A Day Off?

I had an interesting conversation with my father today.

My called to check up on my parents and see how they were (I’m a good son).  My father happened to be off and was looking forward to spending some time away from the office.

I asked him why he was off and he told me he had a furlough day.  My father works for the state and the state is in a bit of a budget crunch.  To save money, all state employees were given 5 days off without pay this year, so he was taking some of his time off.  The plan has worked so well that the state plans to continue this next year and may go as high as 10 days.

My father said he was looking forward to having the day off though.  He planned to get together with one of his friends, another state employee that was off, and they were going to go to New York City for the day and do some sight-seeing.  He’s big into that.

That time without pay thing is getting around as companies are trying to “right-size” budgets.  I have a few friends that have also been given time off with out pay. Some are taking the time do to handywork around the house.  Others are visiting family.  Others are taking the time to get away and take a vacation.  They’re enjoying their extended vacation time off…

…and that’s where the problem starts.

News Flash:  THIS IS NOT VACATION TIME.  THIS IS NOT PERSONAL TIME.  STOP THINKING OF IT THAT WAY.

You need to change your thinking.   If you company is “giving” you this time off, it’s not a good thing.  Basically, you’ve been laid off for a few days.  That’s a more accurate description.

This should be a wake up call.  Your company would rather be less productive and save money than pay you to come into the office and work.  I repeat, this is not a good thing.  It’s better than being out of a job, but not by much.  You can bet your company is considering that and already had a plan in place in case things come to that.  What you need to do is plan a strategy for your to become more self-sufficient and less dependent on your job for a paycheck.

There are a lot of options out there; you just have to think outside the box a little.  I saw a little girl on the Wendy Williams show…..

Ok, let me explain that one. I’m a virtual employee, so I work from home.  I don’t watch a lot of daytime TV, but I happened to be channel surfing and Wendy Williams was on.  She had a little girl who basically thought outside the box and put together “haircare baskets” from existing products.  She made $100,000 last year…at age 13.   If that’s not inspiration to look for gaps in the marketplace, I don’t know what is.

I know some of you are thinking that these are just some bad economic times and that you’ll “ride the wave” until things pick up and everything will go back to the way it was.  Guess again.  If your employer was getting anything close to the production they were getting with fewer employees or man hours, why would they go back to spending more money when they don’t have to. It’s more likely that your company will continue doing “more with less”, using the fear of losing your job as motivation to keep people doing more.

You need to dig your head out of the sand, and quickly.  There are lots of things that can be done for you to help secure your own financial future.  Even if you don’t make $100,000 on your own, I’m sure if you did something part time and  made and extra $1000 a month, that would help out if you were to suddenly lose your job.

I also have some furlough time coming.  Instead of taking a vacation, I’m going to head to the library (yes, they still exist) and visit the Small Business Development Center.  That will give me a lot of ideas on how to free myself from the grip of corporate America and invest in my own future.

What will you with your day off?  Feel free to comment.

Dress The Part

Hello, everyone.  I’m back.  This time I’m focusing on fashion, because you guys need some help. Trust me on this. I took a break last night and went out to the casino for a quick Hold ‘Em tournament.  Sitting across the table from me was a man who had on a baseball cap with a wave cap on, a throwback jersey, and his jeans sagging so low you could see his boxers.  The problem is he had to be at least 40.

You have to realize that life is not a rap video.  You can’t sag your jeans all the time.  You can’t wear a 6X white t-shirt when you’re only 5’8″ and expect to be taken seriously.  And no matter how many times you’ve seen it, Air Jordans do not go with dress pants.

Have you ever seen the movie “Hitman”? Agent 47 (played by Timothy Olyphant) was a smooth cat, dressed to the nines.  If a man who makes his living shooting at people and throwing them in the trunk of his car knows the value of a suit and tie, you can at least have one in your closet.

About 6 years ago, I was working for a fortune 500 company in the Philadelphia area.  There were very few minorities in management positions, so we were a pretty close-knit bunch.  We tried to mentor some, as many people as we could, but some guys are just hard-headed.

I remember this guy named “D”.  “D” was a pretty smart guy and had a future, but there were just some things he didn’t get.

He he said I wasn’t “keepin’ it real” , called me a “sellout” and told me I forgot where I came from.  He said this because I pulled him to the side and told that having a nice white dress shirt, a silk tie, and dress pants did not make his Timberland boots suitable office attire.

Based on my experience, there are a few things every man needs to have in his clothing arsenal:

Suits

This is a no-brainer.   Two at minimum, one navy blue, one charcoal grey. No yellow 12 button Steve Harvey specials.  No coats that make you look like  you’re trying to remake a Zapp video.  Two single breast, three button suits.  That’s all I’m asking for.

Solid long-sleeved dress shirts

With a suit you should wear white and baby blue shirts only.  And they have to be long sleeved shirts, unless you work the register at McDonald’s.  Save your yellows and pinks for casual days outside of the workplace (however, I’d question a pink shirt at any time).  French cuffs are acceptable on occasion. That brings me to…

Cuff Links

Something conservative. No dice.  No large diamonds that draw attention.  No links that look like spinning rims (yes, they do make those and I’ve seen fools wearing them).

A Watch

I know that in the days of Blackberry’s and Ipods with clocks on them that we rarely use a watch, but they really are a great accessory.  No bling. No diamonds around the face.  If you want a higher end watch that says class, Tag Heuer, Cartier, and Omega are all nice.  Or even a pocketwatch.  But don’t get it twisted; I’ve seen a $60 Fossil with more style than those gaudy TechnoMarine “shinin’ in ya face” wrist pieces.

Dress shoes

If you can spend $200 on a pair of tennis shoes or Timberlands, you can spend the same (or less) on a nice pair of dress shoes.  Cap toes, oxfords, wingtips, and dress boots are all nice and will go with a suit.  Choose something comfortable that says style.

Jeans

Here is my sleeper.  Every man should have a few pair of nice fitting jeans he can wear out.  You can switch up a nice pair of  jeans with a blazer or even one of your suit jackets.  Iron them or take them to the cleaners.  I actually like the term “denim pants” better because people will actually think about taking the wrinkles out of them before they wear them.

A few years ago, I have to admit that Kanye West wore the blazer/jeans style well.  It was a good look for young men.  Then he got on that leather pants/Liz Claiborne scarf sh*t and took it to the left (wish we could kick his ass to the left).

Hint:  If  you can put your jeans on without a belt and they fall to the floor around your ankles, they’re too big for you.

Now here are some things a man shouldn’t have in his wardrobe:

• Skinny jeans – I’m putting the worst offender first.  Under no circumstances should any man have a pair of skinny jeans in his closet.  You are a man.  You guys think I’m kidding but I’m going to start slappin’ any man I see with some tight ass jeans on.  It’s not manly.

• Rows and rows of Jerseys – No man should have too many jerseys.  What are you, 14?  A jersey for each of your favorite sports teams is ok, but to have rows and rows is unacceptable.  Grow up.

• Leather Pants – Unless you’re a professional wrestler, I can’t think of a reason any self-respecting man would have a pair of leather pants in his closet.  If you can think of one, let me know.  Then when I smack the sh*t out of you for even trying to come up with a reason for it, tell me how that feels.

• Long Black Trenchcoat – Unless you’re planning to be in a low-budget remake of “The Matrix”, take this out of your closet and burn it.

I’m not being hard on you, fellas.  I’m just trying to help you out.  If you’re going to be a man, you have to dress the part.  You don’t have to wear a suit all the time, but having your pants sagging off your ass all the time isn’t grown up.  There’s no law against wearing a dress shirt when you go out either.

It’s time to man up.

The 30 Second Exit Strategy

If you walk around your office, you’re bound to see some interesting set ups in people’s cubicles, desks, and personal offices. Some people have potted plants. Others have pictures they brought in from home. There are usually a wide assortment of nick-nacks, family photos, and coffee mugs. It seems quite comfortable.

That’s the problem.

I remember working in Philadelphia and having to attend a senior management meeting for a new Human Resources initiative. It was all about “work life balance” and how we have to take into account our employees life outside of the office. One of our vice presidents chimed in with, “Here’s an idea…work while you’re at work. Balance your life on you own time.”

As much as companies talk about “balance”, that sums up the way they feel. You’re there to work and your personal issues shouldn’t interfere. I don’t even know if that’s wrong; you’re there to work and paid well (hopefully) for it. Keep your work and personal lives separate.  That’s why it tickles me when I see offices with so many personal effects. The office is not your home; the office is your office. Home is home. Don’t try to combine the two.

I had a very interesting conversation once early in my working career. If I see someone in a position that I want to be in one day, I try to use them as a mentor (whether they know it or not) so I can advance my career. I was a junior project team member (the guy that crunches a few numbers, runs copies, and gets coffee, basically) on a project being run by a guy we’ll call “R”. “R” seemed to have it all, from the corner office with the dark red mahogany wood to the personal parking space…to the mid six figure annual bonus. Seemed like a good guy to mark as a mentor.

One day “R” called me to his office to meet with him and review some numbers I’d put together for the project. I straightened my tie and walked into his office…and it was empty. Empty. Sure, he had a copy of the company’s annual report and a few binders of work product in the corner, but not much else. I counted three personal effects: a coffee mug his kids bought him, a picture of his family, and something his kids gave him the last Father’s Day. Everything else belonged to the company.

We started talking and I drummed up the courage to ask him why his office was so empty. I remember him laughing and telling me something I’ll never forget.

“Never have anything in your office that you can’t pick up and leave with in 30 seconds or less.”

He explained to me his reasoning behind that statement, and I’ve carried it with me to this day. It reminds you of where you work and where you live. Your office is your office, not your home. Stop trying to make it a home.

This philosophy prepares you just in case anything happens. Company loyalty went the way of the do do bird long ago.  Hell, the POST OFFICE is reducing its workforce.  I know people that kissed all types of ass and did everything short of “yassa bossin” (and some even did that), but when the next round of layoffs came, they were told to pack their things with everyone else.

If you’re ever laid off or fired, you have to be mentally ready to sever ties.  The physical part is easy: you’ll be escorted out.

You need to have a 30 second exit strategy that prepares you to leave your job if you have to.  If you’ve prepared yourself, you’ll give yourself a great chance to rebound quickly.  I’ve given you some of the key components below.

• Keep your office “lean”. Only have there what you need there. A few personal effects are ok, but only what you can pick up and walk out with immediately.   No long drawn out scene of you getting emotional while packing a cardboard box and saying goodbye.  Leave with your dignity in tact.  Like I said, this is more mental than physical.

• Keep your office contacts updated. Don’t wait until you leave to get the contact information of people in your office. If you wait, you may not get a chance to get contacts because companies will literally walk you out. Get your contacts in your Rolodex and take that with you when you go; let them know you’ll be in touch.

• Update your resume as often as needed. This is where many tenured or job-devoted people fail because they think they don’t need to update their resume if they’re not changing jobs.  Everytime you get a new job title, accomplish a task, or change departments, update your personal resume. You want to be able to get an updated resume into market immediately.

• Go on a job interview at least once a year, even if you’re happy with your job and aren’t planning to leave. You need to stay aware of what employers are looking for in the market place and how job requirements have changed. Have you noticed how a lot more jobs have “Spanish preferred” in the job description? Will you be ready when that becomes “Spanish required”? How much Spanish will you need to know? Will you only need to speak it, or read and write it as well?  You need to know.

• Keep networking, whether it’s on Facebook (yes, employers do look at Facebook, smarten up), LinkedIn, or any associations you might or should belong to.  It increases your chances of getting back on your feet sooner than later.

If you follow this strategy, you’ll be ready if the “pink slip” ever comes to your desk.  30 seconds should be all you need.

Feel free to comment.