Competitors formerly known as your employees

I read a bit of blog poetry from Own Your Brand. This piece was written by actual employees who have come to own their brands – by owning their businesses. Their bosses were their strongest motivation to reach out and chase their dreams.

An excerpt…

…our Thursday nights have united us
with entrepreneurial spirit and ambition
with you as the heart of our motivation…

The writers of were driven to put up businesses through their experiences with their bosses. This is probably a constant thought in many an employee’s mind. Good thing that after having endured their bosses,

… we have agreed to disappoint you and your customers
as long as you “boss” us without leading us.

these former employees dared and executed their exit plan. Read the complete poem here.

How to make your job bearable

A lot of people hate their jobs. Or haven’t you noticed? The frowning clerk at the store. That smirking barista or the government employee who just shrugs her shoulders and tells you that it’s the only way they do things. Blame job hate for these people’s behavior. They hate

Count your blessings. Some people don’t even have a job that they can hate. Think about it.

their bosses, their co-workers and their customers. They also hate the fact that you can afford to shop in their store, or that you’re employed by a large, multinational corporation with a lot of perks. Sometimes people take jobs only because of the money but later realize that it’s a bad fit. This person might even be you.

If you also hate your job and may be planning to get out. Look before you leap. Unless you can afford to, it’s foolhardy to suddenly quit (especially if you have a family). If possible, try to bear with your current position while formulating your exit plan. Here are some tips you can use.

• Be thankful. Count your blessings. Some people don’t even HAVE a job that they can hate. Think about it.
• Love your job (again). What is it about your job that made you sign up in the first place?
• Get involved. Involve yourself in your office activities. They may have a need for your unique talents. You can also get to see the company in a whole new perspective.
• Save up. Build a war chest of finances so you can walk away if it gets really bad.
• Polish your resume. Record your achievements as they happen. This exercise also builds your self-confidence and keeps you prepared in case you meet a potential employer.
• Network. Your current job can be your path to meeting your future employers or clients (if you’re planning to put up your business).

When the right time comes, you can rest easy knowing that you can make your move without leaving a trail of broken professional relationships and burned bridges. Everybody wins.

Are you dissatisfied?

Positive dissatisfaction is an expression I often hear during business reviews.  I’ve even pinned it down to its basic structure:  “You’re doing great and I’m happy with what you did ..(more praises) but (here it comes) in the spirit of positive dissatisfaction you should…(insert improvement opportunity here).”  While dreadful at first, this is exactly the type of comment we should learn to welcome. They’re actually letting you off the hook! To me this feedback means, “We believe you’re STILL CAPABLE of doing better.” Now, is that a statement of belief in you or what?

I’m all for positive thinking and reinforcement. We need these to encourage us and to motivate us further. But to a degree, we also need to always be critical of what we have achieved and to be always thinking of improving what we have done.

How dissatisfaction can help:
1. Keeps complacency in check.
2. Spurs us into further improving ourselves and our situation (irritants create pearls).
3. Nothing new was created by a satisfied person
4. Change and progress were always brought about by dissatisfied folks
5. Satisfied people tend to keep doing the same thing, that’s why things never seem to change.