The May Team Player

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Welcome to the May 2007 Edition of The Team Player

College Graduates

Starting salary offers to new college graduates continue to rise, reflecting the positive job market for Class of 2007 graduates, according to a new report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

The Spring 2007 issue of NACE's Salary Survey shows that, at the bachelor's degree level, nearly all of the majors that reported a change in their average starting salary offer reported increases (26 out of 29 majors). NACE also projects a 19.2 percent increase in hiring college graduates this Spring.

Starting salary offers to graduates in the business disciplines increased across the board. Marketing graduates posted the biggest increase among the business fields: Their average offer rose 10.3 percent to $41,285. Conversely, the smallest increase among the business fields went to accounting grads-their average offer rose 2.7 percent to $47,421. However, it is important to note that accounting salaries have already risen steadily as a result of high demand.

The engineering fields also enjoyed across-the-board increases, although none were spectacular. Chemical engineering graduates, typically one of the highest paid majors reported in Salary Survey, saw their average offer climb by 5.6 percent over last year at this time to $59,707.

Data are scarce for liberal arts graduates, but, as a group, the average offer rose 1.2 percent over Spring 2006 to $31,333.

For more information, visit: http://www.naceweb.org/press/display.asp?year=2007&prid=256

Tell the Truth About When It Has To Be Finished

If you have to have it on the 15th, why tell your staff member that you need the project on the 5th? The person doing it might have to work in the evening or on a weekend to get it done, only to discover that you are not even in the office on the due date.

You may think the early deadline gives you a built-in safety margin, but sooner or later false deadlines (like the 5th) will catch up with you. Staffers will soon discover that you will check back on the project on the 7th and the 10th. If you're still checking on the 13th, your people will guess what the true deadline may be. When they learn that there's no penalty for being late (they aren't really late) because the deadline wasn't real, they will be late again next time.

If you know the work will have to be evaluated or updated more than once before it is ready, you do have to set an early deadline. Explain the situation so they understand that you have additional work to do on the project before it can be finalized.

One management consultant says that, over and over again, people complain that "urgent work" crowds out important stuff they should be doing on a daily basis. The worst situation occurs when a boss sets a deadline for a "very important" project but acts as if it's not important at all once it's done.

There's no one-size-fits-all for people and circumstances. It's up to you to evaluate the job, the person doing it, and the effect your special project will have on routine work.

Co-Workers Not To Your Liking? - Learn How to Work With Them Anyway

In any group of people, it seems there's always one who rubs you the wrong way or that you can't respect. We hope the situation is not as bad as some described in a book by Katherine Crowley and Kathi Elster, Working With You is Killing Me (Warner Business Books). They say these are most often the problem people:

The exploder: A person who detonates at the drop of a hat and shouts.
The empty pit: One who constantly seeks advice but doesn't follow it.
The saboteur: He seems to be your big fan, but sabotages behind your back.
The pedestal smasher: Builds you up but delights in knocking you down.
The chip-on-the shoulder: They always think they've been wronged in life and are hostile or defensive.

The authors give suggestions on how to tolerate people constructively. If you sit next to the loudest guy in the universe and are constantly distracted, his part in the problem is that he's loud. Your part of the problem is that you are hoping someone else will say something. You can either tell him to pipe down or ask to be moved.

If you find yourself feeling stressed, unhook by taking deep breaths or going for a walk. When you know that a person is a pedestal smasher, realize that it's the way he or she is and move on. Sometimes categorizing a person is the best way to arrive at a coping strategy. This is especially important if the offender is your boss.

Do You Believe That It Takes A Village To Raise A Child?

If you do, here is your chance to help Howard County's smallest elementary school - Stevens Forest Elementary School. Did you know that of the 39 elementary schools, Stevens Forest has the 3rd highest percentage of families receiving free and reduced meals? While all Stevens Forest families' members are supportive in a variety of ways; financially is not always one of them. Thus school business partners are extremely beneficial to the school and can help by providing:

1. Monetary Support - Among many needs, funds are needed to provide scholarships for students so that they do not miss out on activities such as field trips and after school/summer programs.
2. Human Support In The Classroom -Business leaders are able to clearly demonstrate and articulate how they apply reading, writing, math, science, etc. on a daily basis.
3. Material Resources - Schools are always in need of material resources. Partners in the past have donated office supplies including stationary.

Interested in donating or helping out? Contact Ron Morris RON_MORRIS@hcpss.org), Principal, or visit the Howard County Public School Website for more information: http://hcpss.org/aboutus/partnership/waystopartner.shtml

A Little Humor

A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a man below. He descended a bit more and shouted, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him half an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The man below replied, "You are in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You are between 40 and 42 degrees north latitude and between 58 and 60 degrees west longitude."

"You must be an engineer," said the balloonist.

"I am," replied the man, "but how did you know?"

"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I am still lost."

The man below responded, "You must be a manager."

"I am," replied the balloonist, "how did you know?"

"Well," said the man, "you don't know where you are or where you are going. You made a promise which you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. The fact is you are exactly in the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's my fault."

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