Vacation time
Well that's it from me for the year. I'm off on some extended leave to work on the next two books and do some travelling. I've really enjoyed doing the blog and hearing from all of you, it's been great fun.
I'll be back on deck on January 29. To all of you, have a great and safe Christmas and all the best for 2008. Have a good one. See you all in the new year.
- Posted by Leon Gettler at 11:32 AM
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Status spheres
In today's world, there is an abundance of goods, products and services. What does unbridled consumption do to our sense of status? If the latest gear is available to more people, what do we do to get recognition and make us feel special?
The trendwatching site says it's morphing into so-called "status spheres". It's not that buying more and better stuff than fellow consumers is dead. Far from it. But we are redefining what constitutes status in a consumer society where millions have access to the same premium goods, to the same premium brands.
Trendwatching says that many people with money, instead of collecting luxury goods to gain recognition, are now gravitating to these "status spheres". These are the:
Transient sphere: where people free themselves from the hassles of permanent ownership and possessions and get as much experience from as many different sources as possible. Travel and jobs would be two obvious areas. The status comes from stories and experiences.
Online sphere: which can be anything from the status gained from the number of views for your photos on Flickr, to the number of friends you have on Facebook, to the number of hits for the video you put together for YouTube. Avatars and the latest gadgets would also big in this sphere.
Eco sphere: where you gain recognition for being as green as possible.
Giving sphere: this is about philanthropy and displays of generosity
Participative sphere: very much built around DIY and building new skills.
This has interesting implications for businesses seeking to target new markets. And of course consumers. Which sphere suits you? Any others you see emerging?
- Posted by Leon Gettler at 9:55 AM
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Insensitive bosses: the difference between men and women
With Julia Gillard set to be sworn in as our first female Deputy Prime Minister, it's worth thinking about how far we have come. Or have we?
Certainly women are now moving up through business. There are more female bosses, managers and entrepreneurs. But there are always double standards. Whether it's about carrying the additional burden of looking after the house and kids, being judged on age and apearance or other issues. A new study shows one in particular that's interesting.
The study, reported here, shows that female bosses who are seen as unkind or insensitive are judged as worse managers. People, however, are prepared to overlook the same traits displayed by male managers. In other words, male and female managers are judged by different standards.
The researcher behind the study says it's because females are expected to be sensitive whereas males are expected to be analytical, logical and good at reasoning. Showing concern for others, apparently, is not a male thing.
Is that right? Have you had male and female bosses? Was there a difference? Is there a double standard?
- Posted by Leon Gettler at 9:57 AM
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Office party advice
It's that time of year. Office parties are in full swing, and there are all the usual stories of various atrocities, appalling things that are said and events that could be hilarious, depending which end you're at.
Personally, I avoid them. Most of the time, the food is mediocre, the wine cheap and the conversation is usually office talk. And no matter how much management likes to dress it up, it's still an extension of work. Still, there are big turnouts for these events.
Also, it's the time when the advice comes in on how to stop the party turning into a disaster. A lot of it is, like this one, is about going easy on the alcohol.
Trawling through the net, I came across this piece of advice The office party: How to keep it from turning into the nightmare before Christmas. It's from 2005 but the advice is still good, covering such areas as liability, troublesome spouses and non-employed guests, sexual harassment and of course booze.
I would add four of my own tips: if you don't want to go, do something else. If you hate it, leave early and if you're having a good time, kick on. Don't drag your partner along if they don't want to go. And unless it's perfectly ok for you to get blind, watch how much you drink.
What's been your experience of office parties? What sort of stuff have you seen that's had the office talking on Monday morning? And what advice would you give?
- Posted by Leon Gettler at 9:52 AM
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Small biz and Gen Y
In the past, I have done blog entries here , here and here about the issues Generation Y face in the work place, and about the way they are perceived.
Gen Y seems to divide people into two camps. I have lost count of the number of managers, mostly Generation X, who talk about Gen Y as being spoiled and having a sense of entitlement. From my own point of view, I feel they come in thinking they know what they want, know what works and won't settle for anything less. Nothing wrong with that.
But a new study shows bosses are less than enthusiastic about them.
The latest Sensis survey (heres a tip: its on page 20), based on interviews with 1,800 businesses, shows Baby Boomers, closely followed by Generation X, are the preferred employees of small businesses.
Baby boomers are the generation of choice for employers with 29 per cent saying they would hire from that group. That's closely followed by Gen X at 28 per cent. Only 13 per cent of SME owners preferred to recruit Generation Y staff.
In other words, small businesses are more than twice as likely to hire a Baby Boomer or Generation X employee over a Generation Y employee.
Each generation has its drawbacks. For baby boomers, the strengths are reliability and experience and the downside is their apparent lack of technical skills. For Gen X, the plusses are reliability, technical skills and enthusiasm but family commitments are seen as a potential problem. Small business operators are happy about Gen Y's enthusiasm but the apparent lack of reliability is their greatest drawback.
Personally, I always have reservations about these sorts of surveys because there's always a danger with generalising. I know people in their 70s who have terrific technical skills and who have great enthusiasm for the fresh and the new, and people in their 20s who are old before their time. Sometimes, I think this focus on boomers, Gen X and Gen Y is a marketing department wet dream. Still, the survey suggests the generational difference is an issue.
What's your take on the differences between boomers, Gen X and Gen Y? How does Gen Y fare in your workplace? Are you less likely to hire Gen Y employees because of perceived unreliability? Have you had difficulties with them? Conversely for the Gen Y employees, how have you found the workplace? Are there generational differences? Let's hear some stories.
- Posted by Leon Gettler at 9:32 AM
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Rudd and Kyoto
One of Kevin Rudd's first priorities in office is to ratify Kyoto. And Malcolm Turnbull now says that failing to ratify Kyoto was one reason the Coalition got a belting on Saturday.
But many would say that's not a big step. As ANZ chief economist Saul Eslake told me yesterday, theres no harm signing it because it doesn't really require you to do anything. And as far as renewable energy targets go, the new Government is more likely to wait until next year when it has the report commissioned from economist Ross Garnaut.
Is Kyoto enough? A letter co-authored by Tim Flannery and Professor Barry Brooke from the University of Adelaide says Kyoto by itself won't stop climate change. There's still lots of heavy lifting to do.
And while Labor has set a target to cut Australia's emissions by 60 per cent by 2050 - the coalition has postponed devising its target until next year - Ken Davidson makes the point that Federal Labor's policy is more about signposts than firm targets.
What should the new Government do to tackle climate change? And what should business and the community be doing? Let's hear some ideas?
- Posted by Leon Gettler at 9:32 AM
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Movie work
Back in July, I did a blog entry on management lessons from the movies. Because I'm such a movie buff, it got me thinking about how film can teach us about the workplace. So here is my list.
For tips on how to receive praise and feedback, check Sandra Bullock's acceptance speech in Miss Congeniality. Some great films about the tension between the workplace and emotions include Pursuit of Happyness, Nine to Five, The Devil Wears Prada and Glengarry Glen Ross.
For bad boss behaviour, look at the way the manager played by Michael Caine completely loses it in On Deadly Gound. For age and diversity issues, I always turn to Working Girl and In Good Company.
If you are ever working for a huge corporation feeling as if you are just a cog in a machine, it's hard to go past Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times. If you're feeling unappreciated at work, think of Chevy Chase's tirade in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation after he receives membership in the jelly-of-the-month club instead of the annual bonus.
One of my favourite films about corporate politics following a takeover is Fierce Creatures. It's about a zoo that's been taken over by a corporation and the new manager (John Cleese) decides to boost profits by doing away with all the gentle animals in favour of only scary ones. Then the owner's son Vince (Kevin Kline) thinks a golf course would be more profitable.
For workplace confrontations, it's hard to go past the brawl between Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman in Crimson Tide. Anchorman is very good on the role of emotions, ambition and sexual politics in the workplace.
On workplace change, I always think of Whale Rider where the real leader is a 13 year old girl rather than the male. Great depiction of the tensions between tradition and change, and about emotions that get stuck in the past. For another take on the clash between traditional and modern ways, check Monsoon Wedding.
Any to add to the list? What movies remind you of work? What are some of your favourite scenes?
- Posted by Leon Gettler at 9:13 AM
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Workplace of the future
What will the workplace of the future look like? For an interesting take, check out the PricewaterhouseCoopers report Managing Tomorrow's People
The report sees big corporates morphing into mini-states and taking on an even more prominent role in society. It sees highly specialised workers and companies collaborating in networks and the environmental agenda forcing fundamental changes to business strategy.
It envisages three worlds for business: the orange world where highly specialised companies break down to form collaborative networks of smaller organisations; the green world where corporate responsibility dominates the corporate agenda amid concerns about demographic changes, climate and sustainability; and the blue world where big companies rule.
It presents a number of possible scenarios: global warming transforming the world; a bigger divide between the haves and have-nots; people being graded and profiled for work suitability at the age of 16; companies managing university education; the growth of India; hybrid cars outnumbering petrol-powered cars; more companies providing staff with transport options between work and home to minimise the need for car use and even relocating parts of their operations out of the city to where most of their workers are based and companies using the corporate social responsibility credentials to attract workers with incentive packages that include secondments to work for social projects and needy causes.
Can you see any of this happening? What sort of future do you see for the workplace? What are the big trends to watch?
- Posted by Leon Gettler at 10:02 AM
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Corporate scrooges
It's that time of year again. That's when we start hearing stories about scungy Christmas bonuses, office parties done on the cheap or not held at all, and gifts you wish you never had. Or worse still, sackings just a week or two before Christmas. The spirit of Scrooge is alive and well.
Trawling through the net, I found this study in the online magazine Slate. Slate had asked its readers to submit their tales of woe and the results were posted up in a piece titled The Corporate Scrooge Contest Results.
Some of the stories, if true, are hilarious. Like the company that stopped giving cash bonuses and instead handed out white painters' caps with the words Bah Humbug stencilled in red. Or the bonus that was 20% less than promised. Or the one that gave away $100 gift cards - to employees willing to work 80 hours between December 18 and December 31. Then there was the office party without alcohol. Or the office party held between 8am and 9am.
Any of these sound familiar? What are the worst examples of corporate scroogedom that you have come across?
- Posted by Leon Gettler at 10:34 AM
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Pizza for pay: the boss-to-English translator
Let's all have lunches every Friday. Good team building exercise. Translated that means nobody is getting a raise, enjoy the pizza.
Personally, I've always had alarm bells going when I hear someone say their office is always open. Lets face it, translating the boss can be an important way of getting through the day. The boss-to-English translator from careerbuilder.com offers some tips.
Some examples:
I'll be out of the office for a couple hours with senior management, but you can reach me on my mobile (Translation: I'm playing golf)
Great job on the report (Translation: I'm taking credit for your work)
I have to attend an off-site meeting (Translation: I'm having an affair)
This came down from up top (Translation: I have no real power)
Headquarters has assured me we will not be affected by the merger (Translation: You are going to be fired)
Let me give you some broadstroke ideas and you can fill in the rest (Translation: I still haven't learned how to create an Excel document)
Any to add to the list? What's the worst you've heard? What are your favourites?
- Posted by Leon Gettler at 10:00 AM
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Climate change poll
Some obvious questions with a United Nations report warning that climate change will produce devastating heat waves, floods, water shortages and disease, and with voters going to the polls on Saturday. In Australia, the report warns that we face significant loss of biodiversity in areas like the Great Barrier Reef, water security problems, reduced production from agriculture, rising seas and more storms.
Neither Labor nor Coalition have committed to any reduction in short term targets. And as Tim Colebatch points out this morning, the differences between the two in certain areas are not that big. Despite all the rhetoric.
Still, measures to tackle climate change, whenever they are introduced, will have an impact on society, business and communities. And that might have enormous political and economic consequences.
What sort of changes should the parties be pushing? Will environmental issues influence your vote?
- Posted by Leon Gettler at 10:14 AM
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Replenish and reboot
In a world that they like to call 24/7, where information is constantly coming at us, where we are whipsawed by stimuli and where the demands don't let up, it's bound to have an impact on our health.
According to Cheryl Swanson, partner at US trend tracking group Toniq, it's contributed to problems like carpal tunnel syndrome and perhaps mental and neurological problem like attention deficit disorder and depression.
Over the next 10 years, the big trend will be to reboot and replenish, Swanson tells Advertising Age.
That means more will do yoga, sleep and daydream. There'll be more face time (as opposed to Facebook). And we will also be enlisting the help of organisers, people and products that can help us remove the clutter in our lives.
I guess everyone has different ways of doing it. Mine is playing music and reading. But that's just me, others do it differently. From sport to meditation to cooking to TV.
Still, there are days where I just wish I could delegate tasks. And interestingly enough, we might be seeing the beginnings of that now. In New York, the company Sunday lets busy people in the US, Canada and Britain delegate chores as they arise, for monthly fees starting at just $US29 ($A32). The site's agents are available around the clock and can reached by email or phone. They are available to make outbound calls, arrange travel plans, set dinner reservations, enable remote access to numerous websites and take action in emergency situations that can be handled remotely.
How do you handle an around-the-clock existence? Have you noticed it having an impact on peoples health? Maybe your own? And are you now seeking out more ways to chill out? How do you do it? And do you want an organiser in your life?
- Posted by Leon Gettler at 9:50 AM
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Dealing with office politics
Whatever it says about the Victoria Police, the series of revelations coming out of Office of Police Integrity probe speaks volumes about office politics. In the case of the police, self-promoting gossips and office players were passing confidential information to curry favour. But more generally, the results show that office politics at its most extreme and toxic can ruin careers and lives.
Still, office games happen all the time. At some places, it's about backstabbing, stealing other people's ideas, scapegoating and wiping out opponents. At other places, it's relatively benign. But it's still there. The question is how do you negotiate your way around it?
Sam De Brito offers some tips in his All Men Are Liars blog. For a common sense take, check out the Lifehack blog: avoid office gossip, think long-term, respect boundaries, don't get sucked into battles over promotion. Not sure if that's possible for everyone but it's a good starting point.
What's your advice on office politics? Is your workplace full of office politics? How bad does it get? Or have you learned to work the system? Let's hear some stories.
- Posted by Leon Gettler at 10:22 AM
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Most boring jobs
Everybody's had them.
The three most boring jobs I've had were stuffing and licking envelopes for a mail order firm, spending 10 hours a day in a factory wrapping spools of cotton and putting them into boxes and working in a call centre selling ads. But I've heard of worse. Like packing boxes into bigger boxes on a 12 hour factory night shift. Or sitting in a news room monitoring news programs. Pruning grape vines in the middle of nowhere is no fun either.
So what are the most boring jobs you've had?
The Political Calculations blog has come up with its list of the most mind-numbing jobs. They include working as a bank teller, actuarial science and envelope stuffing.
Any to add to the list? What's the most boring job you've had? Or do you work in one? What is it? And how do you get by?
- Posted by Leon Gettler at 9:29 AM
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