SELF-HELP

HOW TO SHED BAD HABITS OF THE ‘DO MORE WITH LESS’ ERA

With more hiring going on, the advent of larger staffs can give managers a chance to jettison some bad habits they may have picked up during the lean times of the recent “do more with less” era, according to Anne Hawley Stevens, a managing partner at Boston-based ClearRock, an executive coaching and outplacement firm. “They didn’t have the time or staff to try to correct some of these mistakes, and they just kept on making them. Now, there may be a few extra bodies to do some of the other things, so managers will have more time to actually manage people,” she said. Ms. Stevens has developed a list of tips on how to stop.

* Don’t manage by e-mail. Sure it’s faster to zap everyone a memo or directive, but stepping away from the computer and talking with workers is a smart way to prevent barriers from forming.

* Don’t skip staff meetings. These aren’t just for doling out direction or seeing who is doing what. The staff meeting provides a forum to share information an e-mail or memo just can’t, and encourages more two-way communication.

* Don’t ignore successes. When you fail to celebrate rewards and recognition, morale can wither. People need to see group and individual achievement marked collectively.

* Don’t treat all employees the same. They’re not, and they don’t all have the same personal career goals.

* Don’t refuse to request help. You might think that soliciting advice, ideas, or other help is a sign of managerial weakness. It’s not, and most employees like to be considered a resource.

– Associated Press

IN THE COURTS

BROKERS FILE DISCRIMINATION SUIT AGAINST CITIGROUP

WASHINGTON – Years of legal troubles and negative publicity haven’t changed the unequal treatment female brokers receive at Citigroup Inc., four women claim in a lawsuit filed Thursday seeking class-action status. The women, who all live and work in northern California near the San Francisco Bay area, claim in the suit filed in U.S. District Court that they were discriminated against while working for Citigroup’s Smith Barney unit as brokers. They claim that the company’s policy on distributing accounts to brokers and on providing sales-support staff are unfair to women, among other issues. A spokeswoman for Citigroup said the firm couldn’t comment directly on the lawsuit, but defended Citigroup’s gender-equality policies. The suit focuses on alleged discriminatory practices that affected female brokers’ career trajectories and income, touching on everything from the way accounts were doled out to who received corner offices. The suit seeks class-action status for almost 5,000 women who have worked at the firm since August 30, 2003.

– Dow Jones Newswires

SHOW BUSINESS

VARIETY CAREERS UNVEILS HOLLYWOOD CONTEST

LOS ANGELES – Variety-Careers, the press and entertainment job site, kicked off its “Ultimate Hollywood Agenda” contest last week. The site is inviting anyone who wants a career in entertainment, who needs a career change, who wants to reinvent themselves, or who would love to satisfy a burning desire to work in the industry to enter the contest. In addition to meeting three high-level executives in the industry based on the winner’s area of interest (such as marketing, programming, development, finance, producing) the winner will spend two nights and one day in Hollywood dining at a hot hangout for industry executives. Plus, they will have breakfast with Charlie Koones, president of the Variety Group, and attend a Hollywood event. To enter the contest, applicants should log on to www.varietycareers.com, and update or create their resume before May 31, 2005.

– Dow Jones Newswires