This was just too good to pass up.

Workers painting a road near a North Carolinan high school misspelled the word “school.” All that can be said for them is that were close enough to an institution that was equipped to provide them with remedial spelling assignments. Maybe the forgot to do their homework.

Bruce Hoag, PhD, CPsychol
Work Psychologist

You’ve hear this one before: “The grass is greener on the other side of the fence.” And if you’ve ever been out in the country, you’ve probably seen one or two cows or sheep with their heads between the slats in the fence eating grass that’s just the other side of the fence.

The Australian government is hoping to play on those sentiments. They’re hoping that the bored workers in Britain will emigrate to Oz. What they don’t do, however, is comment on whether their workers are any more disgruntled than those in the UK. Chances are quite good that they are.

It’s true that workers, in general, are bored. In fact, I often wonder how some of them can stay awake! The reason is that the level of skill and education that people have has grown more quickly than the level of skill and education that’s actually required to do the jobs.

For example, many companies want candidates to have a Bachelor’s Degree before they apply; yet, few of those jobs actually require the skills that a graduate would have to do the work. Contact Centers (formally known as Call Centers) are a perfect example.

This problem of over-qualification also contributes to high turnover. Many of those who get the jobs they thought they wanted soon discover that very few of the “little grey cells” are required to actually do them. Boredom sets in quickly.

Employers for whom retaining talent is a priority need to do whatever is necessary to help people grow in the jobs they’re given; that is, to help the become more employable. The failure to do so will make the problem of retaining talent even worse.

Bruce Hoag, PhD, CPsychol
Work Psychologist

I’ve been aware for some time that, while it’s a bit of fun to have a blog where I can rant about the fine messes of others, my opinions, insights – whatever you want to call them – probably do little more than provide some light relief and a little entertainment for the five hundred plus people who read them.

I’ve been thinking about this for quite awhile, and I’ve come to the conclusion that, given my expertise, I’m really doing you a disservice by not providing you with the quality of content that you deserve.

I don’t say this to brag or anything. It’s just a statement of fact. But, I probably know more about how you need to think and behave differently in the new world of work than anybody else.

I know this may seem unbelievable, but I wrote a book about it that was published a few years ago. In it, I created the first history of how the organization and management of work had changed from the 16th century to the present day. More importantly, I know why it changed, why many traditional leadership and management practices don’t work today, and what you should be doing differently.

And so it’s my pledge to you to begin anew and give you content that you can really use as you travel through the world of work.

Naturally, I need to rename this blog; and so I’m open to suggestions. I really ought to give a suitable prize for the best one. I only just thought of this, so I’m unprepared to say what it might be. Maybe it should be something like a $25 gift certificate to iTunes. I’m open to ideas in this respect, too.

You may be reading this on Facebook or LinkedIn. If so, then please return to my blog page to post your comments.

I’m really looking forward to your feedback.

Until next time . . .

Bruce

Those of you who fly know that the airlines have joined the ranks of extortionists: that despicable group of people who want to charge for everything they can think of. I don’t know about you, but boycotting them and others is something I’m considering. Between the US security and charges for using the toilet, you’d think they’d rather you just stayed at home. It’s an idea, you know.

Jonnelle Marte, in an article entitled “How to Beat Baggage Fees” makes a number of suggestions on how to transport your baggage without additional charges. The trouble is that whatever you don’t pay when you check-in, you’ve already forfeited before you even bought the ticket. We’re talking loyalty cards here, and the weird thing is that airlines appreciate your business so much that they’ll slap another $249 charge on your credit card just for the privilege of having it. (If this really excites you, I’ll make a few cards for you to carry around for the knock-down price of $50 or $100, depending on the color you choose. The cost of owning a credit card, in case anyone has forgotten, is in the interest that you pay on the balance.

Anyway, here’s an example of what I mean.  The United Airlines credit card costs $249 per year. In return for that fee, you and eight other companions can check up to two bags each on any given flight. Let’s say that you and your extended family decided to fly to Colorado to go skiing over Christmas. (If you can afford to do this, you probably don’t care about extra costs for your bags or the fee.) $249 divided by 18 bags equals $13.83 per bag, a savings of $11.17 on each bag. The usual price is $25 per bag. If there were only five of you, however, you’d save ten cents on each bag. That’s right. A dime. Of course, five of you could do this twice in one year, or one of you could still break even if you flew on five occasions in a year. I know that some business people do this routinely, but the majority of them are having their expenses paid for by their companies. How many people do you know who fly this often at their own personal expense.

Yea. I couldn’t think of anyone, either.

What’s my point? Do the calculations. Ask yourself when in the past 12 months the criteria that makes the “offer” actually applied to you. If it didn’t, then don’t allow yourself to get seduced by it. You’ll only lose money in the long run.

Bruce Hoag, PhD, CPsychol
Work Psychologist

You’ll have to be in international traveller who lugs around a laptop to appreciate what I’m going to tell you.

I’m in the States right now, but I regularly receive The Independent feed of headlines. Today, I noticed that there were various words in each of the stories that were printed in blue and double-underlined. Curious, I hovered my mouse over a couple of them. Surprise, surprise, the links had nothing whatever to do with the story. Not only were they ads for products, but the ads were germane to my current location. One was even for new windows. It seems that living outside of the UK is not enough to protect you from the dreaded double-glazing saleman.

I know times are tough, but in my mind the inclusion of such advertising seriously denigrates the value of the news it reports.

Is this the way of all journalistic flesh? I hope not.

Bruce Hoag, PhD, CPsychol
Work Psychologist

Today marks the 42nd anniversary of the Pope’s famous Humanae Vitae, in which all forms of artificial birth control were prohibited by the Roman Catholic Church. I, for one, believe that because only God can create life from non-life, that only he has the right to terminate it.

And when does life begin? At conception, of course. This is obvious because only when two lives come together can another be created, and even that’s a miracle. That said, not all forms of artificial birth control terminate life. Instead, they only prevent a new life from being started in the first place.

There’s a certain hypocrisy, however, about the Pope’s remarks. This was captured beautifully by the then Secretary of Agriculture, Earl Butz, who, incidentally, had to resign for his comments. (So much for the 1st Amendment.) He said, “He-a no play-a the game, make-a no the rules.” I still chuckle when I think of that, and now that I live in Italy, I’m amused even more because I hear so many English words pronounced as if they ended in “a.”

We all  know that doctors are more likely to listen to doctors, teachers to teachers, and mechanics to mechanics. But when a celibate tries to tell us how we should conduct ourselves behind the bedroom door, that’s taking matters a bit too far. Truth, whatever it is, ought to come from a credible source. In matters pertaining to procreation, it should be promulgated, at the very least, by someone who is married; not by a person who doesn’t even approve of it among his peers.

Organizations are full of hypocrites, too. How often have you been obligated to work a shift schedule that was written by someone who only ever worked Monday to Friday, from 8 to 5 and took an hour for lunch? When was the last time you saw the division manager assembling something in your shop after telling you that greater productivity was needed? And why is it that when cost-cutting becomes a necessity, those at the bottom of the food chain are laid off first while the CEO and the Board still fly first class?

Talk is cheap. Anyone can say what he or she thinks ought to be done, as long as someone else has to do it. I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating: You get the behavior you reinforce, and that goes for what others are allowed to do, too. If you want people in your organization to work shifts, then at least have a shift-worker write the schedule. If you want greater productivity, then by jove, go down to the shop or assembly line and show people how they can improve. And if the company needs to cut costs, then start by paring the fat from the top and put everyone in economy class.

The way to combat hypocrisy is to demand of yourself those things that you demand of others. You can’t have one without the other.

Bruce Hoag, PhD, CPsychol
Work Psychologist

While reading about North Korea’s latest threats with respect to the large military exercise near its waters, I was reminded of just how hard that country, as well as others, try to make us believe that they are democracies, even when it’s patently obvious to the rest of us that they are not. Here’s what I mean.

The official name of North Korea is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The official name of China is the People’s Republic of China And not to be outdone by either of them, the former East Germany used to be called the DDR – Deutsche Demokratische Republik. The granddaddy of them all was the USSR – The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. You’ll notice that in each case, extraordinary pains have been taken to stress the democratic nature of countries which are anything but.

This hypocrisy, however, is not limited to the names that governments give to their nations. They same kind of thing happens in organizations. When I was in the US Air Force, there were numerous instances in which some new commander was referred to as a “people person.” Such protestations were practically cult-like.

The view I’ve always taken of these things is that if these leaders and managers were so people-oriented, why did anyone have to say so? It would obvious to everyone. So, when such a claim is made, I’m immediately suspect that I’m not being given the full story.

The examples above prove my point.

Bruce Hoag, PhD, CPsychol
Work Psychologist

I can’t recall exactly when I first heard the phrase, but there was a time when the” tip of the iceberg” referred to one small part of a ginormous problem. Icebergs, as you know, are just large, misshaped ice cubes that float around the North and South Atlantics, and that push the happy buttons of some oceanographers. Hollywood made a movie about the demise of the Titanic, the largest and most luxurious cruise ship of its day, which failed to complete its maiden voyage in April, 1912 because of an encounter with one.

It’s fairly well known that only 10% of an iceberg is visible above the surface. The rest is below the water line. So, the “tip of the iceberg” is that relatively small bit that can be seen. So the phrase was intended to be a metaphor for the idea that the part of a problem that was being discussed was a very small part of the whole.

Somewhere along the line, the meaning changed 180 degrees. Instead of it being a bad thing, it became a good thing as well, such that it referred to a small part of anything that was huge: a problem, a concept, an idea, etc. This has done nothing to help interpersonal communication in organizations, one of the biggest problems at work today.

If you read my free newsletter, you’ll know that each month I talk about a topic from the perspectives of both managers and employees. Each group has its own ideas about how to interpret any particular issue, what should be done about it, and what one group’s behavior means in terms of the other’s.

Misunderstandings are a fundamental part of the challenges of interpersonal communication. But, what can be worse than using a phrase that refers to two diametrically opposed ideas? This is not as simple as using a word such as “cleave,” for example, where the context makes it easy to discern what is meant. The interchangeability of the phrase “the tip of the iceberg” makes its use refer to a negative interpretation as easily as a positive one. And that means that before any discussion takes place about the problem, concept or idea, the parties involved already have conflicting opinions about what happens next.

In order to resolve interpersonal communication problems at work, the parties concerned must at least agree on the meanings of the terms they intend to use, and that means that neither can assume that the other knows the definitions.

This is a ginormous topic of its own, so I’ll leave you to think about it yourself. I hope that you will return to this blog and leave your comments.

Bruce Hoag, PhD, CPsychol
Work Psychologist

Don’t get me wrong. I’m as concerned about species being made extinct as much as the next feller; but there are some things that I’m convinced we could live without and be better for it.

Take mosquitoes, for instance. This story must be one of the most bizarre attempts at genetic modification on record. Scientists at the University of Arizona apparently have found a way to prevent mosquitoes from infecting someone with malaria. Because only the oldest females can transmit the disease, the idea is to shorten their lives by design.

Although a quarter of a billion people are infected with malaria each year, and about one million of them die, it seems to me that the scientists have solved the wrong problem.

I’ll admit that my knowledge of the food chain of which this insect must be a part is limited. On the other hand, you have to realize that I don’t eat them; they eat me. When a mosquito sees me, she sees three square meals plus snacks for the entire neighborhood, and proceeds to invite all her friends. The manner in which I’m bitten resembles the tight pattern that law enforcement officials strive for on the firing range. I even get bites on my bites.

So, you won’t be surprised when I say that a better problem to solve would be how to eradicate the little blighters altogether. Not only would that eliminate the spread of malaria, it would also enable me to come out of hiding on a summer’s evening.

Bruce Hoag, PhD, CPsychol
Work Psychologist

You would? Well, you’re in good company. According to a survey conducted by BadBossology.com , nearly half of you would give your supervisor a pink slip, given the chance. Of the remaining bosses, 29% would be sent to a psychologist for some kind of assessment, and the rest would be given mandatory management training. It seems that the only thing that’s keeping them in work is the pleasure of those who hired them.

I can hear your thoughts. You’re thinking to yourself  that you’d love to fire your boss, but that you’re only able to do so in your dreams. We’ll, hang in there. Your opportunity will come, and when it does, you want to be ready.

So, how can you prepare to fire your boss? It’s a new world of work, so merely updating your resume and trolling through the “help wanted” ads isn’t going to do much for you. If you rely on that method, you could be simply jumping from the frying pan into the fire because you’re hoping to find a better situation using out-dated methods.

You must begin by thinking like your boss and your company. What do they value about you? Do you consistently contribute more value than it costs them to keep you, or can anybody do what you do? If  what you do is anything less than priceless, then you’re first step is decide how you can become invaluable in your next position. No one said it would be easy.

It used to be that if you were indispensable, you couldn’t get promoted. Today, your value is bound up in your ability to be irreplaceable. Don’t underestimate the importance of what I’m saying.

In the next few weeks, I’ll be discussing this in much greater detail in a free ebook. Only subscribers to Two Sides of the Same Coin will get it. If you want to obtain this valuable information, then go to http://www.p-advantage.com/Newsletter.php and sign-up today.

Bruce Hoag, PhD, CPsychol
Work Psychologist