Past Five

Work-Life Balance Doesn’t Exist: Aim for Work-Life Happiness

Work–life balance. Everyone talks about it; everyone wants it….but it doesn’t exist. Realistically, it’s impossible to achieve the perfect balance. Think about it; even if you only work eight hours a day, there’s not time for eight hours of socializing and eight hours of sleep.

Consequently, searching for a career that allows for a work-life balance is fruitless. Why not focus on something attainable….like work-life happiness.

Work-life happiness can be achieved by anyone. It’s not about separating personal life from professional life, or designating certain hours of the day for work. It’s about blending the two.

Here are a few ways to achieve work-life happiness:

Do What You Love: It seems simple, but too many people are working in careers they don’t enjoy. They use the tough job market as an excuse for staying put, but the market is picking up and hiring is increasing. If you’re unhappy, make a change. Pursue your passions and dreams. As the idiom goes, if you do what you love, you never have to work a day in your life.

Value Weeknights: Instead of heading home after work to put on pajamas and catch a t.v. show, make it a point to do something outside of the box. Go see a local play, have a casual dinner party or find a place to volunteer at least once a week. You would be amazed what it can do for personal morale.

Create Friendships with Colleagues: Separating friendships and co-workers is an excuse to separate yourself from your career. Take the time to get to know your colleagues on a personal level, attend happy hours and invest in these relationships. It will make your time at work much more enjoyable.

Be Yourself: Let your true colors shine at work. Francesca Gino, an associate professor at Harvard Business School says it best, “authentic self-expression at work leads to reduced turnover and increased performance and job satisfaction.”

What other suggestions do you have to achieve work-life happiness?

The Best Places to Work Put Employees First

Last night, I attended the Daily Herald Business Ledger ceremony for the Best Places to Work in Illinois in 2012. LaSalle was honored in the small and medium size company category. It is a huge honor to be recognized and I am proud of every employee’s contribution to the award.

The keynote speaker, Thomas A. Klobucher, CEO of Thomas Interior Systems, explained why each company made the list using three words: putting employees first. Companies today that have the most unique culture and the most dedicated employees almost always put their staff first.

Happy employees treat customers better, subsequently improving customer service levels and sales at the organization.

Last night reinforced my belief that retaining and engaging staff is not all about monetary incentives. Almost every company that was honored offers training programs, uses recognition tools, provides regular feedback and spends quality time with employees.

They also do fun things as a company, like happy hours, baseball games, March madness parties, potlucks, sumo wrestling competitions and volunteering.

The ceremony attested to the fact that every company, regardless of its size, has the potential to be a great place to work.

Congratulations to all of my co-workers at LaSalle!

Advice for the Class of 2012: Do What You Love

So many blog posts and articles I’ve read recently have spouted endless advice for 2012 graduates. Forbes contributor Mike Myatt advised graduates to cultivate and maintain relationships, continue learning throughout their lives and live below their means.

A Wall Street Journal blog post was less coddling….basically deflating the egos of this generation and saying they are less intelligent, charming and invaluable than their professors made them believe.

While all this advice is beneficial, albeit somewhat harsh, one piece was missing. Do what you love. It’s that simple.

Too many recent graduates accept offers for positions they know they won’t enjoy merely to have a job. They are nervous to be unemployed with a degree and college loans, so they jump at the first opportunity.

I recently interviewed a candidate who was considering accepting a job in sales…but they hated sales and knew it wasn’t what they wanted to do. Why even consider the offer?

Why not take a temporary position to earn money, gain experience and augment a skill set until a dream job is determined or secured? In the long run, I believe this will make millennials happier and more successful.

Advance Your Career: It’s Simple….Work Harder Than Your Colleagues

I had dinner the other night with the CEO of a $25M corporation that is rapidly expanding into new markets. He’s bright, motivated and extremely successful…and he’s only 31. After dinner, he was deciding whether to return to the office. It was after 6 p.m., and he conceded that most of his employees had probably left. Then, musing to himself, he said, “Where do they go?” I asked, “What do you mean, where do they go? They probably go home.”

He replied, “If they aren’t out with friends, are they just at home watching TV? Wouldn’t they rather be working?”

Wouldn’t they rather be working? In his mind, the answer was obvious…of course. In the minds of millions of workers, the response is probably a resounding no. This is the difference between great, successful employees and mediocre ones. Great employees are constantly working, thinking of new ideas, reading new literature and determining how events and lessons in their everyday life can transfer to their career. These are the employees that are getting promoted and receiving raises.

So if you’re wondering why your career hasn’t taken off, evaluate whether you have put in the time and effort necessary to advance your career. Would you rather be working?

Increase Employee Moral: Move Their Desks!

Did you ever consider that your teachers were onto something when they had you change desk locations and seat partners every few months?

They knew that sometimes who you sit next to can be as important as the topic at hand. It’s as true in business as it is in education.

Think about it. If an employee sits next to a “chatty Kathy,” they get less work done because they are distracted. If they share space with a colleague who hates their job, that negativity rubs off.

Having staff rotate desks can bring a new spark to the workplace, boost energy and increase moral.

I’ve seen it happen. Employees who were underperforming improved substantially once they were removed from the distractions of their neighbor. Workers who appeared burnt out were revitalized after relocating next to a staff member with seemingly inexhaustible energy.

I’m not saying this will work every time, but it’s a simple concept that’s easy to implement and carries measurable results.

Trapped in Unemployment or Trapped in a Selective Search?

Last night I watched “Trapped in Unemployment,” a segment which appeared on 60 Minutes. Although the show detailed Joe Carbone’s educational program for the long-term unemployed in Connecticut (Platform for Employment), it was overshadowed by the students who were interviewed.

One participant shared his unwillingness to accept work he felt was below him, such as part-time positions and working at a local grocery store; yet he bemoaned his inability to find a job for over two years. Ironic. Strangely enough, this is too often a sentiment shared among the unemployed. While some of those who are out of work are willing to do anything to support their families, others remain selective in their job search.

Those who are unemployed need to realize there are jobs available, they may be part-time positions or positions with a lower compensation rate, but nonetheless, they are opportunities.

Unemployed job seekers must be willing to make sacrifices to secure a position, such as taking a pay cut, learning new skills, and volunteering their time to expand their business acumen. If they do this, I believe they will find themselves among the ranks of the employed.

While there are instances where it is acceptable to wait for a higher offer, when you are collecting unemployment is not the right time. No matter how much money you end up getting, waiting for a position with a higher salary is not as important as having a job.

Ditch the Corporate "Don'ts" this Holiday Party Season

Why do people always focus on what not to do at holiday parties? Concentrating on the taboo makes us forget what holiday parties are all about- an opportunity to have fun while networking and generating business.

In order to make the most of a corporate gathering, toss the restrictions out the window and utilize some commonsense.

It all begins by dressing for the occasion. Whether a company hosts an ugly sweater party or maintains business professional apparel, it's important to follow the dress code. Showing up under or overdressed causes people to focus on their wardrobe instead of the party at hand.

Once the party is underway, many people worry about when to eat, what to say to clients and how to break the ice. But these are unnecessary concerns that distract us from the party. There's no need to turn away the mouthwatering mini burgers in order to maintain a "professional" façade. Eating throughout the party allows people to maintain high energy levels necessary for socializing.

Although it seems obvious, people should be continuously mingling the entire length of the party, and not just with colleagues and clients. A corporate shindig is the perfect opportunity to meet new people and network.

While it's tempting to stay on safe conversation topics when talking with acquaintances and clients, a holiday party is the ideal occasion to get to know business partners on a personal level. Asking questions about hobbies, spouses, children, pets, etc., demonstrates an invested interest in the relationship.

Holiday parties shouldn't be a source of stress to employees. It's one of the many joys
of the season, so relax and have fun!

Are Job Seekers Above Receiving Training?

If you read "Help Wanted: In Unexpected Twist, Some Skilled Jobs Go Begging," in the Wall Street Journal, you know that Union Pacific is having difficulty finding workers with the necessary skill sets for their open positions. But Union Pacific isn't the only company struggling with this problem. Companies across the U.S. are willing to hire, but can't find candidates with the right level of experience.

Should these subpar candidates be hired merely to lower the unemployment rate? No. However, if companies find strong, hard working candidates, why not offer the position at a lower compensation rate for the first 6-18 months while the "A" candidates (that are lacking a few of the job requirements) are trained in the desired skills? Not only will this help the unemployment rate, but it will also eliminate the lack of qualified workers in the job market. Training is effective, builds loyalty and protects a company from turnover. And the best part is that training can be given to all employees in any division of a company.

But there's always two sides to a coin. While companies need to be willing to offer training programs to augment the desired skill set, employees and candidates need to be willing to take the pay cut and accept training. Job seekers today need to realize they don't have the skills companies are looking for. They need to realize they aren't worth the salaries they were making one, two, three years ago. They need to appreciate an opportunity to be invested in and trained. They should be the first ones in the office and the last ones to leave. If they can do this, then companies should be expected to train and develop hard working, intelligent people.

Now is the time for companies to train their own, at any level, and create their own stable of go-getters. The question is, are there people out there willing to commit themselves if this opportunity arrives?

How to Ask for a Raise

In this economy, is it even possible to ask for a raise?

The answer is, maybe. But, it’s not that simple. There are certain steps you must take before you even consider asking the question.

1. Evaluate Your Company. Is your company profitable? If not, then the answer is a definite no.
2. Be Realistic. Don’t just go to salary.com, you must look at yourself comparatively to people doing the same job as you. Are you doing better than them? Are you bringing extra value to the role and company? If so, consider asking.
3. Assess Your Worth. Have you taken on slack for an employee who recently left the company? How have you affected morale? Do you add or take away from the culture? What tangible results have you produced for the company?

If you can positively answer these questions then you should consider asking, but first you must master the “art” of asking for a raise.

1. Be Confident, Not Cocky. When asking for more money, your tone of voice matters. Make sure to be confident, yet not come across as demanding.
2. Know When to Ask. The best time to ask for a raise is during a performance review or when feedback from your manager is positive. If you’re continuously delivering at high levels and receiving consistent positive feedback, this is a clear sign a raise may be in sight.
3. Have Good Reasoning and Tangible Examples. Outline your job description in comparison to what you are doing on a day-to-day basis. Make sure to provide in detail the tasks or initiatives you independently began or what you did that was above and beyond management's expectations. If you’ve directly helped or developed a product to increase profit, revenue, or the customer base make sure to mention it.

Remember even if you do all the steps above, make sure you’re mentally prepared if your employer says no. Instead of becoming upset or quitting, ask your boss how you can improve and what steps you need to take in order to receive a raise in the future. If you’re proactive and positive, your chances of a raise will one day be in sight.

For more information, see LaSalle Network's segment on NBC's Smart Money

 

 

Why Jobs Are Still Going Unfilled

I wrote this post several weeks ago for the Crain's Chicago Business small business blog, Enterprise City, and I thought I'd share...

With unemployment still in the 9% range, many people are wondering why any job is going unfilled. It's a logical question, with a logical answer. 

Many companies, large and small, got fat during the good economy of 2002 to 2007 — and they don't want to make the same mistake again. While they were growing during this stretch, they added people without always having a strategy or reason to do so. There was business to fulfill, and they needed people.

Haphazardly adding employees achieved two results for many companies:

1. They overpaid for talent. 

2. They hired people who weren't the right level of talent for the job. 

Over the past 18 months, companies have realized they can work more efficiently, make profits and have less turnover and higher morale. Or at least equal morale as before the recession. (Having good morale with a lazy workforce isn't positive, either.) Why? Because many of the people they let go were their lowest performers. 

Don't get me wrong — there were some very talented people let go in the past three years for very legitimate reasons. However, there are more people who were let go because they were the least-valuable people in their department and in their organization. I meet with CEOs, vice-presidents of HR, CFOs, etc., all the time, and not once have one of them said they were letting go of their "best" employee because of the economy. 

Unemployed professionals need to look at their communication skills, their experience and their compensation and figure out why they are unemployed and what they can improve on to make it back into the workforce. 

It's hard to take a step back in pay. However, if no one is willing to pay you what you were making . . . do you have another choice?