Business Professionals Know When to Quit

This is personal. It's about Very Important people who work on Very Important projects and assume that because they're working now, you should be too. Anyone come to mind? Someone who, say, demands a colleague's feedback at 8pm on a Powerpoint presentation that he finished at 5:30pm?

I understand the "rules" of business engagement have changed now that we all carry cell phones and can reach business associates 24/7. My opinion: because we can does not mean that we should.

While employment case law from California to Connecticut is piling up, I suspect it will be several years before the courts arrive at a standard of compensation for FLSA-exempt and non-exempt employees who are expected to make or take calls outside of "regular" business hours. (Although Brazil beat the US to it, chances are one good class-action suit will speed things up here in the states.) In the meantime, I propose a little good old-fashioned common sense.

1. Try to remember that a paycheck rewards an employee for a job. It does not actually buy the employee. In other words, in every 24-hour period, there should be at least 12 hours when the employee is free of work. Including the projects the VP of Self-Importance is working on.

2. Don't underestimate the power of passive-aggressive behavior. If you are demanding and expect colleagues to drop everything for you and your oh-so important project, don't be surprised if their cooperation drops off and business recommendations are not forthcoming.

3. Read the obituaries. Notice that people die daily. If you want your colleagues to attend your funeral and say nice thing about you one day when it's your turn, perhaps you should reconsider the importance of that Powerpoint presentation.

Call me crazy: I like to think we've evolved to the point that a person can have a job, a cell phone, and a life.

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What got me started? A demanding customer who called our home phone after leaving a voicemail on the work cell phone, which was turned off. (Hint, hint.) Said customer was not only Very Important, he was obviously Special. In his own estimation. This is why I practice Jedi mind tricks in my spare time. I do hope he calls again. I could use some more practice.

Great Advice Abounds, Time Doesn't

Whew. Just back from a web-surfing trip I didn't have time for. I learned a ton, but now I'm late for the rest of my day, and didn't make that teeny-tiny update to my website that was on my Saturday morning to-do list. Sound familiar?

I not only don't have the answer, I'm going to add to the problem. Sorry? Not really. This is smart, savvy advice. So don't waste your day surfing around potentially-info-laden sites, I've done the legwork and I officially declare these really worth the time.

1. This guest-post on Writers and the Threat of Digital Theft  from The Urban Muse comes from Sandra Aistars, Executive Director of the Copyright Alliance and former VP and General Counsel at Time Warner, Inc.
Full URL: http://www.urbanmusewriter.com/2011/06/guest-post-writers-and-threat-of.html

2. Practical Tips on Writing a Book from 23 Brilliant Authors is almost exactly what its title promises. (Why almost: I'm copywriter enough to appreciate the use of "brilliant," and journalist enough to say, "overkill" - but that's my problem.)
Full URL: http://www.urbanmusewriter.com/2011/06/guest-post-writers-and-threat-of.html

3. After you've read these two articles, either get back to work putting this good advice to good use, or unplug yourself from the screen and get out and enjoy the day. It's the weekend, you know!

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If you're reading this, you must be really good at procrastination. (Takes one to know one, I guess.) So ok, then - can I ask you for a favor? ReTweet this or Follow me on Facebook. Please?

We're all fact-checkers now?

Could be a good and/or bad thing, I think. Certainly worth considering and if you're willing, participating in the public "calling %v!!$#i+," as the author says. Read the article at regrettheerror.com

Working With Lawyers

Some things must be written for lawyers; fewer things must be written by lawyers. Take employee handbooks. Those must be written for employees, with help from lawyers. Read more on that good advice from SHRM here. (free registration required)

On the one hand, SHRM argues, the employee handbook should be a welcoming document, guidelines giving a framework to life inside the organization (virtually or in the flesh). When lawyers write guidelines, they're rarely welcoming or friendly. And in spite of their best intentions, lawyers can write their way into legal trouble, says SHRM.

Overly legalistic language can make a handbook impenetrable to most employees and might wind up doing more harm than good when there is a legal challenge... (and) wind up unduly limiting the employer’s discretion.---SHRM vol 54 no 5, May 1, 2009

Writing for lawyers can be a drag, frankly. I've done it for more than a decade for one client in particular, whose newsletters must pass legal review before being sent to the intended audience.

For years, I struggled to write for the intended readers and "around" the lawyers.

Unfortunately, I rarely hear from the client's clients - but I hear from the lawyers regularly. Fortunately (for the intended newsletter audience) somewhere along the way I realized that those readers need suggestions that have passed the legal test. Otherwise, they can't heed the advice without running it by council. Obvious? Well, maybe to you. But I have to say it was an AHA! moment for me. And while I still struggle to write the monthly and quarterly newsletters, it's different now.

Now when I pound out those articles, I try to imagine we're working as a team, those lawyers and I. We're not developing a long list of "don'ts," we're offering a legally-insulating "to-do" list. There still are mushy words like "may" and "should" when I really want to write "will" and "should," but you won't find a "heretofore" or "whereas" in my copy.

Because while the party of the first part and the party of the second part may not be having a party, at least we can work together.