FORGET THE WHALES, SAVE THE HAPPY HOUR !
This week, my corporate life was busy. I was planning to take Friday off to make an even longer Labor Day weekend, so I had to cram five days of work into four. I had also made mid-week plans to have a little PGHH (Poor Girl Happy Hour) with a good friend I had not seen in a couple of months. Basically, a PGHH consists of pizza and wine at my house and it is a great opportunity to catch up with my girlfriends and dish about work without worrying about one of
our bosses sitting at a table behind us! It is also is a real money saver, since dividing the pizza and wine always comes in cheaper than even the happiest of happys!
Just one hour before my usual end time, my boss came over with a hair on fire request. We have a top priority project going on and some of the higher ups wanted to see a Power Point presentation on my area of expertise. Of course, this was a great opportunity for me to shine and also a great opportunity for my boss to look like a winner for hiring me.
“When can you have it put together?” she asked desperately.
“When do you need it?” I asked.
“Tomorrow afternoon.”
In most cases, the PGHH would have gone by the wayside and instead of cracking opening a nice bottle of Cabernet and eating Pizza Hut pasta, I would have been hitting the vending machine and draining the break room coffee pot for the last of the morning’s leftover java. Instead, I pulled up a previous Power Point I had given in a past life, did a little tweaking, and was in my car at the usual end
time.
The next morning, first thing, my boss asked, “When do you think I can review your slides?”
“Right now,” I said with a smile. “Let me know any changes you want me to make.”
“Wow, you are fast!” she said, with a combination of relief and pride for having brought me into the company.
It got me thinking. People talk a lot about work/life balance, but to me, it is all about SAVING THE HAPPY HOUR!!!
I came up with a couple of tips to help with your version, be it making your son’s basketball game or getting to the margaritas
before they go from $2.00 to $6.00.
1. Use your work down time :
Everyone has weeks when the workload is light. Instead of pulling up the VMAs on YOU TUBE and trying to figure out what the hell Kanye West was doing jumping around in the dark, look at what you could be doing to get prepared for something coming down Workload Lane. Have to write performance appraisals or even your own self-appraisal? Jot down some notes. Got a great idea for a new process? Put toogether a few Power Point slides and mention to your boss you have a little presentation you want her to take a look at that could save the company some real money. Baby North West is not concerned about your career. Why waste your time on her when you can be working on YOU!!
2. Always save what you create :
I consider myself lazy, because I hate the thought of doing anything over! When you put work into something, save it and file it. You never know when you may need it again!
3.Get some books and articles relating to your field:
I know, I know reading a book about how to manage people or how to give great customer service is not nearly as fun as reading HGTV magazine or PEOPLE, but at some point, these sources will come in mighty handy. I needed some definitions for my Power Point and it was a lot quicker to pull it out from one of my sources articles then it was to try to come up with something intelligent sounding when all I was thinking about was pepperoni or sausage.
In the end, my boss loved the presentation, I had a great time with my friend and best of all, one more happy hour was saved!
our bosses sitting at a table behind us! It is also is a real money saver, since dividing the pizza and wine always comes in cheaper than even the happiest of happys!
Just one hour before my usual end time, my boss came over with a hair on fire request. We have a top priority project going on and some of the higher ups wanted to see a Power Point presentation on my area of expertise. Of course, this was a great opportunity for me to shine and also a great opportunity for my boss to look like a winner for hiring me.
“When can you have it put together?” she asked desperately.
“When do you need it?” I asked.
“Tomorrow afternoon.”
In most cases, the PGHH would have gone by the wayside and instead of cracking opening a nice bottle of Cabernet and eating Pizza Hut pasta, I would have been hitting the vending machine and draining the break room coffee pot for the last of the morning’s leftover java. Instead, I pulled up a previous Power Point I had given in a past life, did a little tweaking, and was in my car at the usual end
time.
The next morning, first thing, my boss asked, “When do you think I can review your slides?”
“Right now,” I said with a smile. “Let me know any changes you want me to make.”
“Wow, you are fast!” she said, with a combination of relief and pride for having brought me into the company.
It got me thinking. People talk a lot about work/life balance, but to me, it is all about SAVING THE HAPPY HOUR!!!
I came up with a couple of tips to help with your version, be it making your son’s basketball game or getting to the margaritas
before they go from $2.00 to $6.00.
1. Use your work down time :
Everyone has weeks when the workload is light. Instead of pulling up the VMAs on YOU TUBE and trying to figure out what the hell Kanye West was doing jumping around in the dark, look at what you could be doing to get prepared for something coming down Workload Lane. Have to write performance appraisals or even your own self-appraisal? Jot down some notes. Got a great idea for a new process? Put toogether a few Power Point slides and mention to your boss you have a little presentation you want her to take a look at that could save the company some real money. Baby North West is not concerned about your career. Why waste your time on her when you can be working on YOU!!
2. Always save what you create :
I consider myself lazy, because I hate the thought of doing anything over! When you put work into something, save it and file it. You never know when you may need it again!
3.Get some books and articles relating to your field:
I know, I know reading a book about how to manage people or how to give great customer service is not nearly as fun as reading HGTV magazine or PEOPLE, but at some point, these sources will come in mighty handy. I needed some definitions for my Power Point and it was a lot quicker to pull it out from one of my sources articles then it was to try to come up with something intelligent sounding when all I was thinking about was pepperoni or sausage.
In the end, my boss loved the presentation, I had a great time with my friend and best of all, one more happy hour was saved!
THREE Ls and THE C WORD
A conversation with a friend of mine this week brought to light something that everyone fears and everyone has to tackle. The C word. (No, not that one!) I am talking about CHANGE! I realize how most people feel about change. WHO MOVED MY CHEESE?, a work parable written by Dr. Spencer Johnson, describes change in both your life and workplace. This book has sold over 26 million copies, which means a whole lot of people are looking for a whole lot of guidance around it.
In my friend’s case, she has been a supervisor for a good number of years and is now watching her company go from a customer service environment to a heavy emphasis on sales. This is not unusual coming out of the economic climate that we have been through, but she is struggling with what “those people” are asking her to do to support the new company initiatives. Of course, since she is struggling with it, so is her team.
I have been through my share of company changes, mergers and takeovers. At one point when I worked in the financial industry, we had a running joke. “If my boss calls, take a message. Oh, and please find out what his name is!”
Nothing though, has prepared me for change more than being the girl in the band. Clubs close or the management changes all the time. A steady gig suddenly becomes no gig with no warning and sometimes, no explanation. Band members get deported. (Not common for all bands, but we have some stories that I can share at a later date!) Even with all that turmoil, the great thing about working with musicians is they never expect a gig to last so when it doesn’t, they aren't surprised. They also don’t take it personally. They just pack up their cords and amps and move on to the next venue.
Being exposed to the wisdom of working musicians has really changed the way I view working in corporate America. It’s given me my own recipe for dealing with changing initiatives in the workplace and it doesn’t involve any cheese or rodents. Instead, I have the 3 L’s and they will manage the C word better than any furry rodents ever will!
LOCK IT
Even great companies come up with lousy initiatives and directives. I worked in a factory where they decided if everyone wore a small stuffed Koala bear on their shirt, we would improve our quality. Get it? KOALA- TY? I couldn’t make this one up if I tried. Did it work? Of course not. Did all the employees think it was the stupidest thing they had ever heard? Of course they did. I am sure most of management did too, but they presented it with a smile and a lot of energy. If you are in management, there just aren't “those people”. YOU are “those people” and when you sign on and collect a paycheck, you give up the right to publicly separate yourself from your company’s ideas. LOCK IT means lock your mouth and get out there and sell your team on wearing those little Australian cuties. Not in management? Keep the obvious negative comments to yourself and pin Wally the Koala-ty bear on your Ralph Lauren polo. Being paid to be part of the team means acting like one of the team.
LEARN IT
Any new skills your company is willing to give you are worth more than the salary they pay you. If your company has just invested in a brand new software program that they think is “DESPICABLE ME 2” and you just know is really “AFTER EARTH”, get in any classes they are offering and become an expert anyway. I found a fantastic position that got me out of a stress filled hell hole of a job because I was one of the few applicants who had used a lousy software program that my dream company had also been unwise enough to purchase. Customer service pros, if they are offering up some new classes to teach you how to sell to support new sales goals, get in there and LEARN IT, LEARN IT, LEARN IT! Even if you hate sales and never expect to go into the field, sales techniques are essential in selling the greatest product ever created…..YOU!
LEAVE IT
This brings me to the last L. LEAVE IT. If the changes in your company are now causing you to get sick to your stomach every time you pull in the parking lot, it is time to move on to your next adventure. Yes, there are jobs out there, even in this financial climate, for people who have skills and show enthusiasm for life. I have found jobs, within my general pay range, at three different companies over the last three years, being unemployed for a grand total of only six weeks. It can be done!
Never quit without another position lined up, but start working on that resume, checking out all the online job sites and letting some contacts know you are actively looking. Unless you subscribe to Shirley McLain’s philosophies (Google it people!) this life is the only shot you got at living like a rock star! Or at the very least like the girl in the band!
In my friend’s case, she has been a supervisor for a good number of years and is now watching her company go from a customer service environment to a heavy emphasis on sales. This is not unusual coming out of the economic climate that we have been through, but she is struggling with what “those people” are asking her to do to support the new company initiatives. Of course, since she is struggling with it, so is her team.
I have been through my share of company changes, mergers and takeovers. At one point when I worked in the financial industry, we had a running joke. “If my boss calls, take a message. Oh, and please find out what his name is!”
Nothing though, has prepared me for change more than being the girl in the band. Clubs close or the management changes all the time. A steady gig suddenly becomes no gig with no warning and sometimes, no explanation. Band members get deported. (Not common for all bands, but we have some stories that I can share at a later date!) Even with all that turmoil, the great thing about working with musicians is they never expect a gig to last so when it doesn’t, they aren't surprised. They also don’t take it personally. They just pack up their cords and amps and move on to the next venue.
Being exposed to the wisdom of working musicians has really changed the way I view working in corporate America. It’s given me my own recipe for dealing with changing initiatives in the workplace and it doesn’t involve any cheese or rodents. Instead, I have the 3 L’s and they will manage the C word better than any furry rodents ever will!
LOCK IT
Even great companies come up with lousy initiatives and directives. I worked in a factory where they decided if everyone wore a small stuffed Koala bear on their shirt, we would improve our quality. Get it? KOALA- TY? I couldn’t make this one up if I tried. Did it work? Of course not. Did all the employees think it was the stupidest thing they had ever heard? Of course they did. I am sure most of management did too, but they presented it with a smile and a lot of energy. If you are in management, there just aren't “those people”. YOU are “those people” and when you sign on and collect a paycheck, you give up the right to publicly separate yourself from your company’s ideas. LOCK IT means lock your mouth and get out there and sell your team on wearing those little Australian cuties. Not in management? Keep the obvious negative comments to yourself and pin Wally the Koala-ty bear on your Ralph Lauren polo. Being paid to be part of the team means acting like one of the team.
LEARN IT
Any new skills your company is willing to give you are worth more than the salary they pay you. If your company has just invested in a brand new software program that they think is “DESPICABLE ME 2” and you just know is really “AFTER EARTH”, get in any classes they are offering and become an expert anyway. I found a fantastic position that got me out of a stress filled hell hole of a job because I was one of the few applicants who had used a lousy software program that my dream company had also been unwise enough to purchase. Customer service pros, if they are offering up some new classes to teach you how to sell to support new sales goals, get in there and LEARN IT, LEARN IT, LEARN IT! Even if you hate sales and never expect to go into the field, sales techniques are essential in selling the greatest product ever created…..YOU!
LEAVE IT
This brings me to the last L. LEAVE IT. If the changes in your company are now causing you to get sick to your stomach every time you pull in the parking lot, it is time to move on to your next adventure. Yes, there are jobs out there, even in this financial climate, for people who have skills and show enthusiasm for life. I have found jobs, within my general pay range, at three different companies over the last three years, being unemployed for a grand total of only six weeks. It can be done!
Never quit without another position lined up, but start working on that resume, checking out all the online job sites and letting some contacts know you are actively looking. Unless you subscribe to Shirley McLain’s philosophies (Google it people!) this life is the only shot you got at living like a rock star! Or at the very least like the girl in the band!
