Flashings

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IRS announces 2007 standard mileage rates

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced the 2007 optional standard mileage rates for calculating deductible costs.

Effective Jan. 1, the standard mileage rate for the use of a car, van, pickup truck or panel truck is 48.5 cents per mile driven for business purposes, an increase of 4 cents per mile from the 2006 rate. The standard mileage rate is 20 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes and 14 cents per mile driven in service to a charitable organization.

Higher prices for vehicles and fuel are cited as the primary reasons for the mileage rate increase.

Co-workers cause stress

About 60 percent of respondents to a survey conducted by Truejobs.com said co-workers who are annoying are a primary cause of workplace stress, and about 40 percent said the problem was so severe they began searching for new jobs.

When asked what irritating individuals were doing to cause such stress, respondents' top complaints were talking too loudly on the telephone and constantly whining about work. Interestingly, 54 percent of survey respondents said they would not consider confronting annoying co-workers.

Source: Adapted from Annoying co-workers stress people out as cited by The Motivational Manager, November 2006 issue

Behaviors to abolish

To maximize productivity without driving your employees crazy, avoid the following behaviors:

• Believing if employees would learn to manage their time better, your company's problems would disappear
• Overloading your best employees
• Failing to help your employees prioritize their duties
• Failing to provide employees with a sense of accomplishment
• Failing to stop work on something that obviously is not important

Source: Adapted from Drive Your People Wild without Driving Them Crazy as cited by First Draft, December 2006 issue

Government announces returning worker exemption extension

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced the returning worker exemption to the H-2B visa has been extended through Sept. 30. President Bush signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (HR 5122) Oct. 17, 2006, to support the extension.

Returning workers are exempt from H-2B cap limitations, and petitions filed on their behalf are not considered part of the biannual H-2B cap. Qualified returning workers must have been counted in one of the fiscal years between Oct. 1, 2003, and Sept. 30, 2006.

Employers who submit petitions with a combination of returning workers and workers subject to the current H-2B cap only will receive approval for individuals who qualify as returning workers. Petitions filed for extension of a current H-2B visa; change of employment terms and extension of employment for current H-2B visa holders; change or addition of employers and extension of stay; and request for eligible returning workers will continue to be processed by USCIS. For more information about H-2B visas, see "In search of employees," December 2006 issue, page 40.

Promotion pointers

If you are considering promoting current employees in your company to supervisory positions, remember the following tips:

1. It is important you focus as much on the role an employee will play in the new position as you do on the employee's merit. It not only is about finding a good person; it is about finding a good match.
2. Prepare the employee through mentoring, coaching and training.
3. Use objective assessment tools and criteria when considering employees for promotion.
4. Consider relevant skills—such as managerial and interpersonal skills, motivational expertise and the ability to build teams—when considering employees for promotions. Job proficiency alone will not ensure someone is a successful manager.

Source: Adapted from The Motivational Manager, October 2006 issue

DETAILS

Jared O. Blum
President of Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association (PIMA), Bethesda, Md.

Why did you become involved in the roofing industry? I was practicing law in Washington, D.C., and was approached to run PIMA, a new association founded by polyisocyanurate manufacturers. This was in 1990, when federal and state regulators were addressing significant environmental issues that affected manufacturers, specifiers and contractors, and the polyisocyanurate industry wanted to speak with a unified voice. We succeeded in demonstrating the economic and environmental benefits of high thermal insulation to Congress and state legislatures.

What are your favorite items on your desk? A crystal Climate Protection Award given to PIMA by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1999 and hologram of William Shakespeare.

What do you consider your most rewarding experiences? Working with industry and government officials to enhance energy-efficient construction in the U.S. and knowing future generations will benefit from the decisions made now to build more sustainable buildings.

What was your first job? Pretty far from the roofing industry—I served as counsel to a member of Congress on the House Judiciary Committee.

What is your favorite vacation? A family biking trip in a U.S. national park or going overseas.

What do you consider a waste of time? Television advertisements for political candidates.

What are your best and worst habits? My best habit is taking time at the end of the day to create tomorrow's to-do list. My worst habit is overcommitment of my time.

What is your biggest pet peeve? People who arrive late.

If you could invite any three people to dinner (dead or alive), whom would you invite and why? William Shakespeare because his work has had a profound effect on society for more than 400 years; Robert E. Lee to hear him discuss war and personal honor; and Robin Williams because after the first two, I definitely would need a laugh.

What is your favorite stress reliever? Peanut M&M's.®

What are the most challenging aspects of your job? Providing leadership on a consensus basis in a rapidly changing environment and finding solutions for intraindustry and interindustry issues.

What is your roofing industry involvement? I serve on NRCA's Energy Awareness Task Force, participate in the semiannual roofing summit with other major roofing groups and speak frequently to construction groups about the importance of energy-efficient roof systems.

People would be surprised to know… I love staying at country inns and keep notes about what I like. Someday, I would like to own and run one.

Avoid micromanagement

You can micromanage employees by giving too little direction just as you can by giving too much direction. Employers who want to retain control of their employees sometimes don't share crucial knowledge about tasks they assign and then say "I told you so" after employees make mistakes. To avoid micromanaging your employees, focus on the following areas:

• Clarify expectations. Before an employee begins a task, clearly state the standards, rules and best practices you expect him to follow.
• Set deadlines. Be realistic when setting dates and honest about how rigid the timeline is. Avoid setting nearly impossible deadlines because you mistrust your employees' work ethics or as a matter of discipline to make employees focus.
• Anticipate problems. Provide information to help employees identify and avoid trouble, and share procedures for navigating difficult situations.

Source: Adapted from Harvard Management Communication Letter as cited by The Manager's Intelligence Report, March 2005 issue

Make the most of conventions

With many industry conventions approaching, it is important for you to make the most of your visits by planning ahead. Following are four techniques to help jump-start your convention visits.

1. If possible, arrive the day before the convention officially begins. This will allow you time to unpack, organize any information or presentation materials you may have, and go to sleep early.
2. Scout around. Obtain your registration packet, and find the easiest routes to sessions you will be attending. Also, find places you may need to go, such as dry cleaners or drug stores, and places you may want to go, such as shopping and sightseeing locations.
3. As soon as the convention opens, get your share of freebies—gifts, books, CDs, DVDs, etc.—before they are gone. This will give you time to examine everything and decide what you want and are able to take home.
4. Take your time visiting booths and exhibits. Your early start should allow you time to look more carefully at what exhibitors have to offer instead of just running between destinations.

Source: Adapted from The Manager's Intelligence Report, October 2004 issue