Archive for September, 2009

two cents: unread plans

As published on Bazaar Magazine monthly article: Loaay’s Two Cents

LA_kcAs a marketing manager, I’m supposed to write the marketing plan. The problem is that the owners don’t read long documents. They depend mainly on my verbal presentation. Should I just do an executive summary?

Many managers complain about their employees not reading. If you’re into books, it doesn’t mean that everyone else is or should be. People learn in different ways. How they learn is up to them. Having said that, your managers should know every single detail of the plan before approving it. Most people are visually based. Show more pictures and headlines and less text and charts in your presentation. At the end of the presentation, ask them to review the plan, give their feedback before they give their final approval in writing.

two cents: war at work

As published on Bazaar Magazine monthly article: Loaay’s Two Cents

LA_kcIt’s a vicious jungle at work. I’m REALLY sick of internal politics. I can’t take it anymore, but I can’t leave my job because of the current market situation. What can I do?

I can almost hear the hissing of the slithering department employees and the squawking of the hovering managers. If you blink, you’re dead. If you take long vacations, you’re left out. If you’re too good, you make everyone around you look bad and therefore have to go (watch Hot Fuzz, in case you didn’t). Unfortunately, internal politics will always be part of the corporate environment anywhere you go in the world. Not everyone is honest, straightforward, career focused and confident enough not to feel threatened.

two cents: quitting and failure

As published on Bazaar Magazine monthly article: Loaay’s Two Cents

LA_kcI started a handcrafts business three years ago. It never made any profit, but I’m hesitating to close it because I’m not a quitter and I don’t want to feel that I failed. What do I do?