Office Survival Tips, Courtesy of The Worst-Case Scenario Handbook: Work
 

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Working for a large organization doesn’t mean you’ll score a corner office.  Many individuals enjoy that “small company” feel by working in a cubicle.  According to Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht, authors of The Worst-Case Scenario Handbook: Work, there are several things you can do to make your cubicle the best it can be:

• Select a good location, away from high traffic areas and the boss’ line of sight.
• Requisition a more comfortable chair, back pillow, and footrest.  Do not attempt to fit recliners, love seats, or hammocks into your cube, however.
• Install convenience items such as a wireless telephone headset, noise-canceling stereo headphones, and a small fan.  Keep small refrigerators, hair dryers, televisions, VCRs, and blenders out of visible areas.
• Decorate your cube with photos, drawings, and cartoons, being careful not to make the space look like a dorm room.
• Build upward.  Unless someone has “air rights” to the space above your cube, use as much vertical space as possible.  Stack trays and books high.
• Use a mirror to create an illusion of spaciousness and a “rear view mirror” on your computer monitor to see who’s behind you.
• Guard against light deprivation disorder by increasing exposure to sunlight during breaks and business trips, use artificial light, and place your lamps in front of you.

Want to learn more office survival tips?  The Worst-Case Scenario Handbook: Work is available at bookstores across the country, including Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.   While you’re at it, consider Pimp My Cubicle to add some bling to your space!

 

Small Business, Big Heart
 

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“You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man’s initiative and independence.” – Abraham Lincoln

            This quote by Abraham Lincoln is not only true of a man’s (or woman’s) character and courage, but also his or her ability to be an efficient, effective, and happy employee. Many people yearn to work for large corporations.  Once employed, they find that they have their initiative and independence stripped from them as soon as they enter the building.  On the other hand, small companies, while not necessarily the big name on the business card that many college graduates hope to attain, do allow their employees to pursue their initiative and independence. Yet many workers are wary of being employed by small companies that cannot offer them the resources of multinational, multibillion dollar corporations.  Is there a way to make your employees feel like they have big company resources even though your company may not be that large?

            The answer to that question, quite simply, is yes. Obviously people still desire to work for small businesses or else those businesses would cease to exist. But how it can be done?  Let’s look at some companies who have conquered the issue and how they have done so.

            The first place to look is the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and why companies made their list of best Small and Medium Businesses to work for: “A common element among many of the companies on this year’s list of Best Small & Medium Companies to Work for in America is a responsiveness to the needs of their own particular employees. Look closely and you’ll find that these companies include their employees in the loop. They communicate well. They value an entrepreneurial spirit. They encourage input from employees. And they treat employees as equals. As a result, their employees feel good about the company and themselves, and they care about their work—which translates into a boost to the bottom line.”

            Business Week also came out with its own rankings of the best small businesses in America to work for and provided more in-depth reasons of why these companies were the best: “The best of the best small companies' turnover rates are impressive. Badger Mining has a 4% turnover rate and no limit to paid time off. The RightThing Inc., an HR staffing outsourcing firm based in Findlay, Ohio, that ranked third on the list, has only lost one employee since opening in early 2003.”

            Business Week’s findings are similar to what we have pointed out in past Astronology articles and on our blog.  Pay and benefit packages are not the only things on employees’ minds: “the rankings found compensation often takes a back seat to practices like regularly briefing employees on the firm's financials and its competitive positioning. Another common theme is not skimping on the small stuff, like a catered Christmas party, and stocking the kitchen with good food for workers. Of course, low-cost health-care and retirement-savings plans are sure ways to employee loyalty. Trumping any individual perk or benefit, communication is often touted as the most important factor to both employees and executives. For example, each of the companies…shares their financials with all employees, normally in a regular all-staff meeting where questions are encouraged. And most share major company initiatives with all employees before going public with their plans.”

            Other keys that Business Week pointed out were a good orientation process to make sure that employees are all working towards one goal, flex time for employees to move around within the company and/or pursue some of their personal goals, putting individual feedback into work for the employees, sharing profits with employees, and a joint mission statement which is continually updated. Another big key is the Human Resources of the company, which needs to understand that working for a small company is not for everyone. “So a savvy HR department is essential as well, because finding people that fit with the culture is one key to maintaining it.”

            The findings from SHRM and Business Week aren’t as far removed from the day to day as you might think.  According to Astron’s own John Sazaklis: “Working for a small company, your work gets recognized more than working for a big company.  You feel more valuable to them then just another person in a chair.  At a big company you don't have the flexibility to learn and try more interesting things.  A major drawback of a big company is office politics.  It’s who you know can give you a better opportunity.”

            But some small businesses are just too small to house an effective and efficient Human Resources department. Yahoo! has a small business advice column and one article provides suggestions on outsourcing small business services: “Working with a human resources services professional provides instant expertise. This can be a real benefit for the many small companies that hand off HR responsibilities to an untrained staff member. While such an action can save money, it ultimately can leave a business ill prepared if a major problem comes up like a sexual harassment suit or a bad firing. An HRO provider can provide the expert guidance necessary to avoid these land mines.”

            Regardless of whether you have Human Resources in house or outsource it, it is less important to make sure the employee has all the resources of a large company as it is to make sure that the resources you have benefit the employees directly. Do the little things: recognize employees for little accomplishments that will highlight the small business work environment; celebrate birthdays, births, weddings, and those of the employee’s children (graduations, Baptism, Bar Mitzvah’s, confirmations, weddings, etc.).  More importantly, recognize problems in the employee’s life, which a small work environment will allow for, such as deaths and sickness in the family and personal problems.  Allow employees to pursue personal goals or try something new in the company that is not part of their job description.  Dress codes can lean towards casual if you know that all your employees can keep up a professional work ethic in jeans and sneakers.  Give one-on-one guidance and feedback and allow the employee to do the same.

            You can make employees feel that they are working at a large company in the important ways by using the resources you have in the correct way. Those benefits that the employees have should be geared towards those employees who are receiving them. Perk packages and discounts can be geared towards those who are working with you. If you work with a lot of people interested in computers and sports, giving them a discount to go see an opera may not be their thing, but you should know that. Healthcare plans don’t need to have certain costly additions if it doesn’t apply to anyone in your company. And find one thing the employees really need and splurge a little on it, whether that is a workout room, free lunches, Summer Fridays, monthly massages, childcare, or something totally unrelated.  Using NBC’s The Office as an example, have a casino night or an awards night like the Dundies…or buy a Starbucks cappuccino maker for a top seller.

            SHRM agrees: “If there is a lesson here for employers, it is that being a great place to work is not about bricks and mortar, or massages and meditation rooms, appreciated though these may be. Employers that want to create a great workplace need to treat employees with evenhanded respect. Ask for their input, then listen to it. It’s not necessary to agree with everything that’s offered, but it is critical to listen and respond fairly, accurately, honestly and in a timely manner. Being a great employer means ensuring that if employees feel stress, it’s good stress—the kind that comes when workers have the opportunity to stretch, grow and develop.” When employees are working with each other towards a common goal that has nothing to do with percentage points on the stock, good things can come out of it.