What is Your J.T.I. (Job Tolerability Index)?
As I noted in a previous article, people love to complain about their jobs. There always seems to be something about work which just rubs us the wrong way. But, like everything else, it’s relative; it’s a matter of the degree to which we find fault with our livelihood. It may be that you’re just bored, or frustrated, or burned out, but the fact is, your job could actually be killing you.
Below is a quiz to determine your job tolerability index. Note, this quiz is designed to determine how tolerable your job is for you, not how “good” or “bad” the job is in a generic sense. It is, after all, the job you hold, and how tolerable it is to someone else is moot. It is a barometer of sorts, to gauge how you feel about your job.
If I won the lottery, I would quit my job only if I won:
1. I wouldn’t quit, no matter how much I won.
2. 10 times my annual salary.
3. 5 times my annual salary.
4. Twice my annual salary.
5. Enough to build a squatter’s shack in the middle of a national forest.
I start dreading going back to work:
1. I don’t dread it at all.
2. As I’m walking in the door.
3. While I’m getting ready for work.
4. Around bedtime.
5. As I’m walking out the door.
My job would be perfect if only:
1. I wouldn’t change a thing.
2. I made more money.
3. My efforts were appreciated more.
4. Several things would have to change for me to consider my job perfect.
5. There is no way my job could be considered anything other than legalized torture.
If I could trade jobs with anyone I know personally, it would be:
1. I wouldn’t trade.
2. One or two people.
3. A few to several people.
4. Any of a significant number of people.
5. Any of them. Seriously, I’d trade jobs with the first person I pass on the street.
Which best describes your feelings about your job:
1. I absolutely love it.
2. I find it somewhat challenging and rewarding.
3. I’ve had worse.
4. I’d quit if I could afford to.
5. I hate my job unequivocally.
Scoring:
Less than 10: Consider yourself fortunate. You enjoy your work, and find it satisfying.
10 - 15: While there are things you would change if you could, you feel pretty good about your job.
16 - 20: You don’t seem to enjoy your work, and it is likely draining you significantly.
Over 20: Your unhappiness with your job is very likely affecting your health, your general outlook on life, and quite possibly your relationships.
It goes without saying, in this economy most people do not have the luxury of just up and quitting a job, no matter how much they dislike it. But, where there’s a will, there’s a way. I personally know of five or six people who’ve changed jobs or careers over the past few months, with mostly positive results. If you scored over 20, you should seriously think about putting together a blueprint to get out of a job that may be slowly killing you.
Meeting Smarter
It never ceases to amaze me that a company, in an attempt to save money, will ration paper clips and password protect the photocopier, yet waste countless hours (and ultimately dollars) on meetings. Here, I will attempt to identify the worst offenders:
Recurring meetings
Most companies have them. There’s the weekly production meeting, the semi-weekly project review, the monthly “all-hands” meeting. Once scheduled, they seem to take on a life of their own. Employees will plod into the conference room, because there’s a meeting. Often, there’s nothing new to discuss, but it’s on the calendar, and it’s mandatory.
By re-evaluating the meeting frequency, one can typically trim upwards of 25% of these meeting hours from the schedule. Make the weekly meetings semi-weekly, the semi-weekly meetings monthly, the monthly ones quarterly, etc. If something urgent comes up between regularly scheduled meetings, just wrangle everyone into the conference room.
Meetings involving too many people
When scheduling a meeting, some companies tend to include everyone in the group or department, or everyone involved with the project. Oftentimes this isn’t necessary, as a few select people can typically represent the entire group, especially if those people are rotated in and out.
Meetings with no decision maker present
These really stick in my crawl. There are 10 people sitting around a table, good ideas are brainstormed and hashed out, but nothing can be finalized because no one on the room has the authority to make a decision. So, someone has to go and essentially re-create the meeting for the decision maker, so they can - you guessed it - make a decision.
Meetings that don’t start or end on time
Some companies will stack meetings on top of each other like cargo containers. If people come straggling in late, or the meeting holder can’t find their PowerPoint presentation then the meeting will typically end late. Which means the next meeting will start late. This can be avoided by staggering meetings throughout the day and week.
Is the meeting necessary at all?
I cannot count the times I’ve walked out of an hour long meeting thinking: “That could have been covered in a two paragraph e-mail”. The litmus test should be: Will there be an exchange of ideas and opinions among all attendees in this meeting, or is it solely to disseminate information? If it’s the latter, then forget the meeting and draft an e-mail.
Is someone in love with the sound of their own voice?
If there’s anyone who actually likes meetings, it’s typically the person that’s holding it, as they literally have a captive audience. I once had a manager who, after boring the group to tears with his sing-song wrap-up of the monthly production numbers, would proceed to regale us - in excruciating detail - with every nuance of his personal life, including his plans for the upcoming weekend.
Does the meeting have a clearly defined purpose?
At the very least there should be a reason to have the meeting. Is there a goal, an expected outcome? If the meeting does not end with some decision having been made, has there at least been some progress towards that end? If not, the meeting (and the employee hours spent therein) was probably wasted.
Is everyone staying on topic?
Meetings can quickly dissolve into a hodgepodge of tangents which have little bearing on the business at hand. Someone will need to keep everyone focused and schedule time to deal with other issues as required.
As with every other aspect of business, the meeting is a tool which, when used properly, can increase productivity and awareness, and when used improperly, can be a significant drain on your employee’s time, energy, and enthusiasm.
Yet Another Article on Job Burnout
You ever hear about someone who walks away from a $250,000 a year executive position to run a goat farm in Montana? Or a Fortune 500 CEO that opts out of their contract to make driftwood sculptures? It could be that these people wanted to tend goats or carve driftwood since they were in their teens. More likely however, is that they experienced job burnout.
There are thousands of articles, books and seminars on job burnout, which has been described as “a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress”. But according to this site, while stress does contribute to burnout, it is not the same thing. In fact burnout is characterized as being “all dried up” and devoid of motivation.
In today’s stagnant economy, more people are experiencing the effects of job burnout, as companies are trying to get more done with fewer people. And, with fewer promotions being handed out, employees are working the same jobs longer. In many cases, jobs they weren’t crazy about to begin with.
Apparently there are a lot of people who think they’re experiencing job burnout, but are really only overworked, and a lot more who are just incredibly bored with and unchallenged by their job. If you’re convinced you absolutely hate your job, you should take a keen interest in finding out if it’s burnout or something else, as that information could be invaluable in deciding your next move.
If you are fortunate enough to have the option of changing careers, first ask yourself what you want to do. Be practical. If, like me, you’re on the “backside of forty”, then you’re probably not going to become a professional soccer player, or the drummer for some Emo rock group. Secondly, think about what you’re good at. It makes no sense to open a seafood restaurant if you don’t know the first thing about running a restaurant.
If changing careers or jobs is not an option, there are still things you can do. The most common recommendation is to take some time off, if you have it to take. Change up your routine. If you normally do “A” in the mornings, and “B” in the afternoons, switch off. Of course, if your job consists of bolting cogs onto widgets all day, this isn’t going to help much. In any event, try to take a few minutes here and there to engage in stress reduction activities. Understand that you can only accomplish so much in one day. Re-evaluate and re-balance your life.
If all else fails, you could think about taking up goat farming.
Use the Right Tool for the Job
I once read an article, anonymously written, by an employee of a large corporation bemoaning the fact that the quality system utilized by the company had taken on a life of it’s own. It had, in his opinion, achieved cult status, and he questioned not only the pervasiveness but also the overall applicability of the system. It seemed the employees had come to serve “the system”, and not the other way around, as even the slightest change to an existing process had to withstand the scrutiny of the system. He concluded the article by noting that “when the only tool you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail”.
There are many quality systems out there and I’m sure none are without some benefits. But - and with apologies to the concept of “best practices” - not every tool is the proper one for every job. What works for a manufacturing process may not work in engineering or HR. Attempting to shoehorn varied and unrelated groups of issues into a single cookie-cutter system can produce laughable, if not disastrous results:
A company invests heavily in a quality system for the sales team, and achieve modest results. They then apply the same system to the marketing group, and the result is that output nosedives. Why? Because sales is sales, and marketing is marketing, and no matter how related the two groups may seem to be, they think, plan, execute and measure results differently.
Down the street, a different company also looking to get their money’s worth finds the small increase in sales revenue hardly worth it when they realize that distribution grinds to a near halt, and that misapplication of the quality system - tailored specifically for sales - is at fault.
Across town, Al discovers a method to increase the number of defective items he can repair in a shift. This method is quickly passed on to the manufacturing group, and initially seems to be a hit. Production is up slightly. Al is a hero. Until a few months later when it’s determined that while the number of defective units repaired per shift is up 5%, the total number of defective units is up 20%.
Al is crestfallen, and Al‘s boss has some serious explaining to do. As it turns out, Al was just too good at his job, having years of experience at his craft, and small but important steps - steps which had become second nature to Al - were omitted in drafting the process.
I know - work instructions are supposed to be airtight. I also know they’re not, or there would be no Al’s out there.
Many companies are hesitant to turn back after realizing they can’t squeeze that square peg into that round hole, both for fear of “looking bad”, and because someone’s head is going on the chopping block if they do.
If you want to take lessons learned here and apply them there, start small. Take the items that look like a good fit first. Take time to measure your results, instead of overlaying the entire process at once. Infuse your quality system with a healthy dose of common sense.
Why You’re Not Getting Ahead
Okay. The time has come for you to “take stock” of your employment situation. You’ve been doing everything right, as far as you can tell. You’ve gone out of your way to be extra nice to the boss. You’ve worked weekends, and taken on responsibilities few others wanted to touch. You’ve applied yourself, deprived yourself, even redefined yourself, and you’re still not getting ahead. And you cannot figure out why. Well, it’s time you knew:
You’re not in with the in-crowd
Not a part of the power core, not café society material. Take a look around. They’re getting the promotions, the perks, the answers to the quizzes. Have you made the effort to become part of the magic circle, only to be rebuffed? Well, I wish I had better news for you, but in my experience, you’re either in or you’re out. There are no alternates, and no honorable mentions. This doesn’t mean you’ll never get ahead at this company, it just means it will be much more difficult. Better you learn this early on.
You’re not trusted
As much as we’d like to believe otherwise, people will make lasting judgments about you based on incredibly inconsequential little nothings. Sometimes all it takes is an innocuous comment (uttered either by or about you), a perceived snub, or an otherwise forgettable faux pas to turn your peers and managers against you. I’ve seen it happen and it is not a pretty sight. If you have any damage control options, better use them quick, as these things tend to not go away overnight. Bottom line: Think before you speak; think twice before you e-mail.
You’re too smart for your own good
Few things will intimidate others more than intelligence. Not youth, or good looks, or a brand new Lamborghini. Most of those things can be bought anyway, assuming you have enough money. Except youth, and even the perception of that can be bought. But, their riches cannot garner them one additional IQ point, and in the eyes of those people, you will become an itch that just cannot be scratched, a wall which cannot be scaled, a riddle which cannot be solved.
You don’t socialize with the guys enough
Would it kill you to go to karaoke once or twice?
You socialize with the guys too much
Don’t you ever go home? The key here is a work-life balance.
There are about a thousand other reasons why you may not be getting ahead. Maybe you leave the microwave messy, or you were inadvertently rude to the dispatcher that one morning, or you favor someone the boss had a falling out with in the past. The important thing is to be able to recognize when you’ve given it your best shot and the time has come to look for greener pastures.
Whither Customer Service?
Ask any business owner or manager to rate their company’s customer service with regard to quality, customer satisfaction, etc., and most will give themselves high marks. They’ll point to things like customer retention or an award their company or department has won. They’ll speak in glowing terms about how the customer is paramount in the company’s priorities, and talk about this or that training system they utilize to insure their customer service is always top notch.
Talk to one of their company’s customers however, and you’ll probably get a different slant.
As much as every business wants to believe they always put the customer first, the reality is that while customer service ratings have been up for some companies, down for others, the word on the street is that, as the economy flutters, the quality of customer service has suffered. From the tech support representative to the person behind the counter at your local fast food restaurant, many people just don’t feel their business is appreciated these days.
Cause and effect
There are many reasons for the disparity between what the average company believes it’s customer service to be, and what it actually is. Inadequate monitoring of the customer service employees, for example. While we learned years ago that our “call may be monitored”, we also know the employee that had to come out from behind their desk or workbench to assist us isn’t. One look at their weary, chagrined expression is all we need to know that this person isn’t the least bit interested in dealing with us. Or the salesperson who’s already spent the commission from our purchase and now is only interested in that next sale. Short-sightedness aside, that’s no way to treat a customer that paid for your NFL Ticket.
Can you hear us now?
It has been said that people who have a positive experience with a business will tell one or two other people, while those who’ve had an unpleasant experience will tell several more. The fact is, customers vote with their wallets, and few things will sour a customer’s attitude towards a given company faster than poor customer service.
If you’re in customer service
I’ve been there. I know how it feels to have to watch your “average call time”, to have to sit through insipid pep-rally type meetings, and to not be allowed to tell the customer the item they just purchased will be obsolete inside six months. At the very least you could empathize, don’t be condescending, and don’t insult the customer’s intelligence. Remember, you’re a consumer too.
No customers = no company = no jobs
With a freeze on raises and bonuses at many companies, some customer service workers may feel that they are justified in not putting forth the effort they had previously, and it is management’s responsibility to correct this attitude. There are simply too many people out of work who would jump at the chance to fill these slots, and that is the message management should be sending loud and clear. Above all else there must be, among management and employee alike, the realization that the company’s continued existence is dependent on a happy, satisfied, and ever-expanding customer base. You can be assured the competition knows it.
Navigating Workplace Cliques
I was a “lone wolf” type in high school. I didn’t really fit in with any of the groups: the jocks, the hippies, the Honor Society crowd, or the future Darwin Award nominees. I remember thinking I’d be so glad when it was over and I’d never have to deal with those stupid cliques and their snobbishness again. I was wrong.
I don’t remember the first time I encountered a workplace clique, but I remember thinking it was like high school all over again. I was disgusted. This was not how intelligent adults interacted with each other. But sadly, it was.
Like so many other aspects of life in the workplace, the clique appears to be here to stay. And, they aren’t limited to the office. Workplace cliques can be found on construction sites, in retail stores, at used car lots, and about anywhere else there are three or more employees. Aside from causing needless friction between co-workers, the clique can disrupt productivity on a major scale. I personally know of a case of competing workplace cliques essentially sabotaging each others work, spreading vicious lies about each other, and engaging in shouting matches in the hallways. I know people who have quit jobs they hated to leave because of harassment by members of a workplace clique. To say this kind of behavior is not conducive to a healthy work environment is a gross understatement, and it is management‘s responsibility to be on the lookout for this type of bullying and intimidation.
While there are no guarantees you won’t be sucked into the clique quagmire, my advice is to try to maintain neutrality. Become the Sweden in your workplace. Sweden of course is a country sandwiched in between what was at the time NATO and the Warsaw Pact nations during the “Cold War“, and still managed to stay neutral. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for them, as both sides probably used both carrot and stick to some degree in an attempt to sway them. By maintaining neutrality, you’ll not only be making a statement about your character, you may help to dissuade the practice within your workplace.
If you feel you’ve been targeted by members of a clique, document everything. People sometimes want to see how far they can push you, so if you can roll with the punches for awhile you may find that things will settle down. But if they don’t, you should definitely go to your manager. If you believe your manager is “in cahoots” with the clique in question, go over their head. Yes, you probably are taking a risk by doing so, but you have a right to work in an environment free of hostility. And like most rights, you still have to fight for this one on occasion.
Dealing with Workplace Gossip
I was strolling down the hall one day when I overheard someone say “Well, you know people are going to talk”. Having no idea what or whom this conversation concerned, I kept walking. But, I was curious. What are people going to talk about? Someone has done something. Worth talking about. And I have no idea who or what. I felt only slightly guilty for waiting to know the particulars. I strained to hear more, but the voices dropped off to a level best suited for such tawdry blather.
Workplace gossip is as old as the workplace, and it will never go away. It’s human nature to engage in gossip, and the workplace just seems to be such a fertile incubator for it, especially considering the many dynamics and power struggles perpetually at play. So I’ve come up with few rules regarding workplace gossip which I’ll share here:
Don’t ever gossip at work
I know, it sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? But, it isn’t. Don’t ever initiate or propagate gossip. It’s fine to listen to gossip, as long as you-
Play dumb
Whenever someone walks up and asks if you’ve heard “the latest”, always say no, then act very interested. For two reasons: One, you don’t want people to think you engage in gossip. And, two, if people think you’ve already heard “the latest”, they’ll be more interested in knowing what you’ve heard. This way, you get the complete spiel.
Compare the versions
As sad as it sounds to come right out and say, about 90% of all the workplace gossip I’ve ever heard turned out to be basically true. The details are typically where people tend to elaborate and speculate. If you hear multiple versions of the same scuttlebutt you can typically, through the process of elimination, hone in on the facts.
Gossip is still bad
Yes it is. There are many things that go on in the typical workplace that are bad, and you aren’t going to stop those things from happening either. By listening sympathetically, but refusing to spread gossip, you’ll earn the reputation of someone who can be trusted to not skewer a co-worker behind their back, but not coming off as someone who’s “too good” to enjoy a juicy tidbit on occasion.
What’s the point?
Workplace gossip isn’t always tearing someone down that’s not around to defend themselves. If there are rumors floating around about impending layoffs, or a merger, for example, then the more advance notice you have the better. Companies will sometimes intentionally plant and spread rumors as a kind of trial balloon to gauge employee reaction. Just remember to take everything you hear with a grain of salt unless and until there’s proof.