It’s good to be the king…except when it isn’t

You’ve heard them, those fateful words mumbled by frustrated employees under their breath when they’re angry. You, in fact, may have mumbled the words yourself at one time or another.

“I don’t know why the boss looks so stressed. She’s got it made.” Or…

“He has no idea what he’s doing.” Or the ever-popular…

“Well, when I’m in charge, that would NEVER happen.”

Right. Because being the boss is the easiest job in the world. That’s why everyone is so darn good at it. (Yes. That was sarcasm, for those of you scoring at home.)

Listen, I get why so many people get mad at their boss. There are some really bad ones out there. And there are some good people out there just trying to do their best in a crappy situation. Sometimes it really does suck to be in charge. Here are some reasons why The Man deserves a little slack now and then:

  • It’s lonely at the top: Yeah, when you’re promoted you get an office (usually) and a parking space (occasionally). But think about what you lose – you are no longer “one of the gang”. You have to be very careful about what you say and to whom you say it, particularly the higher up you go in the company. This can be a pretty jarring shift. And you feel like you’re cut off just when you need someone to talk to the most.
  • Bosses have to fire people: Only the most evil, psychopathic bosses are unaffected by firing people. Even when it’s absolutely the right thing to do and it’s best for the company (and even the employee), firing people is awful. Yes, you can get through it professionally and with empathy, but it still impacts you before and after the fact.f_bomb
  • There’s a LOT more accountability: Back in the day, when you were a hot shot individual contributor, you could get away with only being responsible for your own stuff and getting out of the way when others failed. Well, guess what – as the boss you don’t get to do that any more. Now, you’re responsible for the results of the TEAM…and YOUR boss is going to hold you accountable for their actions. This can lead to a lot of sleepless nights and uncomfortable staff meetings if you’re not on the ball and managing your people appropriately.
  • Other People’s Problems (drama): Remember how sometimes you would just walk into your boss’s office and “vent” – dumping your problems on his/her shoulders? Yeah…now people try to dump their problems on you. And even if you have amazing deflecting skills, you’ll still have to listen to their issues because there may be an obstacle buried in that rant you need to help remove so your employee can be successful. And you know how sometimes two team members get into a turf war over something as stupid as who gets the good whiteboard markers? Before you were the boss, you were allowed to walk away…even laugh at it. Now, you’ve got to deal with it because it’s impacting the overall performance of your team and you are responsible for your team’s results. Fun, huh? (You can still laugh at it, though. Just do it out of earshot.)
  • People expect you know know EVERYTHING that’s going on..and share it: The truth is, many bosses are just as much in the dark about the whys and whats as most employees. Butin a lot of cases, they DO know what’s going on but can’t share the information because it’s confidential. Employees don’t care. They want info and they want it now! As a boss, you have to be able to balance the challenges of transparency and confidentiality. And that can be very tiring, especially if you’ve forgotten to check with your boss about what the message should be.

Don’t let this list scare you – there are are lot of cool thing about being a boss. You get to see people reach their full potential; you have more opportunities to impact what is going on in the workplace; you are personally challenged; etc. And yes, you often get a kick ass office. But for every high, there is a low. For every perk, there is a challenge. Just try and remember that your boss is a human being and even he/she has crappy days. Most bosses are just doing the best they can.

What are some challenges you’ve faced as a boss that you wish your employees understood better? Share in the comments!

Make it Work (even when you don’t want to)

Let’s get this out of the way – I watch Project Runway. And I love Tim Gunn. So there.

On Project Runway this week, it was a team challenge (and an unconventional one to boot!). I always find these fascinating because even though the creative process seems to be a very personal thing, the reality of the fashion industry is that you MUST work with teams if you want to be successful.

I get that, because I am happiest working on my own. My idea of happy group work is we meet to talk about what has to be done, everyone knows their part, and then we go away and do our parts on our own, and then we come back together and it all magically works! The reality is that this NEVER works…you actually have to work with people on stuff all at the same time. Drat.

Since we have to find ways to make teams work (especially when we don’t get to pick the team), I submit the following lessons from Project Runway. Oh, and it’s more fun if you read them in Tim Gunn’s voice. [Caution – SPOILERS AHEAD]

  • Chemistry matters: Helen and Kate rocked the challenge and Helen won because they realized that they had more in common than they thought. And this is after Helen started the season believing Kate was the biggest bitch in the world. Figure out a way to get to know your team on a human level so you can interact in a healthy way.tim_gunn
  • If you have an issue with a person, talk to THAT person…not everyone else: Miranda and Timothy (our precious little unicorn) were a TRAIN WRECK of a team. They had some personal history that colored every interaction. And then, when Miranda struggled to work with Timothy’s free spirit, she took her whining to the workroom, not Timothy. This did not end well. If you are having issues working with someone, have a conversation about it WITH THAT PERSON. You’ve heard of the “drama triangle“? Don’t make one.
  • Admit when you’ve been a jerk: To Miranda’s credit, she did pull herself together and admitted to Timothy that she handled the situation incorrectly and that she should have talked to him. This lesson was also learned in an earlier season when Mondo apologized to Michael C. for being a dick. It’s amazing how far that simple apology can go towards creating innovation and results. If you’ve been a jerk – apologize and move on. And if someone apologizes to you, accept it and move on. Don’t be Timothy, who threw Miranda under the bus on the runway, thus making him look like a weenie.
  • Play up each others’ strengths: The top looks (Helen/Kate, Dom/Alexandria) worked because the team knew what each others’ strengths were and used them. Kate’s contruction + Helen’s edginess = awesome. Alexandria’s design + Dom’s create eye = cool. Regardless of who is on your team, you need to find out what they can contribute. It makes for a more functional team, builds buy-in, and can lead to some amazing results!
  • Check the ego at the door: Team work means team results – not “I was awesome but the team sucked, but it doesn’t matter because I’m going to point out why I’m so awesome.” Do what you need to do to make sure the team gets results. Sandro is pretty much crazy, and Sue has great ideas in her own designs. But Sandro’s single-mindedness, and a decision to make a sewing-reliant design, meant that Sue’s desire to put up obstacles had to be put aside in order to make sure the team had something to present. I guarantee she wouldn’t do that every time, but she realized that if she kept fighting with Sandro, they’d never complete their look. Sometimes you have to take one for the team.

What team situations have you been in where you had a “Make it Work” moment? Share in the comments!!

Are You Engaged? (special guest post!!)

Fret not.  I’ll be posting an article of my own shortly.  I thought this (engagement and finding your happy place) was a good topic for those of you out there trying to survive leadership in one way or another.

Today’s post is brought to you by Dr. Daniel Crosby (@suitedjobs), creator of SuitedJobs.com.  Suited is an easy-to-use online tool that provides “fit scores” for folks who are curious about their company culture and/or job, and it provides suggestions for work that might better suit them. Give it a try!  (And if you don’t know Dr. Daniel Crosby, you really should.  He’s smart and stuff.)

Take it away, Dr. Crosby!

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Those who came to this post expecting to see pictures of cakes, gowns, and tuxedos, keep surfing. For the rest of you…get back to work!

Sadly, if you do not find work to be engaging, involving, and satisfying, you are among the majority. According to the Gallup Organization, less than 30 percent of working Americans are fully engaged at work. As it turns out, your employer isn’t the only one who loses. In this case, being a part of the majority isn’t such a great thing. Employees who are not engaged not only perform worse, but are less satisfied in their work.

I_heart_my_job

Effectively managing your level of engagement on the job starts before you even receive a job offer.

Setting aside your own self-interest is easy when work is interesting and rewarding. Far too many of us justify our investment to a job with the “It pays the bills” attitude. Determining whether your own values and interests align with those of an organization is an integral step in ensuring your own capacity for engagement.

1.       Know your own values.
If the ghost of your job history’s past kidnapped you in the middle of the night, what would you see? Try it out! Imagine yourself at every job you’ve ever had. Yes, every job – even the ones you deleted from your resume years ago. Which job made you feel the most meaningful? Involved? Satisfied? Energized? Counted on? Brainstorm what it was about the job which made you feel a particular way when you worked.

Keep in mind that the job market today is not always conducive to helping job seekers get in touch with their own values. How many times have you squeezed buzz words into your resume or cover letter to try to catch the eye of a prospective employer? Don’t get me wrong: strategically couching your experience can be very important to help a company see the value you could add. But it shouldn’t come at the expense of your sense of self.

2.       Know the company of interest.
Do your homework on a prospective employer to get a feel for the culture. Browsing a company’s website is not enough to learn what you need to know. A website may help you know about the image the company is trying to portray, but it may tell you little about what it would be like to be a part of the organization.

Identify individuals who currently work for the company of interest. If possible, find employees in a similar role and in the office that you would potentially be working in. Then ask away! If you have already done your homework, employment interviews offer you a chance to supplement what you already know. Capitalize on opportunities to ask questions in interviews to learn more about the organizational culture.

As you can see, setting yourself up to be engaged in your work takes a lot of work itself.

Speaking of work…break’s over!  Get back to it!

 

Got some thoughts on Dr. Crosby’s point of view?  Think he’s on to something?  Do you believe he stole my writing style?  Leave a comment, give him a shout-out on Twitter (@suitedjobs), or shoot me a note and I’ll pass it along!