Show Today!

Please join us for the special edition of 30/20 Vision, the radio show for the twenty-something who wishes they had a couple of big sisters to clue them in on the ins and outs of life after college.

This edition is sponsored by the Forte Foundation and features your usual hosts, authors Christine Hassler, Lindsey Pollak, and me. It will air live Tuesday, April 14, 2009 (this afternoon) at 5PM ET.

Here's the gist:  Many current students and recent graduates are now having to reevaluate their expectations for that first big job out of college.  This online discussion will discuss how to make the most of your first job, even if it’s not your ultimate dream job. Join in to learn how excelling in your job, whatever it is, will help position you towards your ideal career path, and hear how professional relationships and first impressions make a big difference on setting you in the right direction.

There is Always Somebody Better

It is a dangerous game to compare yourself to other people.  It is even more dangerous to say that you want to be the best at any given thing.  

If you base your internal feeling of worthiness on this, you will always be disappointed.  You may even become clinically depressed – because it’s impossible.  No matter who are you, there will always be someone out there who’s better than you in some way.  Maybe your sister is better looking, your friend’s children are better behaved, or your neighbor can afford a house with five bedrooms whereas you can only afford one with three.  This reality often leads to jealousy, and an inherent dissatisfaction with what you do have. 

How do you get past this?  It might help you to consider whether you even want to be the best.  For example, the most gorgeous people in the world have a hard time getting others to see past their looks.  People who are bestselling authors and CEOs usually have no balance in their lives because they are always traveling and struggling to maintain their place at the top. 

Even if you did get to be #1, this alone wouldn’t make you happy.  I wrote about this last year, but essentially, you have to really sit down and consider what success means to you personally.  Set a goal, and when you achieve it, try reflecting on that instead of the people who have more and are doing more. 

 

Beware of Time Zone Foibles

I’m somewhat worried that this is a dumb post.  But I’ve seriously gotten tripped up so many times by time zone foibles that I thought it was worth mentioning…once.

Everyone says that you have to be super-careful when using handy Microsoft Outlook features like “Reply to All.”  I’m sure you’ve all heard the story – personalized for your company, even – when someone responded with a comment they shouldn’t have and cc’d the entire firm.

However, no one ever talks about the danger of missing an important meeting, conference call, interview, etc. because you had the wrong time marked in your calendar.  I live in Chicago, and as such, I’m on Central Time.  For some reason, nearly every person I work with for the first time assumes I’m in New York.  If I don’t get into the habit of referring to the time by its zone (e.g. 2:00PM CT) there’s a very good chance that one of us is going to get it wrong.  Sometimes it doesn’t really matter, but other times it can have negative - or even disastrous – consequences. 

If you’re collaborating with individuals in various time zones, it’s a good idea to list the meeting time in the zone that pertains to the most number of people in the group.  For example, when setting up meetings with my client Microsoft, I query invitees with Pacific Time since the company’s headquarters is in Redmond, WA. Then, I manually adjust my own calendar to reflect that for me, the meeting will take place two hours later in the day.  Although my calendar program allegedly does this automatically, I don’t take it for granted.

It’s a simple thing, but I thought I’d remind you.  Just this once. 

Book Review: Me 2.0

It’s my job to provide you with resources that help you better manage your career.  In reporting on said resources, I always look for people who are extremely successful doing the very thing they are offering advice about.  For Dan Schawbel, that thing is personal branding.

Fresh out of college, Dan was just a typical cog in the wheel at powerhouse technology company EMC when he began building his online empire.  Now in his mid-twenties, Dan sits at the helm of a personal branding blog that is enormously popular in marketing circles.  Dan’s new book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success, has already managed to garner praise from the likes of Marshall Goldsmith, Keith Ferrazzi, and Dan Pink.  Anyone who has read Dan’s blog is familiar with the 4-step process for discovering, creating, communicating, and maintaining a personal brand, and the book does a nice job of providing more detail on this.  His real expertise lies in the online sphere, and the book is loaded with tips for how blogs, podcasts, and social networks can position individuals to find careers based on their passion, experience, and unique skill sets.  Dan himself has done a fantastic job of using online tools for the purpose of networking and attracting business opportunities, and he generously shares his secrets in Me 2.0. 

Me 2.0 proclaims that it is written for young professionals (Gen Y/Millennials), but I believe it’s the must-have, current book on branding for everyone with a need to enhance their reputation and stay competitive in a tough business climate.

Want to be Happier? Lose the Blame

Craig Harper has a terrific post on Lifehack about the pointlessness of blaming your parents for everything that is wrong in your life.  Says Craig:

“Yes, we all get that your childhood, or parts thereof, sucked - welcome to the world’s largest club.  Over the years I have worked with people who have blamed their parents for everything from their poor communication skills and dysfunctional relationships to being overweight and eating poorly.   I totally understand that your parents weren’t always what they should or could have been for you as a child (caring, supportive, forgiving, understanding, loving, available, guiding, and honest). But you are hardly alone.  The problem with parents is that they’re flawed and that whole ‘being human’ thing gets in the way of parental perfection.  

No matter how much you think your parents deserve your anger, vitriol and resentment, I’m telling you (1) it serves no positive purpose (2) it will hurt you more than them and (3) you and only you are responsible for your current reality - no matter what your parents have or haven’t done to you, or for you. What’s standing between you and success right now is YOU. I am not suggesting that you deny your past, but I am suggesting that you don’t live there. It’ll kill you.”

This may sound harsh, but every word Craig says is true.  Look, I’ll admit that I didn’t have the best childhood in the world.  Ninety percent of my peers had a more stable home environment than I did.  It would have been easy for me to sit back and give excuse after excuse for not achieving anything.  But instead, I decided to move on.  I’ve since realized that my early adversity paved the way for me to become a very resilient grownup who doesn’t let obstacles stand in her way of going after what she wants. 

The fact is, life is hard for everyone, especially in economic times like these.  There will always be people who have it better than you, and there will always be people who have it worse.  So instead of lamenting the tragic details of your existence and complaining to anyone who will listen, look for ways to turn your personal challenges into strengths.  Be compassionate toward your parents and anyone else who has wronged you.  There are few people who are truly evil (most do what they can with the tools they have at the time), and even if your parents are/were, obsessing over that fact doesn’t do you a drop of day today, tomorrow, or in the future.