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Happywork TV Episode 32: Thank You Proofreaders!

Posted on January 21, 2015 // 1 Comment

In Episode 32 of Happywork TV, I say thank you to some people who lent me a huge hand as I was working to finish my book.

Thank you to my proofreaders: Jenn Cloud, Greg Bussmann, Dave Gray, Eliot Frick, Mary Steinau, my mom, and my wife. Thank you also goes to my editor at Sound Wisdom, John Martin.

Thanks to these guys, I turned in a pretty clean manuscript. But more importantly, I turned in a great story. These guys got to read the horrible first drafts (makes me cringe now just thinking about it). They found big errors, small errors, and offered many suggestions for improvement. I couldn’t have done it without them.

POSTSCRIPT: I should mention – that is NOT a stain on my shirt. I was clearing my throat drinking some water, preparing to record the episode, had a drinking malfunction, and dribbled a bunch of water on my chest. I was going to use a hair dryer to try to get rid of the splotch, but decided to PRESS ON!

— — — — —

Watch Episode 31 here!

— — — — —

IMPORTANT STUFF!

Download chapters 1-3 of my book for free!

Happywork is available for pre-order on Amazon – HERE!

Please SUBSCRIBE to my email newsletter! Pretty please – you’ll get these blog posts delivered to you automatically. Thank you!

And subscribe on YouTube!

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Happywork Pre-Sale Book Launch is a GO!

Posted on January 19, 2015 // Leave a Comment

Happywork by Chris Reimer

In what might be the worst-kept secret ever, my book Happywork is debuting in less than a month (as of the time of this posting). FREAK. OUT! February 17 is the big day, the countdown clock is on, and I’m nervous, excited, and ready. I can’t wait to get this book in your hands! Even though I’ve been asking y’all to pre-order the book, this blog post represents my “Big Ask.” Friends and sympathetic strangers, I need your help (and I have something to give you in return).

Happywork is a business parable about the worst company to work for in the entire world. My goal is to show how apathy, lack of cooperation, and cruelty – abjectly horrible working conditions – affect our productivity, our profitability, and most importantly, our fulfillment and happiness. Our happiness at work matters, because work represents such a huge part of our life. We need to care about doing great work, and we need to create workplaces where it’s easy to do so. It’s time to draw a line in the sand – no more office jerks, no more work unhappiness! We can do better, if we demand it of ourselves.

If you’re an old friend of mine, a new friend, an entrepreneur or manager trying to run a successful business, or an employee hating life because of your job, please order a copy of Happywork. And if the book meant anything to you, I need you to tell a friend. Help me spread the word. The system we all work in needs a punch in the face. Help me change the workplace forever!

LEARN MORE
To read a little more about the book …
To find out what authors like Dan Pink, Bob Burg, Peter Shankman, and Chris Brogan thought of it …
To learn what you’ll get out of it (perspective, business-building ideas, and courage) …
— > Click here! < --- HOW CAN YOU HELP?
First step: buy Happywork. Second: Read it. Third: Help me spread the word! Tweet using the hashtag #Happywork. Post a pic on Facebook of you and the book. Leave an honest review on your favorite book retailer’s site, or on your own blog. Tell a friend you loved it, and why. Buy a copy for a friend who’s suffering at work, and tell them you care about them (the book will help them feel better).

WANT TO JOIN MY LAUNCH TEAM?
I need your help promoting the release of Happywork, and there’s free stuff involved! Join the Happywork Crüe launch team! Yes, it’s a “Crüe.” If you’re willing to help and want to learn more, contact me ASAP at happywork at chrisreimer dot com.

HOW CAN I HELP YOU?
If you wish to buy multiple copies, I’m offering you some great bonuses here. I’m giving away lots of consulting time and keynote addresses. I can help you with social media strategy, how to build a personal brand, how to change careers, how to get a book published, and more. I’m a quadruple threat. Buy some books and put me to work!

WANT A SAMPLE BEFORE YOU BUY?
Download Chapters 1-3 for free here!

WHERE TO BUY?
Below is a list of online retailers selling Happywork, including a bunch of wonderful independent bookstores. If you don’t see your favorite store here, go to that store’s website. Most online booksellers are carrying it. We are not currently confirmed to be in any physical bookstores. So online purchases it is!

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Powell’s
800-CEO-READ (a great option if you’re buying 25 copies or more)
Books-A-Million
Left Bank Books
Boulder Book Store
McNally Jackson
Politics and Prose
BookPeople
Books & Books
Seminary Co-op Bookstores
A Room of One’s Own
Longfellow Books
The Elliott Bay Book Company
Wal-Mart
Amazon Canada
Amazon UK

 

THE E-BOOK VERSION – coming early!
Good news! We’re about 90% confirmed on an early launch date for the e-book of Happywork. Kindle, Nook, and iBook versions should be available for download on Monday, February 2!

WHERE’S THE PARTY?
February 16, 2015 – Book launch party, evening, location TBD. It will involve wine. Hold the date!
February 19, 2015 – Social Media Club of St. Louis book launch party at Moulin Events, evening, time TBD.

FINALLY …
Thank you! I can’t express enough gratitude to you guys for everything you’ve done for me. Over the past seven years, as I’ve transformed my work life (really, my whole life) from being a CPA to working in marketing, to now a first-time author, there’s a sizable list of people who’ve made a huge difference in my life. The people who interrupted their work lives to read and blurb my book, my proofreaders, the thought leaders I learned from, my new friends at Sound Wisdom, and most of all, my family. I’m nothing without you guys! Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, for your friendship, and for everything you will do with me in the future. Together, we’re going to change the world!

Happywork book by Chris Reimer

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Happywork TV Episode 31: Mr Employer, NO You Can’t Have My Social Media Passwords

Posted on January 13, 2015 // 3 Comments

 
In Episode 31 of Happywork TV, I present the next commitment in The Happywork Agreement, the work code of conduct I’ve written to help bring happiness to the sorriest workplaces.

And this one is a doozy. It goes like this: “I will not ask prospective or current employees for their social media passwords, nor will I force them to show me what they’ve posted on their private social media accounts. This is a level of privacy invasion that is completely unacceptable. (Yes, this has happened.)”

And can you believe it? Yes, this happens! In fact, as late as early 2013, Illinois became only the second state to ban these employer requests.

As someone who’s had a few jobs in his day, I understand exactly what is going on here. The hiring process is a crapshoot for both sides. Employers look at resumes and interview candidates, trying to find the most qualified person. However, people lie on resumes all the time. Job applicants are largely an unknown quantity to employers. On the other side, job seekers, when afforded the time and opportunity, try to pick the best place to work using the very limited information at their fingertips. You don’t really know what it’s going to be like to work at an organization until you work there.

Crapshoots involve risk, and smart people work hard to mitigate risk.

How can both sides learn more about each other? The Internet!

Companies would do well to have all sorts of pertinent information out on their website and social channels for job applicants to chew on. If there is competition for great candidates, you want to be “talking” to those candidates while they’re doing their job search due diligence. If you’re a company showing them you have nothing to hide, and the other company is tight-lipped, who do you think most conscientious people are going to go with?

Well, what do companies have to work with, short of hiring a private detective to tail you for a couple weeks? Your musings on social media! HR departments are veritable sleuths now, scoping out anything and everything they can on a candidate. They’re looking for anything that will tip the scales one way or the other.

When they can’t find anything, apparently they sometimes turn to some ballsy tactics. They ask job applicants for their social media passwords, so they can log in and take a close look at what’s being posted. Or, and this would seemingly be even worse (for some reason), they’ll have the candidate sit at a chair and make them log in to their accounts while company personnel stand over their shoulders.

If this ever happens to you, get out of there. You don’t want that job. Draw a line in the sand and say, “Stay out of my personal life.” True, we’re putting more personal shit on social media than ever before, and some of those postings could reveal a strong character with proper judgement, or just the opposite.

But if I have my social media accounts locked down, or you just can’t find them because your Googling skills suck, then you’re just going to have to interview me again. No, you cannot have private access to my social media accounts!

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Watch Episode 30 here!

— — — — —

IMPORTANT STUFF!

Download chapters 1-3 of my book for free!

Happywork is available for pre-order on Amazon – HERE!

Please SUBSCRIBE to my email newsletter! Pretty please – you’ll get these blog posts delivered to you automatically. Thank you!

And subscribe on YouTube!

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Happywork TV Episode 30: Give Veterans a Chance!

Posted on January 8, 2015 // 1 Comment

 
In Episode 30 of Happywork TV, I present the next commitment in The Happywork Agreement, the work code of conduct I’ve written to help bring happiness to the sorriest workplaces.

It’s a followup to Episode 29, in which I asked employers to never discriminate against others when hiring. I mentioned veterans in that commitment, but wanted to pull this issue out and give it its own commitment. It goes like this: “I have something extra to say about veterans. I will give veterans the same chance I give every job applicant. The fact that they ‘saw some crazy stuff’ when serving their country in battle has nothing to do with anything. In fact, their ability to manipulate multi-million dollar equipment under extreme circumstances would seemingly make them very worthy candidates.”

So it’s easy enough to tell your HR department, “Stop discriminating against minorities when you’re hiring for a position.” That alone may not work. This book and its Happywork Agreement might not work! But we have to try.

Racism and discrimination makes no sense to me. It’s not based on anything except taught prejudice, AND it’s inefficient to hate on others. Your company is losing money if you don’t hire the best people!

I decided to pull this veteran issue out and make it a separate commitment, because this REALLY doesn’t make sense to me. As I’m writing from the United States, I’ll speak about us. We send people of every sex, ethnicity, income level – we send EVERYBODY into battle. Every capable body, no matter which tribe you come from, goes to war for us. This melting pot of people comes home, and now they’re “Veterans.” I cannot think of a good reason why their unemployment rate should be so much higher than average. Can you?

This just doesn’t compute for me. I want to change the parts of the world that make no sense to me.

I’ve shared this previously, but this book of mine was borne out of my childhood. My mother didn’t like her job, but kept going to it to support my brother and me. Good reason, I suppose, but my adolescent brain couldn’t square the circle. WHY would she work a job she didn’t like? My passion for happiness in the workplace came out of that failed computation. And this veteran issue is another one that simply doesn’t add up.

They’re good people, with a unique set of skills. Their unemployment rate should not be statistically different than the national average.

Give veterans the same chance you’d give any applicant!

— — — — —

Watch Episode 29 here!

— — — — —

IMPORTANT STUFF!

Download chapters 1-3 of my book for free!

Happywork is available for pre-order on Amazon – HERE!

Please SUBSCRIBE to my email newsletter! Pretty please – you’ll get these blog posts delivered to you automatically. Thank you!

And subscribe on YouTube!

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Happywork TV Episode 29: Don’t Discriminate in Hiring Decisions

Posted on January 8, 2015 // Leave a Comment

 
In Episode 29 of Happywork TV, I present the next commitment in The Happywork Agreement, the work code of conduct I’ve written to help bring happiness to the sorriest workplaces.

It goes like this: “I will not discriminate in our hiring decisions, except when it comes to talent. I need great people, no matter what they look like. I will not base my choices on race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation. In fact, to do so would be foolish, as I would be severely cutting down the available pool of talent from which to choose.”

There are laws on the books against discrimination, so you might question the need to put such a commitment in The Happywork Agreement. First, one look around should tell you that the world is still full of hatred, racism, and discrimination. Our laws don’t seem to be preventing people, especially ones in power, from discriminating. And in states like Missouri, you can still legally be fired for being gay.

So this commitment to hire the very best no matter what is completely necessary.

Let’s admit this: sometimes it’s difficult to get along with those not like us. And it’s much easier to feel comfortable around people who in fact are like us. I enjoy getting to know people, especially ones who’ve lived a different kind of life than I have. But not everyone shares that zest for diversity.

OK, think of it this way. Boil it down to money: it is straight-up inefficient to discriminate when hiring. You could be missing out on the best people! I am NOT saying, “Make sure you hire some black people, and some Asians, and some gay people too!” NO. Hire the best, period. Hire great human beings! That’s it. Give everyone a fair shake. Every applicant that walks through your door deserves a transparent, fair vote, up or down. (Your existing employees also deserve to be treated fairly, but this commitment is about hiring practices).

This commitment may seem simplistic, or even idealistic, but we’re all made from the same stuff. We look different, and have varied life experiences, but we’re all human beings. It’s time to grow up and stop hating on each other, and the workplace is a fine place to start.

— — — — —

Watch Episode 28 here!

— — — — —

IMPORTANT STUFF!

Download chapters 1-3 of my book for free!

Happywork is available for pre-order on Amazon – HERE!

Please SUBSCRIBE to my email newsletter! Pretty please – you’ll get these blog posts delivered to you automatically. Thank you!

And subscribe on YouTube!

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Buy Happywork and Get Bonuses, Too!

Posted on January 6, 2015 // 1 Comment

Happywork Book
 
BREAKING: I have my first-ever book coming out! Just in case the news had escaped you …

In an attempt to spread the happy-at-work-first message of my book, while simultaneously enriching myself with fat book royalties (definitely joking here), I am pleased to offer you the chance to buy multiple copies of my book at once. Even though you can only read one of them at a time, there is a method to this madness.

If you’re one of the lucky ones who has found happiness at work, you are a rare breed. Over 70% of people are unhappy at their jobs, and frankly, the other 30% may end up joining them at some point! I want to improve our work lives, and I think Happywork can be part of the solution.

WHAT COULD YOU DO WITH MULTIPLE COPIES OF HAPPYWORK?

1. Give copies to all of your employees. Show them you care about a happy workplace. But don’t just hand them the book. Everyone needs to read it, and then you need to get together and discuss it. And depending on how many you buy, you can bring me in to help facilitate those discussions. Use the ideas contained in the book to improve an unhappy workplace, or keep your already-happy workplace happy.

2. Give copies to the graduate in your life. Your young sons and daughters will be getting their degrees and entering a competitive, often unhappy workplace. I’m hoping parents now and in the future can raise a generation of people who expect to enjoy their jobs. That hard work can start now, and I humbly submit that my book can play a role.

3. Give a book to someone you know who’s in job pain. I’ve had people who are unhappy at work read my book, and each time, I’ve basically received a 5-star review! (Trust me, every good review matters to me!) If work is getting you down, you’re going to relate to the characters in my book, and therein I give you ideas on how to deal with negative people and adverse work situations.

PRE-ORDER HAPPYWORK TODAY!

Happywork on AmazonHappywork on Barnes & NobleHappywork on PowellsHappywork on IndieBoundHappywork on 800ceoreadHappywork on Books-A-MillionHappywork on Amazon UK

 

THE BONUSES!

I gave great consideration to these bonuses. More than anything, I want to provide you something you can use. From the number of “pick your brain” emails I receive, I have deduced that you want my advice. Whether it be social media strategy, marketing ideas, changing careers, getting a book published … y’all seem to want my consultative assistance. So instead of packing each bonus level with trinkets and prizes and bullshit, I offer you my time. And trust me when I say that, should you earn some of my time by purchasing the requisite number of books, you will get 150% effort from me. You’ll get what you paid for (and then some).

Here we go!

Order 1 book – Pleasantly content
• Shoutout from me on Twitter

Order 5 books – Feeling a euphoric tingly sensation
• Shoutout from me on Twitter, plus …
• Written advice from me via email – ask me anything about social media, marketing, communication, getting a book published, anything at all. I’ll do what I can to help!

Order 10 books – Schoolgirl giggly elated
• 20 minutes of consulting time with me on Skype – ask me anything about social media, marketing, communication, getting a book published, anything at all. I’ll do what I can to help!

Order 25 books – Bitten by the happy happy bug and running through brick walls for the fun of it
• 45 minutes of consulting time with me on Skype – ask me anything about social media, marketing, communication, getting a book published, anything at all. I’ll do what I can to help! (and I usually over-deliver on time)

Order 50 books – Bouncing-off-the-walls cuckoo jubilation
• 2 hours of consulting time with me on Skype – plenty of time together to do some damage!
• Plus one 20-minute follow-up call on Skype (because you’ll think of something after our first call)
• NOTE: At this level and above, it might be good to check out 800-CEO-READ, as their bulk pricing will save you money

Order 100 books – Unicorn rainbows of glee
• 4 hours of consulting time with me on Skype – now we’re really moving the needle! I can’t wait to help you.
• Plus one 30-minute follow-up call on Skype
• Alternate to the 4 hours of Skype time – keynote address or university lecture with book signing and hanging out afterwards, drinking and networking and talking. Customary speaking fee waived – buy books and I show up!

Order 250+ books – Gluttonous utopia where the universe bends to your will. Bacon and lobsters stuffed with tacos are served on pillows of spun silk, and beer and Cristal are consumed out of Manolo Blahnik boots
• The ability to customize the package to your needs starts here – Get with me! Tell me how I can help you. Let’s have fun with this.

HOW TO REDEEM?

Email your receipt to Happywork at ChrisReimer dot com. Be sure to email me a legible receipt that shows the quantity purchased. I will be delivering on consulting time throughout 2015 – I thank you in advance for both your patronage of my book, and your patience as we schedule our togetherness time!

PRE-ORDER HAPPYWORK TODAY!

Happywork on AmazonHappywork on Barnes & NobleHappywork on PowellsHappywork on IndieBoundHappywork on 800ceoreadHappywork on Books-A-MillionHappywork on Amazon UK

 

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Happywork TV Episode 27: Try to Understand the Perspective of Your Employees

Posted on December 24, 2014 // Leave a Comment

BY THE WAY: Why did I call this “Episode 21?”
 
In Episode 27 of Happywork TV, I present the next commitment in my work code of conduct called “The Happywork Agreement.”

This one is made by employers/managers to their employees. It goes like this: “It may have been a long time since I was last a ‘blue collar’ worker, or perhaps I have never been anything but ‘well off.’ This may cause me and my employees to think we do not have much in common, and in certain instances, this may be so. The entire point of The Happywork Agreement is to foster understanding by at least imagining what it’s like to walk in each other’s shoes, so I will try to do so if you, the employee, will try.”

You can’t truly understand other people until you walk in their shoes. At work, ownership and the rank and file are most often really different kinds of people. Fine champagne and Busch beer mixed together, so to speak. They awkwardly join up at work and try to make a go of it, but they don’t understand each other. Employees really don’t know how hard it to run a company. “Cush jobs” at the top, they think. Far from it! And most of the time, ownership doesn’t really know what workers go through. They lack the perspective to understand their employees, what goes on in their personal lives, what it’s like to juggle tight finances … and that makes me think that they may not be well-suited to construct a workplace that takes the needs of employees into account.

And, when you don’t understand where others are coming from, you’ll often find yourself unnecessarily at odds with them. Not considering the point of view of others, and WHY they have that point of view, has led to some of our planet’s deadliest wars. You can be sure this causes problems at work, too!

Of course, you have the option to ignore the needs of your employees, but that’s just stupid.

Construct a happy workplace by looking at your organization from the point of view of your employees.

— — — — —

Watch Episode 26 here!

— — — — —

IMPORTANT STUFF!

Download chapters 1-3 of my book for free!

Happywork is available for pre-order on Amazon – HERE!

Please SUBSCRIBE to my email newsletter! Pretty please – you’ll get these blog posts delivered to you automatically. Thank you!

And subscribe on YouTube!

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Happywork TV Episode 26: Companies Should Operate in a Family-First Manner

Posted on December 22, 2014 // 1 Comment

 
In Episode 26 of Happywork TV, I present the next commitment in my work code of conduct called “The Happywork Agreement.”

This one is made jointly by employers and employees. It goes like this: “Vunorri Inc. cannot always operate in a family-first manner, but we are going to try as hard as we can. The world is different now. Dads work in concert with moms to take care of their kids. Not everyone has a robust support network they can rely on. A sick child at home is a problem that a family needs to tend to. An employee’s family is going to be more important to them than the organization is, and I will work hard to remember that. We are not going to go out of business because an employee had to leave work to comfort a puking child. We should be stronger than that.”

The world is changing … slowly, but surely. Here in the United States, I feel like we are ever so slowly starting to realize that work-life balance is a job perk worth searching for (and defending, once you have it).

Here’s what I find hilarious. There are proud, driven, sometimes utterly insane company owners out there who actually take offense when you don’t show as much love for their company as you do your own family. I love entrepreneurs with a dream. I like hard work. I like drive – wish I had more of it sometimes. But if you think I’m going to like your business more than my family, you’re cuckoo.

No, I am not oversimplifying this. Break this down to its essential parts – it’s the moment when your child gets sick. Who can break away from work – you? Or your spouse? (and that’s if you have a spouse). If your spouse has a jerk boss, and you do too, who’s going to risk their job here to go get the puking kid from school? I am angering some of you with this sensational example, but sorry folks. Shit like this happens too often. A “reliable” employee is one that never misses a day and never leaves early? What bullshit.

It’s time to grow up. Let’s again realize that our jobs are important, but they are just one part of our lives. Our jobs need to fit into the positive user experience called our lives. It’s not the other way around.

— — — — —

Watch Episode 25 here!

— — — — —

IMPORTANT STUFF!

Download chapters 1-3 of my book for free!

Happywork is available for pre-order on Amazon – HERE!

Please SUBSCRIBE to my email newsletter! Pretty please – you’ll get these blog posts delivered to you automatically. Merci!

And subscribe on YouTube!

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Happywork TV Episode 25: Leave Politics and Religion Out of the Workplace

Posted on December 20, 2014 // 1 Comment

 
In Episode 25 of Happywork TV, I present the next commitment in my work code of conduct called “The Happywork Agreement.”

This one is made jointly by employers and employees. It goes like this: “We commit to not get caught up in each other’s politics and religion. It has nothing to do with work (unless we work for a political campaign, a politician, or a religious organization). As individuals, we may have strong convictions, but work is not the place to be politically or religiously expressive. We are going to leave this stuff out of the office environment. And besides, people who cannot see past their own political and religious biases are like robots, and poorly programmed ones at that.”

Much of my work with the book Happywork and the work code of conduct I call The Happywork Agreement dealt with human conflict. Why don’t we like our jobs? One big reason is the people! But why don’t we like those people? One reason is they’re different than us, and they sometimes make it a point to ensure that we know that. Quite simply, a Muslim might not be welcome among Catholics.

The workplace is a funny thing – yes, we do choose our places of work. We’re not conscripted into our jobs. However, for the most part, we don’t get to choose WHO we work with. They’re already there, and we often have no idea who those people are. Besides an extra interview or two, or maybe a whirlwind stroll around the office, you’ve never met your coworkers until day one.

Where does that leave you? Basically, you’ve landed the job (maybe of your dreams), and you’ve thrust yourself into a group of strangers who are not like you. It’s a combustible mix of races, ages, talent and ambition levels, religions, and political beliefs. And I think history has shown that such differences often cause humans to come to blows.

I’ve heard that conflict is good, and necessary. I think the expert who said this meant healthy conflict surrounding the direction of the company. I don’t think she meant, for instance, Republican owners intimidating their employees to vote Republican (yes, this has happened). I don’t think it meant ostracizing the one employee who’s religion is different than yours because he was born far, far away. These seemingly small differences aren’t small at all – they tear nations apart.

All we’re trying to do at work is 1. Do our job, 2. Provide for our families, and 3. Achieve great things. The historically divisive topics of politics and religion have nothing to do with our work, and must be left out of the workplace.

— — — — —

Watch Episode 24 here!

— — — — —

IMPORTANT STUFF!

Download chapters 1-3 of my book for free!

Happywork is available for pre-order on Amazon – HERE!

Please SUBSCRIBE to my email newsletter! Pretty please – you’ll get these blog posts delivered to you automatically. Merci!

And subscribe on YouTube!

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