We work in a contemporary world. A world where things are changing — whether it's when and where employees are working, how employers are handling their human resources or the constantly changing trends — the world of work is moving and shifting. And as wacky as that world can be sometimes, it's also fascinating if you have the right guide.

This blog is designed to be just that — a companion on your journey through the changing world of work. Here you'll find tips, tools and information on topics as diverse as the workforce itself: the aging workforce, working women, professional etiquette, generational diversity, the talent crunch, and more. So whether you're an employer or an employee, and whether you're beginning or close to finishing your career, I hope you find the information here useful for navigating the contemporary world of work.

Thanks for reading and have fun!

Melanie

A good friend and colleague just got back from a VERY frustrating meeting.  It wasn’t the subject matter that frustrated her.  Rather it was the behavior of the attendees and the person who called the meeting that made her crazy.  Here’s why:

• People in the meeting were constantly looking at their blackberries — rather than paying attention.
• Several brought their laptops to catch up on email while pretending to be engaged in the meeting subject matter.
• A few cell phones rang (perhaps I need to post a lesson on turning phones off, or at least setting them on vibrate!).
• The presenter didn’t know how to set up his PC to project his slides on the screen, so time was wasted getting the meeting started.
• Then, the presenter forgot his power cord, so his PC went dead in mid-meeting.

Our lives are busy and you could consider our time very precious.  Don’t waste it with poor meeting planning and even worse meeting etiquette.

I’ve been doing some research for a panel I’m moderating in a few weeks at an IT gathering.  The subject is — you guessed it — the talent shortage.

Some of the IT statistics I’ve found are a bit scary (if you’re an IT manager) and could be considered encouraging if you’re looking for IT work or if you’re a student.

So if you’re a potential employee I have some advice:

• Keep your skills current — take personal responsibility for learning new things.
• Specialize, if possible. The higher-end network analysts, architects and systems analysts are what many employers are seeking.
• Study business and management — I’m finding that most employers want a well-rounded IT professional who understands the business, can communicate well with internal customers and has management potential.

Does anyone have more to add to this advice?

Not much controversy on this week’s Celebrity Apprentice, but I believe there are some lessons to be learned.

• Omarosa and Piers need to get over it!  You could argue that Omarosa has been a bit too personal (and family) with her vitriol for Piers, but his integrity hasn’t been particularly squeaky-clean throughout the challenges.  Not sure who is right with this battle.
• The tortoise and the hare fable might give these celebrities some words to live by.  Slow and steady often wins the race — when it is appropriate.  Don’t let that slow stuff get in the way of execution, but there is a lot to be said for thoughtfully and carefully completing your tasks.  Trace still shines as the ’sleeper’ winner!
• Marylou clearly talks too much — she has talked too much throughout the program.  Whether it’s from nervousness or from lack of confidence or from arrogance, keep your mouth shut when you can.  Listen — and you’ll learn a whole lot more than when you’re babbling! 

I know it’s still all about ratings, but we can learn from what we watch on this ‘I love to hate it’ program.  

I have to admit that when I was writing yesterday’s post, I didn’t know enough text message jargon to give examples.  So I found a helpful site — on Webopedia — that lists all the text message abbreviations.

Some are not appropriate for the office and many either contain or are euphemisms for four-letter words.  But as a proud baby boomer, I found reading the list quite interesting.

Check it out — you might learn something!

In another helpful DiversityInc.com piece, email is the subject.  I love the title:  R Yr Biznes E-mails Hrting Yr Career?

If offers some terrific tips on email at work — including:

• Keep it short
• Adhere to your corporate culture
• Avoid religious references
• Always proofread

Can’t argue with any of those!  But let’s add two more:

• Do not REPLY TO ALL when your answer has no relevance to anyone on the distribution list.
• Avoid shortening words and using confusing letters for phrases — like BTW, AAF, LMK.  Not everyone understands them.

Do you have more email etiquette tips?

In January there was an interesting article on MotherJones.com about the pros and cons of working from home.  Called Practical Values:  Works Well With Others, the article taught me a lot about telecommuting.  It also got me thinking whether or not I would do well doing all my work from home.

When one telecommutes, boundaries dissolve and distractions abound.  When I do have some work to do at home, I’m tempted to clean out my closet, bake brownies, take a nap, walk the dogs — just about anything can distract me from the task at hand.  I guess I don’t have the discipline required to be a successful telecommuter.

But perhaps I could develop the discipline.  I believe what I would miss most is the social interaction.  The article cites research by Stephen Humphrey at Florida State.  It shows a correlation between social interaction and job satisfaction and productivity.

So I think I’ll stick to driving in every day.  Could you work at home — full time, all day every day?

Is that good news?  Or bad news?

I just read an interesting Quick Take on Workforce.com about boredom at work.  It doesn’t surprise me to read that boredom due to poor job design or a poor job-to-employee match can have more serious consequences than burnout.

Here’s how I feel about busy vs. boredom:

• We’ve all heard the adage that if you give something to a busy person it will get done.  I believe it! 
• I get frustrated when people say they’re busy as if that is a bad thing.
• And you could consider busy a form of job security.

We should be grateful that we’re busy.  That probably means we’re relevant to our employers and we’re making a contribution to the success of the company.  On busy days I go home feeling much, much better about myself than when I don’t check off quite as many items from my ‘to do’ list.

How about you?

Okay.  I couldn’t resist.  I had to do another Celebrity Apprentice.  There is so much to say (so little time).  And I’m not naive — it’s all about TV ratings.  But…  

Who is right?  Who is wrong?  Who is unprofessional?  And who is downright hateful?  Should victory be sacrificed because of lack of teamwork?  You have to decide.  

I don’t know where to start.  I’m not going to pick a side.  But the issues between Piers and Omarosa were amazing to watch.

• Should we bring our families into our professional life?  Or should others have that right?
• Should we highlight our own weaknesses by hitting others  ’below the belt?’
• Should we make our differences so personal?
• Should our personal differences get in the way of getting the job done?
• Is it right that we get personal satisfaction from disputes and disagreements?
• Should we dismiss our colleagues — without listening to what they have to say?

I suggest that the answers to all these questions is a resounding “no.”   Focus on the goal.  Focus on winning.  Put your personal differences aside to get the job done.  

Trump was put into an impossible position — fire someone who won the challenge or fire someone from a well-running team.  I can’t believe I’m saying this, but he made the right choice.  Trace and his team deserve to stay in the game — even though the team will be broken up.  

Next week should prove interesting.  Will Piers survive?  Will Omarosa? And let’s not forget the higher purpose — this is all about charity.  Are we watching ‘charity’ on the screen? 

Did you watch the Westminster dog show? I look forward to February every year. Not because of the snow (have you heard about all the snow we’re getting in Wisconsin?). I just love watching all those beautiful, diverse dogs prance around Madison Square Garden.

I have to brag a bit — my Hannah’s Dad won best of breed at Westminster in 1999. His name was Frosty. So she’s of fabulous stock and shows her promise every day. And I have the privilege to live with her.

But back to diversity. It’s fascinating to watch the judges at dog shows. Each dog is different. Every dog has something fabulous and unique to offer. Sight hounds. Scent hounds. Herding dogs. Working dogs. Terriers. Lap dogs (that’s my Willie). Even though there is judging, there is no judgement. Each winner is determined based on his (dog) or her (bitch) breed standards.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was no judgement anywhere?

P.S. Congratulations to Uno — best in show!

There was an interesting piece in USA Today this week — on how much stuff we lug around on business trips.  According to the article Business travelers can’t seem to pack light on gadgets, about 31% of us carry more than one electronic device.  And the surprising thing to me is that many of you (not me) carry more than one cellphone (15%) or more than one laptop (10%).

I always have my blackberry (that is also my cellphone) and iPod (that’s two) and often have my laptop as well (so that’s three).

How about you?  Are you weighed down by your electronics?