Work Styles

Which work style do you have? Which is best for your personality and career?

When You’re the Boss: Being Liked vs. Being Respected

02/23/2015 by Kat

I’m curious, ladies: have you struggled to find a good balance between being a boss (or coworker) who is well liked and one who is respected? Did you have to unlearn the idea that you have to be a “bitch in business” to get ahead?

Let me back up a bit. I was interested to read about Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Next Gen Summit a few months ago — particularly some of the best advice the women leaders ever received. This one quote struck me, from Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Investments, chair of DreamWorks Animation, and a director at Starbucks and Estee Lauder:

Smile a lot. People want to work with people they like, people who are happy. … You’ll be dealing with a lot of hard issues, and they’re going to come across better if you have a smile on your face.*

I happen to agree with this advice — one of the things I’ve learned in business is that people definitely prefer to do business with people they like. (I’ve even advised readers to look friendly in their corporate headshots.) It seems obvious, but this flies smack in the face of the mythos of the Bitch — younger women in particular seem to revere it, like it’s a goal. Case in point, pictured above: the amusing, but frustrating video Bitch in Business, produced by the student club, Columbia Business School Follies.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Being a Boss, Career, CoWorker Problems, Office Culture, Professionalism, Work Styles Tagged With: posts

CRMs, Business Development Trackers, and Other Organizing Fun

10/30/2014 by Kat

How can you track business development efforts, beyond traditional CRM (customer relationship management) software programs? We’ve talked about how to build a book of business, but not how to organize those attempts. Here’s reader EJ’s question:

I have accepted a new job that will involve less billable hours and more business development. I would like to keep track of new contacts made (even if it does not translate into business immediately) and business development generally (lunches attended/seminars/conferences) so that come my review, I can show my efforts and, hopefully, the tangible benefits. Can Corporette readers recommend any specific type of app/software to keep track of this kind of work and the results? Obviously, I will record all of my time in the usually way but I was hoping to use some sort of software/app to collect the data and the results. Any suggestions would be helpful.

Great question, and congrats to EJ on the new job! I can suggest a few things here, but I’m curious to hear what readers say…

How to Organize Your Office

10/23/2014 by Kat

2017 Update: We still stand by this advice on how to organize your office! Links have been updated below.

Let’s talk about a subject near and dear to our hearts, ladies: how do you organize your office and your work (or otherwise get things done)? We’ve talked about cute office supplies, the best notebooks, planners, and office padfolios — as well as how to keep notes to CYA — but we haven’t talked about this directly. Reader A wonders:

I would love to see more articles on the best ways to organize your work in the office, i.e., a folder with separate notes for each project or client v. one notebook for all meetings/projects, how to organize your day or to-do list, how to turn meeting notes into a to-do list, etc. I’d also love some suggestions on day planners, notebooks, and other office supplies.

Fun topic! Personally, when I was a lawyer, I played around with having a single notebook per case, as well as having one notebook or notepad that I grabbed whenever I was heading out to take notes. If memory serves I finally settled on a folder system — I would keep one “general” folder with all of my initial notes from prior pleadings and general strategy notes, and then I’d start a new folder for each major assignment I was tasked with (memo, research, portion of a brief, whatever). I would keep the recent and active folders near my desk in a folder tower (where each case had its own little slot — something similar to what I had is pictured above), and then move them to a filing drawer or redweld once the case was Really Truly Over, or once the assignment got stale enough and I needed more room closest to my desk. (Oh, and I love my Brother P-Touch label maker.) [Read more…]

Filed Under: Office Decor, Office Supplies, Organization, Success, Work Styles Tagged With: lawyers

Are You an Office Mom?

09/22/2014 by Kat

Here’s a fun question for you: are you the office mom*? I’ve read that being the office mom tends to hurt your career because people see you as, well, the MOM instead of the professional you are. So here’s the Q: do you agree that being the “office mom” is a bad thing — or is it just another management style? Are you the office mom, or do you work with one? Is it more appropriate (or effective) in some office cultures, and less in others?

For my $.02, I have always been totally guilty of this — long before I became a mom. I never baked cookies or cupcakes for people, BUT: I like to be prepared, and I generally remember the birthdays and other fun stuff (with a little help to remember personal details). So I used to carry with me (and keep in my desk) all sorts of stuff — Shout Wipes! Bandaids! Tissues! Spare chargers! Fans! Sweaters! Coworkers always came to me when they needed something. In some ways this was a plus — I’m definitely an introvert, and I’m sure I sometimes come off as cold if I’m focused on other stuff (thank you, resting bitchface!) — so this was my own little way of being friendly and approachable. I suppose I subscribe to the idea in the WSJ article — office mom as management style.

I’m curious, ladies — what do you think?

Pictured: Pink cupcake – meeting leftovers, originally uploaded to Flickr by Alpha.

Homing from Work – What Personal Tasks Are OK/Good to Do At Work?

09/08/2014 by Kat

There was an interesting article in Greedy Associates a few months ago about “homing from work” — trying to achieve work/life balance by getting personal errands done during the day. I hadn’t heard the phrase before, but it’s obviously something I did while working long hours at the law firm, and something I’ve advised people to do (to certain degrees) when, for example, advising people to try to fit social visits with friends into breakfast or lunch dates, getting a midday workout in, or even keeping a recurring appointment (therapy, personal trainer) or a frequent doctor’s appointment. Still, other times I’ve advised people to avoid doing things at work (for example, not having long wedding planning calls at the office), either because it’s unprofessional or it’s bad for work/life separation. So I thought we’d discuss: what do you think are things that are appropriate to do at the office? What are the things that are almost BEST to do at the office and make you more productive and happy, and which are things that are acceptable — but just barely? What are the things that are “hard NOs” in terms of homing from work? My own list might look like this, I suppose:

How to Build a Book of Business: Business Development Tips for Women

03/18/2014 by Kat

What are the best practices for business development? How do you build a book of business? Are there any especially great business development tips for women? Reader S, a new partner, wonders:

I am starting at a new firm as a partner where there is a great deal of emphasis on client development. Its a long story but I do not have much experience developing a book of business. I know you have done posts on networking but I don’t recall seeing anything related specifically to client development. Any tips on what to do differently in terms of networking when you are specifically seeking business and not just changing jobs? How do you “pitch” to a potential client? How do you even get your foot in the door to deliver a “pitch”? Thanks!

Congratulations, S! I have almost no familiarity with this myself (at least in the non-blogger capacity), so I thought I’d poke around the web. I’d guess your BEST bet would be finding a mentor or two among the partners at your own firm. Keep in mind that what you’re looking for here isn’t necessarily someone whose practice is identical to yours (or what you want it to be) — in fact, they may see you as competition. Instead, look for someone whose personality and style is similar to yours. What works for an extrovert will not be the same for an introvert! I’m curious to hear what readers say, but here are some great tips from the web: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Being a Boss, Business Development, Business Etiquette, Career, Work Styles