10 C-level titles that keep workplaces dysfunctional
If you see yourself in any of these, it's time to take a self-inflicted demotion! These are Chiefs NO ONE wants to deal with:
CWO - Chief Whining Officer All good things happen to everyone but you. Everyone has a better job, a better boss, a better cubicle, better pay, better perks, blah, blah, blah.
CNO - Chief Negatron Officer You're the self-designated dissenter, the perpetual fly in the ointment, always pointing out why it can't be done - never how it can be done.
CSO - Chief Stress Officer Your boss stresses you out. Her boss stresses you out. Your coworker stresses you out. Your job stresses you out. You couldn't be creating your own workplace stress, could you?
CBO - Chief Blame Officer Something goes wrong, it's everyone's fault but yours, and you're sure to be the one covering your ass, pointing the finger, heading the witch hunt.
CVO - Chief Victim Officer You have an abusive boss. The head of HR or IT hates you. Your peer makes life miserable for you. They're all driving you nuts. Maybe you're the one behind the wheel.
CDO - Chief Disruptive Officer Always acting out or trying to get attention, the drama queen, disrupting meetings and making everything about you. It's always about you.
CPO - Chief Political Officer The player, manipulator, man behind the curtain, puppet-master, destroyer of enemies. Too bad politics doesn't win business or keep customers.
CCO - Chief Clueless Officer Always running around like a chicken with your head cut off, asking everybody and his brother for help, never having a clue what to do, how to do it, or even how to start.
CUO - Chief Unreliable Officer When there's work to be done, finding you is like shooting darts at jello. And when you do get tagged with a task, the only thing we can count on is that it won't be done right.
CGO - Chief "Grass is Greener" Officer Your friend works for a better company or a better group. Everything is better there. Everything about this place sucks. Well, it would suck a lot less if you quit.
via Does Your Job Suck? It's Probably You - CBS News.
SMART Goals
Successful people are objective. They have realistic targets in mind. They know what they are looking for and why they are fighting for it. Successful people create and pursue S.M.A.R.T. goals - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.
Specific – A general goal would be, “Get in shape.” But a related specific goal would be, “Join a health club and workout 3 days a week for the next 52 weeks.” A specific goal has a far greater chance of being accomplished because it has defined parameters and constraints.
Measurable – There must be a logical system for measuring the progress of a goal. To determine if your goal is measurable, ask yourself questions like: How much time? How many total? How will I know when the goal is accomplished? etc. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued efforts required to reach your goal.
Attainable – To be attainable, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. In other words, the goal must be realistic. The big question here is: How can the goal be accomplished?
Relevant – Relevance stresses the importance of choosing goals that matter. For example, an internet entrepreneur’s goal to “Make 75 tuna sandwiches by 2:00PM.” may be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, and Timely, but lacks Relevance to an entrepreneurs overarching objective of building a profitable online business.
Timely – A goal must be grounded within a time frame, giving the goal a target date. A commitment to a deadline helps you focus your efforts on the completion of the goal on or before the due date. This part of the S.M.A.R.T. goal criteria is intended to prevent goals from being overtaken by daily distractions.
When you identify S.M.A.R.T. goals that are truly important to you, you become motivated to figure out ways to attain them. You develop the necessary attitude, abilities, and skills. You can achieve almost any goal you set if you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that once seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them.
via 12 Things Successful People Do Differently.
Is Your Job Killing You? Identify the fast track to burnout
Eight profiles that put you on the fast track to burn out, and some suggestions for getting off that track.
- Overworked Underlings
No down time, no autonomy, no control. Such is the work life of overworked underlings. These employees are expected to work from clock in to clock out, do exactly and only what they're told, and be a slave to someone else's schedule.
Relief: Seek out opportunities to get involved in some aspects of decision-making at your job, even if they are small decisions. This can help you feel more invested in your company and more a part of the team. It may also help your boss see more of your skills and strengths, which may help when it comes time for promotions that can move you up and out of the underling role. - Frustrated Go-Getters
These are high-achievers who work until they drop, but feel as if they don't get enough recognition or financial reward for their efforts. These work situations can be defined as "effort-reward imbalances" and they're the perfect recipe for burnout, especially among high-achievers.
Relief: Communicate with your boss regularly about your goals and your boss's vision of where the company is going and how you fit in this vision. In other words, get on your boss's radar screen. Try to find out from these conversations what you can do to improve your situation. If, over time, you don't see any improvement, you may want to consider transferring to a new division in the company or moving to a new company where you think your talents and skills will be better appreciated and rewarded. - Castaways
Alone on an island surrounded by sharks. These workers are left alone to work out any problems that arise. They get little to no help or guidance from supervisors or bosses, and they have no one to turn to when they need to vent.
Relief: Share your concerns with the person in charge. Be specific as to what you need help with and when you need that help. Be as persuasive as possible in expressing what you feel is happening and how you think the situation can be improved. You also should try to connect with coworkers to reduce your isolation. If you can't get any relief from inside the company, share your frustrations with a friend or family member. Not only can venting (within limits) help reduce stress, you also may benefit from the experiences of your friend or family member who may have suggestions on how to improve your situation at work. - Doormats
Used and abused. These workers face demanding and abusive clients or coworkers on a regular basis and are expected to take it and fake it (suppress their feelings and be courteous, calm, and professional).
Relief: Ask for training on how to handle difficult people. Practice tried and true stress relieving and anger control strategies, such as deep breathing and counting to ten. And make sure you find a safe outlet to vent, if not at work then outside of work. Think of a pressure cooker with a broken release valve. You can only keep so much steam contained under your cover before you explode. - Targets
Used and abused by the boss. These workers are subjected to impossible demands, insults, and abuse by their bosses, or they see these things happening to other workers and live in fear that they'll be next.
Relief: No one should be victimized--on or off the job. Although it's impossible to find a completely stress-free workplace, you shouldn't have to remain in one that's abusive or so stressful that it affects your health and well-being. If you aren't able to resolve the problem(s) by communicating with the person in charge, report your experiences and concerns to Human Resources, your union, or law enforcement and/or an attorney (in cases of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment). - Tech Prisoners
Constantly connected. These workers are expected to be available 24/7 through cell phone, lap tops, or other electronic gadgets that cause boundaries between personal and professional life to fade, or in some cases, completely dissolve.
Relief: Schedule a gadget-free break into your day. Turn off all of your electronic devices to give yourself a chance to clear your mind. If your boss complains, direct them to learn more about how productivity suffers when workers are overconnected. - High Stakes
These are highly involved and invested workers who work in emotionally and/or physically charged environments (emergency room workers, lawyers, doctors, therapists, police officers, EMS workers). Over time, the demanding nature of their jobs often cause these workers to feel physically and/or emotionally exhausted.
Relief: Make sure you advantage of time off. Take vacations and mental health days whenever possible. If you aren't able to take actual vacations, take mental vacations by meditating to rest your mind and body. - Wronged Victims
Victims of organizational injustices. These workers feel victimized by unfair workplace practices, such as playing favorites, arbitrary or immature decision making, and a lack of transparency.
Relief: Communicate your concerns to the person in charge, using specific situations that exemplify your concerns. If nothing changes, you may need to consider transferring to a new division in the company or moving to a new company where you're on a more even playing field.
Picture by RG
via Is Your Job Killing You? | Psychology Today.
Remember…
"Cause" is not correlation.
Past experiences don't always offer any indication for resolving current issues.
Involve another set of eyes when you’re experiencing issues.
Asking for help is not a sign of inexperience, it's a clear sign of a mature, experienced individual who knows there is always something they don't know and places they can improve.
Successful people measure and track their progress
Successful people are not only working in their job/business, they are also working on it. They step back and assess their progress regularly. They track themselves against their goals and clearly know what needs to be done to excel and accelerate.
You can’t control what you don’t properly measure. If you track the wrong things you’ll be completely blind to potential opportunities as they appear over the horizon. Imagine if, while running a small business, you made it a point to keep track of how many pencils and paperclips you used. Would that make any sense? No! Because pencils and paperclips are not a measure of what’s important for a business. Pencils and paperclips have no bearing on income, customer satisfaction, market growth, etc.
The proper approach is to figure out what your number one goal is and then track the things that directly relate to achieving that goal. I recommend that you take some time right now to identify your number one goal, identify the most important things for you to keep track of, and then begin tracking them immediately. On a weekly basis, plug the numbers into a spreadsheet and use the data to create weekly or monthly trend graphs so you can visualize your progress. Then fine-tune your actions to get those trends to grow in your favor.
via 12 Things Successful People Do Differently.
Focus on being productive, not busy
In "The 4-Hour Workweek", Tim Ferris says, “Slow down and remember this: Most things make no difference. Being busy is often a form of mental laziness – lazy thinking and indiscriminate action.” In other words, “work smarter, not harder.”
Take a quick look around. The "busy" outnumber the "productive".
Busy people are rushing all over the place, and running late half of the time. They’re heading to work, conferences, meetings, social engagements, etc. They barely have enough free time for family get-togethers and they rarely get enough sleep.
Their busy schedule gives them an elevated sense of importance. But it’s all an illusion. They’re like hamsters running on a wheel.
The solution: Slow down. Breathe. Review your commitments and goals. Put first things first. Do one thing at a time. Start now. Take a short break in two hours. Repeat.
And always remember, results are more important than the time it takes to achieve them.
via 12 Things Successful People Do Differently.
5 Ways You Sabotage Your Own Career Without Realizing It
- Believing that someone else is the problem.
- Putting yourself ahead of your company.
The best way to get ahead is to put the needs of your company first, and for the simple reason that doing your job well and going above and beyond the call of duty will come back to you eventually. That's just the way it works. Nobody's going to go out on a limb and shower you with raises and promotions until you prove yourself capable, which means getting results ... for the company. - Thinking you know better instead of listening and learning.
Those who act as if they know it all and have overinflated opinions of themselves are usually overcompensating for deep feelings of inferiority and insecurity. And everyone knows it but them. So, when you act that way instead of listening and learning, it's like holding up a giant sign that says, "I act big but I really feel small." - Feeling entitled to something.
You're not entitled to anything except to to work your tail off and maybe someday make something of yourself. - There's some magic secret to getting ahead.
Becoming successful in the real world requires every bit of whatever brains God gave you, the wisdom you learned along the way, and pretty much all your energy and focus. By definition, every brain cycle and moment you spend thinking there's a better way - a magic way - works against you by detracting from what it really takes to succeed: brains, hard work, and learning from experience.
Self-limiting or self-destructive behavior is a self-perpetuating infinite loop. Here's how it works:
- Things don't go your way, so you get angry and blame others.
- But, deep down, on some level, you know it's your own fault.
- So you feel guilty and ashamed and beat yourself up.
- That lowers your self-confidence and increases your self-doubt.
- Your work performance suffers as a result.
Round and round it goes, and there you have it: self-perpetuating career self-sabotage.
The first step to solving any problem is recognizing there is one, but changing behavior you've spent a lifetime developing takes a lot of work.
Photo by RG
via Are You Sabotaging Your Own Career? Probably - CBS News.
How to Prioritize in 4 Simple Steps
1. Organize your calendar for anything that's important but not urgent.
Become consistent with your actions, building rituals that you do on a regular basis.
2. Set aside to reflect upon the day.
Take 15 to 20 minutes at the end of the day to outline the most important tasks to get done the following day. You'll not only prioritize while it's fresh on your mind, you'll recognize the sense of importance when you tackle it first thing in the morning.
3. Do the most important thing on your list first when you get to work in the morning
While it's easy to get lured into the fast pace of e-mail or social media, try keeping email closed and your cell phone on silent. The more focused you are, the more you'll get accomplished. When you're done, take a break. (It's just as important to your productivity as any other action you take!)
4. Take breaks
Take at least one scheduled break in the morning, one in the afternoon, and leave your desk for lunch. These are each important opportunities to renew yourself so that your energy doesn't run down as the day wears on. They're also opportunities to briefly take stock of your progress and get back on track.
Ask yourself a few questions to make sure you are prioritizing your actions:
Did I accomplish what I set to get done since the last break and if not, why not?
What do I want to accomplish between now and my next break, and what do I have to say "no" to, in order to make that possible?
via How to Prioritize in Four Simple Steps | Psychology Today.
Questions to help you review your goals and accomplishments & look ahead
What have you actually finished, completed, and accomplished?
You are making lists of the things you want to accomplish and HAVE accomplished, right? No? Then start now!
Review your accomplishments in a month, 6 months, and year:
- What was your biggest triumph?
- What was the smartest decision you made?
- What one word best sums up and describes your experience?
- What was the greatest lesson you learned?
- What was the most loving service you performed?
- What is your biggest piece of unfinished business?
- What are you most happy about completing?
- Who were the three people that had the greatest impact on your life?
- What was the biggest risk you took?
- What was the biggest surprise?
- What important relationship improved the most?
- What compliment would you like to have received?
- What compliment would you like to have given?
- What else do you need to do or say to be complete this cycle (these past 30 day, 6 months, or year)?
Now that you've looked back, start to think ahead:
- What would you like to be your biggest triumph in the next 30 days/6 months/1 year?
- What is the major effort you are planning to improve your financial results in the next 30 days/6 months/1 year?
- What would you be most happy about completing in the next 30 days/6 months/1 year?
- What major indulgence are you willing to experience in the next 30 days/6 months/1 year?
- What would you most like to change about yourself in the next 30 days/6 months/1 year?
- What are you looking forward to learning in the next 30 days/6 months/1 year?
- What do you think your biggest risk will be in the next 30 days/6 months/1 year?
- What about your work are you most committed to changing and improving in the next 30 days/6 months/1 year?
- What is one as yet undeveloped talent you are willing to explore in the next 30 days/6 months/1 year?
- What brings you the most joy and how are you going to do or have more of that in 2012?
- Who or what, other than yourself, are you most committed to loving and serving in 2012?
- What one word would you like to have as your theme in the next 30 days/6 months/1 year?
Photo by RG
via Questions for completing and beginning the year | GTD Times.
6 Ways To Tell If Your Small Business is Social Media-Ready
Just because you keep hearing about social media doesn’t mean you’re ready to jump in. Not every company is suited to engage in social media and even those that are may not necessarily be ready to do so.
Are you?
Here are some questions to help you determine whether your small business is social media-ready or if you still have some work to do before sending out that first company tweet.
1. Do you have a clear reason for being in social media?
One of the biggest business mistakes you can make is to do something just because you think you’re supposed to. And by now, you’ve probably heard a lot about social media and the positive effect it’s had on other people’s businesses. But that doesn’t mean you should give it a shot. Not necessarily. Ask yourself:
- What are you hoping to get from your participation?
- What business goals will you be able to achieve through social media?
- How will social media aid lead generation?
If you don’t know, then you should spend time figuring it out, not entering the space. Because if increased engagement in social media isn’t going to help your business, then it’s a waste of your time. And if you don’t know what your end goal is, you won’t know if you’re any closer to reaching it.
2. Do you know which social media sites are for you?
You know what you’re looking to get from social media and still think it’s a great fit. Fantastic. But what does that mean in terms of where you should be spending your time? What social media sites are best for your specific purpose? Once you know what your goal is for your participation, identify the best social network for your business, the site that is most geared toward helping you accomplish your goals. You may also want to check your analytics to see which social media sites are already sending you traffic, if you’re not sure. Because while social media is great, not every site is going to speak to your audience, not even the hottest site of the moment. You want to hone in on the site(s) that will.
3. Do you have the resources to continue the investment?
Now you know “why”, you know “where” and it’s time to ask yourself “how long”. How long are you willing to commit resources to being a part of social media? Can you pay someone to blog, tweet and Facebook for you? If not, can you commit to doing it yourself on top of all your other activities? If you’re not and you’re thinking this is something you can do for a few weeks before backing out of it, stop now. Social media is an ongoing process. If you’re not going to stick with it, don’t waste time starting it.
4. Have you carved out a social pipeline?
What are you going to do with the information gleaned from social media? If someone approaches you about a customer service issue or makes a recommendation for a new product or feature, do you have a process for how you’ll quickly get that information to the right person on your team so it can be used? Before you enter social media, create that workflow or pipeline for how you’ll disseminate social media information internally. It will help ensure that you’re getting the most value possible from your social media investment.
5. Is there a social media plan on record?
Your social media policy is an internal document that helps a business to navigate the social media waters. It breaks down rules for engagement, how to handle common occurrences, what you’ll do when negative mentions appear, how to start conversations, how to use the different networks, etc.
6. Can you measure it?
Social media is a tool, it’s not a destination. You want to measure your use of social media just like you would measure anything else you’re doing as part of your marketing efforts. Based on your initial goal for social media the metrics you use to judge success may differ from others, and that’s okay. You may choose to track Facebook Likes, ReTweets, change in sentiment, number of mentions, engagement, etc. What’s important is that you’ve decided which metrics are important to your business and that you’re using social media tools to help measure them.
Photo by RG
via 6 Ways To Tell If You’re Social Media-Ready.