All About Working

Information about a new book by Geoff Colvin came across my desk a few days ago.   Aptly titled “The Upside of the Downturn,” the book is aimed at examples of businesses that are using the current economic recession to build the company for tomorrow since the current time is not the best of times.

Turning to other opportunities rather than trying to play out a strategic plan that was developed before things went so awry is a key ingredient to the concepts Colin explores.  Setting new priorities seems an obvious first task, yet it is surprising how many managers remain rooted in behavior and responses designed for a different business climate.

These managers must begin to focus on what to do — not just to save the ship but to make it fighting-fit for the battles ahead.  He writes:

The downturn is worldwide, so your canvas of opportunity is huge.

He also writes:

The downturn is long, which means many companies won’t survive it.

And so he sets up for discussions about companies that are using a different mentality to plan for survival and rewards in the future.

The book is available through Amazon.com.

Here’s an article that was published on examiner.com by Jennifer L. Taylor that discusses “10 Tips for Successful Tweeting” to help you become a more successful tweeter.  Some of the ideas include:

• Completing your profile
• Getting to know your audience
• Working with Twitter on smartphones

After my own experience yesterday with not being able to access Twitter, I realize how dependent I am becoming on this new tool.  So these tips are coming at the right time!

If you found yourself unable to access Twitter or Facebook yesterday, you were not alone. Twitter went down between 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. EST on Thursday morning, August 6. Service was spotty afterward with network timeouts. By evening, things seemed to have improved. Reason given for the problem, Denial of Service.

Denial of Service occurs when hackers overload a web site with server requests and prevent legitimate users from using the site.

Facebook appears to have encountered similar issues but not as severe as Twitter.

This writer was a bit surprised to learn how dependent she had become on these two sites for instant information, especially concerning an event taking place that day. It was quite a revelation to learn how quickly new technology had a part of my planning process!

“Paula Abdul quits American Idol.”

Yes, this morning’s news is filled with reports that Paula Abdul will not be returning as a judge on the ever-popular American Idol television show. According to sources close to her, FOX offered her a contract and it was her decision to turn it down. Ms. Abdul has been the judge who continually provides some sort of positive feedback to the contestants when they perform on the show. She was a welcome balance between the harshness of Simon Cowell and the “Hey Dog” and pitchiness comments by Randy Jackson.

This turn of events got me wondering several things:

Was money the issue?

Did last season’s addition of a fourth judge, Kara DioGuardi change the way Ms. Abdul was able to do her work? She seemed to change parts of the style she had been using last season and perhaps it didn’t feel right?

Is Ms. Abdul losing the satisfaction and motivation for working with the show?

Although American Idol is show business, it still is just that, business. And as all businesses do, it employs people and provides them with jobs. Many of the same dynamics are at work here as we see in businesses every single day. So what can we glean from this situation?

First the money issue. Figures of 45 million dollar contracts for host Ryan Seacrest have also been in the headlines. So perhaps the value of the job being done is in question?

But is money the only reason why people work? Research has shown that it is not the highest factor on the list of why people stay at a job

Could it be that the desire to work on other things has become more important? Maybe, the motivation that Ms. Abdul once had on the American Idol set is no longer there?

How many times do we question the value of why we remain on a job?

Do we remain doing work that gives us no satisfaction because we have to keep the paycheck coming? Do we deny ourselves the opportunity to learn new skills that could lead us to a more satisfying way to make our living?

Sometimes it takes a headline in the news to look at our own situations and realize that motivation plays a critical role in our work life. If money is your motivation, then go for the job that is going to get you the dollars you seek. If deriving satisfaction from the work you do is the motivating force, then make sure you are getting the amount that you need.

Seek out opportunities that best fit the goals of your life.