Boss and Workplace Issues

PLAN NOW TO TAKE OFF ON BOSS’S DAY, OCTOBER 17, 2011

2011-09-28T09:55:00.007-07:00

Got a bad boss? You’re not alone--about half the working population does. If you’re one of them, how do you avoid the awkwardness when someone tries to suck up by planning a happy celebration for a bad situation?

Plan now. If you have vacation or comp time saved up, schedule a long weekend, through Monday, October 17, and go have some fun.

If you’re tempted to engage in subversive activities by secretly leaving a negative message for the boss, DON’T DO IT! Yes, I’m yelling at you! Think about it. It’ll only make things worse.

And do you really want to be like your bad boss? There’s enough ugly behavior in this world. Try to live peacefully amidst it.

Besides, imagine the impact if 62,500,000 employees took the day off. What a way to send a message about the state of civility in the US!

Greedy Bosses: Abandoning Employees -- Former Health Care Hostages

2010-09-22T18:53:00.004-07:00

For years, you’ve held employees hostage with medical benefits that were intended to attract employees in the post-industrial era. You were able to offer medical benefits thanks to the low-cost group-plans you could qualify for, or the self-funded plans into which you could fold profits, thereby reducing your total tax bill. But in a global market, competing with international businesses that are not burdened with healthcare expenses, you find it difficult to compete and continue to offer medical benefits to your employees--without whom you would earn nothing. And your executives are not willing to reduce their exponentially-high salaries to enable the provision of medical benefits for the employees who do the work that earns such hight executive income. But you act as though you think it’s okay for employees, whom you pay up to 400% LESS than your executives, to now pay for their own medical benefits, yet continue to earn your profits. You have a dilemma.

But you are working against yourselves by fighting against national health care. You could have the best of both worlds: a capitalistic economy supplemented by socialistic-like government health care plans that keep your profit makers (employees) healthy and well. So here’s a way out of your dilemma, but you look like you’re working against yourselves: You don’t want to provide medical benefits and you don’t want the government to provide medical benefits. What’s with that? Is the health-care industry threatening you?

And health-care industry: Why do you quaver at the thought of governmental competition? If you were doing your best at providing affordable insurance, our nation wouldn’t be in this dilemma, and government medical plans would be a non-issue for you. Instead, you come across as guilty of gouging--your resistance is tantamount to an admission of mismanagement and manipulation. Thinking-people are not buying into your “threat to capitalism” argument--that’s a cloak. Clean up your act and get creative, or step aside.

Capitalism has it’s benefits, but in a global economy in which business-operating costs are funded differently, perhaps a blended society is worth considering: part capitalism; part socialism.

You can have anything you want, but you can't have everything.

A Teaching Boss

2009-04-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

When your boss talks to you, do you learn something? Or do you learn nothing and suspect that your boss is either trying to hide something from you or is just ignorant?

If you’ve never had a boss who teaches, and you don’t know what that would look like, listen to a speech by President Obama. Every time he talks to us, we learn something. He’s not trying to keep us in the dark, he’s trying to help us understand the impact of our actions. Do you appreciate knowing? Take this desire to the workplace.

This is what a good boss does. If you’re not learning useful things from your boss, ask yourself how many years you’re willing to stagnate. Now go on job interviews, even if you’re not looking for a new job -- go just to find out what other bosses are like, to gauge how well-off you really are in your current job. Interview potential bosses--as they interview you. Listen for the ones who teach. Do you learn something? Do you like it?

When you see the difference, you may change your life.

A Role Model for Good Bosses: President Obama

2009-01-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

Want to learn how to be a good boss? Just watch President Barack Obama.

Pay particular attention to his focus on transparency. To his openness to new ideas--from any source. To his enforcement of ethics.

His methods could fix an ailing America. Or an ailing soul.

Blagojevich - Democracy at Its Worse -- Is Anyone Really Surprised?

2008-12-10T09:42:00.002-07:00

Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich, was caught on tape, in his own words, abusing the authority granted to him as a representative of the citizens--trying to sell a political appointment to the US Senate for his personal gain.

If such blatantly unethical, abusive behavior happens at this level, why would anyone doubt that bad bosses, all the way down the hierarchy, do the same thing with their authority?

If you’ve reported to a boss who behaves like Blagojevich, you’re not at all surprised. Just sick to your stomach all over again, and wishing you could have recorded your slimy manager--but it was illegal for you to do so.

On the other hand, if you know anyone who tells you about the nightmare in which s/he lives with a bad boss, now you have reason to start paying attention and stop pretending it can’t really be happening.

The investigators in this case said that the public must speak up to help them stop criminal behavior. That’s how democracy can work. But, sadly, workplaces operate outside of democracy--where you can be punished for trying to stop criminal behavior in your employer’s organization.

Values in our country have shifted from “do no harm” to “don’t get caught doing harm.” Perhaps we’ll get back some day.

15 GIFT IDEAS FOR THE UNEMPLOYED OR LAID-OFF

2008-11-26T13:23:00.004-07:00

In these challenging economic times, it may be difficult to choose a gift for those who’ve been struck by job loss. This is not the time to think about luxury items. It can be depressing to receive a new gee-whiz electronic gadget when you don’t know how you’re going to put food in the fridge or gas in the car. Practical gifts that don’t look or feel like charity can be most appreciated. Here are a few suggestions.

Gift cards

Gift cards allow people to make their own decisions, which helps maintain their dignity during difficult times. Wrap gift cards in a big box to create a festive holiday feeling.

1. Warehouse-store cards (BJ’s; Costco; Sam’s Club; etc.). These allow recipients to obtain items ranging from pharmaceuticals to food; books; office supplies; and luxury products. Include a membership with this gift if the recipient does not already have one to the club you choose.

2. Discount-store cards, to stores with a wide variety of items including food; clothing; and housewares (Target; Walmart; etc.), allow people a wide range of use to stretch their budget or enjoy a little splurge.

3. Sundry-store cards to corner stores like CVS and Walgreens provide a wide range of buying options.

4. Pet-store cards can relieve the guilt of caring for a pet when it can be hard to care for the family--and keep a family from surrendering its pet to a shelter. Pets help relieve stress for the whole family.

Memberships

Memberships to service organizations that offer discounts can provide a sense of security.

5. Auto clubs, such as AAA, can provide peace of mind in the event car-towing or a battery-charge is needed. These services are free to members. Often, membership discounts are available for other products and services too, like eyeglasses and insurance.

6. Food-of-the-month clubs can be found that deliver items ranging from meats (Omaha Steaks) to fruit (Harry & David) and other items (http://www.monthclubstore.com). You can specify the number of months and keep the pick-me-up of gifts coming on a regular basis.

7. Children’s day-care or play-care organizations offer free time for parents to concentrate on job searching. Check the reputation and references of any provider you consider.

Services

Some things must get done--and its good not to have to think about them.

8. Prepaid cell phones can help people stay connected and, perhaps, give up the cost of a land line.

9. Transportation tickets (bus; train; shuttle) can help city dwellers get around easily.

10. Prepaid grooming and cleaning services (haircuts; dry cleaning; laundry) are useful. Think about including a bunch of dollar bills for tip-giving.

11. Prepaid babysitting or day care for dependent adults are helpful. You can make up coupons for you to provide these services, too.

12. Prepaid utilities (gas; electric, cable TV) can relieve budgeting burdens.

Entertainment

Recreation is important for clearing the mind of worries--even if only for a little while.

13. Memberships to video stores and video delivery services.

14. Tickets to a show; concert; sporting event; or cultural event/venue.

15. A fully-supplied picnic basket with prepaid entrance fees to a park.

These gifts may not be fun for you to buy, but they’ll be used; appreciated; and remembered.

AIG Bad Bosses Demonstrate Five Ways to Talk Corporate

2008-10-09T17:01:00.006-07:00

Want a lesson in corporate wiggling-out-of-responsibility? Watch the C-span video of AIG’s just-in-time-former-executives, Martin Sullivan and Robert Willumstad, at their House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing held on Tuesday.

You might think they learned their interview techniques from just-in-time-former-Attorney-General Alberto Gonzales. But, no, this is just the corporate way. Look for these five techniques:

1. Never admit guilt

2. Never answer a question directly

3. Never veer off of a carefully-crafted, corporate-attorney-prepared script

4. Never tell the whole truth

5. Always imply that the interviewer is ignorant

They think they're so much smarter than the rest of us that, after we bail them out, they thumb their noses in our faces by spending almost half-a-million of the bailout money on an exclusive vacation. As if they deserve it. And in addition to the huge bonuses they walk away with.

Now that we’ve seen even more examples bad corporate bosses managing investor's money, and felt the pain collectively, doesn't that make us want to run out and invest our money in the economic gas chamber of corporate stocks?

The Root of All Workplace Evil -- The JIG

2008-09-23T18:31:00.002-07:00

Every reporter who interviews me about bad bosses asks the same question:

“Why do they do it?”

My answer?

“The JIG.”

“Huh?”

Jealousy

Insecurity

Greed

Yes, bosses can be jealous of the people who report to them because employees are better liked; better looking; more confident; more capable; etc. And bosses can be insecure because they didn’t earn their job; don’t have the skills for it; don’t do it; etc. And bosses can be greedy when they want more than they deserve; more than they earn; more than their brother/sister/neighbor/colleague has.

Eliminate these three frailties from humanity, and workplace evil will disappear. But how? Some have mocked me for suggesting that newly-promoted managers get sent to therapy, but that’s the only way to get a person to change her/his personality--maybe. But, in addition to being unreliable, that's costly.

So does this mean we have to accept workplace evil? No! Absolutely not! All we have to do is stop letting bad bosses get away with it--by holding them accountable for managing the managers who report to them. They do it when they want to fire an employee--careful documentation of an employee’s performance. So where’s the documentation on all the people who are not being fired? The documentation that indicates the boss in managing those people? The point of managing people is that one person can help 10 others achieve more than that one person can achieve alone. But managers don’t like to manage people--and no one’s holding them accountable for doing it.

And...employees aren’t going to sue employers for letting them keep their jobs.

Managers Say Mom is Their Leadership Role Model

2008-08-08T12:51:00.005-07:00

In a survey of over 900 managers, 70% chose “Mom” as the leader they most admire. Who else made in onto their lists? Not their bosses. Not their department or group heads. Not their CEO. In fact, no one from their workplace got mentioned as an admired leader.

These managers developed a workplace leadership model, during facilitated workshops, based on the characteristics of “good” mothers. Not surprisingly, their model differs from other leadership models that are written by people at the top levels of organizations, like CEO’s and their favorite academic consultants. A significant difference between those top-down models and this new bottom-up leadership model is the assessment of a leader’s intention. Of special note: employees (including managers) use this bottom-up leadership model to evaluate management in every interacation.

Their story is told in the book, “Kissing the Corporate Frog: An Enlightening Story about Leadership Traits 21st Century Employers Admire and Respect.” Chapter 1 is available for free online at http://www.bigbadboss.com/BAD_LEADERSHIP.html.

Bad Bosses Hate Truth

2008-08-04T11:09:00.002-07:00

Bad bosses hate truth because they’re afraid it will expose their misconduct. So they punish good employees and well-intentioned colleagues who tell the truth.

If your boss or colleague is trying to get you to lie or shut up, keep in mind the words of Mahatma Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi:

“Truth never damages a cause that is just.”

The Number-one Mother’s Day Gift for Working Women

2008-04-29T16:58:00.005-07:00

What is the number-one, best-ever gift you can give to a working mother?

Time.

No, not a watch or a magazine, silly. Free time—to do with as she pleases without worrying about things that need to be done.

How do you give the gift of free time—worry-free; guilt-free time—when there are only 24 hours in a day? Find a way to get necessary things done for her. For example, hire someone to do her housework; grocery shop; run errands; find a responsible, reliable babysitter to take over while she goes out; pre-arrange a vacation or personal day with her boss. You get the idea.

Is she the type who’ll spend her free time on others? Add gifts that will require her to spend this time on herself. Ideas include certificates to a spa; a manicure/pedicure treatment; a facial; a makeup makeover; a new hairdo; a massage; a meditation session. Think relaxation and you’ll choose well.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Test Your Knowledge of Bullying in the Workplace -- Take This Quiz

2008-04-15T16:28:00.003-07:00

Seattlepi.com offers this quiz in Dr. Joyce Brothers’ column today:

1. Bullying is a much smaller problem in the workplace than sexual harassment.
TRUE ( ) FALSE ( )

2. A "tough" boss who yells at employees to turn in their reports on time and an angry colleague shoving his way into the cafeteria line at work after a tough morning both are examples of bullying.
TRUE ( ) FALSE ( )

3. Bullying in the workplace can cause mental and physical issues as serious as suicidal thoughts.
TRUE ( ) FALSE ( )

4. Bullies almost always are the boss or someone to whom the victim is a subordinate.
TRUE ( ) FALSE ( )

5. The best thing to do in the face of health issues brought on by bullying is quit the job.
TRUE ( ) FALSE ( )

6. Confronting the bully is just a waste of time.
TRUE ( ) FALSE ( )

7. It may be better for your mental health not to leave quietly.
TRUE ( ) FALSE ( )

Click on this post's title to be taken to seattlepi.com for the answers.

Note: Not all bad-boss behavior is "bullying." Bullying is more obvious than many other less apparent, but equally or even more insidious behavior.

Guns and Bosses: Wear a Bullet-Proof Vest to and from Work in Florida

2008-04-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

Imagine this: You catch your boss stealing from the company. He catches you catching him. He knows you’ve got the records to prove it. And, ouside in the parking lot, he keeps a gun in his car.

Nervous? Workplace stress is one of the main causes of work-related illnesses.

You have to wonder how many Florida lawmakers have invested in medical and pharmaceutical companies.

More Tactful Tips for Telling a Bad Boss from Hell to Go Back Where S/He Came From

2008-03-14T11:35:00.003-07:00

If you report to a bad boss who doesn’t really mean to be bad, you’ll find some useful information in the linked article by Marjo Johne at The Globe and Mail. (However, if your boss enjoys being bad and knows how to get away with it, you need to visit BigBadBoss.com.)

But read the information in this article carefully and cautiously. The opening example is referred to throughout the article as an effective strategy because upper management intervened. But the opening example is about an anonymous employee who decided to resign from an anonymous company. It’s a stroke of rare and unusual luck that management acted on her resignation letter; influenced a change in her boss’s behavior; and gave her back her job.

Chances are more likely that, if you do resign, you will just be gone—and nothing will change. That’s because, by giving credence to a complaining employee, upper management admits their guilt in lack of oversight. Doing so puts the company at risk of legal liability in the event a wronged employee files a complaint with an outside agency, or sues. That can cost the company big bucks. And losing big bucks can cost the executives their jobs.

On the other hand, this is a good article for upper management to read to learn how to take employee concerns about bad bosses seriously—before employees are driven to resignation as the only viable alternative to a bad workplace situation. But, of course, that means upper management will have to do its job of managing mangers. Oh well.

Avoid Boozing with the Boss on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17

2008-03-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

Having a drink with the boss can be risky at any time. But when the holiday spirit lures you into having seconds or thirds, or more, the risk is even greater.

In friendships, relationships are equal; at work, relationships are hierarchical. Over-friendliness and buddyism, especially the kind that may form when one’s guard is down, can strain relationships in which one individual has some degree of power over the other.

If a boss feels taken advantage of or manipulated by you, say for information or favoritism, whether it’s true or not, retaliation may result in the form of lesser job assignments and rewards. Also, if a boss shares something private in a moment of unguarded conversation that s/he would not otherwise want you to know, that boss may want to distance you from her or him at work—which could result in the same retaliatory consequences. Your boss may not even be aware s/he is doing it.

So try to have an appointment or engagement planned if it seems likely that an opportunity might arise to socialize with the boss over suds.

Write a Letter of Complaint about Your Bad Boss?

2008-03-11T10:01:00.005-07:00

Don’t even think about it!

Organizations will almost always support the higher level employee to avoid legal liability. If they agree or side with you, they admit their guilt in not managing your boss—and that ain’t gonna happen.

Instead, write your complaint memo to your boss. Include description of incidents (what actually occurred), dates, times, actual quotes of things that were said, and the impact your boss’s behavior has on business results. This last point is the most important. Don’t make it about you—discuss the issue in terms of how it hurts the company.

If your boss continues to be a problem, write a second memo (keep copies of all of these memos in a secure location away from your workplace). If you must write a third memo, include a note on the memo that a copy has been sent to a Human Resources Manager (name the manager)—and send that manager a copy of the letter. Make sure it says “this is my third request of you to address this issue” or words to that effect. Always demonstrate that you are trying to work with your boss to resolve issues, not against your boss.

For an example of this type of memo, go to the Tips for Dealing with Bad Bosses page at the BigBadBoss.com Web site and read Tip #2, "How to Writer a Letter of Complaint to Your Boss."

Workplace Hostility and Bullying More Damaging than Sexual Harassment

2008-03-08T10:02:00.003-07:00

Sexual harassment is blatant—and illegal. But incivility, bullying and interpersonal conflict are less obvious, more damaging—and not illegal.

Hostile behavior, whether blatant or passive, leads to higher levels of stress; anxiety; and anger. It also leads to lower levels of job commitment and high turnover, according to a study co-sponsored by the American Psychological Association, the U.S. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, and the Society for Occupational Health Psychology— presented Saturday, March 8, 2008, in Washington, D.C., at the International Conference on Work, Stress and Health.

Bad bosses already know this—that’s why they do it. And it’s not against the law. And they have all the power—in a their-word-against-an-employee’s-word battle, management always protects the higher-level employee—even when they’re wrong—so they can avoid legal liability.

So, even if it were against the law, who would enforce it?

Bad Goal-Setting Increases Health Care Costs

2008-02-15T16:53:00.002-07:00

Your boss fills your plate to the edges with projects, then starts piling stuff high—making it impossible for you to complete anything on time or to acceptable quality. That’s one cause of workplace stress.

Setting goals with realistic measurements is something often overlooked as an important management task. Bosses are typically not measured on how well they do it, leaving employees to bear all of the consequences of this poor management performance.

Workplace stress is being studied by consulting firm, Watson Wyatt. Spokesperson, Shelly Wolff, said:

"Too much stress from heavy demands, poorly defined priorities and little on-the-job flexibility can add to health issue...all of which hurt a company's bottom line.”

If only managerial performance was managed effectively…

Never Play with Bosses Bearing Weapons

2008-02-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

The linked article describes an incident in which a boss shot an employee with a pellet gun while playing billiards. The employee's lung collapsed, requiring surgery. Details are scant, but there is an important point to be made:

If you are ever physically assaulted by your boss, call the police immediately (or as soon as possible) and press charges. This is a civil matter—not a work-related matter—and your employer is not qualified to deal with it (unless you work for the police).

Big, Bad Pharmaceutical Bosses: Is Your Doctor Working for You or Them?

2008-01-18T17:36:00.000-07:00

The linked article quotes Howard Brody, M.D., director of the Institute for the Medical Humanities at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, saying, "many doctors have been prescribing according to industry profits rather than the patient's needs." It's no wonder. The article adds, "Each day more than 101,000 drug company reps—one for every five office-based physicians—call on the nation's doctors."

"Drugmakers…spend about $7 billion a year to win the hearts and minds of doctors and another $18 billion on free drug samples for doctors." What are they spending the $7 billion on? Pens, clocks, mugs, calculators and free lunch for doctors and their staffs—sometimes twice a week.

These reps want doctors to prescribe the newest, most expensive drugs. So what's wrong with that? Sometimes nothing, but "new medications are typically more expensive than older or generic versions and can have adverse side effects that were not apparent in initial clinical tests. Prescribing new drugs for older patients is even more problematic because most drugs are approved based on trials in which older patients were woefully underrepresented." And the pharmaceutical companies buy reports listing the medications individual doctors prescribe as a way of monitoring how well their influence is working.

Worse yet, the pharmaceutical industry is hard to stop, even with laws. In one instance, "an army of lobbyists" descended on a state's Senate committee to block a bill requiring disclosure of what is given to doctors. "Altogether last year 17 states drafted legislation that would regulate gifts to doctors or require their disclosure, according to the National Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices, a nonpartisan organization of state legislators who work on ways to reduce drug costs. Not one of these bills became law."

What can you do? The linked article suggests that you visit these two sites:

NoFreeLunch.org at http://www.nofreelunch.org/ and
PharmedOut.org at http://www.pharmedout.org/

What else? Take a look around your doctor's office for drug-labeled trinkets. If your doctor prescribes one of those medications for you, ask:

"Is there a generic alternative or an older, but similar medication I can try first?"

If the answer is "No" then ask:

"What percentage of people in the trials for this drug were in my age group?"

Wish I'd known sooner. This week, I'm throwing away three bottles of pills that cost me $68 in co-pays; two did nothing for me and one made me so sick with symptoms not on its side-effects list that I couldn't function. In their place, I'm trying a generic version of an older drug that cost me a co-payment of only $8…more. And I can't get my money back for the expensive garbage—it's already been spent on pizza, sandwiches and smiley faces.

How to Make a Negative Boss Happy

2008-01-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

Ain't gonna happen. What are you thinking? There are two problems with asking how to make a bad boss happy:

1. It's not your job to make any person you work with happy. It's your job to fulfill the duties of your job description as best as you can and meet or exceed your objectives. Nothing more. That's all a boss has the right to expect from you.

2. No one can make another person happy. Period. In fact, no one can make another person feel any emotion. Emotions are born within us by the way we choose to respond to external events. Miserable bosses either cannot be happy or enjoy being miserable, maybe because it gets them attention that they couldn't get otherwise—just look at the attention you're giving them by trying to find a way to make them happy.

If you're working to the best of your ability, producing high quality results and meeting or exceeding your objectives, and your boss isn't satisfied with your work, then give it up. You can't please this boss because this boss has an illness. An illness that requires the intervention of a psychiatrist or psychologist—and that's not your job, nor are you trained to do it. But it was nice of you to try.

Political Campaign Bullying Not Acceptable in Workplace

2008-01-14T09:00:00.001-07:00

You get lured into a political discussion by your boss. You both agree on a single point and then your boss hits you with a whammy—an assignment to distribute flyers, donate money, or volunteer time on a political campaign. What do you do?

"Most experts say it is uncomfortable at best and, at worst, it can be illegal when an employee feels he or she is coerced to participate." One expert suggests saying "I am undecided at this point." But that won't stop bully bosses from telling you they've decided for you—or threatening your employment. Then what?

"You have to ask yourself, is this a contribution you would make of your own volition. And if not, and if you can't say no, there is recourse. The Federal Elections Commission handles such complaints." To learn more about filing a complaint, visit the Federal Elections Commission's Web site at

http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/complain.shtml

Be aware that anytime you report workplace issues to an agency outside of your employing organization, retaliation may follow. So keep detailed notes about everything that is said and done, just in case you'll need to defend yourself. You may not be able to save your job in the long term, but you could buy yourself some time to start looking for a more ethical workplace to trade your skills at.

Political Campaign Bullying Not Acceptable in Workplace

2008-01-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

You get lured into a political discussion by your boss. You both agree on a single point and then your boss hits you with a whammy—an assignment to distribute flyers, donate money, or volunteer time on a political campaign. What do you do?

"Most experts say it is uncomfortable at best and, at worst, it can be illegal when an employee feels he or she is coerced to participate." One expert suggests saying "I am undecided at this point." But that won't stop bully bosses from telling you they've decided for you—or threatening your employment. Then what?

"You have to ask yourself, is this a contribution you would make of your own volition. And if not, and if you can't say no, there is recourse. The Federal Elections Commission handles such complaints." To learn more about filing a complaint, visit the Federal Elections Commission's Web site at

http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/complain.shtml

Be aware that anytime you report workplace issues to an agency outside of your employing organization, retaliation may follow. So keep detailed notes about everything that is said and done, just in case you'll need to defend yourself later. You may not be able to save your job in the long term, but you could buy yourself some time to start looking for a more ethical workplace to trade your skills at.

You Lose Your House; Merrill Lynch and Citicorp Reward Execs

2008-01-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

Six days after Merrill Lynch loses "$8.4 billion in quarterly write-downs tied to subprime-mortgage-related securities and bad loans," it gives CEO Stanley O'Neal "a severance package worth about $161 million."

After Citigroup loses "$64 billion in market value over the last four years," it gives CEO Charles O. Prince III a severance of "$68 million, with a cash bonus of at least $12.5 million, an office, a car and a driver for the next five years."

How about changing the terms of those bad loans so people don't lose their homes, and changing the terms of those executive contracts so people don't lose their hope for America?

Bad Campaign Bosses

2008-01-09T14:21:00.000-07:00

PBS interviewed Rod Shealy, who "has worked in South Carolina as a campaign strategist for the past 30 years…and was once convicted and fined for violating campaign laws."

He said,

"Your challenge as a campaign is to damage your opponent without getting caught doing it. And you want the information out there, but you don't want to dirty yourself by being the guy that did it. The Internet, with its anonymous blogs and fake websites and what have you is just going to open a new dimension, it already has, a new level of negative politics.

"We already are seeing degrees of negativity that I would have never thought possible because, frankly, you can get away with it. It's anonymous. You can get it out there to millions of people overnight through all sorts of Internet-based sources. And the goal, of course, of all Internet rumors, forwarded e-mails and anonymous blogs, when they're engaged in negative politics, the goal is to get it out far enough that it eventually gets picked up by mainstream media and printed in the newspaper and reported on the evening news."

PBS recommends verifying rumors at these sites:

Fact Check http://www.factcheck.org/
PolitFact http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/
Snopes http://www.snopes.com/politics/

Are You a Bad Boss? Take this Quiz

2008-01-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

Do you:

1. Ignore people issues, like support, development and conflict?

2. Criticize, downplay or ignore your employees' ideas, or take credit for their work?

3. Lack necessary knowledge, skills or experience in your field or profession?

4. Try to ignore serious problems or inadvertently make them worse?

5. Measure business results based only on things that can be easily counted?

6. Hire unqualified employees, vendors or consultants?

7. Do the nitty-gritty, detailed work in your department?

8. Insult, taunt, harass, or threaten employees, or snap, shout or curse at them?

9. Expect employees to agree with your ideas, or withhold or give them incorrect information?

10. Gossip with the peers of some employees or encourage infighting and internal competition?

11. Use company assets inappropriately or unethically?

12. Work against company goals and programs while pretending to support them?

13. Feel like a different person on different days, contradict yourself, or have extreme mood swings from day to day?

If you answered "Yes" to one or more of these questions, then you behave like the kind of boss employees mistrust and disrespect. They may label you a "bad boss" and work around or against you in ways you cannot anticipate or prevent.

Want to be trusted and respected? Just stop doing these things. Can't stop? Seek professional counseling.

(Quiz excerpted from the book, "Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Boss? 13 Types and How to Survive Them")

Workplace Ethics Worse Now than pre-2003 Enron Environment

2008-01-03T16:03:00.000-07:00

The Ethics Resource Center (ECR) has just released the findings of its 2007 National Business Ethics Survey. Of 3,452 people surveyed, 1,929 responded. The findings are based on a summary of those responses. You may download a copy of the report from the site. Here's the gist of it:

ERC's bad news:

"Ethical misconduct in general is very high and back at pre-Enron levels — during the
past year, more than half of employees saw ethical misconduct of some kind.

"Many employees do not report what they observe — they are fearful about retaliation
and skeptical that their reporting will make a difference. In fact, one in eight employees
experiences some form of retaliation for reporting misconduct.

"The number of companies that are successful in incorporating a strong enterprisewide
ethical culture into their business has declined since 2005. Only nine percent of
companies have strong ethical cultures."

Two of ERC's observations:

"Four elements shape ethical culture: ethical leadership, supervisor reinforcement,
peer commitment to ethics, and embedded ethical values."

"Publicly-traded and the largest companies are at greater risk than privately-held and the smallest companies."

One of ERC's conclusions:

"The ethics landscape is treacherous — corporate America is at great risk."

What you need to know:

An ethical culture can exist only when ethical behavior is practiced among the top-ranking managers and reinforced throughout the hierarchy. If it's not practiced at the top, then there's no one who can turnaround a company's culture and make it ethical without replacing top management.

Be forewarned.

Ten Steps to Stop Being a Bad Boss in 2008: A New Year Resolution for Happiness

2007-12-27T09:02:00.001-07:00

If you're a bad boss, you know, deep down, that you behave badly because you are unhappy. But you may not be allowing yourself to accept that truth.

You're probably unhappy because you don't like your job, the way you live your life, what you haven't accomplished, or yourself. You probably think that by overextending or abusing your power, you can make yourself appear important in others' eyes because of the effect you can have on them. But you don't really believe it, and neither do they. The people around you pity you, though they may cower in your presence. Knowing they pity you may make you angry, and that makes you even more unhappy.

If you're denying this unhappiness, it's probably because you can't see a way to change things. But you can, and you can become happy this year. You'll need courage to get there. Real courage. Not the pretend kind you put on at work. Here's what to do, for starters:

1. Go to a quiet place where you can think without interruption.

2. Think back to when you first felt inadequate or insecure.

Think way back; it probably happened in your childhood. You may have to sift through a lot of memories to get to the right one—the one you may be trying not to remember.

3. Think about the person who aroused this sense of inadequacy in you.

Was it a parent? Another relative? A teacher? Write that person's name on a sheet of paper. Then add your expectations and tnotes about hat person's actual behavior. Under "expectations," list what you expected that person to do in your relationship. Under "actual behavior," list what s/he did instead.

4. Write the effect that person had on you and the probable cause of that person's unhappiness.

Under "effect," list the reactions that person aroused in you. Avoid listing "anger." Instead, list what you experienced internally just before you became angry (some examples are hurt, shame, embarrassment, abandonment). Under the "probable cause of that person's unhappiness," list the things that could have made that person so unhappy that they took it out on you. This part can be difficult because that person seemed powerful to you back then—but s/he was really weak and used you to feel strong—you, who knew no way to avoid that wrath or misery.

5. Allow yourself to feel sad about those incidents for an hour or more.

Grieve the loss of opportunities you might have had in your relationship with that person had s/he been happy.

6. Realize that you are a whole, capable person.

You are not the inadequate person that individual from your past convinced you that you are.

7. Rewrite the story of your past, making it good.

Think of how you would have liked to have been treated, and imagine that your life actually happened that way.

8. Make a list of the people you treat badly at work.

Think of your behavior and whether it is the same as the behavior of that person in your life from long-ago who treated you badly.

9. Visualize that person from your past standing in your shoes.

Imagine that person interacting badly with people who report to you—instead of you—as if that person has taken over your body and mind.

10. Refuse to allow that person to control who you are today.

Take back your power. This is your chance to get even by putting that person from your past in her or his earned place—a place of dishonor. The shame is on her or him.

If you find this exercise disturbing, that's a good sign. If you have difficulty following the steps, make an appointment with a qualified psychologist—that would be a sign of real courage and strength.

Happy New Year

Kindergarten for Managers – Top Ten Employment Law Tips

2007-12-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

Specialists in employment law at nolo.com, Attorney Amy DelPo and Senior Legal Editor Lisa Guerin, offer advice about how to avoid legal problem with employees. While these may sound like kindergarten-level lessons, sometimes it's helpful—even necessary—to go back to stringing beads:

"1. Treat your workers with respect.

2. Communicate with your workers.

3. Be consistent.

4. Give regular evaluations.

5. Make job-related decisions.

6. Don't punish the messenger.

7. Adopt sound policies and follow them.

8. Keep good records.

9. Take action when necessary.

10. Be discreet. "

All you have to do now is remember that the managers in your company are employees, too.

Six Tips for Giving a Holiday Gift to the Boss

2007-12-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

This is always a sticky gesture. You can't be sure how your boss will interpret a gift. The boss might think you're trying to win special favor or compensate for some work-related problem that no gift can resolve. Also, your co-workers might get into a competition with you or think you're trying to one-up them. It is safe to be politically correct and socially appropriate. The best way to do this is to offer a group gift. Then consider these tips:

1. Is the celebrated holiday recognized by all group members?

If you're thinking about a Christmas gift, think about whether all members of your group are Christians. If not, consider labeling the gift in another way, say as a "Thank you" gift for support during the year, or a "New Year" gift. Make sure every group members feels comfortably included.

2. How much money should you collect from each member before purchasing the gift?

Some group members may be more financially able than others to participate. For this reason, keep the value low enough that everyone will be comfortable contributing their share. For most work groups, $5 per person is usually a reasonable maximum. Multiply that by the number of group members to get your spending budget for the gift—and be sure to include in that amount the cost of a card, gift wrap, tape, ribbon/bows, sales tax and shipping, if involved.

3. What gift items are best to avoid?

Anything that can affect your boss's health, beliefs, or appearance should be avoided, as well as anything that would be legitimately covered by the department budget. For example:

Candy, alcohol and other consumables may be off limits due to diet restrictions, allergies or addiction.

Religious items might be inappropriate for the boss' use or could be offensive to the boss and/or some of the gift contributors.

Clothing could be a problem in terms of needing to know personal information, such as sizes or style preferences, and wearing that clothing to work could be uncomfortable on days when every gift-giver is not in good favor with the boss.

Professional magazine subscriptions might be eligible to purchase as a business expense, so these things might not considered thoughtful.

4. How do you find suitable gift items?

Even if you know your boss' interests outside of work, you may not know what your boss already has and a duplicate can be as useless as nothing at all.

If you know of a charity your boss favors, and no group member would object to it, consider making a donation on your boss' behalf—this gift carries no obligation back to the group to demonstrate use of the gift.

If you know one of your boss' favorite places to shop, a bricks & mortar or online store, a gift card to that particular store (versus a general bank card) is a safe idea—it allows your boss to use the gift privately in anyway desired.

For more tangible items, sites such as Surprise.com allow to search a variety of items from many sources based on the interests of the gift recipient.

5. How do you decide on a suitable gift item from the group?

First, narrow the selection down to about six different items. Then, ask the group to rank those items according to their preference. When the item with the highest rank is identified, ask all group members if there are any objections before you make the purchase. If someone feels strongly against an item, move on to the next one.

6. How do you present the gift?

Ideally, choose a time when all contributors can attend the gift presentation. This makes it clear that the gift is given by all group members equally. If one or a few contributors cannot be present, preface the presentation by naming them and explaining that they would like to have been present but are unavailable for unavoidable reasons. Then explain the reason the group decided to offer the gift and hand it over with the holiday sentiment (Thank you; Happy New Year; etc.)

NOTE:
These guidelines are applicable for purchasing a gift for a good boss. See the post below for information about giving gifts to bad bosses.

Christmas Gifts for Bad Bosses?

2007-12-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

Don’t even think about it.

But if you are thinking about it, first consider whether your boss is a Christian. If so, ask how you know. Is it because your boss lives according to Christian values? A boss who is abusive or unethical does not. So why honor that person with a gift?

Or do you know your boss is a Christian because he or she boasts about religious affiliations, while demonstrating demonic behavior? You get the point.

But here's the gut wrencher: Suppose you're a Christian and you want to turn the other cheek and bestow your kindness, thereby demonstrating your values? Don't do it—not even if your boss makes the hypocritical gesture of giving you a card or a gift. Your bad boss is not interested in your values. In fact, a bad boss is likely see your practice of Christian values as a weakness or an uncomfortable contrast and reign more terror on you knowing you'll take it. Don't set yourself up for this backlash.

Psychologist Abraham Maslow discovered that secure people live each day on an even keel, not seeking highs or lows, yet happily appreciating every day. Here's a chance to build your self esteem.

At work, the holiday season is just another series of work days. Exchange your skills for compensation. Give no gifts to anyone who tries to undermine your esteem. Hold your head high and celebrate with those who make your days happy.

Hollywood Bad Bosses Ripping-off WGA Screen Writers—and They're Mad as Hell

2007-11-30T10:10:00.000-07:00

Members of the Writer's Guild of America (WGA) don't want this strike. But they "can't not do it." They must defend their livelihood against members of the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

Members of the AMPTP "have been demanding [from members of the WGA] the Internet rights, as well as all rights forever to new media 'now known or to be created'…For free." Not a penny in royalties is to go to the creators.

"This is what [the] strike is about. It's about what kind of entertainment you are going to see and how you are going to see it for the rest of your life, and about how those who create your entertainment are to be recompensed for their creativity. Within the next ten years—likely within the next five—you will download whatever show you want to see directly from the Internet..."

"In 1988…the WGA announced…that the average union member earned $50,000 a year…" based on a membership on 7,500. The current average is only $60,000 based on a membership of 10,000. "That's a figure that doesn't even keep up with inflation from the 20-year old number…Today the majority of the membership does not qualify for a health plan…" And "Writers are the only people in the creative process of making a show who start with Nothing and create Something."

The people who will earn money from writers' labor used in digital media want to keep it for themselves and not share the wealth with the writers who provide the content.

"Capitalism is God." Not the creator.

(For more details, click on the link in the title and read Thomas McKelvey Cleaver's article.)

Can You Tell Me Something Funny about Bad Bosses?

2007-11-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

Sure. You won't find cartoons
about bad bosses in the Comic Section
of my local paper anymore. Know
why? Because they're
in the Business Section!

Absolutely not! There's nothing
funny about people who abuse
and oppress other people
who are just trying to do their jobs.

Sure. Your boss sent you
on this crazy assignment
to find funny stories about people
who are too scary for sci-fi films!

Absolutely not! That you want
to make jokes about the pain &
suffering of employees in abusive
workplaces is appalling, especially
when you are in a position
to help stop it.

Sure. When bad bosses get
caught being bad, guess who
they call? Lawyers!

Absolutely not! Corruption
and abuse of power
are rampant in our society. It makes
good people ill, drives up their
medical costs, shortens
their lives. Then they

read your newspapers, listen
to your radio shows

and see that you think it's funny.

Teamwork Makes It to the Top: Late-blooming Awareness that CEO's Can't Go It Alone

2007-11-10T12:03:00.000-07:00

While employees in US hierarchies are being badgered by corporate values statements into practicing teamwork, managers at the top are lauded as lone wolves. But times change—eventually—and an awareness that CEO's can't go it alone finally strikes.

Two generations of CEO's have become passé. The first generation, Industrial Era "custodians" of the 1950's genre "…were overwhelmed by the rapidly shifting economic landscape of the 1970s and 1980s."

They were replaced with the second generation: "…Empire builders who focused on mega-mergers and financial management in the 1990s to deliver the growth Wall Street demanded…" This generation outlived its usefulness when "…cleanup artists arrived on the scene in the wake of the collapse of Enron and WorldCom and the passage of Sarbanes-Oxley legislation…" to restore legality to internal operations.

Now, it seems that a third generation of CEO's are needed: people who can work collectively at the top. Even big business schools are thinking about teaching teamwork to aspiring executives. "At the Yale School of Management last year the dean and faculty threw out the old first-year curriculum that emphasized individual disciplines like finance and marketing and replaced it with a team-oriented approach…" (Kathy Mattea's country-western song comes to mind: "Where've you been"?)

And the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School is starting to consider this teamwork-at-the-top idea, too. Michael Useem, director of Wharton's Center for Leadership and Change Management, predicts, "…the baton will go to the manager who will stimulate a division and will be creative and innovative,” Hmm, there must be teamwork in there somewhere, but how many managers does it take to twirl a baton?

Perhaps we'll see them replaced with a fourth generation of CEO's--team leaders who are already working inside the organizations that need them. We can hope. But can we wait?

Don't Get Caught in a Bad Boss's Web: Check Out Jerks on the Job at eBossWatch.com!

2007-10-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

You're looking for a job. Maybe it's your first; maybe you want to do better. You've heard about bad bosses being everywhere, and you're a little worried you might end up with one. Sometimes you can't avoid it—like when your good boss gets promoted and a new boss is transferred in. But when you're searching for a job, you have a chance to shop for a good boss. How?

If you've found a job you think you want, go to eBossWatch.com and see if the boss you're interviewing is listed as a "jerk." Click on the "BOSS SEARCH" tab and enter the name and company of the boss you're considering. You'll see each rater's individual (but anonymous) scores and a large summary bar in red, yellow and green--as in stop, caution and go!

To report a "jerk" of a boss at eBossWatch.com, click on the "RATE BOSS" tab. Enter your boss's name, the company and location. Then check answers to six multiple-choice questions about the boss you're rating. Click "Submit." It's that easy—it only takes a minute and it's anonymous!

Can't find the boss you're looking for on eBossWatch? Then you need a more generic approach. Strategies for spotting bad bosses during interviews are included in the book, Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Boss? 13 Types and How to Survive Them. It lists key phrases to listen for and body language to watch for.

If the boss you're interviewing is a jerk, move on. Search for a jerk-free job at a "Certified Great Workplace"—anywhere across the USA—at eBossWatch.com. Just click on the "JERK-FREE JOBS" tab, or go directly to JerkFreeJobs.com.

If enough people use eBossWatch.com to get the word out, vacant positions may start affecting bottom lines and companies may start wondering why some managers can't recruit.

Newest Call-Center Cop-Out from Arizona Government Bosses

2007-10-12T12:25:00.000-07:00

Need information about business tax filing in Arizona? Don't even bother to call the Department of Revenue—a recorded message announces:

"Please understand that my boss, the Department, is not bound by my verbal advice."

Okay, then how does an inquiring citizen get correct answers? Even written advice is verbal--they're not bound by that either? Or perhaps they mean oral? And even if they are referring to oral advice, what's the point of having a call center if you can't believe anything a rep tells you?

I wonder if this means you can't believe anything anyone in government says?

IS THE THOUGHT OF BOSS'S DAY MAKING YOU SICK? PLAN NOW TO TAKE OFF ON OCTOBER 16!

2007-10-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. There's actually a holiday to celebrate your boss; October 16th.

But half of the population would rather fire their bosses than celebrate their boss's incompetence, rudeness, abusiveness, and unethical antics. If you're one of them, what will you do when the office sycophant comes around to take up a collection for a gift? Give no reason if you decide not to open your wallet for a bully, dumbfounder or pilferer boss. Just say, "Pass."

If there's a group celebration planned for Boss's Day, then plan to take the day off. Now is the time to put in your request so it won't be too obvious. You have personal business to take care of on that day—the business of keeping yourself from upchucking.

As an added bonus, on Tuesday, October 16, you may download for FREE "Basic Bad-Boss Survival Strategies" , Chapter 14, from the book Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Boss? 13 Types and How to Survive Them!

Imagine the statement it would make if everyone who reports to a bad boss took Boss's Day off!

Bad Boss Costs McDonald's Over $3 Million in Strip-Search Suit

2007-10-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

About 3 ½ years ago, a caller phoned an Assistant Manager at a McDonald's store in Mount Washington, Kentucky. Posing as a police officer investing a customer's claim of having been robbed at the store, the caller described an employee and told the manager to strip search her. Louise Ogborn, the employee who fit the description, was 18 years old at the time. The manager, Donna Summers, not only led the search but, during the 3 ½ hour incident, Louise was also forced to perform sexual acts with Summers' fiancé, Walter Nix, Jr.

As if that isn't bad enough, the hoax caller had already struck other McDonald's stores, so McDonald's management knew about this predator. Yet, McDonald's management never informed its employees. And, of course, "McDonald's attorneys argued the company was not responsible for the incident."

Withholding information, a habit of bad bosses, is an error of omission. Though McDonalds' management did not commit the act, they could have prevented it by alerting employees, but they didn't. The jury awarded $6.1 million to Louise. McDonalds is responsible for half of the payment and the still-unknown hoax caller is responsible for the other half.

Here are three tips to prevent a tragic event like this from happening in your company and damaging your reputation:

1. Make sure managers know to verify callers who make claims of any kind. In this case, the manager might have asked for the officer's name and badge number, and the name of the police station. Then the manager could have called Information (411) for the phone number and verified the caller's claim with the officer in charge or the dispatcher. (Never accept a phone number the caller provides.) If the call was legitimate, the manager might have only detained the employee for a short while until the police arrived to handle the charges.

2. Make sure managers know the limits of their authority with regard to an employee's body. A no-touch policy is best.

3. Get the word out to all employees when employees at other locations have been subjected to a hoax. Make sure all employees understand what happened and what to do if the hoax is sprung on them.

And pay up without moaning if you fail to manage in a way that protects your employees from being physcially violated.

If you're an employee and your manager asks you to take off your clothes or do anything else that is a violation of your person, do not cooperate--call the police immediately (keep a cell phone with you at work for self-defense).

Generation Y's Instant-Access Lifestyle Clashes with Established Work Cultures

2007-10-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

Older managers, including Boomers and Gen Xers, are feeling the impact of having grown up without advanced technology at their fingertips. The newest generation of workers, Generation Y, is accustomed to instant information. Rather than sitting around sucking on their thumbs as babies, they used their thumbs to text-message for instant information about how to minimize the pain of teething.

Now that they're at work, having to wait for a request to go through the Chain of Command/Support is anathema to young workers. They need an answer to get their job done, and they text the person whom they believe has that answer—even if it's the CEO. They hear a presentation and, before the speaker asks the audience for questions, they've searched the Internet and found the pros and cons of the speaker's topic. Tension mounts as stodgy protocol interferes with immediacy.

What to do?

1. Recognize that this is a diversity issue. People are clashing because they grew up in different micro-cultures, not because they're belligerent or ignorant.

2. Orient new workers to your business culture and its protocols before you put them in a job. Emphasize the reasons why certain procedures are followed—if they understand the potential consequences, they are more likely to comply.

3. Recognize younger workers as teachers—people who can help you optimize business operations by applying new technologies.

4. Train older managers to welcome challenges from new workers and use those challenges as opportunities to both teach and learn. Tell them to remember back when they were new and how they wished they could just be heard—let them see this as their chance to give what may never have gotten and become heroes.

5. Reward managers for integrating new processes suggested by younger workers and recognizing those younger workers for their contributions.

6. Evaluate the efficiencies of your business operations and upgrade to new technologies that get the work done better and faster—and that keep new talent from moving on to techier pastures.

Why bother? Because Generation Y is expected to represent a larger percentage of the population than Boomers. Think about it.

Correcting the Error that Allows Failed CEO's to Become Fabulously Rich?

2007-09-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

A New York Times article reports:

"In his research, Mr. Jensen found that in 44 percent of all contracts for chief executives, even those convicted of fraud or embezzlement cannot be fired without a severance payment. In 94 percent of the contracts, he said, they cannot be fired for unsatisfactory work without a big severance package."

How nuts is that?

Michael C. Jensen, a professor emeritus at Harvard's Graduate School of Business, was once a champion of gargantuan pay packages for CEO's. But now he sees the error of his ways.

Lately, he more clearly defines *pay for performance* to mean getting CEO's to legitimately work at increasing the value of their organizations "over the long term" by putting some of their own money to work—or having "skin in the game" (a pathetic metaphor)—rather than collecting big bucks for chance increases or for driving public companies into debt, bankruptcy and takeover.

And, by the way, he now adds, "…the work force…must also be recognized and rewarded.”

Gee, do you really need to teach at, or attend, Harvard's Graduate School of Business to understand those concepts?

There's a lot of question about Jensen's new ideas, as evidenced in a remark reported by The New York Times from a professor at Vanderbilt Law School, Margaret Blair, a corporate governance expert, who is quoted as saying:

"Imposing the constraints that Michael Jensen has in mind runs contrary to the culture that has emerged in boardrooms over the last 20 years. Mr. Jensen himself is partly responsible for that culture."

Does Jensen really mean what he's saying now, or is the purpose of his new book just to fund his retirement mansions on the Gulf of Mexico and in Vermont?

"Slightly Stupid Delinquent Children"?

2007-09-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

Even radio hosts balk about bad bosses!

Sheri Lynch of WLKN-FM in Charlotte, NC, said:

"One thing we don't like is if management treats us like slightly stupid delinquent children. We're professionals."

Employees in all industries probably feel the same way. Are you listening, bosses? Or could you be slightly stupid?

First Ever Cyber Picket Line to Protest IBM Bad Bosses on September 25…and You Can Help!

2007-09-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

"During the talks to renew IBM’s Italian internal collective agreement, the works council, supported by the majority of IBM Italy employees, asked for a small salary increase. IBM responded by canceling their 'productive results benefit,' resulting in a loss of €1000 per year for each employee. For a company that wants to lead in corporate social responsibility, this is unacceptable."

In response, the local union in Italy has arranged to conduct the first-ever online picket line. The picket line will be made up of avatars carrying picket signs with protest messages. People from around the world may join in to offer their support. The virtual picket line is offered via a service provided by Second Life.

According to an article in PersonnelToday.com, a department head at the Trade Union Confederation, Owen Tudor, said:

"Unions reinvent themselves every time bad bosses change the way they do business. IBM's virtual customers will be meeting cyber unionists for the first time this week, and firms who do the dirty on their staff can expect more and more innovative protests."

Unions Have Bad Bosses, Too!

2007-08-28T07:47:00.000-07:00

By now, you've probably heard about the AFL-CIO's second annual Bad Boss Contest. The big union claims that its purpose is to identify the worst boss in the country. But one reporter, Jeff Poor of the Business and Media Institute, exposes this contest as a "publicity ploy by the AFL-CIO to demonize non-union employers." Poor also quotes MSNBC TV Anchor David Shuster, in highlighting "The AFL-CIO didn’t even bother to try and 'verify that the stories are accurate.'”

He goes on to say that news coverage fails to provide a balanced view of this event. To make his point, he explains that there have been some really bad union bosses, too. He provides a few examples:

"Pat Tornillo, former head of the Miami-based United Teachers of Dade, used the dues of union members to subsidize his lavish lifestyle including trips to India, Bangkok and Australia. Tornillo was eventually sentenced to 27 months in prison for misusing teachers’ union funds in 2003.

"Barbara Bullock, the former president of the Washington, D.C., teachers union skimmed an estimated $2.5 million from her 5,000-member union. “FBI investigators seized thousands of dollars' worth of goods from her, including furs, designer handbags and Ferragamo shoes,” wrote Michael Crowley in the June 2004 issue of Reader's Digest. “The annual dues of hardworking teachers – nearly $650 in 2002 -- helped pay for her splurges.”

"Linda Holden, former financial secretary of Local 6-639 of the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union was sentenced to two years probation, including 180 days of home confinement and ordered to pay $74,090.09 in restitution in June for embezzling that amount in union dues."

Poor then provides a link to hundreds of other examples of bad union bosses.

Bad bosses are everywhere. Be especially wary of those who point their finger—they may only be trying to slip a hand into your pocket.

Question: What Can We Learn about Good Leadership from Bad Leaders?

2007-08-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

Answer: Nobody knows. Yet.

To date, most leadership studies have focused on an investigation of top-level individuals purported to be good leaders. A veritable industry has emerged for teaching the leadership attributes gleaned from these studies. Organizations spend billions of dollars each year buying books and sending their managers to training programs to learn leadership traits-du-jour, yet reports of bad bosses are on the rise. What's wrong with this picture?

Three researchers at Bond University in Australia, Dr. Anthony Erickson, Dr. Ben Shaw and Dr. Michael Gundlach, are going to find out. They say,

"While most leadership development focuses on teaching aspiring leaders how they should behave, surely some time should be devoted to teaching them also how not to behave, or how not to be seen a as bad leader. It is good to be good, but it is also good not to be bad!"

They add, "As with any sort of cancer, the best alternative to prevention is early detection."

The researchers plan to answer these ten questions:

(1) How common are bad leaders?
(2) What actions or behaviours do leaders engage in that causes them to be perceived as “bad leaders?”
(3) Are bad leaders commonly recognized and considered bad leaders by all or most members of the organisation?
(4) What emotional impact does a bad leader have on subordinates?
(5) What impact does a bad leader have on individual subordinate work performance?
(6) What impact does a bad leader have on other aspects of the subordinate’s personal or work life?
(7) What impact does a bad leader have on the broader organisation?
(8) Does bad leadership develop over time, i.e., do good leaders become bad, or are bad leaders consistently bad throughout their career?
(9) If bad leadership does develop over time, what causes the descent into bad leadership?
(10) What commonly happens to bad leaders in an organisation?

Their multi-phased study has just begun. An especially useful aspect of this study is that it will focus on leadership at all levels of an organization, not just at the top. In other words, it will look at the feeder pools and the ways in which lower level managers learn accepted leadership behavior in their organization.

Preliminary results from phase 1, conducted with a very small sample of only about 245 people, have provided a place to begin. The researchers say one finding is "remarkably disturbing"—the finding that "64.2% of the respondents [approximately 157 people] indicated that either nothing or something positive happened to the bad leader [they reported in the questionnaire]"—an indication that question #10 is very important in this study. However, the researchers are clear in saying that they "cannot claim that the [initial] sample is representative of any particular population."

This is an important study to watch, not only because of its implications for managing organizations effectively and training managers and leaders, but for its implications about employee health and related healthcare issues.

To read the initial survey questions, or to contact the researchers, go to the Bond University Web site.

The Kind of Employer You Want to Work For: Creative Healthcare Solutions

2007-08-10T14:31:00.000-07:00

When Creative Healthcare Solutions (CHS) management learned that one of its Army Reserve employees, Tom Weikert, had been called to active duty with only one week's notice, they began supporting his transition to military duty immediately. They not only gave him the week off, but they supplemented his salary while he was away so his wife could care for his children without having to get a job. They even kept up his 401K plan. And while he was away, they and other staff members stayed in touch with him and sent care packages. And get this: half way into his tour, his boss, Dan Twibell, and company founder, Ed Mitzen, flew to his home and took his two sons, ages 7 and 10, to a hockey game!

Creative Healthcare Solutions will receive a 2007 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award in September—one of 15 only companies recognized nationally for their support.

Who would not be loyal to this employer for life? CHS has job openings posted on its Web site—if you qualify, apply.

Home Depot Fires Four Managers for Violation of Company Ethics: Who's Minding the Store?

2007-08-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

Four lower-level merchandising managers got fired for accepting kickbacks from flooring vendors for placing those vendors' products in Home Depot stores. This is an appropriate action; however, you have to wonder how these lower-level managers were able to get away with collecting $1 million dollars from vendors. Where were their managers? There's a fine line between delegation and abdication; it sounds like abdication may have been the management MO in this case with no oversight of competitive bids.

In a rare but welcomed gesture, Home Depot is keeping private the name of the person who tipped them off to the scam. If you discover that your boss is a Pilferer, before you decide to report the misdeed to upper management you must do two things to protect yourself:

1. Make sure upper management isn't condoning or participating in the scam.

2. Negotiate for anonymity before spilling the beans

You Might be a Manager if You Can't Explain Your Job to Your Kids

2007-07-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

The role of managing people is undervalued in organizations. The inability to explain your management job in simple terms that your children can understand is an indication of the lack of value placed on supporting the development of employees. If your management doesn't tell you what a good job you're doing, or evaluate your work, or measure your performance in terms other than the sum of the results of the people who report to you, then it's hard to see what you do as anything more than talking and typing.

It is challenging, but not impossible, to measure the business impact of developing employees. Because the results are not easily counted, this function often goes unevaluated and unrewarded.

If you're struggling to explain your job to your children, it's probably because your management disregards your indirect contributions. If you perform the job of developing employees, tell the kids that you're like a teacher who helps students to learn and get A's: You teach people and help them solve problems so that customers can get the things they need, and employees can earn money to support themselves and their family.

Bad Bosses Exempt Themselves and Their Co-Conspirators from Rules--Just Like Bush

2007-07-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

Bush's commutation of Libby's prison sentence is no different than the abuse of power we see in the workplace everyday. Sadly, corruption has become part of the fabric of America—in industry and in government. Our highest government officials serve as role models of malfeasance, changing American values from "Don’t do wrong" to "Don't get caught doing wrong—and if you do get caught, make sure you have co-conspirators in high places who will shield you from the consequences of your wrongdoing."

In one 5-year under-cover study, conducted as background for the book "Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Boss? 13 Types and How to Survive Them," management corruption was found to be rampant at 10 randomly-chosen organizations. The infractions included, but were not limited to:

- Sabotaging the employers' improvement programs that cut off access to assets routinely taken for personal pleasure;

- Using the employer's assets to run private businesses on the side;

- Hiring unqualified friends and vendors for personal paybacks;

- Falsification of performance measurements to obtain undeserved bonuses'

- Non-performance of assigned management duties; and

- Falsely accusing employees of management misdeeds.

How can you steer clear of corrupt workplaces? Here are five ways:

1. Start and operate your own entrepreneurial business

2. Start and operate a franchise business

3. Work at a small company in which the owner has invested her/his money in the business and is involved in daily operations

4. Create your own, independent retirement plan; obtain a private health insurance plan that you pay for; maintain savings that can cover your expenses for 6 months; and live within your means.

5. Avoid politics, so no one can manipulate you.

This will keep you from being held hostage in a large organization for benefits, and enable to resign at the first signs of corruption that threaten your reputation, integrity and health.

When Minorities Slur Other Minorities: Does Race Exempt Anyone from Civility?

2007-06-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

There is no status to which we can aspire that exempts us from civility in the workplace. Isaiah Washington, a star on the TV show "Grey's Anatomy," directed anti-gay slurs toward a co-worker—twice—and got fired.

He laments that he should get a second chance (or would that be third?) and be allowed to submit to counseling, rather than be fired. He claims that because of his race, he is being treated more harshly than a non-African American would be.

We don't know the whole story, but it doesn't matter. Minorities in all settings are keenly aware of the pain inflicted by slurs. It can only end when people stop doing it—all people. We always have the right to remain silent.

Tell the Truth about Your Bad Boss, Go Directly to Jail!

2007-06-21T17:01:00.000-07:00

Here in the US, telling the truth about your bad boss in public can get you fired. But in Korea, it can get you jailed for two years! Unless you do it in the public interest and not just for self-satisfaction.

So, if you work in Korea and you want to expose your bad boss, do it in such a way that your message becomes a public service, such as cautioning potential job applicants about the risks of reporting to this manager.

Are You Smarter Than Your Boss?

2007-06-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

If you're smarter than your boss, you could be in trouble. Being smart is having the ability to generate new, workable ideas and to solve problems effectively and efficiently. Being smart is not about education; education just gives you more information to work with, it doesn't make you smart.

Good bosses hire people who are smart because they want to do the best possible job for the organization. They also like the idea of training the people who might, one day, become their boss, because they know they can help people become the best they can possibly be. So being smarter than a good boss is a good thing.

Then there are bad bosses. Bad bosses don't care about the organization that employs them—they care about getting assets and benefits they're not entitled to, and about making themselves look important by intimidating or putting down others—especially competent others. So being smarter than a bad boss can make you a target of abuse.

Here are a few tips for protecting yourself from becoming the target of a bad boss's rage:

1. Hold back your ideas.
Don't let your boss know that you are capable of creating and directing new projects.

2. Fade into the background.
Don't volunteer for special assignments above and beyond your job description, and don't talk about your work or life accomplishments.

3. Work below your potential.
Don't exceed the goals assigned to you by your boss, even if it's easy to do.

4. Plan your exit strategy.
Find another job—in the same company or in another—with a boss who has a good reputation for developing and promoting employees

10 Things to Do if You Think Your Salary is Discriminatory

2007-05-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

Lilly Lebetter, a supervisor at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.'s plant in Gadsden, Ala., was receiving a salary $6,500 below the lowest paid male supervisor's salary after working in her role for 19 years. She sued and won, but her victory was overturned and the case was eventually heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court decided she had no case because she waited too long to file her complaint—so the discrimination against her is supported by the law.

You're damned if you do and damned if you don't file a discriminatory claim now. Filing a claim can lead to retaliation from your employer and doing nothing means you freely donate a good portion of your life to your profit-making employer. What to do?

1. When you get promoted, do not sign document that states you agree to the salary you have been offered.

2. Ask to see the salary range for your position when it is first offered to you. There are external salary standards that determine the salary range for most positions in most organizations—even for management positions. This is not secret, it's how employers compete with each other for employees in the labor market.

3. Ask to see the salary range of all employees at your new level—not names, just numbers. Explain that you'd like to understand the opportunity for you to grow your income in this position. If your request is refused, ask how you can be certain that your salary is appropriate for your job level in comparison to other's who hold this position.

4. Ask for the criteria for reaching the maximum salary for your level. Get the answer in writing or write it down yourself and document it in a memo, with date and time, to the person who provided the information.

5. Ask how long it takes to reach the maximum salary level for your position and whether people already earning the maximum reached it at the same time or at different times; if different times, ask why.

6. When you get a raise, determine whether it is enough for you to earn the maximum for your level within the expected time frame. If not, ask in writing why you are being held back from earning the maximum at your level within the expected time frame.

7. Document all answers in a memo with date, time and names of those involved in the conversation. Send your memo to the person who provided the information and to your immediate boss or an HR manager. Make sure it is addressed to one person and copied to another; it's unlikely one person will deny having received the memo if someone else also received it. Keep hard copies in a safe place away from your work location.

8. If your employer refuses to disclose any of this information, tell your employer the information is so important to you that you will go to an outside organization if they leave that as your only option.

9. Work with your colleagues to create an open environment of disclosing salaries. Be bold and ask your peers what salary they receive. Being discrete about this information has nothing to do with manners—it's a custom created by employers to allow tehm to discriminate freely.

10. File a claim with the EEOC within 180 days of receiving a pay treatment if you believe you may have been discriminated against, and encourage others in your organization to do the same. Then you cannot be accused of waiting too long to prevent your employer from continuing to discriminate against you.

Job Search and GPA

2007-05-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

As if picking a major wasn't hard enough, now you've got to know the employer you want to work for before you finish college, unless you plan to get A's in everything.
Employers are putting greater emphasis on college grade-point-average as an indicator of how likely you are to succeed as an employee.

Ever worked with one of those geniuses who did well in school but couldn't carry on a conversation? GPA is not a perfect indicator—keep that in mind if you're not Einstein inclined. Equally as important is a record of successful leadership in college or community clubs.

But if life has side-tracked you away from studies and extra-curricular activities, you can still make a case for yourself by playing up those areas you aced that are related to your desired career—for example, you may be science-challenged, or science-disinterested, and still be a great hospitality manager. Just report your GPA in your major.

As they say, liars figure and figures lie—might as well learn to play the game sooner rather than later.

FIVE TIPS FOR TURNING AROUND A FAILING CORPORATION

2007-05-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

1. Uncover and eliminate internal corruption at all levels.

Managers at all levels who steal time or assets from their employer are like termites munching away the corporate foundation. Make it impossible for them to get away with it by spying on them.

2. Locate and remove all incompetent managers.

Retaining incompetent management is like letting cancer run its course in your body without surgery, chemo or radiation. Cut it out.

3. Replace incompetent managers with people who have high integrity and a commitment to success.

The best managers are usually right under your nose and overlooked because of a lack of pedigree. Employees who work under incompetent managers are suppressed from doing a good job—most of them know how, even better than the boss.

4. Identify all waste in internal operations and eliminate it without negatively impacting employee's health and financial security.

Waste, like poop, needs to be flushed away without harming the body. Examine technical and administrative functions and make them more efficient. It's too easy to eliminate benefits to show profitability, but that's not waste—that's hurting the body—and that's incompetent management. And you know what must be done about incompetent management.

5. Put all employees on a budget and reward them for high-quality, within-budget production.

Employees are CEO's of households and families—they understand budgeting. Every operation performed by a compensated employee has a cost. Show employees the numbers—let them figure out how to make more money by what they do.

It's really that easy. Good private equity firms know this.

Bad Bosses at Purdue Pharma Make a Killing with OxyContin

2007-05-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

Privately held Purdue Pharma, L.P., makers of OxyContin, "learned from focus groups with physicians in 1995 that doctors were worried about the abuse potential of OxyContin. The company then gave false information to its sales representatives that the drug had less potential for addiction and abuse than other painkillers…"

As U.S. Attorney John Brownlee puts it, "With its OxyContin, Purdue unleashed a highly abusable, addictive, and potentially dangerous drug on an unsuspecting and unknowing public."

"From 1996 to 2001, the number of oxycodone-related deaths nationwide increased fivefold while the annual number of OxyContin prescriptions increased nearly 20-fold, according to a report by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In 2002, the DEA said the drug caused 146 deaths and contributed to another 318."

As punishment, in a settlement, "[Purdue Pharma's] president, top lawyer and former chief medical officer will pay $634.5 million in fines for claiming the drug was less addictive and less subject to abuse than other pain medications."

"Purdue spokesman James Heins objected to any suggestion of ties between the plea agreement and the abuse of OxyContin. 'We promoted the medicine only to health-care professionals, not to consumers,' he said in a statement." Unethical profit-making schemes are never their fault, are they?

"Ken Jost of the Justice Department's Office of Consumer Litigation said this case should put pharmaceutical companies on notice that they won't be able to get away with breaking the law to make a profit." Ri-ight…

Notice that the names of the fined parties are withheld. The only lesson the pharmaceutical industry will learn from this pay-money-for-addicted-and-lost-lives-settlement is how not to get caught next time—unless someone overdoses their lobbyists with their killing concoctions.

Bad Boss Cheating the Government? Get Big Bucks for Blowing the Whistle

2007-05-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

Four sales representatives will each receive $1.1 million for blowing the whistle against their former employer, Medicis Pharmaceutical. Medicaid paid millions for use of the skin-care product, Loprox, as a treatment for diaper rash on babies—but the FDA approved the use of this product only for people over the age of 10.

"False Claims Act provides that private parties may file an action on behalf of the United States and get part of the settlement."

Medicis settled the charge for a total of $9.8 million.

It's not nice to mess with Uncle Sam--and it can make you rich if you tell.

Circuit City Wonders Why Sales and Stock are Down

2007-05-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

Surprise, surprise. After unjustly firing 3,400 of its highest paid employees in March to save money, and replacing them with lower-waged employees, Circuit City finds sales are down and it's stock price dropped 5.3%.

Could it be that those highly valued, terminated employees went to work for Circuit City's competitors?

See the earlier story here:
http://bigbadbossbook.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html

Another Reason for Shareholders to Vote on CEO Compensation ( AT&T – Whitacre )

2007-04-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

Retiring chairman and chief executive of AT&T, Edward E. Whitacre Jr., retires with a $158 million payout and a promise of $1 million a year for the next 3 years for consulting. Sadly, only 44% of AT&T shareholders voted in favor of having a say in CEO compensation, so away their money goes in a very large giveaway.

But 44% is no small number. That's a lot of dissatisfied shareholders. Similar results occurred at Merrill Lynch and Abbot Laboratories. Activist investors are catching on and their numbers are growing.

Don't be surprised to find shareholders, in the near future, demanding evidence of how one person could possibly deserve $9,000 per hour. That would be an interesting case.

The Turn-of-the-Century Buy-Back Craze ( Swift – Moyes )

2007-04-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

Just yesterday in "If Investors Could Vote on CEO Pay," I mentioned that buy-backs are likely to become the hot new trend in the corporate domain. Today, we read about Swift Transportation Company's original founder, Jerry Moyes, buying his company back from investors after being forced out in 2005 because of a settled-without-fault SEC investigation.

Hey, if it's your own money you're working with, you can keep as much of it as you want. It's when you're playing with investor's money that exorbitant executive pay becomes questionable.

And you can continue generating wealth in a privately-held company as long as the people on whose backs you earn that wealth believe they are being treated fairly. Unlike in corporations, the test of a healthy private company is employee retention, not investor dissatisfaction. When your best employees start leaving, you've got trouble in River City.

If Investors Could Vote on CEO Pay… ( Lockheed Martin – Capital One )

2007-04-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

Imagine a world in which investors could determine how much of their money would be allowed to fund private McMansions and yachts. Imagine investors having the ability to demand long-term performance from the executives who work with their money, rather than just the simple manipulation of numbers from quarter to quarter.

Activist investors call it "say on pay" and it's starting to catch on, with 40% of investors at Lockheed Martin and 37% at Capital One Financial voting in favor of allowing investors to vote on CEO compensation packages.

Executives are probably strategizing more about how to block say-on-pay than they are on how to make their companies successful over the long term. Keep watching—to keep the number of activist investors too small to win a majority vote, we're likely to see a rush of stock buy-backs.

Is OSHA Letting Your Employer Kill You? ( Edwin Foulke - Popcorn - Diacetyl )

2007-04-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

Popcorn disease. That's what they're calling it. An ingredient that makes microwaveable popcorn taste buttery, diacetyl, is permanently damaging workers' lungs.

"Scientists from the national occupational safety institute…issued a bulletin in September 2001 saying 'a work-related cause of lung disease' had occurred" in one plant where diacetyl was handled. They also found a widespread pattern of workers becoming ill from handling the ingredient.

The agency responsible for enforcing rules to protect employees from workplace such hazards, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), responded to this scientific discovery by simply issuing an alert—no guidelines, rules or regulations.

Oddly, OSHA head, Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., a republican, is opposed to regulations that cost employers money and prefers the honor system—saying he trusts big business to do the right thing. Wonder why? "Three of the biggest industries regulated by OSHA — transportation, agribusiness and construction — have given more than $630 million in political campaign contributions since 2000, with nearly three-quarters of that money going to Republicans."

When bad bosses at governmental agencies aren't doing the job, citizens must take matters into their own hands. If we can get Imus fired, surely we can save lives. Stop buying microwaveable popcorn and see how long it takes industry to decide that food-handler safety is important to their bottom line.

Trifle Recall ( Alberto Gonzales – US Attorney General )

2007-04-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

One of the most common bad boss tools is selective amnesia--pretending to remember only trifles—those incidents that do not incriminate oneself. As long as there are no records of past events (text; video or audio), anything can be denied and no one can prove what actually happened. This is just another form of lying.

If you find yourself in a sticky workplace situation that could be used against you, document everything—conversations, including who said what and when, down to the date and hour; instructions; compliments and critiques. Keep a hard copy of your records in a safe place away from your work location. This is the cure for the kind of selective amnesia that can threaten your credibility.

It's no wonder that certain politicians don't want records of their testimony. Bad bosses don't want records of their conversations, either. All the more reason to do it.

CEO SUGGESTS POOR PERFORMANCE TO CURB HIS COMPENSATION ( DOUG PARKER – US AIRWAYS )

2007-04-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

US Airways CEO, Doug Parker, received a total of $14.4 million in 2006, made up of of $5.4 million in compensation and $9 million in exercised stock options.

Meanwhile, 37,000 US Airways employees are struggling for raises in union contract negotiations that drag on into 2007, a year in which US Airways is not performing well. The company is struggling to turn around its operations having had an extraordinary amount of flight cancellations, delays due to a new computer-reservations system gone bad, and low customer service rankings.

So, to reassure employees, Parker decided to tell them in a memo that he wouldn't get paid as much this year if things continue to go so badly at US Airways:

"I'm sure many of you are wondering how I could be paid so much when our airline is doing so poorly right now. . . . I assure you that if we continue to perform in 2007 as we have since the beginning of the year, my 2007 total compensation will be nothing close to what it was in 2006."

What a relief to know there's something that can be done to curb CEO pay.

But what if employees want the company to survive and thrive--and want raises and bonuses, too?

Money Over Matter – Imus Bosses Expose the Influence of Greed

2007-04-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

Eight days.

That's how long it took for CBS bosses to decide to fire Imus for degrading the young women of the Rutgers basketball team. Broadcast bosses wiggled and wriggled to come up with excuses, but the public fought back where they knew it would hurt—in the corporate piggy bank.

The protest was reminiscent of Martin Luther King Jr.'s protest in 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, when riders refused to pay to ride the busses because they were required to sit in the back when a white person boarded. But this time it wasn't just an oppressed group that was outraged—it was all civil and sensible demographic groups.

So what finally got through? The threat of boycotting products advertised on the Imus show led to the withdrawal of ads by other big businesses—in other words, no money would paid to the broadcasters to sponsor the Imus show anymore. Finally, they realized that crass and blatant human degradation broadcast over the FCC-regulated airwaves was no longer profitable.

What's most sickening is Imus' reaction, calling the response to his defamatory remarks "insane" and "out of control." Most fitting terms for his own behavior.

Do CEO's have bigger ones?

2007-04-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

You bet they do. Ten times more than the average person.

"The median [CEO] home was valued at $2.7 million, more than 10 times the median sales price for all U.S. homes in 2004. It included 11 rooms plus 4.5 bathrooms, with a floor area of more than 5,600 square feet and a median land area of one and a quarter acre."

Is it a sign? According to Arizona State University's Crocker Liu and New York University's David Yermack, it could be:

"The bigger the CEO home, the worse the company's stock fares …A lot of these CEOs sell their stock in order to buy the house and that sends a negative signal and, in fact, they may be using the house as an alibi because their stock may be going bad...About a third of CEOs appear to have exercised stock options and sold shares in the 12 months before they made a home purchase. The shares peaked right before the home was bought."

In contrast, "consider Warren Buffett, chairman and chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. The billionaire lives in a relatively modest house he purchased in 1958 for $31,500."

What's an investor or an employee to do? Keep in mind that "…those buying more modestly saw their companies' stocks beat the market benchmark by about [25%]."

You may be hired for the wrong reasons; quit while you're ahead

2007-04-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

"Bad bosses, inadequate pay and lack of opportunities are the often-cited reasons why workers leave a job. But here's another reason: unrealistic job expectations."

When too few people are searching for jobs, bosses may hire any warm body just to fill the spot. The may mislead you about the job requirements so you'll accept the position. Worse yet, you may never get to talk to your future boss until someone in Human Resources interviews you—someone who knows nothing about the job you'll be asked to do, but requires you to complete a job application.

Applying for a job before you've talked with your potentially-new boss is like buying a car or a house without seeing it. The practice of having HR accept job applications and interview candidates before letting you meet with the boss helps protect companies from legal blunders bad bosses may make during the hiring process. It's easier for companies to do it this way than to train their managers and hold them accountable for effective hiring—that's why it's so hard to get around. But there is something you can do.

Tell the HR rep that you're only there for an interview and you won't know whether you want to apply for the job until you meet your possibly-to-be new boss and learn more about the job from someone who knows it first-hand. HR people may get flustered because they only know one way to do things. If that happens, ask to talk with the HR Manager. When you do, ask if he or she would buy a house without ever seeing it. They'll try to convince you that this is the way they do things--that's already a sign not to work there.

When you meet with the boss who oversees the job, before you apply for it, ask for a walkthrough of a typical workday. If the job involves tasks you don't know how to do, ask how you will be trained. If the answer is, "You'll pick it up as you go along," or words to that effect, be leery about taking the job—this boss may just be looking for a warm body to throw into the frying pan without having it sputter too much.

You are the one who will suffer the most when a boss hires you knowing you're not qualified for the job and does not provide formal training for you to learn it.

A Pill Won't Help You Cope with a Bad Boss ( Columbia University - Depression )

2007-04-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

"An estimated one in six Americans suffer depression at some point in their lives. Up to 25 percent of people in whom psychiatrists would currently diagnose depression may only be reacting normally to stressful events" such as mistreatment in the workplace. "People who have no disorders often experience the same symptoms as those who do."

A study conducted by researchers at Columbia University "suggested that drug treatment may often be inappropriate for people who are experiencing painful -- but normal -- responses to life's stresses. Supportive therapy, on the other hand, may be useful -- and may keep someone…from going on to develop full-blown depression."

"People are starting to think that any sort of negative emotion is unnatural, that they can take medication and feel better. What that can also do is . . . make it less likely for people to make real changes in their lives that might be better than medications."

If you experience symptoms of depression as a result of unhealthy workplace conditions, you are not ill—you body is reacting normally to stressful events—it's telling you that you need to make a change.

Sinking Ship Sacks Specialists ( Circuit City )

2007-03-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

One of the rare electronic stores with sales staff who could actually tell you how to make new electronic gizmos work, has fired 3,400 of those sales people because they were earning too much money. "Dismissals had nothing to do with performance."

Some of the sacked specialists earned a whopping $18 per hour. In contrast, their CEO, Philip J. Schoonover, received $407 per-hour, or $807 per-hour if you include his bonus and overlook his $3 million in stock awards and $340,000 in underlying options. A 44-to-1 ratio of executive to sales-staff salary is just intolerable—executives should receive much more, according to Circuit City.

Some employees were given a 4-week severance package and told they could reapply for their jobs at a lower hourly wage in 10-weeks (6-weeks after their severance runs out) if there are any positions still available after Circuit City hires replacements who are willing to work for a lower wage.

Pressured by pricing competition from Best Buy and Wal-Mart, Circuit City's solution was to eliminate their expertise. Amazingly, investor response increased Circuit City's stock value by 2%. Surely, these investors must be day traders who can't see beyond next week.

There oughta be a law—or a union.

Half the Citizens of the World's Largest Democracy Remain Unequal Under Its Law ( ERA WEA Equal Rights for Women )

2007-03-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

It's an irrational contradiction; a societal incongruity; a Freudian slip of exponential proportion. A country that imposes itself into the development of constitutions in new democracies around the world, with an emphasis on equality of citizens, has yet to provide equality for half of its citizens in its own constitution. A country that has, and has had women campaigning to be its president, and women serving in its highest court and congress, excludes those women from equal protection under its laws.

The Equal Rights Amendment has been blocked for 84 years—since 1923: 3 years after women finally got the right to vote; 53 years after American men of African ancestry got the right to vote. When trying to understand something like this, that seems to make no sense, follow the money trail and ask yourself, "Who's got something to lose?"

"Caroline Fredrickson, who directs the Washington office of the American Civil Liberties Union…said it is more likely the ERA would allow women to sue for higher pay and other benefits." It's doubtful that U.S. employers are willing to start paying for services they've been exploiting for centuries, so we need another approach.

If equal rights for women is too threatening a topic to tackle, let's modify employment laws, instead. Under the new laws, a married person who manages a household and provides child-rearing services would become an employee, rather than a spouse. A wage earning partner would be required to pay the household-management/child-rearing employee a salary, including social security and health insurance benefits, even if the household-management/child-rearing partner earns income from other sources. Termination of employment would render the household-management/child-rearing partner a funded subsidiary, especially when children are transferred to the newly created entity.

This democratic correction would be supported by an expansion of the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.

Tips for Emerging Entrepreneurs

2007-03-24T10:35:00.000-07:00

Thinking of jumping off the corporate cruise liner and starting your own business? No matter what title you give yourself, you need to be prepared for a huge drop in salary.

Unlike slothful corporate CEO's, who are nothing more than employees working with other people's money—and taking as much of it as they can get away with, entrepreneurs create wealth from innovative ideas. It isn't an easy ride, but the passion to make a difference makes up for the pay cut in the beginning. Few things in life are more rewarding than creating wealth from your own ideas. Here are a few tips for emerging entrepreneurs:

1. Live on a reduced income while you're earning a regular paycheck for at least six months before you invest in your idea. This will give you real-life experience with the quality of your living standard in the early stages of your enterprise.

2. Learn the skills you lack before you start your business—you'll need to do every job for a while, including: financing; research; development; data base management; inventory; marketing; selling; publicity; packaging; and fulfillment. As the business grows, you'll need to learn people management.

3. Clear you calendar of other activities for a year. You can't run the PTA and a new business at the same time without one of them suffering.

4. Keep you idea a secret until you've launched your business—the world is full of people with money but no creativity—your idea can be stolen and implemented by someone else before you can say trademark.

If you've got the right stuff—ideas, passion, skills, energy and competitiveness—you can make it work. Just do your homework and set aside some living-expense money before you take the leap.

Gonzales Brings to Light Misuse of Job Evaluations

2007-03-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

Finally, the government is doing something about the misuse of workplace power—even if it's nothing more than exposing how it's done.

The idea behind job evaluations is to take the subjectivity out of assessing human performance. But, like any good bomb, it's also a tool that can be used inappropriately to produce whatever results the evaluator wants.

Just watch Bush and Gonzales to see how it's done with Federal prosecutors.

American Idol Judges Smacked With Reality

2007-03-09T05:39:00.000-07:00

The judges dropped their jaws in shock as singers they'd rated "outstanding" were dropped from the show. They loudly lamented, "But it's a singing contest!"

Is it? Not really.

They've been duped into thinking that they were doing the important work of finding new singers for their sponsors. But, in fact, it's not good singers that the sponsors want at all—it's good sellers. If the voting population says it's willing to buy audio products performed by so-so singers because they like the look of those singers better than their voices, then judges be damned.

Sadly, these famous judges are nothing more than another commodity to their sponsors. They're there to give the appearance that they're doing one job, but their bosses are using them for another purpose. They're reality on the show is that they are just place-holders—a lot like middle managers. You can't feel sorry for them because they get paid big bucks while their bosses work around them to do whatever it takes to boost the bottom line.

The real American Idol doesn't even make an appearance on the show.

Bad Bosses Cause Teacher Turnover ( Florida )

2007-03-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

Florida's schools lose 40% of their teachers every 5 years. Jane Fletcher, an education analyst with Florida's Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), "made several recommendations to improve working conditions. Foremost is better training for principals to help them focus on helping teachers."

"'The most expensive thing you can do is deal with turnover,' said Senate Prekindergarten-12 Committee Chairman Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, a former school superintendent."

Sounds an awful lot like a corporate issue. Perhaps the disease in inherent in hierarchies that play with other people's money.

A Sad Organization (Walgreen)

2007-03-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

"The federal government sued Walgreen on Wednesday, alleging widespread racial bias against thousands of black workers at the drugstore chain."

When have you ever heard of a huge corporation having feelings? It doesn't happen when you need a little empathy to help you through a difficult time. But sue them, and they can't order enough tissues to sob into:

"Walgreen said in a statement that it was 'saddened and disappointed' by the EEOC action."

Interesting choice of words. No empathy for the workers it discriminated against.

Bad Bosses Whine about Competition ( American Idol, FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC )

2007-02-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

TV network newcomer, FOX, has created a show, American Idol (AI), that competes successfully for viewers against traditional networks ABC, CBS and NBC. So what do the big bosses at the old networks do? Whine, call their competitor names, and retreat.

CBS refers to AI as a "schoolyard bully." NBC calls it a "Death Star." ABC refuses to talk about it and schedules around it.

There seems to be an epidemic of passive aggression spreading among bosses at the top of corporate America—and not only in the entertainment industry. The epidemic reaches critical proportions when new competitors show the old timers the value of becoming innovative and listening to customers.

Fox is successful with AI because it's giving consumers what they want in television programming…hint, hint.

Bad Boss in China Gets Death Penalty in Ant Scheme

2007-02-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

"A Chinese business executive was sentenced to death for swindling $385 million from investors in a bogus ant-breeding scheme…Ants are used in some traditional Chinese medicinal remedies, which can fetch a high price… "

He jacked up the price of ant-breeding kits from a cost of $25 to a price of $1300—just like American gas stations.

"Fake investments and pyramid investment schemes have become common during China's transition from a planned economy to a free market."

The Chinese want to be like Americans.

"The death penalty is used broadly in China. Though usually reserved for violent crimes, it is also applied for nonviolent offenses that involve large sums of money or are deemed to have a pernicious social impact…Fifteen managers of the company were given prison terms ranging from five to 10 years and fined from $12,800 to $64,000, Xinhua said."

Ever wish Americans wanted to be like the Chinese?

Don't Try This At Work ( Dixie Chicks )

2007-02-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

It was a throw-back to the 1950's—you'd have thought they were advocating communism during the McCarthy era when the Dixie Chicks were banned from radio stations around the country in 2003 for exercising their First Amendment Constitutional rights. Why? Because, while on tour in London, England, lead singer Natalie Maines said,

"Just so you know, we're ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas."

The Chicks are from Texas and, in Texas, them's fightin' words.

The Dixie Chicks held their ground, refusing to apologize. Then they wrote a song about the experience. Last night, that song, Not Ready to Make Nice, and the album on which it appears, Taking the Long Way Home, won Grammy Awards.

Ironically, politicians are now building their platforms around their shame of the incumbent President—and they're being lauded. Because they're not from Texas?

It's a happy ending, but don't try the Dixie Chicks' strategy at work where your First Amendment Constitutional rights are banned.

Income Inequality Out of Closet: Bush Out of Coma?

2007-01-31T23:52:00.000-07:00

The Washington Post quotes the President:

"The fact is that income inequality is real -- it's been rising for more than 25 years…The reason is clear: We have an economy that increasingly rewards education and skills because of that education. The key to rising in this economy is skills -- and the government's job is to make sure we have an education system that delivers them."

…And then send skilled jobs to India?

"The question is whether we respond to the income inequality we see with policies that help lift people up, or tear others down…"

In the Democratic response to the State of the Union address, Senator Webb said that over the last 40 years, CEO compensation has risen from 20 times what an average worker earns to 400 times; on average, a CEO now receives compensation in one day that a worker earns in one year. And we should worry about tearing down these people?

"…Salaries and bonuses of CEO's should be based on their success at improving their companies and bringing value to their shareholders."

Yet, it's okay to pay gigantic bonuses to terminate corporate executives who lose value for their companies or send their companies into bankruptcy and then keep gigantic retention bonuses a secret?

I wonder if our education system will continue to teach critical thinking skills?

Bad Boss Behavior Summary ( CNNMoney.com ; Senator James Webb )

2007-01-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

Start with the first 18 real-life, in-the-news vignettes of bosses behaving badly summarized by CNNMoney.com in the linked article. Click "next" all the way through. At the end, you're connected to the start of a series of 101 more of these vignettes. Who knows what happens after that...I didn't have the stomach to keep going. CAUTION: It's so overwhelming seeing this news all at once that it might trigger depression, hysteria and nervous laugher all at the same time.

Juxtaposition this in-your-face bad news to Virginia Senator James Webb's response to the State of the Union address last night: When I graduated from college, the average corporate CEO made 20 times what the average worker did; today, it's nearly 400 times. In other words, it takes the average worker more than a year to make the money that his or her boss makes in one day.

And yet, these big, bad bosses steal and behave badly in other ways.

Three Things to Do When Dealing with Difficult People

2007-01-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

There is no one way to deal with "difficult people." There are three things you must do to address issues with others effectively:

First, describe to yourself the behavior of the other person that troubles you, rather than just labeling it as "difficult." A specific behavior, or action, can be seen or heard—you cannot see or hear "difficult."

Second, determine the negative effect that the other person's behavior has on you. If you don't like what another person does, that's not a negative effect—we must live in a world full of people we don't like—in that case, your intolerance is your problem. But if the behavior keeps you from doing your job, or triggers an allergic reaction, those are negative effects.

Third, talk with the other person respectfully, explain how the specific behavior affects you negatively, and work together to find a solution that satisfies both of you with regard to your common objectives.

Example: "When you talk loudly in the hallway [behavior] I cannot hear customers on the phone and that makes it difficult for me to do my job [negative effect] and meet our department's goals [common objective]. Are you willing to work with me to find a solution to this problem?"

If the person refuses, then you're dealing with a bully. There are many resources available to help you learn how to handle bullies.

If you are in the company of people you don't like, then separate yourself from them, if possible. If it's not possible to separate yourself, keep your interactions with those people focused on your common objective and nothing more.

Learn the skill of giving and receiving FEEDBACK if you need more advice about discussing troubling issues with people.

Five Tips for a New Boss

2007-01-17T13:16:00.000-07:00

Congratulations! You've worked hard and now you've been rewarded with a big title, better salary, benefits, work space…and you have employees to support in their roles.

Scared? You should be! Your technical expertise is now secondary in your career. Your new professional field is Human Behavior. Don't have a degree in it? Never studied it? It's not too late if you act now to fill in this skill gap. Here are five things you can start doing to avoid becoming a bad boss:

1. Ask your boss to send you to a professional supervisory training class. Choose an external class in which you will meet new supervisors from other companies. Make sure the class has goals for you take back to the job and work on with your boss.

2. Enroll in graduate-level academic classes in human behavior and psychology in the Social Sciences or Organization Development curriculum. Do not attend similar classes offered in a business curriculum unless that is all you have access to. If it is, then read the work of the people whose theories are cited in your textbooks as a supplement to your education.

3. Begin the processes of separating yourself from workplace cliques. You must create the appearance of fairness to all people working at your previous job level. Friends may try to make it difficult for you—that's just their way of coping with the loss of a buddy. In time, they'll appreciate your fairness.

4. Meet privately, one-on-one, with each of the employees who now report to you. Ask for their opinions about the strengths and weaknesses of the processes in your unit/group/department. Also ask for their suggestions about improving operations. Listen to their suggestions and implement idea that will make it easier for them to do their jobs.

5. Discuss the personal changes and challenges you are experiencing with a qualified clinical psychologist. You now have power over the lives of other people. Your own goals at work are secondary to enabling your employees to meet the organization's goals. This is a difficult role to adjust to and can leave you with conflicting attitudes. Keep this strategy private and ignore anyone who finds out and laughs about it—they will only be expressing their ignorance and insecurity.

These strategies will help you become a good boss—a skill and reputation that will serve you well in your career in this millennium—which is very different from the last millennium—and make you a true leader.

Bad Advice re: Handling Bad Boss Who "Plays Politics" ( Sanghi - Microchip Technology)

2007-01-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

A CEO responds with some of the worst possible advice to a question from an employee asking what he should do about his manager who "plays political games with other managers."

The first piece of bad advice is "for you and your co-workers to meet with your manager. Tell him that you are committed to him and will work hard to make him look good." You might as well wear Mickey Mouse ears, send candy & flowers and stay on the job so production won't plummet. This is enabling—joining your bad boss's fan club and encouraging her or his misbehavior.

The second piece of bad advice is "for you and your co-workers to meet with your manager's boss and let him know about the problem." This might work in Oz, but in real life your manager's boss probably isn't interested or it wouldn't be happening. Your manager's boss is most likely going to criticize your boss for not controlling his staff. When your manager gets punished, guess who he or she takes it out on? Don't expect to get a bonus or a raise.

The third piece of bad advice is "for you and your co-workers to meet with the director of human resources, and let him or her take it from there." This is like crying, "Mommy, those kids won't let me play with them." The cure for "playing politics" is not in the jurisdiction of Human Resources, especially if "playing politics" is sanctioned within the organization—which it probably is if your boss is getting away with it.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

Recognize that your boss "playing politics" is not your problem. What is your problem is your boss's behavior—exactly what your boss does or says—that has a negative effect on you. "Playing politics" is not a behavior—it's a label. Behavior is something you actually see or hear. You can't see your boss "playing politics" but you can see and hear your boss instructing you to provide incorrect information. For example, you can hear your boss telling you to falsify a report, which conflicts with your principles and causes you stress. You can deal with that. Here's how:

First: Write a memo to your boss. In the memo, say something like: "I'm not sure I understood you so I want to clarify your instructions. Did you tell me to change the actual results to make them look better before sending my report to your peer?" Keep a hard copy of all the correspondence between you and your boss in a safe place, away from your workplace.

Second: Be aware that your boss will most likely not respond to your memo in writing. If that happens, write whatever your boss says to you in response to your memo in another memo asking if you understood. For example, "I'm not sure I heard your right; did you say that if I refuse to falsify the report that you would give me a bad performance review?" Keep a hard copy in a safe place.

Third: The best you can hope for is that your boss will find another target and let you do your job without unethical interference. If your boss retaliates against you by falsely charging you with errors or other infractions, write another memo to your boss, attach the first two memos, and copy the Human Resources Director on this memo. In this memo, say something like, "It seems that you are making up stories about me that are not true in retaliation for my unwillingness to support your inappropriate behavior. I want this to stop."

Realize that if your situation gets to this stage, you will be better off reporting to another manager. Human Resources can help you with this. If a transfer is not possible, ask yourself why you would continue to contribute to the success of an organization with values that conflict with your own. Then, update your resume and begin a job search.

If you are in a protected class, report the situation to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as discrimination—check the EEOC's Web site to determine whether you are a member of a protected class and to find a representative in your area.

If it appears that you might be terminated for false reasons and you cannot prevent it, resign before that happens so your professional reputation will not be damaged.

Always document anything your boss asks you to do that is inappropriate and keep a hard copy of these memos in a safe place away from your workplace. A bad boss gets away with it when there is no record of her or his misdeeds. When your bad boss realizes that you keep written records, he or she will either leave you alone and pick on someone else, or let you know that your values are not compatible with the employing organization—in the latter case, you know what to do.

Finally, beware of information from CEO's about handling a bad boss. It is unlikely that CEO's will tell you to put anything in writing because that makes the company liable in case of a lawsuit, which could cost the company money—and CEO's are accountable for the company's financial performance.

FSU Bad Boss Survey Tip of Iceberg ( Florida State - Hochwarter )

2007-01-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

Wayne Hochwarter, Associate Professor of Management at Florida State University (FSU), with two of his doctoral students, surveyed 700 employees in various jobs to obtain their opinions about how their supervisors treat them. The intent of the survey was to determine the effects of abusive bosses on employee health and job performance. However, the statistics that have been published do not explain these effects; these statistics are a count of the responses of 700 employees to some of the survey questions—and 700 is too few to conclude that these statistics indicate the number of bad bosses in the U.S.

Consider this: 700 represents only 0.000005% of the population (that's five millionths, or 5/1,00,000) of the 130,307,840 employees in the U.S. (as of May, 2005, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). In research-talk, that makes these findings statistically insignificant for the general population. In plain talk, it means you don't really know how many bad bosses there are because there weren't enough people surveyed—these numbers could be much higher. Let's put them into perspective:

31% of the 700 employees surveyed said they received silent treatment from bosses—that's only 217 of 130,307,840 employees, or 0.000002% (two millionths) of all U.S. employees

37% of the 700 employees surveyed said they didn't get credit from their bosses when they deserved it—that's only 259 of 130,307,840 employees, or 0.000002% of all U.S. employees

39% of the 700 employees surveyed said their bosses failed to keep their promises—that's only 273 of 130,307,840 employees, or 0.000002% of all U.S. employees

27% of the 700 employees surveyed said their supervisor made negative remarks about them—that's only 189 of 130,307,840 employees, or 0.000001% of all U.S. employees

24% of the 700 employees surveyed said their bosses invaded their privacy—that's only 168 of 130,307,840 employees or 0.000001% of all U.S. employees

23% of the 700 employees surveyed said their supervisor blame other to cover up mistakes—that's only 161 of 130,307,840 employees, or 0.000001% of all U.S. employees

A study including a larger portion of the population of U.S. workers could indicate that there are far more bad bosses than we think.

Revenge against Bad Bosses Alive at the Top

2007-01-12T23:27:00.000-07:00

Some corporate heads channel their negative energy into creating new enterprises—if only to compete with the bosses who've burned them.

But they don't always use their energy so positively. When he first took over Qwest, I heard Joe Nachio say that he was driven by his desire to get revenge against AT&T for not making him its CEO. What happened next at Qwest is reminiscent of the the Enron story.

Business Week says: "Revenge is a response to a perceived injustice or what psychologists call narcissistic injury, known to you and me as a wounded ego." Seeking revenge is unhealthy. It's healthier to channel your negative energy into becoming a better human being and manager than the boss who hurt you.

See the related blogs:

Managing Mentally Ill Bosses 3/23/06
Narcissistic Bad Bosses Not Worth the Trouble 8/29/06
5 Ways to Get Even with a Bad Boss 12/18-6

Is Bipartisanism Possible, Nancy Pelosi ?

2007-01-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

The House and Senate are workplaces, too. The same dynamics occur among our elected employees. What we call "teamwork" in business is called "bipartisanism" in politics.

When people work together toward the same organizational goals and pracitce the same organizational values, teamwork occurs—and it's just called "work." But when an organization's values are plastered all over the corridor & cubicle walls with "Teamwork" on the list, that say's it's either the goal of a subgroup or a lie. As long as there are employees or politicians whose personal agenda is to use their position to obtain underserved advantages, neither teamwork nor bipartisanism can be achieved.

Compromising is not teamwork—compromise involves losing something. The method of teamwork is consensus. Consensus occurs when everyone agrees to support a decision because it accomplishes the goal both sides are supposed to be working toward: delivering quality and value to the customer.

But delivering quality and value to the constituents gets convoluted in politics. Who are the constituents? The general population of citizens? Or the select group of citizens who financially support campaigns that put politicians in compromising positions?

Before bipartisanism can occur, the values of elected politicians must no longer be for sale. Ethics must be the first priority.

Bad Boss Resolutions: You'll Change When You're Ready, Not When You Plan

2007-01-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

A lot of people are walking back into bad work situations today that they know will make them sick. They will do nothing to change their circumstances this year.

The media is full of advice today about what it takes to change. Some articles talk about the billions of dollars people spend on self-help programs and then try to explain why they don't work. There's only one reason we don't change: we're not ready.

For us to change, the personal costs of not changing must become greater than the personal costs of changing. Some of us have a greater tolerance for pain, discomfort and fear than others, so that cost-tipping point is different for each of us.

Be easy on yourself; don't set goals you know you won't achieve—and you know what they are. But do set intermediate goals—take small steps. They accumulate so, one day, the cost of not changing will become greater than the cost of changing, and you'll be ready to take a big step.

There's a relevant old adage attributed to Zen Buddhism: "When the student is ready, the teacher will arrive."

Five Ways to Get Even with a Bad Boss

2006-12-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

It's tempting to think about creating as much pain and suffering for your bad boss as he or she creates for you. But here's something you need to know: bad bosses are already in pain and suffering—that's why they strike out. Their private world is a place of misery for them and their outward signs of power and strength are nothing more than a mask to disguise their reality. They're playing the revenge game—striking out at you in an attempt to get even with the world because you appear to have what they want—knowledge; ability; confidence; security and/or happiness. There is only one thing you can do make your bad boss feel worse: show your bad boss that he or she can't take away from you those qualities that make you the person they envy.

Here's a list of five things you can do that will get the job done:

1. Be Better

Be a better person than your boss in all ways. Continue to develop professional and effective interpersonal skills. Work toward advancing in your career and becoming a good boss—learning what not to do from your bad boss. Be a cooperative colleague and realize that internal competition only gives your competitor's an advantage.

2. Be Popular

Get to know other people in your organization. Make sure the people who receive your work know you and understand that you are willing to listen and act on their concerns. Join and contribute information to professional organizations or constructive online groups that address your line of work. Become well-known by name and respected as someone trustworthy.

3. Be Indifferent

Ignore your boss's snide remarks; realize that your boss is really talking about herself or himself and chuckle privately at her or his self-revelation. Do not respond unless you are asked a direct question. If the question is insulting, do not respond to it directly; but ask another question, such as "How will this discussion help us reach our business goals?" Stay focused on your common interest, which is doing your job well.

4. Be Backed-up

Document every inappropriate thing your boss says or does. He or she gets away with it because there is no record of this bad behavior. Send memos to your boss, including her or his direct quotes, and ask if you've understood correctly. If your boss continues to behave badly after the first two memos, start copying someone in the Human Resources Department on these memos. When your boss tells you to stop writing things down, explain that writing is the best way for you to be sure you have understood correctly, and you want to be sure you are doing the right thing. This is often enough to make a bad boss leave you alone and find another target.

5. Be Happy

Nothing irks a bad boss more than seeing other people be genuinely happy. Find good things to talk about and share them with your colleagues to help create a pleasant work atmosphere. Compliment your co-workers and other managers in your organization. Always be polite, courteous and cooperative. Smile a lot while you are working. The best revenge is seeing your boss become even more dissatisfied as you become happier.

And live happily ever after.

SEC Neuters Sarbanes-Oxley Act

2006-12-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

"Congress required executives and auditors to scrutinize corporate financial controls in the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act…The rule, which [allegedly] cost businesses millions of dollars more than regulators anticipated, has been a lightning rod…[so] SEC staff members said that under the new proposal, they would urge corporate managers to use their best judgment in evaluating controls, rather than requiring them to scrutinize specific things such as the integrity of executives and the accuracy of petty cash accounts."

Wait a minute. Did I read that right: "Urge corporate mangers to use their best judgment in evaluating controls rather than requiring them to scrutinize…integrity of executives and the accuracy of petty cash accounts?" It was the lack of executive integrity to begin with that led to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act following the Enron and WorldCom scandals.

Why can we now trust the integrity of executives, especially when they're complaining about how much controls cost them while they take exorbitant salaries, bonuses and other perks for themselves? Would investors rather see their money spent on security controls or executive yachts?

Government Bending Over for Big Bad Business

2006-12-12T23:08:00.000-07:00

"The Justice Department announced new rules yesterday that will make it harder for prosecutors to bring criminal charges against companies, bending to intense pressure from business groups… Business interests increasingly have pushed back on efforts to police their operations, arguing that the government has imposed too many costs on companies with too few benefits for investors."

Now that bad bosses are going to jail for stealing from investors and employees, they're trying to change the law to make it harder for them to get caught.

Let's look at how this works. Corporations say to investors, "Give us your money and we'll give it back to you with interest." Once they get the money, they give themselves disproportionately big salaries, big raises, big bonuses and big perks. Sometimes they just steal the money outright and create convoluted audit trails to obscure the path it took into private pockets. So, to protect investors' money, the Justice Department makes corporations keep good records of where the money goes.

But bad bosses don't like having to keep good records because it makes them accountable. But they complain that they have to spend more money paying the administrative employees who do this tracking (not mentioned: leaving less to fund executives' yachts and their childrens' weddings). So they're making a big noise about this imposition, pretending it doesn't really help investors (tell those who invested in Enron and WorldCom), and the Justice Department is backing down.

The Justice Department is quite a henhouse—what foxy politician isn't invested in business?

The Devil Wears Prada – Bad Boss Movie Now on DVD

2006-12-11T17:07:00.000-07:00

It was a surprise that a movie about a bad boss became such a big hit. But we Americans love seeing bad guys get their due, and movies give us a catharsis we can't get in real life.

While the movie is about a bad boss, the book is about a young woman's coming of age, entry into professional life and lessons learned along the way. For career tips based on the book, click HERE.

If the entertainment industry didn't provide a much needed escape for workers, I wonder how other business enterprises would survive.

Enjoy the movie!

Bad Boss Statistics - Survey Shows Bad Bosses Cost

2006-12-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

"…Employees are more likely to leave a company because they are unhappy with their boss than they are if they are unhappy with their pay" according to Florida State University Professor Wayne Hochwarter.

Nothing new about that. Study after study shows that employers suffer in the long run when they allow bad bosses to run rampant in their organizations.

So why don't employers do something about it when bad bosses cause good employees to leave? Because the cause-and-effect relationship is indirect—HR doesn't link it's hiring costs to the behavior of bosses who caused the vacancies. Another reason is that resigning employees are afraid to tell the truth even in their resignation letters for fear of getting bad referrals or closing the door on the possibility of returning to a good company later—after the bad boss is gone.

How much do bad bosses cost? Click here.

BUT WHAT IF YOU'RE THE ABUSED EMPLOYEE?

Get free advice with no strings attached (not even a barrage of advertising!) at:
BAD BOSS TIPS and MORE BAD BOSS TIPS

Smart Bosses Ignore Minimum Wage

2006-12-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

If Congress raises the Federal minimum wage, it will be like a tree falling in the woods for smart bosses. Smart bosses pay enough to get the best workers. They know that the more they pay their employees, the better their employees will treat their customers. Pleasant, efficient service is what keeps customers coming back, pumping more revenue into smart bosses' businesses.

So, when the minimum wage is eventually raised, it will be a moot point for smart bosses who are already paying a higher hourly rate than the proposed new minimum. I bet those bosses don't have MBA's. I bet those bosses don't have MBA's--they're too smart for that kind of education.

Robbed of Overtime Pay? ( IBM Settles )

2006-11-24T08:51:00.000-07:00

Tech companies want all the advantages. They want to exchange the lowest possible compensation package for as much of your labor as they can get. They'll even try to trick you into thinking you're management so they don't have to pay you overtime. If your skills are worth so much to them, they should be paying you a higher base salary—but then they'd have to pay benefits to you at higher levels.

IBM didn't get away with trying to exempt 32,000 "Technical Services Professional and Information Technology Specialists." It cost them a lump sum of $65M – they still win – they earned interest while workers waited to be reimbursed.

If you wonder whether the job you're doing is considered management—exempt from overtime, or labor—hourly waged and overtime eligible, read the guidelines the National Labor Relations Board has developed.

Don't get ripped off by the hand that needs you.

The Joy of Democracy and Why it Doesn't Work in Business ( Pelosi - Bush )

2006-11-10T08:55:00.000-07:00

How wonderful it is to witness the American way of changing our government peacefully and through participation of the citizenry. If you've felt ashamed about being an American for the past few years, today is a day to rejoice. If you think the government's been managed by a big (or little), bad boss, now's your chance to watch how a boss gets cut down to size.

Fortunately, Bush doesn't own the country, doesn't get hired by only a handful of directors and doesn't get to choose all of his staff. If he did, the United States would look a lot more like Iraq today. But in big business, sadly, there's no democracy—the only way to survive a bad boss at the top in business is to change your allegiance.

Veterans Keep Advantage

2006-11-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

"As a general practice, veterans who meet minimum qualifications for a federal job have 5 or 10 points added to their numerical rating when competing for civil service positions."

The Merit Systems Protection Board, an organization that hears appeals in federal personnel disputes, upheld this practice after a challenge from the Outstanding Scholar program that attempts to bypass it.

I wonder what would happen if we gave this advantage to candidates during elections?

CHALK UP A NEW LOW FOR BAD BOSSES: STEALING EMPLOYEE IDENITIES FOR MONEY ( COMPULINX )

2006-11-02T22:44:00.000-07:00

Just when you think you've heard it all in corporate harm to employees; just when you begin to feel safe because the big bad bosses are going to jail or dying; along comes yet another original, creative corporate thief. This time, it's Compulinx Managed Services' CEO Terrence Chalk. Chalk "…has been charged with stealing his employees' identities to obtain more than $1 million in bank loans and credit card charges…"

Here are three steps to take to protect yourself:

1. Write a memo to your Human Resources department today and demand that you be informed when anyone accesses your personnel records—paper and electronic. It unrealistic to think they'll take you seriously, but it's good to put them on alert and to create a paper trail that could implicate them, too, should this happen in your company. Cite the Compulinx case as a reason for concern.

2. Contact the three major credit reporting agencies and, in writing, tell them to inform you anytime anyone establishes a new account in your name with your social security number. Here are the names of the agencies and links to their Web site.

Equifax - http://www.equifax.com/
Experion - http://www.experian.com/
Transunion - http://www.transunion.com/

3. At least once a year, preferably twice, get a copy of your credit report and make sure there are no unauthorized accounts in your credit history. Pick two dates to use as reminders, for example, April 15th –tax filing day, and Halloween—the day of masquerading.

How to be A Good, Entrepreneurial Boss – No Matter Where You Work

2006-10-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

As Rhonda Abrams points out, it's really pretty simple. Though she focuses on Entrepreneurs, her guidelines are applicable everywhere.

It gets muddled in large organizations where you're the boss—but you don't have the final say and your bosses behave badly. You may choose to join them—after all, it's not you're money they're wasting. Or you may choose to be the role model your employees will remember and admire for the rest of their lives—and, hopefully, emulate.

20 Tips for Surviving Life in the Workplace

2006-10-18T07:56:00.000-07:00

British humor is so comically poignant that sometimes it's hard to laugh at. Give this list a read and see if you can smile.

BOSS'S DAY IS OCTOBER 16 - FEEL LIKE TAKING THE DAY OFF?

2006-10-08T16:23:00.001-07:00

Not only is it on a dreaded Monday this year, but the fact that we celebrate bosses at all is enough to make half of the working population upchuck. This should come as no surprise to you; there are so many bad boss stories in the news every day that you just can't keep up with them. And now you've got to deal with a whole day dedicated to playing nicey-nice and celebrate the beast?

So what do you do if your co-workers want you sign a card and contribute to a gift for a boss who is anything but someone you might respect? You are NOT obligated to participate; just say, "Pass." Don't get into a discussion with anyone about your reason for choosing not to participate. Let the others do what they can live with while you do what you can live with.

If you report to the kind of boss who will punish you for not celebrating "his day" or "her day," (yes, folks, this really happens), then seriously consider taking the day off.

Imagine what might happen if every employee in the United States who reports to a bad boss stayed home on October 16? Have fun with that thought…

Old Boys Network; Young Boys Prey (Congress - Mark Foley)

2006-10-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

Mark Foley, (now former) House Member, a Republican from Florida, overseer of a Congressional organization concerned with missing and exploited children, used his position to get away with being the kind of creature he's supposed to help fight against. He preyed on a 16-year-old boy who worked as a Congressional Page by e-mailing him with invitations to become personally and inappropriately friendly. House Speaker, Dennis Hastert, a Republican from Illinois, knew about the e-mail messages months ago, perhaps even a year ago, and did nothing—or may have helped with a cover-up.

Republicans classified the messages as "overly friendly" because they weren't sexually explicit—which only indicates that Foley wasn't a totally stupid, homosexual-pedophiliac Congressman. Read a few of the redacted e-mail messages here and decide what you would have thought if you were a member of the "Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus" and saw messages like these from any 52-year-old adult to any 16 year-old child. Then read some other excerpts reported by Associated Press writers.

If you (or someone you know) ever receive "overly friendly" e-mail messages like these from someone who holds a position at a higher level of authority in the workplace—the kinds of messages that leave you wondering whether the sender is "sick" and what should be done about the situation—DO NOT RESPOND. Print paper copies and save them in a secure location away from your workplace. Then send copies, as attachments to a letter, to your local police department's harassment unit. Tell the police that you would like to start building a harassment case against someone you suspect may be a predator and may be targeting you.

If the predator continues to send messages, reply once and tell him only that you are uncomfortable with the tone of the conversation and that you have shared copies of his messages with people who are advising you as to how to respond. Then do not respond to any subsequent messages. Hopefully, the predator will go away and nothing will become of the incidents, but if he persists, you will have established evidence that may enable you to take legal action to protect or defend yourself. Keep the police informed of every incident and consult with a criminal attorney if the predator persists.

Don't let anyone have a nasty, dirty, Grand Old Party at your expense.