Why the Role of Manager Might Be a Mistake for You

Why the Role of Manager Might Be a Mistake for YouWhy the Role of Manager Might Be a Mistake for YouThe single biggest career tripping point in the work world is the shift from being an individual contributor to becoming responsible for others as a supervisor or manager. Theres elendlagehing about your work as a soloist that prepares you for the very difficult work of managing. While the role might mean a bump in ego and a jump in pay, it may not be your cup of tea for other reasons. Here are nine reasons why you might just want to run away from that job offer or promotion. As a newly-minted manager, youll experience some or all of the following 1) The Need to Acquire a Whole New Skill Set Noted career coach Marshall Goldsmith, author of several books on improving performance in the workplace, says What got you here wont get you there. You might be an ace designer or crack software coder, but you know nothing about guiding, developing, and getting work done through others. The kn owledge and skills that ensure you are in demand for the big projects are immediately devalued upon your assumption of a managerial role. Reality check You need to cultivate a whole new set of skills in a hurry to stand a chance at being successful as a manager. 2) Less Work and More Managing Once you become a manager, the work you love will no longer be your primary focus, because your staff will be doing the actual tasks. Most of us did not pursue a particular vocation or educational focus just to give up the actual work and take on the job of managing others. While youll still probably have oversight of said work, you wont get to really get into it anymore like you did as a staffer. If you truly love what you do, think long and hard before shifting to a managerial role. 3) Less Control Over Your Own Success As a manager, your success or failure is in their hands, not yours. Remember the glory days when everyone applauded your work? Those days are gone. Youre in charge of your team. If they fail, youve failed. If they succeed, well, its about them, not you. 4) A Requirement to Shift Focus You may have to make an abrupt shift in focus from yourself to your team. Many first-time supervisors or managers struggle to change their focal point to their team members. Youre accustomed to worrying about your own deadlines and your own performance. In your new role, its all about supporting the work of your team members. 5) Enduring New Manager Status No one really wants to work with the rookie manager. Your experienced team members arent particularly interested in training another newbie manager. Its tiring and frankly, fruchtwein of them expect you to fail. 6) Making Mistakes and Keeping Your Chin Up Youre going to have a lot of mishaps. GuaranteedOne can predict with uncanny accuracy the major mistakes you will make in your first few years as a manager. Your boss could write them down and post them on the wall in your cubicle, and you will still make these mistakes. Theres no way through the maze of learning to manage and lead without making mistakes. Get used to it, learn how to own them, learn from them, and move on. 7) Getting Taken Advantage of by Others You will be played like a Stradivarius. While you probably like to think the best of people, there are always individuals who will take advantage of your rookie enthusiasm and general cluelessness to further their own agendas. 8) A Short Supply of Support Once you get your promotion, your boss will likely disappear and leave you to sink or swim. While you would love to believe the boss who promoted you will be there to guide and coach you, the experience of many shows that youll be mostly on your own. So start swimming. 9) Pressure From All Sides As a new manager, youre going to feel pressure from above and below. The life of a manager is about translating the programs, goals, whims, or burning issues of the moment into action through your team members. In m any cases, youll be asked to do the seemingly impossible with your insufficient and over-taxed team members. Get used to being squeezed in the vice between the demands of your boss and the capacity and capabilities of your team. A Big Reason to Consider A Manager Role After reviewing all of the challenges that come with a management position, you may still feel undaunted. If helping others is part of who you are and what you value, there are few roles that offer more potential to have a positive impact on the people you encounter in your life. The work is challenging, sometimes thankless, and always pressure-packed. However, at some point, you will look back over your career and marvel at the accomplishments of the individuals you touched for a moment in time. Books and courses can offer complete instructions on how to manage or lead. These resources can certainly give you context and tools, but the real process of learning to succeed as a manager and evolving leader is often me ssy and trial-by-fire. Forewarned is forearmed.

5 Odd Job Interview Questions and What They Really Want to Know

5 Odd Job Interview Questions and What They Really Want to Know5 Odd Job Interview Questions and What They Really Want to KnowThere are some job interview questions you can expect to have to answer. Questions like, Why do you want to work for this particular company? or What makes you stand out as a potential employee? are common qs that almost every job seeker has had to answer at one point or another during an interview. But how about Why are manhole covers round? You better believe employers are getting creative and asking odd job interview questions to gauge a lot of different things.Yes, its strange and if it seems like it has absolutely nothing to do with the job youre applying for, well, youre right. But behauptung questions (and a whole slew of other iffy ones) are being asked all the time by todays top companies. Thing is, you need to not only be prepared that you might be asked these odd interview questions, but youll need to have a spiffy answer for them, too. The Savvy In tern covers some of these questions in the story Why Do Employers Ask Hard (and Weird) Job Interview Questions?Here are fiveodd job interview questions and what they really mean1. You can have a million dollars to launch your best entrepreneurial idea. What is it? AmazonBefore you say Sign me up think hard before answering. This question is designed to test your planning abilities, and interestingly enough, your entrepreneurial spirit. While you might think that companies would want to quash your geschftliches miteinander dreams, many employers actually prefer employees with entrepreneurial dreams. It shows someone who is a thinker, a planner, and who is creative, all of which are qualities that many employers want.2. If you were shrunk to the size of a pencil and put in a blender, how would you get out? Goldman SachsAlthough this question definitely has the potential to throw you off (after all, how did you wind up in a blender in the first place?), what a hiring manager is looki ng for is your problem-solving skills. Hes also looking to see if a somewhat impossible situation (i.e., being stuck in a blender) will make you cave from the pressure, give up, or sit back and come up with a solution.3. How would you direct someone else on how to cook an omelet? SalesforceUnless youre looking for a flexible job in the food industry, this question doesnt make sense, right? Well, the underlying question beneath this seemingly innocuous question is how would you lead a team? Would you be heavy-handed, breaking the eggs (i.e., your workers spirits) as you went along, or would you teach them with respect and compassion, and then praise them for a job well done?4. Its 6 p.m. and your workday is over. What happened during the day that made it awesome? FacebookThis question has two goals First, a potential employer is trying to assess how good you are at evaluating your workday, including your strengths and weaknesses. Secondly, a potential employer is trying to figure o ut how much you want the job youre applying for. If you cant mention what would make working there awesome, a prospective boss might think twice before hiring you.5. If you were to get rid of one state in the U.S., which would it be and why? ForresterWhile it doesnt seem fair to wipe one state off of the map, what a boss-to-be is trying to determine is your critical thinking skills. As it relates to a potential job, he might be trying to ask you to decide who is the weakest link on your team, and how to handle the situation. He wants to see if you can think clearly, objectively, and decisively, even if it means getting rid of someone (sorry, Rhode Island).As more and more employers use odd job interview questions as a way to be more selective in the job interviewing process, be aware of these potential questions. That way, youll be prepared and positive for the interview- and know what to say if youre asked how many quarters it would take to reach the height of the Empire State Bui lding.Readers, have you ever been asked really odd job interview questions? What were they, and how did you handle them? Let us know in the comments

Employee Health and Wellness Checkup -- Tables

Employee Health and Wellness Checkup -- TablesEmployee Health and Wellness Checkup TablesEMPLOYEE HEALTH WELLNESS CHECKUPHow supportive companies are of health and wellness goals, according to employeesGender MaleGender FemaleAge 18-34Age 35-54Age 55+Very supportive57%42%57%45%47%Somewhat supportive35%43%36%42%39%Somewhat unsupportive4%8%5%6%7%Not supportive at all4%6%1%7%8%Workers biggest obstacles to achieving their health and wellness goalsGender MaleGender FemaleAge 18-34Age 35-54Age 55+Food at office celebrations26%34%30%28%32%Snacks brought in by coworkers20%23%16%23%30%Free meals10%11%11%10%10%The vending machine11%9%10%12%5%The office candy jar9%10%8%10%10%Happy hours/after-work drinks11%5%12%8%1%Business trips10%5%9%6%10%Bagel Mondays3%2%4%2%2%Employees on if they eat healthier when they work from homeGender MaleGender FemaleAge 18-34Age 35-54Age 55+Yes53%32%55%38%30%No21%26%21%26%21%Dont work from home26%42%23%36%49%What workers do for lunchGender MaleGender FemaleAge 18- 34Age 35-54Age 55+Bring their own meal48%73%52%61%75%Grab something and bring it back to the office20%15%18%19%13%Dine at a restaurant17%6%15%10%10%Have food delivered10%4%11%6%2%Choose something from the vending machine 4%2%4%4%0%How employees feel about the office candy jarGender MaleGender FemaleAge 18-34Age 35-54Age 55+Its great to have around for a quick pick-me-up61%45%62%52%38%I have a love-hate relationship with it.26%41%30%34%37%Its bad news - I dont want it around.12%14%8%13%26%