The Manager With No Leadership Experience

"How would you lead a team if you don't have any experience in managing people?"

This question has been hurled at me many times in the past. Management positions that entail managing a group of people more often, was the deal breaker. That is what managers are for, right? Right. Well, I hated that question. You see I've been a running a one-man-team for years and it has been quite a challenge to justify my lack of management skills. The hard part was there wasn't any opportunity to develop it anyway. But that didn't stop me from trying. I know I'll get a break somehow. There's got to be somebody out there who will take a chance on me - on my skills and experience. And as luck would have had it, it came true.

Now, going back to my earlier question, how do I do it or how will I do it?

Having had no hands-on experience, I admit that I'm nervous. This time, it's no longer about me entirely but rather, it's about people, my team, and helping them achieve success in their jobs.

I thought about my own work ethic and I would like to see the same in my team. I also thought about my previous "mentors" i.e. the slave drivers, the micro-managers and those who allowed me to work independently and exercise entrepreneurship in my department. These people taught me a lot of things.

I'm not sure if reading Jack Welch again would help me but it won't hurt revisiting his book.

Lastly, there's my future boss. I have worked with him in the past albeit, indirectly. I know I'll learn a lot from him as well. There's going to be some adjustments and I know that things will run smoothly once I settle down.

Cheers to 2010!

What To Do With Christmas Bonuses? Yes, Plural With The -es

In some industry, employees are fortunate enough to receive bonuses this Holiday Season. People have been saving more because of the recession which started in 2007. But despite the unfavorable economic landscape, one can't help but celebrate and that includes spending money on gifts.

I love giving gifts and I love receiving gifts more! The part I dislike most is choosing the gift. Shopping eats up a lot of my time so instead of tiring myself in search for the perfect gift, I just give them cash or gift certificates. This, in my opinion, is the practical way of gifting.

Now, going back to gifts, the bonus kind you receive from a year of hard work. What do you do with the excess money? Two things: save and pay off debts.

I save a big chunk of the money I receive and pay down my credit card debts. While it's tempting to splurge more during the holidays, I have learned that the urge shall pass. There will be other sales in the future and since retail hasn't been doing well in the recession, the promos will be all year round. There's no need to rush in buying stuff. And as for paying off loans and debts, if I have more than enough money saved, I pay a hefty amount on my credit card.

I'd rather enjoy life's simple pleasures than be cash-starved after the holidays. This has been a common trend among my peers. I'd love the idea of wealth but not the one-day rich kind. I've been there and I know how it's like. Well, enough said. I hope you enjoy the Holidays and your bonus or bonuses!

Dealing With A Bait and Switch Boss

If you happen to work for a bait and switch type of boss, what do you do? Do you defer to everything the boss says to keep your job? Or would you rather leave and look for another boss, someone who is fair and treats you with respect.

Despite the bleak economic climate, there are options. While it's true that the chances of switching jobs nowadays is entirely dependent on the industry or the field you are in, it pays to have a good set of friends, acquaintances and former co-workers to help you out when you decide to leave your job, regardless of the reason/s.

My most important rules are to maintain communication with previous co-workers and network with a lot of recruiters in LinkedIn. In my career as an insurance professional, job hopping is not that difficult. Most jobs in the insurance industry are not posted online rather people are sourced via referrals and headhunters.

It's been over three years since I quit the industry to explore opportunities in the outsourcing field. There are a lot of things I learned especially on the technology side. If people in the local market are dreaming of a paperless office, this is it. It is possible. The downside is that there will be lesser jobs available because most of the tasks are automated. That's the ugly trade off, unfortunately.

Other than the learning part, there are also dead ends. The opportunities are limited if you're a specialist. Difficult if you're a stubborn specialist like myself who wouldn't accept other projects that are not insurance related. Well, let's just say that I have other plans and the day job is just a job because I have other sources of income. But if we turn the tables around and put me in a situation wherein I'm completely at the mercy of my day job, then that's a different story altogether. I will accept any project offered to me in a heartbeat.

And as for the bait and switch boss, there are a lot of them. The tricky part is adopting to their style. Sometimes, they like you. And on other days, they'll say nasty things about you, about other people and the whole world in general, to put down your morale and of course, to get rid of you. In my opinion, these types are not the best in confrontation. They prefer skirting the issues and furtively drop the bomb when you've gotten comfortable with them.

When faced with this type of employer or boss, take extra caution, always be on your guard and if possible, look for another job.

Opportunity Is Like A Thief In The Night, It Will Grab You When You're Most Vulnerable

When thoughts run dry, do you force yourself to write?

In the past, I try to post as often as I can. But I've been terribly busy the past few months and I have somehow, neglected my blog. I still write though. Every single day, in fact. But it's part of my gig thus, it's work.

Anyway, a lot of things have been going on lately. I moved into a new apartment (perhaps, the end of Generation B?) and I took care of my sick dad. I thought I'll end the year broke but I was wrong. I didn't win the lottery or something like that. I wish I did. But seriously, it's much more than that.

Let's just say I'm off to starting the new year with a bang. A really big bang. I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for making it happen.