Negotiate a Win – Win Comp Package Negotiate a Win – Win Comp Package Negotiate the Win - Win Package

                                                                          

ü Let's face it; pay is often a primary motivator for work; but don't base your salary expectations solely on your current earnings. Depending upon the position, there could be other forms of compensation involved, most notably annual bonuses or sign-on bonuses.

ü Establish what your priorities are and how compensation factors into the equation.

ü Demonstrate your worth to the interviewer by detailing your accomplishments and what they have meant to the bottom line of your current or past employers.

ü Don't get bogged down in conversations about your current earnings if they are not relevant to the position. Gear the conversation to the worth of the position or the skills and experiences you have rather than your current earnings.

ü Ask the interviewer to describe the salary range rather than suggesting what you are hoping to earn.

ü Leverage other factors to your advantage such as a forthcoming salary increase or that you're assessing other potential employment situations.

ü Bottom line think big picture. If everything about the offer matches your criteria:  job description, reporting manager, working environment, and company policies and mission - get the best compensation package you can while letting the hiring manager know you are the best candidate for the job.                                                                                                       

Supreme Court Decision on The Affordable Care Act

So many people are speaking out on the High Court's decision yesterday. Here's is my take on the many detractors to the decision. We are living in a strange time; when some of us believe health care is a privilege and not a right. I have not read the entire “Affordable Care Act”; but the very idea that we are discussing whether an American Citizen should have health care; is outrageous.

Our country is too rich and too innovative to not insure health care for every American. If an American can’t afford it, the government should assist, that is a vital part of “The Pursuit of Happiness”.

I’m not sure how the coverage should be paid for, or who should be mandated to pay; but the idea that so many Americans don’t have health care insurance is madness.

My view on Ann Curry's departure from "Today Show"

It's always sad to see someone loose such a public job; but at the same time, it is a ratings game: and she was the latest addition to the top duo. That job is trickie and it requires more than just knowledge. It's not easy to maintain top ratings each week and these hosts aren't working for peanuts. Ann will be just fine and may even find her most ideal role within the network. So let's not cry but understand and see where "Today" goes from here.
She was wise to secure a good lawyer to help negotiate a win-win departure. This speaks to her understanding of the arena in which she works.

Best way to avoid Office Gossip

Here are three common political problems in the workplace and tips for handling each situation.
Q: I would like to avoid the office rumor mill, but people always try roping me into gossipy conversations. How should I handle this?
A: Water cooler chatter can be both helpful and harmful. The trick is recognizing when to listen and when to cut and run. On the positive side, the office grapevine can help you learn about your organization's unwritten rules of the road; so it's wise to keep yourself in the information loop. There's nothing wrong with listening as long as you don't fan the rumor's flames or act on unsubstantiated information.
Walk away when the gossip involves non-business-related topics or mean-spirited mudslinging.

Q: I'm a loyal employee and a hard worker, but my boss plays favorites and always gives the plum assignments to a particular co-worker. What can I do?
A: Before crying foul, communicate to your supervisor your interest in taking on additional responsibility. Your manager might simply be waiting for you to step up and show initiative. If you've already clearly expressed your aspirations, ask your boss about the specific steps you need to take to land higher profile assignments.

Q: One of my colleagues seems like she's out to get me. Whenever possible, she does something to make me look bad. How should I respond?
A: One option is to pull the person aside and ask her about her troubling actions. Focus on the facts and offer her an opportunity to explain her side of the story.

If you feel confronting your co-worker is futile, document her behavior, collecting concrete evidence supporting your claims and making note of how your performance was adversely affected. Then, bring the matter to your manager's attention in an objective, professional manner.

The best way to remove yourself from sticky work situations:

Discussing your concerns openly is often the quickest and least painful route to resolving workplace issues.

The following should help you defuse some classic sticky situations with your boss -

Sticky Situation No. 1: You are not a personal assistant, but your boss continually asks you to pick up her dry cleaning.

How to Deal: You might want to discuss the situation in a diplomatic way and let your boss know that there is priority work you're not able to do while you're picking up her dry cleaning and express your desire to get more involved with more work-related projects.

Sticky Situation No. 2: Your boss frequently loses his temper and yells at you in front of your co-workers.

How to Deal: Discuss your boss' behavior openly with him. Ask your boss if he/she can show examples of things you do that trigger his temper to determine whether you're making mistakes or if your boss is yelling at you for no reason."

Sticky Situation No. 3: You do both your job and your boss' job while your boss kicks back in her office and makes personal calls and takes the credit for your hard work.

How to Deal: One way to raise awareness of your work is to casually mention your involvement during meetings with senior management. You might also consider keeping management informed of the work you've done by copying them on memos over the course of a project.

Sticky Situation No. 4: Your boss hits on you, but you know he would deny his actions if you mentioned they were upsetting you.

How to Deal: Clearly stating that you're in a relationship might be enough to get your boss to back down, but if that doesn't work, try explaining to your boss that his behavior has made you uncomfortable. "Speak up to stop the behavior sooner rather than later."

If your boss' conduct continues, you should make a written account of each incident as it occurs, discuss the situation with your boss' supervisor, and consider making a formal complaint with the company.

Sticky Situation No. 5: Your human resources department encourages employees to use their vacation time, but your boss grumbles angrily every time you ask to take time off from work.

How to Deal: A frank conversation with your boss might reveal that she feels your vacation requests coincide with the company's busiest and most demanding periods. "Negotiate time off for when you're not needed".

Sticky Situation No. 6: You receive your annual bonus and are distressed to find it's significantly lower than your boss has verbally promised.

How to Deal: There might have been a misunderstanding, so discuss the matter with your boss before jumping to any conclusions.

Sticky Situation No. 7: Your boss makes you uncomfortable by continually soliciting your advice regarding his personal problems.

How to Deal: Look first at your own actions too make sure you haven't unwittingly implied to your boss that you're an available confidante. If your behavior isn't what needs altering, draw a boundary by suggesting a more appropriate person for your boss to take his problems to such as a family member or friend.

Sticky Situation No. 8: You suspect your boss of unethical and potentially illegal business practices.

How to Deal: This is one situation where you probably don't want to confront your boss directly. Document any evidence you find before informing the company of your boss' actions.

The best time to get others involved

I submit an excerpt from my book “Why Not Me” ~ “Once you have a goal that requires more than your participation, you have to get others involved. To do so, you must strike a chord with them.  You must believe in what you do and your ability to get it done. You must display a confidence in the project, and a strong desire to see it through.” Here’s the link to get your copy today!!!                                                                                                                                                 http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000475782/WHY-NOT-ME.aspx

7 Ways to show your worth on your resume

Step 1: Start by writing one-line statements about your experiences.
Step 2: Convert each activity into an accomplishment statement.
Step 3: Make your accomplishment statements as comprehensive as possible.
Step 4: After you have completed your list, edit the statements to use the most powerful words to show results.
Step 5: If you are using a chronological résumé, make sure that you list accomplishment beneath the company where you acquired it.
Step 6: If you are using a functional résumé, you will need to group related accomplishments together under functional headings.
Step 7: Finally, review your accomplishment statements in the context of your specific job objective.

How Stressed are You

Maybe you're tired, and taking on too much work; but, whatever it is, you feel burned out. While office stress is common, it can also be dangerous. Are you experiencing the warning signs of workplace stress? Take this quiz to find out. Select all that apply: Here are the score indicators. 0-5 -- Low Stress:  No work environment is entirely stress-free, but you appear to be managing your tension well.

6-10 -- Low-to-Moderate Stress:  The stress is beginning to catch up with you, but there is still hope. Try a relaxing vacation, talking to friends and family or just taking some timeout for yourself each day.

11-15 -- Moderate-to-High Stress:  You're experiencing significant stress levels, and it might be time for a change. Try some adjustments in your job or life to balance the strain.

16-20 -- High Stress:  High stress levels are harmful both physically and psychologically, so take steps to reduce your tension. Vacations, lifestyle changes or seeking a new position could do the trick, find ways to relax.

Maybe you're tired, and taking on too much work; but, whatever it is, you feel burned out. While office stress is common, it can also be dangerous. Are you experiencing the warning signs of workplace stress? Take this quiz to find out. Select all that apply: Here are the score indicators. 0-5 -- Low Stress:  No work environment is entirely stress-free, but you appear to be managing your tension well.

6-10 -- Low-to-Moderate Stress:  The stress is beginning to catch up with you, but there is still hope. Try a relaxing vacation, talking to friends and family or just taking some timeout for yourself each day.

11-15 -- Moderate-to-High Stress:  You're experiencing significant stress levels, and it might be time for a change. Try some adjustments in your job or life to balance the strain.

16-20 -- High Stress:  High stress levels are harmful both physically and psychologically, so take steps to reduce your tension. Vacations, lifestyle changes or seeking a new position could do the trick, find ways to relax.

Your job no longer challenges you.
You have little or no autonomy in your day-to-day tasks.
Apathy has replaced enthusiasm.
You feel overwhelmed by deadline pressure, workload or other expectations.
You frequently arrive late to work and leave early as often as possible.
You consistently put off projects until the last minute.
You're unhappy with your work/life balance.
You have a toxic relationship with your boss.
You're worried about your job security and/or performance.
Your co-workers are walking on eggshells around you.
Your work schedule is interfering with your marriage or other personal relationships.
You're beginning to withdraw from friends and family members.
You're having trouble sleeping.
You're smoking, drinking or relying on caffeine more than ever before.
You're feeling paranoid.
You've been overreacting to minor problems.
You're getting headaches or colds more often.
You're physically exhausted most of the time.
You've developed an ulcer.
You've been diagnosed with a heart condition

Best way to get a High Performing Team

To enable your staff to perform at a high level, you should:

      Define the function of your HR Dept.

      Interlink your departments.

      Open up communication with staff.

      Do you have a succession plan?

      Staff should understand your organizational culture.

Then, consider how your staff and managers work together:

      Roles should be clearly defined.

      Define your management style?

      How is work delegated, and what's the workflow process?

      Does your organization foster an environment of trust?

      How do you inspire those who work with you to excel?