Ask a Manager: Your Questions Answered

The Finishing School welcomes you to our faculty mixer, where we have the pleasure of introducing a newcomer from the corner office, our Don Draper in residence, who will help provide some balance to the dialogue.  We do not say debate, because we are not in conflict with our Resident Manager.  We know he brings a fresh point of view to the topics we discuss, and we look forward to having him answer your questions about life in management and staff relations that we have not been able to address.

It is my pleasure to introduce Dick Whitman to the student body, and to invite him to tell you more about himself:

A Riff on Management

When the Finishing School came to me and asked me to represent the “Management” point of view, I had a very mixed reaction. The word “shudder” comes to mind…ok, let me explain.

I have long admired these witty observations of life in the workplace. The only thing is, one can’t help but notice there is typically a general theme of “management bad, oppressed worker bees good”.

And while I’ve often laughed along, I am realizing just now that I’ve always thought of them as representing something outside of the world that I occupy. I have been managing people in one form or another for more than half of my life, and I have always loved it. I love it because it gives me satisfaction to build a strong team and to transform an organization through motivation and leadership. Most of all, I love it because it sometimes gives me the opportunity to take an individual with some hidden potential that maybe only I can see, and with a little investment of my time and emotion, to pull that potential out of hiding.


When I think about the changes I’ve seen in certain people who have been willing to trust and listen to me over the years, and who have in turn made the investment in themselves to grow, it makes me feel true pride.

Growing up, I was supposed to be something IMPORTANT in life. (Translation: doctor…or, in the interest of variety, lawyer is ok too) Unfortunately, the most important thing I learned in college was that I couldn’t sit still long enough to make it through 4-6 more years of it. So…I took a different path. On this other path, sadly, I am not saving lives and I am not fighting for justice (and/or gobs of money), but when I feel like I’ve made a difference in an employee’s professional development, I feel pretty damn good. When I feel like I’ve turned a collection of dysfunctional, disjointed coworkers into an effective – dare I say kick-ASS? -- team, then I am truly able to slay those emotional dragons and feel like I’ve done something important.
(Oh yeah. That’s what you’re dealing with here.)

Now think about that guy I just described, and picture how he is going to react to being asked to represent “the management view” in this context.  I couldn’t help but think to myself, “(Self….) is that how they see me? As management?! Egad.  I’m Bill Lumbergh from Office Space!” Am I really associated with that one-dimensional, Dilbertesque view of “the boss”?
 More importantly, I don’t know if I am qualified to represent all of "management." This is not to say that I am trying to separate myself from management as a whole.   But that is an interesting paradox in itself: in this context, I am either one of the dirty ignorant bastids that “tells us what to do and takes away our jobs”, or….OR… I’m the exception to the rule, the sympathizer, the traitor to my brethren, the Uncle Tom.


But what the hell, I’ve never felt like I could fit everything into a neatly-defined little package (Ken Blanchard be damned). I’m still honored to have the chance to write for this fine publication, and I am sure I will love it. And I applaud my friends for looking to balance out the commentary with a management view. I will certainly try my best to be fair and candid in that context.

Mr. Whitman is now available to take your questions.  Please ask nicely, or we will not pass them along.  The Finishing School will post Mr. Whitman's replies and reflections "on a going forward basis."  That is not a phrase Dick would use, by the way.

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Preparing for the worst: How much should you have in your emergency fund?

by Miss Minchin, Dean of Students
If you lost your job tomorrow, would you be able to get by until you found another job, even if that job search took you 8 months? What if you and your partner both lost your jobs? Do you have enough saved up for such an emergency? Do you even know how much you need to have saved for such an event? If you are like most Americans the answer is no.

We have all been touched in some way by the current recession, and we all probably know people who have lost their homes, their jobs, or are simply struggling to get by. If there is one positive thing that we can take away from this recession, it’s that we are relearning the value of living within our means and setting aside cash for unexpected life events. More and more people are starting to appreciate the peace of mind that comes with having a solid emergency fund in place. My goal is to give you the information and tools you need to figure out the right amount to have in savings for this worst case scenario.

First you need to know the numbers
Do you know what your monthly expenses are? Do you know what they would be if both you and your partner were unemployed? Do you know how much unemployment you would qualify for? How long you would qualify for benefits? Do you know how much Cobra would cost? Let’s take a look at some of these numbers:

• In my state, Unemployment Insurance will pay half of what you make today, up to a cap. The max is $628/week for up to 30 weeks, for a total of pay out $18,840, so anyone making more than 65k/year will be getting less than 50%. In other words, if you make $65k per year, you'd be living on a salary of  $32k year for about 4 months. If you make $32k a year, you'd be living on a salary of $16k for four months or so.(Currently there are extensions in effect, but you can’t count on that in the future and likely wouldn’t qualify if you were laid off tomorrow).

• You might be thinking, “my employer will be generous with severance pay" and I hope that's true. Don’t forget that the company will have to withhold taxes & social security from your severance check, so the lump sum you may be counting on could be a lot less than you expect. When my husband was laid off last year, the $12k check we were expecting for severance and employment assistance was a lot closer to $6k. Did you also know that you cannot collect unemployment for the amount of time that you are covered by severance pay? So if you get 2 months severance, you won’t be eligible to start collecting unemployment for two months. Not only that, but if you do earn any side income while looking for a new job, your unemployment check can be reduced by that amount (see your state's Department of Labor site for the rules).

• COBRA will keep your family covered by medical insurance, but you will have to pay the full premium yourself. (Currently there is a program in place that will reimburse you for up to 80% of the premium, but you have to qualify, there is no guarantee it will exist in the future, and you will still need the money to pay the premium first). At my place of employment, for a single person with the least expensive plan you would pay $150/month, and for a family covered by the high value plan you would have to pay $1462/ month to keep your current coverage. Add to that Dental and Vision coverage and you would be paying anywhere from $200/month up to almost $1600/month. Find out what COBRA would cost you if you were to be laid off.
 
Next figure out your monthly budget
Now that you know these numbers, work these into your monthly budget to come up with amount you would need to get by in a worst case scenario. Don’t forget to count bills that are paid annually. If your monthly budget seems high, you may want to analyze your spending to separate out what your true needs are, from the nice-to-haves. One exercise to help you do that is to picture yourself and your family in a homeless shelter getting a meal from a soup kitchen. Now start adding back in the things in life that you really need. This will help you to see what things are truly necessary to get by, and which things are optional in time of need.

Identify your safety net
Once you have a worst-case scenario budget, think about what dollar amount you would need to have in the bank to feel secure. Some financial gurus recommend saving 8 months of living expenses, this is based on the average length of time it takes to find a new job in a recession. Most will recommend a minimum of 3 months of living expenses or income. Think about what number sounds right to you. What dollar amount will make you feel protected? Everyone has a different level of risk tolerance, and many factors come into play: Is your job in an industry where it is taking even longer to find employment? Do you feel confident that you would get a new job quickly? If you rely on irregular income or commissions you may want to have more, if too much money sitting safely in savings makes you feel the pinch of lost investment opportunity, you may want to save less.

Don't play games with credit
If you have credit card debt or a home equity line of credit or loan, think twice about how you would allocate funds to these. In the recent past many financial advisors gave the advice to pay down debt and use your home equity line of credit or a credit card to pull you through a crisis. But if this recession has taught us anything, it’s that we can’t count on our homes steadily increasing in value, and many of us have lost any equity that we may have had. Creditors are shutting down credit for even the most responsible consumers. As soon as you pay down debt, they are reducing your credit limit to the amount owed. Relying on these tools in an emergency can leave you even deeper in debt. A better approach may be to pay the minimum or a small amount on any existing debt until you have a reasonable emergency fund stashed away. This way you won’t find yourself both without money and without credit.

Now start saving
Once you know the amount that you would personally need to feel covered in the event of an emergency, assess your budget and find funds to put away each month to work towards that goal. Take advantage of automatic savings programs to pay yourself first, and celebrate the progress you make toward that goal. Don’t give in to temptation. When you find yourself thinking "I should live for today, I work hard, I deserve it!"  You’re right, you work hard and you do deserve it, but that is irrelevant. You will need to make some sacrifices, don’t ransom your future for short-term gratification.

In uncertain economic times, it helps to know that you are taking steps to control your financial destiny. With knowledge, a good plan, and determination, you can put your financial fate into your own hands and feel confident that you can weather any storm life throws your way.

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Your unemployment experience

Bureau of Labor Statistics, October 2009, lists the national unemployment rate at 9.8%.  10% of men, 7% of women, and 25.9% of teenagers.

"Among the unemployed, the number of job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs rose by 603,000 to 10.4 million in September. The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) rose by 450,000 to 5.4 million. In September, 35.6 percent of unemployed persons were job-less for 27 weeks or more. " (Employment Situation Summary)

By these stats, you stand a very good chance of becoming unemployed before the next benchmark revision, February 2010.  Unfortunately, you are not likely to know when this will occur, and being unprepared for unemployment can make that experience feel unmanageable.

The Finishing School has dedicated these past 4 years to preparing our student body for the world of work, and begins today a regular series that can help you prepare for the unpleasant turn of events that puts you out of work.  Use this simulation course to take stock of your own situation and ready your unemployment kit.  An ounce of prevention, etc...

Day Zero - Understanding the Law

Employment Law is not easily digested, but there are a few key pieces of legislation that you should be familiar with in regards to layoffs, furloughs and terminations.  You should also explore laws specific to your state and to your industry, which may outline additional regulations for employers and employees.

Pay close attention to the words that are said as you are being terminated.  This can be difficult to do if you are stunned and in disbelief.  Write things down if you need to.  Do not jump to litigation out of anger, but be alert to signals of non-compliance.

Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act (WARN)

Twenty years old this year, the WARN Act was actually evaluated as too confusing by the US General Accounting Office by 2004.  GAO recommended a re-do of this legislation, which was intended to require a 60-days notice to employees being laid off, but contains enough loopholes to render it avoidable in most situations.  That re-examination has not taken place, so a law written in different era is still in effect.

The subjective language "plant closing" and "mass layoff" are the core requirements for WARN, and do not have much teeth in a global information-based economy.  From a FindLaw  fact sheet

A plant closing occurs when it is shut down for more than six months, or when fifty or more employees lose their jobs during any thirty-day period at a single site of employment.

A mass layoff occurs when a layoff of six months or longer affects 500 or more workers, or 33 percent of the employer's workforce when the layoffs affect between 50 and 499 workers.

 Note that these manufacturing-centered definitions are not binding when it is only your department or division, if your company relocates out of state or country, or when it comes to simply eliminating your job.

WARN does not cover "new hires" (6 months or less on the job), or part-time workers.  Contracted workers with a fixed completion date or deliverable are not included.  Most importantly for 2009, "unforseen business circumstances" and "natural disaster" will waive WARN completely.

There are penalties for employers who violate WARN regulations, but you the employee will have to file the suit, and you will have better chance of reaching the US District court where it is enforced if you file a class action.

Employment at Will

Employment at Will is the "no-fault" divorce doctrine of US Labor.  It means that either employer or employee may sever the work relationship with or without cause, but this does not eliminate the possibility of breach of contract or wrongful termination suits.  It is best not to rest in too much comfort on this walk-away clause, but you do not need to live in fear of it either.

It is inaccurate to speak of "at will states" as if there are some that do and some that don't.  All states have some version of Employment at Will doctrine and exceptions to it.  Your best preparation is to understand your own state's laws and your employer's regulations.  (see Today's Assignment, below)

Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
From the EEOC:
"Under the ADEA, it is unlawful to discriminate against a person because of his/her age with respect to any term, condition, or privilege of employment, including hiring, firing, promotion, layoff, compensation, benefits, job assignments, and training. The ADEA permits employers to favor older workers based on age even when doing so adversely affects a younger worker who is 40 or older."

 

Burden of proof in discrimination cases is on the plaintiff, unless there is whistle-blowing involved.  Your selection for termination may not have been a case of age discrimination.  Before making such a charge, be sure you understand the broad (and lengthy) history of this act, which was originally passed in 1967.

 

Most employees are expected to sign a waiver on their intent to sue in exchange for other termination settlement benefits (such as severance, extended healthcare coverage, and the like).  If you are in this protected class (40+) you are also waiving your ADEA rights, and are given extra time to consider that decision, and the right to revoke it within a week after doing so. (EEOC fact sheet on age)

 

On your termination, the employer is required to provide demographic information about other employees terminated with you.  This is information is provided for your legal evidence only, and is considered a confidential document.

 

Veterans' Employment and Training (VETS)

Every employer should understand the fine details of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act when hiring, supervising, and planning to terminate a member of the armed forces or reserves.

 

Servicemen and women are entitled to keep their jobs during calls to duty.  They are also obligated to maintain certain periods of advance notice with their civilian employers. 

 

Choosing a service member for the termination list because their schedules are difficult to maintain and their attendance spotty is discrimination. 

Today's Assignment

Explore your state's employment laws.  This can be overwhelming, so concentrate on your specific industry, job, or situation.  Your goal is not to have "what are my rights?" be the first thing on your mind in a termination meeting.  Search for "labor law [state]," for example, "labor law Idaho."

Employers are encouraged to explore in-service training opportunities on these and similar topics at all line-levels of management to ensure that those who manage others are legally compliant.

Outside Reading

For the workforce
5 Top companies with no layoff
The UnEmployment Diary blog
Why the Wrong People Get laid Off

For management
Consultants decide who to fire
Best Practices for Layoffs

Next time: Day One: Set your house in order

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Change is in the air

The Businesswomen's Finishing School and Social Club has been learning about the unemployment experience, most of it the hard way.  Your founders have both been personally touched by America's downsizing, and wish to pass that information along to you "what to expect" style.  (We considered "for Dummies" style, but don't you feel bad enough already?)

Beginning today, a continuing series on Caroline Bender's unemployment experience, with guest appearances by Miss Minchin, head-of-household.  Through this approach, we hope to cover both dependent and non-dependent issues, spouse and single impacts, mid-career/"older worker" information, and the breadth of view that you have come to expect from the BFS&SC.  But that's not all.....

In the coming months, you will also notice changes to the website itself.  We hope to introduce new features over the remainder of the year, and look forward to your feedback on expanded topic areas like personal finance, continuing education, employment law, non-traditional work structures, book and tools reviews, and more, while still providing the from-the-trenches advice you count on to enhance your career persona.

We'll be adding more interviews and guest posters, to help cover a wider range of experiences and disciplines, and connecting you to other resources for your research and development.

Finally, watch this space for an updated Blogroll and recommended reading through Amazon.

Class is now in session
~~CB

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When there is a Coup d'état

Change happens frequently, especially at large, political companies. Corporations are battlegrounds for power and control. Sooner or later there will be a coup, here's how to survive it.

The aftermath

When the announcement is made try to stay composed. Yes the change in leadership will likely mean a whole new set of priorities for you and your team, and much of what you were working on for the whole year will be wasted effort as the new leaders bring their own set of goals to accomplish, and there is a great deal of uncertainty in the organizational structure. Rather than complain and demand answers, take this time to assess, reflect, and plan your next move. Don't broadcast your disappointment, frustration and impatience. Stay focused on the customer/business and fill in any gaps that you see while the dust settles. Would you rather be seen kvetching by the water cooler, or seen as an asset who helped keep things moving in an uncertain time?

Which side you are on?

Are you on the side of the victor or the conquered? If it is easy to identify where you fall, you may need to work on being more adaptable and neutral. If you are on the winning side, don't gloat or take the opportunity to exact revenge on your enemies. If you are on the losing side work on repairing any strained work relationships, and demonstrate that you are ready to work as a team.

How to make it through the next one

Learn to spot the signs. A major shift in leadership doesn't typically happen when things are going well. When the economy is faltering, business is down, and promises are not being kept, the organization is primed for a coup. When it all shakes out there may be some layoffs, "promotions" (usually reserved for executives), and people who "decide to pursue other opportunities", and you may find you report up through a whole new structure in the organization. Make sure you keep it professional. Put your focus into doing your job well, becoming a subject matter expert, and helping others to do their jobs well too. Try to stay neutral in the game of politics, put the customer first and keep your focus in the job at hand. Take this shift in leadership as an opportunity to get your key projects on the agenda, to make the much needed process changes you've been pushing for, or to partner with the new leaders to make their goals a reality.

Survival

The goal of the new leadership is to make a significant and measurable difference in the organization. They want to prove that they deserved to win the battle, and that they are better than their predecessors. Once you understand this you will be able to look more objectively at your new circumstances and figure how you can fit in. You may even have a new boss, and you may not be as compatible with her/his work style. If you wait long enough the will be another coup before you know it.

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You're on a Need to Know Basis

Advice to Management from the hamsters who run the gossip mill. ~~ Tess McGill, guest lecturer

You do not need us to remind you that Knowledge is Power. You might need to be reminded why. The psychology of oppression tells us that the weaker will always understand the stronger more than they understand us. So let me spell this out for you.

The problem with your Need to Know philosophy is that you don't understand what we need to know.

We need to know there is a plan
We don't see your plans often. When we do they are after the fact, in the form of annual reports, and company meetings. We subscribe to online clip services for a reason, and it isn't company loyalty.

When we scratch around looking for information, it is because we are trying to see the future ahead. Please remember that we have our lives to lead, and our margins for error in decision making are actually narrower than yours. Buying the house, advising the spouse to go back to school, even signing up at the gym can follow decision trees that actually hinge on "If the company does this...." "if my Boss decided to...." Two real life examples I can vouch for are the woman considering surgery, and the engaged couple picking a wedding date, while layoff lists were being drawn up. Both of them lost their jobs, by the way (and still had the surgery and the wedding).

You managers scoff as you read this and say, "Oh, we're just supposed to show us our hand? Or stall you for an answer? You want us to lie?" No, we want you to run a company where layoffs are not an annual cost-cutting measure or management solution, but instead are caused by a catastrophic and unforeseen event, often external to normal operations. We do know the difference.

We need to know who is in charge
We have ideas. We have observations. We have objections; you know that too. When you keep us in the dark you get the short-term win of not being bothered by us, but you miss the long-term growth of the engaged worker.

We ask who made this decision or signed off on that idea because we are trying to understand where the power base is, and often just trying to spot a pattern in business culture. Because we have no playbook, we have trouble anticipating the next move, seeing the big picture, and understanding how what we are marching toward today influences where we might be marching to tomorrow.

Don't hide behind phrases like "senior management" when you mean A Senior Manager. Say "senior management" when you mean the consensus of senior managers through discussion and negotiation, toward a common business goal. When we think that's what you meant, and find out later it was just a bully executive, we are less inspired next time.

We need to know the last X months weren't all B.S.
There is a moment after the Surprise Party has been revealed when the guests stand around the celebrant and replay every conversation they have had for the past few weeks, up until the moment before the door opened. Everyone shouts merrily over each other "that's why.... that's why...." because when we have been deceived (and for all its good intentions, a surprise party is an orchestrated conspiracy of the people you love most), we need to defrag our brains of all the misinformation we have been fed "for our own good."

When big changes come to the Company, the workforce spends about a day and a half replaying its surprise party stories to find the truth, the half-truths and the flat out lies they were subjected to, often at the hands of their own managers and executives. We try to uncover what they themselves knew and when they knew it -- who was on the "inside" and who on the "outside."

Dear leaders, please do not say things like "just wait a couple of weeks. There are going to be some changes" when we ask you for advice with a difficult problem. Why not advise us based on what you know, even if you can't tell us what it is? If Future Condition is so drastically different from Current Condition that you would actually advise a different course of action... just advise it. Or we could stop asking for your advice at all and stay with the rumor mill where people speak plainly.

We need to know WHY
You never understand that part of it, do you? Even after your big reveal, you have no explanation, and it makes us suspect that is because Bob in the corner office wanted it, no one could stop him, and the company had no other plan in place to compete with his idea.

We need to know if this is about money
Honestly, we can take it. If it is true that we will all have 5-7 careers in our lifetime, then we will see you restructure, change directions, relocate, sunset, about 100 times.

Admit it is about money and we won't have to take it personally.
Admit it is about money and we won't feel so defeated going home with our box of stuff.
We won't wonder why we didn't test the thing before we bought the company.
Why you split the department only to bring it back together again.

We already think/know you didn't plan it. You'll actually look less inept, even if it does make you look greedy and selfish. We already think that anyway.

We need to know what this means for us
We are very good at a few things the executive tier has lost use for:
- sharing ideas
- working together
- representative government
- hypothesis and the scientific method
- honesty

Your lost productivity comes from the workforce hoping to figure this out on its own, seminar style.

Here's how we want it
Tell us your plan for the year; establish your priorities. If you need to be nimble, make nimble goals. "Nimble" does not mean "vague," by the way. They are not from the same language. In fact, they are opposites.

Tell us how each division will achieve these goals. Tell us who will sponsor each of those goals.
Establish cross-functional workteams from the top down, and with an eye toward our workload, skills, and development goals. Decide what things will cost and hold people accountable for the bottom line.

Publish your business crisis philosophies as openly as you do your company goals:
Is this a company that cuts spending or raises prices?
What are the above-the-line luxury items that go before people?
How does the company prepare for economic changes?

This helps us know what to expect -- especially if you stick with it. The company can then follow Laws of Its Own Nature and we can stop whispering through IM and wandering by meeting rooms to see who is in them.

Knowledge is Power, because any commodity in short supply has real value. Seed some in the grassy roots instead of deciding for us what we need.

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You Got Played

an analysis of Boss-on-Boss violence with you as ammunition


Happy New Year from the Finishing School. You have a lot coming up in the new year:
annual reviews, maternity leave (yours or hers), perhaps avoiding the layoff. With all the work you have to do, you may forget your fundamentals. You may forget that you are a pawn in the great game, and you are susceptible to being tagged.

In today's lesson, we discuss that uncomfortable family dynamic of the workplace: your boss and her boss in a tiff that involves you. These scenes can play out in a lot of directions; you may not have time to respond unless you have practiced. By following this case study, you can identify alternative choices for sticky situations between the highers-up.

Case Study
Angela works for a high-strung filly (we'll call her Phyllis, to be facetious) who has spent this year encouraging her staff to seek assistance outside of the organization. It is good for them, she says, to get exposure outside their daily spheres and to form relationships that strengthen the company as a whole. It is good for her, she knows, because it takes some of the pressure off of her for their constant attention.

What Phyllis didn't expect is that a lot of that "outside assistance" has been in the form of her own Boss, Marilyn, who now finds herself visited almost daily by one or more of Phyllis' team asking to "run something by" her. And none of them knows that is happening either.

This has set-up a pattern of outcomes for this team and its manager:
1) Marilyn provides immediate instruction when asked, and wonders why Phyllis is not more available to her staff
2) The staff take the instructed action, presenting it to Phyllis as Marilyn-approved

Enter Angela. See if you can identify the missteps in the minefield she is about to enter.

Angela learns some shocking, potentially business-impacting news in a cross-functional meeting. At first, she is too stunned to know quite how she will respond to this turn of events, but mostly she is focused on how she will tell Phyllis, her Boss, who is out of town for a business trip.

Phyllis has a tendency to leap into action, often argumentatively -- in Angela's Happy Hour parlance, "to freak slam out." Angela realizes that the way she delivers this information to her boss will make all the difference in the way she responds.

Where should Angela turn for her outside assistance?
a. a fellow team member, who knows how to handle Phyllis
b. her executive mentor, who has no stake in the outcome
c. Marilyn, to whom Phyllis will inevitably escalate this issue during her freak-out
d. None of the above. Go directly to Phyllis

Angela chooses (c), reasoning that Marilyn could help form the "messaging" and at the same time be brought up to date on the issue.

A fly-by of Marilyn's empty office leaves Angela with another mine to hop.

How should Angela raise this topic with Marilyn?
a. email, to keep all the information professional and documented
b. phone, for the most efficient conversation
c. IM, just to request a face-to-face meeting
d. None of the above. Go directly to Phyllis

Angela chooses (c), knowing that Marilyn is working from home, and prefers to meet 1:1. Asking for an audience also gives Marilyn the opportunity to request an immediate briefing if preferred.
Through IM, Angela suggests a 60 minute brief for the following day: 30 minutes to explain the topic itself, and 30 minutes to strategize the resolution plan. Marilyn expresses some hesitation about having this meeting without Phyllis present.


How should Angela respond?
a. Appeal to urgency - we really can't afford to wait for her return
b. Appeal to ego - suggest that Marilyn's point of view is valuable here... for Angela's professional development
c. Appeal to honesty - reveal the ulterior motive that what she really needs is help handling Phyllis
d. Take the advice and include Phyllis in the briefing

Angela chooses (c), having not given herself enough space to plan her next move, but is quick to add that she is just seeking advice, not escalating the issue.

Marilyn accepts the meeting, but asks to have it reduced to 30 minutes.

On the following day, Phyllis' team holds their regular staff meeting by phone.

How should Angela report on the information from her cross-team?
a. Casually - avoid the freak-out until she has a messaging strategy
b. Omittedly - she shouldn't bring it up at all
c. Straightforwardly - reporting urgent issues is a standing agenda item
d. Obscurely, within a sentence that asks for time with Phyllis to discuss in more detail

Angela chooses (c), which results in the response, "Please stay on the call after we are through."

On the after call, Phyllis reveals her hidden dragon:
After accepting Angela's meeting request yesterday, Marilyn had immediately forwarded it to Phyllis and asked why her team was escalating things over her head. Phyllis has held this since yesterday, waiting to see if Angela would bring it up on the staff call.

Angela, you got played.

Phyllis assures Angela that she does not think Angela went over her head, but what matters is that Marilyn does. Marilyn has come to feel that Phyllis' staff goes over her head often. Phyllis feels that Marilyn undermines her authority by not directing her staff back to her.

When we are being ridden by our Bosses, we can easily lose sight of the fact that they are ridden too. It may never even occur to you that one of the things she is ridden about is her effectiveness in managing you.

It is not Angela's fault that the situation between her Boss and GrandBoss had built up to the point where she was made an example of. Where Angela made her mistake was in not anticipating that such a situation could happen. For the Boss to give you an extension on that deadline, she will need to justify it to her Boss; in order to give more authority to the team, she needs to convince her Boss they are capable of handling it. Miss Bender herself was once in the painful position of giving an employee a humbling reprimand, simply because her own Boss demanded that it be done.

Angela missed several opportunities to change the outcome of her game -- opportunities she didn't even consider. Remember that every dynamic you have with your Boss she has with hers, and so on. Take the time to play your decisions through, and consider all the possible outcomes of your choices. You may still be wrong, but you won't be surprised.

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Correcting the Boss

In a recent issue of "Real Corporate Email," a publication of the Finishing School, a discussion arose about errors made by the Bosses and just when and how (and how!) to correct them.

from one of the subscribers:

The squirmiest misuse: there I was, in the audience as my boss gave a presentation. She deftly built up to her point, clicked to go to the next slide. Here it--and she--announced in all caps, "WALLA!"

WALLA? really?
And this wasn't an episode of The Office?

It is easy enough to make fun of the pointy-haired boss, to imagine how we might let them swing in the wind, to perhaps bait them to repeat the mistake: bigger, better, to a more impressive audience. I once had a Boss who used the word "behooved" when she meant "appalled," and I enjoyed getting her to do it. I was terribly young, and she was mean, but let's try to move past that, shall we?

How do you correct Boss for her benefit, and the betterment of your team?
Don't you tell her when she has poppy seeds in her teeth?

Our WALLA storyteller offered this:

"I agonized about how to handle this forever. I couldn't spare her the initial occurrence, but I thought I could prevent future folly. Finally I decided to let a little time pass, then start using 'voila!' in my writing at work. It was tricky to find the right situations, because I didn't want to come off as (any more) pretentious (than usual), so I was on the prowl for circumstances that might merit the sardonic use of the word. I think I even managed to pull off reading it aloud from my scrawl on the whiteboard in a meeting, which I thought a special triumph. After about four sweaty usages I decided I had achieved my purpose--I was in my early 20s at the time and I took this all very, very seriously."

An excellent example for us to work with, early 20s or no. These days, it is The Boss who is likely to be in her early 20s, so this opportunity may come around more than you expect.

Let it Pass
That is to say, avoid the urge to gasp, point, or mutter "Dear Lord." Practice this in your meetings, because these moments will sneak up on you. Embarrassing her will cut off any chance you have to counsel her.

Consider your relationship
If you are the Boss's consigliere, you may be able to process the incident once the right moment comes (see below). If you do not have the Insider/Personal relationship, you may choose the route our subscriber took and lead by example. An elegant choice that can work whether she is your Mentor, or you are Eve Harrington to her Margot.

Pick your moment(s)
Consiglieres have this easiest, at the end of the day when everyone's corsets are loosened, and you have your stocking feet on her chair and she on yours and you can do the slow sleepy blink and open with, "I think the slide deck worked today. Know what, though?"

In the 2nd scenario, reenacting the event correctly at the first opportunity does the trick. You have to be humble enough never to let on what you just did.

Correct with love
The slowest zebra is individually vulnerable; legend has it that the herd will move at the speed of the slowest zebra in order to protect it. It is a variation on "only as strong as our weakest link." When that zebra is The Boss, your group is easy prey. If you have the opportunity to increase her speed, it is in your best interest to do so.

Remember your Golden Rule and she will too, the next time you make some behoovingly boneheaded move.

~~ CB

Outside Reading
Better than Perfect, Dale A. Dauten
Giving Feedback, Harvard Business School Press
Managing Up, Michael S. Dobson
Quick Solutions to Common Errors in English, Angela Burt

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Workplace Dangers: The High-Strung Filly

Instructor, Caroline Bender

As part of our occasional field guide to the wild creatures in your workplace, the Finishing School presents a general overview and wrangler's manual to The High-Strung Filly.

General characteristics:
sex: female. There are high-strung colts in the workplace, but they are rarely dangerous, until they become stallions.

aged: any, but usually peaks between 25 and 40

breed: hotshot new manager, newly promoted middle manager, imported rock star, freshly-minted MBA, Boss's stable queen, etc.

markings: edgy business couture, PDA, stack heels, smart-girl glasses, office-to-evening hair, expensive bag, couldn't-be-bothered jewelry.

action: late night emails, frequent use of "I, me, mine," unsolicited feedback, frequent reference to previous company, scolding/condescending tone.

potential dangers: Can undermine your authority and take credit for your work, if not take it over completely; can convince highers-up that you are a liability; bypasses established procedure under the pretense of "getting it done;" expert at covering her tracks.
see also Idea Stealer

watch for: email subtext, staff poaching, off-line meetings with the Boss (yours, hers, or anyone's), systems analysis and flowcharts.

when in danger:
stay out in the open - avoid 1:1 meetings without witnesses
stay above board - do not allow yourself to be baited into over-reacting
poll your mates - find out whether you are being singled out, or caught in a wake. Either is dangerous, but it can help to know you have allies
document and file - it takes several data points to spot a trend

How to calm a high-strung filly:
The BWFS&SC goes straight to the experts. Real-life advice serves just as well in this situation. Take the reins in hand before things get skittish.

1. "Get ahold of yourself. If you are feeling nervous or upset, calm yourself down because it will only make the situation worse."
Or as they say around the paddock, "don't step in it." This advice leads right into #2. With most wild creatures, it is best not to show your fear.

2. "....show ...that you are not concerned."
While training the Filly that you will not run for the fence when she rears up, you are training yourself as well not to be afraid.

3. "Identify and remove the cause of the distress..."
Usually, for the Filly, the distress comes from your having something she does not have -- territory, influence, power, popularity... anything that adds up to established position, even if it is not a position of authority. This is not the cause you want to remove. You want to remove her distress over not having any herself.

4. "Allow [her] to do some things [s]he instinctively wants to do.."
Give her the things you don't want. It's a Tom Sawyer move, but it works nearly every time.

5. "...carefully place your face close to [her] nose and exhale out of your mouth..." Ok, not literally. With a real horse, regulating your breathing with hers will having a calming effect on both of you. In human relations, this is done by "mirroring," matching your stance, tone, posture with that of your counterpart. The Filly likes nothing better than herself, unless it is the idea that others want to be like her.

Trainer tips will also advise to "learn what scares or overexcites your [filly]," as you get to know her, and try to preventively anticipate those situations. And never turn your back on her.

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LinkedIn Etiquette

Graduates of the finishing school should be knowledgable about online networking tools and be prepared to utilize such tools with grace and charm. In this seminar, we discuss the proper etiquette to employ when using LinkedIn.

Part one: Requesting endorsements

1. Endorse them first.
Asking someone to endorse you is akin to asking for a letter of recommendation. Although the means of drafting the endorsement are less cumbersome than an old-fashioned letter, the task of authoring a thoughtful and sincere commendation is no less work. If you know and respect the person well enough to expect her to provide a positive assessment of your abilities, you should show that respect by endorsing her first. This expression of good will reminds your colleague of your positive attributes and feels good to do. It may very well inspire your colleague to draft your endorsement in return, without you even having to ask.

2. Personalize the request.
LinkedIn provides template emails for requesting endorsements, but graduates of the finishing school should know better than to simply send the boiler plate request. Doing so could send the message that you couldn't be bothered to type a few personal lines, yet you are requesting that they compose an original tribute to your abilities. The message you send should be customized to suit the tone of your relationship and the purpose for your request.

3. Explain the need.
While you are personalizing the message you should explain why you are seeking this endorsement. This gives your request some significance, a sense of timing or urgency, and may also provide your colleague with an opportunity to assist you beyond the endorsement request. Whether you are seeking a specific job opportunity, branching out into your own business, or looking to generally enhance your profile, these details can help your colleague form the content of their endorsement and prioritize your request among their other tasks. Your colleague may even have some good leads for you now that he/she knows what you are looking to do.

4. Make it easy for them.
Writing an endorsement can be a difficult to begin. Writing is not a strength for everyone, and it may have been a while since you two last worked together. Remind your colleague of the projects you worked on and what went well. (This is another good reason to endorse your colleague first). You may even suggest some skills or accomplishments you would like them to highlight, specific to the purpose of the endorsement. For example: "Since I'm seeking a project management position, it would be great if you could mention anything you felt I was particularly good at such as delegating tasks, multi-tasking and keeping the project team on schedule.")

5. Don't forget to thank them.
Always follow up with a note of thanks. Your colleague has taken time out of her busy schedule to help you in your career efforts. A quick note or a phone call to thank her will always be appreciated.

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