When "Why?" Is A Threat

As a general rule of thumb, if someone asks you why you do something the way you do it and you take it as a threat or challenge to your worth as an employee, you know what you are doing is not the best way to do it. There are some exceptions- like if the person is exceedingly rude about it, or if the Bobs are being brought in to determine if your job is necessary at your current company. But tone and Office Space references aside, "Why?" should not be threatening.

"Why?" can be the best way to determine if your activities are as efficient as they can or if they are providing value. "Why?" can be a new person's way of getting to know the job or the position. "Why?" can be your manager's way of making sure that you can be trusted to reason and problem-solve. So remember, "Why?" does not mean you're wrong.

If you get the sense deep down that "Why?" is an affront to the work you are doing or who you are as an employee, it's probably because you suspect that the person asking really means, "Why on Earth would you do it like that when you could to this instead?" It's that doubt, that suspicion that puts you on edge, and you wouldn't have that if you didn't believe that there was a better way to do what you are doing or drive value with how you are doing it.

My advice is, ask yourself why! Beat your manager, your new coworkers, etc. to the punch! Don't be afraid to answer yourself truthfully, even if it means more work for yourself. It'll be far more impressive when someone asks "Why?" you can say "Well, I evaluated the way we had been doing it previously and for reasons x, y, and z it was going to be more efficient/scalable/comprehensive/valuable/clear/etc. to do it this way" rather then "I don't know, we have always done it that way."

Hello, My Name Is Terrible

At the beginning of each month I run the numbers for the previous month's performance. Each month since I started the numbers have improved over the prior month... each month that is, until March. In March the numbers were below what was expected and below what I would consider acceptable. I wasn't sure what to do- this had never happened before. If you ever run into this situation I would advise that you review the following:

1. The Excel formulas themselves to make sure nothing got corrupted
2. Historical data to account for any normal seasonal fluctuations
3. Whether there are any company efforts that could have had a direct impact (marketing efforts, promotions, etc.)
4. What sort of external factors could have acted to shape the numbers 
5. Whether the reporting structure changed from the previous reporting period

But even after I checked all of those potential sources I still couldn't explain the numbers. So instead of trying to hide them and hoping no one noticed, I brought them to the forefront and I explained honestly that I did not know what was affecting the numbers. Usually I send the data to my manager and let her ask any questions she may have or give any feedback she deems necessary, but this month I felt it important to be proactive. I emailed her immediately and attached the spreadsheet. I explained that the numbers were lower than expected and that I was very disappointed and I asked to meet with her first thing the following day so we could try to figure out what happened and what our plan was going to be moving forward. She appreciated my directness and proactive response, and after meeting the following morning we quickly had a new plan in place to point us back in the right direction.

In case you ever find yourself in one of those meetings here's a list of things you'll want to have:

• Ideas
  You may not know definitively what is affecting the numbers but do you have any ideas of what the cause might be? If so bring them! Make sure you state them as "potential causes" or "possible reasons" and then present them to someone higher than you. Often times he/she will have a broader view of the picture and can help determine if any of those scenarios could be the culprit.
• Historical Data
  Data doesn't mean much if you have nothing to compare it to. By providing historical data you can provide scope. Should this have been your best month out of the year and you absolutely tanked, or should it have been an average month and you're just in a bit of a slump? Historical numbers will provide perspective.
• Plenty of Paper or a Fully Charged Laptop Battery
  Get ready to take notes. Write down everything. Seem engaged and actually BE engaged. This problem is not going to fix itself. Hopefully after some good brainstorming you'll have direction to help reverse the downturn.

In case you're wondering what the cause was, we set sales records for other services that we offer that same month, and our sales team is not unlimited. But this is not information that I would have known if I hadn't brought it to my manager.

If you've had a similar experience, feel free to share it!

Enter The Noob

Recently two new full time employees and a part-time intern joined our team. That's sort of huge because prior to this our team was a three person team. So essentially our team just doubled in size. Knowing that all these new people were starting was terrifying to me.

I don't like that in-between time after a candidate has accepted a job offer but before they've actually started because I'm always racked with anxiety. I find myself asking what will he/she be like? Will we get along? How will this affect my job duties? How will the team dynamics change? etc. All of these questions cause dread to build and build as I run through worst case scenarios in my head, so that when the new person starts I'm less than thrilled for him/her to actually be there and I think it shows. As a result, I'm going out of my way to be much friendlier and more welcoming. How? Here are some simple tips to help you out:

1. Go To Lunch
   Taking new people to lunch is very welcoming because it gives you the chance to break bread with them and get to know them personally! It's a gesture they'll really appreciate and never forget.
2. Ask Questions (And Actually Listen to the Answers!!)
   It's great to ask questions about people to engage them and make them feel like you care, but you're likely going to be spending a lot of time with these new coworkers so it's important to make them a priority. Think about it, you're going to be spending 40 hours with these people a week- you're practically in a serious relationship with them. Listen like you would on a first date!
3. Explain The Law of The Land
   Any workplace has politics and unspoken etiquette. Don't let the new people learn these the hard way. Obviously you don't need explain things that are common sense but if there are some quirky things about your office make sure to warn your new coworkers. For example, at our office there are a ton of matching mugs. A new person might think that those are for general use, when in reality each employee was issued a matching mug. Take someone else's mug and you could be in big trouble. Some mugs people have labeled with their names, and other mugs people have just memorized incredibly subtle differences so that they'll know which ones is thiers.
4. Be An Includer
   Explain inside jokes to new coworkers and make sure that you invite them to team events and meetings. Because they just started, new coworkers likely will not have weekly team meetings or special outings programmed on their calendars. Invite them ahead of time so that it doesn't look like you forgot about them when you're all running off something without them.
5. Set Them Up to Succeed
   Give new employees whatever training documents or helpful resources you have. If they are going to be sharing in completing tasks or projects with you make sure that they have all of the elements that they need in order to contribute. This also applies to knowledge! Give new employees the verbal explanations and support that they need to get the job done. 

 The sooner you can assimilate new employees into your workplace the better off your team will be. Going out of your way to get things off on the right foot initially will make the process smoother and more pleasurable for all parties involved; and... you might end up really liking them!

Put Down The Megaphone

Today at work I overheard a coworker of mine going on a rant about how much it infuriates him that his fiance makes more money than he does. He went on to say that as a teacher her job really isn't hard since just has to "hang with kids for a few hours" and she really doesn't deserve to be stressed. He declared that once he was making enough to support them he was "going to squash that."

A personal note before I continue... I think he should go be a teacher if he thinks it's so easy. I know a lot of teachers and it is NOT easy, not if you're doing it right. Okay, that being said, it was completely inappropriate to say this at work. This coworker's reputation is now completely ruined in the eyes of several females that sit right near him. His diatribe was the talk of the office this afternoon.

It would be one thing if this coworker was in a break room or perhaps at the smokers' station outside or in the hall with another person having this conversation and someone happened overhear him, but he stood up at his cube and declared this publically. So before climbing on your soap box and announcing personal details about yourself or personal opinions/beliefs consider who's within ear shot. If you don't know where someone stands on a particular topic, air on the side of cautiousness. It's okay to dish about your life and your outlook on life, just lower your voice if you're not 100% sure that the people around you will be understanding.

What's the most offensive thing you have ever heard in the workplace?