Do You Know What Your Employer Pays for You?

This week, especially today, has been a treasure-trove for good career and business related articles. I tend to watch cnn.com for career news. They hit the jackpot today.

I read an article titled Why a $14 an hour employee costs $20. www.cnn.com

So many people don’t realize how much it costs to keep them on board. They only think in terms of what they get paid. Unless you are in management or otherwise have had to wear the numbers hat in an organization you may be oblivious to the costs involved with hiring, training and firing people.

Smart companies involve employees in the greater understanding of how things work- how they keep afloat. When employees know and understand how the numbers benefit or detriment them they can be more productive.

I hear people often complain about the cost of an item. They only consider the value it may have in their life. They assume it has a 300% mark up- and maybe it does. But do you know why or how that price was determined? It’s a very similar process.

How much rent does your employer pay on their office or warehouse space?
How much of your benefits do they pay?
How much insurance do they carry for their product, people, space, etc…?
What are their costs to do business (everything from the fax equipment they have, the technicians who service it, the materials they use to make their goods, etc…)?
What profit margin are they running on? What makes it fluctuate?
If they pay you $15 how much do they also pay to have you as an employee in taxes (and the above items)? *I usually tell a company to expect 35% overhead per employee.

Now, that $15 book doesn’t seem so high does it? That vet visit for $65 seems pretty fair when you realize what it has to support to be there another year, right? Paying $8 for a car wash doesn’t seem so outrageous does it?

To break even, Also Known As making ZERO profit, some companies have to make thousands each day.

No wonder they say business is tough.

I’ve Been Put on Probation…. Now What?!

I received an email this week from a reader who wanted more guidance on her probation status at work. She had read a previous blog posting of mine on the issue.

If you are on probation I encourage you to do these 6 things:

 Decide if you want to keep the job or it would be a blessing to be rid of it
 If you opt to free yourself of the position, make sure you take steps to minimize any damage to your professional reputation by meeting with each party involved and expressing your apologies that the fit wasn’t exactly right and you’re opting to move on to eliminate further harm or embarrassment to yourself, your team and the company as a whole (certainly customize this for the situation)
 If you opt to stay, you have to go in full damage control mode fast.
 Meet with each party involved with the decision to keep or fire you and plead your case, sincerely and openly. You will have to own up to mistakes, miscommunication and faults- even if you don’t believe they are yours. Stubbornness will get you no where.
 Develop your own action plan to get back on track with everyone. Ask for their input. Apologize for misgivings in the past. Tell them you want and will do better for the good of the team and the company.
 Be willing to turn a new leaf. Be better than you were yesterday. Be open to working with people you don’t like or don’t want to like. Realize that you are not perfect, no one is, and your success depends upon your ability to see a situation outside of yourself.

Enjoy the Perfect in Imperfection

As the spring has sprung where I live, I was reminded to embrace every moment of sunshine and every bud about to erupt on a stem. The air feels so welcoming. The scent in the air is so enveloping. It truly is Spring Fever.

No matter what the full day brings you. No matter what stresses exist at work, home or play…. Let the little moments signaling brighter, warmer days soak your psyche for a few minutes.

I enjoyed eating a meal outside in my backyard- even though the dogs would fence fight a stranger or an enemy rival every 20 minutes.

I enjoyed the porch swing even when the air was a tad cooler than I wanted, just to feel my feet being swept out from under me in full control and safety.

I enjoyed looking at the yard, even though it signals the hard work ahead.

And, I dreamt of that first vine ripen tomato- even though its not been planted yet.

Enjoy the moments of beauty that exist, even if they are surrounded by other things that have to be managed, cared for our cautioned. Realize it is beauty inside of those things and you can harness it.

Reply to All... Don't Do it!

There are thousands of email blunders out there. I can recall sending a colleague a note which he forwarded on without carefully examining the content first. The content, to my discredit, was not the type which would have been viewed favorably by the new recipient. Ouch. That hurt. Chalk it up as a lesson I knew better but ignored at that moment. Don't send anything you wouldn't say out loud.

Here's my latest, and ongoing pet-peeve, the "reply to all" function. Wow. What a handy tool that is wildly misused and causes veins to throb everywhere!  Just stop it. Does everyone on that list need to see that you are indeed planning to attend or bring materials, or .... (stop me before I get out of line here)? No, they don't.

The sender wanted to blast a number of people at the same time so that they could all receive the same message at the same time. It was not meant as an open invite for 100 people to learn about the confirmation or rant of the other 99. The others don't need your input, most likely. So, don't reply to all.

It's a shame that it has to be written but I do see more of this now.... "Please do not reply to all if you reply at all. Reply only to the original sender of the email."  Duh. (I haven't used that word in decades by the way but it really fits here.)

In the last 3 weeks my inbox has swelled beyond the normal chaos because people have chosen to reply to all to show their enthusiasm for a project. Show your enthusiasm by showing up, contributing, bringing in sponsors, writing a book, .... I don't really care but not in the reply to all.

When you reply to all you are intruding upon an already full system, email. People are trying to decrease their boxes not get more. Do your part. Be a professional. Show you are a little smarter than that. Do Not Reply to All unless it is absolutely essential that everyone on that email receive your input. 9 times out of 10 it is NOT appropriate.

Thank you. All of you.

5 Big Do's for Your Career Search

Sadly, it needs to be repeated.

1. Know how your resume will look to them. This means, if you send a pdf, look at it first, how does it look? If you send it through a newspaper, know what format it comes out on the other end. Physically, how does your resume look to the person who makes the decision if you go on to the next round.

2. Include a cover letter and make it personal. When I work with companies, I bin (AKA throw it in the trash QUICKLY) any resume without a cover letter. And, believe it or not, many come through that way. Include a cover that shows me you spent time reading the job description and doing your homework on the company. And, hey, make me like you or at least be interested enough to move you to the next round.

3. Include an objective or something to make me see that you want THIS job in THIS industry. Take 30-seconds to refine it for each job you submit for.

4. Match the resume to the position you want. If I ask for someone who can manage a team of distributed people tell me about your experience doing that. Specifically, tell me how many, where they were and how you managed them. Make it easy for me to say yes to you.

5. Send it in via Email and Hard Copy Mail. The competition is fierce. Be assertive. DON'T EMAIL IT IN 5 TIMES... I'd bin you for annoying me.

Email me for 5 more tips. Happy Hunting.

Between the Resignations and the Recalls… Is Anyone Safe Anymore?

Maybe its just me, the last few weeks have been filled with one clip after another of ethical and morale violations, professional suicide acts, and “better late than never- in most cases” “we’re sorry our product is faulty (and threatening people’s lives) and we tried to cover it up for a little while”.

I admit I’m more sensitive than most, perhaps the better word is skeptical. I’ve been in risk communication and businesses or arenas that address it for more than 15 years. I see bad news following poor decision-making all the time. The bad news typically comes out long after the closed-door meetings, the whispers, the threat of lawsuit…. And the headlines. Sad but true.

Are you protected? As a consumer? As a producer?

Have you long since evaluated your own practices, policies, language, and behavior? Do you know where you might be a walking time bomb or violation waiting to happen? Have you just been lucky?

Have you tried to temper (or lets be honest with one another, cover up) a bad situation that you should have handled different in hindsight?

When I work with people I sometimes encourage them to imagine their greatest critic on their shoulder (like the angel and devil in the cartoons). It might be your mother, your boss, your board, you daughter. Imagine someone watching and listening to you throughout the day. Would they be proud of your conduct? Would they be pleased with your performance and interactions? If not, you need to ask yourself why and how you can adjust to be more in line with an acceptable code of conduct.

Tickle-fights are not appropriate with co-workers or staff. Signing or joking about intimate body parts is not acceptable water-cooler chat. Knowing that your product puts others at risk, even if 5% of the population and continuing to produce it without warning is just plain bad practice – and it will cost you big time. Doing a favor for a friend who just needs you to place a call, look the other way or just sign this…. Well, they really aren’t a friend anyhow. Or, maybe you’ll find out when you lose your job and you need a loan to pay your bills- ask them. Heck, maybe they’ll even come visit you in jail when you land there. Jeff Foxworthy says that’s the sign of a true friend. Well, no let me get it right, Jeff says that person would be sitting in jail with you… on a cot smoking a cigarette…. (Yeah, shamelessly I do know this one)

Pull up that Girl Scout or Boy Scout motto. Do the right thing. Time and time again. Do the right thing. For your health and ours. (and so we can get back to serious news like “milk-a-holic Lyndsey”)

Changes in the Champions Series are Coming. Pay Attention and Win Big.

First, join us this coming Tuesday, March 9th, for our monthly call. Guest speaker, Ashley Moss will be presenting:

Creating a One-of-a-Kind Presence for Your Business Through Public Relations


PR is one facet of marketing that is often overlooked by businesses, especially those who don't have the time or staff to implement these practices effectively. Find out how you can incorporate PR into your marketing plan and increase the communication you have with the public through exposure in the community and media at no cost!

Guests pay $20 for the call or recording to listen at their leisure. Pay by March 8th at http://www.shop.powletters.com/
 
Champions are always free to join in on the call and will always get the recordings for later listening.
 
Now, on to the changes. Champions have always received a 15-minute private call as part of their benefits package. I'm changing that to 30 minutes!  Yes, 30 minutes. So, we're doubling the benefit. That is, if you choose Option 2 which includes the 30 minute call. If 15 was enough for you, you can keep that option (Option 1) and also keep the monthly call topic (or choose from the library for our new members who want to revisit a topic we've covered in the past). So, the choice is now yours. Longer call time or keep the 15 and keep the monthly seminar. Here's another bonus. If you opt for #2 you'll still be invited to the call when we have a special guest speaker. So, you'll win either way.
 
The Champions Series was created by the demand I saw in my clients and prospects. The Series has evolved over time as we've seen what works and what doesn't. I'm proud to make this offering to extend the call time for those Champions who feel it would be more beneficial than the monthly group call/topic. We always want this Series to serve you the Champion.
 
Another change to the Series: prices will increase in October. But wait.... I won't increase them on current members!  So, if you joined or join now through May 30 at the $39 a month price YOU ARE LOCKED IN AT THAT PRICE and I WILL NOT raise it on you for the duration of your membership. If you stay in the Series for 5 years, you'll only pay what you agreed to pay when you signed up.... $39! What a great deal.
 
We will NOT be accepting new members from June 1 through September 30. Our office will only be serving existing clients and Champions during those months. When we open enrollment on October 1, 2010 the Champions price will increase to $59 per month- STILL a bargain for the benefits (which are valued at $225).