Greater Milwaukee Jobs

2 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS • March 19, 2015 Puppy love: These business owners and their pooches are never apart, even at work A publication of Conley Media Distributed by: Conley Distribution 262-513-2646 ©2004 by Conley Media, LLC Waukesha County Independent and Locally Owned GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS is published weekly by Conley Media – Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS assumes no liability for any error in copy or content. It is the advertiser's responsibility to be aware of the laws pertaining to employment advertising. Subscriptions are available for $34 (non-refundable) for a 6-month subscription. Call 262-306-5008 for information. Call Center Director: Cindy Shaske 262-306-5016 cshaske@conleynet.com Account Executive: Julie Sears 262-306-5008 jsears@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel 262-513-2690 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS Volume 17 • Number 27 March 19, 2015 To place an ad: Call us at 262-306-5008 or fax us at 262-542-6082 deadline: Noon on Wednesdays Marie G. McIntyre is a workplace coach and the author of "Secrets to Winning at Office Politics." Send in questions and get free coaching tips at http://www.yourofficecoach.com, or follow her on Twitter @officecoach. My typing drives co-worker crazy By Marie G. McIntyre Tribune News Service (TNS) & A Q Q. One of my co-workers gets extremely irritated whenever I type on my computer. She will turn up the volume on her radio, slam things on her desk, curse at me under her breath and occasionally start singing in a loud voice. I have done everything in my power to type more quietly, but that is almost impossible. How can I resolve this? A. Based on your description, your hyper-sensitive co-worker is immature at best and mentally dis- turbed at worst. But regardless of the reason for her disruptive behavior, you should not have to put up with it. Instead of meekly continuing to placate this eccentric woman, give her one clear warning before going to management. For example: "Mary, we both know that typing is a normal part of my job and that I can't control the sound of my keyboard. Your angry reactions are interfering with my work, so I need for this to stop. Otherwise, I will have to ask man- agement to intervene." If the harassment continues, make good on your promise and talk with your boss or human resources manager. This woman sounds a little unbalanced, so someone in management needs to know about her peculiar behavior. Q. I am having a lot of issues with my new co-worker. "Pamela" used to work with both my boss and the owner of our business at another company.The three of them have remained friends and frequently go out to lunch together. Even though I have been here for seven years, Pamela doesn't seem to value my experience.Whenever I try to help her or explain something, she pays no attention to me. She has also convinced the owner to change some of our long-standing policies. Although I love my work, I have been very unhappy since Pamela arrived. I don't want to leave, but I no longer feel supported by my managers.What do you think I should I do? A. On an emotional level, your unhappiness is understandable. After working closely with your bosses for many years, you are suddenly confronted with an unwelcome interloper who is also their personal friend. This could easily make you feel displaced, resentful and even jealous. If you think about it rationally, however, you will hopefully see that your colleagues are not actually doing anything wrong. In a small, pri- vately-owned business, people with ties to the owner frequently have greater access and influence. That may not seem fair, but it's a fact. Jumping ship is always an option, but since you enjoy your work, perhaps you should first make an effort to adjust to this new reality. Once you modify your own atti- tude and approach, you may find that others react favorably and relationships improve. For example, you say that Pamela rejects your offers of assistance, but you don't say whether training her is your responsibility. If it is not, her chilly response may indi- cate that she views your com- ments as interference. If you stop giving advice and simply try to be a friendly colleague, Pamela may eventually respond in kind. Trouble is, employers don't think that enough of the potential employees they're talking to can apply the book learning from college to real-life situa- tions. One employer reportedly said, "They can't solve problems unless they look exactly like it did in the textbooks." Some attendees at the conference were discouraged. There is some truth to the view that employers never seem to be satisfied, said Debra Humphreys, spokeswoman for the organization of more than 1,300 colleges and universities. The organiza- tion's surveys going back several years have found employers consistently dis- contented with the human product being delivered. But she also thinks those surveyed are onto a disconnect between giving stu- dents good grades for academic work and giving them the experiences that allow them to practice problem solving outside of the classroom. Roughly half of college students, maybe fewer, are doing internships, she said. "This is a no-brainer. We have to help them." Some of the organization's members at the gathering were encouraged by the fact that educators had already identi- fied the issue and are putting programs in place to address it, she said. Mount Holyoke, a small college in Massachu- setts, reports on its website that it has seen a 55 percent increase in summer internship placement since it began guaranteeing funding to every eligible student in 2013. Humphreys wasn't surprised that stu- dents surveyed generally thought they'd learned the key skills that they will need on the job. Many have impressive grade point averages, generally considered a sign of academic success. "They just worked hard," said Humphreys. "They spent a lot of money," and they'd like to believe they learned something that will translate well to the working world. Even if they did, the indications are that more work needs to be done on shifting academic institutions from places that deliver information to stu- dents into places that give students plenty of chances to practice combining information and problem-solving skills in non-academic situations, Humphreys said. "We have a long way to go in terms of getting students fully prepared." problem-solving ... from page 1 It's been said the love between a dog and its owner is like the love between a parent and child. So, what happens when "pet parents" have a business that could take them away from their beloved pooch for hours on end? For three Charlotte business owners, it means dog logos, dog- inspired business names and dogs hanging around the office, going to meetings and sloshing on water in the break room. Katie Tyler's decision to let dogs roam in her office was a business strategy: She wanted to keep a good employee. Her accountant worked hard, but spent most of her time at her desk and computer, said Tyler, chief executive of commercial construction firm Tyler 2 Con- struction. During the accoun- tant's annual review, Tyler asked what could make life at the office more fulfilling. The employee, Tyler recalled, said she had just lost her dog and wanted to get a puppy but she didn't want it to be alone. "Before she got the words 'can I bring her to work' out of her mouth, I said, 'bring her to work,'" Tyler said. And that's been the norm for the past 14 years. Of Tyler's 23 employees, about five of them own dogs with a second home at the company's office. On any given day, six to seven canines can be found attending office meetings, chomping ice in the break room or napping on orthopedic beds. The dogs ring a bell tied to a door if they need to go outside. There are some simple in- office ground rules: • Each dog must be vacci- nated and up to date on heart- worm and flea medication. • Each dog has to be groomed (as in, not dirty, messy or smelly). • Each dog has to be well- behaved. (Troublemakers need not report to work.) But even when some of the pups are a little rambunctious, they tend to mellow out within a few weeks, Tyler said. "The other dogs will say that's not appropriate behavior," she said, jokingly. "There are times By Jonathan McFadden The Charlotte Observer (TNS) see PUPPY LOVE . . . page 6

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