David V. Lorenzo's Blog is now: www.careerintensity.com/blog

Blog at Your Own Risk!

Your blog is not the place to complain about your job.

Check out this article in Newsday about the downside of venting online.  It’s never a good idea to slam your current employer in public – you never know who is listening or reading.  Thanks to Steve Rubel for the link. He is quoted in the article.

If you are really unhappy at work I suggest you do three things:

1. Deprive your employer of your skills, knowledge and experience by finding a new job.  Undoubtedly, you are so good that the company will be affected by your loss. 

2. Vent about work only in private and only to people you can trust.  Spouses are great.  Members of the clergy are good too.  Therapists are best.  Never, ever, vent to anyone in the office – and never online or in the press (if you want to keep working until you find something else).

3. Work twice as hard as you normally would.  That’s right.  You read correctly. When you hate your job or your boss, everyone can tell.  Even if you think you are the master actor, people will still know that you are miserable. That’s why you need to work twice as hard – so that you can leave on your own terms.  Don’t get fired for lack of effort.  You should have more self-respect than that. 

The best revenge is living well. Get back at your boss by getting a better job and not by saying nasty things. 

Branding – The Lucky 7

Brandexpress has a good post titled: The Seven Types of Branding.  This information is geared toward a corporate environment but there are some obvious implications as you build your personal brand. 

Let’s see if we can “translate” some or all of these into types of personal branding.  Add your thoughts in the comments (or by e-mail:  [email protected]) and I’ll post some ideas later in the week. 

Starting a Business? You Need to Love It.

Here is some interesting information from Dennis Jacobe, PhD – Gallup’s Chief Enconomist:

• Fifty-seven percent of small-business owners say they work six or more days each week. In sharp contrast, only 7% say they work fewer than five days each week.
• Sixty-two percent of small-business owners say they work 50 or more hours each week. On average, small-business owners put in 52 hours each week.
• On average, small-business owners say they take about two weeks of vacation each year. Six in 10 say they just enjoyed their last vacation, and didn't do anything work-related. Of the 39% of small-business owners who did work while on their last vacation, 8 in 10 (81%) say they made or returned business calls, and half (52%) initiated or returned e-mail.
• Two in three small-business owners (67%) are satisfied with their ability to achieve a positive work-life balance. And a similar percentage (65%) feel they are able to make the time available outside work to do the things that are most important to them.
• Ninety-four percent of small-business owners say they are at least somewhat successful, 87% say they are at least somewhat satisfied with being small-business owners, and 84% say they would still become small-business owners if they had to do it all over again. However, becoming a successful small-business owner asks a lot of the individual and his or her family.
• Given the long hours, being a small-business owner is not a 9-to-5 job. In order for small-business owners to achieve a positive work-life balance, their families must be willing to find ways to make work a part of their family life -- hence the fact that many small businesses are also "family businesses."

The source of this information is the Gallup Poll.  You can find Dr. Jacobe’s entire article by clicking here.

 

Men and Women are Different – Sometimes

Holly Buchanan has a terrific post at Marketing to Women Online that takes a deeper look at offering separate amenities and facilities for women.   Her perspective is valuable and right on point. 

This is a hot topic and a significant marketing opportunity in many industries. 

Everybody Loves Twinkies

Ron at Buzzoodle reminds us to keep our contacts fresh (like Twinkies – hence the title) with an occasional e-mail or two.  I like to combine this tip with another one from Ron about extra effort – the art of the surprise card or contact. 

I regularly drop people I have selected at random (from my contacts list) a card in the mail.  I write something like “How are things?  Give me a call when you have a chance.” I always get a call or an e-mail back.  I’m finding more and more that people really appreciate the effort involved in placing a stamp on a letter.  In this e-mail age people are pleasantly surprised when they get something via “snail mail”.

Laugh Yourself Rich

You really need to enjoy what you do for a living.  After all, you spend so much time at work that if you are not having a good time, you are slowly but surely killing yourself – literally.  Humor is great coping device for stressful situations.  If you can laugh while working, you have an advantage over 2/3 of the working population. Work should be fun. If it isn’t then you are in the wrong job - no matter how much you make.

Rob at Business Pundit has a great story that brought this thought to mind today. 

Money for the Philosophical

Free Money Finance has some interesting thoughts about money and happiness.

In a survey by Money magazine last October:

85% of respondents agreed that "Money doesn't buy happiness, but it helps."

29% said "The more money I make - the more money I find I need."

39% reported "I am sometimes frustrated that I do not have as much money as others my age.

I think money gives you options.  Options make you feel like you have more control over your destiny. This would make some people happy.  There are other people who would be miserable humps no matter how much cash they had.  I could name five of them right off the top of my head.  Maybe it’s a New York thing.

I’m not sure about the second point.  Since what I need and what I want are seldom ever the same, I have a hard time determining if I need more money.  I definitely want more.

The third point hits you the hardest at a party.  After a few cocktails when the “truth serum” gets people talking about sex, politics and money I usually go way overboard on the sex and politics and shut up about the money.  I get frustrated but then I realize that the other people are probably exaggerating by about 25%. 

Small Business Finance

Here is a cool link to a resource for small business finance issues.

Thanks, Dane at Business Opportunities Weblog

Performance Appraisals and Salary – Is this really necessary?

Coyote Within is up to part four in his series of looking at performance appraisals from the eyes of a proponent.

Today’s argument is that performance appraisals are necessary to determine how much of an increase an employee should receive.

This is one of my favorites and The Coyote covers it well.  I’ll just add my two biggest counter arguments:

First:  You are probably only going to give your employees an increase based upon your budget.  Their appraisal score is only going to be a 1 or 2% difference at most.  How can you claim that this will make them want to work harder?  Consider that a 2% increase for an employee is worth $19.23 per week to someone making 50K per year.  They can’t even take their kid to a movie with their “above average performance” rating.

Second:  Performance reviews are mostly all subjective anyway. Don’t think so?  Riddle me this:

Peter in Cube A performs identically to Mike in Cube B. All things are equal. Mike says good morning to you everyday and sits next to you at lunch three times a week. Peter keeps to himself.

You can only give the extra 1% to one person.  Who’s it going to be?

If you answered honestly, you see my point.

Brands – Fact or Fiction

Brandxpress has a good post on the 15 most common branding myths.  This is a must read for those of you who followed my series on Personal Branding a couple of weeks ago.

Also see: 

Are you Managing Your Personal Brand?

Your Personal Branding Challenge

Five Things to Remember When Creating Your Personal Brand Strategy

Go Sell Yourself