Take This Job and...Re-staff ItWritten by Linda Matias
Deciding to leave a job isn't easy. In fact, quitting a job requires courage, especially in today's soft economy when unemployment rate has reached 6.4%. However, in a tight job market, some people consider leaving their jobs without having another "lined up".When after a careful evaluation of emotional and financial considerations you determine that leaving your job is your best option, you may find that you will have a hard time getting support from your family, friends and colleagues. The moment you tell others that you are considering leaving your job, their immediate reaction will be, "Don't leave your job if you don't have another to go to." Yes. The ideal situation is to leave a job when you have a perfect career opportunity. But life doesn't always hand you a magic bullet. Sometimes you have to take a risk, and that's when conventional wisdom must be put aside to improve prospects for your career. Your decision to leave should be based on expectation that better opportunities await you. You may be ready to move on when: * The organization's culture has shifted, and no longer matches your work values. * You have outgrown your position, and only way you will get promoted is if someone leaves. * The price of staying (e.g., increased anxiety and loss of self-esteem) is greater than price of leaving. * You no longer care about company, and it is reflected in way you perform your job.
| | Understanding Cultural DifferencesWritten by Brenda Townsend Hall
Our first experiences of a new culture can be deceptive. We think we know how new culture varies from our own because we have observed outward signs: way people dress, food they eat, language, perhaps differences in way they work or worship. Yet these surface differences are not ones that cause real difficulty. It is hidden attitudes that can cause us frustration or anger and that can lead us to misinterpret people's behaviour. Some of basic cultural oppositions are outlined below. Monochronic cultures are very time-oriented. People will be punctual, respect deadlines and resent any interruptions. They will set schedules and stick to them and they will be upset by lateness in others. In polychronic cultures, attitudes to time are very flexible. People are routinely late for meetings, they have flexible attitudes to working time, they don't mind if meetings are interrupted by phone calls or other people. They may not take deadlines very seriously and often will not be good at time management and forward planning, frequently leaving everything until last minute. Some cultures are essentially collectivist while others are highly individualistic. In collectivist cultures people expect to conform to rules of group; they will probably observe strict dress codes and they will see idiosyncratic behaviour as disruptive and anti-social. When decisions have to be made, then a committee will have final say rather than one person. The individualistic culture is much more tolerant of eccentricity of all kinds and people are encouraged to take personal initiative. If culture is very hierarchic, people will be very conscious and respectful of status. In business dealings negotiating partners may wish only to negotiate with those they perceive to be at top of organisation. In contrast, flatter, more egalitarian cultures, are not deferential to people simply because of their social or company position. British culture is very hierarchical in comparison to, say, USA or Australia. In Britain people use all sorts of titles to indicate where they stand on social scale and certain groups of people, royal family, for example, expect others to show deference by a giving a bow or a curtsy.
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