Friday

10 Signs Your Permanent Job is Temporary

What some will never tell you when they hire you is that one day that permanent job you think you have is really only temporary.  The biggest misconception some employees have when it comes to employment is that they will most likely have their jobs for a long time.  This may have been true for parents and grandparents, but nowadays with many business models changing, sometimes overnight, one can never be too certain.  There are signs to look out for that your position might not be permanent.


1.  You notice the job title and description changed after you were hired. 


It feels like you are playing musical chairs at work, your position changes almost every few months.  You really have no idea what is your primary job anymore.  The leadership has either given you more responsibilities that are expected to be done by a certain date or less.  The tasks are not really what you had in mind. 


2.  Your boss feels threatened by you and will joke, prank, act rude, or do other things to make you feel uncomfortable.


The likelihood that you will be sticking around for a long time is highly unlikely unless you have tough-skin when it comes to a difficult boss.


3.  Your workspace is often shared by others and you find yourself worried about people using or stealing your things.


The stress of your personal space being violated will get to you unless you are able to change the environment that you are in.  If not, little annoyances will grow into larger ones sooner or later and you will think about getting another job.


4.  When you need supplies they are either insufficient, incorrect, broken, ignored, or delayed.


It can make you very angry when you can't get something as simple as a good writing pen or a reimbursement for company related expenses.  Therefore, if leadership is unsupportive in helping you meet your needs, it is inevitable that you will be shooting out resumes elsewhere to ease your troubled mind.


5.  You don't feel like you fit in with the group.


No matter what you do someone or a group of individuals often finds faults with you.  The burden of this kind of negative treatment can be so great that eventually you might find yourself quitting without notice.  Those who are growing weary of you or don't like you might push you out by complaining to the boss.


6.  When there are meetings you often come away from them confused or wondering what is the purpose?


Most workers know meetings that don't solve problems, don't move the company forward, or just tend to be nothing more than a waste can be tiresome.  When there seems to be no answers, leadership and co-workers are unsupportive and nothing is really going on at those meetings, you will start to feel doubtful about your future and whether or not it is even worth sticking it out with the company.


7.  You personally know that you will never get the top spot or corner office.


Whether you are dealing with layers of departments, cliques, policies, stubborn old men and women (who refuse to retire/change/learn something new), or something else, all the jumping through hoops will bring you down.  The office politics will make you want to run for the door.  With no hope to move up, you will want to change your career course.


8.  Employees have been quietly seeking other job opportunities.


When many others feel like you do, this is a definite sign to plan accordingly, save your money, and start looking for another job.  People who don't see the writing in the wall are blindsided and will find themselves unexpectedly laid off, suspended, or worse fired.


9.  You can't trust anyone.


Feeling alone in a large company with no one to talk to about your professional challenges is a good sign that something is brewing.  It is always best to keep your mouth closed and your eyes wide open.  Have you noticed an increase of unfamiliar traffic, people working late, others being laid off or fired, and temporary staff being let go steadily?  Hmm.


10.  The culture and gender diversity is either non-existent or  the atmosphere is so multi-cultural to the point that there is constant workplace bickering.


Does the company have a history of much turnover?  Chances are it will only be a matter of time that the issues of others might end up on your desk.  Work overload, gossip, tardiness, stealing, surfing the Internet, and any other issue that tends to create a divide between genders and culture will keep one stressed.  Unless the company policies are clearly outlined and enforced, people will do what they want based on what they experienced "back at home, in the neighborhood, where I use to work" etc.  How you deal with these issues will determine whether you will stay with the company or not.


Notice the signs that you see all around you are based mainly on how you respond to them.  Also, keep in mind that leadership is watching too.  So if you should display an attitude that says, "This is too much for me!  I can't stand this job..."  Those who can free you of your burdens will!


Nicholl McGuire 

The Workforce is Changing rapidly - How Will You Manage?



Friday

Forgive the Boss for He Knows Not What He Does

There will be those times when you are left feeling bewildered when it comes to what a boss thinks he needs/wants right now.  Other times you just might feel like your mind is going a mile a minute, because of the downright insane things he is telling or doing to you.  Every worker has a moment in his or her career when the person just doesn't want to go on due to a boss who is having a bad day or many days.  Yet, you know that underneath all the chaos is a man (or woman) who is really a nice and caring person who just wants to do the best at his or her job, so what to do?


Forgive the boss.  Easier said than done.  But what you are doing when you forgive someone is keeping the desire at bay to want to pay him or her back for mistreating you.  A lot of negative energy goes into planning a pay-back plan on someone who has hurt you.  Sometimes the mean-spirited side tends to take over and before long you find yourself easily angered not only at the boss, but just about anyone who comes in contact with you.  So release the need to get even and place that burden on your Creator's shoulders (that is if you have one).  If not, do something positive that will help your well-being.  From a visit to the Human Resources Department to a daily work out, whatever you can do to dispense the ugliness you feel inside in a productive way.


Communicate your concerns with your boss.  Sometimes employees aren't very good at articulating their needs; therefore, their issues with the company fall on deaf ears.  Put workplace problems in writing, schedule a meeting, and express concerns and solutions to your boss.  Avoid the temptation to want to make the meeting an "attack session" where you are venting everything that you hate about the boss and the company.  If you do this, most likely he or she will never let you forget what you have said.  Some bosses know how to drive their workers away or mad because they were offended by them even though they will never breathe a word about the offenses.


If you feel like you can do something better at the company, why not share what you know with your boss and other leaders/workers?  Enlist the help of other employees and bring along a witness or two the next time you have a bright idea.  Document what you know and share copies of your ideas.  Some bosses become overwhelmed with other duties that they fail to keep up with other tasks.


Take a moment to put yourself in your manager's shoes.  If he or she is battling with an illness, a personal issue at home, or dealing with many workplace challenges, most likely these issues and more are affecting his or her personality.  The same may have happened with you in the past or even presently.  So give your boss the benefit of the doubt.  Maybe a thoughtful gift might be just the thing to bring a smile on his or her face at least temporarily.  Your boss will remember that time when you thought of him or her.


If things are becoming too much at the office, to the point that you have dreams of doing something bad to your boss, then by all means consider another job.  Check out online directories who have lists of temporary employment agencies as well as websites with job search resources.  Make the search for a new job a priority!  Sometimes workers must forgive at a distance--better safe than sorry later.


Nicholl McGuire