Want to read something scary? Check out this article on AOL about all of the wily ways that your company can track what you’re doing in and out of the office.
You’re probably aware that it’s possible for your employer to spy on your email and your computer usage. But did you know that corporations also use video monitoring, phone surveillance and radio frequency ID cards to keep tabs on employees?
If you’re naive like I used to be, you may have allowed yourself to be lulled into a false sense of privacy at work. After all, why would your company bother to watch every little move you make? As long as you don’t download porn or blog about your manager’s bad breath, you’re probably fine. Right?
Sorry, no. It seems some companies have plenty of time and resources to keep tabs on employees’ every email, phone call, and bathroom break. Here’s the awful truth:
The ID card that gets you into the office may have an embedded radio transmitter that tracks when you enter and leave the office. Better not linger at Starbucks.
Employers really do monitor email and 28% of surveyed companies have fired workers for e-mail misuse. 62% were fired for inappropriate language in email, 26% for personal email use, and 22% for violating company confidentially.
Some companies now use software that keeps track of employee printing down to individual print jobs. Better wait to print out that resume until you get home.
Your boss could be monitoring your every keystroke at work in real time — including your typing speed, your Internet patterns, and what software you use. Nearly half of companies surveyed capture and save this data.
Almost half of companies surveyed use video office surveillance, though most do inform employees if they are being recorded.
Creeped out yet? Well then, you better get back to work (and maybe delete some of those personal emails). Oh yeah, and smile pretty for the camera in the ceiling.
The very cool Chris Bailey at Bailey WorkPlay has invited me to join a game of book-related tag. The object of the game is to share what you’re currently reading and sentences 6-8 of page 123 of that book (I was excited to discover that Escape from Corporate America is currently on Chris’ reading list).
As always, I’m in the middle of two very different books. I tend to have at least two books in rotation — one work-related or business title and one transporting novel or memoir. I like to always have a novel in my bag so that I can switch gears and escape to another place when i get too bogged down with work and day-to-day craziness (and when I’m squeezed between smelly people with no sense of personal space on the F train).
So my novel of the moment is one that I somehow didn’t get around to reading until eight years after it came out to great critical acclaim and won the Whitbread First Novel Award. It’s White Teeth by Zadie Smith (I actually read her more recent novel On Beauty first and then had to go back and read the rest of her work). Here’s the bit from page 123:
Samad wasn’t listening. It was imperative that he be at school before nine if this trip were going to have any purpose whatsoever. By nine, she’d be in class.
Focus on the behavior, not the person. Calling someone a racist or a bigot won’t get anywhere — it will just erect more barriers. Sometimes just clarifying the comment will help the other person realize the error: "Am I clear in understanding that you believe all Irish people to be drunks?"
Next on my reading list is the latest from the amazing Jhumpa Lahiri, Unaccustomed Earth.
So who else wants to play tag and share their current reading? How about:
Okay, so I just finished watching Oprah’s "I Hate My Job Interventions" show with Marcus Buckingham. How cool is it that I actually found a work-related reason to watch an episode of Oprah?
Because I know those of you with corporate jobs don’t have the luxury of watching Oprah whenever you feel like it (I felt a little guilty about taking the time away from my computer myself), I’ll provide a little recap before I wrap up work and run out to enjoy a little bit of this beautiful day in New York City.
Here’s your "executive summary."
Oprah kicked off the show by citing a CareerBuilder survey that found that 84% of U.S. workers are unhappy in their jobs. This represents an even higher level of job dissatisfaction than those I found while researching my book (though I did find that up to 80% of corporate workers fantasized about leaving their jobs).
According to Marcus Buckingham, only a little more than one in ten workers say they actually have the opportunity to use their strengths at work.
There were four women profiled. All were struggling with different job dilemmas.
Vanessa, a pharmaceutical sales rep, said she disliked her job and the fact that it left so little time for her daughter. "I feel overwhelmed, underappreciated, and overworked." Marcus Buckingham coached her to get better at saying no to work projects and turning off her computer between 5PM and 8PM to focus on her daughter.
Ayesha said her job made her feel "tortured all the time" and that she loathed all of the job duties she performed on a daily basis. Marcus Buckingham coached her on how to build a bridge to a career that would better utilize her strengths.
Rachel was a teacher who was overwhelmed by the demands of her job. Marcus Buckingham coached her on how to make time for activities that re-energized her — like walking her dogs.
Beth was under extreme stress in a job that she didn’t feel qualified for. Because she worked for her husband’s company, she didn’t feel like she could walk away from the job without damaging the relationship. Marcus Buckingham advised her to have a conversation with her husband about changing her job responsibilities.
Good advice for all four women: Don’t bury your dream under mountains of "shoulds" and "have tos"
The bottom line, according to Oprah and Marcus, is that your real job in life is to find out why you are here. In order to make any kind of lasting contribution, your job must "feed" you in some way.
I just saw a preview for tomorrow’s Oprah show and am very excited because the subject is near and dear to my heart. The topic is I Hate My Job Interventions and the featured guest is Marcus Buckingham, author of the excellent Now, Discover Your Strengths.
Based on the results of a poll on Oprah.com, many of Oprah’s viewers could really use an intervention. The poll asks: "Are you happy in your job?" And as of this writing, 82.9% of 1995 respondents said No. Go add your vote and see the latest results.
As the blurb on Oprah.com says, "Don’t waste another second in a job you hate." I couldn’t agree more and am eager to see if Oprah and Marcus will swoop into the cubicles of the disgruntled and downtrodden to save them from their miserable careers.
Marcus Buckingham’s theory is that the key to career happiness is to identify and focus on your greatest talents and strengths. The problem is that many of us have forgotten what those talents are or have never had the opportunity to really use them. I think everyone can benefit from his advice on how to understand and develop your key strengths. Buckingham is offering a free online course on the subject on Oprah.com right now if you want to learn more.
If you’re a career changer or contemplating an escape from Corporate America, I suggest you set your Tivo for this show tomorrow for a dose of advice and inspiration. I’ll also be posting a review and recap here for those who miss it.
Yesterday, I decided that spin class is a lot like a bad corporate job. For those of you not familiar with this particular type of exercise torture, spin class involves a bunch of people pedaling madly on stationary exercise bikes to music for an hour or so, following a lunatic instructor’s orders to go faster, increase resistance, stand up, sit down, sprint until you want to throw up, etc. Sounds like fun, right? In a sick way, it kind of is. Plus, you can burn 600-800 calories in an hour.
But as I was pedaling frantically in place yesterday, I couldn’t help but think of my last corporate job. That’s mainly because one of my biggest complaints in my corporate days was that I often felt like a hamster on a wheel. There was just SO much frenetic activity — so many documents, meetings, conference calls, and email trails – to achieve very little. Often, by the time I would receive all of the approvals and "buy-in" I needed for a particular project, there would be some kind of reorganization or budget cut and I’d have to start over from the beginning. It once took me more than nine months just to get the approval to redesign a brochureware web site. That was just to get started. The actual design process was a study in endless torture that I don’t want to get into. Spin class is similar in that you expend a lot of energy and work up a real sweat, but you never actually move forward.
Then there’s the instructor. See, in spin class, I don’t really mind when the instructor yells random instructions at me or seems to get great glee out of causing me pain. I’m definitely not as forgiving toward corporate bosses that do the same thing at work. At least I know that spin class will only last for an hour and I’ll leave in better shape. (Shout out to Chris Murdoch, brilliantly evil trainer and spin class instructor at Equinox in New York and a corporate escape artist himself).
But the biggest reason that spin class is a lot more fun than a bad corporate job is because it’s actually challenging in a good way. Spin class forces you to push yourself, to get stronger and better every day that you do it. Similarly, when I was working in the corporate world, I was able to put up with a lot of annoying stuff if the job actually allowed me to learn and grow. Most of us don’t mind sweating as long as we’re sweating for a good reason.
Now if only bad corporate gigs burned 600-800 calories per hour. Then, even if we were aggravated and frustrated, at least we’d be in great shape and could eat all the Krispy Kremes we wanted.
Think a shaky economy means it’s too risky to make a career change? Think again. In fact, now may be the perfect time to make your move.
After all, long-term job market forecasts project severe labor shortages ahead as Baby Boomers continue to retire or scale back their careers in record numbers. While short-term job prospects don’t look quite as cheery, that doesn’t mean that opportunities don’t exist or that you’re stuck in job purgatory for the duration.
If you’ve been feeling unhappy in your current career, there’s no time like the present to kick-start your career change and position yourself for years of future success. Here’s why:
1) Your current job is not secure.
You may be tempted to grit your teeth and cling to your current position until the economic forecasts start to look sunnier. In today’s workforce, that’s a dangerous strategy. When an 80+-year-old Wall Street institution like Bear Stearns can disappear practically overnight, no job is truly secure. It doesn’t really matter how good you are at your job or how much boss butt you kiss.
If you have been contemplating a career change, there’s no good reason to put it off until the unemployment rate falls again. I’m not suggesting that you make any rash moves like quitting before you’re financially ready, but you can start developing your career change strategy now. Get started on the homework you need to do while you’re still collecting your paycheck. Update your resume, step up your networking, explore your options, and develop your skills.
You will be taking a career risk whether you resign yourself to staying in the job you hate or start moving toward the job you’ll love. Why not put your energies into the risk that could have the biggest reward?
Put your career change in motion now, even if it’s only taking baby steps in your spare time. Not only will you be ready to launch your dream career that much sooner, you will also be better prepared just in case your name pops up on one of those downsizing lists unexpectedly.
2. Plenty of companies are hiring right now.
The overall job forecasts may look bleak at the moment, but that doesn’t mean that nobody’s hiring. There have been a flurry of articles about “recession-proof jobs” in the media lately. The fields that are expected to stay strong despite a possible recession include education, energy, health care, environmental careers, and international business. That doesn’t mean that you should flee blindly to these professions if they don’t inspire you. However, if your dream career is connected to any of these growing industries, you may find it fairly easy to make a move.
Lots of other companies in all industries are also hiring. Yes, there are fewer job openings than there were at this time last year. Then again, you only need one good one. It may take a little bit longer to land a great position, but there’s no reason to abandon all hope.
3. But if you really want job security, you have to work for yourself.
When you work for yourself, you never have to worry about getting fired. Today, just about anybody with a computer and an Internet connection can start a business. You can even keep your day job if you want to (or need to for financial reasons while you build your business).
Of course, you’ll have to be prepared to put in some work. Running a successful business is no cakewalk and entrepreneurship may not be the right career move for everyone. However, it’s definitely the best way to go if you really want to live by your wits. You’ll have to find your own clients, manage your own time, and pay for your own bagels. But you’ll never be at the complete mercy of one boss or one company ever again.
4. Living in fear isn’t healthy.
When layoff rumors start flying, it’s easy to get caught up in worry and speculation. We gossip about who deserves to go, we curse the stupid managers who got us into this mess to begin with, and we waste a lot of time on scary worst-case scenarios. If it goes on too long, this can sabotage your job performance and have an impact on your mental and physical health.
The best thing to do to stop the madness is channel your energy into something constructive – like preparing for your career change. You’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel once you’ve taken charge of the situation and are actively working toward your next career move.
5. Sometimes you need someone to light a fire under your ass.
Apologies if that sounds harsh. But the truth is that lots of people stay stuck for years in careers that are uninspiring or downright miserable. Why? Because it never gets quite bad enough to force them to make a move. I know I stayed in my corporate career for a good couple of years longer than I should have because of my belief that “it could be worse.” Nice words to live by, huh?
A layoff or the threat of layoffs could be just the spark you need to get moving on the career change that you’ve been fantasizing about for a while. I can’t tell you how many people I know who felt overcome with relief after getting served with pink slips. They had been ready to leave for a while, but just hadn’t been able to work up the nerve to walk away on their own.
6. You can turn a layoff into a stroke of luck.
That’s not to say that I take layoffs lightly. I know how devastating it can be to lose your job when you’re unprepared financial and/or emotionally. I’ve been in that position and it’s not a lot of fun. Not at first, at least.
That’s why I think it’s so important to get moving on your career change plans now, no matter what the economists are saying. Then, even if the layoff fairy visits before you’re 100% ready to leave, you’ll still be several steps ahead of the average job-hunter.
In fact, if you do your homework and prepare for your career change in your spare time, you might soon find yourself longing for a layoff. After all, a good severance package can give you a nice head start on your new career if you’re adequately prepared. Even some of us who weren’t perfectly prepared have managed to leverage severance packages as start-up funds for our new careers.
7. There’s never a perfect time to change careers.
The bottom line is that there will never be a perfect time for a career change. The perfect opportunity will never just fall into your lap. You will never achieve anything great without at least a little bit of risk and some hard work.
If you are unhappy in your current career, it’s worth taking a calculated risk. And it’s better to start now than to waste more of the best days of your life stuck in a dreary job hoping for the right moment to come along.
I just got my hands on the results of a new survey from Quickbooks that shows small businesses owners remain optimistic and driven despite the shaky economy.
The survey asked small business owners about their thoughts on surviving and thriving in a recession (thanks to Kira Wampler from Intuit for sharing the hot-off-the-presses results with me and the other attendees of the fabulous BlogHer Business Conference in New York this week).
What Recession?
The results of the survey are encouraging:
91% of U.S. small business owners see opportunities for their businesses in the current market.
Close to 80% expect their businesses to grow despite the stagnant economy.
50% think that the playing field can be leveled for small businesses as big businesses make budget cuts.
65% have owned a small business that has weathered a recession.
To recession-proof their businesses, 63% are making customer retention their top priority and 52% are focusing on reducing costs.
The survey also found that the passion that drove small business owners to start their own companies will also help to get them through the downturn: 70% said that personal passion motivated them to become entrepreneurs and 86% said they are still as passionate today as they were the day they started.
About the survey: The Get Back to Business Survey was conducted from March 7-11 and sampled 751 small business owners with fewer than than 100 employees. A summary of the survey findings is available at www.quickbooksgroup.com/getbacktobusiness.
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