Undercover Boss

Have you seen that show “Undercover Boss”?  Its a reality show that puts the head of the company back in the trenches alongside his or her employees.  If you watch the show regularly, you’ll see men and women who have long since climbed up the ladder to the executive suite, back at the bottom getting down and dirty with everyone else.  It’s worth a few laughs sometimes to watch these folks as they screw up menial labor.  I watched one guy, the CEO of Baja Fresh, practically get fired from his stint as a cashier in one of his stores.  Then there was another episode where this woman was back to waiting tables at a Great Wolf Lodge, forgetting orders and trying to give them their check before they got their food.  Classic.

The redeeming factor on these episodes was that in each case, the executive was somehow touched by the work ethic of his or her employees, and got to know the face and the story behind employee #12345.  In many cases, the CEO learns that their star performers are going through hard times personally, yet they are committed to their work.  Employees often deal with deal with major life issues outside of work that can negatively affect performance. 

As an “undercover boss” CEO’s have an opportunity to get to know the employees on a personal level and learn about the hardships they’re dealing with.  Issues can run the gamut, from health issues, disabled children, drug abuse, work/life balance and financial hardships.

Learning about these issues first hand gives the CEO a new respect and appreciation for the employee and a major highlight of the show is when the CEO makes it happen.  Like a big fairy godmother or genie in the corner office,  at the end of the show the Undercover Boss reveals his true identity and bestows raises, promotions, leaves of absence, schedule shifting on the tearfully grateful employee .  It’s a heartwarming moment, but before you go running back to your company expecting the same generous and heartwarming reaction to your personal plight:  Stop.  Don’t get it twisted. Your CEO may not be quite as willing to get down in the trenches with you; your boss may not want to hear it and your manager may be powerless to help.

But don’t give up hope.  Informed employers are well aware the happy employees are productive employees and productive employees are good for business.  So even if they’re not willing to go the reality show route, they may have other tools in place to help keep you on your feet.  Many companies now offer employee assistance program or EAP or employee wellness programs.  Employee wellness programs concentrate on health and overall wellness education. Through the EAP, some companies are able to provide that “undercover boss” service to help their employees through hardships. 

Programs like this will offer consultations with a lawyer, or psychologist, or financial planners, at no charge to employees.  Even better, there are no video cameras involved.  The service is completely confidential, and whatever you discuss with your counselor or therapist is completely confidential as well. 

So if you need help with a personal issue, before you run to your boss with your tearful story, check out the EAP poster on the company bulletin board and reach out for help.  No cameras required.

There are Four P's in Happy

Identifying the key ingredients for 9-5 success

Many of us struggle with finding happiness at work; chasing the elusive ideal where all the
elements coexist in perfect balance, providing the balance for our lives.  However, we often find
ourselves at a loss to define exactly what those elements are.  I was searching for my own
happiness when Joanne Gordon’s book, Be Happy at Work: 100 Women Who Love Their Jobs, and Why  jumped out at me in the career section of my local library.   

Published in 2004, Be Happy at Work covers the return to career altruism that surfaced in the
post-9/11 career landscape, when people began searching for meaning in their 9-5 beyond just salary.  Although many started that search long before, the 9/11 tragedy really brought home the notion that life is too short and no money can match the value of being happy with your life and
your work.  

The author tells her own story which brought it home for me.  Gordon explains that while working in marketing and advertising a client of hers died suddenly.  Although the gentleman was very
stressed at work it would be conjecture to assume that work related stress was a factor in his
death; however, Gordon took it as her cue to go back to school and pursue her passion for
writing as a career.

While the book encapsulates the happy profiles of 100 women, their stories resonate regardless of gender and encapsulate four common denominators or the Four P’s:

Process:   You’ve got to like what you do and the process of doing it.  “It” can be talking to
people, crunching numbers, writing, working with your hands, driving, singing, or making the
donuts – happy workers find joy in “it”.  There’s a comfort and a rhythm in the day to day tasks
that add to the happiness, without it the job loses some of its luster.  For example, a manager
responsible for the tactical execution gets bumped up to the next level where they strategize
instead of execute.  The happiness factor goes down as a result.  Identifying those things that
make you whistle while you work is a good starting point.

Purpose:  The mission, the meaning, the ultimate goal of what you do matters, too. Lately,
people want to feel good about why they do what they do.  What purpose does it serve?  Does it provide a service, fill a need, or make someone’s life better?  Each of Gordon’s “Happy 100”
found something with a purpose they could get behind.  Whether it’s providing safety instruction, making great soundtracks for the movies, teaching children how to read or feeding the hungry,
the purpose is of your work is just as important as the process… and the people.

People:  Employees often spend more time at work than at home.  Eight or more hours per day -- whether working in an office, in a cubicle or travelling side by side by train, plane or automobile – is a long time to spend with people you don’t like or respect.  Therefore, the company you keep, no pun intended, can have profound impact on your job satisfaction.  When employees get a along with their customers, coworkers and bosses the happiness quotient multiplies.

Proactive: Whether you’re evaluating a job offer or just taking stock of your current situation,
keep process, purpose and people in mind.  Then the final step is being proactive in creating
your own happiness at work.  Do your homework; figure out what you want, what works and
what doesn’t.  Talk to your boss; seek out a career coach, or a mentor. Start investigating other
companies, jobs, industries that have the right balance – then advisedly make your move. 

Keep these four P’s in mind as you take control of your job situation or career.  Knowing what
makes you happy is a great place to start.

Social Media or Digital Schizophrenia: Dooce, The Stripper and LinkedIn

Heather Armstrong vented about her boss on her blog and got fired. She was totally within her right to exercise freedom of expression, but still she was fired for exercising that freedom in a digital form. (The irony: she may have been right about her boss, otherwise she might still be employed.)

How about the NYC public school teacher who recently blogged about her experience as a prostitute before she became an elementary school teacher? Mayor Bloomberg himself yanked her out of the classroom.

Take LinkedIn… if you are linked to your boss you may be limited in the amount of open digital networking you can do. Worse yet, human resource professionals regularly scout their employees LinkedIn pages. While the scouting may be innocent, can frequent updates to your profile trigger a call from HR with a pink slip? What if your boss or HR team Googles you – what will they find? Do you really want your HR exec following you on Twitter?

What I really don’t like is when companies go gung-ho about social media and insist that you identify yourself with the company digitally. Think about it… Is your current job your “identity”? Nothing is forever, right? If you should ever leave the company, can you de-twitter, un-link and dis-like your company? Probably not as easy as hitting the delete button, I suspect.

In a recent Wall Street Journal article the author explained the need for a positive electronic identity - an alter-ego, an elecronic Clark Kent for whom no mardi-gras, or jello shots videos exist. Creating a digital dossier that presents you in a positive light is fine for most of us – especially when you’re looking for a job and you need to convey a professional image. But I maintain that its virtually impossible to keep Superman separate from Clark Kent.  Even the best superhero struggles to keep the two worlds separate (well, maybe except for Tony Stark, but he's different.) 

In real life, its just not that easy.  For example, let's say your latest Facebook post announces that you’re currently shopping your screenplay to Hollywood movie studios and you have a deal pending. That seems like an innocent post, but your current employer could take that as a signal that you’ll be leaving soon, or as an explanation for your extension’s recent increase in phone calls to the coast.

Clearly, I have a problem with the whole digital thing. I just can’t figure out how you can be your whole, authentic self online unless you are self-employed, independently wealthy or otherwise financially secure. But then again if you are wholly authentic, self-employed, independently wealthy and otherwise financially secure, should you really be posting your life’s details online?

As my Mom said when she found (and read) my diary when I was 14, don’t put anything in writing that you wouldn’t want anyone else to read.

Define Your Own Success

When you first started out in your career, you probably said something like: I want to make Partner/Vice President/Sargeant/Broker by the time I’m 25/35/45. So you worked like crazy, completely focused on learning your business and mastering your craft, when suddenly you look up and find that you’ve made it. The company promotes you to Partner/Vice President/Sargeant/Broker. Break out the champagne, or maybe its Miller time but go ahead and enjoy your accomplishment, you’ve certainly earned it. Congrats! Woohoo!

Eventually the buzz passes and its time to settle into the new gig, learn the ropes and do the work. What may surprise you is that its not as great as you thought it would be. How did that happen? Its kind of like the buyer’s remorse for new homeowners. You’re looking at the white picket fence and thinking its worth the price but once you fork over all your cash and sign your name to a tremendous pile of legal documents, you’re faced with the reality of those big payments for 30 years!

The same principle could apply to your Partner/Vice President/Sargeant/Broker goal. You spent so much time focused on getting there, that you never stopped to think about what actually happens when you get there? The view from the top of your mountain may look very different than what you had envisioned. Its too late to turn back once you get there, but there are important clues on the journey to the top if we just slow down and notice the signs.

What do you do? What if you love the nitty gritty task management and being involved in the day to day. At your level, that’s par for the course, but one or two levels above may not be as involved. Would you be happy sitting in meetings day after day talking through big picture strategy and long term planning? Or would you long for the days when you could cross things off your to do list every day? Maybe. Maybe not. That’s important to note as it could lead to major dissatisfaction in the executive suite. Be sure to do your research and talk to people in the position you’re after and ask that “typical day on the job” question. Then plan your direction accordingly.

What about money? Money isn’t everything. Sure, it can solve a heck of a lot of problems and help you sleep a little better a night knowing that the bills are paid, but its really not everything. Let’s compare your local job to a higher paying position in the city. The pay scale for local, around the way jobs may be lower but will the thought of extra dollar signs be enough when you’re headed off to work packed on a train full of grumpy strangers at the crack of dawn? Or how about when your train is delayed and you’re stuck with those same grumpy strangers and you miss your kid’s school concert. Your kids will plow through that extra money before you can blink, but they would always remember your smiling face from the back row of the concert.

What about you? The bills are paid, the lights are on and the fridge is full. You’re able to make it to several school functions and your view is better than it was before your promotion. Itemized on paper, your new job has more pros than cons and it looks perfect. But something is still gnawing at you. Well, looks aren’t everything. Maybe its time to focus on home since you’ve spent so much energy focused on work. It may just be that youre ready for your next challenge. Just be mindful of the signs as you speed off to your next plateau.

Set a Goal…. Then Wing it!!!

In talking to a friend last week, I realized something about myself. I’m a goal setter. I rarely make a move without identifying the objective, plotting out the steps and then methodically stepping through each milestone to achieve the goal.

That can be a good thing for most but for me it’s a weakness.

My husband says I overanalyze. First I research. Then I go out and buy a “how to do this” book, read it cover to cover… then think some more…. I ponder… I wonder… I seek advice and counsel from trusted friends… then I think some more. Only problem is there’s no activity – no measurable progress. I move at a snail’s pace, talk about it, obsess about it (this could take years)… THEN I make a move.

Back in the day, I got bored really easily at work. Boredom led me to job-hop in a time when that kind of thing was a no-no. Back then, in the 80’s and early 90’s, when my standards and requirements and expectations were really low I could afford that kind of freedom. Once I got married, had a house, kids (and a cat) my expectations rose higher and my freedom seemed limited.

Eventually I landed in a great job which I thought would cure my job-hopper tendencies. But after a few years I outgrew it and it was time to plot my next step. True to form, I started the research-ponder-wonder scenario and ultimately I made myself miserable. I couldn’t concentrate on work because I was preoccupied with what to do next, and I couldn’t concentrate on what to do next because I knew my work was suffering. Talk about miserable!

It didn’t help that there were people around me who were really happy at work. They were great people who were happy doing the same job for 10-20 years who would be happy to continue for 10-20 more. This was not something I could do…

Then one day while sitting under the dryer at the hairdresser mentally wrestling with what-to-do, what-to-do it occurred to me that I was wasting my time… Then I heard the voice of reason “Just keep swimming”, Dori said. You know Dori... The blue fish in Finding Nemo? (Yes, sometimes its important to listen to the voices of cartoon characters...) But I digress... LOL

Sure, it’s ok to set a goal. Sure, its ok to plan your next steps... just don’t obsess about them. Obsessing, over-analyzing and overthinking just waste time and energy. Too much of this focus on the future and you'll end up missing out on the good times that could be happening in the here and now. If you just keep swimming, you’ll probably end up somewhere better than you even envisioned. Just keep swimming. Work hard, do your best, let your light shine and keep the faith. Trust that there are angels around to do the heavy lifting.

Set a goal…. Then wing it!!

What would you do if you were laid off tomorrow?

What would I do if I were laid off tomorrow? I’ve been there enough times that I can at least partially answer that question:
1. First, you make the call to your significant other.
2. Second, you box up all your stuff and go home; cursing or crying.
3. Third, you do the math and estimate your future bills vs. expenses. (This is where the panic starts …)

What’s next? Usually it’s the traditional action plan: sign up for unemployment, put that old blue suit in the cleaners, and start making calls to line up a job just like the one that laid you off. Keep in mind that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

If you are in the fortunate position to be employed today then take a moment now to stop and count your blessings. When you’re done, I challenge you to think for a moment… What would you do if you were laid off tomorrow? You will probably say 'I’ll follow the tried and true “blue suit” method'. But then the right side of your brain should be allowed to speak up, think creatively and fantasize about other possibilities. For example, I often fantasize about reaching out to Oprah and pitching her ideas for a new show. Or I’ll mentally outline the book I’d love to publish, or the makeover service I’d love to start. But usually that’s where it ends.

If I challenge myself a little further and think these ideas through, I could probably make one or all of them work. Take the pitching Oprah idea…. Write out a summary of my show idea, go to Oprah’s website, find an email address or producer contact and take it from there. See? Not so scary… totally doable. In my case, those ideas usually remain a fantasy, and then I get laid off and follow the blue suit method.

Wouldn’t it be great to think out of the box for a change? Look at American Idol, or The Apprentice, or even Joan Rivers’ new show, How’d You Get So Rich? … Joan recently interviewed the inventor of the Wee-wee Pad, Allen Simon, who is now a millionaire a hundred times over. What about Oprah? She’s a great example of the success that comes from hard work and out of the box thinking. The world is full of people who have followed their ideas to success and happiness. Why not you and me?

So today I am challenging you to let your right brain do the talking for a change. Be creative! Dust off those crazy fantasies and really think them through. Sit down with a crayon and a big sketch pad and design your next life. Do the research, write your notes, write your business plan, call someone in your network and talk to them about it and then keep adding to it. Do it now – whether you’re working or not. Outline how you would make those fantasies credible and real. Keep those thoughts in the forefront of your mind and if conditions arise you won't have too far to reach.

Hopefully, you won’t be laid off tomorrow (or ever), but please keep this in mind: If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, then wouldn’t it be crazy to keep turning to that old blue suit?

By the way, Oprah really is looking for new talent and show ideas: http://myown.oprah.com/audition/index.html

Think Big!! :-)

The Passion Conspiracy: The evolution of passion at work

Once upon a time it was all about the job. You went to college to get a good job. You chose your major based, in no small part, on the job you could get after graduation. You drove a bus, learned to type or got your MBA from NYU Stern so that you could get a great job making great money. There was never really any talk of what do you like to do. Oh sure you could say that coloring with crayons made you happy, but there was no feasible way you could make a living at it so you settled for a job instead.

Then suddenly, everyone started talking about passion instead of a job… do what you love and be passionate about your work… passionate about what you do… Even as I counsel my kids on their college choices I’m not asking them what kind of job they want. I am telling them to study what they are interested in. Do what makes you happy. Do what you love and (hopefully) the money will come. Hold on… Where did all that passion come from?

I remember watching Oprah, a few years ago as she interviewed Po Bronson. In his best seller, "What Should I Do with My Life?" he interviewed over 1000 people about how they found their ideal work. The work that fed their soul, the work they were meant to do and the work that makes them happy. I think the evolution of passion at work was right on time, but I don’t know if it was coincidence.

Is it a coincidence that we started this search for passion around the same time as the ever expanding real estate bubble loomed large overhead? I think not. How about real estate…. We can’t count on those golden nest eggs of home equity anymore…. A fortunate few may have gotten in on reverse mortgages while real estate prices held steady. But many current retirees got caught in the real estate bubble burst and are now holding upside down mortgages instead of sitting pretty on their home equity nest eggs. Without that safety nest, you may need to work longer, and if you’re going to work longer, I sure hope you love what you do.

Today’s dot.com Gen Y workers are not the work-40-years-for-the-same-company-and-retire-happily-and-comfortably-with-a-pension types… Most of today’s workers will not see the cushy and comfortable pension funded golden years as some of the baby boomers and other previous generations. One would be hard pressed to find a company these days that even offers a pension. With social security is breathing its last breath and many of us funding our own retirements with 401k’s and IRA’s, our golden years are getting further and further out of reach. A few years back 55 was retiring early, but realistically, 70 may be the new threshold. Work, work, work.

This all comes at a time when 40 is the new 30. Most of us are trying to extend our lives, living healthier to live longer. 30 minutes a day of cardio, cholesterol free organic heart smart dieting are buzz words from our new healthy life mantra. The Center for Disease Control has set the mark at 77 for the average US life expectancy. That means that we’ll probably have to work longer to support our longer healthier lives. All the more reason to love your work…. You’re going to be doing it for much longer than you thought!

So, let’s revisit the notion of passion at work. I maintain that the evolution of the idea is no coincidence, but rather an idea born out of necessity. The bad news is that financial factors may dictate that we work way past 55. The good news is that if we keep striving to live healthier, we’ll be healthy enough to keep working as long as we need to. The silver lining? If we choose our work wisely, and work at what makes us happy, our passions will keep us smiling. That’s not a conspiracy, that’s just good timing.

It’s the other 16 hours that count.

“I’m grateful to have a job in this economy, but…” is a very common refrain of late and in this economy following your passion is easier said than done. That is understandable, but don’t give up on your dreams just because you spend 8 hours a day doing something you really don’t like. Remember the other 16 hours!!!!

In a recent episode of Dr. Phil, there was a session with a woman who had been laid off. She’s married and I think she had kids, but her life, her identity and her happiness were wrapped up in that job. I mean, she was on the show to talk about her marriage problems, but it was clear that her life was her title. That’s pretty much all she talked about, even with her husband present. Her eyes lit up when she talked about her career, and the lights went out when she talked about her marriage. I couldn’t help but infer that had she put a fraction of the energy she had for work into working on her husband, she might not be so lost now or so alone.

Not only is that a sad reality because she’s one of the millions of unemployed Americans, but she’s also a great mirror to hold up to your own self image. If you are at work 8 hours and spending the other 16 ruminating over the day’s events, rehashing shoulda, coulda, wouldas, before you fall into a restless sleep…. If you spend Friday night recovering from work and all day Sunday dreading Monday. It’s time to get a life.

Seriously. Not until recently did I realize how much energy I've been giving away to my 9-5, for free! So I'm changing direction, and looking for ways to expand my thinking and pour more energy into the rest of me.

If it's not too late for me, then it's not too late for you. My advice? Spend some time building yourself up, spend time with your family – not distracted time, but wholly “in the moment” time, go to the gym after work, meditate, pray, write a book, take a class, take a walk. Do something that keeps you in touch with your authentic self – the “you” that you have to live with, even when you’re not at work.

NEW Webcast! A Possible Cure for EDD (Employee Discontent Disorder)
4 Real Women Talk

In a webcast moderated by Norka Blackman-Richards, President and Founder of 4 Real Women International, Michelle Somers and Brenda Jones will discuss finding personal passion and purpose as a possible cure for EDD (Employee Discontent Disorder). EDD is an epidemic that is troubling many Americans in the workplace today, in particular women. Are you experiencing boredom? Feeling listless? Tired of the same routines? Lost your passion for work? You just might be suffering from EDD.

Are you Tired? Run Down? Listless? A good dose of self-employment may be just what you need

Are you taking a few too many mental health holidays lately? Are you giving a lackluster performance at work these days? Are you finding it increasingly difficult to get out of bed and into the office everyday? Chances are you’re suffering from employee discontent, an all-too-common disorder that may affect us all one day – if we’re lucky.

Twittering, texting, multitasking, assuming roles of wife, mother, significant-other, dealing with both kids and parents, and not to mention bringing home the bacon and frying it up in the pan: We’re all moving at the speed of light, and each day brings with it a new challenge that either makes us speed up and run with it, or makes us stop dead in our tracks and say, “What’s my motivation?”

Like rats in a maze, we just keep moving forward because that’s what we do. We just keep running, don’t look back and don’t stop. This is the only way to go, isn’t it? I mean, I have a good job – which, let’s face it, is a great blessing these days. And I love my boss, I really do. And that’s why I just don’t have the heart to tell her that I am looking to do something else.

Now is the time
It would seem that now is not the time to think about self-employment, what with bank bailouts, massive layoffs, and rising costs leading the news lately. Well, that’s one way to look at it. On the other hand, now may be the most perfect time to make the move to entrepreneurship. With the economy now turned upside down, there’s a new perspective in business and all the old rules may be out the window. This may be the best opportunity in our lifetime to get creative and try something new. In his recent Harvard Business Publishing blog post, 2009 Will Be an Economic Engine for Change, entrepreneur and brain scientist Jeff Stibel points out that times of economic turmoil are historically and notably times of great creativity and successful business innovation. Economic downturns have generated great ideas, like the cotton gin, the telephone and (ironically) the Small Business Administration. So if you start right now, the odds of success are in your favor. What are you waiting for?

Find your passion
“If your success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all.” -- Anna Quindlen
Find your passion. If you start with something you’re passionate about, be it making cupcakes, frosting donuts or pole dancing, you’ll already have a leg up on success. Pink Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Cynthia Good wrote in a recent article about women who took a chance, followed their passion, created their own definition of success and live in that happy place every day. If you spend two hours a day getting back and forth to work you don’t like anymore, eight hours working at fulfilling someone else’s dreams, and the rest of your time thinking about all the things you’d rather be doing, then it’s time to stop and find your passion. Ask yourself the tough questions: What do I like doing? What could I do that would serve a purpose and fulfill my spirit? And can I make a business out of it? Chances are, if you keep digging you’ll find the answers, and you’ll find a way to make it work. And then you can live in that happy place – every day.

Help from Uncle Sam
You may not want to hear this, and if you’ve recently been laid off/let go/downsized, you might not be ready to think about this. But if you’re ready to look at the glass as half full, by all means read on. Uncle Sam wants you to explore entrepreneurship. Yes, you read correctly. If you are reading this and you are unemployed, you should check out the Self-Employment Assistance program link on the United States Department of Labor, Education and Training Administration’s Web site. If you live in a state that participates in this program, and you meet certain eligibility requirements, your unemployment could lead you down the path to self-employment. Basically, enrollment in this program provides you with a weekly allowance while you get your business off the ground. If you’re unemployed, meet eligibility requirements, have access to this program and have a business idea, pursuing self-employment should be a no-brainer. Unemployment to self-employment? Sounds like a win-win scenario.

If you’ve been sitting in the dingy cubicle waiting for the boss to give you a shot, -- or if you’re the boss in the corner office dreaming about making cupcakes, frosting donuts or pole dancing – what are you waiting for? While there’s never an ideal time to have a baby, there’s never been a more perfect time to explore self employment. Find your passion, take that leap of faith and go get it.