Texting Habits That Can Lead To More Fights

It’s 2017, people. We have a TON of conversations over text message now (even some of the more important ones). While we should probably try to talk in person as much as we can, there’s no avoiding the whole texting thing. Texts can be misread SO easily. Just one misplaced period and your best friend or significant other think you’re furious. It’s tricky! Here are some texting habits that could be getting you in trouble:

• One word replies - We all hate one-word replies, but we all send them anyway. We’re busy!! Make sure you’re using your words where it’s necessary.
• Ignoring your texts - One or two texts unanswered is fine. But when it gets to the point of not responding to ANYTHING people send you, your pals could get the wrong idea.
• Forgetting to proofread. - We all send mistakes sometimes, but a once over of your texts before you send them could make a huge difference.
• Using too much sarcasm. - It’s hard to read (literally). Try to keep the sarcastic remarks for in-person when you can easier tell that you’re joking.
• Texting when you’re mad. - Put the phone down, and step away from the keyboard! Cool off before you text.
• Checking in too often. - Just because you CAN keep constant contact doesn’t mean you SHOULD.
• Not paying attention to punctuation. - If you throw periods around like it’s your job, your pals could be getting the wrong message.
• Texting while you’re together. - If you’re hanging out with someone one-on-one, it might be best to put the phone away for a little while.
• Having important convos via text. - Try to talk in person as much as you can. Especially when it comes to the deep stuff.

Moral of the story? If your friends are getting upset because of your texting, maybe it’s time to call them up or hang out in person. You don’t want someone getting the wrong idea from a few too many periods and one-word answers.

The Worst, And Bizarre, Mistakes People Have Made In Job Interviews

There’s no doubt that job interviews can be nerve-wracking, and no matter how well you’re prepared they may go terribly wrong. But answering a question badly is one thing, for some people the mistakes they make are absolutely mind-blowing.

Well, now folks who do the hiring are revealing some of the biggest bonehead moves they’ve ever witnessed in interviews. It all started when someone posted the question on Reddit, “Employers of Reddit, what was the worst way a candidate messed up a job interview with your company?”

Among the answers:

• “Had an interviewee show up 10 minutes late to an interview, tell us our clock was wrong and proceed to take it off the wall and adjust it. After he left, of course, we adjusted it back to the actual time.”
• “Twenty something chick with an impressive looking resume...but then she showed up with her mom in tow, and actually expected mom to come into the interview.”
• “Resume included a startup he founded. I asked about it: ‘Tell me about your startup, sorry, what was it called again?' He forgot. He forgot the f**king name of the startup he founded a year prior. It went downhill from there.”
• “Guy dropped a bag of methamphetamine while taking something else out of his pocket in an interview. He actually could have gotten away with this, as the interviewer is something like 80% blind. However, he said, ‘Oh, sorry' to which the interviewer replied ‘for what?’ His answer? ‘I dropped my meth.’" (SMH)
• The candidate listed likes and dislikes on his resume. Under dislikes? My company.”
• “When I was a teenager I worked at a chain pizza restaurant. A guy came in for an interview and seemed like a nice guy. He turned around to leave and he had a tattoo of a pot leaf with the word ‘canabus’ on his head. That's right. Not cannabis. Canabus.”
• "’You guys would be lucky to have me, Google is trying to recruit me too.’ I wished him the best of luck at his job with Google.”
• "She picked up a call in the middle of the interview. I thought she was just stepping out to take the call. She never came back in. The front desk said she left to hang out with her friends.”

Source: Reddit 

Millennials Job-Hopping Myth Debunked

As a Millennial, I have heard a lot of "job-hopping" rumors about my generation. Odds are, you heard the stories too; "Millennials only take jobs until they can drop [said position] for the next job that comes along." However, studies show that this might be completely inaccurate! Looking at the job retention rates between Millennials vs. Gen Xers, the numbers are roughly the same. Who knew?

The industry has had had the chance to look at the data on jobs by the U.S. Department of Labor and can compare the retention rate between millennials and Gen Xers at the same stage of life. According to the data, Millennials aren’t job-hopping anymore, or less than those generations before us did. 

What this Labor study shows us is that the retention rate in companies, has been dropping since the 80's. There are a couple of causes for the decline in retention. However, it helps to look at how (to put it in medical terms) to stop the "bleeding" before to understand why you got cut.

You do not need an MBA to recognize that better retention means lower staffing costs. The conventional thought process is that when a company loses an employee, the cost is 150% to replace that employee. For example, if a company fires someone who makes 35,000 a year the total loss, in looking for a new employee and training that employee, comes out to almost 54,000 dollars. Not to mention the "unknown" loss of when a company doesn't handle the firing correctly there is a hit to the cultural ecosystem and loss in productiveness. 

 However consider this from the Labor study: retention rates aren't all bad. Some employers are doing better than others at keeping employees for a longer about of time. Government workers have a higher employee retention rate than their counterparts in the private sector. The retention increase is most likely because of government jobs, in some ways, are different in the way it holds itself to higher standards where the treatment of employees is concerned. There are systems in place for fairer wages, retirement benefits and pensions and, of course, health care provided as a matter of course.

 I think if you are a manager in the private sector it is more important to think about setting yourself apart in the way your company looks at employees. Having a fair and clear system for compensation combined with excellent benefits is an excellent way to prevent staff from leaving. 

Women More Likely To Have Problems With Other Women In The Office

Study finds women are more likely to say they have a “complicated” relationship with a fellow female colleague. Do you find that to be true?

Anyone with a job knows that sometimes you just don’t get along with the people at work. Moreover, while you would think women would stick together on the job, a new report reveals that is not the case at all.

A study published in the "Organizational Science" journal finds that while an equal number of men and women say they have a “difficult” relationship with a colleague, women are more likely to say their problem is with a fellow female co-worker. Women are also more liable to judge a female colleague as “difficult” than they are to cite a man, or not cite anyone at all.

There is one exception though. The study out of George Washington University in Washington DC finds that if women have other female friends in the office, the chances are less likely they will cite having an issue with other female colleagues.

Comment below and tell me if you see this in your office and if so, why?

Facebook Building New Campus With Housing

There is no doubt Facebook is a cool place to work. However, this new planned edition to their building is weirding me out.  The company just announced plans to open a new campus that will make it, so employees will never want to leave, and many of them won’t even have to.

The new facility, called the “Willow Campus,” is a new 59-acre campus across the street from its current Menlo Park, California headquarters. It will feature 1,500 on-campus apartments, 225 at below market rates, as well as parks, local transportation, retail space, a grocery store and a pharmacy.

I know that most of my uneasiness comes from me just having read The Circle, but this is a little much. I get it; this helps the community, this helps people you work there. I would just worry about the "bubble" that the company may be creating with their employees. The possibility for an internal feedback loop this lacks the "real world" perspective is high. 

Phase one of the project is expected to be completed in 2021, and that will include retail, housing, and office space. Check out a video introducing the new property to the right. I look forward to watching the effect on the culture

Thinking Differently About the "Carrot and Stick" Management Style

A common question I hear is, "How do I improve the performance of my department?" There is not a one size fits all fix for any one group or organization. However, there are simple things that you can do that will help build a more positive relationship with you and your team, leading to better company culture and improvement of productivity. 

Improving the relationship between you and your team is vital in how you grow a more positive culture.  One of the biggest steps you can take is assessing the feedback that you give your team. The "carrot and stick" style of management is a common a widely used tactic for a lot of managers. I believe the widespread practice of the carrot and stick approach is because managers see the quick results and get to feel that their interactions played a role in the improvements. However,  studies show that complimenting (carrot) an employee or reprimanding (stick) an employee based on his or her performance is a flawed thought process. If done incorrectly (which is easy to do), the carrot and stick method is cashing in on short-term solutions by damaging your department's long-term prospects on improved culture and performance. 

I recently was talking with a manager about some negative feedback that he had received from his team in a recent evaluation. He didn't understand what he could do differently. "I'm  supposed to be okay with my team underperforming?" he asked. Of course not. However, there is a proper tool for every task. I explained to him Dr. Daniel Kahneman's statistical regression to the mean study. Kahneman is a winner of the Nobel Prize for his work in economics. His study in regression proved that employees perform at a consistent level. In the study, no amount of criticism or praise would change the average employee's performance over a week or month. 

Normally, this is when managers tend to cut me off. They have seen, first-hand that when they criticize an employee, the next day the employee's work improves. Even worse, the managers have been trained to stop using the carrot for the same reason. When they compliment an employee for a job well-done,  they don't take into account the natural regression that occurs when the employee reverts to his or her average performance level. The regression leaves the manager feeling betrayed. "I just said you did a good job, and now you go backward." Unfortunately, because of the confirmation bias that criticism creates improvements in employees, many managers keep only that style of leadership.

A better approach to feedback is to understand that instead of only carrot and stick, there are different tools that you can use to have an active and constructive conversation. When an employee is having a below average day, calling him or her in is an effective relationship building tactic. Start by saying, "Hey, I noticed you are running a bit sluggish today, is everything all right?" Helping develop a positive interaction focused on the performance allows you the chance to analyze if this is just a bad day or a more systemic issue.  Building a relationship with your employees does not mean that you have to be their best friend, but instead, look at each employee as more than what they do for your company. Making people feel heard, understood, and appreciated will build a better culture which leads to long-term growth and higher productivity. 

Long term positive reinforcement is not an easy task, but honestly, even trying to cultivate positive relationships in the workplace goes a long way. 

Uber Blunders: Are They Too Far Gone?

Uber has seen better days. An investigation into sexual harassment allegations at Uber is resulting in the termination of more than 20 employees (with more sure to come) and the "stepping away" of the CEO to attend leadership training. Is it too little too late to turn around the company culture at Uber? I don't think it is. 

A person close to the company reportedly said a law firm that assessed Uber's investigation looked at 215 claims, took action on 58 claims, no action on 100 others, and are continuing to investigate the rest. Some 31 employees are in required counseling or training.

However, the accusations aren’t all about sexual harassment. Uber says 47 of the cases are related to sexual harassment, 54 are discrimination, 45 are “unprofessional behavior,” 33 are bullying, and 36 are “other types of claims.”

Separately, Uber hired the former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to give his recommendations on the strategy to improve the "toxic culture." The results of that inquiry were a bit anti-climactic. His solution is to have less alcohol at the office and more diversity in the company. However, with a genuine public apology from the CEO and the message of more accountability of the leadership, so far Uber looks like they are getting back on track. 

HOW DOES A CULTURE GET SO BAD?
Often people assume that this kind of toxic culture cannot take place inside of a company. However, this experience is more common than you think. I most often see this type of toxic culture inside businesses that grow too quickly. When you start your company with five people, it is easy to play it loose with the regulations. Typically, startups are friends that start working together and we all know we speak differently around our friends. As a small company expands and more employees are added, it is important to be more professional so as to not offend or disrespect anyone. 

When a company grows, both the communication system and the management structure must grow to match.  Think of your growth like a like a city planner. Small towns with one major road and two red lights have much different infrastructure needs than cities with millions of people. 

Uber maybe in dark times, but they are not too far gone. If Uber can clean house of all the personal responsible for professional misconduct, and make sudden moves for progressive change, they can see some light at the end of their tunnel. 
 

Have More Productive Meetings Using Amazon’s “Pizza Rule”

We’ve all spent enough time in meetings at work to know how much of a waste of time they can be, but we can’t always avoid them, so knowing how to make them as efficient as possible is key.

As CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, is an extremely busy man and he knows a little bit about how to manage meetings. One rule he's known for following helps minimize the monotony of meetings – he calls it the “two pizza rule.”

It’s pretty simple: don’t have more people in a room than you could feed with two full-size pizzas. And it makes sense because the more people you pack into a meeting, the less productive it becomes. So if two pizzas couldn’t feed the whole group, cut the attendees down so you can get more done. If you have to be stuck in another meeting, you at least want to accomplish something in there.

 Note: Sadly, for me and my friends, the two pizza rule would mean me and like one other person could be in the meeting :).

Keep Employees Passionate About Their Jobs

A new survey finds that only about 13% of people are passionate about their jobs

The number of employees who lack enthusiasm for their job is surprising. According to the survey from Deloitte, 64% of all workers and 50% of execs and senior management saying they are neither passionate nor engaged on the job.

Complaints from workers  include a lack of autonomy, they aren’t allowed to work across teams and they feel they aren’t involved in decision making.

There’s no doubt most people wish they could love their job but it turns out that’s just not the reality for most folks. In fact, a new survey finds that only about 13% of people would say they are passionate about what they do.

The survey by Deloitte's "Center for the Edge" finds that lack of passion for the job crosses all levels of an organization, with 64% of all workers and 50% of execs and senior management saying they are neither passionate nor engaged on the job. What’s more, only 60% of people say they actually seek out challenges in their organization, and even of those who are engaged employees, more than 60% didn’t actively seek challenges at work.

Of those employees who say they are “passionate” about their work:

·         71% work extra hours

·         89% feel focused, immersed and energized in their work

·         68% are optimistic about the future of their company

·         71% feel they are encouraged to work across the company

·         67% feel the company collaborates well with customers

As for how to get workers passionate about their jobs, it seems there are some things bosses could do to change that. Complaints from workers not passionate about their gig include a lack of autonomy, they aren’t allowed to work across teams and they feel they aren’t involved in decision making.

Millennials Financial Stress is costing YOUR Company

The millennial money struggle is NO JOKE. The youth of today are making 20% less than their parents were at the same stage of life. Plus with Millennials getting more education (masters and PhD’s), they have more debt than their parents did as well! To top that off the job market isn’t making things any easier for the future of your young staff.

While 48% of millennials are optimistic about their financial future, most of them are worried about income in the here and now. Jobs are few and far between, and the salaries are even less. Which leaves them wondering; what to do?

Here is where you can help. As a manager or CEO, you can offer financial lunch & learns for your staff.  Millennials surveyed say that on average, they spend four hours every week sweating their personal financial matters at the office. That means you lose a whole week’s worth of productivity a year for each millennial staff you employee. Millennials may be the biggest money, but they are not alone. Boomers and GenXers say they spend office time worrying about money troubles.

It’s really easy, with 92% of millennials saying they would benefit from a financial education program, and those classes can equating to higher productivity for the company; you should be on the phone now to book a money specialist now!

Tip: you can save some money and have your CFO or the company account hold the meeting; as long as they can make it entertaining.

3 Steps For Properly On-Boarding Employees

Do You Have An Onboarding Problem?

Time and again, I've noticed that companies of varying sizes are having issues getting their new hires up and running in effective manners.  The reasons stem from managers not properly setting their new hires up for success. The time commitment, the lack of desire, or the misunderstandings of what is needed for an employee to be on-boarded effectively are the common excuses.  There are reasons why, in addition to the importance of not only to hiring the right people, you must also train those people to be in the best position to meet the needs of the team they are joining is critical. 

As organizations move to streamline their staff and cut out redundant roles, we often leave managers with little time to actually manage their team. Managers bring in new hires and because they want to get off on a good foot, they say all the polite things, instead of the right things. 

I do a lot of interviews with staff members who say they never get clear direction, guidelines, or expectations for what they need to do. This is so much more important now with the millennial generation (which is over 80 million people strong) taking the lead as the largest population in the nation's workforce.  Although, all staff members, not matter which generation they fall under, will benefit from (and enjoy) clear roles, guidelines, and expectations, the millennial generation demands it. I often refer the millennial generation as the syllabus generation. Most of them have always had a roadmap to success in their lives due to outlines are given to them by their parents and educators. It is almost unfair to throw them into the deep in and expect them to perform the in the same way as Baby Boomers or Generations X. 

This is not about coddling a generation; in fact, I disagree with a lot of the stereotypes about the millennial generation. Given the right tools and leadership, this generation could be some of the best employees you could have in your organization. 

Here are three steps to make sure you are onboarding your staff properly:

1. Be Honest. After you have chosen to hire someone, it is easy to build him or her up and have a "wait and see" mentality in regards to his or her work/process. Waiting to find additional problems before addressing issues is troublesome because no employee is perfect and, although you may want to encourage creativity and personal flair, it is important for every staff member to understand the mission and the ultimate goal.

Once a PR staff member at a marketing firm who wanted to stand out from the crowd. She sent two press releases out in a comic sans font with orange print (the companies letterhead color).  Her manager was obviously annoyed at this employee.  However, they had also spent two years praising her for her risky creativity and say how much they loved the bold approach she took to marketing. This conflict, which hurt the trust she had in leadership and herself, could have been addressed by clear roles. For example: We do all our press releases in a uniformed way because that is the expectation of the personal receiving the information. Where we need your creativity is who to phrase the press release so that the outlet that reads it uses it in the manner that we would desire. 

2. Give a Road Map.  One of the important roles of a leader is to show your staff how to progress through the company. When I hire someone, I always ask what do you want for me. I understand that I am using you for your time, effort and talent. What are you using me for? I want to let them know how they get there. 

An example of this comes from a front office hire I witnessed. The candidate was asked, "I know that we are hiring you to be at the front desk, but where do you want to end up?" The interviewee said she hoped to end up in marketing. We talked briefly about her skill sets in marketing and what that might look within. When we brought that person on, we had a two-year plan for her to be in the best position to be ready to end up as a web design marketing professional.  You want to hire from within whenever possible, show people that you care about their happiness and help them achieve their goals, which, in turn, will keep them more productive in the roles that they are currently occupying. 

3. Be A Mentor. It is important to be a mentor for your team. Note that this does not mean micromanaging them, but an offering them a guiding hand. This can often turn into enabling the staff member to run to you for everything.  Which is not effective time management to either party. The best way to handle this issue is to listen to your employees and ask, "What do you think?" then "why do you think that?" and other similar questions. It is easy for managers to like the feeling of being relied on, but as most managers realize, it quickly gets old and you begin to resent the employee. If your train your staff to think of the solutions on their own, then they will rely on you less and less, giving you the time your need to lead and actually manage your team productivity. 

As I travel around consulting with teams in disarray, improper onboarding is a pretty common cause for the miscommunication issues. I understand that it may seem like a lot of effort for a new hire, who may or may not work out. However, taking a little bit of time out of your schedule, in the beginning, will pay huge dividends in the long term success of your team.

How Do We Talk About Race?

This evening, I watched an interesting piece by Noelle Walker of NBC5. In it, she asked people on the street something to the effect of, "How do we, as a society, have a conversation about race relations?" 

Can't understand 1 another if we don't talk. How do we have conversation about #RaceRelations? @NBCDFW report here->https://t.co/asTLqW6gtG

— Noelle Walker (@NoelleNBC5) July 12, 2016

There may not be a topic in public discourse today that is more volatile than race relations, but that doesn't mean we should shy away from the issues. 

One of the main components of conflict management is being able to engage in conversations that may invoke high emotion and passionate anger. When having a difficult conversation, be prepared to be open to new ideologies. Engaging in conversations only to argue, or attempt to change someone else's mind, will only leave you spewing the same rhetoric back-and-forth, while accomplishing nothing. However, if you approach the conversation with a mindset of wanting to learn and understand, you will often find the person you're communicating with is much more open to real dialog. They will often let down their defenses and open up, which will create pathways for real progress. 

It's also important to focus on engaging in active listening. When you actively listen, you're understanding what the other side has to say. It is very easy for people to engage in conversation waiting for their moment to counter, without ever really hearing what the other person is saying. Hearing the other person's perspective, asking clarifying questions, and trying to find empathy through understanding are the only way to engage difficult conversation.

If you are passionate about seeing real change happen in your community, then become active in the process. I have seen several different organizations, that are meeting in town halls and community centers, who are engageing in tough honest dialog. Being hateful is easy, remaining ignorant is comforting, but finding peace is possible. To quote the President of The United States, "We can do better than this. We are better than this." 

What You Say Can Be Held Against You: How Social Media Can Leave You Jobless

With the start of social media over a decade ago, the world as we know it has been turned upside down.  There is a new batch of employees entering the workforce who have never known life without some form of social media like Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter. These employees believe that the ability to use social media any way they want is almost a constitutional privilege. I have often heard my interns and new hires say, “What happened to my freedom of speech?” or “You don’t own my thoughts!” Although that may be true, what you say can be held against you. 

I have often told students fresh out of college that they do have the right to say whatever they want; however, they also have the right to face the repercussions from what they say. I recommend that every new graduate or person who is unsure of the effects of posting on social media read the book So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson.  In this book, Ronson tells 15 different stories of people who posted a joke on social media that came out badly or made a mistake while at work. It's a good reminder that we are always being watched online and, like in a text message, it is hard to read intent online

Steer Clear of Danger:
Posting grievances: You can be well within your rights as an employee to use social networking sites, emails or other forms of social media to air your grievances. For example, an employee may complain about how they are being treated by their manager at work. 

However, first, ask yourself "What is this post going to accomplish?" Is your goal to get your manager in trouble or have a better relationship with that manager? Either one of these goals would be achieved more efficiently by taking a more direct approach. For example, try reading your employee handbook to see what steps you can take to approach your issue head on. 

Consider Occam's Razor: Sometimes the simplest approach is the most effective. Try talking to your manager and start by saying, “I have gotten the feeling that I have been not handling my work the way you would like it to be done. Is it okay if we talk about how I can change my work style?” This will open a dialog that can clear up any miscommunication and begin a road to a better working relationship. 

Posting outside of work: When drawing a line between work and home life, it can be difficult to know where to that line lies. For example, whether you think it is fair or not, odds are your employer views you as a representative of the company. Although they may not be able to fire you over a post, judgment can be assigned to your character. 
A quick Google search can find over ten pages of posts about people losing their jobs for what they have said online.

One-on-one communication: Social networking can be an excuse for avoiding face-to-face conversations. Many of the issues that lead to disciplinary and grievance problems at work can often be dealt with by a manager having a quiet word with an employee, which can prove to be difficult if line managers have become over-reliant on communicating electronically.

Why Conflict is Essential for Growth and Success

Conflict is a word that people want to avoid. Most managers and CEO ask me not to use the term conflict when talking with their team, instead opting for "issues", "miscommunications", and my favorite "areas of improvement". This course  of action does a disservice to your staff's intelligence. In this day in age, it is more important than ever to be open genuine and open about what is happening in the office.  Managers who cannot deal with terms such as conflict are likened to parents who awkwardly stumble through "The Talk" to their kids. 

Conflict is not a dirty word; it is, however, a vital part of communication. I often tell people, if you're one of those couples who say, "Oh we never fight", that means someone has given up in the relationship. The art of a healthy relationship or organization isn't peace, but using conflict and constructive disagreement to form better decisions and opinions.  Fear of conflict shows signs of mistrust and a poor company culture. 

I would recommend that managers get past the fear of conflict and embrace the productive and financial benefits of a constructive feedback loop inside your company.  If you're having issues with conflict inside your office setting, feel free to reach out. I would enjoy the opportunity to help you have better a communication system. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need help too. Josh@joshuahartconsulting.com

Stop Devaluing Your Brand And Make More Money

Sales is a tug of war over the amount money that one person can get using the least amount their commodity (depending on the business). Every day, it seems, account executive are in a negotiation and/or conflict while handling their client's needs, wants, and desires.  Dealing with conflicts over, how much to give and, for what price,  can be taxing and uncomfortable. Far too often an AE will simply cut the price of their product as the first course of action, instead of the last-ditch effort to keep a customer.

I work in the field of conflict management and dispute resolution but, I have been able to use my skills to help companies maximize their profits by making their sales staff smarter negotiators. Recently I read a book called Emotional Intelligence: Sales Success that had a lot of interesting ideas on how to combat your customer in a sales negotiation.

Tips to keep value of your product and your customers as well:

If the customer says to you, "Your competition is 20% lower can you lower your price."

You can respond; "I appreciate you sharing that information. Can I ask you a question? What was it that made you agree to a meeting if you are getting similar services for a discounted rate?"

This makes the customer be the one to share what they are not happy with when it comes to their current situation. Take that information and share why you are worth the slightly higher adjustment.

If the customer says, "We would like to go with you, however, your price is a little high."

You can respond; Thank you, I am glad you see the value in us, I would be more than happy to go back over our proposal to see what you think would be a something we can remove to fit your budget.

This shows the client that you appreciate their business and are willing to work with them without cutting or discounting your prices. 

If the customer says, "We have had a tough year is there any way you could do better on your price?"

A sympathetic reply of, "I completely understand, it has been a tough year for many of my clients. I would understand if you need more time to think about whether this is a good time to invest in advertisement."

This shows empathy, and that you are not looking to hurt their business; instead you are interested in helping them out. Remember the old allegory, give a mouse a cookie and it will want a glass of milk. No client will every say, "You know we have had a great year, I am ready to pay 20% more than what you are offering."

Believe in yourself, your product, and your company. You worked hard to figure out a fair price and value to your customers, honor that and over time people will honor you.

From Memos To Emojis: How Being Together Builds Bridges In The New Workforce

Career Killing Words Part 1: BUT

In my experience of coaching executives and managers, I’ve noticed a language that separates the great leaders from the average leaders. Here is a list of words that you should eliminate from your vocabulary if you want to be a truly effective leader.

But: The word “but” is the Great Discredit-ter.  Anytime you use the word “but” you automatically discredit everything you said leading up to that word. A trick that I read was instead of using the word “but” use the word “and” here’s an example

BAD: "Tom, I appreciate the hard work you’ve been doing lately. All your projects have turned out really great but, I have some changes I want you to think about."

Better: "Tom, I appreciate the hard work you’ve been doing lately. All your projects have turned out really great and, I have some changes I want you to think about."

Using the word “and” doesn’t discount the good that the employee has done, however, it does make it easier to segue into a new conversation about change. Do not tag-on to a compliment with a "but" that will automatically have the person you are speaking with become defensive. Instead, make you compliment complete and genuine and then more one to the other items that you need to address with that person.

3 Steps To Asking For More Money At Work

When it comes to making more money during salary negotiations you need to remember to stay focused, do your research, and ask the right questions, if you want to see success. 

In today’s office culture, I see fewer and fewer companies that are doing a standard 3% raise and a pat on the back. Budget cuts and cut backs are a fact of life for many people.  Job-hopping to try and make more money is stressful for both employees and employer. Preventing pricing oneself out of a job or, once inside the company, asking for a raise is a difficult task for many people.

The common mistakes that I have seen when it comes to salary negotiations is people lose sight of the true focus. Often people think more about what they want and what they deserve and allow that to be their starting point. Odds are, if this is your approach, you will not end up with a positive result. When people are concerned about what they want or what they are worth/deserve, the focus of this entire conversation is on them. In a contract or salary negotiation, what’s being negotiated is not you; it is what you mean to the company.

Focus: Is it on yourself or on your interests?

You should not approach the negation as if your employer cares that you have two kids in college and need more money. The fact that you have been here a decade is not a good enough reason to make more money. Remember not to let the negotiation become personal. What is being negotiated is the value of the job that you perform. The monetary value attached to the work that that is being done and the worth of those tasks to the company. So what that means is change the focus from YOU, to the VALUE that you bring to the company.

Research: Know what the market value is for your assigned tasks. Knowing what your job is worth when compared to similar companies can ensure that you are not way out of line with your asking amount. After you know the amount that your job and experience is worth, then it is time to work on your approach for asking for the raise. 

Leading up to your year-end review, or simply a request for more money, you need to prepare. Most of the time people spring a salary increase on their boss, that’s not fair and will not get the best result. The best alternative is to start the negotiation by asking the right questions of your boss.

Ask the Right Question:

What does it take to make ____ in this company?

What should I do to be in the position to be the type of employee that could receive a ____ raise? 

In doing this, you get to hear from your boss exactly what he or she wants and expects of an employee that makes the money that you want to make. When you have accomplished the expectations, you have eliminated the reasons for the employer to deny the request.

It is important to be open-minded to other possible interests when it comes to a raise.  For example, if the company is truly strapped for cash, you can try to negotiate for more vacation days. Being positive, open-minded, informed and direct is always the best approach when it comes time to negotiate for a higher salary. If you have a specific questions please feel free to reach out.