I used to hate my previous managers looking over my shoulder and asking the same question over and over, and promised myself that I wouldn’t be like that. Oh naïve me, making promises I can’t keep. Truth is that as awful as micromanaging may be, there are some times when you don’t have the right people on your team  In those situations it is not only necessary but mandatory.

In some cases, when I do not have the right person on my team, I find myself asking for status reports daily, walking to his/her cube to ask the same question I asked yesterday (to receive the same disappointing answer), and sending emails to people 10 feet away from me, because I know I will also be micromanaged when my subordinate doesn’t complete the task on time.

On those situations, I can hear my brother saying “Just fire that person, and get yourself a good team you can rely on”, If only. That is in fact the best solution to the problem, allocate the resources where they belong, and someone who proves no use in your team, shouldn’t be in it. As great as a solution as that may be, and as much as the devil on my shoulder is cheering for the productivity team, the stupid, naïve angel on the other side, reminds me of my over shadowed humane side, that thinks of their families and their well being; darn angel.

In the end, to be a good manager is a two tier mission, you don’t only have to be productive, but be productive with the team handed to you, and it is in the definition of your title as manager to well, MANAGE the people working with you.

My point is that Micromanaging is not only annoying to the managed, but also to the manager.  It is fear what motivates this behavior, and it can, and should be avoided.  It may not always be possible, and there is an enormous chance that changes may have to be made in any team in order to accommodate my annoying need to show dramatic success, but micromanaging may not be the answer.  If I learned something at my last position is that people work for whatever motivates them. For me is money and the ability to turn my ideas into action; I just need to find what is that motivation factor for my team, and put it in front of them; let’s make them chase the proverbial carrot on the fishing rod; and micromanage the living hell out of them meanwhile.

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As my first review for this blog, I want to mention a local small company from Woburn, MA; Printex.  They have been providing my department with every single need for the last year or so.  Posters, notebooks, cd’s, marketing gifts, branded apparel and all those nice little trinkets that help me live without ever visiting the office supply store.  But that is not what I want to review.

After the person in our department in charge of these kind of activities left the company, the few of us left behind have been struggling to keep up with all the details left unfinished, and trying to figure out who is the right contact for each task; that’s where a company that knows how to sell (or skin the cat) comes into play.

Printex took things in their own hands, went far beyond what we were paying for, and delivered not only a quality product in a short amount of time, but with a minimal effort from us (the headless chickens)

That’s why I grant them with 5 out of 5 stars in the new Review Section of this Blog.

Printex ( 5 out of  5)

Quality: 5
Delivering: 5
Easy of Business: 5
Customer Service: 5

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But it doesn’t end there. My mom has a Facebook, my shrink has a Facebook , my boss has a Facebook, and my boss’s boss has a Facebook. At any given moment, any of these people can log in and see what I’m thinking, what I did over the weekend, or who I’m dating. And therein lies the dilemma in relation to one’s career. What you post on these sites can and will produce a negative effect on your professional profile.

According to a recent careerbuilder.com survey, 45% of employers are now using social networking sites to screen potential employees In an economy where millions of people have lost their jobs, those who are looking should keep this is mind when they decide to post about how it’s 4pm and they’re just rolling out of bed with a massive hangover on a Tuesday. And those who survived the chopping block at work should also heed the same warning. You may not be linked to your boss directly on a site like Facebook, but chances are you are linked to one of your co-workers, and that can be just as dangerous. Keep in mind that it’s not just your buddies who will see your status wishing that your boss gets hit by the green line.

And maybe I’m noticing it more because I’m stuck inside at my desk in the middle of a beautiful summer’s day, but the last thing I want to see from people I know who don’t have jobs is how they’re enjoying a beautiful day lounging at the beach. I have many friends and colleagues whose professional performances did not warrant their layoffs, but unfortunately lost their jobs anyway. I’m not advocating that you sit locked up in your house all day in your pajamas with your laptop sending resume after resume without rest, but keep in mind that letting the rest of the world know that you’re not out there pounding the proverbial pavement tirelessly doesn’t make you look any more desirable to an employer or to someone in your professional network. Being laid off is awful, especially for those who have families to support. It’s also tough for those who are left at their jobs having to do triple the amount of work for less money. So let’s not shout to the world wide web how much you’re enjoying your ‘vacation’ from the work force (and yes, I saw someone who was laid off refer to their unemployment as a vacation) while the rest of us are struggling to either hold on to our jobs, or replace the ones we’ve lost.

If you’re looking for a job, or have a job you’d like to keep- check out the statistics below courtesy of Yahoo finance on why candidates did not get hired at prospective jobs. And remember, if you need to blow off a little steam about your job, it’s better to whip out the old diary then to let the world know how you’re feeling.

• Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information – 53 percent
• Candidate bad-mouthed their previous employer, co-workers or clients – 35 percent
• Candidate showed poor communication skills – 29 percent
• Candidate made discriminatory comments – 26 percent
• Candidate lied about qualifications – 24 percent
• Candidate shared confidential information from previous employer – 20 percent

- S. Grace

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Cavata Clothing Co. was born out of a dream of a really young entrepreneur, that once asked me: “What do you think of this idea?” to which I replied with my common saying of “you got nothing; so you got nothing to lose…”   Right out of College, starting Grad School and her first real job, she decided that she didn’t only wanted to run her own business, but she was going to have fun at it, and give back to the community.

They make trendy T-shirts that encourage music and art for people of all ages.  As part of their marketing campaign and company mission they give 10% of their revenue to music and art programs around the State of Massachusetts, as they in their website: “Creating A Voice About The Arts…one tee at a time!”

I encourage you to go and take a look at their products, but mostly to take a look at your dream or idea and ask yourself: “What do i have to lose?” If anything you will gain the experience you will never gain at your 9-5 job.

Kudos to Cavata Clothing Company and this young busy entrepeneur; another company that started as a what if, and its still on business doing well and growing.  Visit Cavata at www.CavataClothing.com

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We all dream of the moment when someone recognizes our hard work, and this is one of those moments.  Your boss, and sometimes his/her supervisor will realize that they have a valuable employee on their hands, but he/she is incredibly underpaid, therefore they go for these “Fake Promotions” to keep us happy.

But Promotions are like Santa Claus, you can believe all you want, but if that Fat Jolly Bastard don’t bring you some toys, he won’t be getting any cookies next year, because you stop believing (we could use the analogy of “The boy who cried wolf” also, but let’s save that one for some other day).  Promotions with no monetary or benefit increment are as useless as a new pair of “Business Socks”, they will make you feel good for a couple of days, but that’s it.

I’m not complaining, but I like to share with the new generation, that though these Fake Promotions are a big compliment, I advise everyone to let their superiors know that they are not naive enough to fall in love with your company because of your new title, and though you are flattered, you will continue your search to achieve your goals, monetary or otherwise.

This may be a good time to ask for a raise, you may not get it, but after all, it was their idea to promote you, not yours.

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