Four Ways to Help Your Boss Be Better

Four Ways to Help Your Boss Be Better Four Ways to Help Your Boss Be Better Rare, too, is the babo who has never made a mistake - the babo who, for all intents and purposes, is not a bad part per se - not even necessarily a bad boss overall - but who, nevertheless, makes their employees lives difficult through some poor management practices. Maybe they micromanage a little too much. Maybe they dont payenoughto attention to what employees are doing. There are tons of little ways for bosses to accidentally become the thorns in their employees sides.Today, I want to talk about these bosses - the bosses who are goofing in some way. Specifically, I want to talk about what employees can do when their bosses are blowing it. Below, I have four tips for improving life under a bumbling manager.(Note Im not talking about abusive, terrible bosses. At a certain point, a bad manager becomes irredeemable, and you just have to leave. Instead, were talking about bosses who can be redeemed throu gh careful employee action.)1. Make Sure Your Boss Knows Exactly What You DoMany bosses especially those with higher numbers of direct reports dont exactly know what their employees do on a daily basis. They may have hired you, they may be in charge of overseeing you, but they have a lot on their own plates, and they cant always find time to keep up with what youre working on. Unfortunately, this can lead to some bosses misunderstanding just how much work their employees do. They can see slackers where there are none.Take, for example, a job like mine I write an article every day for Recruiter.com. To some, this seems easy crank out 1000 or so words a day? That shouldnt take eight hours You should do moreAnd yet the majority of my day is spent conducting research, reaching out to sources, holding and transcribing interviews, and otherwise generally keeping my writing well informed. To the untrained eye, it could seem like I am a slacker eight hours in the office, and nothing to s how for it but one articleSome bosses, unaware of how much intangible work goes into producing certain tangible results, may come down hard on employees without realizing that these employees are meeting or exceeding reasonable expectations. My boss, for instance, could demand I write three or four articles a day. Sure, in terms of sheer word counts, I could pull that off, but if my boss wants the articles to be strong, well-written, insightful, and engaging, then hell want to give me the time it takes to write a really good article (which, thankfully, he does).If you find yourself facing a boss who doesnt quite seem to understand what you accomplish during your time in the office, then I suggest this tactic that I learned about from Reddit user Zelaphas. To quote the user Every Friday, send an email to your boss, BCC your personal email, with the followingWhat you accomplished this weekWhat youre struggling with or need advice onWhat you aim to accomplish next weekSend this Friday morning so if necessary your boss has time to discuss. Then Monday morning, stop your boss in the hall and ask if he has any comments or questions on your summary email. If so, be sure to send out a revised one right away for documentation and records.Do this for any job you have. Your boss will grow to love you and think of you as hard working and organized. Even if he never reads the emails or you dont always get everything on your to do list done, youll have documentation on your side and the sense of getting things done.Any other ways of documenting your work, the better. Communication is key, so if your boss thinks you arent working, maybe its less about the amount of things done and more about the kind or order of things done.If you regularly keep your boss updated on your workflow and achievements, then your boss will have a better understanding of what goes into doing your job properly. Theyll see how much time and effort your projects require, and theyll be able to adjust t heir expectations accordingly.2. Make Sure Everyone Else Knows What Youre Doing, TooChances are, you dont work in a vacuum. Even if youre the only person in your department, you likely have colleagues around you during the workday. Share your work with these people. Dont think of it as an act of vanity and dont pursue it as one, either. Rather, share your work with your colleagues because you want to make sure the office knows what the company is up to at all times.You dont have to be a flashy braggart have simple conversations with your coworkers about what youre up to, and invite them to share as well. Solicit one another for feedback. Build a whole network within the office, connecting each member of the organization to one another by sharing experiences, plans, achievements, results, and ideas.Doing this can create an open network between the members of your organization, facilitating a freer, more productive flow of ideas, which can lead to better results. Ultimately, your bos s will become a part of these network, too. Once your boss is tapped in, theyll have a better handle on how the company runs, and they can adjust their behaviors and managing styles accordingly.For more on this idea, see John Steppers posts about working out loud.3. Remember Your Boss is a partPeople are imperfect. We make mistakes all the time. Your boss is the same way imperfect, complicated, messy, full of their own personal baggage.But what does this have to do with you as an employee? To answer that question, Ill point you to the work of Martha Austin, who has some interesting insights into how we can acknowledge our bosses humanity and use this knowledge to better the workplace. I wont rehash what Austin says, because I think she says it better than I could. Instead, Ill simply urge you to read the linked article.4. Above All Stay ProfessionalYes, your boss is a person. Yes, there are ways you can help your boss be better. But remember this in the office hierarchy, your boss i s still your boss. They oversee you. You report to them. You two have a professional relationship, so be professional about it.Dont try to get too personal with the boss (unless youre in a company with that kind of culture). Dont try to get one over on your boss. Dont try to destroy the office hierarchy. Do your job, do it well, and simply try to demonstrate this to your boss. This is exactly why something like Steppers working out loud is such a good idea it creates networks between people without stepping on the toes of someone who could make or break your career.Theres plenty you can do to help your boss be better, but that doesnt change the fact that your boss oversees you. It isnt the other way around.

Creative Exercises to Keep Your Mind Sharp

Creative Exercises to Keep Your Mind SharpCreative Exercises to Keep Your Mind SharpIn a previous post, you were presented with 10 challenges to aid creative thinking. Now, its time to up the ante, with some problems that delve a little deeper, take a little more of your time, and perhaps a little more creativity. You obviously dont have to do them all, but when you have a lull between projects and need something to keep your mind on its toes, ansicht exercises a great place to stspecies. Please note, although these exercises are aimed at people in the creative department, anyone in advertising and marketing, from the junior account executive to the CEO, should try them out. Everyone should stay sharp.? Reverse Engineer An Ad Sadly, this one may also have a practical application. Whether you work in an agency, or in house, you may one day be presented with this stinker of a job The client has an image they love, they need a headline or concept based around it. Creative people ev erywhere are screaming. Thats not how advertising works. But, life in advertising is never about ideal scenarios. Bearing that in mind, type one of the following 10 words into your favorite stock photo site (Getty and iStock are two good ones) and write an interesting ad for the fourth image on the page. IntimacyLaughterAloneRegretJumpStrainAdventurePunishmentDeathMarketing Go One Better Than Your Favorite Campaign We all have favorite ads or ad campaigns. My personal favorite is the VW Beetle campaign by Bill Bernbach and DDB. So, what Im suggesting next is almost an impossibility for me, but Ive tried it anyway. Take your favorite ad or ad campaign and binnensee if you can improve it. Maybe it needs a new headline, or the copy needs cutting down. Perhaps the art direction needs tweaking. Dont worry, no one will ever see the results, but the thinking behind it can be invaluable in realizing that there is more than one great solution to any problem. The Ultimate Tool For Crea tives If youre a copywriter or art director in the creative department, you are surrounded by all sorts of tools and gadgets that help you come up with your daily works of genius. No doubt that list includes Marker pensBleed proof paperComputerSketchpadBallpoint penPaper clipsCell phoneMouseCoffee cup Your mission today, should you choose to accept it, is to use those elements to create an all-in-one tool that any creative person would find invaluable. Is it a coffee cup with a penholder and tear-off notepad? Over to you The Doodle Catalyst I play this one with my children and have been since they were old enough to pick up a crayon. In fact, I played it with my sister over 30 years ago. Its fun, its quick and easy, and it can really get the wheels spinning. Basically, you have 1 second to draw a doodle on a blank sheet of paper. Close your eyes if you want. Or even better, ask someone else in your department to do it. When you have it, photocopy it 10 times, and then make 10 c ompletely different creations from that one starting point. While silly, it is rooted in what we do every day in advertising. From one creative brief, we must produce many different ideas. If you like, make it a weekly contest for everyone in the agency. Pin up a new doodle every Monday, and see what people have come up with by Friday. Rename a Movie That Could Use a Better Title There has been a lot of talk recently about John Carter, the Disney movie that failed to live up to so many expectations. The tragedy is that roughly 70% of the people who went to see the movie liked it. There has been a lot of pontificating about the poor box office results, and the name is taking the biggest beating. It doesnt mean anything to the potential audience. In fact, it sounds more like a biopic, say John Adams or J. Edgar, than a fun, out-of-this-world movie filled with special effects and action for the family. Similarly, one of the best films ever made, The Shawshank Redemption, had a titl e that made people stay away from the theaters. The tragedy. So, your task - rename a decent movie with a title that leaves a lot to be desired. Here are some starts for you. Look them up at Rotten Tomatoes to find out what theyre about if you dont know already. John CarterThe Shawshank RedemptionCinderella ManK19 - The WidowmakerOrdinary PeopleTo Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie NewmarK-PaxThe Constant Gardener

Girlboss CEO just launched new free networking platform for millennials

Girlboss CEO just launched new free networking platform for millennialsGirlboss CEO just launched new free networking platform for millennialsAre resumes still relevant? Some would argue not in this current age where your personality is a form of currency. A resume is an outdated way to show why you could be valuable to a company. At least thats what Sophia Amoruso, the founder and CEO of Girlboss, believes. The founder just launched a professional online networking platform aimed at Millennial women (though absolutely open to men as well) as partee of her media company.The platform is free and requires no application. It allows the user access to a community of thousands of women including Jen Rubio, the founder of AWAY, author and editorElaine Welteroth, Arianna Huffington andBozoma St. John, the Chief Marketing Officer for Endeavor. Once the user is signed up they are able to ask questions to anyone in the network directly on any career-based topic. Their profile will includework experience, as well as accomplishments and Girlboss moments as they are calling them. It will also act as a way for them to show off their personal brand AKA the new resume (this includes their Meyers-Briggs type and Zodiac sign.) Users will also have access toDigital Firesides, (AMAs) with known thought leaders, with the ability to ask questions directly.A gorgeous profile that isnt just your resume, its your story, the FAQ page reads.More than 54,000 people have joined the Girlboss waitlist already.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreGirlboss is not the first company to do this as Bumble,Dreamers/Doers and The Wing also are in the business of establishing work-focused communities for women whether it be a physical place to connect (The Wing) or through an app (Bumble) or on Facebook (Dreamers // Doers.) The need is clearly there only 23% of millennials are active on LinkedIn but more and more of these women are moving into the entrepreneurial space. Women own 40% of the small businesses in the U.S. and 40%of Millennial women plan to go freelance in the five years. However, women have more trouble raising capital for these companies and a pay gap exists between men and women in pretty much every industry including freelance. These platforms are meant to act as not only support systems but a place to share ideas, have access to resources and make essential connections.There is power in numbers after all.Amoruso wrote in an introduction to the platform, This is a place where honesty is mandatory and the commitment of everyone within the community is to learn, grow, and help one another. Amoruso knows a thing or two about honesty as she rose to fame with her clothing company Nasty Gal before filing for bankruptcy protection in 2016. Ironically this welches the same year a Netflix series, Girlboss, about her career, (based on her book of the same name), was rele ased and subsequently canceled. But she was transparent throughout the whole process often speaking of failing on a whole new colossal level and then pivoting to launch her media company.Ladders spoke with Amoruso about her companys exciting new development and her career.Girlboss already has a really strong community. Why did you decide to take it to this level with a professional network?Girlboss is professional networking 2.0, a place that embraces the ambitions of the modern woman, supporting a new generation of entrepreneurs, professionals, freelancers, creatives, and future leaders. In todays world, women are multi-hyphenates we arent our work selves Monday through Friday and our personal selves on weekends. Were creating a space for her to share not just what she does, but who she is. Its an inclusive, free community that embraces her no matter where she is on her journey. Further, this professional network is a community for those who have followed me over the past five year s, connecting with each other in the comment feeds of Girlboss social accounts, but never were satisfied - enter the Girlboss community.This is becoming a somewhat crowded space with Bumble and The Wing. How is the Girlboss platform different?Its so flattering to be compared to such brilliant organizations. What were all doing is unique and complimentary its an exciting time for women to find havens like ours to advance together.What has been the most exciting part of launching this venture?Hearing the success stories from users within the community. For example, the founder and CEO of WithSarina, Sarina Virk Torrendell, reported that, the community has been unexpectedly great for my business. Three of my clients came through the community in my first month on the platformSo this could lead to an employment opportunity for some women but the essence of this platform is really about women being able to connect with each otherAbsolutely While some within the network may tap into new side hustles, we built this platform for the working woman in progress.What was the most important connection you made in your career?Meeting Neha Gandhi, the COO of Girlboss, has been invaluable in building and growing Girlboss from the ground up.What is the first thing you do every morning? I write in my journal.What would be the most surprising thing found in your desk drawer?Food.You have talked about failing on a massive scale but you came back with such aplomb. How does one bounce back from a failure?Thank you I think its about resilience - you need to get up, get up, get up. Theres truly no other choice.What is the toughest part about being a leader? What is the best?The toughest part is that all eyes are on you as the CEO, Im expected to be 100% qualified, but the truth is that Im still learning as I go. The best thing about leadership is that its my job to learn.