Job Titles Don't Matter Anymore

As millennials, our career paths may be all over the place, but it’s not the crisis that some make it out to be. We’re finding unconventional jobs, founding apps, and being our own business leaders. There are all kinds of things happening in the career world of millennials. And that’s cool – so much that we’re searching for an experience and not so much of a title. That’s a good thing – because people really are less and less impressed with your title.

Why is this? Because in the black and white world of a lot of our parents’ careers, our titles aren’t carrying much weight. Saying you’re the founder of an app doesn’t really clear up what you do to any of your curious relatives. Also, millennials aren’t motivated by the title anymore. 20 Somethings would much rather have a pleasant work environment than a fancy title.

More than that? Millennials believe that job titles add constraints to what your job actually is. So basically, we’re dropping the titles and doing what WE want to do!

New report reveals what hiring the wrong person can do to a company

There’s no doubt folks going on job interviews are dealing with a lot of pressure, but did you ever stop and think about the pressure put on people doing the hiring? Finding the right person for a job can be really nerve-wracking, and according to a new survey, picking the wrong candidate can be quite costly.

A survey by CareerBuilder finds that 74% of employers say they’ve hired the wrong person for a position, and such bad hires can cost companies an average of $14,900. What’s more, 37% say such bad hires resulted in less productivity, while 32% say it resulted in lost time trying to recruit and train another worker, and 31% say it compromised quality of work.

So, what constitutes a bad hire for employers? Reasons given include:

• The worker didn't produce the proper quality of work (54%)
• The worker had a negative attitude (53%)
• The worker didn't work well with other workers (50%)
• The worker had immediate attendance problems (46%)
• The worker's skills did not match what they claimed to be able to do when hired (45%) 

And hiring the wrong worker isn’t the only costly mistake employers are making. In fact, letting good workers go can cost them even more. Turns out, the average cost of losing a good hire this year was $29,600. And losing those workers could come down to how they are treated. The survey finds that while 75% of workers believe they are loyal to their employer, only 54% believe their company is loyal to them.

What Employees Really Want Over The Holidays

With the holiday season just about ready to kick into high gear, a lot of workers will likely be dealing with office holiday parties, gift swaps and more, but do they really enjoy taking part in all these activities?

Well, according to a new survey, all these holiday activities aren’t exactly what most workers love about the holiday season. In fact, for 70% of workers the thing they love most about the holidays is “time off,” followed by getting a bonus (34%). Such holiday events ranked much lower on the list with only 11% looking forward to cookie swaps and 9% excited by gift exchanges.

One thing people do love is that holiday feeling that floats through the office during the season. The survey finds that 54% of people say the “holiday spirit in the workplace” is one of their favorite things about this time of year, while 41% like that they have “happier/more generous co-workers.”

And then there’s the holiday party. While 33% of people say they look forward to the office holiday party, it sounds like a lot of people would be more than happy to do without it. The truth is, 90% of people would gladly give up the party to get a bonus ore more vacation, while 62% of employees look at the holiday party as an obligation.

Phrases To Avoid At The Holiday Meal

It is that time of year again, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve usually is a time pack with family. With the stress of the holidays and maybe a glass or two of wine, family gatherings can lead to tense moments during dinner conversations. We can’t stop someone else from saying the wrong thing, but we can all agree to stay away from specific subjects, so things don’t get too uncomfortable around the table. Here are some phrases we should avoid at holiday dinners so we can all have a good time.

“You should have…” - The word “should” just makes us feel the judgment and disappointment, so avoid all that negativity and use “could” instead when you can. 

“Can you believe what [insert name of detested elected official or political party here] just did?” - You know better than to bring up politics in mixed company, especially at the Thanksgiving dinner table. Unless you’re looking for a heated debate, just don’t do it.

“The best [insert holiday food] I ever had was…” - Be a polite guest, not a food critic. Holiday meals are not the time to talk about how a dish could’ve been prepared better or to compare meals you’ve had in the past. You’re better off focusing on how tasty the meal in front of you is and how much you appreciate it.

“Did you hear about…?” - It’s easy to slip into gossip mode, but try to steer the conversation back to something positive instead of dogging cousin Joe who escaped to Florida instead of coming to family dinner.

“When are you going to…” - Try not to make anyone feel defensive or put on the spot and if you’re the one in the hot seat, try to deflect with humor and a smile as you change the subject.

Be the best you this holiday season and consume responsibly. 

The Benefits Of Having A Work Spouse

Making friends at the office is important to keep your morale up, but for some people their bond with a special colleague goes way beyond just friendship. We’re talking about that person who is so close to someone that they are often characterized as a “work wife” or “work husband,” and while real-life spouses may get a little jealous of that close bond, the truth is that work spouse may be just what they need to help them survive their job.

A recent UK poll, which could easily translate here, found that 47.2% of people wish they had a “work spouse,” because they offer “support and mentorship,” and also give “advice and guidance,” as well as “friendship and companionship.”

So what benefits do such work spouses offer? Well, they tend to be the person in the office that always has your back and you can always count on, plus they give you a standing lunch partner. They're also the person who’ll keep a watchful eye out for you at the Christmas party if you start embarrassing yourself. What's more, a work spouse is someone you can go to when you need to vent about a fellow employee or boss, and will be there the one person who'll be straight with you after you mess up a project or assignment at the office. And let's face it, we all need that!

Source: New York Post 

Most People Don't Negotiate Job Offers

While salary is at the top or near the top of the list of priorities when trying to get a new job, most people don’t negotiate to get more money. Data shows that 56% of people don’t attempt to negotiate their salary when offered a job. The reason? Most of us feel uncomfortable asking for more money and are afraid the employer will decide not to hire them.

Meanwhile, 53% of employers actually are willing to negotiate salaries on initial job offers for entry-level positions and 52% say that they typically offer a lower salary than they’re willing to pay. In fact, more than a quarter of employers say their initial offer is $5,000 less than what they are actually willing to give up. In other words - there’s always room to negotiate.

When accepting a job people should ask questions about the base salary and when they will be evaluated for a promotion. You can also remind your employer about your experience and education and explain why you are worth more. Also remember there are other factors outside of salary, including benefits, vacation time, flexibility, opportunities for development and perks.

Bumble: The Millennial LinkedIn

Who doesn’t love swiping around on Bumble a little? People tend to send less inappropriate pictures than on Tinder, and you might meet someone you really like and want to just be pals with! But now, with Bumble Bizz? You can actually be swiping on people that can help you with your career world.

The version of the app is all about getting career advice and finding career mentors. And what better way to do it than when you’re already on your phone swiping? Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder of Bumble Bizz noted that people were changing their profiles based on their moods. People would say things like “Just looking to network a bit.” Even though the app is only in its early stages, women are proving interested in the app.

The app is really changing the way millennial women will start to think about networking. It’s all about getting our names and faces out there!

The Perfect Comeback To A Race-based Comment

I do not know much about the NBA. However, even I have heard about a player named Jeremy Lin. When Lin played for the New York Knicks in 2012, he was such a surprise stand out that year that the entire nation developed, “Linsanity.”  

Lin has not risen to the same popularity he achieved in 2012 and has bounced around from team to team, with five teams in as many years. However, at the end of it all, he still is a professional Asian-American basketball player in the NBA. Making Lin, one of only four Asian American players in the league,  which is pretty impressive. 

Last week another NBA player, Kenyon Martin, spoke out against Lin. This comment did not seem to be the typical banter you see in professional sports, where athletes tease each other for their play or record. Martin made fun of Lin’s for his hairstyle choice. Lin has been sporting dreadlocks as of late and Martin, in a video interview, said that someone should remind Lin that he is not black. 

Quote: 
“Do I need to remind this damn boy that his last name Lin?” Martin said in the video. “Like, come on man. Let’s stop this, man, with these people, man. There is no way possible that he would have made it on one of our teams with that bulls–t goin’ on in his head. Come on man, somebody need to tell him, like: ‘All right bro, we get it. You wanna be black.’ Like, we get it. But the last name is Lin.”

It would have been easy for Lin to feel upset get angry and strike back out against Martin. However, it seems Lin was able to take a deep breath and think it through before he sent a reply. Lin response definitely won the day. 

Quote: 
Hey man, it’s all good. You definitely don’t have to like my hair and [are] definitely entitled to your opinion,” Lin wrote. “Actually I [am] legit grateful [for] you sharin it [to be honest]. At the end of the day, I appreciate that I have dreads and you have Chinese tattoos [because] I think its a sign of respect. And I think as minorities, the more that we appreciate each other’s cultures, the more we influence mainstream society. Thanks for everything you did for the Nets and hoops . . . had your poster up on my wall growin up.”

That is a perfect reply. Lin disarms Martin’s insult and then conveys the desire to see more unity among minorities, without being insulting. Whenever someone makes fun of you, they expect a comeback. When you don’t retaliate in kind I can throw that person off a little, and they begin to let down their defenses. 

It is common in the heat of an argument, for people to stop listening for understanding and only to wait for ammunition. A person waiting to counter their opponent does not comprehend what is being said at that moment.  Lin's reply allows him to show the hypocrites in Martin’s comment, who has a tattoo with Chinese charters, without making fun or inflaming the situation. 

Always remember, if something you hear or see triggers you, making you upset and emotional, it is impossible to think clearly while you are in emotional anger.  It is always best to clear your head and remember, what message do I want to convey. Then when you have clarity of message, you can plan your response.  If all else fails, kill them with kindness. 

Stop Telling Other People To Quit Their Jobs

Sites such as LinkedIn have had a lot of posts telling you,“IF YOU ARE NOT HAPPY WITH YOUR JOB, QUIT!" This statement is meant to make you feel empowered and strong. However, I would like to share why this is HORRIBLE advice.

If you read the posts, you will see a similar narrative. The author tells the reader they are in a dead-end job and work for an emotionally abusive boss.  You hear about how one day the employee decided that they have had enough and they quit their job. Common rational is to compare their situation to a toxic relationship. You hear things like, "You wouldn't stay with an abusive partner, right?” You then hear about how they have their dream job now, a much better boss, and WAY more money. This is about the time when I do an epic eye roll and say, "Well goooood foooor youuuu."

There are a few reasons why rushing to quit a bad job is a flawed idea, but let me narrow it down to just one.

The "quit today" argument is an example of bias. I have yet to see a LinkedIn post about how someone quit their job because it didn't meet their emotional needs and REGRET IT EVERYDAY.  Just because you don't hear about the people who had to move in with mom and dad or went to work at the same job they had in high school, it doesn't mean it is it not a reality.

I have work in radio on a morning show in the 5th largest market in the country. I have been so blessed to be able to work where I do and for the people I work with, but there are days when I still want to slam doors and scream, "The hell with you all. I will not be disrespected again; I quit!" However, I would actually never do that.

Why? Because none of this matters. Somewhere along the way, I decided to always look at the bigger picture. I have seen people far more talented than me in this field come and go because of the emotions. You will always have jerks in the office. The larger the office, the more likely you have jerks. I don't believe that the best way to remove yourself from jerk bosses or fellow staff members is to leave. Quitting exclusively hurts YOU. You are the one who is out of a job and now you have to go through another rigorous process of finding a new job. You are the one who is stressed out because you are bleeding through your savings.

To be clear, I am not telling you to not look for a better job if you are being bullied and mistreated. Feel free to spend your nights looking for a better job. Do take all your half days interviewing for companies that might fit your style.  

What I am saying is that there is no job that exists that is bad day-less. I have my dream job, I am getting treated well, I have fantastic work perks, and I still have b.s. to deal with on a daily basis because everyone at any job does.

Keep working and make your money. The best way to stick it to a bad boss is to be your best, despite of him or her. Always protect yourself with CYA (cover your a**) tactics and be positive.  If your boss truly dislikes you, think about how he or she must feel having to sign your check twice a month and relish in that thought.

Happy Working!

Teens Today Are Taking Their Own Path To Independent Behaviors

While we may think that most teenagers are in a rush to become adults, a new report reveals that’s actually not the case with teens these days. In fact, the study published in the journal “Child Development” finds teens are actually putting off such adult-related behaviors as drinking and sex, as well as jobs, driving, dating and more.

The survey looked at forty years of data, comparing teens today to those in the 70s, 80s and 90s, and discovered that the current crop of teens are developing independent behaviors at a slower rate than those in the past, and that goes for all economic groups and all parts of the country.

For example, comparing teens surveyed between 2010 and 2016, to those in the early nineties:

• 29% of ninth graders had sex, down from 38%
• 29% of eighth graders drank alcohol, down from 56%.
• 32% of eight graders had worked for pay, down from 63%

And for 12th graders between 2010 to 2016, compared to teens as far back as 1976:

• 67% drank, down from 93%
• 55% worked for pay, down from 76%
• 73% had drivers’ licenses, down from 88%
• 63% dated, down from 86%
• 62% had had sex, down from 68% in the early 1990s (The earliest that data was collected)

As for why, that’s the big question. While some have suggested homework and extracurricular activities are to blame, the study says that’s just not the case. Researchers do believe the Internet could be keeping kids away from driving and dating, while they also say “helicopter parenting” could be playing a role in kids' delayed adulthood.

Workplace Bathrooms Very Important To Employees

While most people take a job based on the salary, opportunity or even the perks, it seems there’s another thing that’s very important to a lot of employees - the bathrooms. That’s right, according to a new survey, the condition of a workplace bathroom is a big deal, with 89% of Americans saying it’s a good indicator of how a company values its employees.

Overall, 67% of employees say their office restrooms are excellent or very good, with biggest complaints of nearly half those surveyed being unpleasant smells, clogged or unflushed toilets and empty or jammed toilet paper dispensers. Along those lines, the improvements most people would like to see made include more touchless features, like automatic toilets, motion activated faucets, and air fresheners, while full-length mirrors, shelves for belongings and electric hand dryers are also common requests. 

How important is an office bathroom to you?

Cyberloafing Is A New Term And Most Of Us Are Guilty Of It

Psychologists have coined the term cyberloafing to describe folks using work hours for personal time online. Has your office done anything to stop employees from cyberloafing? Do you think their moves are successful?

No matter how much we know that we should be concentrating on work during the workday, it is way too easy to get distracted when we are on the computer. More and more people spend their workday doing personal stuff online, so much so that psychologists have now given the practice a name – cyberloafing.

Cyberloafing, described as using time at work for personal interest such as online shopping, following the news, checking social media and cyber surfing, is one of the biggest things affecting employee productivity, according to a new report in the “The Journal of Psychosocial Research."

The study, out of the University of Texas at San Antonio, finds that about 14% of a worker's day is spent cyberloafing, with those who do it then taking about 23 minutes to get back to their work responsibilities. Overall looking at news coverage is one of the biggest things people do while cyberloafing, with online shopping also one of the major causes of decreased employee productivity.

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 :).