The Monster Blog

The Right Way to Leave a Job

Today’s my last day at Monster, and I want to share a sentence once passed on to me that has been my guiding principle since I broke the news of my departure to my boss: The way you leave a company says as much about your character and the kind of employee you are than all of the work you did during your time with the organization.

In other words: Leave your job with class and integrity. Here’s my simple formula for doing just that:

• Give proper notice -- a minimum of two weeks is expected in most industries.
• Don’t mentally check out before your last day; instead, in a final show of commitment to your organization, help to identify and/or train your successor.
• Don’t burn any bridges.

Anything I’ve missed here? Let us know by commenting below.

It’s been a blast contributing to the Monster Blog over the last two years. Thanks for reading and contributing to the conversations.

The Importance of Working in the Office

In a post I wrote a few weeks ago, I wondered why companies wouldn’t allow their employees to work remotely. After all, if you’re essentially just commuting into office headquarters to sit in a cubicle and pound away at your computer keyboard all day, why not do that from the comfort of your home instead? You’ll be spared a hefty gasoline bill, overpriced cafeteria lunches and, if you’re a guy, having to decide whether to wear a tie.

Makes sense, right?

Well, there are a few people who say that coming into the office is important.

P.D. Love, whom I correspond with on Twitter, is one of them. He’s the general manager of a software development firm and manages a team of about a dozen developers. “When we moved to our new office, we set up the space with half walls between desks to keep the line of sight and communication open,” Love says. “Encouraging discussion and convergence with an open and easy environment for looking at, asking and responding to questions and ideas has proven very beneficial.”

And why not have those discussions online or over the phone? Love insists helping junior staff and working creatively “are better supported in the in-person structure.”

Count Todd Defren, principal at SHIFT Communications, among those who also see the value of employees collaborating in the same physical space. "I am…a big believer in teamwork, the impromptu brainstorm across a whiteboard, the rolling up of sleeves, the clinking of beers after a long day’s work -- the camaraderie that can only come from working in the same office."

Ginger Lennon, who’s also a Twitter pal, is another proponent of getting her work done from the corporate office rather than at home. She’s an assistant account executive with Racepoint Group in Waltham, Massachusetts, and suggests you need to be “much more organized” to be an effective telecommuter. “You don’t have that added reminder when someone drops by your desk to follow up with you,” Lennon says.

So, what’s your take? Is face time with coworkers really needed to get the job done? Leave us a comment below.

Do Guys Wear Ties in Your Office?

At the beginning of June, there was a death in the world of fashion. No, I’m not talking about designer Yves Saint Laurent -- the Men’s Dress Furnishings Association, which represents necktie manufacturers, shut down. The reason? Guys just aren’t wearing the product anymore. According to a Gallup poll, only a record-low 6 percent of men wore ties regularly to work in 2007, down from 10 percent in 2002. It seems the power tie is out.

I’m married to a man who still ties the noose around his neck every day, since he’s an attorney who regularly meets with clients. His tie collection ranges from solid colors to seasonal ties featuring Santa Claus and jack-o’-lanterns. I think of his suit and tie as his work uniform -- easy to pick out in the morning, comforting in its sameness and setting a mood for the day. Yet to get his feelings on the neckwear, you only need look at our wedding pictures: Neither he nor his groomsmen were sporting formal ties with their tuxes. “I have to wear a tie every day to work,” my husband grumbled about his wedding attire. “I’m not wearing one when I have a choice.”

With summer here, you may also have ditched the tie. Or do you still wear one to work every day? Do you think they set a proper mood or are just fussy? Leave a comment below. And check out this article for men’s fashion tips for that next interview.

The Vacation Not Taken

One thing Americans don’t do particularly well is vacations. We don’t get nearly as many vacation days as workers elsewhere in the world, we don’t use all the vacation time we do get, and -- perhaps worried about our job security -- we tend to check in with the office while we’re away. What’s more, about 25 percent of American workers get no paid time off  at all. In fact, we’re the only industrialized nation in the world that does not guarantee its workers any paid vacation time.

This year, economic conditions are adding a new wrinkle to vacations, causing many people to turn whatever vacation time they do have into a “staycation” -- or a vacation at home. I’ll probably be one of those staycationers myself this year, because, like many of us, I’m just not inclined to spend the money to drive or fly somewhere in these days of $4/gallon gas prices, skyrocketing airfares and a weak dollar.

But I do wonder if I'll regret not taking a trip somewhere this year. I'm the type who needs to get away -- far away -- from my usual routine every now and again to recharge and renew. I learned that lesson the hard way awhile back after I went nearly two years without taking more than two days off in a row (and that was to attend a funeral). I paid the price by experiencing many of the symptoms of extreme job burnout, like sleeplessness and an overall mental staleness. Indeed, the adverse health consequences of not taking an extended break from your usual home and work routine are well-documented -- this New York Times article neatly summarizes some relevant stats and studies.

There’s something else, too, about the importance of vacation travel. I’ve always believed leisure travel is never a waste, because it can provide you with extraordinary life experiences you’d be less likely to get during an ordinary workday or by sticking close to home. Perhaps this example will serve as a cautionary tale. I once knew someone who turned down a trip to Antarctica with his father because he was too busy at work. The father went alone, and a few years later, passed away unexpectedly. Did this person then regret not taking the trip? You bet. A father-son journey to a place few people have ever traveled to certainly would have been the experience of a lifetime -- one anyone would remember forever. I wonder if whatever this person did at work during those weeks was as memorable.

So time and financial considerations aside, maybe the question to ask is: If you think you can’t afford to go on vacation, can you afford not to either?

Are there any vacations you regret not taking (or even some that you did)? Leave a comment below. Here’s more on vacations:

• “The Importance of Vacation”
• “Contractors Deserve Vacations, Too”
• “Your Vacation Splurges”
• From the Monster Blog: “Do You Take All Your Vacation?”
• From the Monster Blog: “It’s Vacation Time: Go Ahead, You Deserve It”

Career Questions to Think About This Summer

As we head into the steamy summer months, we're getting ready to tackle the hot topics on job searching, life at work and career development here on the Monster Blog. Here are a few questions we're thinking about for upcoming posts:

• Does the length of your resume actually matter? We're seeing some resumes as short as 140 characters -- and others that seem to carry on endlessly. Is there really a sweet spot?


• How do you follow up with employers? You’ve sent in your resume, and now it’s time to wait for a response. Or is it? What’s the best way to be proactive with your job search and get through to the right people?


• Should you say you're pregnant? You're about to get hired and haven't yet mentioned -- nor is it necessarily obvious from your physical appearance -- that you'll need to go on maternity leave in a few months. Are you obligated or expected to speak up?


• Why shouldn't you work remotely? Here's what Seth Godin wrote in a recent blog post: "It's hard for me to see why you'd bother having someone come all the way to an office just to sit in a cube and type." Factor in the tools and technology that allow us to work just as well from our living rooms or the local coffee shop as we could from company headquarters, along with record-breaking prices at the gas pump, and we're wondering the same thing.

We'll be posing these and other questions to job seekers, community members, employers and voices from the blogosophere throughout the summer, and we'll report back on what they're telling us.

But we want to hear from you, too. What burning on-the-job and get-the-job questions are on your mind? Leave us a comment below.

Remembering Your Work Life

Yesterday, I read in Newsweek about a woman who remembers just about every detail of every day of her life. It sounds like a gift, but as she puts it, most days are mundane, and she just “hung out.” For example, her memories consist of eating soup on cold days, watching TV and conversations with her parents.

I think many of our days are the same, and that extends to work. However, some workdays are unforgettable. One of my most memorable workdays is September 11, 2001, but there are less dramatic examples of good and bad days that stick in my head. There was the day I discovered I needed to rehome my beloved dog. I spent the day crying in my cube, comforted by coworkers. And then there was the morning my boss called me into his office and told me he was promoting me, complete with a hefty raise.

One of my relatives remembers the day a coworker with a bad attitude had her performance review. When the boss tried to address the issue during the review, the person quit in such a firestorm that security had to be called.

What are your most potent workplace memories? And what makes a workday memorable? Let us know in the comments below.

High Gas Prices Are Hurting Workers

We’ve talked about steep gas prices before on the Monster Blog, but never have they been this high. Yesterday, the national average for a gallon of gas was $3.60 for regular, and crude oil futures were at $120 a barrel. With summer coming up and the threat of stagflation -- inflation coupled with slower economic growth -- there doesn’t seem to be much relief in sight.

Yes, it’s painful for me to spend $50 filling up my Camry, but workwise, I feel the biggest pinch on my commute. Workers who are really feeling gas pains are those who drive as part of their jobs -- for example, delivery people and truck drivers (especially independent owner-operators).

So what’s a worker to do? The obvious solution: Take steps to improve your gas mileage. If you can, try to take public transportation, carpool or even work from home. If you must drive, Mapquest can help you find the cheapest gas in your area. And let’s hope that what goes up will eventually come down. 

How are high gas prices affecting you/your job?

Is Lying Part of Office Life?

The relationship between boss and subordinate is often littered with distrust, game-playing and even dislike. For example, according to a study by Florida State University, 39 percent of workers said their supervisor didn’t keep a promise, 37 percent said the boss withheld credit, and 23 percent said their supervisor blamed others to cover up mistakes or to minimize embarrassment.

But bosses aren’t the only ones who lie. Subordinates also do things to erode the trust so essential to good working relationships. This survey reveals most workers have lied to their bosses about something, like the reason for a day off, why they’re late or why they’re missing a deadline.

So a lot of lying is going on in the office. That’s life, right? While some lying is essential to making the (polite) world go round (“Great haircut, Martha!”), I think an atmosphere of trust between worker and boss helps build good working relationships. That’s good for your career -- think how much easier your working life would be if you got along with your boss -- and for the company. Infighting and strained relationships ultimately cause productivity losses and ultimately, turnover

So next time you’re tempted to tell the boss you’re late because wild turkeys attacked your car (wait, that really happened around here) or not tell your employee he’s doing a great job, try stepping outside the norm with some good old-fashioned honesty. Like the spring breezes that are starting to blow through here, you may find it refreshing.

For more on this topic, check out these resources from the Monster Blog:

• "Building Trust in the Office”


• “Trust in Management Is More Important than Money”


• “Lessons from Enron: Who Do You Trust?”

Does a Messy Desk Matter?

One of the most active threads on the Monster message boards over the last couple of months has been “Employee keeps a messy desk.” We’ve had more than 140 posts to this lively discussion, which kicked off with this message:

I'm new to management and have a predicament I'd like an opinion on.  I have a worker who keeps a very messy desk.  I'm not a neat freak, but there are piles of paperwork as far back as mid-'07 among other things that, if someone had to fill in...would be very confused.  I've already lightly mentioned that it be cleaned up, then again when it didn't happen, I actually gave a timeline of one week for it to be cleaned up...and of course, it didn't happen.  So, is it something I should just let be and assume the employee works better in a controlled chaos environment?  Or should I step up my requests and not be so nice about it?  I'm not sure how much it is my place to tell someone to clean up their work area if it really doesn't bother anyone but me. Thanks for reading!

The Monster members who’ve been responding to this initial post generally fall into two camps:

• As long as the employee’s work is getting done, it doesn’t matter how messy his desk is or isn’t.
• A messy desk is no doubt a sign of a cluttered mind! Continue to insist that the employee clean up his workspace.

This question hits home for me, because I’ve worked hard since starting my first professional job 10 years ago to overcome my natural tendency of allowing piles of paper to cover my desk. In my case, a messy desk often did mean I was trying to handle too many tasks at once or not properly prioritizing my to-dos (check out this article on optimizing your multitasking if you’re in a similar boat).

These days, I try to ensure that the top of my desk only contains files and papers that I need at that particular moment. When I move on to a new project, said paperwork gets filed away, out of sight.

However, I’ve also had plenty of colleagues who are organized and on top of all their projects, in spite of their desk’s appearances to the contrary. Indeed, they almost seem to thrive in what the rest of us would consider a cluttered and chaotic workspace.

I contend that we should leave employees like the one described in the message board post to manage the neatness of their own desks, unless there’s evidence to suggest that their disorganization is impacting their work. After all, don’t managers have more important things to worry about?

What’s your take?  Let us know in the comments section below, or jump on to our message board to join in the conversation there.

Top 5 Things to Do When Returning from Maternity Leave

This is my first week back in the office after three months off caring for my son, who was born at the beginning of January. It’s been a strange and stressful week -- everything is somewhat the same, but a lot has changed while I was on maternity leave. And yet, as painful as it was to put my son in day care (I’m working a compressed three-day schedule), being back at work is almost comforting in its familiarity. After all, I’ve been a mom for three months; I’ve done my job for three-plus years.

According to this Career Journal article about getting back to work after maternity leave, the first 90 days should be a time of easing back into your job and reestablishing connections. In that vein, here are five things I’ve done for myself that I think have softened my return. They might help you if you’re in the same situation:

• Schedule Meetings with Everyone: It’s fun to catch up about the baby, but it’s also good to find out what everyone’s working on, where projects stand and how you’ll fit into the new equation.


• Establish Some Duties Right Away: You’ll want to ease back in, sure, but it’s good to have something to work on to get those feet wet.


• Read: This includes corporate communications, new departmental documentation and news about the company. This will help you get caught up on the way things are now, not how they were three months ago.


• Touch Base with Your Child: The transition back isn’t just difficult for moms -- it’s hard for a baby who doesn’t understand why someone new is caring for him. I’m fortunate to have a day care center right in the building, but even if I didn’t have the option of going down for a visit, I’d call so he could hear my voice.


• Go Easy on Yourself: Just like when you became a mom, you’re going through a big transition. Try to schedule some downtime every day.

For more on this subject, check out these Monster resources:

• “Returning After a Leave”
  


• “Pregnancy and Your Job”
  


• From the Monster Blog: “What I Learned During Maternity Leave”

Why We Really Do Like Meetings

As much as we like to bash meetings and complain about how much time they suck out of our workday, most of us actually don’t mind them.

That’s what Steven Rogelberg, director professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, discovered during a recent survey of some 800 US workers.

In fact, a whopping two-thirds of respondents said their ideal day would include at least one meeting.

Are you buying it?

In an interview on the NPR morning show The Bryant Park Project last month, journalist Jared Sandberg says there are four real reasons why meetings happen:

• They feed our social nature.
  
  
• They’re “company-sanctioned prattle” sessions -- essentially, an excuse to get together on company time for chit-chat.
  
  
• They serve as show of power for the organizer(s).
  
  
• They just might include free food.

So, depending on your work style and the size of your ego, at least one of those elements probably appeals to you and makes meetings not nearly as bad as we all proclaim them to be.

After all, attending a meeting or two each day has to be better than staying chained to your cubicle, right?

Building Business Relationships Outside the Office -- with or Without the Drinking

In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, I thought I would revisit one of the most popular -- and contentious -- posts from our Monster Blog archives: Alcohol: Income Booster?

In that post, my former Monster colleague Maya pointed to a research study that linked drinking with increased earning power. According to the report, "drinkers earn 10 to 14 percent more than teetotalers, and…men who drink socially bring home an additional 7 percent in pay."

Does that mean you should start drinking to begin making your way up the corporate ladder? Hardly. But the article is a good reminder of the importance of spending time with coworkers, clients and other business colleagues outside of the board room, cubicle farm and company cafeteria. Whether that involves meeting for evening cocktails, chit-chatting in the hallways at a conference, or going out for a round of golf, strengthening existing relationships away from the office -- as well as starting new ones -- is the essence of networking. In fact, it could make the difference in landing you a new job or getting you that promotion you’ve been waiting for.

So if you’re not hitting up the local pub to toast the luck of the Irish with your workmates tonight, what are you doing this week to build better business relationships?

Workdays Should Be Based on Results -- Not Input

What if you told your boss that you planned to enjoy a three-hour lunch break on Monday, take in a matinee on Tuesday, go to an extended appointment at the hair salon on Wednesday, shop for a new car on Thursday morning and hit the local pub at 2:00 on Friday, but you also assured her that all of your work would absolutely, positively get done -- and with the same exceptional quality as ever.

Think she'd say, "Sure thing -- go for it!"?

Probably not -- but then, your company probably isn't following ROWE, the "Results-Only Work Environment" program devised by Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson, coauthors of the forthcoming book Why Work Sucks and How To Fix It.

"Cali & Jody," as they call themselves on their blog, contend that the workday shouldn't consist of the trappings of the traditional 9-to-5 schedule. In fact, they argue that employees shouldn't have schedules at all. Instead, they should be empowered to work whenever, wherever and however they want, "as long as business objectives are achieved."

Cali and Jody have already helped the retailer Best Buy implement ROWE, and they're on a mission to convert more organizations.

Valuing Output Over Input

I'm quickly becoming a fan of ROWE, which emphasizes output over input. As I see it, too many organizations are still stuck in the opposite model. They like to remind their employees that "results are the bottom line," all the while insisting those workers submit time cards each week (input) or burn part of a vacation day, because they visit the doctor during regular business hours. The result? Employees have to concern themselves just as much with being present and making sure they look busy as they do tending to their actual work responsibilities.

This isn't to suggest that ROWE would work in every industry. If you're an air traffic control officer or surgeon, being available and accountable at a precise hour (or minute or second, in many cases) is pretty damn important, and could mean the difference between life or death.

But in many professions (advertising? video game design? magazine editing?) does it really matter whether you complete your project at company headquarters at 3:00 on a Thursday afternoon or while sitting in your pajamas in your living room on a Wednesday morning? Should anyone care if you pop over to your kid's school in the middle of a weekday in between sessions of cranking out a design or proposal that helps your company land a big client?

It's time to throw out the Industrial Age model of tracking input and replace it with a system in which organizations trust employees to manage and devise their own workday -- as long as the work gets done.

Let’s Kill Bad PowerPoint Presentations

As I was reading Garr Reynolds’s outstanding new book, Presentation Zen, last weekend, I was reminded of all the bad PowerPoint presentations I’ve sat through -- and sometimes given, unfortunately -- over the years.

I think you know what I’m talking about -- presentations where slides are filled with too many bullet points, speakers do little more than read the slides, and charts are impossible to understand at a quick glance. At the end of one of these train wrecks, you in the audience are left asking yourself, “Why didn’t the speaker just email me the slides instead? I could have read them from the comforts of my own desk -- and in about one-tenth of the time.”

The problem, as Reynolds notes, is that the speaker incorrectly assumes “a presentation made with the aid of slideware…must necessarily include lines of text projected on a screen that mirrors the spoken word of the presenter.”

Creating Effective Presentations

So how can you and I do a better job of preparing for and delivering powerful presentations that inform, influence and dazzle? Here are a few of Reynolds’s suggestions:

• Step Away from the Computer: Don’t map out your entire presentation with PowerPoint open in front of you. “Plan analog,” as Reynolds puts it. Take time to think about your key messages and sketch out your ideas with pen and paper first. Come back to the digital slides later.



• Craft a Good Story: We remember good stories, not bullet points. Be sure to include authentic -- and personal -- anecdotes in your presentation that feature “clear beginnings; provocative, engaging content in the middle and a clear conclusion,” Reynolds says. 



• Go Visual: Use images to tell your stories and move your audience. Instead of listing all 12 failures of your existing CMS on a single slide, display an appropriate visual that communicates the message more evocatively, and then speak to some of the problems. If you simply must list all 12 reasons for the written record to please your boss, include them on a separate takeaway document you distribute -- after the presentation.



• Don’t Overdo It: When in doubt, leave it out! “Give [the audience] high quality -- the highest you can,” Reynolds says, “but do not give them so much quantity that you leave them with their heads spinning and guts aching.”

And don’t just take Reynolds’s word for it. Check out some of my new-media colleagues’ recommendations and Monster’s "Public Speaking Made Easy" article as well to ensure that your next presentation doesn’t bore your audience to tears. 

Presentation Horror Stories

Have your own presentation tales of woe to share? Let us know about them in the comments below.

Firing Executives for Their Ethical Lapses

Late last week, MSNBC reported on the twisted tale of David Colby, a former health insurance CFO who was fired for misconduct of a “non-business nature." Turns out, that misconduct is alleged to have included the mistreatment of several women, whom he was purported to be having affairs with and making false promises to.

This is a tricky topic. On the one hand, how employees behave in their private lives should be their own business.  But on the other hand, it's foolish to say that employees who misbehave on their own time aren't a a poor reflection of their company. They are. This is especially true for organizational leaders, who often have a high public profile and an obligation to set a good example for their employees, especially when it comes to demonstrating sound ethics.

After all, it stands to follow that someone who lies, cheats and steals around his or her family and personal friends isn't exactly the kind of person you want leading your company.

Update: Listen to a brief discussion I had with Monster Leadership Expert Joan Runnheim Olson about this subject: Audio: Ethics and Leadership.

Here some Monster resources on leadership and ethics in business:

• "How Leaders Can Be Ethical Role Models"    
  
• "Business Ethics Quiz"    
  
• "Deal with an Unethical Boss"    
  
• Monster's New Leadership Message Board

 

The Trouble with Follow-Through in the Workplace

Tell me you haven't been guilty of one or all of the following:

• You meet and spend time with a dozen people at an industry conference and diligently take all of their business cards. You pledge to follow up with them within the next few days -- but you never do.


• During lunch one afternoon, you and a coworker brainstorm the beginnings of a new product that could make the company millions and turn the two of you into the office darlings. But then you don't get around to putting a project plan in place and the competition launches a similar product to the one you had envisioned -- to great success -- a few months later.


• You leave a weekly planning meeting full of priority items that you announce you'll get cracking on right away. But by Friday afternoon, all you've managed to accomplish is a reprioritization of your priority list. Most of those scheduled to-do items simply didn't get done.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Just why aren't we very good at follow-through?

Here are my thoughts, with an assist from my Twitter friends:

• Brainstorming Is Sexy;  Execution Isn't: Sitting around a table with our workmates and coming up with ideas in every-suggestion-is-a-good-suggestion fashion for 30 or 60 minutes allows us to dream about what could be. It's fun and energizing and requires no real commitment. But overcoming eventual objections to your idea from other factions of the company and having to compromise your pristine vision by laying out a rigorous step-by-step action plan that's chock-full of deadlines is the hard part, and it's where we usually fall down.


• We Have a Warped Sense of Time:  We continue to be fooled by the notion that we'll somehow have more time next week or next month than we have today. And yet, when next week and next month finally roll around, our calendars are just as packed as ever.


• We're Too Scatterbrained: Our always-on, always-connected mentality combined with the ever-present tools of technology can -- and often do -- help us do our jobs more efficiently than ever before. But many of us are also just flat-out distracted and overwhelmed by these tools, and we struggle to keep up with the frenetic pace we've subscribed to. As a result, we either can't remember our original promises, or when we can, we just can't get organized enough to fulfill them.

What's Your Take?

What would you add to my list? Why do you think we often fail miserably in following through on our workplace pledges, promises and plans? And perhaps most important, what are your suggested solutions?

Trying to Organize Your Email? Keep it Simple

If you’re like most people I know, you have trouble managing your email.

Maybe you can’t keep up with the dozens or hundreds of messages (yes, some people get hundreds) you receive each day. Perhaps you’re fed up with all those silly forwards from your uncle or coworker, or frustrated by the series of 12 back-and-forth emails it takes to set up a meeting or get a basic question answered by your IT department (we don’t have that problem here at Monster, of course).

And what should you do with the email requests from your boss that you’re not quite ready, willing or able to act on? Should you keep them in your inbox so that you don’t forget them but then run the risk of cluttering said inbox with too many actionable messages? Or should you move them to a special “to-do” folder as part of your quest to achieve a state of Inbox Zero each day -- and then forget about them because they’re not staring you down in your main inbox?

Then there’s also the tricky question of where to store that message from Jack in accounting once you’ve completed the associated actionable item. Should it go in the “Jack” folder? The “accounting” folder? The “January 2008 folder”? Maybe you’d like to delete the message forever, too, but what if the legal team needs it three years from now?

What a conundrum, huh?

Sorting, saving and retrieving email just requires far too much time and effort for most of us (myself included) to get right, and as a result, we’re woefully inefficient in using a tool that is meant to make our lives -- and jobs -- easier.

Too Many Folders? Stick to 3

But there just might be a refreshingly simple solution to the email management problem. I learned about it last night while listening to a podcast about organizing our digital lives. Lifehacker editor Gina Trapani put forth this suggestion: Use just three folders.

1. Follow-up, for those messages that still require action from us
2. Hold, for emails that require action from someone else
3. Archive, for everything else

And that’s it! When you read a new message for the first time, you either respond and act on it right away or you move the message to one of these three folders. And if you need to find a message later, you can rely on the power of your email system’s search engine rather than your own memory.

What do you think? Would this system work for you, or do you have a better suggestion?

If you want to consider a couple of other resources for managing your email, check out these Monster articles:

• “Don’t Let Email Steal Your Time”
• “Win the War Against Interruptions”
• “Don't Maximize Your Multitasking, Optimize It”

New Year’s Resolutions in 2008: Stick with One

Making a list of all your New Year’s resolutions for 2008 right about now?

Are you vowing to eat better, quit smoking, spend more time with your kids, work smarter, stress less, use all your vacation days and become a better team player at the office?

Then let me level with you: You’re wasting your time.

Now before you accuse me of being a cynical spoilsport, I’ll ask you to think back to your resolutions from years past: How many of them did you actually keep for more than a couple of weeks? I’m guessing not many -- or any.

I know that you wanted to keep that pledge to hit the gym three days a week during lunchtime. If only you didn’t have that all-important report to finish for your boss before Martin Luther King Day, you never would have fallen off the wagon, right?

You certainly intended to become a more efficient, more productive worker in 2007. But then that pesky online social network called Twitter came along and you couldn’t help but become distracted a half-dozen times a day. That was it, wasn’t it? 

Why So Many New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work

The real problem with New Year’s resolutions -- including those for the workplace -- is that we make too many of them and don’t develop a plan of attack for realizing our goals.

My solution? Make one workplace resolution -- not five, 10 or 20 -- for 2008 and then work like heck to make sure you achieve it. Here’s how: 

• Know How You Got Here: If you have some quiet time between now and January 1, ask yourself why your single resolution has moved front and center in the first place. Are you desperately seeking a promotion? Are you bored on the job?  Do you have a toxic relationship with your boss? Getting to the motivations behind the burning issue will ensure you’re ready to make true change in the new year.
  
  
•  Write It Down: You’ll be more committed to your goal when you write it out on a piece of paper. Speak the words of your resolution, too, and then engrave them into your visual memory for the year to come.
  
  
• Stretch Yourself: While goals should be realistic, they’re not worth much if you can achieve them without breaking a sweat. Be prepared to work hard.
  
  
•  Identify Your Allies and Opponents: Whose cooperation or partnership will you need to achieve your resolution, and who might stand in your way? Come up with a plan for working with both groups as you stay focused on your cause.
  
  
•  Visualize the Finish Line: Reaching your resolution by year’s end will require a mix of self-confidence, competency and dogged determination to not to get knocked off course. See yourself standing in the winner’s circle on December 31, 2008, and then walk backward through the year, charting the critical steps you’ll need to take along the way.

So don’t burn your energy making too many workplace resolutions for next year. Stick with one, make it meaningful and challenging, and then think through your strategy and tactics for reaching your goal.

Good luck.

What’s your New Year’s resolution?

I’m still settling on my single resolution for 2008, but what about you?  What is your workplace goal for the coming year?

Seasonal Depression Means We’re Not All So Jolly During the Holidays

Allow me to be blunt: I hate the winter.

And if you live in New England as I do, the months of December, January, February and March can be downright unbearable if you don’t deal well with the cold.

Shoveling snow? Can’t stand it.

Scraping ice off my car for 10 minutes before I head to work in the morning? Puts me in a foul mood.

Having to wear a goofy headband to keep my ears warm? A major crimp on my style.

Falling on my behind after unsuccessfully tiptoeing between patches of black ice? Definitely not priceless. 

But when I come into the Monster office each day, I try to keep my wintertime mutterings to myself. Because really, who wants to listen to a cranky coworker complaining about the weather all day long?

My grumbles are really quite trivial, though, in comparison to the seasonal depression that strikes many workers around the country every winter, particularly around the holidays.

Whether it’s due to the recent death of a loved one; anxiety over all the gifts that need to be bought for colleagues, family and friends; or an aversion to long, dreary, cold days, this time of year just isn’t very merry for everyone.

The impact of these seasonal blues starts with lack of motivation and lower productivity and often includes increased absenteeism. In some cases, the consequences are far graver.

So be kind to your colleagues who aren’t so jolly this month. They might not be the grinches you think they are.

For more on depression, check out these Monster resources:

• "Depression at Work"
• "Workplace Support for Adults with Depressive Disorders"
• From the Monster Blog: "It Pays to Stop Depression at Work"

Share Your Office Holiday Party Horror Stories

We’ve all been to our share of office holiday parties. At some, just enough food, booze and merriment are had by all. But others start out OK and then something goes really wrong.

For example, one of my first jobs out of college was in a small office of about 20 people. The holiday party was at a swanky Boston hotel. We all got dressed up and dined on great food, chit-chatting with our coworkers and meeting the spouses. And then, he showed up.

The he in question was a recently fired ex-employee who somehow convinced the powers that be that he should still come to the holiday party. He showed up tipsy and proceeded to get completely trashed, sitting in the corner, crying and literally falling off his chair. Then he came out of the closet to the entire office (most of us suspected anyway). He had to be escorted out.

Pretty embarrassing, huh? At least he didn’t have to face his coworkers on Monday. For example, check out Monster member bigboy01’s story:

Years ago, at this one very large company I was working for, each department was given money to have a Christmas party. But there was a stipulation no alcohol could be served. The reason being is that we were told the CEO did not drink and did not endorse drinking at parties. That was a hoot, because my sister knew someone in upper management, and she said at their company parties, the booze flowed freely.

So everyone chipped in to have a party. We did pot luck and BYOB at a hall. It was so-so until a lot of the people really started to pound drinks.

I do remember hearing some nasty comments from a few people, and about halfway through the party, my boss (who was really drunk) was hanging on my shoulder, saying, “Ya know, a lot of people hate you, but I like you. You’re a decent person.” Of course, there were a lot of other stupid behaviors, as in people falling down and throwing up because they were so drunk. This reminded of a drunken prom I went to once.

Needless to say, I left early and actually quit that job shortly afterwards. Monday morning at work, all I heard was OMG I drank way too much and I don’t remember a thing.

My rule is: I do not drink at office functions.

Got an office holiday party horror story of your own? Post it to our thread on the Office Politics message board. And check out our advice on keeping your head out of a lampshade at this year’s festivities.

Getting the Job Done from Home

Here in New England, the snowy, cold months of winter have begun. This can make for some scary driving conditions. This morning, for example, the hill I live on was more passable with ice skates than my Camry. So rather than brave the weather at nine months pregnant, I stayed home to work.

Working at home can sound like a dream in theory. You never have to get out of your jammies, there's no commute and you can customize your home office any way you please. But it can also be a productivity nightmare. This College Journal article discusses how to stay productive -- and sane -- when working from home.

Based on my own experience working at home full-time for a short stint a few years ago, I agree with many of the points in the article, such as getting dressed, every day, keeping regular work hours and keeping your office separate from your living space. Here are some additional things I've learned:

• Stay in touch. There is something to out of sight, out of mind. Plus, while coworkers can be a distraction in the office, they can be a lifeline to what's going on when you're not there every day. Similarly, make yourself accessible to coworkers and, of course, your boss.
• Say no to people who try to intrude on your at-home workday. I can't tell you how many people assumed that just because I was home, I was free. I wasn't -- I was working.
  
• Don't feel bad if telecommuting doesn't work for you. There's a reason I went back to working in an office. Still, on cold, miserable days like this one, it's a nice option to have.

And here are some Monster resources about working at home:

• "The Pros and Cons of Working from Home
• "Create a Professional Home Office"
• "Help Your Family Adapt to Your Home Business"
• From the Monster Blog: "Thank Goodness for Telecommuting"

How Do You Make Decisions at Work?

Every workday is filled with a myriad of decisions to be made. Some have few consequences and are made without much thought: where to park in the morning, which pen to use, whether to have tuna or ham for lunch. Others are more complex: Should you have it out with your coworker? Is that interview you got called for worth it? How can you cut your budget for 2008?

A lot of people (myself included) make the ol’ pros and cons list when deciding something major, weighing all the options to find the one that makes the most sense. But thinking that much may not be the best way to make such decisions, according to a new book called Gut Feelings. In it, psychologist Gerd Gigerenzer of the Max Planck Institute in Germany advocates trusting your gut more and such lists less.

Gigerenzer argues that cognitive shortcuts in our brains are there for a reason and help us through life. Says the Newsweek article: “Psychologists now believe that these cognitive shortcuts evolved over eons in the brain's neurons, probably because exhaustive and complex calculation was so often impractical for our early ancestors, who were always only one step ahead of their predators.”

So how do you make decisions at work? Do you go with your intuition, or is it lists and deep thought all the way? Tell us in the comments below. And in the meantime, check out these Monster resources about the art of work-related decision-making:

• “Learn to Make Clear Decisions”
• “Identify and Avoid These Career Decision-Making Traps”
• “Compare Two Job Offers”
• “Audio: Know When It's Time to Quit Your Job”
• From the Monster Blog: “Is There Room for Intuition in Business?”

What’s Your Workplace Eating Style?

The first workday after Thanksgiving ushers in a couple of seasonal events. Today, of course, is Cyber Monday -- the day many people will take a break from work to do a little online shopping, costing employers an estimated $488.4 million in lost productivity.

But, aside from being a holiday milestone for retailers, today is also the official start of the holiday eating season, that special time of year when food is everywhere -- including the office. Last week, our department got a jump on the season when Chris, our tech guy, brought in his homemade cheesecake. That’s just a taste of things to come, of course, as over the next few weeks, workplaces everywhere will be inundated with all sorts of unhealthy -- but delectable -- holiday treats.

Some of us will be able to resist the coming parade of cookies, cakes, pastries and pies, but most of us won’t. Some of us will regret our indulgences, while others will simply enjoy every calorie-laden morsel, along with the associated office socializing.

Food and drink are favorite topics around here -- we’ve discussed the finer points of lunch and coffee consumption more than a few times in this blog -- but the prospect of even more food in the office got me thinking about not just what we eat at work but how. Here are five workplace eating styles I’ve observed:

• Healthy: Most of us aim for this, but let’s face it: These are the people you love to hate -- the impossibly slender ones smugly collecting their low-fat yogurt and fresh broccoli florets out of the fridge (after their five-mile runs, of course) while you’re walking by with your Big Mac and large fries.



• Stealthy: Do these people ever eat? You can’t be sure, because they’re supremely artful in concealing their food intake.



• Stressed: A contentious phone call, a disagreement with the boss or a tight deadline can send these types into a mindless eating binge. You can hear them angrily chomping away in their cube.



• Scavenger: These folks have a sixth sense when it comes to finding food anywhere on the premises. Watch for them picking through anything left over from an office function after everyone else is gone.



• Social: Easy to spot, the more socially minded work eaters have candy jars on their desks and are always rounding up colleagues for lunch.

What workplace eating styles have you observed? What style are you? Leave us a comment below.

For more on the topic, check out these Monster resources:

• From the Monster Blog: “Hungry Horrors in the Land of Plenty”
• “Desktop Dining Etiquette”

Get Ready with Monster’s Guide to the Holidays

By nature, I am a planner. I’m happiest when I have plotted out my next moves and have a Plan B in case the original one doesn’t pan out. And this year, when it comes to my favorite season, the holidays, my planning ways will come in handy.

As I’ve mentioned, I’m due with my first child around the turn of the year, so I’m either going to have a newborn or be nine months pregnant on Christmas Day. To soothe my worried mind, I’m starting my holiday preparations early this year. We’ve made our Christmas gift list and started shopping, and I’ve told family and friends my availability will be limited after mid-December.

So you can imagine how happy I was when we came up with Monster’s Guide to the Holidays. This collection of articles covers everything from holiday party etiquette (with 90 percent of companies reporting they will have a holiday shindig this year, according to Challenger, Grey and Christmas, this is news you need to know) to career-related gift books you’ll want on your shopping list. Check it out, and remember: Even if you’re not having a baby, it never hurts to be prepared early. Just ask the guy who started hanging garland at the mall on November first.

How to Be Productive at Work This Thanksgiving Week

OK, admit it: You’re really not in a working mood this week. After all, the great American holiday of Thanksgiving is just three short days away, and there is no shortage of related items to distract you between now and then. For example:

• How early your boss will let you leave the office Wednesday
• Where you’re flying for the long weekend
• Who’s coming to dinner and which long-lost second cousin you’ll have to be polite to this year
• How many extra helpings of stuffing, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce you’ll manage to stuff down on Thursday afternoon
• Who’s playing in the Turkey Day football games
• Whether those Friday shopping bargains are really worth rising before dawn and waiting in extra-long lines to cash in on.

But here’s the good news: You’re not alone. Your coworkers and colleagues around the country would similarly prefer to skip the standing team meeting or put off writing that report or proposal for at least a few more days.

But it’s precisely because nobody else wants to be working all that hard that you have the chance to make this one of your most productive weeks of the year. Here’s why:

• Mark my words: Some of those scheduled meetings you have in the next couple of days will be cancelled. Use the newfound free time to wrap up a bugaboo project -- one that has never been at the absolute top of the priority list but that will have you feeling much better once it’s done. 


• When we’re at work but don’t actually want to do the work we’re supposed to be doing, we like to chit-chat. Why not turn the nation’s collective gregariousness this week into your own gain by scheduling a networking phone call or lunch? You’re ensured of having some lively -- and fruitful -- discussions that just might lead to new business partnerships or job opportunities.


• You’ll stand out from the crowd.  If you spend the next few days getting organized and cranking through all of your assignments while your coworkers resort to goofing off, who do you think will be sitting pretty in the eyes of your boss come next Monday morning?

So don’t allow the visions of Thanksgiving Day delights to dance too loudly in your head, and stay focused right through Wednesday afternoon. The turkey will still taste just as good on Thursday.

What We’re Thankful For, 2007 Edition

In a week, we’ll all be gearing up for the big feed that is Thanksgiving. This time of year often gets us thinking about what we’re thankful for -- if only to be ready for when Aunt Matilda asks everyone to go around the holiday table and say it.

I went around the Monster Career Advice table, as we’ve done in past years, and asked my coworkers what they were thankful for at work. Here are their (and my) responses. Happy Thanksgiving, and tell us what you’re thankful for in the comments below.

Ann: Health insurance is my thing -- the thing I read about, think about and talk about pretty much all the time. (Yes, I make a fascinating party guest.) So I am thankful that we were able to host an online community event in April on health insurance issues. I am grateful to our guest experts, Bianca DiJulio of the Kaiser Family Foundation and Jacob Hacker, author of The Great Risk Shift, for sharing their time and expertise with us, and to all of you Monster members who participated.

In July, I wrote about a friend whose family had lost health insurance just as a new health insurance mandate was going into effect here in Massachusetts. I am happy -- and thankful -- to report that my friend’s husband has since found a full-time job with health insurance, and that they are now covered. But I will really be thankful when health insurance is no longer a major cause for worry in this country.

Brooke: As it is my first year out of college, I am thankful I have a job! I have been fortunate enough to be able to work in a challenging and dynamic environment right after graduating. I must admit it’s been a pretty unique experience working for a career advice Web site at the beginning of my career; I’ve learned so much on many different levels. In the past five and a half months, other than career advice (which I’ve come to know), I’ve learned a whole new set of skills, and perhaps most importantly, I’ve discovered a lot about myself. And if a job can do all that for you, you know you have a lot to be grateful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

Bryan: I’m especially thankful this year that my wife and I found a good babysitter for my 1-year-old son. I can come to work knowing that he’s in safe hands. I’m also grateful for the arrival of a new coworker, who’s successfully encouraged me to stop skipping lunch.

Christine: There are a lot of personal things I’m thankful for this year, my husband’s continued good health being high on the list. The biggest, of course, is my belly, or more accurately, what’s inside it -- we’re due with our first child in early January and are over the moon. This has made the whole concept of work/life balance come into full focus for me. I’m thankful I work at a company that understands life isn’t all about work and has been accommodating for doctor’s appointments, sick (make that exhausted) days and other fun pregnancy brings. And then there’s after the baby comes...

Christopher: Last year at Thanksgiving, I was gearing up for my wedding, which occurred just two days after the holiday. I have to confess -- I was thinking more about saying my vows properly than reflecting on what I was truly thankful for. Shame on me, I know.

Nearly a year has passed now, and while my wife may tell you I am most thankful for turkey (which I do thoroughly enjoy), what I am really thankful for is her. She has given me the most wonderful year of my life and has made me an all-around better person. It was also her that urged me to start looking for another job earlier this year when I was clearly unhappy -- and because of that urging, I can now be thankful for a job that I look forward to coming into each and every day and the wonderful people I get to work with.

Norma: There’s a lot for me to be thankful for, like my husband and son, my family, my great friends and that I am lucky enough to truly enjoy the work I do and the people I work with. So I could go all sentimental on that stuff, or I can talk about the diversions at work that I’m thankful for. All work and no fun makes me a dull employee, right? So here are the two diversions I am most thankful for: Pandora Radio, which plays the music I want to hear based on how my preferences mesh with the “Music Genome Project,” and JibJab Starring You! videos, in which you take a JibJab movie and cast it with heads from your own pictures. Hours of procrastinating fun!