Book Review: Peaks & Valleys (Spencer Johnson)

Maybe I’m just in a “valley” today as I write this, but I’m afraid I can only offer a lukewarm recommendation of the latest career-related book I’ve read — Peaks & Valleys — which is the newest installment from Spencer Johnson, the best-selling author of The One-Minute Manager, The Gift, and Who Moved My Cheese?

Is it that I’m getting burnt out on the genre of “life lesson” advice packaged in short, allegorical, fairy-tale form?  Is it that we’ve all heard this same basic advice (i.e. “we all have good days and bad days; that’s life”) many times before?  Is it because I spent $20 on a book that literally took me less than 30 minutes to read?

I’m not sure what the reasons are, exactly, but this book isn’t one that I think will stick with me as much, emotionally, as several other books I’ve read on the same subject — or even any of Mr. Johnson’s earlier works.  Ironically, though, P&V is the book of his that’s arguably the most relevant to members of the Career Horizons community, since it directly deals with the subject of career transition and discusses the experience of going through various setbacks and successes in the course of one’s working life.  So in that sense, despite my own personal feelings about it, I WOULD recommend this book strongly to anybody who has gone through a recent layoff or found themselves in a bit of a funk with regards to their career future.

Among the various nuggets the author passes along in Peaks & Valleys is the idea that “the pain you experience in the valley (of a career or life setback) can wake you up to a truth you have been ignoring” about yourself.  And to those people going through tough times, he suggests that they “Relax, knowing the valleys end.  Do the opposite of what put you in the Valley.  Get outside of yourself.  Be of more service at work and more loving in life.  Uncover the good that is hidden in a bad time and use it to your advantage.”  Quoted in isolation, these statements may sound a bit silly or shopworn.  When you weave them into the context and storyline of the book, however, they definitely make you think about times in your life that you’ve faced adversity — and how you might have dealt with such times more appropriately and productively.

As for the price tag, well, I guess I’d rather pay $20 for a short book that contains a few pearls of wisdom versus a long book that doesn’t say anything all that meaningful.  But if you’re interested in adding this title to your library, it might be wise to track down a used copy via the web or your local second-hand bookstore.  For example, I spotted a copy on Half.com currently selling for $3.08 plus shipping…

Book Review: Shop Class as Soulcraft (Matthew Crawford)

“The question of what a good job looks like — of what sort of work is both secure and worthy of being honored — is more open now than it has been for a long time.  Wall Street in particular has lost its luster as a destination for smart and ambitious young people.  Out of the current confusion of ideals and confounding of career hopes, a calm recognition may yet emerge that productive labor is the foundation of all prosperity.  The meta-work of trafficking in the surplus skimmed from other peoples’ work suddenly appears as what it is, and it becomes possible once again to think the thought ‘let me make myself useful’.”

This quote, taken from page 9 of Shop Class as Soulcraft, sums up the book’s compelling premise.  In thought-provoking fashion, the author discusses the various forms of fulfillment he’s gained from being a practicing electrician and motorcycle mechanic, versus the less satisfying experiences he’s had as a “knowledge worker” in various office settings.  He’s eminently qualified to perform this analysis, as well, given his PhD in Philosophy and the fact he’s far from a misfit who couldn’t “make it” in corporate America — but actually spent several years leading a political think tank in Washington DC before deciding to shift back to a more vocational career setting.

Certainly, other authors have tackled this same ground and questioned whether something precious and irreplaceable has been lost in the world of white-collar employment today.  Many of these books never pursue the debate beyond a superficial level, however, and seem ragingly biased, idealistic, and anti-corporate.  Mr. Crawford’s work is the exception.  He doesn’t necessarily seem to have an axe to grind — and he raises numerous thoughtful points that I haven’t seen brought up before.  I’ll leave it to the potential reader to discover most of these, for themselves, but he raises issues such as whether most blue-collar work (so to speak) is inherently more cerebral than office work, due to the “real” problem-solving and troubleshooting required.  Or whether many college graduates are struggling to find meaning in their work since they’re exposed to few, if any, objective measurements of achievement — unlike a mechanic, who knows he’s “been useful” and “done good” the moment the dead machine he’s working on roars back to life!

Here’s another quote, from page 126: “The popularity of Dilbert, The Office, and any number of other pop-culture windows on cubicle life attests to the dark absurdism with which many Americans have come to view their white-collar work.”  I like that one, too.

Granted, while the book does drag a little bit during its more philosophical passages, it’s also studded with a number of juicy historical tidbits that remind us that the “workplace” as we know it is a relatively recent creation.  For example, one could easily forget that it was only 100 years ago or so that the idea of “management science” and the “division of labor” really took off.  In fact, in Henry Ford’s first automobile factories, we’re told that he had to hire 963 men to fill every 100 jobs, since the vast majority of workers hired quit almost immediately once they realized they would be assigned to perform only a single task every day, over and over again.  Apparently this notion was shocking to the sensibilities of the time, where workers were steeped in a tradition of craftsmanship and expected to have a direct hand in seeing products (or projects) through from start to finish.

In sum, whether you agree or disagree with Mr. Crawford’s conclusions, Shop Class as Soulcraft is an intellectually engaging piece of writing that will be enjoyed by anybody at a career crossroads — especially those folks who haven’t felt particularly satisfied at any point during their corporate career.  One shouldn’t mistake it for a “tactical” career blueprint of any kind, or something that will aid job hunters with their day-to-day activities, but if you’re interested in philosophy, history, and big ideas, this book will be right up your alley!

Book Review: Be The Hero (Noah Blumenthal)

Several weeks ago, I had the chance to see the author of this book, Noah Blumenthal, deliver a keynote speech for a local professional organization.  The presentation was so funny, so captivating, and most of all, so uplifting, that I couldn’t help but pick up a copy of his book and see if his powerful message translated well into written form.

Be The Hero didn’t disappoint — and most of all, it’s a terrific book for our times.  Easily digestible at 126 pages in length, the essential idea behind the book is that people can either act like victims, powerless to change the world around them, or they can choose to think or respond heroicly to the circumstances they find themselves in.  To illustrate his points, the author has crafted a semi-fictional story about a man named Jeff who hates his job, resents his marital situation, and is miserable about pretty much every aspect of his life.  Jeff then meets up with an old friend named Martin who takes him under his wing and teaches him three positive techniques  he can use to reframe his self-defeating view of the world, all of which involve altering the underlying “stories” he is unconsciously telling himself about his life and the all of the various characters in it.

For some, this book may seem a bit idealistic or miss the mark.  In one sense, the message could largely be boiled down to “always keep things in perspective” or “try to see the positive in every situation.”  Fans of the self-help genre, however, will most likely enjoy this book immensely, especially if they have appreciated books like Who Moved My Cheese? or The Secret in the past that pass along their wisdom via entertaining fictional allegories.   And Mr. Blumenthal does a great job of sharing his lessons in a way appropriate to our times, since all of us will likely recognize shades of ourselves in “Jeff” and the challenges he seems to be encountering in his busy, fast-paced, stressful professional life.

So if you’re looking for a dose of inspiration, and a book that will help you summon your “inner hero” and respond more positively in the face of adversity, Be the Hero would be a great place to start.  And if you really buy into the author’s teachings, you’ll even find a section at the back containing a password that will allow you to access a whole bunch of additional resources via the author’s website.  Nice touch!

Book Review: Words @ Work (Lynda McDaniel)

While the world is still waiting for the “revenge of the English majors” to formally occur — and for companies to recognize the full importance of business writing skills — there’s no question that written communication has become a larger and larger part of today’s professional sphere.  Look around you, and you’ll find numerous exciting new communication channels (such as this blog) that are 100% driven by keyboard.

So for those of you out there ready to take the leap, and ratchet your writing capabilities up to the next level, I’ve got just the book for you!  Lynda McDaniel, a business writing coach and Director of the Association for Creative Business Writing (of which I’m admittedly a proud Board member) has just released a short book called Words @ Work that contains twelve chapters of great advice on how to become a better writer.  You’ll find this book on Amazon.com (search by author name) as well as on Lynda’s own site if you click here.  As you’d expect, it’s very well-written.  That’s a given.  But the most noteworthy aspect of the book (in my opinion) is how Lynda opens up and shares many of the personal trials, travails, and struggles she’s suffered through on her quest to becoming an expert writer herself.  Her belief is that good writers don’t necessarily have to be born — they can also be made, if you’re willing to apply yourself and invest some sweat equity in improving your craft.

Some of the specific highlights of the book I’d call out include Lynda’s suggestion that many writing projects start out with a 10-15 minute “brain dump” where you simply pull out a sheet of paper, roll up your sleeves, and start writing whatever enters into your head related to the subject.  Don’t edit your work as you go.  Don’t censor yourself.  Don’t grant writer’s block even a millisecond to take hold.  Just let the ink flow, see what ideas materialize, and before you know it you’ll likely see some useful themes emerge and have a workable starting point.

I also love her mantra that “good writing is really good editing” and that even the best writers fight their way through multiple drafts before a final polished product emerges.  In my own case, I’ve had many people over the years compliment my writing style and express their wish that they could bang out copy as quickly and naturally as I do.  What they DON’T realize is that behind the scenes I’ve usually reworked almost every piece I put out at least a dozen times before it goes to print.  It’s not a speedy process by any stretch of the imagination.  But I’m flattered, nonetheless, that they like the end result!

Another final snippet from the book I won’t soon forget is her advice related to sentence structure.  In one of my favorite passages, she writes “Long sentences. Short sentences. Complex and incomplete. Just as a salad gets better with more texture — diced avocado, chunky tomatoes, and thinly sliced cucumber — a good paragraph needs a variety of sentence structures.”  Remembering this “chunky salad” metaphor could help quite a few job hunters to improve their cover letters and job search documents, since one of the fastest ways to bore a hiring manager to death is to have all of your sentences run approximately the same length.  An even greater sin?  Start each sentence with the “I” pronoun.

At any rate, if you’re even remotely interested in the craft of writing or in improving your skills in this regard, I’d urge you to pick up a copy of Words @ Work in the near future.  It’s an extremely practical and useful guide for getting better at this stuff.  And I’m not just saying that because I’m Lynda’s friend.  Heck, I couldn’t even persuade her to give me a kickback for each new customer I sent her way.  Then again, though, I guess she did give me a spot on her Board…

Book Review: Bye Bye Boring Bio (Nancy Juetten)

If you’re feeling a little blah about your career or your business, and a can of Red Bull isn’t available, I’ve got a suggestion for you: call Nancy Juetten, author of the Main Street Media Savvy blog!

Nancy is a local publicist and marketing expert who I recently had the opportunity to meet, and it would be hard to imagine coming across anybody who is more passionate about the publicity field — or about helping individuals tell their story and gain visibility for themselves out in the marketplace.  What I also love about her is her willingness to empower people to do these things largely for themselves, drawing upon her line of DIY (Do It Yourself) Publicity workshops and resources.  In fact, her website is a treasure trove of useful links, suggestions, and buzz-building ideas that I’d encourage everybody (especially small business owners who are marketing-challenged) to check out!

In particular, however, I wanted to sing the praises of a new e-book that Nancy has published (available here as a review copy for $39) called “Bye Bye Boring Bio Action Guide.”  As the title implies, this book is designed to help people rise above mediocrity in their copywriting efforts and craft an extremely compelling, attention-getting biography for themselves.  Trust me people, this book is good.  Unlike some books that just skim the surface of a subject, or take a single lukewarm insight and milk it for 100 pages, Nancy goes into incredible depth in terms of the steps involved to put a great bio together — and backs her advice up with example after example after example in way that really brings her suggestions to life.  Got a big speech to give tomorrow?  She even has several “fill in the blanks” templates contained in the book to make it easy for people to whip out killer copy about themselves, on the fly.

Beyond the main focus of bio-creation, B.B.B.B.A.G. also includes some useful advice about other publicity-related topics like how to arrange to get a great mugshot taken for yourself, how to diplomatically solicit testimonials from other people, and how to create powerful Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking profiles.  So again, it’s one heck of a resource, and I assure you she’s even got me (who professes to know a thing or two about this stuff) thinking hard about taking another crack at my own bio and website copy.  I don’t want to show up in her next book as a “bad example”, after all…

Book Review: Surviving & Thriving in the HR World (Jim Suthers)

Gosh, something must be in the water!  Tons of my associates and colleagues around town have announced to me that they’ve just started the process of writing a book.  I’m almost tempted to do so myself, to keep up with the Joneses, but then I remembered that I have an extremely short attention span and my efforts would probably peter out after about 10 pages.  So blogging is more my speed, at least for now.  I did notice, however, that Bellevue College actually has a “Book Midwife” on staff who teaches people how to bring their thoughts to market in written form.  Should the day ever come, I may need her services…

At any rate, I digress.  What all of this is leading up to is the fact that one of my friends, Jim Suthers, DID recently give birth to a new book that is designed to pass along his years of hard-fought HR Management insights to those who might be looking to make a name for themselves in the human resources field.  Entitled “Surviving & Thriving in the HR World”, this book is a short (110-page) power-packed work where Jim “calls it like he sees it” in terms of some the positive/negative behaviors, games, and shenanigans that take place in the typical workplace — and how a savvy HR professional should deal with them.

The things I liked most about the book?  For starters, rather than complicating the process of management, and the art of working with people effectively, he brings us back to a set of really basic, but critical, concepts such as displaying integrity, giving and getting respect, practicing common courtesy, and portraying a professional image at all times.  Having started his leadership career in the Marine Corps, you can clearly see the influence of this experience in his corporate success philosophy.  Additionally, he backs up his beliefs and contentions with numerous examples from his own storied HR career, such as the time he ignored the protests of a manufacturing manager and personally stopped a mechanical punch press for safety reasons (i.e. it was cutting off the fingers of workers at an alarming rate…) or the time his commitment to meeting everybody in the workplace led to his discovery that the company custodian actually held numerous product patents — and was working in this seemingly “menial” capacity because he claimed to “do his best thinking while he swept floors.”

I also enjoyed some of the numerous relevant quotes throughout the book, many of which I’d never seen before.  Two of my favorites were:”When you step into a turnaround situation, you can safely assume four things: morale is low, fear is high, the good people are halfway out the door, and the slackers are hiding.” (Nina Disesa, Chairwoman of McCann-Erickson Worldwide) and “I will pay more for the ability to handle people than for any other ability under the sun.” (John D. Rockefeller, Sr.)

As for some gentle criticisms of the book, or at least advice that might help match it with the right audience, I think it’s safe to say that the lion’s share of the material Jim presents isn’t necessarily specific to management in HR but could apply equally to any front-line management position, in general.  So anybody thinking that this is a how-to training manual that goes into detailed depths about the HR function might be surprised to find that the contents are high-level, and strategic, as opposed to debating specific methodologies for administering workers’ comp plans, writing employee handbooks, or conducting employee investigations.  I also suspect that most veteran HR practitioners will also have learned many of these same lessons, themselves, through their own workplace experiences and adventures.  Still, it never hurts to be reminded of some of the essential behaviors that lead to success, or to compare the wisdom of another successful senior HR leader with your own.

All things considered, I admire Jim for taking the time to distill his decades of experience down into this punchy, no-holds-barred publication — and if any of you end up reading the book and would like to chat with him further about his ideas, or how to become a true “player” in the HR field, just let me know!  I’d be happy to make an introduction and have a hunch I could convince him to let you pick his brain over coffee…

Book Review: Smart Networking (Liz Lynch)

Okay, at some point last month, I lamented that I was still in search of the perfect book on networking and that many of the titles I’d read on the subject just didn’t quite capture the spirit of what I’ve seen working most effectively out there, over the years.  Then along comes Smart Networking by Liz Lynch.

After reading the first few pages, I knew this book was going to be pretty special, and by the time I was done it had evolved to “downright spooky” in terms of how closely it echoed many of my own thoughts on the subject!   Perhaps this has something to do with Ms. Lynch’s confession that she’s a late bloomer to the networking process, as I am, myself…

At any rate, it’s hard to do justice to the steady stream of great tips, insights, and observations that are packed within the covers of this publication.  Each chapter focuses on a specific angle of the networking process, ranging from one called “Reconnecting With Raving Fans” that teaches you the right ways to renew ties with old friends to one called “Wind Up For The Pitch” that shares the author’s point-of-view on how to introduce yourself effectively to those around you.  There’s even a section on how to leverage your networking efforts using social networking sites like LinkedIn, which is a nice touch, since no serious discussion on relationship-building can ignore the role played by these new technologies.

Another terrific passage in the book takes place starting on page 86, where the author discusses the many tangible and intangible things that job hunters can “give back” in reciprocation to those around them.  I’m going to be blogging further on this topic myself in the near future, since many out-of-work professionals limit their networking efforts unnecessarily based on the fear/embarrassment of not being able to exchange something of value, in return.  But as Ms. Lynch points out, there’s one tremendously valuable thing you can ALWAYS give to other people, and it’s absolutely free.  You can give them a feeling.  This gift is one that all of us have at our disposal — in unlimited abundance — and it’s a powerful offering, since few people every really get sick of receiving sincere expressions of gratitude, appreciation, and positive feedback.

I’ll stop there and let you savor the rest of Smart Networking for yourself — but again, it’s definitely the newest entry on my “top 10″ list of all-time best career and business books.  It’s tightly-written and truly offers something for everybody, whether you’re a networking newbie or a social butterfly par excellence!

Book Review: The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl (Karen Burns)

If YOU just so happened to have held 59 different jobs in your life, you’d hope that you’d have a few interesting stories and pearls of wisdom to pass along, wouldn’t you?  Well Karen Burns certainly does!  The author of this new book (subtitled “Real Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use”) has written a very fun and refreshing little book on the subject of occupational success, showcasing hundreds of short vignettes from the  nearly 60 distinct jobs she has held in her life to date — ranging from ditch digger to envelope sorter to working as an English instructor in Paris.

What sets this book apart from so many career-related works out there, first and foremost, is its digestibility.  The author (who I had the good fortune of recently meeting for coffee) is not striving to write a Doctorate thesis on any one aspect of career success, but to share a stream of small, pithy observations that derive from her near-endless series of employment roles.  Think of the writing style employed by the books “Who Moved My Cheese?” or “The Tao of Pooh” as an example of what to expect.  Or “The Adventures of Johnny Bunko” if you wanted to compare it with a book in the career advice genre.  At any rate, we enjoyed the punchy and entertaining writing style Ms. Burns embraces throughout the book, including the way she peppers her prose with little boxes containing “Eternal Truths” such as “Life is supposed to be a little bit dangerous” and “If you refuse to tell the little lies, no one will ask you to tell a big lie.”  True statements, those!

Another element we loved about “Working Girl” was the thread of mischievous humor that runs throughout the book.  Ms. Burns seems to be able to find the silly side of ANY work situation, even cases from her past that involve abusive bosses and mild forms of sexual harassment.  In fact, it seems to me that a large part of the advice she gives throughout the book for dealing with work challenges is to rise above them and to employ laughter as a tool for defusing conflict, getting ahead, and accomplishing one’s goals.  Clearly, Ms. Burns is a highly resilient individual.  She’s adaptable.  She’s a survivor.  She’s not afraid to try new things or to risk failure in an unfamiliar environment.  And these are all qualities that many professionals today could benefit from displaying, as well.

In the end, The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl may not be for everyone, as many experienced (aka older) professionals might already have picked up a lot of this advice the hard way, on their own, through their own tapestry of diverse career experiences.  The book is still a great read, however, both due to the quirky storytelling it embodies as well as the range of hard-won work wisdom that it encapsulates.  And if you have a younger friend or family member just entering the workforce, as I do, it might make a perfect graduation gift, since it lays out a terrific, approachable roadmap for those embarking on their own occupational adventure for the first time!

Book Review: Make Your Contacts Count (Anne Baber & Lynne Waymon)

Alas, I’ve long been searching for the “perfect” book about networking, but have come to suspect that such a thing is probably impossible — since such a book would have to address a massive number of different styles and situations in terms of the relationship-building process.  Make Your Contacts Count makes a determined effort at being the go-to guide for all things networking, however, offering nearly 250 pages of advice for people on how to build, strengthen, and leverage their relationships for maximum impact.

In terms of distinguishing characteristics, my first comment about this book is that it contains more checklists than an aircraft instruction manual!  Throughout the course of the book, you’ll come across the “Top 20 Turnoffs in Networking” list, the “Eight Ways to Leave a Conversation Gracefully” list, the “10 Ways to Get on Board Quickly at a New Job” list, plus dozens of other outlines.  Additionally, the authors have broken down many other networking facets into a series of useful mnemonic devices and acronyms, such as suggesting that people use the word REAL (Results; Expertise; Access; Leads) to characterize their agenda heading into any networking conversation.

Among my favorite parts of the book was one of the initial sections discussing the importance of building trust with those around you, including a list of recommended trust-building behaviors that include “be unfailingly reliable” and “When something goes wrong, ostentatiously make it right or compensate generously for your failure.”  These pointers, I felt, were right on the mark.  I also enjoyed a model that Ms. Baber and Ms. Waymon presented called the Trust Matrix that stresses the need to consistently demonstrate both your “character” and “competence” to those around you in order to establish the credibility needed for consistent ongoing referrals.  This approach is quite similar to the Focus/Professionalism/Likeability model I’ve used over the years to help many of my own clients increase their networking success, but to be completely honest, I like the approach in this book even better than my own!

One area of Make Your Contacts Count where I do disagree a bit with the authors’ advice, however, is the chapter where they instruct people how to answer the ubiquitous “What do you do?” question that arises in networking situations.  Ms. Baber and Ms. Waymon suggest that people deliver a two-sentence response they call the BEST/TEST method that first focuses on a statement addressing your BEST talents, followed by a short TESTimonial about a recent success you’ve experienced.  One example given in the book for a travel agent is: “I send people on vacation.  I just got a note from one of my clients thanking me for the most stress-free vacation he’s ever had.”  Now to me, this second part sounds a bit too much like bragging for me to be comfortable with it.  If I asked somebody what they did for a living, and within their very first breath they told me about a key accomplishment, outside of the context of the conversation, I’d feel they were trying too hard to impress me.  But I certainly get the authors’ point — and agree with them that people need to think hard about how to make themselves interesting and credible within a short period of time.

Ultimately, I think this book would be a great read for anybody who is fairly new to the professional networking process or who, like me, is simply fascinated by the subject of networking in general.  It’s not a perfect publication, by any means, but my hat’s off to the authors for packing so much information into a single written endeavor!

Book Review: One Person, Multiple Careers (Marci Alboher)

Ever heard somebody describing themselves as having a “slash career” before?  Mark my words, it might become part of the standard business lexicon now that the author of this book, Marci Alboher, is championing the adoption of this catchy phrase to describe the growing number of people who split their time across two or more different careers, simultaneously!

Why the “slash” part?  It sounds so violent, at first, but simply describes anybody who would tend to have multiple job titles listed on their business card, separated by a slash character.  You know, kind of like that neighbor of yours who is an attorney by day and teaches cooking lessons at night (i.e. attorney-slash-cooking teacher) or that flight attendant who moonlights as a real estate agent (i.e. flight attendant-slash-real estate agent) when they’re not up in the sky pointing out emergency exits.  Previously, I’ve seen such people described as having “composite” or “portfolio” careers, but “slash careers” is definitely a more distinctive way to put it, so it might very well catch on in the days to come.

At any rate, Ms. Alboher’s claim is that such careers are becoming much more commonplace, stemming from the growing desire of many people to diversify their income streams, as well as find a way to exercise multiple passions in a professional context.  Certainly, there do seem to be many more people out there these days who fit this description, and the author does an excellent job of outlining this emerging career option in tremendous depth.  Throughout the course of the book, she profiles dozens of different people who are holding down 2 or more different career roles, concurrently, and she also provides excellent advice on how people can successfully plan, manage, and balance this rather unique career choice.  In this sense, she’s provided not only a book full of inspiration, but also of very practical insights and  recommendations.  The chapter-ending “key points” summaries she wrote, in particular, were some of the best I’ve ever seen, in any book!

At the same time, Ms. Alboher certainly doesn’t claim that a dual-career track is for everyone, and I appreciated the frank chapters near the end of the book that talked about how such careers can be harder for people who are the parents of small children — and that outlined some of the other hidden stresses that can come from needing to be on top of your game in two totally distinct areas of expertise.  Additionally, she provides an array of useful websites related to the “slash career” concept, as well as a number of actual resume samples from the people profiled in her book, ranging from the Rabbi/Stand-Up Comedian (tagline: “the world’s only practicing clergyman doing stand-up comedy…intentionally!”) to the gentleman who is a gardener by day and a police offer at night.  The name of this person’s gardening business?  “Lawn Enforcement” of course…

So if you’re feeling that your talents would be too constrained by devoting your days to just a single occupational path, “One Person, Multiple Careers” might be a great read for you!  Without question, we’re going to see even more “slashees” in the days to come, given the changing nature of today’s world of work…