The New and Improved Working Wounded
How to work with a jerk, criticize your boss and more.
May 4, 2007 — -- Dear Readers: Welcome to the "new and improved" Working Wounded, featuring three "do's" and one "don't." Why change the format 11 years into writing it? Because I've talked about the importance of being flexible since the beginning, and I decided it was finally time to take my own advice.
For additional insight, I turned to the most knowledgeable person I could find, Bob Rosner. This week, in a journalistic exclusive, I interview myself.
Bob Rosner: Give us an example of three "do's" and one "don't."
Bob Rosner: Let me start with a question I'm asked frequently -- how to respond when you're told you're overqualified.
Bob Rosner: Can you give us another example?
Bob Rosner: If I must. Another popular topic from the 50,000 e-mails I've received -- how to work with a jerk?
Bob Rosner:Why should anyone care about this?
Bob Rosner: Wow, who knew that I'd be so hard on myself. Everyone is under so much pressure today at work. Read a book? How quaint. A list of bullet points is about as much as most of us can absorb in today's turbulent workplace. And I liked the idea of adding one don't, especially in these PC times.
Bob Rosner: One more example?
Bob Rosner: Only if you ask nicely. Another top concern today -- how do you criticize your boss, and live to tell the tale?
[Editors Note: At this point Mr. Rosner stormed out of the room for no apparent reason.]
"Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted." -- Anonymous
Who is winning the war for talent? Suddenly work is a sellers' market:
- 73 percent of staffing directors report competition for talent has increased since 2005
- 79 percent expect it to further intensify in 2007
- 51 percent of hiring managers are finding fewer qualified candidates available
- More than half of hiring managers feel they must "sell" jobs to candidates
- One-third of candidates had been in their current job less than six months, yet they were already on the market for a new position.
From: Monster/DDI
Bob Rosner is a best-selling author, speaker and internationally syndicated columnist. He'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic, especially if you have better ideas than he does. His books include "The Boss's Survival Guide" and "Gray Matters: The Workplace Survival Guide." Send your questions or comments to him via: bob@workingwounded.com.
ABCNEWS.com publishes a new Working Wounded column every Friday.This work is the opinion of the columnist and in no way reflects the opinion of ABC News.
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