Dodo Loves Marketing

1 Is where you work an important part of the job?

If clients always expect to see you at your place of work, it may be difficult to transfer to homeworking. A doctor working in a casualty department, for instance, is unlikely to be able to work outside the hospital for any length of time, since patients expect to be treated at the hospital and that is also where support staff are based. On the other hand, if much of your work is location independent, i.e. can be done anywhere, you are much more likely to be able to work from home for some of the time. ..more

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Love and hate are potent feelings which can overwhelm you, often just when your emotions can least afford the upset. For example, how often have you experienced the following situations?

• Feelings of love interfere with your concentration at work.
• You love (and sometimes hate) a person who doesn’t love you.
• You hate your boss or a colleague.
• You’re jealous of the attention given to a person you love.
• You love a person working nearby, but fear acting upon your feelings.
• You were in a relationship until yesterday when your partner said, Enough! ..more
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Working Absenteeism

Absenteeism continues to be a major industrial and economic problem. The causes are numerous, but where worker satisfaction is high, absenteeism is generally low. The problem is all too frequently dismissed by workers as a fault with the system, but management generally takes a far more serious view. Absent workers put a strain on their workmates who are generally required to take over the duties of the missing person. With less than the required number of workers available, the work process can be significantly retarded causing serious declines in productivity.

If you, the worker, are aware that you are taking time off work for sickies or because you are feeling just a bit off, then you should ask yourself what is wrong with your work situation. What is prompting you to be absent when you are basically fit for work? We can all have grey to black days. However, if these days occur every week or so, there is a problem somewhere. ..more

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Dress

Wear what you’d wear on the job if you were hired. If you’re unsure, it’s better to overdress than underdress. But make sure you feel comfortable—if you feel strange,you look strange.

Grooming

It’s not just for dogs and cats and horses anymore. It’s important for humans too:

• Fix your hair so it stays out of your eyes. Compulsive adults will be thinking of how to shove it out of the way for you.
• Don’t wear a lot of cologne, perfume, or aftershave. (Hint: If they smell you before they see you, it’s too much.)
• Try not to smell like tobacco, gasoline, or a wet dog.
• Get the cat hair off your sweater.
• Remove the Milk Duds debris from your teeth.
• Avoid makeup that looks like it was applied while you were riding on a motorcycle. This is especially important for girls.
• Use a breath mint. ..more
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Most adults must go through a job interview before getting hired. Some teenagers have it easier. The high turnover rate in teenage jobs forces employers to fill positions quickly, sometimes without a formal interview. A desperate employer may conduct an interview like this one:

BOSS: Are you human?:

YOU:Yes.

BOSS: Are you an escaped convict?
YOU: No.

BOSS: You’re hired. ..more

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After an interview, send a thank-you letter to the person who interviewed you. If there was more than one interviewer, write the note to the one who has the power to hire you. Mail the letter that day so the person doesn’t have an opportunity to forget you. Now continue your job search, meeting managers and lining up interviews— keep working at it. Your goal is to have at least two or three offers to choose from.

When you get a job offer, generally by phone, thank the person sincerely. Write down the details; starting date, wage, hours, and so on. Tell the employer that you’d like to accept but you need a day to discuss it with your family. Now talk it over with your parents and some close friends. Compare the job offer to your original goals. Sometimes in the excitement of landing a job you can lose sight of your own best interests. ..more

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Do What’s Right

Your job is one of the toughest proving grounds for your integrity. Behavior that’s clearly wrong at home or among friends is often standard conduct at the workplace. Work is where many people who disapprove of lying, cheating, and stealing have no problem calling in sick when they aren’t, stretching the hours on their time cards, or taking home merchandise that’s not theirs.

Behave according to what you know, not according to the code of ethics that you see others following. ..more

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Here’s what I’m picturing: You worked hard to land a good job. Once there, you worked even harder, proving yourself as the ideal employee. In fact, you’ve done such excellent work that your employer has now made you a boss. New title, new responsibilities, (hopefully) new money, . . . and the power to tell other people what to do (get my coffee, shine my shoes, do ten push-ups).

Actually, you probably already know that being a leader is mostly what you do for other people—not to them. If you want to grow in your job and be as good a boss as you were a lowly worker, you’ll have to work harder than ever. Here are five ways to be a good boss. ..more

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True confession: I’ve hated every job I’ve ever had . . . for the first month. The first days in a new job are miserable; I forget everyone’s name, and when I do remember, I get them mixed up—”My name’s not Ralph—it’s Rebecca!” I become so self- conscious that I not only forget everything I’ve just been taught but everything I’ve ever been taught: multiplication tables, how to tie shoes, and the whole concept of opening the door before I attempt to leave the room.

But the condition is only temporary. After the first month I become normal again (relatively speaking) and start to enjoy the job.

Most employers understand that your first few weeks may be rough, and they generally cut you some slack. But there comes a time when you had better do your job right; if you want to keep it, you’ll have to deliver. ..more

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A promotion is a victory, an accomplishment to be proud of. As excited and enthusiastic as you are to make your mark in the new job, there are unseen stumbling blocks on that higher rung that can trip you up if you’re not very careful.

Here are some common problems that recently promoted managers encounter and suggestions for handling them:

• Letting go. This is one of the biggest difficulties for newly promoted managers. They are more familiar with the problems of the old job and know how to fix them. And they usually feel more comfortable operating in the realm where they excelled.

Suggestion: Withdraw by delegating to people you have confidence in. The more you feel your staff is up to the job, the easier it will be. Reassess each person’s skills from your new perspective. ..more

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Some children dream of becoming doctors and astronauts, and some adults dream of becoming CEO. Haven’t you often felt that you could do just as good a job—if not a better one—than some of the CEOs you’ve met?

Perhaps you do have the makings of a leader: People look up to you– and not just your subordinates. You’re a resource, a diplomat without portfolio, a consultant without the title. At meetings, you cut through irrelevancies to the heart of a problem. If you can’t solve it, you know what steps are necessary in finding a solution. You may, indeed, be destined for bigger things.

There are no guarantees that you’ll make it, but you stand a better chance if you can help matters along. Some pointers: ..more

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“Joe will be leaving us soon and we want you to fill his role for a while. You will, of course, maintain your present responsibilities as well.”

Directives like this are becoming increasingly common, as organizations embark on acquisitions, mergers and downsizing to meet competition. Salaries are often the first costs to be cut, and middle managers are asked to double up on responsibilities, assuming the dual roles of first- and second-line manager.

What are some of the prime difficulties of maintaining these two responsibilities simultaneously? Among them are: ..more

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An important slot has been created to meet the demands of an increased workload. You have two subordinates who are contenders for the position. How do you choose the right one? It’s a tricky situation. A wrong move could create tension or even animosity between candidates. You must be discreet and tactful in approaching the choice.

Most important in making the decision is objectivity. It’s quite natural to have personal preferences based on capability. The difficult part is putting your feelings aside so you can pick the right person for the job based on the candidates’ specific qualifications.

As you appraise each candidate, look at the organization as a whole and determine which person can meet its new needs. ..more

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Sometimes you elevate a staff member only to discover that the person is not up to snuff. In over his or her head, the newly promoted employee can slow the output of your department, unsettle customer relations, or call your judgment into question.

Letting the employee go may be a quick way of handling the problem and saving face, but it can hurt your standing with the rest of your staff, particularly if the person was a good performer in the past. Here are some alternate strategies:

• Be on the lookout for potential trouble. “During the initial honeymoon period, managers often overlook the person’s shortcomings, but doing so means mistakes can reach even greater proportions before they’re caught,” says Dr. Chester Schriesheim, distinguished professor of management and the Rosa R. and Carlos M. de la Cruz scholar in leadership at the University of Miami School of Business Administration. ..more
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