This is a guest post by Resource Nation’s David Liu.

Yahoo has announced that it will end its paid inclusion program, formally called Search Submit Pro, by the end of 2009. The move comes after complaints against the search engine that claimed that having paid advertisements included in organic search results generated biased results for online marketing campaigns.

Search Submit Pro (SSP) allowed users to pay for page inclusion but not page rank, which allowed Yahoo to both guarantee page results but steer clear of offering a higher ranking. Having guaranteed page inclusion does, however, still allow web designers to optimize their pages for better search results.

The result allowed Yahoo to monopolize their search engine results, which turned key searches into full page ads for Yahoo SSP clients. Key searches for words like “refinance” on Yahoo came up with an entire page of SSP results, making it impossible for non-clients to show up on Yahoo’s top 10 results. Also, of the first 100 results for “refinance,” 80% were Yahoo SSP clients as well.

An additional search for “home mortgage” yielded 80% of SSP clients on the first page, allowing only 20% of Yahoo’s organic results to be listed. Complaints against paid inclusion had mainly focused on Yahoo’s SSP results taking over traditional SEO practices like pay-per-click ads and keyword manipulation.

Yahoo’s decision to end the use of paid inclusion had nothing to do with PR, however, and instead focused on their merger with software behemoth Microsoft. At their July press conference, Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz had originally declared that they would “decide on that later.”

Of all the search engines interested in the new merger, the smaller web developers are probably the happiest to see the demise of paid inclusion. While most of these search engine developers were in Yahoo’s corner in 2003 when SSP was first introduced, the Yahoo’s monopoly quickly showed that Google would still be king.

Many people in the search engine field have declared that getting rid of SSP can most likely bring back some life to smaller SEO practices. Yahoo knows this better than anyone, having said that their official SSP stop date of December 2009 was chosen to to allow their advertisers time to adjust.

While the merger between Yahoo and Microsoft seems to be on the verge of revolutionizing some factors in the search industry (BingHoo, perhaps?) many talking heads still claim that Google won’t see any competition for the next two years.

Resource Nation provides free tools, tips, and purchasing advice for business owners and entrepreneurs in over 100 business categories ranging from phone systems to credit card processing. Whether it’s connecting businesses with local and national pre-screened vendors, or offering easy service comparisons on a VoIP service, Resource Nation empowers business decision makers by providing the information they need to make smart choices.

David Liu is a writer and comedian based in San Diego, California. He writes extensively for Resource Nation and VoIP service, an online resource that provides expert advice on purchasing and outsourcing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

There’s been a lot of conversation lately about how “free” is the future of business. Companies across all industries are figuring out ways to make a profit without actually charging for a product. For start-up company owners and new entrepreneurs, this is great news. Who doesn’t like free stuff? Here’s a quick list of some free tools for business owners.

Fileguru

This site is a one-stop shop for free software downloads. Need POS software, an inventory management program, accounting, or scheduling systems? Fileguru probably has it. The site is easy to browse. Each program has a quick summary on what it should be used for, and downloading is simple and fast for most simple software offerings. Most programs are designed open-source style, so free upgrades are available, too.

SnapPages

A simple website builder that allows even the most technologically oblivious entrepreneurs to build a flashy, functional website. The user interface is similar to that on a Mac computer–think drop-and-drag features, intuitive functionality, and simple, clean lines. The basic service, which allows you to build a simple site, is free, a paid, upgraded version is also available.

Firefox

Okay, so this one you’ve probably already heard of. If you haven’t switched to this free, downloadable browser, you’re missing out: add-ons allow you to do everything from shortening URLs to speeding up browsing to managing alerts and news feeds. Still need convincing? Programs like Xmarks allow you to access bookmarks, unread sites, and other “marked” pages from any mobile device.

OpenOffice

Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) is still the gold standard for most big companies, and is the one program that nearly everyone on the planet knows how to use. Licenses (which typically allow for non-simultaneous use on up to three machines) can run into the hundreds of dollars- a price that might be out of reach for many startups. OpenOffice provides an easy, flexible alternative to programs like Google Docs (which earns an honorable mention as a great free product in its own right).

Google Analytics

Google is the king of free offerings, and Analytics is often cited as one of the most valuable free tools there is. Using this program, you can track activity on your website (traffic, conversions, visitor behavior) easily and in real-time. The best part is that the information is presented in an easy-to-understand format (think simple graphs and visual aids). You can also use it to track e-commerce website sales, marketing campaign efficacy (even if you don’t use a Google advertising program, like AdWords) and just about any other valuable statistic.

Resource Nation

Finding an accounting service, a phone system, a background check service, or any other highly specialized business service vendor can be tough. For example, asking Google for the “top payroll processing providers” can return literally thousands of results to sift through. Resource Nation screens these vendors for you, and returns results based on your specifications (local companies, those that serve smaller businesses, etc.). While you’re looking for a vendor, check out the free guides on everything from setting up a payroll company account to forming a business entity.

MediaFire

This is a great tool for hosting and sharing large files. It’s easy to use, doesn’t require a lengthy signup or registration, and allows you to manage (send, save, catalog) files easily.

Dimdim

Web conferencing for up to 20 people that works seamlessly-for free? That’s what you’ll get using this free service. Dimdim also offers paid versions that are more advanced (Enterprise and Webinar features) in addition to the cost-free service offering.

FreshBooks

This invoicing, time-tracking and expense-monitoring program is available for smaller businesses (those with three or fewer clients) for free, offering an upgraded version for companies with lengthier client lists or more advanced billing requirements. FreshBooks software allows you to manage client billing easily without an accountant or bookkeeper, and send professional-looking invoices to clients. The program can also be integrated with PayPal, Microsoft and Mac time tracker programs, and other commonly used programs.

So there you have it… a few tools that are easy to use and easy on your wallet. Any I missed? Please let me know in the comments section, or contact me. A good bargain always deserves to be shared!

Merrin Muxlow is a writer, yoga teacher, and law student based in San Diego, California. Merrin writes extensively for Resource Nation, an online resource that provides expert advice on purchasing and outsourcing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs. She frequently contributes to several sites and programs that offer tools for business owners, including Dell, BizEquity, StartUpNation, and bMighty.

1. Buying too soon.

Brand new businesses can usually get by on bare-bones equipment and upgrade as needed. A good rule of thumb: if you’re not going to use it tomorrow, don’t buy it–you might not really need it in the future.

2. “Bargains” that aren’t.

Purchasing heavily discounted software programs and industry-specific hardware, such as POS equipment (touch screens, scanners, etc.) at a liquidation sale or auction can seem like a great deal…until you realize that your “bargain” purchase isn’t compatible with any of the equipment you already own. Some deals really are too good to be true.

3. Impulse buys.

Don’t get talked into a purchase by an overzealous salesperson, or go on a new office furniture spending spree because you’re frustrated with your same old surroundings. Smart business owners only make strategic purchases.

4. Not negotiating.

You can negotiate a deal on almost any business service, and most products, too. Most phone systems vendors, POS systems salespeople, payroll services reps, and other vendors will often throw in extras, especially if you buy at the end of the month, quarter, or year, where your purchase will make the difference in their final sales numbers.

5. Not asking for references/referrals.

Always ask for references before making any significant business purchase, especially if it’s for an ongoing service. Ask other businesses for recommendations, and request reference information from prospective vendors- get a local reference if possible.

6. Skimping on research.

You should know a few basics before you start to shop: your price range, your basic requirements, the names of a few vendors, and how long the purchasing process usually takes. Don’t waste your time contacting vendors that only offer services for big companies if you’re a small business.

7. Being a know-it-all.

While research is great, getting your heart set on a particular technology or product isn’t always a good idea- you might miss out on an offering that’s better suited for your business. Be open to suggestions, even if you have a fairly firm idea of what you want.

8. Buying based on price alone.

The cheapest product or service isn’t always the best- or even the cheapest! For example, many payroll services vendors charge a very low per-check fee, but then add charges on for changing employee information or performing mandatory payroll tax deposits. Evaluate all costs to make sure you’re really getting a deal.

9. Not considering long-run costs.

Many business necessities can be leased or hosted (software, voip phone systems equipment, etc.) instead of purchased. This might cut down on the initial outlay, but will be more expensive overall. For example, many credit card processing companies sell processing terminals for a few hundred dollars, or lease them for $20/month or more- buying is clearly the better bargain in such cases.

10. Overextending yourself.

Even if a specific purchase is absolutely necessary, it might be out of your current price range. Overextending yourself is never a good idea- try buying a cheaper version that can be upgraded or even traded in as your business grows.

The most successful business owners know that good judgment and common sense can go a long way- Only buy what you need, do your homework, and don’t spend to your limits. Remember, a “good deal” is a purchase you’re satisfied with, no matter how much the actual cost.

Merrin Muxlow is a writer, yoga teacher, and law student based in San Diego, California. Merrin writes extensively for Resource Nation, an online resource that provides expert advice on purchasing and outsourcing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs. She frequently contributes to several sites and programs that offer tools for business owners, including Dell, BizEquity, StartUpNation, and bMighty.

As a career blogger, I often receive emails from businesses asking me to write about their products or services. Usually these companies are small web-based start-ups that are looking to get free exposure on the internet, so I was surprised to receive an email from someone representing Deloitte Consulting asking me to share a video they had produced to entice prospective employees.

Deloitte is one of the one of the top auditing firms internationally and I’m sure that tens of thousands of the top students from top business schools around the globe are dying to land a job there. With such prestige and resources at their disposal, I was flattered that they would bother reaching out to a meager blogger like me to help market them–that is, until I actually watched the video.

Centered around the company’s “Born to Consult” theme, the video follows several job candidates, all young, all head of the class at top-ranked universities, through their interviews at Deloitte. The catch is that the interviews are conducted by a twelve-year-old boy who grills the candidates with such demanding questions as,

“How many ping pong balls can you fit in a 747?”

“Would you rather have a head twice its normal size or half its normal size?”

“Do you get the team pizza or Thai for lunch?”

For two minutes and thirty seconds I got to witness candidates responding either in bewildered earnest or thinly veiled frustration. They didn’t understand why they were being interviewed in such a way, and frankly neither do I. The most successful candidate seemed to be your classic frat guy who initiated high-fives and literally acted like a monkey. Is this the kind of person Deloitte is trying to hire? If I interview at Deloitte will I be asked questions about the price of nougat in China by a twelve-year-old?

What exactly is the message they are trying to send here?

I often ask myself the above question when watching advertisements on television today. Whatever happened to talking about the product you are selling? When did advertisers stop trying to appeal to us on an intelligent level?

Noam Chomsky, famous MIT professor, claimed during a speech in Santa Fe, New Mexico back in January 2005 that

“the main purpose of advertising is to undermine markets. If you go to graduate school and you take a course in economics, you learn that markets are systems in which informed consumers make rational choices. That’s what’s so wonderful about it.”

In a perfect world, advertising would be utilized by consumers to make intelligent, rational choices about which products to by or services to use. But in an effort to stand out from the competition, many advertisers are now turning to so-called “shockvertising” and it online companion, the “viral” video. Characterized by surreal fantasy, these ads can encompass anything from a man in a chicken suit dancing around his living room (aka Burger King’s Subservient Chicken) to the “No Stank You” public services ads warning kids about the dangers of smoking by showing them dancing on giant, smoke-stained, rotten teeth that are floating in space.

Huh? Are consumers so impressionable that they can be influenced to by a burger based on a man in a chicken suit rather than a picture of the actual burger they intend to purchase?

Apple’s long-running Mac ads are a great example of how advertising can be both cool and smart. The backdrop is a simple white background, the product highly conceptualized (represented by “Mac” and “PC”) and the message delivered primarily through dialogue and the occasional sight gag. The products are never shown per se, but the two hip representatives actually talk about the product and tell us what it can do. They represent the product’s simplicity, edginess and capability, which appeals to Apple’s elite core users, those “smart” enough to look beyond what everyone else is using.

What I want to know is when did we as consumers abdicate our responsibility to judge a product based on its merits?

Does this signal a decline in the intelligence of our population? Or is our appetite for the bizarre a side-effect of years upon years of constant media saturation? I’m not sure. But I do know that I’m saving up to by myself a MacBook for Christmas.

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Jacqui Tom is a young professional working her way up the corporate ladder. Launching her career with a series of internships at America Online (AOL) and Amazon.com that helped her learn the ropes of the internet business, she now works as a web writer for a Seattle non-profit.

Her blog, The Office Newb, offers a newcomer’s perspective of office life. Typing furiously from her cubicle, she shares lessons about life, business and everything in between.

Feel free to contact Jacqui at officenewb at gmail dot com

Chances are you’ve seen the news by now reporting that there are upcoming changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). But I’m not here to talk about the ADA…your friendly local employment attorney can give you all the details.

I want to talk about employees who have chronic or reoccurring medical conditions. According to Wikipedia nearly one in two Americans (translation: about 133 million) has some sort of chronic medical condition. Examples of common chronic conditions are arthritis, asthma, diabetes, and high blood pressure. And, these conditions may or may not be covered under the ADA. So if you’re approached by an employee who wants to discuss a reoccurring medical condition, how should you handle it?

The answer? Like a person. Let me tell you a story…

Long before the ADA, FMLA, and a handful of other laws that probably end in “A”, and just three weeks after I was married, I was involved in an auto accident. I had several injuries but the worst was a broken back and temporary loss of movement from the waist down. I spent the first nine months of my married life in a full body cast and then had to learn how to walk again.

Now you’re probably saying that sounds pretty catastrophic so how does this relate to a chronic condition like migraine headaches. Well, think about it this way: both conditions involve regular doctor’s visits, accommodations on the job, and a whole bunch of time off work. So, here are 3 tips to consider when dealing with employee medical situations.

1. Make sure your employees know their benefits package. Giving your employees knowledge about how their benefits work will not only help them to appreciate that benefit but it will allow them to focus on feeling better (and returning to work). I’ve seen employees pay for covered services or pay higher fees just because they didn’t understand a pre-authorization process. Also, employees should know the proper way to question payments and ask for an expense reconsideration from their insurance company. BTW, you might want to make sure you fully understand them first.

2. Keep your employees engaged. Whether they’re out for a day or a month, call them to follow-up and see how they’re doing. A simple phone call just to say hello allows you to keep employees connected and informed about what’s happening at work. (And, if you need to sneak in a little question or two to keep things running smoothly at the job…I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.)

3. Be flexible with work assignments. This is a biggie. When I returned to work, I wasn’t able to do the same job. My employer found another position for me…one that I was good at. My manager needed someone for a writing project which ended up being my first instructional design work. In the end, he arranged to have me transferred to HR.

Yes, folks, I’m in human resources today because my employer cared enough to find me a position when I couldn’t do what I was originally hired for.

Oh, and before you immediately dismiss a request to work ‘light duty’ or some other accommodation, think for a second to see if it’s really a hardship. I’ve heard all too many times that there’s “nothing available” only to find something when a manager gets pressured.

So, I hope the next time an employee comes to you about a reoccurring doctor’s appointment you remember these tips. Even better…think about how you would want your spouse/child/parent treated if they were the one needing the time off. It’s a no-brainer.

Nothing can sour the employee-employer relationship more than an employee feeling like the company doesn’t care about their health. We’re all fully aware that companies have goals to achieve, profits to make, and shareholders to answer to. But the companies that get it – those who really understand that happy employees create happy customers – will be the ones that see their happy customers spend more money and build long-lasting customer loyalty.

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Sharlyn Lauby, SPHR, CPLP is the voice of HR Bartender, a friendly place to discuss workplace issues. When she’s not tending her blog, Sharlyn is president of Internal Talent Management (ITM) which specializes in employee training and human resources outsourcing. Her off-hours are spent searching for the best hamburger on the planet, fabulous wines that cost less than $10 bottle, and exotic martinis.

Just in case you’ve missed it, there is a major change happening in the workplace and it will end up affecting all of us. It turns out that the next generation of workers, Generation Y, is made up of 75 million folks who are between 16-29. Their arrival in the workplace means that all managers need to (1) be aware of it, and (2) start to change the way that they mange. Are you ready?

Many managers tell me that they don’t have time to worry about getting ready to manage Gen-Y’ers. Oh oh – this is no longer an option. In 2007 the Gen-Y crowd accounted for 25% of the work force and their numbers will only grow as the baby boomers start to retire.

Before managers start to despair about having to learn a new language in order to communicate with their staff, everyone needs to understand that Gen-Y brings a lot of benefits to the workplace. Specifically, the Gen-Y crowd comes to the workplace with tech-savvy skills, multitasking skills (hmm, is this good?), and networking skills. What this means is that Gen-Y has the opportunity to introduce real innovation into every workplace.

So what’s a manager to do? In order to both attract and retain the Gen-Y workforce, a manager is going to have to create new training and reward programs. Because of the way they have been raised, constant feedback is something that the Gen-Y worker is constantly looking for.

Motivating Gen-Y employees can be as simple as giving them more control over their jobs. Whereas previous generations of workers (myself included) were more than willing to sell their soul and put the workplace before friends, family, and personal health. Gen-Y workers will not be putting up with any this. Instead they are going to insist on being able to maintain a work/life balance.

Finally, having the ability to make an impact is critical to Gen-Y staff. The Gen-Y team wants to be able to see that their work is changing their world (in a positive way!) This goes hand-in-hand with the Gen-Y employee’s need to be constantly learning new things. If both of these needs can be satisfied at the same time, then a manger has a better chance of holding on to his/her staff.

It won’t be easy to be a manger who is in charge of Gen-Y’ers. However, every generation has had to deal with similar issues. The most important thing to remember is that Gen-Y has already landed in the workplace and so managers have the responsibility to change. The future is looking so bright that we may all have to wear sunglasses…

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Dr. Jim Anderson has spent over 20 years working with a wide variety of IT firms from the very big to the very small. His insights into how to bring the separate worlds of business and IT together offer hope to firms everywhere who are struggling with this challenge. Dr. Anderson offers his insights on how to get these two different groups to work together for the betterment of the firm and its employees.

Get more information on both Dr. Anderson and this topic at www.blueelephantconsulting.com and www.thebusinessofit.com.

Along with the crisis in financial markets, there’s another ugly truth we need to admit: brands are dead, and it’s time for marketers to admit it.

Nobody carries brands around in their heads. Nobody has a relationship with a brand. Or lives a brand lifestyle. Brands aren’t conversations, and they’re not bought, possessed, or coveted. Companies don’t own them. Neither do consumers or shareholders.

Of course, if asked, most people can freely associate words with a name. Conversely, all of us can remember a funny commercial or mascot, even if we can’t connect it to a product or service. And everyone has opinions about marketing, primarily because it intrudes on our every experience.

But brands are simply irrelevant in a world wherein people know that one airplane seat looks like another, different clothes and PCs are made in the same factories overseas, and that most companies expect customers to help themselves. Or when price and availability matter.

In such times — just like in any times, really — human beings make purchase decisions based on their own experiences of real life, not on the imagined associations of brands. The Internet allows us to amplify the facts, opinions, and experiences of our lives, and elevates them to the role of qualifying, advising, and informing our choices.

We attach meaning to brand names, not the other way around. And we do it through the 24/7, real-time experiences of living. Companies can’t rely on hype, logos, funny creative, or any technological invention to influence, let alone overcome or control, what consumers know, think, or feel.

It’s wishful thinking to believe otherwise. It’s also unsustainable.

Those many billions of dollars spent this year in doomed hope that branding will somehow, sometime, somewhere, get consumers to ignore what they already know, and do something different? Don’t expect to see those budgets next year. I think the brand marketing world is destined for a whole lot of hurt.

Are we equipped to deal with it?

Or will we continue to make sure that there’s no shortage of newfangled ideas, mostly intended to distract consumers instead of interrupting them, and always staying far away from actually selling them anything? Will it be enough to repeatedly resurrect in social media, games, and other tools of technology the voodoo tenets of brands that were invented in strange, distantly different times (i.e. the Dark Ages of the mid-20th Century)?

Nope. I think we need to admit that brands are dead, and start asking different questions of ourselves before the answers get handed to us by our companies and clients. It’s not going to be tolerated any longer for us to pretend that they just don’t ‘get’ branding.

Well, neither do consumers. And that means we won’t get our budgets, or keep our jobs, next year.

As it stands now, the upcoming holidays and 2009 will not be a banner year for the branding racket: budgets will be smaller, patience will be shorter, and trust will become even a rarer commodity. Marketers will spend more time talking — participating in more conversations with consumers — yet reputations, purchases, and loyalty won’t necessarily follow, even as the pressures of the latest recession mount.

Why aren’t alarms being sounded? Where’s the soul-searching about the very foundations of how we define brands? Where is the Manhattan Project, sponsored by Brandweek (or some such other industry rag) challenging marketers not to find more proof for what they hope is true, but rather building entirely new models of what brands are, what they do, and then how they’re measured?

Think reality…financial measures that have existing credibility with businesses, and not more made-up numbers or acronyms that only we understand…and start thinking about awareness, intent, and the other intangibles as the tactics of branding, while seeing the behaviors they prompt as the brands themselves.

Again, where’s the siren call to action? Instead of finding new ways to do the same old stuff, you’d think somebody would be advocating doing something truly new. Loudly. Incessantly.

I don’t presume to have the answer. But you don’t have to be a dim bulb to wonder why aren’t more people asking the question.

# # #

Baskin is the author of Branding Only Works on Cattle, published in late September by Business Business Plus. He is a columnist for Advertising Age, blogs at Dim Bulb, and consults worldwide with businesses on getting something tangible for branding.

The scene: a nondescript office campus in the Seattle suburbs. It’s long past midnight but headlights from a late night coffee run enter the parking lot while assistants and interns scramble about inside.

In a large conference room that appears to have been the scene of many a recent strategy session, pizza boxes and Starbucks cups overflow a single trashcan in the corner of the room. The whiteboard is littered with numbers so large and formulas so complex that a team from NASA will be needed to calculate the totals. A few remaining people surround the conference table while one man stands at the head and listens to each point and counter-point.

If you guessed the company in question is Starbucks trying to figure out a way to sell us $4 lattes again, you’re wrong. The coffee run should have been a clue.

If however, you said Microsoft, then you are correct. But what’s keeping Steve Ballmer up on this night?

Select from the following list of choices:

1. Steve and team are deciding on a real drop dead date to kill off XP
2. Steve is signing off on an ad campaign to counter Apple’s…that works
3. The team is finalizing the details for Bill Gates return to Microsoft to save all the softies from mass extinction
4. Steve is evaluating another bid for Yahoo
5. None of the above

While all could be true, the correct answer is E, or none of the above.

So what is it, you ask? The answer is going to require you to suspend disbelief from this point forward. We all know (thanks to Apple) that the Windows Vista adoption has been quite unimpressive. In fact, Vista has been so disappointing that Microsoft continues to keep XP on life support.

This leads me to my point

The release of Windows 7 will be make or break for Steve Ballmer. It will be Steve who takes the accolades or the arrows for this launch.

Sure, Gates still hangs around the place like the crazy old uncle that stays too long at Thanksgiving, but Windows 7 is Steve’s baby. This is why he should do something completely unheard of at Microsoft. Something so outlandish, it borders on insanity.

Give Windows 7 away for free!

That’s right, give it away. Microsoft has spent the better part of ten years trying to fashion themselves after Google, while Google in turn has been zeroed in on Microsoft Office.

We are all aware that Google is the king of online advertising. Microsoft has wanted to compete in that space forever, which is why giving away Windows 7 makes so much sense. Let’s look at the numbers; Microsoft’s operating systems are on 90% of the world’s computers, or roughly one billion machines. That’s penetration on a massive scale. Even Google has to be impressed.

So give Windows 7 away for free as an ad-supported operating system using the Microsoft Ad Center network. That would mean Microsoft serves ads on a billion machines versus the twelve people that currently use MSN. Besides, free is an incredibly seductive word to IT departments, who just had their wishlists pushed back two years in the wake of the recent financial meltdown. Just in time for the launch of Windows 7!

Point being, Microsoft generated $17 billion in profits last year selling software the same way they have for 30 years. During that same time Google made $4 billion and has been developing an ad-centric operating system that will not only compete, but dominate if Microsoft doesn’t market software differently than they have in the past.

Is this model possible? Can Microsoft adopt an ad based operating system and make it work? Do you think it’s even up for discussion out in Redmond? The whole idea makes me think of the line from A Christmas Carol when Scrooge asks the ghost of Christmas future; “are these the shadows of the things that will be, or are they shadows of things that may be, only?”

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Robert Barr is tired of the way business news is presented to the general public. With all the spin doctoring and screen testing, no one says anything anymore. Blabrmouth.com is the melding of business news and one man’s opinion.

Here’s a story, of a lovely lady:

I was in the process of being laid off, but my managers kept saying different things. So I brought a voice recorder to work (during the last days) and recorded all conversations just in case something legal came up. I managed to hide the recorder under my sweater during meetings and thought no one was the wiser. One day I went on a break and left the recorder at my desk. When I returned, all of the content was erased. Was it legal for me to record conversations (without the other parties knowing) in the first place? Was it illegal for whoever erased the tape to do that?

Rule numero uno about lay offs: There will be wars, rumors of wars, lies, damn lies and maybe even some statistics thrown in for good measure. It’s a lay off and crap is flying every which way.

Expect to hear several different versions of the same story. Think of it as FUBAR or even SNAFU. Sometimes executives don’t even know what is going on–don’t expect your manager to be in on the haps.

I’m not a lawyer (I don’t have the luxury of making decisions & recommendations in a vacuum) but I’d be willing to bet that in most states, recording a conversation without the other party’s knowledge is probably illegal. Further, what could possibly be gained from suing a company that is going through lay offs?

Sure, if there is blatant evidence available for a class action suit for age discrimination (i.e. only employees over 40 are laid off) or something similar, then go for the gusto. But if all different “kinds” of people from across the company are being laid off and it is based on performance, tenure, or last in/first out, then you are wasting time & aggravation by attempting to catch your soon to be ex employer in “something (il)legal”.

Bringing an audio recording device to work may even be against a company policy. Think about R&D departments, trade secrets, legal documents, the eleven secret herbs and spices in the Colonel’s chicken. Some companies are even banning cell phones with cameras from their property.

A few years back some guy who worked for Microsoft took a picture of some boxes at work & posted it on his blog. Guess what? He was almost instantaneously fired. If Bill Gates could have appeared before him in a puff of smoke to do the firing himself, I wouldn’t be surprised.

Companies are competing on a global basis. They take this stuff seriously, yo.

When you know you’re going to be laid off, you really only have two choices:
• Ride it out (if it’s worth your while – think retention bonus)
• Polish up your resume and start looking for a new job

Don’t try to make a lay off about YOU. It’s not about you. It’s about money, honey. Cut your losses and go find your own green…elsewhere.

# # #

HR Wench Jenn Barnes has worked in Human Resources since 2001 and loves to hate it. Feel free to email your HR questions to: hrwench at gmail dot com. She’s one of three Partners at HRM Today, LLC. Check them out at http://hrmtoday.com.

The market has been a seesaw lately. Wild swings up, wild swings down. No one needs to tell you that though. As an employee you’ve watched your 401K get queasy with the ups and downs and as a Manager, you’ve worried one day about laying off your staff and the next about your own job. No one has to tell anyone there is fear out there.

Fear

Fear is wonderful thing – especially when fighting for our lives. Without fear we’d never have run from predators on the Serengeti and evolved to run billion dollar businesses. 300,000 years ago, fear kept us from becoming extinct and today fear keeps us from letting things like the current market situation put us out of business. Fear propels us to take actions – sometimes actions we wouldn’t normally take – but actions that could save our lives or our businesses. But fear has a habit of growing and feeding on itself. Fear can cause you to continue to make decisions and take action long after the need for survival exists.

Quicksand

In the 2000 movie “The Replacements” with Keanu Reeves, “replacement” players come together to play the last five games of the season after a professional football players’ strike. During a team meeting the replacement coach played by Jack Warden asks about the new players fears. “A real man confronts his fears.” says Warden. After a few funny comments about spiders and insects, Keanu says that he’s afraid of quicksand. Quicksand he goes to explain, is the feeling that everything is going well and then one thing goes wrong, then another and then another. Pretty soon you feel as if nothing you can do will help get you out of the trouble you’re in. In other words – you’re in quicksand.

Business has the same issue today. As the markets swing wildly from one extreme to another companies and employees start to do things to remove the fear. Unfortunately, the market keeps bouncing around. You try something different in the hopes it will fix the problem. And then another thing, and then another. Pretty soon you’re in quicksand.

As the old Tarzan movies showed us, the first thing you need to do to get out of quicksand is make sure you fall into it close to a strong vine. Grab the vine and pull yourself up out of the quicksand. But to successfully extract yourself, make sure you don’t struggle too much. Take your time, slowly pull yourself up and you will find your footing.

So where is the vine your business can grab onto to pull itself out of the quicksand?

Company Culture

Too often when faced with a market like we have now, companies try anything to turn their business around and typically, more than one thing at a time. Each department, group, or division initiates programs and plans to regain some control. It’s like an explorer grabbing at anything within reach to pull themselves out of the quicksand, flailing around and sinking in deeper. Unfortunately, they’re missing the big fat vine within easy reach.

Your company’s culture is that vine. Each successful business has a company culture; the core tenants that guide the behavior of its employees. Unfortunately, most companies ignore that vine and grab at the short grass that seems to be within easy reach. Avoid this pitfall.

Take the time to calm down. Identify the three of four things that form the foundation of your company culture. It could be innovation, it could be customer service, it could be a specific process. Whatever the key pillars of your company culture are – that is where you need to focus your attention.

Begin by reinforcing those elements of your culture through company communications. Create ways to focus behavior on those things through reward and recognition. Stamp out those that would ignore those foundational blocks. Don’t let people “try anything” in the hopes it will work. Don’t fall for the quick fix or the principle du jour. Go back to the things that got you where you are.

Simple is as Simple Does

Focusing on the core beliefs and values of your organization will help you do three things:

1. Minimize second guessing. Second guessing is wasted effort. Efforts tied to core values will never be wrong. For every idea put on the table bounce it against your company values. If it is a fit, go with it. If not, bounce it out of the room.

2. Focus behavior. Most companies have only two or three core values. By focusing on these values it eliminates the noise and elevates the signal. It is much easier to make decisions when you only have to worry about a few things. Don’t overburden yourself or your employees with extraneous effort. Focus on the few and you’ll be able to eliminate the flailing around that pulls you deeper into the quicksand.

3. Reinforces the past and establishes the future. Using your core values as your guide during tough times reinforces those values with your employees. When employees feel that the core values they believed drove the company are used to weather a particularly bad time they know you’re serious about them. When employees see you’re serious, they respond in a like manner. You will not only see a payoff today as your business weathers the storm but it will pay dividends in the future as we inevitably go through another cycle. Your employees will remember.

Grab the Vine

It is said that adversity doesn’t create character it reveals it. Focusing on your core values and company culture reveals the character of your company. Grabbing at any solution to pump up sales and profits or cutting critical assets to keep down costs will be seen as abandoning your core business beliefs and your employees (and you consumers) will notice.

Grab the big vine right in front of you – pull yourself out slowly – trust the lifeline you’ve built over time will save you from the quicksand.

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Paul Hebert is currently Managing Director of i2i – an influence consultancy that helps companies align the behavior of their employees, channel partners and consumers with the goals and objectives of the company. Using a combination of motivation theory, behavioral economics and social psychology, i2i can have profound impact on a company’s results.

Paul is widely considered an expert on motivation and incentives and authors the highly rated blog Incentive Intelligence. Paul has had whitepapers and articles published in HRM Magazine, is a contributing author on the Fistful Of Talent blog, is a monthly columnist for Incentive Magazine, and is authoring a 6-part series on how to design and effective motivation strategy for the Australian magazine – MOTIVATION.

Relevant Links:
Incentive Intelligence Blog: http://incentive-intelligence.typepad.com/
Fistful of Talent Blog: http://www.fistfuloftalent.com/
Listing of Incentive Magazine Articles: http:/incentive-intelligence.typepad.com/incentive_intelligence/article-authored-by-incen.html
Company Website: http://www.i2i-align.com