10 Things to Consider if You Have an Impossible ManagerWritten by Susan Dunn, MA, Emotional Intelligence Coach
When you have an impossible manager, quit? Sometimes that’s impossible. If you find yourself And a solution that simple is hardly a solution. There are several things to consider we’re going to take a look at:1.Get a coach. In order to problem-solve effectively, it’s crucial to view situation objectively, which you aren’t in a position to do. No one is. Working with a coach can help you clarify what’s going on, and come up with strategies for dealing with it. You’ll learn more about yourself, and how to deal with others. That’s a win-win. Don’t leave situation without learning from it. 2.The company culture. This isn’t what’s in P&P manual (which is about legal) it’s about how place really runs. If norm is hostility and competence, you won’t be changing it, and you can count on it getting worse. Should your particular manager leave, another one similar will be hired. 3.Everything else is excellent. This I usually hear from people new to a job, because you can count on things getting worse with time, not better. If there’s something important or meaningful you’re getting out of job, stay, but don’t get lulled in to staying forever. It will negatively impact your ability to function at top-form eventually. 4.Your outlook Your attitude can always improve a situation. Just don’t think you can change personality or skills of manager, or culture of company that allows this. Work with your coach, and surround yourself with positive people. Jobs and managers come and go. The only disastrous outcome would be for you to become cynical and pessimistic about yourself, life, or people in general. 5.Are you in loop? Sometimes your colleagues can make up for a bad manager. After all, there’s power in numbers. If you have a core group that can work around situation, you’ll have support. However, expect behavior of manager to get worse as he or she tries to compensate for perceived loss of power. 6.Age and career potential of manager. Use your gut instincts to evaluate every new situation you move into. Quick and accurate reality-testing is an EQ competency. Common sense dictates if they’re new and young, they may not make it. Actually these days anyone “new” may not make it. If they have some experience under their belt and seem interested in promoting themselves, they’ll probably be moving on and up. If they are middle-aged, have been there a while, and are dug in like a tick, consider they’ll endure and you will not.
| | The Organized AssistantWritten by Janet Barclay
Many people, under financial or other pressures to find work quickly, feel they can’t afford to take time to get organized. On other hand, conducting your job search in an organized manner will reduce amount of time you spend looking for information, following inappropriate leads, or waiting for your dream job to fall into your lap. It generally takes at least a month to find an entry-level job, and as much as nine months for one requiring a high level of skill and experience. Getting organized before you begin your job search can ultimately save you a lot of time and frustration.You should take several preliminary steps before you even begin your active job search. You should start by identifying your skills, interests, target market, and any child care, transportation, or other issues that you will need to keep in mind. A career or employment counselor can be very helpful in this area, as well as with preparation of your resume, cover letters, and any other job search materials you will need. Once you’re ready to face job market, there are three areas where you’ll find it beneficial to be well organized: your schedule, your workspace, and your contacts. Your Schedule First, you must decide how much time you can realistically commit to your job search on a weekly basis, and then create a weekly schedule of activities. Keep in mind that looking for a full-time job is in itself a full-time job! Some of your time will be devoted to reading and applying for advertised positions, but be sure to allow plenty of time for other job search activities such as making telephone calls, generating and researching new leads, reviewing old leads for follow up, writing thank you notes or other correspondence, and visiting placement offices, employment agencies, or other service providers. The percentage of time you dedicate to each activity depends on what is most effective for your field of work or geographical area, so it may be worthwhile for you to ask others what has worked for them. Most people perform different activities more effectively at different times of day. Take your natural energy flow, as well as availability of quiet time for conducting research and telephone calls, into consideration when planning your schedule. If quiet time is not available at home during daytime or evening, an employment resource center can be an invaluable resource. Keep your personal preferences in mind when planning your activities. For example, if you dislike talking on telephone, it may be less stressful for you to get your calls out of way before beginning your other activities, or to intersperse your phone calls between other activities so you don’t become overwhelmed. If you’re planning to drop off unsolicited resumes, map out a route of targeted businesses that are in a particular area, and plan to cover entire area in one day. This will cut down on your travel time and expenses as well as number of times you need to dress up. Keeping a log of actual time you spend on each activity will allow you to see whether you are on track and to identify any problem areas. It’s not uncommon to become frustrated and depressed when you’re out of work, so be sure to schedule regular time for self-care and other personal activities like going to gym or hairstylist. Your Workspace At a minimum, you need a chair and a desk or table with plenty of space for you to work with your information, make and receive telephone calls, and plan your job search. All necessary supplies should be stored close by, including paper, pens, index cards, paperclips, staples, and your telephone directory. During your job search, you’ll likely accumulate various versions of your resume and cover letter, job postings, company profiles, advertisements, and business cards, but they will be of no value to you if you can’t find what you need. A binder or filing system, sorting information into topics, will allow you to refer quickly to both job posting and that specific application when you receive a telephone call from a prospective employer. It will also allow you to find easily any other information you may have gathered about organization before your interview.
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