Performance

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3 Things You Should Do When You Get A Bad Performance Review

3 Things You Should Do When You Get A Bad Performance Review

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article that talks about the fact that people can expect harsher performance reviews going forward, and I have to agree with them. Therefore, I want to tell you three things that you should do if you get a bad performance review to help you protect your career.

1. Don't Take It Personally


When you get a negative performance review or you get a performance review with a lot of constructive feedback after getting great, positive performance reviews in the past, it might be due to shifts in the market.

I always tell my clients that problems trickle down in the workplace. Many companies are tightening their belts right now. They're changing strategies and trying to figure out what's going on, and so those problems become headaches to the leadership team and they're not just going to take the brunt of that themselves; they're going to push it down to the people that they're paying to help solve those problems and alleviate that pain.

Consequently, more people are going to be told that what they've been doing in the past isn't good enough anymore. Their company needs more from them. That's the trickle-down effect. Now, I want you to have the right frame of mind around this. Don't take it personally. This is business, and your "customer" that owns the business, that employs you, is telling you they've got changes and they need you to support them in those changes. So, try to stay objective when you get a bad performance review out of nowhere.

2. See How Your Boss Is Treating Other People


Boss helps his employees at work

The second thing that I want you to do is see how your boss is treating other people. If you got a bad performance review but other people aren't getting that same feedback, if you're not hearing that other people got negative performance reviews, then I need you to be really careful because this could be the company starting to single you out for a restructure, layoff, or firing.

These types of situations are happening more and more now. What was good enough before is not good enough anymore. So, take a look around. Is everyone getting the same feedback? Or do you feel like you're being singled out? Because if you are, there's a good chance that your job might be at risk and I don't want you finding that out later. I want you to be more proactive, which leads to my last tip...

3. Get Your Job Search Tools Ready


Woman on laptop updates her resume and LinkedIn profile

The moment you see a shift in how others are treating you after a bad performance review, you need to increase your networking efforts and get your job search tools ready. Any good business knows that if they start to see a customer who's not satisfied or who's acting like they're not satisfied, you do what you can to make that customer happy again, but you also remember that customers have life cycles and this may be the end of the life cycle.

You don't want to be left without a customer. You don't want to be left without an income for your business-of-one. So, it's important that you update your resume and LinkedIn profile. Get ready to do informational interviews and start networking with people who work at companies you might want to work at. Just get that ball rolling. You never know—a great opportunity might come along and this might be the push that you need to make that change. But you want to be prepared. You don't want to start looking for work when you suddenly don't have a job, and for a lot of people, that's what's happening right now. I want you to protect yourself from that.

So, to recap...

  1. Change your frame of mind. Don't take it personally. Understand that problems trickle down.
  2. See how your boss is treating other people. Is this you being singled out as a performance problem? Or is everybody getting this feedback, and what can you do to fix it?
  3. Protect yourself. Update your resume and LinkedIn profile. Increase your networking. Do some passive job searching. Whatever it takes to protect your business-of-one so it always has an income.

I hope this information helps if you suddenly get a bad performance review at work. Remember these tips, and you'll protect your career.

Good luck, and go get 'em!

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3 Things You Should Do When You …

Why Companies Fire People To Save Money

Why Companies Fire People To Save Money

There are a lot of companies that will choose to fire employees instead of laying them off. Let's walk through the instances when this happens so you can better prepare yourself.

Placing The Blame On You


Lots of companies right now are deciding to make significant cuts. They aren't making their numbers. They're not feeling financially secure. Whatever the reason may be, the biggest expense is people, so the fastest way to save money is to cut staff.

Now, most companies will be transparent about this and admit that it's a layoff. They didn't perform well. They need to make changes. They're laying you off through no fault of your own. It stinks, but nobody's blaming you. However, there are companies out there that will say that it's a firing instead.

When companies fire employees instead of laying them off, they're saying it's not their fault. It's not their fault you're suddenly underperforming and, therefore, they're going to fire you. How ironic is it that you were getting great performance reviews, everything was going fine, and then all of a sudden you're having a performance issue?

What normally happens is the company has figured out that they can get somebody to do your job for a lot cheaper. There are a whole bunch of people in the job market who will do your job at a lower pay. But if the company lays you off in order to save money, there are laws around discrimination that you could cite and then file a charge of discrimination against them.

Some companies want to avoid any risk of this, so instead they suddenly decide you're not performing and they document that and gather the paperwork to be able to prove that you're not performing (you're the problem) so they can fire you. This is how they avoid lawsuits. And when they fire you, they can replace you and hire somebody for less money.

You can never take your eye off the ball as long as you are working. If you're making a wage that you want to keep making, you need to watch your market conditions because if you're not growing, you're dying in your career.

Way too many people get into kind of an autopilot situation where they're not really growing and evolving with the market. And it's not just about amassing more skills. It's about strategically understanding the direction your career needs to go in so you stay relevant and in demand. You can have all the skills and experience in the world, but if you don't know how to package that up and market it correctly to employers, you're not going to differentiate yourself in the market and stay competitive.

Please be on the lookout for this situation in your career. The moment your company realizes they can have someone do your job for less money, you're going to become a performance issue. It's easier to fire you than it is to lay you off. Remember that, and make sure you know your unique value add (UVA).

Good luck, and go get 'em!

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Why Companies Fire People To Save Money

Executive Spotlight: How To Tell An Employee They’re Underperforming



In every company, there are usually overachievers and underperformers. For underperforming employees, managers need to figure out a way to tell these employees that they're underperforming while also motivating them to work harder and meet their goals.

We recently asked our leading executives for their advice on how to tell an employee they're underperforming.

Here are their responses...

Lisa Perry, Global Marketing Executive


As a marketing executive, one of the most challenging aspects of your role is addressing underperformance within your team. Delivering constructive feedback can be uncomfortable, but it is essential for the growth and success of both the employee and the organization. Throughout my career, I’ve used these seven effective strategies to communicate with an underperforming employee, ensuring a respectful and supportive approach that encourages improvement.

1. Preparation is Key: Before initiating a conversation about underperformance, gathering relevant data and facts to support your assessment is crucial. Review the employee's job description, performance metrics, stakeholder feedback, and specific instances of subpar performance. Identify the areas in which they are falling short and the impact it has on the team and organizational goals. This preparation will help you approach the conversation objectively and ensure that your feedback is specific and constructive.

2. Understand Their Perspective: When addressing underperformance, it's essential to consider the employee's perspective. While you may believe they are not meeting expectations, they may have a different understanding of those expectations. Take the time to listen to their viewpoint and clarify any misalignments between their perception and the role, assignment, or job description. By fostering open communication and understanding, you can bridge the gap in expectations and ensure everyone is on the same page moving forward.

3. Focus on Behavior and Performance: When discussing underperformance, it is crucial to focus on specific behaviors and performance outcomes rather than personal characteristics. Avoid using judgmental language and provide objective feedback supported by evidence. Communicate the expectations that were not met and highlight the impact of their underperformance on the team or organization. Focusing on the actions and results can help the employee understand what they need to improve upon and avoid making it a personal attack.

4. Use the Feedback Sandwich Approach: The feedback sandwich technique starts and ends the conversation with positive and constructive points, with critical feedback sandwiched in between. Begin by acknowledging the employee's strengths, achievements, and valuable contributions. Then, provide constructive feedback, emphasizing the areas where improvement is needed. Finally, conclude the conversation positively, offering support, guidance, and resources to help the employee succeed. This approach helps maintain the employee's motivation and self-esteem while addressing the areas of concern.

5. Collaborative Goal Setting and Action Plan: To facilitate the employee's improvement, involve them in setting goals and developing an action plan. Ask for their input on overcoming their performance challenges and achieving the desired results. This collaborative approach fosters ownership and engagement from the employee. Together, define specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals.

6. Regular Check-Ins and Tracking: Once you have set goals and developed an action plan with the employee, it's important to establish regular check-ins to track their progress. These check-ins are opportunities to review their performance, provide guidance, address any questions or confusion, and offer further clarification. By maintaining ongoing communication and monitoring their progress, you can identify any potential obstacles or challenges early on. These check-ins also allow you to offer support and adjust the action plan if necessary, ensuring that the employee stays on track towards meeting their goals.

7. Documentation for Clarity, Alignment, & Accountability: Maintaining documentation throughout the performance improvement process serves as a means of accountability and a tool for clarity and alignment. Documenting the agreed-upon expectations, action plans, and next steps ensures that you and the employee have a clear record of what was discussed and agreed upon. This documentation helps avoid confusion or miscommunication and provides a reference point for future discussions. By keeping detailed records of conversations, goals, progress, and any adjustments made, you can ensure that both parties are aligned and on the same page, fostering a productive and transparent working relationship.

Remember, effectively addressing employee underperformance aims to inspire improvement and create a culture of continuous growth and development within your team.

Lisa Perry helps companies build leadership brands, driving loyal customers & delivering profitability. She does this through a process that builds brands consumers love. Her goal is to help companies develop, monetize, and grow their brands.

Michael Willis, Sports Business Operations Executive


Manager talks to an underperforming employee during a meeting

My first thought is: what’s the temperature of what’s happening inside the company now? If the company is in a season of staff reductions, this could be the “perfect storm” for making the employee a candidate for dismissal.

If this is an employee I see as a valuable part of the team, then as a manager, I need to figure out how to get the employee back on track by investing time and energy into a fix.

  1. Start an investigation.
  2. What’s not meeting the standard? I need specifics.
  3. Meet one on one with the employee.
  4. Lead the conversation with the many good things that the employee is doing.
  5. Go into a detailed discussion on the item(s) not meeting the standard.
  6. Plan an action plan to correct the issue.
  7. After a short time, meet again with the employee to see the results of the corrected action.

In closing, managers need to act when the deficiency first occurs. That action could be an observation of the deficiency. Build your plan of action to be a resource to make the employee better.

If the deficiency is a resistance to change or company culture, it might be time to move on from this employee.

The window to fix underperformance might be short in a fast-paced, results-driven environment.

Michael Willis has 18+ years of experience working with accounting & sports organizations and has managed P&Ls of $10M - $125M+ with budgets of $3M-$50M+. He worked for the NFL for 22 1/2 years, mainly with the game officials working on the financial/accounting side of the business.

Ana Smith, Talent Architect & Global Learning Strategist


Manager listens to an underperforming employee during a meeting

Addressing employee underperformance can be a very delicate task, but with a structured approach, you can effectively communicate the issue and help the employee sustain improved performance. Here's a step-by-step process for handling this situation:

  1. Preparation and planning:
    a. Gather data: Collect objective performance metrics, feedback from colleagues, and any other relevant information to support your evaluation of the employee's underperformance.
    b. Define expectations: Clarify the job responsibilities, performance standards, and specific areas where the employee is falling short. Identify the desired level of performance for each area.
  2. Choose an appropriate time and place:
    Schedule a private meeting with the employee at a mutually convenient time and select a quiet location where you can have an uninterrupted conversation.
  3. Open the conversation:
    a. Start on a positive note: Begin the meeting by acknowledging the employee's strengths and past contributions. This sets a constructive tone and helps the employee feel more receptive to feedback.
    b. Express concern: Clearly communicate your concern regarding the employee's current level of performance. Use specific examples and objective data to support your observations.
  4. Seek their perspective:
    Give the employee an opportunity to share their perspective on their performance. Ask open-ended questions to encourage them to reflect on the challenges they may be facing or any factors that might be impacting their performance.
  5. Provide clear feedback:
    a. Be specific: Clearly communicate the gaps between the expected and actual performance, focusing on behaviors and outcomes. Avoid generalizations or personal attacks.
    b. Use the SBI (Situation-Behavior-Impact) model: Describe the specific situation, highlight the observed behavior, and explain the impact of their actions on the team or organization.
    c. Active listening: Give the employee a chance to respond to your feedback, allowing them to express their thoughts or concerns. Listen actively and demonstrate empathy.
  6. Collaborative goal setting:
    Work together with the employee to develop a plan for improvement. Set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals that address the areas of underperformance. Ensure the employee understands the expectations and the consequences of not meeting them.
  7. Provide support and resources:
    Identify any resources, training, or mentoring opportunities that can assist the employee in developing the necessary skills and knowledge. Offer your assistance in addressing any obstacles they may encounter.
  8. Regular check-ins and feedback:
    Schedule regular follow-up meetings to review progress, provide constructive feedback, and offer support. Recognize and acknowledge improvement, reinforcing positive behaviors.
  9. Offer training and development:
    Provide opportunities for professional development that target the specific areas where the employee needs improvement. This could include workshops, seminars, online courses, or mentoring programs.
  10. Recognize and reward progress:
    Celebrate milestones and achievements along the way. Acknowledge the employee's efforts and progress publicly when appropriate, reinforcing their motivation to sustain improved performance.

Remember, it's important to approach this process with empathy, fairness, and a genuine desire to help the employee succeed. Building a supportive environment and providing ongoing guidance can contribute to the employee's long-term growth and improved performance.

Ana Smith helps people & organizations achieve their full talent potential by developing and co-creating people strategies and customized solutions, and turning them into impactful outcomes and collaborative relationships, using coaching as the "red thread."

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Executive Spotlight: How To Tell An Employee …

4 Phrases Your Boss LOVES To Hear



If you want to put yourself in a position to build a strong professional relationship with your boss, while growing your career and managing up, you have to prove yourself as a reliable employee. Taking the right kind of initiative can go a long way toward strengthening your relationship with your boss.

It's important to keep in mind that managers are not only responsible for your role and responsibilities and to a degree your career; they're also responsible for their duties as well.

If you really want to prove yourself to your boss, think of ways to work these four phrases into your work vocabulary:

"Here's A Potential Solution"


A boss listens while his employee shares an idea with him during a work meeting

Bosses hear A LOT of problems. And more often than not, they are expected to come up with a solution. The thing is, if it isn't their problem, they are not going to actively seek out solutions. Therefore, when you come to the boss with a problem, immediately follow it up with a proposed solution.

This accomplishes two things. First, it shows your manager that you are solution-oriented. You took the time to examine the problem and think about ways to address it. Second, your solutions are essentially saving the boss time and energy and those are both gifts to your manager. This approach is a huge win for you and the boss.

"Here's An Idea"


Two co-workers go over some ideas with their boss during a meeting

You should be a student of your company. You should be very familiar with the company's goals, mission, and vision. You should also have a very good understanding of the company's challenges. When you know these challenges, you should spend some time each week working on ideas to solve those challenges that the company faces.

When you go to your manager to say you have an idea that will positively impact the company's bottom line, everyone wins. Bosses should love to hear ideas on how to make things more efficient and profitable. Look for these ideas whenever you have downtime at work.

"Let Me Show You"


An employee graphs out an idea in front of his boss during a work meeting

On time-strapped days, it is so much easier to show someone something than it is to tell them. When pitching something to a boss or sharing an idea or even solving a problem, show him/her what you are talking about. Sketch it out, give them a flow chart, or show them anything visual and talk them through it. If you can, make a quick prototype. It is so much easier than using just your words when the chances are good that the boss is distracted.

Think about it. When you show people what you are saying, you have captured two of their senses: hearing and seeing. If you give them something to hold—even better (three senses). This gets their attention and allows them to truly evaluate what you are trying to do for the boss or the company.

Always try to show people what you are talking about. It allows them to react to your idea in a more connected way.

"I Could Use A Little Mentoring"


Bosses are not solely responsible for your career. This is your responsibility.

If you need new challenges or want new opportunities, it is up to you to scope those out and present them to your boss. If you don't know how to do something or think that you could develop your skills even further, it is up to you to ask for mentorship.

As the protégé, you must take an active role in carving out time for the relationship. When you seek mentorship from your boss, know that it may not be the boss who becomes your mentor. Your boss may not even be the right mentor. However, they can be the one who facilitates an introduction. When you ask for this type of guidance, your boss knows that you own your experience and will work to support you.

Building a solid relationship with your boss is the key to getting where you want to go in your career. These relationships will follow you throughout your career. These bosses will likely one day be the person you call on to be a reference. And when it comes time to be a reference for you, you want them to say that you were solution-oriented, respectful of their time, and full of an entrepreneurial spirit.

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4 Phrases Your Boss LOVES To Hear

Executive Spotlight: How Leaders Should Measure The Effectiveness Of Their Remote Workers



As a leader in today's modern workplace, you have to be prepared to manage hybrid, remote, and in-office employees. The success of a company depends on good management, which includes the ability to accurately measure the effectiveness of employees and make changes as needed. But the traditional ways of measuring an employee's effectiveness don't take into consideration how the workforce has changed since 2020 with the rise of remote work.

We recently asked our executives how they think leaders should measure the effectiveness of their remote employees.

Here are their responses...

Ana Smith, Talent Architect & Global Learning Strategist


Measuring effectiveness from remote employees can be very tricky, especially considering that 40% of leaders acknowledged in a study conducted by Harvard in 2020 that they were not prepared to manage remote employees and 41% struggled to keep their teams engaged.

Defining what's a priority and what effectiveness looks like becomes fundamental. It has left managers and leaders unsure about how the best work gets done. Therefore, it is not a huge surprise that a lot of managers would prefer their teams to come back to work in the office.

Besides clearly defining what effectiveness looks like, its transparency to all involved, and how it is measured and improved consistently, it becomes key for managers to quickly figure out the best way to work with their employees, making them feel understood and supported and not micromanaged.

Ana Smith helps people & organizations achieve their full talent potential by developing and co-creating people strategies and customized solutions, and turning them into impactful outcomes and collaborative relationships, using coaching as the "red thread."

John Schembari, Senior Education Executive


Professional woman works from home

​Ana is correct. Evaluating the effectiveness of remote workers comes down to whether or not priorities have been met. It's less about doing time, say 9 to 5 Monday through Friday, and should be much more about impact whether that impact occurs over a long or short period of time, and whether at 9 am or 9 pm. When evaluating remote workers, organizations would be wise to, yes, define priorities but also determine what success metrics for those priorities will be. In defining success, for instance, I'm a big fan of goal setting and using SMART criteria—i.e., is the goal specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and/or timely?

Client/project management software can also be used when there are multiple remote workers working on the same initiative so that there is clarity around each person's role and communication as to how each person's part fits into the project as a whole. This is where benchmark/milestone data can also be recorded along the way to indicate how well remote workers are making progress toward organizational goals.

John Schembari is a current K-12 teacher/school leader academic improvement coach and former school building and district administrator. He loves to draw, travel, swing dance, and read nonfiction.

Miroslav Jasso, IT & Innovation Management


Remote worker on a Zoom call

​There are areas and positions where remote working was preferred for years if not decades. Information technology as an example serves well here. Measuring the effectiveness of IT service desk employees is easy. KPIs like number of tickets handled orfFirst instance resolution rate come immediately to mind. Your agile software developers can be measured based on the length of their sprints or the size of the backlog. In many cases IT teams are to a large degree remote and distributed among locations, countries, and even continents.

In general, any position with clearly defined KPIs can easily be measured for effectiveness, no matter the location. In-site, remote, distributed… numbers do the trick. Where remote working is leaving much room for effectiveness decrease is the soft side of work—relations, knowledge sharing, team spirit, willingness to help and support. Even if not immediately visible, those qualities have a decisive impact on overall effectiveness in the long run.

Miroslav Jasso is an information technology & innovation executive with 22+ years of experience in the development, continuous improvement, and delivery of state-of-the-art IT services across automotive, finance systems, and retail businesses. He has managed teams of 5-100+ with budgets of $1M-$15M+.

Michael Willis, Sports Business Operations Executive


Professional woman interviews a remote job candidate

Measuring remote workers' effectiveness is no different from having workers present on-site. Having timely expected deliverables will be the most critical test of commitment. If you know the quality of the people on your team, you won't have to worry about the work not getting done.

Sure there are monitoring tools out there to see log-in times and activity.

But as a business professional trying to run a business, I'd rather spend the time making the company better to raise revenues or creating new ways to compete with my competitors.

Michael Willis has 18+ years of experience working with accounting & sports organizations and has managed P&Ls of $10M - $125M+ with budgets of $3M-$50M+. He worked for the NFL for 22 1/2 years, mainly with the game officials working on the financial/accounting side of the business.

Andrea Markowski, Marketing Executive


Man on the phone works from home

​If you’re asking how to measure the effectiveness of remote workers, you’re asking the wrong question.

Go back and subtract the word “remote.” There. That’s the right question.

There should be no fundamental differences between how you measure the success of a remote worker vs. a hybrid worker vs. an in-person worker. Too many managers get caught up in the thought of a remote worker being somehow incredibly different.

If anything, remote workers most likely require more thoughtful management. That includes you as a manager keeping an eye on equity when handing out resources, social opportunities, and high-profile projects to remote vs. in-person workers.

Is the person meeting their goals? Are they growing in their role? Are they helping to move the organization forward? Remote or not, questions similar to these are what you should focus on.

Andrea Markowski is a marketing director with specializations in strategy development, digital tactics, design thinking, and creative direction. She has superpowers in presentations and public speaking.

Don Schulz, Senior Operations & Commercial Real Estate Executive


Manager talks to remote employees over Zoom

I appreciate and agree with people's comments so far. The concepts of defining success, using measurable KPIs & SMART goals, and measuring workers in the same positions in a consistent manner whether they are remote or not all make sense. There is however a range of difficulty in assessing effectiveness depending on the specific function of each FTE and how quantifiable vs. qualitative one can make the measurement of their role. That said I would like to add to the discussion the concept of engagement which is often a leading indicator of one's effectiveness and I've found much harder to measure.

A couple of years ago I took on a new role as COO of a national real estate project management company one month before COVID-19 restrictions were put into place. I had to quickly adjust to managing fully remote in a company I had just joined and with people I barely knew. While we were able to successfully implement many of the effectiveness measurement tools mentioned above and felt we had a good feel for individuals' overall effectiveness, we soon learned that it was people's engagement we had to get our arms around. That took some time. We retained an outside consultant/survey company to measure the engagement of all employees and made it an annual occurrence.

My summary point is that while measuring employee effectiveness (remote or in person) is an ongoing, more daily requirement, complementing that with an annual or semi-annual measurement of employee engagement is often a good thing that can bring many insights when laid next to effectiveness data.

Don Schulz is a 25+ year commercial real estate executive & COO. On the personal side, he likes to ski, hike, golf, and run, and is an occasional homebrewer.

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Executive Spotlight: How Leaders Should Measure The …

Recession-Proof: How To Be An Indispensable Employee In 2023



During times of crisis, many companies are forced to cut costs drastically, resulting in mass layoffs and hiring freezes. If the company isn't making money (or worse, is losing money), it can't afford to keep paying all of its employees.

If you're worried your job might be in jeopardy, it's important to get crystal clear on your ROI. As an employee, you need to ask yourself, "Am I saving or making the company money?"

Employees who save or make their company money are often viewed as "indispensable" and won't be let go even during hard times.

Want to save your job? Here are some tips to help you stay employed during a recession:

Show Them You're A Money-Maker (Or Saver)


Professional man proves he is an indispensable employee during a work meeting by saving the company money

Many companies are forced to cut costs during challenging or slow periods. If the company isn't making money, it's losing money. As an employee, you need to be able to justify the cost of your employment if you want to keep your job. What kind of return on investment can your employer expect?

Think about the main function of your job. Are you bringing in money in some way, shape, or form? For example, an email marketer impacts the bottom line by promoting products to gain new customers and bring back older customers. Or are you saving money somehow? For example, if you work in operations, you're probably in charge of making processes more efficient so less time and money is spent on them.

It might not be obvious at first, but a company wouldn't hire you if your role wasn't helping them move the needle in some way. If you can identify where you truly impact the bottom line and focus on those activities, you'll increase your chances of keeping your job.

Maximize Efficiency And Output


Professional woman talks to her boss about becoming an indispensable employee at work

During uncertain times, you need to be prepared to add more to your plate since there will likely be layoffs and hiring freezes. Is it going to be overwhelming? Yes. But, in times like these, you need to figure out how to be as efficient as possible to get everything done in order to add value (and stay sane).

So make sure you're prioritizing effectively, focusing on high-payoff activities that move the needle, and closing down any distractions that could keep you from getting your work done. Make a list of your daily, weekly, and monthly tasks/projects, figure out your time sucks, and talk to your manager to make sure you're prioritizing the right things.

Get Clear On Your Expectations From Your Manager


Man talks to his manager about her expectations so he can become an indispensable employee

It might be time to check in with your manager to make sure you're both on the same page in terms of what you should be doing. There might be changes that will impact you, your boss, or your team, so make sure to touch base. During times of high stress, you might be expected to do more with less (or in less time).

Also, if your manager needs extra help, take things off their plate. Show them you're willing to go above and beyond during challenging times (without complaining) to make their life easier. Demonstrate that you're an asset to your team, not a liability.

Even if you're a high-performer in your organization, there's always a chance that you'll be part of a mass layoff. When a company is going through hard financial times, it will be forced to cut costs and let employees go in order to survive. The good news is that, by following the tips above, you can greatly reduce your chances of getting laid off.

So, remember this advice—and good luck!

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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Recession-Proof: How To Be An Indispensable Employee …

How To Improve The Efficiency Of Your Help Desk



Does your help desk support team feel like it’s “Groundhog Day” and they’re answering the same questions over and over again? Yes, that’s what they do, but is there a way to make this process more efficient? What if we enable the end user to be more self-sufficient which will make them more efficient? This will also reduce the number of “basic” tickets so the help desk team can focus on the “complex” tickets and do more proactive tasks.

How To Make Your Help Desk More Efficient


Help desk graphic

The process starts with the end users so give them the information they need to be more efficient and self-sufficient, which will help them resolve their “basic” issues faster. Here are four things you can do:

1. Create a knowledge base of common issues with resolutions so the end user can try to troubleshoot and resolve basic issues themselves.

2. Give end users the ability to reset their own password once authenticated. There are tools to do this such as the self-service password feature within Microsoft 365.

3. Teach end users how to submit a “good” ticket, which details important information such as specific error messages, providing screen prints, etc. This information helps the help desk team troubleshoot more efficiently, which translates to a faster resolution.

4. Make it easy for end users to submit issues/problems:

  • Give the end users different ways to submit an issue such as via a phone call or a portal to the ticketing system.
  • Create and distribute a small handy card that describes the different ways they can submit an issue and also includes the link to the ticketing system as well as the phone number of the help desk team (including hours).
  • If the end user calls the help desk team with an issue, have the help desk member enter a ticket on behalf of the end user. It’s important to always create a ticket so that you can track the activity and mine the data.

When end users are experiencing a problem, they may already be stressed. So, it’s important to make it easy for them to use the ticketing system. It has to be easy to get the data entered (correctly) so that the issue can be resolved as quickly as possible.

1. Default certain fields within the ticket (since the end user is logged in and you know who they are) such as date opened, end user’s name, title, department, location, phone number, etc. Not only will this save time, but this reduces typos.

2. Can default the issue’s criticality (typically high, medium, and low) to medium and the end user can change if needed.

3. Set up the ticketing system so that it sends out automated emails to the end user when the ticket is opened, a technician is assigned, the technician updates the ticket, and the ticket is completed/closed. Keep the end user updated with the status—they will appreciate this.

4. Give the end user the ability to look up their tickets (both open and closed).

  • Let them look up their open ticket(s) to see what the current status is.
  • Let them provide updates to their open ticket(s). For example, if the help desk team requested additional information, the end user can provide an update directly into the ticket. Or maybe the end user was able to fix the issue so let them close the ticket (noting the resolution).

Benefits To Having All Ticket Information In One Location


coding tech graphic

There are multiple benefits to having all of the ticketing information in one central location. One key benefit is the ability to mine the data. Export and analyze the data and turn it into meaningful information! Share the information with the end users to help them be more self-sufficient.

1. Look for trends and try to determine recurring issues. For example, one specific printer that has been repaired three times in the last five months. Or you notice several password resets on Monday mornings.

2. Have the help desk team proactively take that extra step for common process errors. For that problematic printer, figure out if it’s more cost-effective to replace versus continually paying repair bills.

3. Post tips/FAQs on the intranet. List the password conventions for the different systems, which will make it easier for end users when they need to change their passwords. Also, since most systems warn end users that their password is going to expire in x days, have a tip that says try not to change their password on Fridays. This should help reduce the number of end users calling on Monday that they forgot their password.

Making the end users more self-sufficient regarding “basic” issues not only makes them more efficient but also allows the help desk team to focus on more “complex” tasks. It’s a win-win for both sides.

For more information on creating an efficient help desk ticket process, follow me on LinkedIn!


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How To Prepare For A Career Discussion With Your Boss



In order to have a productive discussion about career growth with your boss, it is important for you to prepare and think through some key items ahead of time. You want to be in full control of your career path and the best way to do that is to approach your manager with confidence and conviction around your career growth goals.

To prepare for the discussion, start by answering some basic questions about yourself and your career:

Basic Career Questions You Should Ask Yourself


What is your personal branding statement with regard to your career?

This response should focus on what you hope to achieve in your career.

What are your values?

This response should include your top five values in life. The importance of answering this question is to be sure your career goals match your current values. For example, if you value innovation, that influences your career choice and objectives.

What are your motivators?

This response includes examples of what motivates you. Is it fast-paced work with short deadlines? Is it structured work or flexible work? As with your values, you want to be sure your career objectives align with your motivators.

Deeper Career Questions To Ask Yourself


Businessman thinks about career goals in preparation for a meeting with his boss

What is your short-term career objective?

This response should be about where you see yourself in the next 12 months. If you want to be in a new assignment, then you should state that, as well as what that assignment could be. If you want to remain in your current role but perhaps take on additional duties, then include that information in this question response.

What is your long-term career objective?

This response highlights your ultimate career growth objective. Some people do not know what this is, but if you do, it is important to share it with your manager. This helps your career plan to be tailored toward reaching your ultimate career goals.

Questions For Planning Career Growth


Manager goes over her employee's career goals

What are your strengths?

This response focuses on your current strengths that you can leverage as you grow in your career.

What are your developmental areas?

This is about the areas where you need to grow so you can reach your career objective.

What are you willing to do in the next 12 months to reach your career objective(s)?

This response should focus on some specific, tactical items (SMART goals) that you can work on over the next 12 months. Consider this your action plan to reach your objective.

After Preparing For A Career Discussion With Your Boss


Confident professional is ready to move forward after important career discussion with manager

After you have these questions answered and feel comfortable with your responses, it is time to share this information with your manager. Ask your boss for input on your career growth objectives and whether they feel these are reasonable and achievable.

Ask them for input on your strengths and development areas and also request their support of your action plan. This will aid in your ability to be successful in reaching your objectives.

By taking the time to answer these questions and prepare for your career discussion, it will be much more productive and, hopefully, a more engaging discussion for both you and your manager.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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How To Prepare For A Career Discussion …