5 Signs Youre on Thin Ice at Work ( How to Fix It)

5 Signs Youre on Thin Ice at Work ( How to Fix It)5 Signs Youre on Thin Ice at Work ( How to Fix It) In an ideal world, you wouldnt have to guess whether or not youre failing to hit the mark at work. Your boss would meet with you regularly to supply open and honest feedback, and you could nip any emerging problems in the bud as soon as they flag them to you. But human beings are complex characters - whether your colleagues and superiors are afraid of confronting you with negative feedback, too busy to check in with you, or simply arent good at communicating , workplace grievances against you may pile up until eventually, they land you in hot water.On the opposite end of the spectrum, sometimes we tend to simply judge ourselves too harshly. Perfectionists out there will often perceive innocuous actions or poorly-phrased comments from co-workers to be slights on their wertzuwachs, causing them to work themselves up over nothing.So between managers whose communicat ion skills need improvement and your own self-doubt , how can you really tell if you need to get your act together at work? Read on below to learn five sure-fire signs that youre faltering at work, as well as advice on how to get back on track.When your managers disappointed in your performance, its often hard for them to conceal it - usually, their behavior or tone will shift in a noticeable way. A few indicators might be if your formerly buddy-buddy boss is getting agitated with you or is being mora short or cold with you, says Jill Santopietro Panall, HR consultant and owner of 21Oak HR Consulting, LLC , or if they have become mora aloof or seem to be avoiding any conversation with you except for essential communication, says Valerie Streif, Senior Adviser at Mentat . Sometimes this sign isnt as clear depending on how your initial relationship with your boss was, but if you notice that they seem to avoid you, are sharp and short when answering your questions, and dont engage in conversation with you outside of strictly business, it could be a sign they are getting ready to get rid of you, or that an awkward conversation in a negative performance review is imminent, Streif continues.The confrontation averse may be tempted to ignore these signs, but addressing the problem is essential if you want to get back in your managers good graces. I would say, I notice that lately you seem less happy with my work. What can I do to change that? Then, listen as nondefensively as you can and take notes on what they want you to do, Santopietro Panall suggests.Be upfront and sit down with management to address any issues and see if it can be resolved before you get a negative review , Streif agrees. If they have noticed that your performance isnt what it used to be, you could explain yourself. If youve been unhappy or feeling unfulfilled, a simple conversation could lead to a promotion that could give you more responsibility and a sense of purpose again. It can be ha rd to sit down with management in these situations, but most likely you have nothing to lose and it could be the opportunity for a major positive change.You might be secretly rejoicing if your boss moves a few things off of your plate, but beware rather than just giving you a break, this could be a sign that they dont think youre capable of managing your tasks. Employees who perform well are typically rewarded with more responsibility and more complex tasks, leading to career growth and paving the way for future promotions , says Mary Grace Gardner, career strategist at The Young Professionista . So if you suddenly notice your manager consistently passing you up and giving coveted assignments to your coworkers or if your manager assigns you tasks that feel like a step backward, it may be an indication that youve lost their trust. Similarly, if your workload gets lighter or you are now receiving the grunt work, that could spell trouble, says resume writer & career transition co ach Wendi Weiner.Before you confront your manager, think back and identify if you made a recent error. Perhaps you missed a deadline without appropriate notification, didnt take action when a problem occurred, or reacted in a non-constructive way in a tense situation, Gardner suggests. Then, do some damage control and own up to the mistake . Let your manager know you recognize what you did wrong, what you learned, and what you will do going forward. Taking ownership and bringing up the issue first helps with rebuilding trust.Its also worth letting your boss know that you do feel that youre willing and able to take on some extra work. A great way to turn this around is to tell your boss that you are happy to take on all tasks, which can contribute to more productivity, and you dont mind putting in the extra time or effort to get these tasks done, Weiner says.No matter how hard you work, youre bound to get some negative feedback from time to time - after all, theres always room for improvement. So if you get the occasional reminder from your manager about something you could be doing better, you dont need to sweat it. But if you consistently hear them bringing up the saatkorn issue over and over, it may be cause for concern.Once your boss has talked to you about it a few times, if they dont see the change they want to see, you can expect that a warning is on the way, says Santopietro Panall. If you find yourself on the receiving end of repeated feedback, be sure you are VERY clear in your mind on what expected changes they are looking for or what goals/metrics they want you to hit before you get further warnings I cant tell you how many times I have sat in on termination meetings with an employee who has been given multiple warnings or is on what I thought to be a very clear performance improvement plan and they are confused or asking Why is this happening? even though they knew they were on thin ice.Even if you are taking the right steps to address the issue at hand, make sure that youre communicating that with your manager so they know that you are taking their feedback seriously and are working on overcoming challenges.Clarity is going to help you at all times be clear on your role and the expectations, be clear on your boss concerns and pressures, be clear on the timing of events, be clear on what you can lay down to pick up new responsibilities, Santopietro Panall advises.In the most recent season of HBOs Silicon Valley , all-powerful Hooli CEO Gavin Belson passive aggressively expresses his annoyance with one of his employees by promoting him to a new position that requires him to move his desk to the basement, surrounded by nothing but servers and maintenance workers (oh, and a nice view of the mens restroom). While this is on the more extreme end of the spectrum, its still true that a significant change in your workplace settings could be a sign that your standing at work is less than solid.I once worked with a colleague whose arbeitszimmer was right in the middle of all the action. She was situated next to the executives and she had the chance to interact with leadership every day. Unfortunately, she never seized the opportunity to demonstrate her value. She was soon relocated to an office on a different floor without any windows. She didnt take the hint to step up her game and her manager finally let her know that she wasnt fit for the job, Gardner shares. While Gardner acknowledges that its difficult to recover from an unfavorable relocation there are ways you can turn things around, she says. First, seek ways to add value specifically with respect to the companys goals. Next, make sure your work is visible in a way that isnt braggingbut demonstrates your contribution . Finally, seek feedback from your supervisor. Not all supervisors are generous with both positive and constructive feedback, so you sometimes have to ask for it to get it, she says.Everyone deals with bottlenecks at work - mayb e your manager is dragging their heels on reviewing an essential document, or your department head shuts down your budget proposal. Its perfectly normal for things like these to happen every once in a while, but if they become an every day (or more) occurrence, you may want to examine things a little more closely.Is it getting harder to arrange a time to meet with your boss? Are your requests constantly getting denied? Are you being given the most tedious tasks to complete? If so, this may be a sign that your supervisor is encouraging you to quit and avoiding the task of giving you constructive feedback, Gardner says.If this sounds familiar, its time to get proactive about preventing roadblocks before they pop up. Set a regular cadence to check in with your boss and establish mutual expectations on how you engage. Ask for feedback and do so often Focus on adding value, stay aware of the changing environment at work, and adapt to changing circumstances, Gardner recommends. While getting assigned more difficult, complex tasks over time is a good sign, feeling blocked at every turn is a definite red flag .

Q&A With Rose-Gaëlle Belinga, a Morgan Stanley Technology Associate

Q&A With Rose-Galle Belinga, a Morgan Stanley Technology AssociateQ&A With Rose-Galle Belinga, a Morgan Stanley Technology AssociateRose-Galle (R-G) Belinga is a Technology Associate in the Global Expiry System group at Morgan Stanley. R-G recently spoke with Vault about how she landed an internship and full-time position with Morgan Stanley, the best aspects of working for the firm, and the advice she has for students looking to pursue a career with a top financial services firm. Below is an excerpt of that conversation.VAULT Where did you grow up and go to school? And how did you find yur way to Morgan Stanley?R-G I welches born and raised in Yaound, Cameroon. My father, who had studied abroad in New York City, encouraged me to also study abroad and gain exposure to other cultures. Thats how I ended up in Atlanta and Auburn. I received a Bachelor of Arts from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta and a Bachelor in Software Engineering from Auburn University. I also got my Masters in Sof tware Engineering from Auburn. While at Auburn, I did two internships at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. These internships were really exciting, and I truly enjoyed working with scientists and applying what I had learned in school.While in school, it was difficult to find female role models, but the Association for Computing Machinery and the Society of Women Engineers (two associations I joined) were really helpful. They both had great communities. It was through the Society of Women Engineers Conference that I found an internship at Morgan Stanley.At first I thought, Why would I want to work for a bank if I was interested in technology? But I was really impressed by what the representative from Morgan Stanley told me about the strong technology talent at the firm and the internship. In fact, what struck me the most was the fact that he knew exactly what he was looking for in an intern that the internship was merit-based, that I would be doing rea l work, and that he was quite enthusiastic about his job- that made a huge difference to me Also, I am someone who gets bored easily therefore, I was excited to learn that there are opportunities to move around and landsee different parts of the company. I ultimately started with Morgan Stanley as a Summer Analyst in Prime Brokerage Technology.VAULT Can you talk a little about your initial experiences at Morgan Stanley?R-G The internship was basically a 10-week interview where youre interviewing the company and they are interviewing you. I frequently met with different technology teams to understand the geschftsleben unit better while gathering requirements for my summer project, which was a proof of concept for a new mobile application. Until then, I had never developed a mobile app Moreover, there were several social activities organized throughout the summer to encourage Summer Analysts to get to know each other- several of whom I am still close to- and get exposure to senior man agement.The end of the program was the most memorable part for me, because I not only got to present my application to my group and to our business sponsors, but also because I was amazed by how much I had accomplished in such a short timeframe. This fantastic internship experience motivated me return to Morgan Stanley the following summer as a full-time employee.During the full-time training period you go through a well-defined series of accelerated courses which bring you up to speed with respect to how technology is used in the industry- whether inside or outside the firm. We also got the opportunity to work on small projects to showcase our ever-growing tech skills. In fact, I implemented web application games for this, which was quite fun. There are also a lot of activities and opportunities to bond with other trainees.At the end of your training program, you are given a list of teams that have Analyst openings, and you are matched with a team based on your preference- which ar ea you are most excited about. It is almost like matchmaking. You give your top picks, and you are matched up with a team based on need and your skill set. You also get help from your berater before giving your top choices, so you are not making your choices blindly. Through the training program, you are assigned a peer ratgeber as well as a more senior mentor.After the training program, I joined Morgan Stanley as a developer on the Listed Derivatives Clearing Technology team. After three years, I was offered the opportunity to switch to the Global Expiry System team and seized it. I wear multiple hats, but I pretty much implement and manage the complete software life cycle for each task I am given.VAULT What have you found to be some of the things at Morgan Stanleythat set it apart from its competitors, both in technology and in banking?R-G People often stress the differences between working in technology for a startup, a big tech firm, and a big bank, but I think this is a mislead ing conversation. The tech companies and investment banks often work together. In fact, when you look at the core of our day-to-day duties, our main goal is to implement innovative technology solutions for our users, regardless of the domain.Since I have friends at tech companies and other banks- I regularly attend meet-ups, hackathons, and conferences- I am well aware of what many other companies are like. And one of the main features unique to Morgan Stanley, and what primarily drew me to the firm, is the company culture. It really fosters your career growth. As a matter of fact, my initial plan was to work here for two years , and now I have been here for five and counting The culture is very collaborative and collegiate. We help each other out. It is a fun place to work, with great people. Everyone really cares about you. It is like an international family. In fact, I met many of my best friends at work and love visiting several of them in Budapest and Montreal.The commitment to career growth and support is great, too. I was given great mentors, and I have had the chance to be a mentor myself, for Summer Analysts and new full-time hires. I love doing this as a way of giving back, since my mentors helped me so much.Also, as part of my job, I often have to make presentations to my team. And to help you learn how to do that better, theres a Toastmasters group within the company. Toastmasters is a public speaking group, and it has really helped me out, both with my career and outside the firm.Finally, along with technology, Im passionate about art. So I really appreciate that Morgan Stanley sponsors a lot of museums, and sometimes brings in famous writers and Broadway actors to speak. We can also attend receptions at museums and movie releases. It is great to have the opportunity to participate in such activities through work.VAULT Are you involved with initiatives within Morgan Stanley outside of your day-to-day job?R-G I am involved in a lot of our diversity networks, such as the Women in Tech, as well as the Latino, Asian, and LGBTQA employee networking groups. These and other diversity groups all help a lot when it comes to personal growth, as well as recruiting and retention. Through them we get to learn so much about each other, and learn how to avoid unconscious bias by understanding the people we work with.VAULT What advice do you have for students about how they should go about getting a job, especially throughon-campus recruiting?R-G As far as interviewing, first, you should come prepared. Do your homework on the company. Second, you should be yourself. Dont worry about trying to impress your interviewer with things that arent true. And third, have fun and ask a lot of questions. Interviewing is a two-way street. Never forget that you are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you. Ask yourself, is this a place I can see myself working?VAULT This is going to sound like an interview question, but where do you see yourself in five years? R-G It is hard to know where I will be in the future nevertheless, when I look at my long-term goals, they are all under the umbrella of helping the global community and working on technology that is making a difference.This post was sponsored byMorgan Stanley.

The most productive time that you can manage

The most productive time that you can manageThe most productive time that you can manageOur quest for productive time can easily turn into a distraction.The best ideas dont happen when you are busy letting your calendar dictate your work. Most ideas show up when we are doing elendhing.A unterbruch is a moment for reflection?- ?we make room to leidice things.Just like music. Without silence, the various notes will all feel the same. Utilizing silence for very brief (less than a few beats) or for longer periods creates a different impact on the listener.Distractions dont help. The quest for productivity can make us suffer from self-imposed jet lag, rather than help us.When we are constantly looking at our phone screen, our attention shuts down. When we jump from one activity to the next meeting, we are distracted from being free.A pause equals freedom?- ?we liberate our mind from obligations. We let goof busyness.A Pause Life and SilenceSilence isnt just the canvas upon which music is painted. Its one of the colors on the composers palette.?- ?All AboutJazzVisual Design is another example of the importance of silence. The white space has mora importance than the typeface or images. You dont pay attention to it. But its the white space what helps you appreciate the rest of the elements.White space is like glue?- ?it connects all the elements through balance. Silence is the real sound of music. Empty spaces play a critical role in building the right atmosphere in architecture and space entwurf too. The white space is not wasted space?- ?it adds depth to the design.The same happens to our creativity. When we free our mind we make room for new ideas to show up unexpectedly.A pause amplifies our perspectives?- ?it becomes alearning experience.The Incubation PeriodTake a walk with a turtle. And behold the world in pause.?- ?BruceFeilerAt a previous job, we ran an experiment recess at work. It was based on the notion that mental breaks can positively impact performance. A small pause helps us switch gears and get recharged.After a couple of months, we validated the hypothesis that recess can have a positive impact on the adult world.Thats a perfect example of our paradox with pausing.We value the effect it creates but our knee-jerk reaction brings us back to an always on behavior.Our society values busyness. Its perceived as a synonym of productivity. We valuedoingmuch more thanthinking. Keeping our calendars cluttered is a like a badge of honor?- ?we dont protect our reflection or thinking time.Consultants, lawyers, advertising agencies, accountants charge their work by the hour. This reinforces our crazy relationship with time?- ?most companies pay services based on quantity, not quality. When time is the unit to make money, we end up prioritizing quantity over quality.To stop?- ?to think, reflect or decant?- ?is associated with negative financial consequences in a time-driven economy.In the 70s, GMs employeeswere not allowedto stop the assembly line because of financial implications. However, the automated process was too fast and the workers didnt have enough time to do their job causing a lot of frustrations and flaws.Japanese automakers, on the other hand, prioritized quality over everything. Special groups were tasked to oversee manufacturing andanyonecould stop the process by just pushing a button.Japanese automakers defeated Americans. Even worse, GM ended with a record of car recalls, not just frustrated workers.Pausing is an intrinsic part of Japanese culture.Take landscapers, for example. Before they design the walkways in a new park, they take a break. They let people walk freely across the park. After some time, by simply looking at where the grass is worn away, they build the paths?- ?they just follow the way people choosenaturally.A pause as an incubation period?- ?what feels like a waste of time (or money) is a major win in the long run.A Club You Dont Want toJoinHe who can no longer pause to wonder and stan d rapt in awe is as good as dead his eyes are closed.?- ?AlbertEinsteinIf you are running a startup?- ?or any fast-growth/ challenging company?- ?you probably bought into the notion that endless handwork is the formula to succeed.All the productivity gurus feed this idea. From the5 AM club, to formulas to increase your performance by x or the notion that your first 100 days will make or break your business.Watch out. You could end suffering from self-imposed jet lag quotingCraig Ballantyne.All these beliefs are based on the principle that working more is the formula for success. And that the same formula will work for anyone in any situation.Let me give you an example The power of showing up.If you want to succeed, you have to show up. Like any motivational phrase, that means nothingwithouta context. And thats a problem. Highlighting a nice phrase here onMediumand then tweeting it, wont create any real impact in your life.If we dont pause to reflect on its real meaning. If we dont s top to challenge its message. Whats the real impact of any inspirational advice?I do encourage people (myself included) to show up too. But not at any cost. Showing up in bad shape is pointless. If youve worked for more than 14 hours or your mind has run out of gas. Whats the point of starting your day at 5 AM after?Showing-up requires pausing from time to time too.Listicles Make You Busy, NotSmartDont get caught by modern gurus that are trying to maximize your productivity at the expense of enjoying living. And Im not talking about work/ life balance which is another modern paradox.Old time philosophers appreciated the value of pausing. They turned it into an art. Taking time for a walk, to reflect. Archimedes had his Eureka moment when stepping into a bath.Managing your emotions is more important than time management, according to breakthroughresearch on procrastination. It will make your life more joyful and productive. Ill dive deeper into this topic in a future post.Self-procla imed gurus love to show-off how they can write a daily post in less than an hour. But then, they expect you to buy their seven things that will change your life forever as the perfect formula.Cody Roylewrote a very smart post on that matter. He invited authors to provide people with frameworks rather than lists. Instead of dictating what people should do, share the roadmap.Let them design their own journey.This is my framework todayregain the value of pausing.Take Your Time.Now.Learning to value pausing is not a motivational gimmick. A pause provokes a change of behavior.Silence in music is so important and fundamental like a white canvas for a painter, the pauses in between words for a poet, stillness for a ballet dancer or empty spaces for an architect.Whats your pause? What does it mean to you? How can it help turn your work into art?Turn a pause into a high-performing act.This article first appeared on Medium.