Moving On

Three years, seven months, and nineteen days ago, my husband and I left our long-time corporate jobs for a well-planned early retirement.  I wanted to share my experience, keep my mind engaged, and my fingers in the business world (part-time), so we founded Haropulos Bailey Consulting.  Along with several interesting consulting assignments, we have been honored to provide some free advice and coaching for friends whose careers are still in full swing. 

Each Monday morning for the past few years I have been blogging; commenting on current events, ruminating on lessons learned from past experience, and suggesting ideas for overcoming challenges faced in a corporate environment.  There is now a library of 140 original blog postings online, which I have been pleased to discover have attracted thousands of readers worldwide.

The time has come to leave our business-focused alter egos by the wayside and transition fully and gleefully into retired life.  This will be my final posting on the Haropulos Bailey Consulting blog.  (Existing postings will remain online.)  Thank you for your interest and frequent inspiration.  We would be grateful to hear from you if we have helped or inspired you in return.

I invite you to follow my other blog, chronicling retired life:  Runaway Boomer.

Time to move on.  I have an 11:30 tee time.  Happy New Year and New Plans!

Holiday Customer Service - Champs and Chumps

Holiday shopping is over, except for the after sales, returns and exchanges. I had a few interesting customer service experiences this year that left me with a list of Champs and Chumps to share. Fortunately for my gift recipients, they balanced themselves out.

CHUMP: WILLIAMS-SONOMA
I wanted to buy my husband a CO2 cartridge-charged whipping device to make gourmet foams. I thought I found what I needed at Williams-Sonoma. A manager at the store told me she was sure the product manufactured by iSi Group was the right choice. They were proven wrong, and I went back to W-S the next day to return the Mini-Whip.

CHAMP: iSi NORTH AMERICA
An email to iSi North America (http://www.isi-group.com/) was responded to within hours, and confirmed that I needed either their Gourmet Whip or their Thermo Whip to make culinary foams. They offered to send me a free recipe book if I decided to buy one of their whips. I used Google Shopping to search for a supplier, and placed my order with http://www.creamright.com/. iSi graciously sent me the recipe book for free – a product for sale online for $6.95. Nice!

CHUMP: THE CONTAINER STORE
Each year, The Container Store markets a batch of fun stocking stuffers. When I got the flyer in the mail, I headed to our local store to buy the Ninja Flash Drive. They were already sold out, advised that they wouldn’t be getting any more, and that they were also unavailable online. Sounds like the buyers should have purchased more, don’t you think? They failed to capitalize on a winner.

CHAMPS: AMAZON.COM and FIND-ME-A-GIFT-UK
A quick search of amazon.com yielded a supplier out of the UK (http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/) that shipped the Ninja Flash Drive to me at a good price in time for Christmas.

CHUMP: GOLFSMITH.COM
Golfsmith has recently been having serious issues with inventory management and customer service. My husband ordered himself a used club back in October. After months of waiting and one phone call that yielded little information (“We don’t know when it will be available”), we got an email they the club was no longer available from the manufacturer. They sent a $25 voucher that could be used on http://www.golfsmith.com/ for almost anything but the brand of club my husband wants.

CHAMP: GOLFSMITH.COM
I sent feedback on Golfsmith’s failure to deliver, our lost confidence in ordering from them online, and our opinions on their inappropriate/ insufficient response. They came through by apologizing candidly for the challenges they are experiencing, and provided an additional $25 gift card that can be used for anything they sell. I have to give them credit for making it right.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

It's the most wonderful time of the year

With the kids jingle belling

And everyone telling you "Be of good cheer"

It's the most wonderful time of the year

It's the hap-happiest season of all

With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings

When friends come to call

It's the hap- happiest season of all

Lyrics by George Wyle c. 1963

Unfortunately, at work, this is probably also The Most High Stress-ful Time of the Year. There’s a seemingly endless list of things to do to wrap up the calendar year, and in many cases, the fiscal year. At the same time you have important demands put on you by your family and friends, you are racing the clock to finish a list of time-sensitive goals at work.

Time has run out. You have to account for your goals for the year, and document accomplishments for the boss’s review. It’s important to complete performance reviews for all of your team members, which requires time and thought, and a lot of paperwork. HR is asking for your evaluations for dispersal of bonuses. You probably have to be in a position to report your actual spending compared to your departmental budget. It’s time to bestow thoughtful gifts to your management team, and send corporate greeting cards to vendors. There’s the holiday gathering sponsored by the company, and the lunch, happy hour, and dinner invitations from colleagues and business partners – numerous opportunities to eat and drink to excess.

To add a little additional pressure, your vacation begins in a few days, you still have shopping to do for your loved ones, you need to pick-up your in-laws from the airport, and you might be coming down with the flu. Sigh.

So what do you do? At this point, you power through it, like you do every year. Then you promise yourself to do things differently in the New Year. You make this pledge:

NEXT YEAR I WILL...
Update my goals and accomplishments monthly,
Keep quarterly notes about employee performance,
Prepare regular budget reports comparing my budget to my actual monthly spending,
Shop early for gifts for my management team,
Delegate holiday cards to an assistant,
Show restraint in my holiday diet and beverage consumption,
Get lots of sleep and pace myself for the December grind,
&
Be thankful I am so busy and gainfully employed!

Happy Holidays, and good luck closing out 2011.

Get Past the Hate

My May 2011 posting “Things Your Boss Secretly Hates About You” has logged quite a bit of readership. It’s my 4th most popular post of the 138 I have published. Some of that may be attributed to the slightly inflammatory title designed to grab attention. But there’s more to it than that, and I get a glimpse into the interest when I review what people have entered into search engines that have led them to my blog:

“annoying boss”

“hate boss”

“how to avoid a boss that hates you”

“how to tell if you boss hates you”

“when your boss hates you”

I wrote “Things Your Boss Secretly Hates About You” in the hope that some people would think about how they could change their behavior and create a better relationship with their boss. You can’t prosper in your job without finding a way to have a constructive relationship with your supervisor. Here are some ideas about how to improve the situation:

In an adult and professional way, encourage your boss to communicate what they want from you. You want to be successful. Any competent manager should be willing and able to provide ideas about how to improve in your role.

Figure out what you can do to make your boss more successful. If they are focused on their own career goals more than yours, you may be most successful with your boss by making him/her look good. You may not get direct credit immediately – but they will recognize your contribution and come to rely on it. Others will take notice too.

You don’t have to like your boss. But you will be more accepting and less frustrated if you can find some things to respect about them. Perhaps he is a budget/funding whiz. Maybe she is good at deflecting office politics so you don’t have to deal with them. He coaches Little League. She loves animals. If you can appreciate your boss on some level, and show interest in that aspect of their skills or character, you may soften their attitude.

Make it easy for your boss to see and understand how you are contributing to strategic goals. Submit a regular status report that lists your accomplishments. This not only keeps your boss informed – it highlights your productivity. Have the initiative to do this even if it has not been specifically requested.

Ask your boss for advice that will help you learn and grow. Don’t just drop a problem in their lap, but don’t be afraid to ask for clarification, perspective, or feedback on your ideas. You want to be sure that your work product meets their needs. At the same time, you can show your appreciation of their knowledge and experience.

Be honest in your desire to improve your relations. Your boss may be behaving badly. If you are straightforward with them, you may jolt them into improving their behavior. In a private meeting, you may need to say something like, “I sense tension between us, and it makes me uncomfortable. How can we strengthen our relationship?” Remember – be adult and professional.

Lastly, and most importantly, you must be honest with yourself. You may have earned a bad attitude from your boss. Are you habitually late? Are you a naysayer? Have you failed to deliver on critical goals? Do you exhibit a lack of enthusiasm for your responsibilities? If you know you are at fault – you must be willing to change.

Parable of a Persistent Man

John had suffered a difficult year. His 15-year marriage ended and, as a result, he had to sell his nice home and most of his belongings. With a trailer in tow, he drove through a blizzard to begin a new life halfway across the country. Still, after a year, things were not working out as hoped. Although he found a job, the commute was onerous, the pay was mediocre, and John saw little opportunity to advance his career. He began to search for better opportunities.

Having reestablished some contacts in his original home state, John successfully found employment in his field. Once again, he sold a few remaining belongings in order to fund his 500-mile move. Optimism fueled his relocation. He found a nice apartment and reported for work with his new employer.

The economy was challenging, with a high rate of unemployment. Some companies used despicable tactics to improve their profits at the expense of workers grateful to have a job. It was so, in this case. Upon John’s arrival, the dishonorable hiring manager changed his offer – reducing John’s base pay by 10%. John was understandably furious. But what could he do, having already incurred moving expenses and signing a one year lease on an apartment? He controlled his anger, started work, struggled to juggle expenses that exceeded his income, and began an urgent search for a new job – again – while working 60 hours a week.

Sending blind resumes out for online job postings was not John’s way. He believed in “pounding the pavement” the old fashioned way, resume in hand, wearing a suit and tie. One lead on a job led to several interviews, but no follow-through on the part of the hiring manager. Discouraged but stubbornly undeterred, John approached the same company via another avenue. Here he was met with interest and action.

The screening process for the new opportunity was intense. A series of interviews with operations managers was followed by a meeting with human resources. A personality test was administered. The final interview was with a Vice President. John made his reasonable salary requirements known. An offer was extended in writing (for 10% more than he requested), subject only to the final step of a background check and a drug test – both of which John easily passed. Offer letter in hand, John gave notice at his current job, just a few days after several other management personnel had resigned. The disreputable employer got their just desserts for mistreatment of their people. John got his new job. The new employer had hired a strong contributor.

Optimism and persistence landed John in a career situation ripe with promise for his future. His new employer provided generous benefits, a two-month paid management training program, and great potential for growth. Employee retention and promoting from within is part of their corporate culture.

Good jobs exist for people with skills and the persistence to pursue them. Take heart from John’s story.

A Plea to Retailers for More Humanity

Black Friday weekend was, by standard measures, a huge success this year.  According to a survey conducted for the National Retail Federation by BigResearch, the number of shoppers and the spending per customer both increased over last year, each by more than nine percent.  The stock market’s reaction this morning is a euphoric, due in part to the positive outlook for retailer’s holiday season.  More positive statistics are expected on this Cyber Monday start to Cyber Week. 

Despite the good economic news, I am left feeling discomfited.  Shoppers were encouraged to come out as early as Thanksgiving night, abandoning the home fires before the dinner dishes were even washed.  Many retailers opened at midnight early on Friday, offering deals with limited availability that caused customers to camp outside the doors to be first in line.  We saw video of overexcited shoppers stampeding into stores.  The news highlighted the shocking tale of a woman spraying her shopping competition with pepper spray.  She reportedly had two children with her.  In other headlines, a man was shot while resisting a parking lot robbery.  He was protecting his purchases.  In Arizona, a 54-year old man put a video game under his shirt in a store, to protect it from being wrestled away by other shoppers.  He was reported as a shoplifter, thrown to the ground by police, bloodied in the process, handcuffed and arrested – all in view of his young grandson.  He has since been released from custody, and the legal finger-pointing has just begun.

We, the people, have allowed retailers’ marketing hype to draw us from our warm beds on a holiday night into the darkness and hysteria.  We willingly put our lives and safety in jeopardy, to beat others to the deals.  We are eager to elbow our neighbors and snatch goods from their hands, to rack up charges on credit to provide gifts that commemorate high religious holidays.  Ironically, surveys show that about 44% of the people out shopping on Black Friday this year were buying goods for themselves – not gifts for others.  My personal disgust with all this keeps me at home on Black Friday.  I do not argue others’ prerogative to enter the fray.

My plea for responsible humanity is to the retailers.  Find another way to market deeply discounted items available on a limited basis.  Retract grossly extended hours of operation that lure people into the night.  Eliminate the blatant and negligent disregard for the safety and security of your customers and employees.  Use your creativity to come up with a new approach.  Perhaps instead of encouraging shoppers to trample each other to be the first to the big screen HDTV’s, you could conduct a lottery drawing, and provide free home delivery for the winners.  Orchestrate interactive events within the store that would draw customers throughout the day - not just for the frantic crush at the ungodly opening hour.  One bright spot in trends is that online purchases continue to grow in percentage of total sales.

The term “Black Friday” used to refer to the time of year when retailer’s financials went from red ink losses into the black (profit).  With each year, the term is earning a more sinister connotation.  Black Friday norms need to be re-imagined.  Which retailers will lead the way to a kinder, gentler holiday shopping season?

Don't Be a Lazy Stranger

Why do people send generic requests to make social/professional connections with people they don’t know?  The charitable way to look at this is to assume that they actually have a good reason they would like to develop a relationship.  My more cynical side knows that there are people who have less legitimate motives, such as (A) Oddballs that “collect” connections, trying to reach some silly, arbitrary number, or (B) Leeches that want to grab onto your coattails to gain benefit secondhand from your connections.

You CAN reach out to people you don’t actually know, if you have a legitimate reason to do so.  Here’s how:

1.       ALWAYS ADD A COURTEOUS NOTE explaining why you want to connect.  I can’t count the number of LinkedIn connection requests I have received from strangers who do not provide that courtesy.  I purposely ignore them.
2.       MAKE IT PERSONAL.  Your request to connect should always be personalized.  For example, you could point out that you are fellow alumni, explain that you follow their blog and have learned a lot from it, say that you are looking for a contact within their organization because you are applying for a position, or that you appreciate them for providing a thoughtful answer to a question you posted to LinkedIn.  Pointing out commonalities and/or employing a little sincere flattery can go a long way.
3.       GIVE A LITTLE of yourself.  Remember that your target will be thinking, “Why should I connect with this person?”  What do you have to offer that may enhance their network?
4.       PROVIDE A REFERENCE.  Do you have a friend/colleague in common?  If so, refer to the nature of your relationship with that person.
5.       ASK FOR AN INTRODUCTION through a common connection.  It is not always appropriate or effective for you to approach a stranger directly, especially when the person is a high-profile professional.

I enjoy meeting and corresponding with professionals with like interests, but I will continue to ignore requests to connect that come from lazy strangers.