THE WORKPLACE WITCH

By Vernalee

Called Wicked, The Wizard of Oz was revived on Broadway. This 1939 MGM movie is a timeless classic and entertaining as it can be watched over and over again without boredom. Though the Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character, don't be surprised if you occasionally see a similar character gallivanting around in your midst on her broomstick. A colleague recently reported a sighting of a Workplace Witch on her job site. She indicated that this wicked witch terrorizes employees with her tactics. Included in her daily antics and mannerism are emotional shouting matches. Belligerent speech spiked with profanity and degrading insults are typical. The staff routinely gets a break because the Workplace Witch regularly travels to exotic lands while attending expensive seminars. Though broomstick travel would be cheaper and environmentally friendly, she uses Delta Airlines instead. Her broomstick is packed in her Louis Vuitton luggage that she conspicuously parks at the Ritz Carlton. Her behavior is wildly bizarre and outrageous, but no one "checks" her; perhaps because she is in the executive suite. With such outrageous conduct, for certain she is not a role model for her peers or subordinates! I forgot to mention that there are a few warlocks that she socializes with as well. Wickedness is equally dispersed by both genders. Raise your hand if you have worked with a person who is so terrible that you deliberately stay out of their path! Incredible, isn't it? It's time for the staff to be rescued. They should call Dorothy and her crew from Oz. Agreed? Hopefully, the Scarecrow tags along! Throwing water may do the trick for this Workplace Witch as it did for Dorothy! If the witch melts and fades away, perhaps the staff will joyously and triumphantly sing as did the Munchkins, "Ding Dong, The Witch is gone!" At least that will stop the Workplace Witch from casting a tyrant spell and reappearing somewhere "Over the Rainbow!"

Photo credit: mytitlewave.blogspot.com

COUPONS...THE SAVINGS ROLL IN

By Vernalee

Yesterday, I was in a checkout line at the store; social distancing of course.

I couldn’t help but notice the customer in front of me who had a big three ring black binder and a shopping cart full of items. After seeing about 10 containers of Tide detergent in her cart, I asked if the detergent was on sale. "Yes," she energetically replied. As we engaged in a friendly conversation, she showed me her fascinating coupon system. Her binder was full of organized coupons in every conceivable product category. I took this to be a lot of work! Then, I was converted when I saw the end results. She had about $100.00 worth of items for which she paid only $12.00 ... after her coupon discounts. Incredible! Proudly, she said, “I use coupons for all my purchases. Everything! The savings are tremendous!" I’ll say, they are! As we exited the store, she rolled her cart to a gorgeous luxury vehicle. "My coupon savings bought me this," she yelled! "Great... you go girl," I shouted back! Hmmm. Raking in additional savings is not a bad idea. Maybe, I should start clipping those discounted coupons myself. It may be classified as an unconventional savings method, but it's a proven system that works. The dividends add up! Every little bit helps! Cha Ching!

Photo credit: www.moneycrasher.com

SKIN IN THE GAME

By Vernalee

You do not want to win an argument. You want to win!

"To have "skin in the game" is to have incurred risk (monetary or otherwise) by being involved in achieving a goal. Skin in the game is a phrase made popular by renowned investor Warren Buffett referring to a situation in which owners use their own money to buy stock in the company they are running.

When you have skin in the game, you enjoy the upsides of your actions as well as any downsides of the consequences emanating from those actions. Owning your business is the American dream. Although ownership has many upsides, it requires tremendous hard work. It is not as easy as it looks. So before you make that entrepreneurial dive, make sure that you are willing to do what's required to accomplish your goals - be it long hours, hard work, financial resources - and the whole ball of wax. Work diligently to minimize the risks. The rewards and benefits of ownership can be great. Remember, skin in the game extends to so many othet aspects of our lives. No doubt about it -

We get back what we put in!

Hard work, strength, endurance, etc are needed to succeed. A strong mental mindset can make the difference between success and failure!