Lets Talk About Trust
June 23, 2009
I agree with Brooker T. Washington, “Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him, and to let him know that you trust him.” I agree with Mr. Washington because I’ve experienced trust. I’ve been on both the giving and receiving side of the equation, and I know first hand the power of trust.
That’s what trust is. It’s power. Power to transform an ordinary, everyday, OK place to work, into an environment where people are almost unstoppable. Power to unleash creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, and fun. Power to bring out the energy, talents and gifts of individuals, to build teams, to achieve amazing results.
Look around your organization. There’s some division or department or work unit or team that’s like that … some pocket of excellence where people shine, ideas flourish, and exceptional work is achieved. That’s where trust is.
People work for people, not for companies. And no one needs permission to create his or her own pocket of excellence. Trust is not about them giving it to us. Trust is an action we can take. We start trust by giving trust.
Those Little Things
June 17, 2009
Moving to another state meant finding a new dentist. I tried one a neighbor recommended who seemed friendly, competent and eager to please. But, I never went back. His office was a case study on the importance of little things.
The coat hook was missing a screw and falling from the wall; waiting room magazines were outdated; the posted office hours were taped over with an index card and new hours written in marker; the credenza was overflowing with mail and claim forms. There are plenty of dentists to choose from, and while he might be a competent one, why chance it?
It’s the same at work. Bosses choose which people to give a great assignment to, take a chance on or consider for a project. Customers choose which businesses to frequent. All those little things really aren’t so little. They’re impressions. And those impressions help others make decisions about you.
Does it matter if you don’t spell check your email? It’s only an email, right? Wrong. It’s an impression about the way you work. Does it matter if the address label is crooked on the letter you send a customer? Who looks at the envelope anyway? It matters. It’s an impression highlighting that the company (or individual) has poor attention to detail.
A Bit of Pollyanna
June 9, 2009
“Stop being such a Pollyanna,” a trusted, more experienced colleague counseled as we took the long route back to my office. He had just witnessed my project idea annihilated as co-workers eagerly argued why my idea wouldn’t work, where it was flawed and why it shouldn’t be funded. Despite naysayers in the room that day, I believed it was worth pursuing. Ultimately, it did receive funding and became, in time, a successful endeavor. A bit of Pollyannaism got me though.
Everyday, in meetings just like this one, ideas are gutted before they’re allowed to evolve. It’s becoming a workplace ritual to poke pinholes in the balloon of an idea until enough air leaks out to drop it to the ground. We look first for the reasons why something can’t be done; why it won’t work; why it’s too difficult; why it’s a bad idea. We’ve become so good at burning idea bridges that might lead to new business, new procedures, or new products that we don’t even have to try to build the bridges first.
Feedback: Take It or Leave It … But Get It
June 2, 2009
The expense was substantial. An immersion workshop with twelve participants sharing a common goal to hone their skills. With nervous eagerness like kindergarteners embracing school, we received input, critique, and suggestions about our work. Some of the feedback I used. Some of it I didn’t. But all of it was helpful.
I haven’t always viewed feedback that way. At times in my career, I’ve taken it more like a personal indictment than a helpful gauge; an intruder I needed to defend against, rather than input I needed to evaluate. I’ve even found myself akin to a workshop colleague who said he wanted input, but when he got responses different from what he expected, he argued and debated and explained. What he wanted was praise or input he agreed with, not honest reactions.
You see it’s not enough to ask for feedback. You have to be open to receive it. After three days of our colleague’s defensiveness, any willingness to offer anything but cursory input was stomped out. His argumentative actions lost him an opportunity for connection with fresh voices and new input. And we lost an opportunity to practice giving helpful feedback with authentic insights and thoughtful reflection.
Career Moves: Take Charge of Your Life
May 25, 2009
Every day millions of people let their inner fears stop them from creating the life of their dreams. No one will deny that it is scary to step out of your comfort zone, but once you challenge your fear and take action, you can attain great things.
1. Dream Great Dreams
Imagine you could be, do, and have anything you want. How is what you want for your future different from your life today? Once you’ve identified your dream, you can take the steps to make it come true.
2. Make A Decision
In every decision we make, we exert a power to shape and control our own life. Unfortunately, instead of pursuing our own empowerment, we sometimes blame our choices on things that have nothing to do with us. Understand you have power over your personal choices. Notice how your life changes with every decision you make, no matter how small. Take responsibility for your decisions so you can shape your ultimate path.
3. Exercise Your Power To Choose
What A Former Stay At Home Mom Knows About Creating A Stunning Resume That You Dont
May 16, 2009
Recently I was asked to touch up a friend’s resume. Her challenge was simple. She was a stay-at-home mom who had not worked in four years. A difficult task however, with the information in this section, I generated a listing of skills she did not know she had. Here is a partial list. (Organized, patient, detail oriented, energetic, ability to multitask, works well under pressure and capable of meeting deadlines) Now ask yourself, what company would not want their new employee to showcase these skills?
The resume is a job search tool that highlights accomplishments by stating your
profile, experience and education in a brief, yet concise, summary.
Why A Resume?
The resume is your first introduction to the employer. It is the first work sample they will see. Your resume should interest the reader to the degree that he or she wants to interview you. Remember the process of selection is first a process of elimination. Employers use the resume to determine whom they will call for further consideration.
Nine Career Zappers
May 9, 2009
Today, everyone is looking for the secret to business success. Professionals read books, take training classes, ask questions, study others that are successful and strive to outperform themselves.
However, some behavior patterns can develop into bad habits and cause even the most seasoned and professional person to self-destruct.
Let’s take a look at some common behaviors that can put your career on the “skids”. As you read these 9 behaviors you may recognize some areas you will want to change to keep your career on track.
The following are ten danger signs that can trap you and may “zap” your career.
1. Over Confidence: While you need a healthy dose of self-confidence to carry you through those tough times you also need to keep your confidence and ego in balance.
Keeping your ego in check will prevent you from thinking you are more important than those around you and missing out on their good ideas and solutions.
2. Time abuse: You only have 24 hours a day. Use each one of them wisely.
Guard against intruders such as non-important phone calls, emails and messages that do not specifically relate to your job.
Words. Words. Words.
May 2, 2009
They’re only words. Some believe the school-yard taunt: “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” They’re wrong. Words can hurt you in the workplace.
I’m not referring to the caustic ones spoken (or received) tainted with sarcasm, irritation, anger or frustration, carrying an emotional punch. I’m talking about simple, everyday, normal word choices. These words, like black ice, are not an obvious danger at first glance. But, they can impact your results. So, user-beware.
Words create impressions, images and expectations. They build psychological connections. They influence how we think. Since thoughts determine actions, there’s a powerful connection between the words we use and the results we get.
Think about these two words: spend and invest. Would you like your bank to spend your money or invest it? Since spending implies the money is gone, you probably want a bank that invests. Now apply these same words to corporate budgets and see how that influences thinking. Early in my career, I saw budgets as allocated company money I had permission to spend. And I did spend it. I never thought of budgets as investing in the company’s future until I was given profit and loss accountability for a new department and discovered my flawed thinking. I learned that in order to grow the department, I needed to budget with an investment mentality. Shifting words shifted my thinking and my results.
Why Do Interviews Die: That Sinking Feeling and How to Prevent it!
April 22, 2009
Interviews die because a mistake occurred. Sometimes, you’ve made a mistake; sometimes they die because someone who screened a resume did.
1. Interviews often occur because someone has reviewed a resume and interprets something that you have written in ways that you didn’t intend. Someone believes that you have a skill that you didn’t list; sometimes, they misread something in your experience. Within 15 minutes, each of you knows that something is wrong but because interview etiquette doesn’t permit it, the conversation languishes on.
2. Sometimes it is your mistake. Sometimes you have overstated an experience or skill in your resume. In job markets like these, it is common for people to include every skill or experience they have been near or around in their resume in the hope that they will get an interview. As I screen resumes, it has become too common for me to find out about people having 4 months of experience with the core skill of the job I am trying to fill. That is rarely adequate for my client in the searches we are attempting to complete, yet, like mission inspectors in Iraq, I have to ask a follow-up question to deduce that the experience is inadequate.
How to Be Prepared for a Layoff
April 14, 2009
If you are concerned that your company might be planning a layoff, your best course of action is to be prepared. Employees often see warning signs that their jobs may be at risk. Such signs could include poor company performance, earlier rounds of layoffs, conflicts with their manager, increased manager intervention and involvement, and poor performance reviews. Employees see the signs, but aren’t as proactive as they should be in looking out for their future. Here are steps you can take to be prepared for a layoff.
Update your resume. Start complying a list of your accomplishments in your present job. In particular, focus on quantifiable achievements. Bring home a copy of the position description your human resources department has developed for your job. Use this position description to check the content of your resume. If you need help, get it from the Internet, resume writing books, or a professional resume writer.
Create a portfolio. Make copies of positive letters you have received from customers and letters of recognition you have received from your employer. If you have a job where you create materials that are not company confidential such as brochures or operating manuals, make copies of your work to show to potential employers during future job interviews.
