How to Make Your Boss Happy on Boss's Day

A guest entry from my boss:

Today is boss's day. How do you make the boss happy? Take her out to lunch? Give him a card? Those things are nice, but the best way to please the boss is to not be a PITA. It's really not hard--show up on time, do good work, and stay on top of your projects. Nothing makes me happier than someone who takes initiative and gets things done.

My 85-year-old father, an electrician for 35 years, talks about being complimented by his boss for good work. Dad eschewed the praise by saying, "You're paying me to do a job."

In these days of layoffs, salary freezes, and, yes, PITA bosses, it's hard to expect employees to show complete love and loyalty toward their employer. But if you're getting paid to do a job, do it. And save the pitas for that boss's day lunch.

A Young Blogger's Take on The PITA Principle

Victoria, who blogs at sexy-mexy thinks..., advocates that we all recognize and embrace our inner PITAs. She likens it to the Biblical parable of removing the plank from your own eye before you try to remove the speck of dust from your neighbor's eye. She totally gets it--one of the main points of the book is that although other people might be bugging you, you might be playing a role in that and bugging others as well.

Thanks for the shout-out, Victoria!

A Perilous Time to Be a PITA

Thanks to author Laurence Shatkin for his guest post today:

According to the BLS, June was the sixth straight month in which employers trimmed their payrolls. The loss of 62,000 jobs marked the worst four weeks of job losses since 2003. As of the end of June, the blizzard of pink slips that began in January had piled up 438,000 deep. July is not expected to turn this trend around.

In a book that will be coming out in October, 150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs (JIST), I offer some pointers about how to recession-proof your career. For example, I recommend focusing on the core mission of the business rather than playing a peripheral role. I talk about the need for high productivity, visibility, and mentoring.

And I also point out the importance of being pleasant--in other words, not being a PITA. Being a PITA in a time of economic downturn can cost you your job. If I’m an employer who needs to lay off a worker, I’m going to lay off the PITA rather than a comparably skilled worker who is easy to get along with.

Then there’s the problem of finding that next job when openings are scarce. We’d like to think that a good resume will work wonders. But wrapping a soggy PITA, a crusty PITA, or any other kind of PITA in fancy paper doesn’t make it any more appetizing to employers--at least, once they’ve checked your references and found out that you don’t fit in well with co-workers.