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The Problem With Thinking For Other People
Tweet Share on Facebook April 20, 2009 Comment (1)The internal dialogue: Whether we're talking to other people in our heads or talking to ourselves, all of us conduct our own personal conversations--that no one else ever hears. (Some of us do it more than others.)
Thinking conversations through before they happen can be a useful tool in your workplace arsenal, but it is important to use the tactic sparingly. If not, you open yourself up to a whole world of hurt.
Next time you find yourself carrying on dialogue in your own head where you are speaking for your fellow office workers, here's what you can do to validate or reject the thoughts...
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What Makes a Hiring Manager Fall in Love?
Tweet Share on Facebook April 20, 2009 Comment (5)Some hiring managers are flooded with well-qualified candidates for any job they post, no matter the economy (but especially this economy). When you’re up against dozens of strong candidates, it's the smaller things that will help you break from the pack and emerge as a clear top contender. These are the things that transform you from one of many solid candidates who could do the job well, to the candidate an employer is dying to hire.
When I'm faced with an overload of qualified candidates, here are some of the things that can make me "fall in love" with one candidate in particular:
Do what you say you're going to do by the time you say you're going to do it. For instance, if you tell me you're going to send me a writing sample by Monday, send me a writing sample by Monday (or update me accordingly). If you send it Tuesday without explanation, I'll notice. It will even end up as a note on your application.
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When Management Gets Ambushed By Small Things
Tweet Share on Facebook April 17, 2009 Comment (1)We shy away from details because we don’t want to micromanage.
At the same time, we are reluctant to create systems because we don’t want to be bureaucratic.
And then we wonder why we get ambushed by small things and why our performance is inconsistent.
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Change Your Assumptions, Change Your World
Tweet Share on Facebook April 16, 2009 Comment (8)Are you creating virtual barriers to your dreams? Sometimes the assumptions we make build walls between us and our aspirations that are far thicker than any external obstacle we’re likely to meet. And the wild thing about assumptions is that they are nothing but electrical impulses firing away in your brain. Poof! Nothing more than that.
We think, “I can’t do something like that,” or “They would never say 'yes' if I asked,” or “There’s only one way to accomplish that.”
I’ve seen all those assumptions--and many more--prove to be patently, demonstrably false. And they were all assumptions that people unquestioningly held to be true (sometimes without realizing it). Each of those seemingly impenetrable walls were shattered by asking one simple question: “Is that true?”
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The "Secret" to Success in Any Job
Tweet Share on Facebook April 15, 2009 Comment (5)Well, OK, it’s not exactly a secret.
But it’s the key to surviving these shaky economic times. In fact, it's the key to succeeding in any career at any time, no matter what shape your industry, or the nation, is in.
It’s a two-part secret:
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The Personal Branding Phenomenon
Tweet Share on Facebook April 14, 2009 Comment (6)For some time now in articles and books, you might have have noticed that we should all be concerned with our own “personal brands.”
No question that certain leaders have a "brand." Some even work to enhance or further their brand. Steve Jobs and Warren Buffett have brands, as do all of the one-namers (Cher, Prince, Sting, Oprah, Madonna).
But most of us aren’t Oprah. Maybe she was so insightful back when she was a local talk show host in Baltimore that she insisted on everything being named “Oprah,” but I am betting she didn’t. She went ahead and did great work, created a significant reputation and became “Oprah.”
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The Right Time to Resign
Tweet Share on Facebook April 13, 2009 Comment (7)What is your opinion of the timing when a person decides to resign for another job? I am currently seeking another position while my organization and my department particularly is in the middle of a major, long-term project in which I play a major part as mid-level technical staff. While I hate to put my coworkers in an awkward position if I leave now, opportunities for better pastures are opening up in other companies. The project still has a year or more ahead before completion. I have been in the company for two and a half years.
I am not really getting an opportunity to grow in my current position--budgets are being slashed, benefits are being cut, professional development is nonexistent, and layoffs and frozen open positions are the norm here. I am applying for jobs with organizations with a more secure financial footing and which will allow me to grow as a professional instead of feeling as if I am stagnating.
As a manager, how would you feel if a person under you decides to jump ship at this time and under these circumstances? If this person were to ask to use you as a reference for a future job hunt, what would you be inclined to say about them?
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Let's Drop the Overqualified Objection
Tweet Share on Facebook April 10, 2009 Comment (32)One of the most frustrating things a job seeker can encounter is the objection that he or she is overqualified.
“What am I supposed to do?” they ask. “Hide the fact that I have ten years of experience, or that I have a graduate degree?”
Put me down on the side of the applicants.
Some employers may argue that the overqualified applicant will get bored with the less demanding or lower-paid work and soon move on. Who can deny that happens? On the other side, however, are some points that deserve more attention:
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Success Secret: Be Yourself
Tweet Share on Facebook April 9, 2009 Comment (5)Want a tip on how to succeed in your career? Figure out who you are – then be that. If you want to tap into your maximum potential, align your career path with what comes naturally.
For so many people, going to work is about getting up in the morning and heading off for another day of being who they’re not. It’s about wearing a mask. Instead of operating in that place of “flow,” they wind up gritting their teeth and grinding through day after day.
When your work is out of alignment with who you are, it’s like having your wheels out of alignment and having to constantly put effort into adjusting the steering just so you can keep moving straight ahead.
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This is Why Management is Hard
Tweet Share on Facebook April 9, 2009 Comment (2)I have a small group of female employees. Two--Sarah and Julie*--are very good friends. Recently Sarah called in sick, which left Julie to do a project that had to get done that day, and Sarah hadn't prepared what she could have ahead of time. Julie was a little annoyed and came to me.
I pulled Sarah aside and told her she needed to document all of her work (we have recently had priority issues with her) and the president of the company now wants to monitor her workload (the conversation was much longer, I just want to give you the gist). I didn't mention Julie's name in this conversation.
In the meantime, Julie pulled her friend Sarah aside and let her know that she spoke to me and that she might be getting pulled aside. You can imagine this is causing havoc, as now Sarah is not speaking with Julie.
Is Julie out of line, and is her warning to Sarah before my conversation grounds for termination? Julie is a great employee--but does that matter in this type of circumstance?
