Comments for Life Meets Work Blog http://blog.lifemeetswork.com Making Flexible Work Possible Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:32:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on Being Spaces or Third Places by Eliza http://blog.lifemeetswork.com/2008/07/being-spaces-or-third-places/#comment-535 Eliza Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:39:48 +0000 http://blog.lifemeetswork.com/?p=12#comment-535 Keep up the good work. Keep up the good work.

]]> Comment on Shooting Holes in Your Career by Kyra Cavanaugh http://blog.lifemeetswork.com/2008/09/shooting-holes-in-your-career/#comment-518 Kyra Cavanaugh Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:15:01 +0000 http://blog.lifemeetswork.com/?p=20#comment-518 Here's my bottom line and the reason we take issue with Viscusi's book: To be a valued employee, you must focus on the bottom-line results that you deliver to your company. Period. Performance is what matters, not what time you come in and what time you leave. His advice about leaving five minutes after the boss is outdated and destructive. Give bosses more credit that that. All it takes is one phone call from the boss to someone in the office to get the full report of who pulled out of the parking lot immediately following the boss' departure. From then on, the boss knows s/he is being played-not a great condition for ongoing employment opportunities with the company. The only way to stack the deck in favor of surviving a lay-off in difficult economic times is to deliver, deliver, deliver. Make yourself so important to the bottom line results of the company that it would be painful to the company to let you go. Even then, there are no guarantees. To suggest that following outdated advice will somehow give you more control over a situation where you have very little is silly at best, destructive at worst. Bottom-line: drive performance and leave the rest to fate. Here’s my bottom line and the reason we take issue with Viscusi’s book: To be a valued employee, you must focus on the bottom-line results that you deliver to your company. Period. Performance is what matters, not what time you come in and what time you leave.

His advice about leaving five minutes after the boss is outdated and destructive. Give bosses more credit that that. All it takes is one phone call from the boss to someone in the office to get the full report of who pulled out of the parking lot immediately following the boss’ departure. From then on, the boss knows s/he is being played-not a great condition for ongoing employment opportunities with the company.

The only way to stack the deck in favor of surviving a lay-off in difficult economic times is to deliver, deliver, deliver. Make yourself so important to the bottom line results of the company that it would be painful to the company to let you go. Even then, there are no guarantees.

To suggest that following outdated advice will somehow give you more control over a situation where you have very little is silly at best, destructive at worst.

Bottom-line: drive performance and leave the rest to fate.

]]> Comment on Shooting Holes in Your Career by admin http://blog.lifemeetswork.com/2008/09/shooting-holes-in-your-career/#comment-360 admin Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:12:30 +0000 http://blog.lifemeetswork.com/?p=20#comment-360 Kiki, I have some particular concerns with Viscusi's advice about protecting your job above all else. It's a dangerous idea, I think, as it can lead to information hoarding and uncooperative attitudes. I don't want employees out to protect their jobs. I want employees who will do what is right and be good representatives of the organization. I'm distinguishing between protecting a job and building a career. If you're capable and smart, you'll be able to move on and survive--with dignity and honor. - Jaime Kiki,

I have some particular concerns with Viscusi’s advice about protecting your job above all else. It’s a dangerous idea, I think, as it can lead to information hoarding and uncooperative attitudes. I don’t want employees out to protect their jobs. I want employees who will do what is right and be good representatives of the organization. I’m distinguishing between protecting a job and building a career. If you’re capable and smart, you’ll be able to move on and survive–with dignity and honor. - Jaime

]]> Comment on Shooting Holes in Your Career by Jerry Neal http://blog.lifemeetswork.com/2008/09/shooting-holes-in-your-career/#comment-359 Jerry Neal Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:03:12 +0000 http://blog.lifemeetswork.com/?p=20#comment-359 "Where have all the flowers gone"? Gone to unemployment lines every one! Jaime must be one of the fortunate who landed a job with a company that offers wellness programs. If so, the likelihood of loosing a job based only on an inability to perform the job might be the rule. I do not have a factual number but I would have to believe that 90% of America's work force are working under a different set of job performance standards. Stephan Viscusi's book "Bullet Proof Your Job" was written with the mass in mind and touches points that no one prior to the book have ever addressed. Let's see, I saved the company $200,000 last year and earn $80,000. I should be in a good place when the heads roll. I sold two million dollars of product this year which represented 50% of the companies revenue, yet there are five sales people. Gee, I must be in a good place. Most of the people walking the streets today are mumbling these statements and wondering where did they go wrong. Could it be that they P.O'd their boss and the minute the boss had a legitimate reason to eliminate the person, they were the first to go? I would take Viscusi's suggestions to heart. After all, the more you work on being the best you can be the better chance you have to be at the next Christmas Party, Assuming that won't be cut next. “Where have all the flowers gone”? Gone to unemployment lines every one!
Jaime must be one of the fortunate who landed a job with a company that offers wellness programs. If so, the likelihood of loosing a job based only on an inability to perform the job might be the rule. I do not have a factual number but I would have to believe that 90% of America’s work force are working under a different set of job performance standards.

Stephan Viscusi’s book “Bullet Proof Your Job” was written with the mass in mind and touches points that no one prior to the book have ever addressed. Let’s see, I saved the company $200,000 last year and earn $80,000. I should be in a good place when the heads roll. I sold two million dollars of product this year which represented 50% of the companies revenue, yet there are five sales people. Gee, I must be in a good place.

Most of the people walking the streets today are mumbling these statements and wondering where did they go wrong. Could it be that they P.O’d their boss and the minute the boss had a legitimate reason to eliminate the person, they were the first to go?
I would take Viscusi’s suggestions to heart. After all, the more you work on being the best you can be the better chance you have to be at the next Christmas Party, Assuming that won’t be cut next.

]]> Comment on Shooting Holes in Your Career by Kiki http://blog.lifemeetswork.com/2008/09/shooting-holes-in-your-career/#comment-355 Kiki Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:27:20 +0000 http://blog.lifemeetswork.com/?p=20#comment-355 Sometimes people say provocative things to make sure you're listening. This book seems to be a splash of cold water across the face to make you aware of the many levels of your perception at work and the many ways you make an impression, good or bad. It strikes me as valuable consciousness raising rather than reckless or short-sighted. In the end, I think in today's grim climate, Viscusi's advice..."your job is your most valuable asset and it should be your number one priority to protect it"....may be the best takeaway of all. Sometimes people say provocative things to make sure you’re listening. This book seems to be a splash of cold water across the face to make you aware of the many levels of your perception at work and the many ways you make an impression, good or bad. It strikes me as valuable consciousness raising rather than reckless or short-sighted. In the end, I think in today’s grim climate, Viscusi’s advice…”your job is your most valuable asset and it should be your number one priority to protect it”….may be the best takeaway of all.

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