If Cubicles Could Talk: Conversation for the Female New Hire in Corporate America

By Kim Beamon

How one is perceived impacts her ability to be successful. And success in corporate America is the goal. If Cubicles Could TalkConversation for the Female New Hire in Corporate America helps the corporate professional avoid the office clatter chatter that goes a little like this:

Can you believe shes actually wearing that outfit to work?!*

Could she have been more drunk at the bosss party?

Somebody needs to say something to her about her body odor.

I cant believe she was polishing her nails at her desk!

Whats up with her always on the phone with her boyfriend?

Why does she have such an attitude?

Why does she act so helpless? Doesnt she get it?

Most corporate professionals have heard, made, thought or heard other people think at least one of those comments about someone in the office. Or worse, some corporate professionals believe one of those comments could have been made, heard, or thought about them!

The point: perception is reality. The way a corporate professional behaves at work determines how she is perceivedand her perception impacts her success. And so knowing how to act in corporate America is key to creating the perceptions needed for success.

Cubicles offers relevant advice about how to behave at work, professionally, personally, mentally, and emotionally so that success is realized. The book is a complete resource for what it takes to win, and offers information needed to remove the frustration and maze-ment out of that thing called work.

Cubicles is for the reader who wants to:

Strengthen her mind for the workplaceSettle her wardrobe for the workplaceGain a solid foundation with the bossManage her job description and her privilegesPlan and build professional relationshipsOwn her performance and manage her progressMind her social mannersMaintain her competitive edge at workPlan her professional future.

The tone is frank and honestit tells it like it is. Yet, Cubicles gives clear instruction regarding appropriate behaviors, dress, emails, voicemails, and overall business etiquette. In ten parts Cubicles maps out what to do to be perceived as timely, professional, serious, competent, loyal, trusted, ethical, composed, mature, a hard worker, a team player, and a real asset.

Cubicles also advises the corporate professional on ways to avoid being perceived as late, inconsistent, immature, unprofessional, and a liability to the company. Additionally, it points out what things she could be doing to reinforce negative perceptions. For concepts that require more details and examples, Appendices are used for reference. The Appendix also includes a recommended book list and a listing of helpful Internet sites.

If you are:

Graduating college and entering a professional jobCurrently a new hire within her first 12 to 24 months at workAn intern seeking permanent employmentOn the job but who suspects her perception is holding her backAlready working, but feeling like she needs an edgePreparing to enter the workplace for the first time or again!

Or if you are a(n)

ParentRelativeFriendCareer or Guidance CounselorJob Placement SpecialistRecruiterNew-hire TrainerMentorAdvisorManagerHuman Resources Representative

...and you know a female who is in the one of the above categories, then Cubicles is just the book to invest in!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 9, 2001
• ISBN: 9781465333858

Kim Beamon

Kim Beamon, a successful corporate professional for a major international company, shares strategies for success detailing the conduct in the workplace that gets you ahead—or holds you back. For women, Cubicles, and for men, The Game-Winning Moves for the Male New Hire in Corporate America. Ms. Beamon lives in the Washington, D.C. area.

Book preview

Copyright © 2001 by Kim Beamon.

Library of Congress Number: 00-193346

ISBN #:                Hardcover                0-7388-5605-3

ISBN #:                Softcover                 0-7388-5606-1

ISBN #:                Ebook                       978-1-4653-3385-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-7-XLIBRIS

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

Contents

Forward Foreword

Introduction

1 | Guuurl…You Go!

2 | Guuurl… Think About It…

3 | Guuurl… It’s Like That!

4 | Guuurl… It’s On!

5 | Guuurl… You’re Rolling!

6 | Guuurl… Show Yourself!

7 | Guuurl… Watch Yourself!

8 | Guuurl… Watch Everything!

9 | Guuurl… Reflect Yourself!

10 | Guuurl… It’s All Good

Appendix 1 | Preparing For Employment

Appendix 2 | Goal Setting Exercise

Appendix 3 | Goal Setting Encouragement

Appendix 4 | Setting Perception Goals

Appendix 5 | The Initial Meeting with Your Boss

Appendix 6 | Performance Appraisal Processes

Appendix 7 | Performance AppraisalTracker

Appendix 8 | Asking Your Boss for Assistance

Appendix 9 | Follow Up to an Initial Request That Hasn’t Been Responded To

Appendix 10 | Disagreements

Appendix 11 | Recommended Reads

Appendix 12 | Recommended Internet Sites

References

Acknowledgements

Forward Foreword

Though this is a book about how to interact in the workplace, I decided to use the foreword to do something other than talk about why this book is such a great tool to have. This foreword (preface), is about going forward (onward, toward the future).

There are going to be times at work when the thought of moving forward another inch will overwhelm you. During those times, it’ll be important to get unstuck, to press on. So, I gathered some quotes I felt would help you move forward and look within yourself to learn some new things. Sometimes words can give you new perspective—they can help you move to a new place in your thinking, and turn a corner in your life.

So here you go—simple, yet impacting thoughts to keep you moving toward your dreams!

Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.

Maya Angelou, writer, poet, performer, director—one of the most celebrated writers in America, nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1971

Deal with yourself as an individual worthy of respect and make everyone else deal with you the same way.

Nikki Giovanni, poet, writer, African-American activist

The one thing grander than the sea is the sky. The one thing greater than the sky is the spirit of the human being.

Anonymous

Lord, make me so uncomfortable that I will do the very thing I fear.

Ruby Dee, stage/film/television actress

Instead of wallowing in my misery, I just made some changes.

Stephanie Mills, singer, actress

If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.

Jackie Moms Mabley (1894–1975), comedienne

Our greatest problems in life come not so much from the situations we confront as from our doubts about our ability to handle them.

Susan Taylor, journalist, editor-in-chief, Essence magazine

You cannot be successful and continue to be a victim.

Maxine Waters, California representative to the U.S. Congress

When I found I had crossed dat line, I looded at my hands to see if I was de same pusson. There was such a glory ober ebery ting; de sun came like gold through de trees, and ober de fields, and I felt like I was in Heaben.

Harriet Tubman (c. 1820–1913), abolitionist, escaped slavery, led nearly 300 Maryland slaves to safety

As I grow older, part of my emotional survival plan must be to actively seek inspiration instead of passively waiting for it to find me.

BeBe Moore Campbell, author

When you are looking for obstacles, you can’t find opportunities.

Janet Cheatham Bell, author, writer, publishing consultant

I used my imagination… to make the grass whatever color I wanted it to be.

Whoopi Goldberg, actress, producer

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows.

Helen Keller (1880-1968), author, lecturer, blind and deaf at 19 months, was taught to speak, read, and write when she was seven years old

When you get into a tight place and it seems you can’t go on, hold on, for that’s just the place and the time that the tide will turn.

Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), writer

I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence but it comes from within. It is there all the time.

Anna Freud (1895-1982), Austrian psychotherapist, daughter of Sigmund Freud

I have a lot of things to prove to myself. One is that I can live my life fearlessly.

Oprah Winfrey, actress, talk show host, founder and editorial director, The Oprah magazine

You have got to discover you, what you do, and trust it.

Barbra Streisand, singer, actress, producer, director—Oscar winner, Grammy Award winner

Could we change our attitude, we should not only see life differently, but life itself would come to be different. Life would undergo a change of appearance because we ourselves had undergone a change in attitude.

Katherine Mansfield (1888–1923), short-story writer

IMPOSSIBLE itself says, ‘I’M POSSIBLE.’

Author Unknown

We walk by faith, not by sight.

The Bible—2 Corinthians 5:7

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Introduction

Guuurl…

Can you believe she’s actually wearing that outfit to work?!*

She’s not getting that promotion, she’s late for every meeting.

Everybody knows she can’t stand her boss.

Can you believe how drunk she was at the party last night?

What kind of hair-do is that anyway?

She always has an attitude, that’s nothing new.

Somebody needs to say something to her about her body odor.

What is she thinking, talking to her manager like that?

Do you think she could be more negative?

What kind of email is that?!*

No she wasn’t smoking a cigar!

I can’t believe she’s polishing her nails at her desk!

She’s not trying to work, she’s trying to get a date.

Why does she act so helpless?

Why is she so hostile?

Um, Um, Um…

Confessions

In whatever work experience you’ve had…

If you’ve heard at least one of those comments made about people at work… check here 6410.png .

If you’ve made any of those comments about people at work… check here 6412.png .

If you’ve thought any of those comments about people at work… check here 6414.png .

If you’ve heard other people think any of those comments about people at work… check here 6416.png .

If you think any of those comments could have been made, heard, or thought about you at work… check here 6418.png .

Finally, if you wouldn’t want anyone to make or think those comments about you at work… check here 6420.png .

If you made at least one check you’ve recognized the need to read this book.

Truth Be Told

Most of us have said, heard, or at least thought these things about other women in the workplace. And many of us have been the women these comments were made about. The point is that people don’t just say these things to be mean or nasty. They are merely confirming what a person’s behavior tells them. One’s behaviors help create, expand, and solidify how one is perceived. This is especially true for the new hire. Knowing how to act in corporate America is key for creating the perceptions you need for success.

If cubicles could talk, they would give you what most people working right alongside you won’t—relevant advice about how to carry yourself at work: professionally, personally, mentally, and emotionally. It’s simple: The way you carry yourself at work determines how you’re perceived at work, and your perception impacts your success.

If Cubicles Could Talk is for you if you are:

 A new hire in her first 12 to 24 months on the job

 An intern seeking permanent employment

 A person who’s been on the job but who suspects her perception is keeping her from deserved promotions and recognition

 Someone who simply feels she needs an edge.

Talk to Me

The degree to which you are perceived as timely, professional, serious, competent, loyal, trusted, ethical, composed, mature, a hard worker, a team player, and a real asset correlates to your success and how fast you’re able to move into other positions within the company. The degree to which you are perceived as late, inconsistent, immature, unprofessional, and a liability to the company correlates to your lack of success and the length of time you move little to nowhere within the company. Unfortunately, when it comes to helping you make professional decisions about appropriate behaviors, dress, emails, voicemails, and overall business etiquette, most people in the workplace aren’t comfortable offering advice. This is especially true for women.

Say It Isn’t So

I asked several friends if they’d tell a co-worker that her blouse was too seductive for the workplace. Their answers varied: No, I’d rather not say anything because it’s not my place. Let someone else tell her. She should know better. She’ll figure it out.

My friend Kathleen eventually figured things out too. One day at work she came out of the ladies room with the back of her skirt accidentally tucked into her pantyhose! Even though she walked right in front of her co-workers, none of them said a word. They were too embarrassed. Kathleen’s co-workers let her walk through the office with half of her rear-end showing, never getting up the nerve to stop and tell her the truth. And so it is when you’re saying or doing something that is an embarrassment or makes people uncomfortable—typically no one will say anything while you walk around with half your rear-end showing.

Inquiring Minds—Do You Really Want to Know?

As a female and as a new hire, let me just give you a bird’s eye view of some of the perceptions you may be up against before you walk through the door: You want someone else to take care of you. You’re not serious. You’re helpless. You’re not as smart as your male counterparts. You’re sexy. You’re trying to please men. You are more concerned about material things than business goals. You’re looking for a husband at work. You’re too emotional. When you’re emotional you cannot make sound decisions. You need a man’s help. You’re manipulative. You have hidden motives. You’re trying to bring men down. You don’t have your facts straight. You’re fickle. You can’t be counted on to come through like the guys. You’re inconsistent in your work. You’re moody. You’re too sensitive. You’re not tough enough to handle difficulties. You just like to vent. You make everything complex. You don’t have the same go gettum’ attitude as the guys. You’re weak… and so on and so on.

And in many cases, without realizing it, you can speak and act in ways that actually reinforce those perceptions. It could even happen that others will sit back and watch you flounder, and then talk about you. And worse, your mistakes could serve as stepping stones for others to position themselves ahead of you.

So What Are You Saying?

Looking like you’re together in itself isn’t always enough. Being attractive isn’t enough. Wearing all the right clothes and out-dressing everybody isn’t enough. Knowing more than everybody else isn’t enough. Out-talking everybody isn’t enough. Being pushy or aggressive isn’t enough. Being from the family you’re from, graduating from the college or university you graduated from, knowing the president of the company—none of these things is enough.

What Then?!*

As a new hire, knowing how to conduct yourself in the workplace is critical if you desire that what you say and do be seen and heard in a way that gives you the professional perception you need to be successful. There are certain habits you will have to adopt, certain words you’ll have to speak, certain approaches you’ll have to take at work in order to be thought of highly and ultimately promoted. Cubicles will help you explore what those things are and show you how to use them for professional gain. You’ll come to learn that by doing these things what you can bring to the table as an educated woman will be noticed in corporate America.

It’s Your Thing, Do Whatcha Wanna Do…

In the workplace you’re in a position to create the perceptions that will take you where you want to go. Being well perceived (as intelligent, serious, persistent, ethical, resourceful, consistent, direct, a leader, a team player, and full of business integrity) is key to having your skills and intelligence count. And you have the power to create and manage these perceptions.

How do you do it? Glad you asked. You do it by what you say, the way you act, and the attitudes you display—the things you choose to say and do or not say and not do. Some of the biggest areas that affect your image are your work ethic, the way you dress, the types of conversation you hold in the office, the words you say and how you say them, the way you relate and communicate with your boss and co-workers, and the way you handle yourself at company events and in difficult situations. Believe it or not, there are some rules to follow though they’re not necessarily written anywhere or openly discussed.

What if Cubicles Could Talk?

Let’s pretend they can. They’re going to tell you what behaviors do and do not belong in the workplace. Cubicles will increase your awareness of perception, show you how perceptions hurt or help you, help you choose better behaviors in order to be perceived as a professional, and pour courage into you to be the sole manager of your workplace image. In other words, Cubicles will help keep you from walking around with half your rear-end showing!

Frankly My Dear

The tone of this book is frank, open, and honest. The topics of conversation in this book range from the obvious to the complex, covering behaviors that will either make it harder for you to get where you’re trying to go, or make it easier. Cubicles is candid about what you wear, how you approach your boss, how you work together on a team, how you relate to those in the workplace, and how you prepare yourself for future opportunities. I’ve watched women repeat some of the same mistakes I did. It’s not that they didn’t get where they were trying to go, it just took them longer. And the price you might pay for being perceived a certain way can add up and become quite costly.

My intent is not to overwhelm or frustrate you, but to help you along in the process of becoming a success. Cubicles serves to tell it like it is, so as to give you the information you’ll need to better compete in the workplace. All things considered, what you need to understand is that, especially as a woman and as a new hire, certain things can detract from your true level of professionalism.

And throughout the book, solely for simplicity’s sake, when referring to bosses or co-workers, and in examples or anecdotes, the word she will be used—unless we’re discussing male and female issues in particular. Be very clear about the fact that you can and will have male bosses and co-workers.

WIIFY (What’s In It For You)

The purpose of this book is to help you…

√ Strengthen your mind for the workplace

√ Settle your wardrobe for the workplace

√ Gain a solid foundation with the boss

√ Manage your job description and your privileges

√ Plan and build professional relationships

√ Own your performance and manage your progress

√ Mind your social manners

√ Maintain your competitive edge at work

√ Plan your professional