The Career Connection: Women, You Lead Differently From Men ~ A Good Thing in the World of Business!

Susan T. Spencer is one of a kind; an entrepreneur and business professional who competes in the big leagues—male-dominated industries.

Susan learned about football from her father and business from her parents and grandparents. Before the age of 40, Susan was a mother, junior high school teacher, a tennis dress manufacturer, a lawyer and General Manager of football’s Philadelphia Eagles.

After several years at the Eagles, she left to start her second business—a food distribution company, Allegro Foods, which she grew into a successful global company. Susan continued to expand her business empire by buying two more exclusively male businesses—both in meat processing. Her companies had combined annual revenues of 50 million, and she attributes her success to 12 natural talents that all women possess.

In the category of unique, here are 5 of the 12 skills that women own that help them lead and succeed and certainly skills that men covet.

Perceptive Communication

Women are natural communicators. Men listen, and women talk . . . to everyone. Women’s ability to communicate is not just their ability to talk; they are also aware of what others are thinking. All of women’s senses contribute to their special talent, (touch, smell, taste, vision, and hearing), giving them a decided advantage in evaluating a business situation. These traits, along with other observations that women instinctively notice, such as body language, facial expressions, tone of voice and body movements, collectively represent what women in business uniquely possess—the ability to be perceptive communicators.

Being Empathetic

The ability to identify with and understand someone else’s feelings or difficulties is a female leadership skill that engenders employee loyalty and trust. The best way for me to describe empathy is to share with you a brief story that happened to me when I was forced to shut down one of my meat plants because it was losing millions of dollars with no end in sight.

As a leader, I knew not to have a buddy-buddy relationship with my employees. I felt it would compromise my ability to be objective and manage effectively. I followed this principle throughout my career; and in most cases it served me well. My plan was to call a meeting of my employees in the cafeteria and tell them that I could not fix this broken company that I purchased and operated for several years. I intended to tell them that I was truly sorry but the plant wouldbe closed in 60 days.

My plan was to tell the story in a calm, clear, unemotional way. But when I stood in front of the workers and looked into the eyes of the men and women I worked with every day, tears filled my eyes and the tears continued to fall until my speech was finished. I feared that an angry crowd of workers would mock me, but as I dried my eyes and tried to gain some composure, one of my workers shouted out, “You’re not so tough!” and the rest of the employees applauded and laughed warmly in appreciation.

It’s a rare moment when most bosses or figures of authority show this side of themselves, but if it’s sincere, it’s a moment that will be appreciated forever by everyone who witnesses it. Because I communicated openly and honestly with all the employees, every worker stayed on and saw the company through until closing day, saving me from even greater losses. Empathy is an awesome skill when it is used carefully and wisely in business situations.

Being Engaging

Have you observed the way most businessmen greet each other? I have. They immediately extend their hand and wait for the other person to do the same; then they grasp hands firmly and give a shake or two. Generally, they don’t make eye contact with each other, and if they exchange words, they’re often mumbled or perfunctory.

When women greet each other, they hug, they smile, and they look each other in the eye and say how good it is to see the other one. Thisis true even if they’re business colleagues. These gestures are more than symbolic—it’s how women use body language to communicate the importance of relationships.

When you meet a businessperson in the ordinary course of business, being engaging includes the way you meet and greet other businesspersons. It begins the moment you extend your hand and continues throughout the greeting. Don’t miss an opportunity to make a great initial impression by using your natural skill of being engaging, it can be the most powerful “Briefcase Essential” that you carry.

Being Inclusive

Businesswomen are “people persons”—they fill this role naturally because they are comfortable relating one-on-one with people at all levels of an organization. We make it a point to know the names and faces of people we are working with; we want them to know us and we want to feel comfortable with them as well. Sometimes, your customers or suppliers will feel so comfortable with you that they share personal information which brings the relationship closer and gives you the opportunity to be candid and straightforward with them about business problems when they arise.

Businessmen tend to act impersonally and do not interact at all levels; in other words they are exclusive not inclusive. For women the term “inclusive” carries with it an implicit acknowledgement that “people come first.” By being inclusive with every business contact—whether customer, supplier, or employee—the natural talents that women apply to business give them a decisive edge. Never underestimate the strength of leadership that we possess by championing the maxim of being inclusive which carries with it an implied understanding that people come first.

Being Resourceful

Every business has its ups and downs and in one of my companies the downs seemed never ending. One of the most important business skills—and a talent that women seem to be able to handle better than men, is juggling lots of balls in the air at one time. Women problem solve the same way—they think about several options instead of zeroing in on one, toss them around in their head, weigh alternatives, consider several points of view, and come up with more than one way to proceed. Here how being resourceful temporarily solved my business problem when I discovered I couldn’t cover payroll for the 200 employees that worked in my company.

My solution was to stretch payment to my large suppliers past their seven-day terms one day at a time until my company was actually paying them in fourteen or twenty-one days. I figured out that if they demanded payment in full immediately, and we could not pay it, they’d eventually force my company into bankruptcy, which would end their chance of getting paid in full. Their only other option would be to accept my offer and extend my payment terms—and it worked!

Susan’s recently published business book, Briefcase Essentials, www.BriefcaseEssentials.com,includes all 12 of the natural talents that women need to succeed in a male-dominated workplace and includes lots of personal stories ( including the anecdotes above in much greater detail ) about working in male-dominated businesses. By reading Briefcase Essentials women will learn how to deal with men in business instead of trying to act like them.

copyright @ 2011 SusanT.Spencer

Susan T. Spencer was an entrepreneur and business professional before many women had the courage to play in the big leagues with men. Her companies reached annual revenues of $50 million.

Susan learned about football and business from her father, Leonard Tose, who owned a professional football team. She was the first and only female to hold the position as General Manager of an NFL team, The Philadelphia Eagles.

After her time with the team, Susan added three more exclusively male businesses to her ventures, one in food distribution and two in meat processing, one of which she owned and ran for more than 20 years. Susan’s beef company was the only woman owned company that sold millions of pounds of meat products to national chains including McDonald’s, Chili’s, Dairy Queen, Jack in the Box, and many others.

Spencer attended Boston University where she earned a BA. She later received her MA in Education/Economics from Hofstra Universityand received her law degree from Villanova University.

She currently consults with small business owners when they are ready to “take off”, is a lecturer and business blogger, is on the Advisory Board of a Utah bank and is working with banks across the country to include a Women’s Financial Group as a separate category within each bank. She also serves as an advisor to several international non -profits as an “expert in growing a small business.”

Website: www.BriefcaseEssentials.com

Briefcase Essentials is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and through any major bookseller.

The Career Connection: Four Simple Principles of Getting to Completion

By Leo Babauta ~

When I hear about a great idea that a friend has, I get excited. I can’t wait to see that idea become reality.

Then I ask about the idea a few months later, and it often is not one bit closer to completion.

Ideas stop short of becoming reality, and projects seem to drag on endlessly, because of one thing: complexity.

A software programmer can allow the development of a new app he’s building to drag on and on for years (I know of cases where this happened), only to find Google release something that makes his app obsolete. The problem: the program grew and grew in complexity and features, but never shipped.

A web developer can work on a rad new website with killer features, but after months of work the website never launches. Problem: too complex, and too much of a perfectionist.

A writer can work on a novel, working in characters and plotlines, and then work on revision after revision, only to abandon it. The complexity of a book can become overwhelming.

If your project has been dragging on, or you’re having problems completing, try simplifying, and stop trying for perfection.

I’ve launched a number of projects over the last few years, and learned a thing or two about making ideas take life, and getting to done.

Here are some of those key principles:

1. Keep the scope as simple as possible. You don’t need to do everything with this project. In fact, if you can just do one thing, that’s perfect. As small a thing as possible. Don’t redesign an entire city — just work on one building. If the project starts to get complex or seem overwhelming, narrow the scope. Do less. It’ll help you get things done.

2. Practice ‘Good Enough’. Perfectionism is the enemy of completion. Nitpick and worry about getting it “just right”, and you’ll never get it done. Done is better than right. So if you start to nitpick and worry about perfect, say “screw it” and then just try for “good enough”. You can always make it better in the next version.

3. Kill extra features. Similar to simplifying the scope, you’ll want to try to make your creation do as little as possible. Want it to talk and walk and cook breakfast? Just try for talking. Want your website to publish great content and have social networking and podcasts and news and a newsletter and a membership area? Just shoot for great content. Whenever you find yourself adding new features, see if they can’t be killed.

4. Make it public, quick. Your goal should be to get your project in some working form out to your customers/readers/public as soon as possible. In as few steps, as quickly, as easily, as simply as possible. Remember: don’t worry about perfect, and don’t let this first public release be wide in scope or full of features. Release it with as few features as possible. Releasing it publicly will 1) get you to done faster and 2) put some pressure on you to make it better, quickly.

Originally published at www.zenhabits.net.  To read more about the author, Lee Babauta, check out zenhabits.net/about/.

The Career Connection: Five Ways to Grow in 2011

“2011 will be a year of growth for many – and, whether you’re a startup, well-established company, or working for either one, there are five key things you can implement that will ensure your growth,” says Michelle Yurcak, Destination Management Certified Professional and President of Premium Event Services.

1 – Educate yourself and your clients
“It is critical that companies not only continue to educate themselves in the industry they are in, but that they are educated about their clients, and educate their clients,” says Michelle.  “Moving into 2011, commit to attending at least two educational events specific to your industry, reading publications focused on your industry, and keep up to speed on your industry’s latest trends. Additionally, educate yourself in the culture of your area and its people – I promise you that they have a lot to teach you,” says Michelle. “Ask yourself, what are some of the idiosyncrasies unique to your area? When you educate yourself on issues important to the people you are attempting to do business with, you win over many clients; when you speak with authority on your own industry as you are building these client relationships, you seal the deal.“

2 – Don’t be afraid to say “No”
“It’s easy to be tempted to take on work that is not a right fit for your company, but seems financially rewarding (in the immediate future).  Before you enter 2011, analyze what is your core business, and who are your core clients,” says Michelle. Many people might also be watching you to see if you’ve been tested and proved before they choose you – are you picking the right clients so you can shine appropriately?  Not all business is good business – make sure you are comfortable turning down business that does not fit within your mission and core capabilities.  As a result, your reputation will be solid, which will be reflected in your client base.”

3 – Be confident
“To grow in any industry, you must be confident in your expertise, and have the nerve to tell a client that their ideas may not produce the most successful results,” says Michelle. “I have found that some clients will have a theme in mind for an event and after qualifying all of the demographics, objectives, and logistics of the event, their ideas or suggestions are all wrong for them.  We help them understand that, and give them an event that truly accomplishes their goals. Once you are confident that your ideas and creativity will produce the desired results your clients envision, you can begin to create that sense of expectation from a client that will give you the open door to advise them what works and what doesn’t for their specific situation.”

4 – Be relevant
“Times are changing and we must change with the times; we are an experiential society and influenced by the digital technology and all of the wonders it brings.  It is imperative that any part of your company output is no longer status quo,” says Michelle. “When your goal is to create an experience every time you come in contact with a client, growth follows, especially because not every company can create and deliver a true client experience.  Stand in their shoes for a moment – what will he appreciate; what is she hearing me say?  How can I avoid wasting any of their money? When creating an experience for a client, identify what is the most effective for their situation; you want to be able to contribute the full picture that makes sense to the individuals you are working with – and the area they are working in.”

5 – Know your competition
“In our industry, nowadays, most clients have to get several bids for an event or large group transportation; knowing our competition and how we stack up against them is essential to growing.  We have well established, quality competitors and they push us to be better, be more creative, and be on our game,” says Michelle. “I may be going away from conventional wisdom to say this; but, give your competitors a pat on the back.  For us, ours is a small industry and having allies over enemies shows that we support the growth of our entire industry and not just our own business. We maintain that we can’t be all things to all people so if we lose a piece of business, maybe we weren’t the right fit; we believe that another opportunity is sure to follow.  Grow right, grow wisely.”

About Premium Event Services:  Premium Event Services (PES) has been a leading Corporate Event Production and Destination Management Company (DMC) since 2002. PES President, Michelle Yurcak, is the only Destination Management Certified Professional in MI.  PES is committed to strong client and vendor relationships, a strict set of industry-leading ethical, environmental and professional standards as well as the growth of our employees and partners. PES guarantees their clients that their convention, meeting, conference or special event will be one that attendees will remember for years to come. PES was awarded the Best Meeting Planner distinction in 2009 by Michigan Meetings and Events Magazine. Affiliations (Past & Present) include: Association of Destination Management Executives (ADME), International Special Events Society (ISES), National Association of Catering Executives (NACE), University of Michigan – University Event Planner (UEP), Certified Women’s’ Business Enterprise (WBE). The firm and its team have received multiple across the board industry awards. Michelle Yurcak, President, PES, can be reached at: myurcak@premiumeventservices.com or 734.528.1455.

The Career Connection: The “Ugly” Truth about the 401(k)

By Tony Walker

My granddad retired in 1978. He dedicated 43 years of his life to one employer – the phone company. In return, Granddad was rewarded with:

1)      A lifetime pension check

2)      Company-provided health insurance for the rest of his life.

3)      Free phone and long-distance service (this was before unlimited cell and texting!).

Apparently, what was good for Granddad wasn’t good enough for my generation – the Baby Boomers. Why don’t WE get “guaranteed” pension incomes? Because of the 401(k) plan!

While employers during Granddad’s generation could afford pension plans (“defined benefit plans”), they were quite costly. Money had to be stuffed away to assure pensions for all their retirees. Also, when pension plans were created, employees weren’t expected to live long past normal retirement age (65) to collect all of this money.

Forced to “ease” out of these expensive plans, someone in the early 1908s created the 401(k) plan, turning control over to the employees by allowing them to team up with Wall Street while the employer would “match” the employees’ contributions.

Thirty years later, Americans are left with 401(k)’s and uncertainty about their future income. The 401(k) plan took conservative, hard-working savers – who knew nothing about stocks, bonds and mutual funds – and turned them into “speculators.” The mutual fund industry went from millions to trillions!

Instead of relying on employers to take care of their retirement, Americans followed the financial herd and instead made Wall Street rich. No wonder folks are so worried today.

So now what are we supposed to do now?

As a Registered Investment Advisor, each day I sit across the table from consumers who are dazed, confused and lost as to what to do with their 401(k) money. Here’s what I advise them:

1.     Stop treating your 401(k) as the mother of all retirement plans; contribute to it only “up to” the match. If you don’t get a match, I strongly encourage you to see an outside retirement specialist to decide if you should contribute any new money to the plan. There are plenty of better ideas for your money.

2.    Forget the notion that there is some magic to the term “pre-tax.” Rather, think of your 401(k) contribution as “postponing the tax,” because one day, you’ll have to pay the taxes. In fact, the longer you have the plan, the worse it usually gets!

3.    Check with your employer for a copy of the Plan Document to see if there is money that can be rolled out into your own self-directed IRA. In many cases, even if you’re still working with the employer, you can roll out previous 401(k) contributions rolled into this plan, the employer contribution, and in some cases the after-tax portion. Best of all, if you’re 59 ½ or older, some documents let you roll out your “pre-tax” contributions as well.

4.     If you’ve recently quit, been fired, retired…whatever – get your money out of the 401(k) and into a self-directed IRA so you can get some different options and planning opportunities. One word of caution: if you’re not yet 59 ½, there are some cases where leaving some or all of the money in the 401(k) might make sense since money coming out of the plan is not subject to the 10% tax penalty.

So, say goodbye to Granddad’s retirement – stop putting all your hope, and your money, into the 401(k). As a retirement specialist who is actually in the financial trenches, I can assure you there are better options. Clarify where it is you want to go with your retirement and your money; assess where you are in relation to where you want to be; commit to finding other ideas and strategies for your money other than the 401(k); implement a new game plan that helps you use, enjoy and protect your hard-earned money; and finally, work with someone or put yourself under a plan that will allow you to easily monitor your progress.

Be Worryfree!

The author of three books, including WorryFree Retirement (Author House), and a full-length documentary on retirement, Tony Walker is a professional financial planner who has given hundreds of financial workshops on retirement to thousands of people worried about their money and their future. For further information, visit www.tonywalkerfinancial.com.

The Career Connection: I’ll Get to It Later ~ Why People Procrastinate

By: Annie Tucker Morgan ~

I’ve been bragging to people for years about how lucky I am not to have an addictive personality. But isn’t denial one of the primary characteristics of an addict? Sure, I’ve never been an alcoholic or a compulsive gambler, but when I take stock of the habitual behaviors I do engage in, I realize I’ve been lying to myself all along. The difference between stereotypical addicts and me is that while they’re hooked on risky activities or toxic substances, I can’t resist not doing anything—I’m a certified, class-A procrastinator. If it can be done today, I’ll do it tomorrow (or never). If I have a far-off deadline to meet, I’ll still end up butting right up against it (or miss it altogether). I’m nothing if not consistent in my tendency to make things as stressful as possible for myself by shirking responsibility until the last possible moment, then cramming four days’ worth of work into six hours and nearly collapsing in the process.

My ultimate opportunity to test my keen time-wasting abilities came when I was self-employed for three years. So many temptations, so little time. Go surfing or edit bank documents? The frigid ocean water would surely make me more alert when I returned to my desk. Waste time looking at celebrity-gossip Web sites or get a head start on that big book project? Duh—Hollywood’s survival depended on me. Go grocery shopping or … you get the point.

My poor decisions resulted in countless late nights and weekends of work. As my nine-to-five friends enjoyed their Saturdays, I’d be MIA, burning the midnight oil and fretting about getting in under the wire with a project I could’ve finished days earlier if only I’d had some self-discipline. Now that I have a full-time job again, I’m relieved to be able to put those days behind me—but my memories of them are vivid enough to constantly remind me to get my work done on time, every time. After all, procrastination may seem like an inescapable, universal affliction, but it doesn’t have to be.

I’m Late! I’m Late! For a Very Important Date!
Writer Hara Estroff Marano interviewed two leading experts on procrastination for a 2003 Psychology Today article: Joseph Ferrari, associate professor of psychology at De Paul University in Chicago, and Timothy Pychyl, associate professor of psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. Their comments cast chronic procrastinators in a grave light—as ill-adapted self-saboteurs who undermine the severity of their condition. Furthermore, these psychologists believe that chronic procrastinators share a number of behavioral traits that perpetuate their bad habits.

• Procrastinators are masters of self-deception who tell themselves the same lies so frequently that they begin to believe them. Common justifications for procrastination include lines like “I work best under pressure” and “I’m most creative when I’m on a tight deadline.” As Ferrari and Pychyl point out, however, creativity and efficiency can’t be channeled or predicted so readily; rather, these statements are just defense mechanisms.

• Not only do procrastinators avoid tasks regularly, but they also consciously look for easy distractions—especially checking email compulsively—to make their postponement of more important obligations feel worthwhile. These diversions also allow procrastinators to continue denying the underlying emotional issues that make them put things off.

• Procrastination is just one of many characteristics of people who have difficulty with self-regulation; another symptom is that they often drink greater quantities of alcohol than they intend to. Just like the distraction email provides, alcohol represents an easy escape route for procrastinators who are averse to exploring the psychological underpinnings of their condition.

John M. Grohol, PsyD, adds that procrastination is rooted in cognitive distortions (irrational thought processes) that manifest themselves in several different forms: people who overestimate how much time they have left to perform a task and underestimate how much time they’ll take to complete it, people who believe they’ll be more motivated to do certain tasks in the future, and people who believe that they won’t be able to complete a task unless they’re in a very specific mood—which, conveniently, is usually not the mood they’re in at the moment.
Why Do Today What You Can Do Tomorrow?
The causes of procrastination are individualized and difficult to pinpoint; factors such as poor schooling, a lack of household routines, and sheer laziness can all hamper people’s ability to buckle down and accomplish tasks on time and without rushing. However, Ferrari proposes that most procrastinators fall under three general categories: thrill seekers, who get a rush out of dodging responsibility; avoiders, who are so fearful of failure that they would rather be perceived as lacking incentive than as lacking ability; and decisional procrastinators, who resist making decisions because they don’t want to be accountable for the outcome of events they orchestrate.

In addition, while some adults undergoing psychological counseling unfairly blame their parents for every issue they have, procrastination is one inclination that may truly be Mom’s and Dad’s fault. As Ferrari explains, parents who are particularly authoritarian are often so controlling that they prevent their children from developing a healthy ability to self-regulate—and even when those children grow up and leave home, they remain incapable of establishing and adhering to productive timelines.

From Tardy to Timely
The negative ramifications of procrastination extend far beyond the immediate consequences of missed deadlines—whether they’re related to work, bill paying, social obligations, or holiday shopping. Procrastinators can experience insomnia, severe stress, gastrointestinal problems, and even persistent depression as a result of their escapist ways. Their personal and professional relationships also suffer; procrastination breeds tension, resentment, and mistrust among coworkers and friends when one party is continually forced to pick up the other’s slack.

The good news is, even perennial procrastinators who have already burned some bridges can redeem themselves, although doing so is a rigorous, multifaceted process that requires long-term dedication. According to the Counseling Services office at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, the most effective regimen for recovering procrastinators involves:

• Acknowledging self-defeating tendencies, including fear of failure, perfectionism, and difficulty concentrating
• Identifying personal goals and priorities, strengths and weaknesses, and values, and keeping written records of this information
• Setting realistic goals by dividing large, overwhelming assignments into smaller, more manageable tasks
• Modifying your environment by minimizing noise, working at a desk (not in bed), maintaining an organized workspace, and having all the necessary resources and equipment on hand before work commences

Get ’Er Done

Unless you’re a naturally thin countess with no relatives or friends, you’re part of the same rat race as the rest of us—juggling professional duties and personal relationships with exercise and social activities. Given all that we have to balance on a daily basis, procrastination is bound to rear its ugly head in our lives on occasion. For the people who make a lifestyle of it, though, it can become a crippling burden that leaves financial hardship, broken relationships, and emotional duress in its wake. If you’re discovering that poor time management is your MO, rather than an occasional glitch in your routine, don’t underestimate the strain that will befall you as a result. Consult a psychologist who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy and implement the steps above to begin reconditioning yourself—because getting help is one item on your to-do list that you definitely can’t put off until tomorrow.

By Annie Tucker Morgan. Originally published on www.divinecaroline com.

The Career Connection: Stop Being Busy

By Leo Babauta ~

Stop being busy and your job is half done.

Think about how busy we are, and how it has become a way of bragging: I’m so busy, I must be important.

“I have a million things to do! I never have time for anything! I can’t slow down — I’m too busy.” This is thought to be a good thing in a society where we must be productive, active, occupied.

But it’s a fool’s game. Busy is simply noise, action without meaning, lots of little unimportant things rather than a few important ones.

Stop being busy. Just decide to stop, today.

Now you’re halfway done. You’ve decided to slow down, and to focus on what’s important. All of a sudden, your schedule clears up, and your to-to list shrinks down to almost nothing.

Now you just have one or two things to do, instead of a million. You clear distractions, and focus.

But how can you stop being busy? It’s a simple change of mindset: you say, I’m not going to be busy anymore. Even if you have little control over your schedule, you can decide that you’ll slow down, and pick the important things to work on, and if necessary, talk to your boss about doing this. If you control your schedule, you can drop all the busywork, and just pick the high-impact tasks.

It might seem impossible, but once you decide to put an End to Busy, you have taken the biggest step.

You can now make time for work you’re passionate about, for work that matters. You can make time for solitude, for creating. You can make time for contemplation, for yourself.

Stop being busy, and your job is half done.

Written by Leo Babauta. Originally published at http://zenhabits.net.

The Career Connection: Taking the Secrecy out of Salaries

By: Vicki Santillano ~

As a naïve young woman in the food service industry, I knew very little about salary negotiations and fair pay. I didn’t think to ask for raises, assuming that one would come when I earned the increase. Then I found out that my coworker, who had just as many responsibilities (and seniority) as me, was making significantly more per hour. When I confronted my boss and asked for an explanation, he had none; my salary increase was awarded, but the feelings of frustration and injustice lingered.

It’s often considered vulgar or rude to discuss money matters publicly. People don’t want to share what they make because they risk offending others by the large amount, or feeling undervalued by the small amount. But how will we ever find out whether we’re being compensated fairly if we don’t ask? There are potential benefits that arise out of full salary disclosure, and they’re about more than what’s “fair”—they’re about what’s best for us—the work force.

Employees Who Are Motivated and Efficient
There are several factors that determine one person’s salary from the next. Salary raises are often given to employees who stand out or perform more aptly than their coworkers. However, if the raises are kept secret, how are the other employees supposed to realize that their performances are not optimal?

When I was told that my coworker was earning more than me, I was not resentful toward him; rather, I wanted to know what I could do to improve and make the same amount. If a supervisor lets the staff know exactly what it will take to get fair pay, workers will rise to the occasion. Alexandra Levit, an author and career expert, believes that when employees are “better informed,” they are more “satisfied” with their jobs. Therefore, both parties benefit—employees gain more money and supervisors gain happier, more productive employees.

A Better Work Environment
When matters remain hush-hush in a company, employees become suspicious that something is wrong with the company, that they are not making as much as their peers. Keeping salaries a secret is hardly foolproof; people talk and let things slip (how else did I find out about my own salary slight?), and that only leads to bitterness and frustration. When salaries are public, managers are held accountable for why each employee makes a certain amount.

“[Salary disclosure] ensures that everyone knows what a given position is worth, and can be assured that all colleagues at that level are making roughly the same amount of money,” explains Levit. As long as people are given logical, fair explanations for each salary (which should be a mandatory practice anyway), all watercooler whisperings of nepotism, bias, or otherwise unequal pay distribution cease to hold any weight.

Take Whole Foods, for example. Part of this business giant’s policy is to give all employees access to what each individual—from cashier to executive—earned in the previous year. One might assume at the very least that people would obsessively check this information, yet, according to this article, the salary binders are rarely utilized. This proved true at the two Whole Foods I contacted. One manager said she had never even looked at the binder, but that she knew of its existence. Just the fact that the information is available might be enough for employees to feel confident that there are no shady dealings taking place.

Leveling the Playing Field
When one individual makes more than another, it often reflects job performance or past work experiences. Sometimes, it involves less tangible, job-specific qualities, such as personality. An aggressive, confident individual might be able to negotiate a higher pay rate than someone who is just as experienced and performs equally well. Perhaps that’s just a reality of the business world, but is that necessarily fair?

When it comes to business affairs as potentially volatile as salaries and raises, employers should try to keep things as leveled as possible. Perks and higher paychecks should be given out based on work-related merits, not on who is the most persuasive in a meeting. If one person asks for a raise and receives it, his or her peers should be aware of that award and have the ability to make a case for the same treatment.

It’s Good for Management, Too
The main reason for keeping salaries a secret is to mask inequalities in pay. After all, if such a situation existed (and it often does in offices), opening the paycheck vault could lead to mutiny. “Making employee salaries public knowledge will only turn out positively if you have already eliminated internal pay disparities and you know that your system is fair,” says Levit. “If you haven’t, you are opening a major can of worms.” Management should strive for fair pay, and yet many do not because those in charge can keep the pay imbalances undisclosed under the guise of “privacy issues.” However, their jobs could be made a little easier if salaries weren’t kept under wraps.

Look at the U.S. government—salaries of government officials have been public knowledge for a long time. “As a result,” Levit reasons, “Salary is rarely a point of contention.” Keeping pay levels open makes it easier on HR and management to figure out pay rates for new employees, raises for current employees, and so forth. Plus, it helps them better manage the younger generation of workers who are much more open to sharing personal information (like salary figures). As one HR manager puts it, “[The younger generation] has grown up with a much different expectation of privacy, and work life in general. The dividing line between work and personal life is blurring more than ever.” With the new workforce demanding access to more information, management may need to alter the old-school notion of salaries being private.

Why is personal income considered such a private matter? People fear being judged based on their earnings, and, unfortunately, those fears are somewhat valid. Our society is fixated on keeping up appearances and evaluating a person’s value by his or her salary. We assume that others make more than us, that they live a better quality of life, or we worry about being an office outcast for getting a raise over others.

Perhaps if salary disclosure became a common public practice, it would eliminate the taboo nature of salaries and reduce the tension and hidden frustrations that exist in most offices. It may be in bad taste to discuss money matters publically, but salaries are a work, not social, matter and should be subject to the same open-book treatment as benefits packages, 401Ks, etc. Even the Ethicist for the New York Times deems salary disclosure as not only ethical, but “admirable.”

When there are clear reasons for raises and higher salaries, that means everyone has the same opportunity to earn more. That knowledge alone would work wonders for employee morale. Equality in the workplace benefits everybody and is worth standing up for, even if it means we have to break a few old-fashioned social norms to get there.

Written by Vicki Santillano. Originally published at www.DivineCaroline.com.

The Career Connection: The Best Goal is No Goal

By: Leo Babauta ~

The idea of having concrete, achievable goals seem to be deeply ingrained in our culture. I know I lived with goals for many years, and in fact a big part of my writings here on Zen Habits are about how to set and achieve goals.

These days, however, I live without goals, for the most part. It’s absolutely liberating, and contrary to what you might have been taught, it absolutely doesn’t mean you stop achieving things.

It means you stop letting yourself be limited by goals.

Consider this common belief: “You’ll never get anywhere unless you know where you’re going.” This seems so common sensical, and yet it’s obviously not true if you stop to think about it. Conduct a simple experiment: go outside and walk in a random direction, and feel free to change directions randomly. After 20 minutes, an hour … you’ll be somewhere! It’s just that you didn’t know you were going to end up there.

And there’s the rub: you have to open your mind to going places you never expected to go. If you live without goals, you’ll explore new territory. You’ll learn some unexpected things. You’ll end up in surprising places. That’s the beauty of this philosophy, but it’s also a difficult transition.

Today, I live mostly without goals. Now and then I start coming up with a goal, but I’m letting them go. Living without goals hasn’t ever been an actual goal of mine … it’s just something I’m learning that I enjoy more, that is incredibly freeing, that works with the lifestyle of following my passion that I’ve developed.

The problem with goals

In the past, I’d set a goal or three for the year, and then sub-goals for each month. Then I’d figure out what action steps to take each week and each day, and try to focus my day on those steps.

Unfortunately, it never, ever works out this neatly. You all know this. You know you need to work on an action step, and you try to keep the end goal in mind to motivate yourself. But this action step might be something you dread, and so you procrastinate. You do other work, or you check email or Facebook, or you goof off.

And so your weekly goals and monthly goals get pushed back or side-tracked, and you get discouraged because you have no discipline. And goals are too hard to achieve. So now what? Well, you review your goals and reset them. You create a new set of sub-goals and action plans. You know where you’re going, because you have goals!

Of course, you don’t actually end up getting there. Sometimes you achieve the goal and then you feel amazing. But most of the time you don’t achieve them and you blame it on yourself.

Here’s the secret: the problem isn’t you, it’s the system! Goals as a system are set up for failure.

Even when you do things exactly right, it’s not ideal. Here’s why: you are extremely limited in your actions. When you don’t feel like doing something, you have to force yourself to do it. Your path is chosen, so you don’t have room to explore new territory. You have to follow the plan, even when you’re passionate about something else.

Some goal systems are more flexible, but nothing is as flexible as having no goals.

How it works

So what does a life without goals look like? In practice, it’s very different than one with goals.

You don’t set a goal for the year, nor for the month, nor for the week or day. You don’t obsess about tracking, or actionable steps. You don’t even need a to-do list, though it doesn’t hurt to write down reminders if you like.

What do you do, then? Lay around on the couch all day, sleeping and watching TV and eating Ho-Hos? No, you simply do. You find something you’re passionate about, and do it. Just because you don’t have goals doesn’t mean you do nothing — you can create, you can produce, you can follow your passion.

And in practice, this is a wonderful thing: you wake up and do what you’re passionate about. For me, that’s usually blogging, but it can be writing a novel or an ebook or my next book or creating a course to help others or connecting with incredible people or spending time with my wife or playing with my kids. There’s no limit, because I’m free.

In the end, I usually end up achieving more than if I had goals, because I’m always doing something I’m excited about. But whether I achieve or not isn’t the point at all: all that matters is that I’m doing what I love, always.

I end up in places that are wonderful, surprising, great. I just didn’t know I would get there when I started.

Quick questions

Question from a reader: Isn’t having no goals a goal?

Quick answer: It can be a goal, or you can learn to do it along the journey, by exploring new methods. I’m always learning new things (like having no goals) without setting out to learn them in the first place.

Another question from a reader: So how do you make a living?

Answer: Passionately! Again, not having goals doesn’t mean you stop doing things. In fact, I do many things, all the time, but I do them because I love doing them.

Tips for living without goals

I am not going to give you a how-to manual for living without goals — that would be absurd. I can’t teach you what to do — you need to find your own path.

But I can share some things I’ve learned, in hopes that it will help you:

• Start small. You don’t need to drastically overhaul your life in order to learn to live without goals. Just go a few hours without predetermined goals or actions. Follow your passion for those hours. Even an hour will do.
• Grow. As you get better at this, start allowing yourself to be free for longer periods — half a day or a whole day or several days. Eventually you’ll feel confident enough to give up on certain goals and just do what you love.
• Not just work. Giving up goals works in any area of your life. Take health and fitness: I used to have specific fitness goals, from losing weight or bodyfat to running a marathon to increasing my squat. Not anymore: now I just do it because I love it, and I have no idea where that will take me. It works brilliantly, because I always enjoy myself.
• Let go of plans. Plans are not really different than goals. They set you on a predetermined path. But it’s incredibly difficult to let go of living with plans, especially if you’re a meticulous planner like I am. So allow yourself to plan, when you feel you need to, but slowly feel free to let go of this habit.
• Don’t worry about mistakes. If you start setting goals, that’s OK. There are no mistakes on this journey — it’s just a learning experience. If you live without goals and end up failing, as yourself if it’s really a failure. You only fail if you don’t get to where you wanted to go — but if you don’t have a destination in mind, there’s no failure.
• It’s all good. No matter what path you find, no matter where you end up, it’s beautiful. There is no bad path, no bad destination. It’s only different, and different is wonderful. Don’t judge, but experience.

And finally…

Always remember: the journey is all. The destination is beside the point.

Written by Leo Babauta. Originally published at www.zenhabits.com.

The Career Connection: Seven Ways to Minimize Office Birthday Awkwardness

By: Vicki Santillano ~

My first glimpse of an office birthday party was via the movie Office Space, when the corporate drones stand awkwardly around the cake and sing “Happy Birthday” to their boss in monotone voices. Flash forward seven years: the first company I worked for as a recent college grad had its monthly birthday celebration, and I had an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. There wasn’t anyone named Milton complaining about a lack of cake, but the fumbling attempts at small talk and the clumsy passing around of sheet-cake slices were one and the same.

Why is it that, wherever you work, office birthday gatherings have the same atmosphere of awkwardness? We see these people every day, and yet the situation feels different when we’re holding small paper plates and plastic forks. Is it the guilt that eating all that sugar and butter provokes? Is it because the personal quality of birthdays feels odd in a professional environment? Regardless of the whys, I think there are ways around the awkwardness—if you’re willing to break a few office birthday party rules, that is.

No more singing “Happy Birthday.”
Let’s be honest: does anyone really enjoy this tradition? Everyone mumbles along because no one wants his or her voice to stand out, and the person with the birthday forces a smile and looks at the ground until the song’s over. Unless your office is filled with karaoke superstars who love belting out “Happy Birthday,” perhaps it’s time to nix the song from birthday gatherings. Maybe everyone should just clap and call out their birthday wishes when the candles are blown out.

The birthday person shouldn’t have to cut the cake.
Who came up with this one? If it’s your birthday celebration, you shouldn’t be expected to do the grunt work. Plus, no matter how you cut it, the first slice is always too large for everyone and is sure to get comments like “Whoa, that’s way too big!” and “I only want half that amount!” Who wants to get criticized for cutting his own birthday cake? Have the person in charge of HR draw names out of a hat to see who gets cake-cutting duty each time, or if someone in the office volunteers to be the official cake cutter, more power to her.

Make it a cake free-for-all.
At my first office job, I was the receptionist and therefore almost always the cake cutter. It was my responsibility to hand out slices to coworkers, though I never understood why. If I simply put them on the table instead, people would be free to pick up a plate if they wanted to. This approach also eliminates the awkwardness of declining a piece and having someone ask loudly, “You don’t want cake?!” Just arrange the plates on the table, and the people will come—albeit hesitantly, since no one wants to be the first to go for cake.

Think of it as a nice break from work.
I still can’t figure out why office workers’ gathering to enjoy afternoon dessert is so synonymous with awkward chats. I suspect events like these create a sense of forced intimacy because they center on people’s birthdays (people we don’t necessarily know that well). But if you focus on what birthday gatherings really are—a reason to leave your cubicle for a few minutes and catch up with office mates—then it seems a lot less uncomfortable. And when you act more at ease, people around you will, too.

Set aside one day a month for staff birthdays.
Unless you have a very small staff, honoring everyone’s birthday individually could become tedious and costly. I’ve only worked in places that reserved a day to celebrate the birthdays that fell within a given month, and that usually worked out well. It also makes the occasion less pressure-filled, which falls in line with the “break from work” mindset I suggested previously. This might not work for every company, as some people who genuinely like having their special day honored. But it doesn’t hurt to suggest the change and see how people respond.

If someone doesn’t want his or her birthday celebrated, don’t make it mandatory.
Not everybody likes birthdays. Not everybody enjoys being the center of attention, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Rather than forcing people to celebrate, give them the opportunity to bow out via their HR representative. You can still have cake day, but don’t guilt someone into standing in front of the group if she doesn’t want to.

Don’t be the office grump.
Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine railed against the office cake-centered celebration after her coworker commented, “I think it’s nice”? She cried, “What is nice? Trying to fill the void in your life with flour and sugar and egg and vanilla? I mean, we’re all unhappy. Do we have to be fat, too?” Don’t be Elaine and ruin it for everybody else. If you’re asked to break from work monotony in order to eat a piece of sugary, buttery deliciousness, that’s hardly something to complain about.

In my experience, employees usually warm up as the celebration goes on, either because the sugar high’s putting them in a better mood or because the most awkward parts—the singing and the cake cutting and distribution—are at the beginning. Perhaps if we tweak tradition a little with regard to those aspects, that scene from Office Space won’t be such a fixture in corporate culture. Of course, maybe your office birthday party experience is different, and everyone sings heartily and dives happily into the cake. If that’s the case, don’t change a thing—you’re living the dream!

Written by Vicki Santillano. Originally published on DivineCaroline.com.