Recovery-Proof Your Team in 2011
February 1, 2011
Keeping Your Best Talent from Jumping Ship in 2011
According to a recent Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) press release, the majority of the Human Resource (HR) professionals and managers surveyed agreed that employee turnover will rise significantly as the job market continues to improve.
56% of HR professionals surveyed agree that turnover will increase. Not might. Will.
If organizations intend to keep their best employees from jumping ship, retention efforts need serious attention. Now.
In addition to running MPOWER Consulting, I am Managing Partner and Director of Homework of Masse Family Enterprises (i.e. wife and mom at to my great family). In that position, I had a recent “retention lesson” that is absolutely applicable to the workplace.
First, a Little Backstory
Just this weekend I was helping my first grader with a report on Neil Armstrong that he will present before his class this week. How excited I was that he selected a true American hero as his subject. I jumped right in to help and before you know it was micromanaging the whole show.
With my son’s “help,” I emailed the offices of The Space Foundation (HQed right here in Colorado Springs) and asked for “props” we could borrow. Mission accomplished: my 7-year-old has a large, colorful poster of the famous photo of Buzz Aldrin suited up standing on the moon with Neil Armstrong’s reflection in his helmet; a stack of books we used for reference for dates and more; a “footprint” lapel pin of the first, one small step for man; and a NASA-logoed lunch bag that proudly carries his peanut butter sandwich and applesauce today.
Next step, filling out the homework paper with the content of his presentation. Oh, my son will deliver a Nobel prize winning report of literary perfection! Well, let’s at least make it interesting for a class of fidgety first graders.
We establish ourselves at the kitchen table and set to work. And it all goes downhill from there.
Micromanaging At It’s Finest
I want him to add more content for the “WOW” factor; he’s content with a few sentences that answer the question to stay precisely on point. I suggest he repeat the celebrated words Neil Armstrong made famous upon setting first foot on the moon; he agreed but reluctantly. I pushed to hurry up and get it done so he could play; he was visibly tired and needed a break.
He was frustrated at me for “bossing him.” I was weary because he didn’t want this to be the report I wanted it to be and wasn’t sitting still long enough to just get it done. I was not paying attention to the way he wanted to do his homework. We were not working together. And I was spending more time outlining “better ways” to do it versus praising him for doing it well his way.
At the very least, we needed a change of scenery. I asked where he’d like to sit. “On the couch.” Off we went, smoke clearing, frustration calming. He finished the written portion and when asked if he wanted to practice the obvious answer: “No.” He was done. “Disengaged” to say the least.
Creating Disengagement
Could you blame him? As the “manager” I assumed we shared the same vision for his report. I pushed for him to do it the way I would have done it. I forgot that he mainly needed me as a resource, to help read complicated websites and other resources to get essential information. And along the way neglected to tell him what a nice job he was doing.
Bad… bad manager. I created disengagement and of course the little project that was supposed to fun “Mommy & Son” time not only took longer than needed but put an emotional dent in our quality time. We were not as productive as we could have been, not as efficient, and the results… while the report is “effective” in the sense that my boy does have a presentation to deliver this week our relationship took a minor, yet hopefully only momentary, blow. What do you think he’ll think and do the next time he needs my help on his homework?
Leaders and managers, the lessons from my mistakes are undeniably applicable to the workplace. There IS a better way.
1. Respect ‘em.
It starts with understanding employee needs from every perspective. Not just the over-emphasized tools and resources or even how much of your time they may require. Most importantly, it begins with understanding their unique modis operandi or M.O. – literally what their brain needs conatively in order to do their best for you.
Managing “Fact Finders”: They need and naturally uncover all the relevant facts, figures and data. Give them time to research and prioritize the necessary details that ensure they will give you the most strategic decision.
Managing “Follow-Thrus”: They need and naturally create order and systematic approaches. Empower them to create a solid plan that keeps the project organized and expertly managed. They will actually see it to completion.
Managing “Quick Starts”: They need to experiment as they are natural risk-takers. Give them leeway to brainstorm ideas, jump in head first to try out a few, learn from their mistakes and suggest creative ideas for new projects or new ways of tackling strategic goals.
Managing “Implementors”: They are your “hands-on” employees. They need to and naturally create quality, long-lasting solutions. No thrown-together shoddy craftsmanship allowed. Give them time and resources to test their ideas and plans before rolling out the final version. Never have to “go back and re-do” again because the first implementation was the right implementation.
In other words, don’t do what I did with my son. Rather, understand the way THEY work best and let them do it. When employees are given tasks and activities that are a mismatch in terms of how they naturally solve problems, make decisions and take action, managers and leaders are forcing them to work against what is natural. It takes longer and the results often don’t meet expectations.
Multiply this by the number of individual contributors to calculate the cost loss of productivity in an organzation. Conversely, when you have the right employees in the right roles (that is, a role that allows them to do what they do best naturally) imagine the organizational cost savings and increased earning potential resulting from measurably higher productivity.
2. Train ‘em.
Of course there are cases where tasks must be accomplished in a specific way… to meet quality standards, ensure personal safety, guarantee efficiency. Invite employees, based on their natural inclinations as outlined above, to be partners in creating those solutions, empowering them to contribute their personal best (again, based on above). Then train them – and train them to train others effectively – on these best practices for reaching the common goal – be it improved quality, personal safety, higher efficiency.
And by all means, train managers to manage. A vastly different skill set than any “technician” role.
In other words, again, don’t do what I did with my son and expect him to do it my way without talking to him first about what his ideas were for how we would get the project finished. We did not agree ahead of time to how we would work together resulting in wasting time being frustrated.
Multiply that by the number of employees and teams in your organization to calculate the cost of lost efficiency. Ouch. On the other hand, when a true culture of collaboration exists – we agree on the goals, define clearly how we will work together toward that end, and we rely on one another for what each does best – how much more efficient (and therefore cost effective) we are.
3. Reward ‘em.
As managers and leaders we are quick to correct “bad” behavior. Reprimands, development plans, official warnings are all to be documented, in fact.
As parents, however, praise seems to come a little more naturally (indeed, I hope… “When you cleared the table, it really helped make clean up faster, and we got to play your game sooner!”). How often is this same idea forgotten in the workplace?
Especially after surviving the economy of the past 2+ years, employees are feeling overworked, undervalued and just plain ol’ disengaged. Rightly or wrongly, their perception is their reality, and many are ready to jump ship. In a January 2011 survey conducted by Harris Interactive in conjunction with CareerBuilder North America, 76% of the 3,900 employees surveyed indicated they were ready to leave current jobs for the right opportunity. Is their mind 100% on the work at hand?
More surprisingly, rewarding them with more money was not what would keep them on board. 68% reported that affordable benefits were more important than salary.
In fact, more money is rarely the answer for keeping best employees, especially when they feel disengaged.
Published in 1999, a study by Kenneth Kovach of George Mason University compared employees’ ranking of what they wanted from their jobs with what their bosses thought was important to the associates. “Good wages” was fifth for employees after the more important:
- Interesting work – interesting to them not the manager; in my view interesting = a good fit based on M.O. + “meaningful” to the individual
- Appreciation of work – a simple, inexpensive “thank you” may suffice; thank you note, family pack of movie tickets, gift card for lunch to a favorite restaurant, an extra vacation day…
- Feeling “in on things” – knowing what the rest of the organization is up to… breaking down the silos as it were… and, they may surprise you with creative solutions to challenges outside their job descriptions
- Job security – how much more engaged they are when they don’t have to worry about their basic needs?
Again, lessons from the homework assignment… Only when I saw that my son was completely disengaging from the work, did I bother to make changes to how we were working together. In the end, “good job!” praises flowed but was it too late?
I made it up to him with a matinee showing of “Megamind” and Whoppers. It wasn’t too late for us.
Organization leaders and managers take heed: Work now on creating respect, getting the right people in place and training them, then rewarding them with what’s meaningful to them so it’s not too late to keep your best employees from jumping ship.
My Job Sucks: How to Love (Tolerate) the Job You Can’t Afford to Quit…Yet
February 1, 2011
How to Love (ok, Tolerate) the Job You Can’t Afford to Quit… Yet
If you’ve seen the movie “Office Space” you’ll remember the scene where the female coworker overhears the main character, Peter, saying he’s about to lose it because his commute stinks, his bosses are idiots, his work is meaningless and he thinks his girlfriend is cheating on him. “Uh oh…” says the Sally Sunshine coworker. “Sounds like somebody’s got a case of the Mondays.”
Not to be crass but, really, you want to inflict on her exactly what Peter’s neighbor suggests. (Rated R for language; not for little ears.)
Let’s Get Real
In all seriousness, do you have a case of the Mondays? Every day? Do you feel this way at work? Stuck. Wishing for something better. Knowing that there just has to be more to work than TPS reports (again, from “Office Space”).
A few words of encouragement:
- YOU control your professional and career development. Not your boss or the company you work for. It’s up to you to make something positive happen… and YOU CAN DO IT.
- And, a favorite idea from Claire Colvin, Senior Editor for TruthMedia Internet Group, your job does not define you but how you DO it does.
How do you show up at work now? Are you pouting or positive? Do you mope with a little black cloud over your head or do you find something productive to do every day (or at least week) that is in alignment with your career goals and personal brand?
It starts with clearly defining what you want from your career and what you want to be known for (your career vision), then making those opportunities happen for yourself even in — especially in — a job you can’t afford to quit.
Because here’s the best news: It won’t last forever if you are intentional about reaching your career goals. You can start looking for a new job whenever you want. In the meantime, until you find something “better”…
Add Something New
Find … better yet create … an opportunity for yourself at work to shine. To do what YOU do best.
Fact Finders: Find a new or existing project that needs your data-digging strengths. A new research project, a feasibility study, a fact-checking assignment. You naturally need and seek the facts, figures, data to justify and prioritize your work. Volunteer to do what you do best to make sure work the company is doing is worth the investment of time, energy, money. The natural strategist, you’ll make sure what everyone is working on helps move the company toward meeting its business goals.
Follow Thrus: Is there a project that isn’t being managed as effectively as it could? Without ruffling feathers of the current project owners, offer your natural expertise in creating a plan, defining the steps, helping to manage those steps and measuring the results. It’s what you do… you can’t help it. Put your talents to use to help your team or organization complete what they’ve started and measure the outcomes. The natural project manager, you’ll make sure it gets done.
Quick Starts: You’re the natural brainstormer. Are any of your colleagues “stuck” and can’t seem to think what to do to make progress on a project or set of tasks? You are the natural “unsticker.” Offer to brainstorm different solutions with your counterparts to help them work their way out of the paper bag and get moving again. You’ll save them from wasting time in “analysis paralysis.”
Implementors: You strive for quality outcomes, not just band-aid quick-fixes. Jump in and support a project that needs “beta testing” before a full roll out. Run the project through quality tests to ensure the biggest bugs are worked out before the whole team or organization has to implement something new. It’s what you do best! You’ll have your company time, money and other precious resources.
Delegate Something Old
Is there something in your job description that you’ve done a 1000 times and, well, you’re “over it?” Could it be a development opportunity for a junior colleague? A chance for growth for someone else on your team or someone you manage?
Three reasons to delegate it:
- When you delegate a task, activity or project that empowers someone else to put their strengths to work and do what they do best, you’re not only giving them the opportunity to show the team and organization what they’ve got but you’re increasing their level of engagement.
- When you give it away to someone whose natural talent(s) fits the task, that task will be accomplished more productively and efficiently than if you try to complete something that pushes you against your natural modis operandi (M.O.).
- When you give up one thing, you’re freeing yourself to take on more in your role to fit your unique strengths… to do what YOU do best. Please reference “Add Something New.”
Stay Positive
Get rid of the black cloud. And fast. No one likes to work with a Negative Nelly (or Ned). Fake it if you have to for a while. But put on a positive attitude and focus on doing something productive. Especially if you suffer from what I call “workplace depression,” the best cure for on-the-job doldrums is helping someone else accomplish something great. (See #2 on this list of 10 tips for staving off depression.
Tuning In to Your Organization’s Greatest Asset
January 19, 2011
Empowering Employees to [really] Participate in 2011
The idea of “employee engagement” isn’t foreign yet it seems that few organizations give the idea little more than lip service. In a recent Financial Times post, one CEO makes clear the business value of an engaged workforce.
To illustrate his underscoring the bottom-line importance of an engaged workforce, consider this. Think of the potential damage to the brand of and customer loyalty for an organization in which customer service is delivered by disengaged — or worse yet disgruntled — workers who don’t care about the mission or vision much less the product or service or even customers. What will the “customer experience” look like? And in a recession (recovery?) consider how especially detrimental the effects.
Conversely, think of the different experience a customer will have with an organization whose employees are truly “engaged” and not just willing but enthusiastic to participate and be fully present in their jobs. A much prettier picture, non?
Now, is it easy to achieve a fully engaged workforce? Nope. Is it worth it? Well, are higher productivity, increased efficiency, more effective results and higher profits “worth it?”
Focus on Them in 2011
Engaged employees who participate, collaborate and produce results through true teamwork are valued not only for the fact that they are warm bodies completing tasks day in and day out. They valued for what they uniquely bring to the work of the organization, given opportunities to use their brains and participate in tackling real organizational challenges (you did hire them because they were smart, right?) and enthusiastically fulfill their role in pushing the business forward.
Align Employee Strengths with Business Objectives
Managers and leaders select people for what they bring to a role and to the enterprise and for how they personally can help an organization achieve its goals. Then, in too many cases, on day one instantly forget why they’ve hired them… for their natural talents, skills, knowledge, experience… and treat them like minions who must be given direct orders and micromanaged at every step.
The formula is actually quite simple.
- Pinpoint the global organizational goals and objectives.
- Then hire the right people to accomplish those goals, not just for performing mundane minutia.
- Create a clear vision for that role’s importance in meeting the 30,000-foot objectives.
- Guide the employee in contributing her personal best every day.
- Constantly make a clear connection between her individual contribution and the organization’s ability to achieve its strategic objectives.
And it starts with getting not only the right people on the bus, but the right derrieres in the right seats to drive organizational success.
Re-Evaluate Role Fit Enterprise Wide
Organizations preparing for or recovering from downsizing, reorging, “right-sizing”… whatever we call it… tend to reassign roles based on “proximity.” Think about it… a marketing department has been “downsized” and now the golden-girl graphics guru suddenly inherits trade show logistics responsibilities because one of her colleagues who was let go once owned that piece of the marketing pie. “Well, we all have to pitch in now,” is not an uncommon managerial response.
Agreed… but how much more effective the results of the work if we considered first
- Recording and analyzing the strategies and activities necessary to achieve business goals.
- Comparing that to the inventory of employee strengths (see above).
- Inviting employees to participate in defining new roles based on maximizing the talent within the organization (vs. assigning by proximity).
Which methodology – roles according to strengths vs. proximity – will surely result in increase collaboration, higher participation and plain ol’ better business results?
Otherwise, Suffer the Consequences
New claims for unemployment benefits dropped more than expected [in December 2010] to their lowest level in more than two years, suggesting the labor market recovery was gaining strength.
~The Economist, Dec. 30, 2010
In addition, several surveys point to a trend in growing dissatisfaction among American workers. The reality of the job market of the past two years, however, has allowed the “You should just feel lucky to have A job” brand of management to rear its ugly head. However, Employees previously afraid to jump ship are going to turn their attention to the improving job market to find an employer who does value them and their participation.
When they do, say buh-bye to your highest performers and hello to increased personnel costs in selection, hiring and training.
Your Career: Tuning In to Career Success in 2011
January 19, 2011
Whether you seek a new job or want to achieve more in the position you have, ask yourself these questions to tune into everything you offer to an organization in 2011m whether in a current role or with a new company. Then write down the answers to help you articulate the answer to every manager’s toughest question: “What’s in it for me if I hire [promote] YOU?”
Tune in to your own strengths and needs first so it’s easier to articulate the value you bring to the business.
“How do I solve problems, make decisions, take action?”
Because isn’t that what you do all day, every day on the job?
We each have a unique way of doing these things, our M.O., that is hardwired for a lifetime. Unlike skills that can be learned or personality that changes over time, our M.O. is hardwired. And how we use that circuitry is instrumental in career success when we embrace our M.O…. or failure when we try to “do it” someone else’s way.
Start with identifying how you uniquely tackle challenges when they come up at work:
- Look for all the information to help make sound decisions?
- Create order from chaos, creating a work plan, schedule, charting a course for mitigating the challenge?
- Jump in and figure it out as you go?
- Create a “model” of the solution and beta test for quality?
Your way IS the right way… for you. Start with understanding your unique M.O. then sell yourself as the ideal person for the functional role that allows you to operate “in your zone.”
“How do I want to make a difference, a true, positive impact?”
What does meaningful work look like to you? It’s different for everyone. For some it’s the honorable pursuit of finding the cure for cancer. For others it’s closing a sale. Forget what society, the boss, your colleagues, significant others say is the right thing to do and take time to define what “meaningful work” looks like for you. What would make you jump out of bed every morning and think, ” I GET to go do this today!”?
Then focus on finding opportunities to make that kind of difference. Even if it means adding responsibilities to your current role or finding a job that pays a little less in exchange for a purpose. There’s more to a job than just a paycheck!
“What kind of environment brings out my best work?”
And by environment we mean everything from your personal workspace to the people you work with and for. Get intentional about articulating exactly that you need to do your best work.
- Office with a door for quiet focused work?
- Windows and bright colors to give you energy?
- Open space for open collaboration and constant sharing of ideas?
- Being outside?
- A boss who allows you to work from the occasional coffee shop for a change of scenery?
- Colleagues who share your sense of humor? Values?
Understanding this about yourself will help you know to whom to attach yourself politically in your current role, what to ask for in terms of workspace and justify why you need it. It also helps job seekers ask the right questions to know if a new company is a good fit culturally.
Not “Just Another Job Seeker”
October 11, 2010
In my last post I urged job seekers to GET OUT! A good first step to REPOWERING your job search. But once you’re out… then what?
Your actions should be based on this one simple rule:
“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” – John C. Maxwell
And when they know how much you care, you are no longer “just another job seeker.” You’re someone worth telling others about.
RELATIONSHIPS, RELATIONSHIPS, RELATIONSHIPS
Tis true. It’s about much more than just getting out. And while the getting out part is indeed the first step to repowering your search, it’s what you do with the time you spend out there that truly counts.
Once you have made the decision to disconnect from the computer and all the online job boards to attend functions with other live human beings, your goal is to make connections and create mutually beneficial relationships that can help you in life as well as your job search.
Some tips on how.
BE AN EXCELLENT COMMUNICATOR.
Don't be THAT guy.
First rule of excellent communications: LISTEN. When you’re out networking make it your goal to be the best listener in the room. Take notes if you need to to remember key conversations and those with whom you spoke. A quick note on the back of the other person’s business card to remind you of that one critical thought or piece of information will prove valuable when trying to recall who said what.
When it is your turn to talk, you have to be exceptionally clear about what you want, what value you — and only you — offer, and be able to articulate this for others to “get it.” Work on honing that 30-second “elevator” pitch to answer “what’s in it for you or other potential employer if you hire me?” Indeed, why YOU over the job search masses?
ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES.
While listening you’re bound to pick up on other’s needs that you can fulfill. Even if it’s mowing the lawn for the grandma of the CPA you just met… doing the make-up for the Realtor’s 17-year-old daughter for the big Homecoming dance… teaching an entrepreneur QuickBooks to create a more efficient billing process… Introducing another job seeker to one of your contacts who might help them… The point is listen and find something you can contribute to making the other person’s life a little easier. And if you can fill a need that aligns with the work you are looking for, all the better.
BE THE EXPERT.
Give presentations to local groups. Blog. Post and answer questions on LinkedIn. Rally groups on LinkedIn. All around a topic related to the work you want to do. Tweet about news-worthy industry trends. The more you show you know what you’re talking about, the better. This is especially true when you are trying to make a career transition into a new role or field in which you may not have the most experience of all possible candidates. Just be aware of how you come across. Strive always to provide information that is practical, applicable, useful. Not to puff up your own chest.
CREATE CHAMPIONS.
All this work will pay off as you create “brand champions” for YOUR personal brand. You become “referrable” as a job seeker. Your resume becomes “forwardable” because they like you and want to help. Remember, we all do business with (and hire) those we know, like and trust. Work to establish the relationships and position yourself as the “go to” gal or guy for the work you want to do, and you’ll have people touting you when you’re not even looking.
STAY AUTHENTIC.
The trick here is to be the expert, the one worth referring with personality. When you show a little of who you really are while imparting information your “audiences” can’t live without, you endear yourself in an emotional way. Think Marketing 101: it’s about engaging people on a personal, emotional level so they’ll trust and appreciate the information.
And let’s face it, no job — unless you are truly desperate financially — is worth checking your personality, your strengths and natural talents, your instincts at the door. Can you do it? Sure. I worked for 15 years in a career path that was all wrong both from a functional mismatch standpoint (my strengths were not what the job required) and the cultures I was in didn’t appreciate my goofball personality.
I’d would be happy to share my story in more detail to help underscore the all-importance of this: Stay authentic. No matter what.
4 Reasons You’re Still Un- (Under-) Employed (And What to Do About Them)
August 31, 2010
Discussions on one of the many LinkedIn groups dedicated to connecting job seekers and those in career transition are changing tone as it’s taking some job seekers longer than expected to land in their next position.
One in particular asks, “Job searching without success?” The reasons given by job seekers for being overlooked and remaining un-(and under-) employed are many but a few clear themes stand out. Here’s what they’re saying… and what to do about it… starting with your resume.
“I’m Not Getting Called for Interviews.”
IYRS… It’s your RESUME, silly. The sole purpose of your resume is to ensure you survive the automated keyword search, make it past the HR department screeners, land on the hiring manager’s desk and have her think, “WOW… I HAVE to call this one in for the interview.” Then, of course, the trick is to impress the hell out of ‘em in person.
If your resume reads like a job description of your current and past positions, you’re sunk. Likely the 100s (if not 1000s) of other applicants applying for the exact same position can claim the same experience in the same tasks. Sorry, but it’s true. What the potential employer actually cares about is whether or not you can produce results. Specifically results that will make or same her money. Demonstrate the VALUE you will bring to the next job by articulating results you’ve produced in the past while a showing a bit of your personality to help them understand if you’re a good cultural fit.
[Stay tuned for a follow-up post outlining How to Avoid 3 Big Resume Mistakes.]
“I’m Too Old.”
Ageism is alive and well in this economy despite what all my HR friends are saying. I know too many Boomer s(and older) seekers who complain about being overlooked. So, unless the dates of your education are recent and important (you just received your PhD in Organizational Leadership, your MBA in Marketing or your BS in Information Systems), leave dates off that point to your age or a professional career that is more than 20 years old. Same goes for certifications and awards. List them, leave off the dates.
“I’m Overqualified.”
Position your experience as a Unique Value Proposition to the employer. Show them that you can produce results the day you step foot in the door and connect those results to their future success.
You also do not need to give the history of your professional life back to the first job in high school, college or post-graduation. Dedicate the precious real estate on your resume and LinkedIn profile to the MOST RELEVANT experience. And, yes, it’s OK to tone down your past job titles. I know many a returning-to-corporate-American entrepreneur who list themselves as “Director of Business Development” or “Operations Manager” in companies they’ve owned.
“I’ve Had Too Many Jobs.”
Job hopping is somewhat expected for Gen X- and Yers though Boomer hiring managers still roll their eyes if you haven’t managed to stay in one position for more than 2 years. Minimize the appearance of job hopping on your resume by eliminating the months and taking out any insignificant positions you were in for only a fews months especially when that position has no relevance to the position you’re going for.
Try It And…
Report back. If making these simple changes continue not to get you noticed, I want to know so we can delve deeper and get you The Job, not just another paycheck. ASAP.
Career Tips from Phineas & Ferb
July 24, 2010
In a recent episode of my family’s new favorite show, step-brothers Phineas & Ferb learn about reverse engineering, defined by the host of the “Uncovery Channel” show they’re watching as the process of closely examining [an object] and its individual parts to figure out “what do it do?” and “how it do what it do?”.
Eureka! Career tips from a Disney cartoon! (A stretch that perhaps only a mom of a 6-year-old who happens to be a career coach can finagle.)
Let me connect some dots…
“WHAT HAVE I DONE?”
We’ve all done it at one time when looking for a job. Open the job board (or, showing my age, opening the Sunday paper looooong ago) and start with a keyword search, maybe. Marketing, IT, sales… See something of interest (for God only knows what reason at that particular moment) and think, “I could do that.”
In a land far far away, a long long time ago it may have gone something like this…
We do the resume to fit that job perfectly and get the interview. We tell them everything they want to hear and by week’s end we have the offer. We start the next Monday and within the first 90 days we awake one Monday morning, sweating uncontrollably over some unnamed source of stress and suddenly it hits us, “What have I DONE? This job isn’t ME!” But we stick it out and promise ourselves we’ll stay two years so we don’t look like a job-hopper on our resumes. Then…
“HOW DID I GET HERE?”
15 years later we wake up one day after chasing jobs and promotions in the same area because those are the skills we have now and say to ourselves, “How did I get HERE? This job isn’t ME!” Ah if we’d only trusted our gut earlier…
[Do you hear the voice of experience in this story? <ahem>]
Where did we go wrong?
CAREER REVERSE ENGINEERING
For starters, we did the job search backwards. Sure it may be the somewhat conventional way job seekers do what they do. But it’s certainly backwards from a job satisfaction point of view.
So I offer this: Instead of starting with what’s out there, the most successful job-seekers-turned-happily-employed start with what’s inside themselves.
Career reverse engineering is the best way to kick off a job search that results in finding that ideal position… the role that will bring the new employee a higher measure of self-worth and <gasp> joy. Yes, it IS ok to actually be HAPPY AT WORK.
5 STEPS & ACTION TIPS
To reverse engineer your own ideal career to jumpstart your search for the next job on that path, it starts with a close examination of YOU. To understand “what do it do” when the it is you.
1) Pay Attention to Your Energy Level
We are each uniquely programmed, if you will, to do something (maybe several things) really well. Those tasks that give us energy — versus deplete it — give us clues about what we are hardwired to do better than anyone else.
PUT IT INTO ACTION: Pay attention for a full week at work or think of your most recent position and it’s daily requirements. Make a list of the energizing activities from each day. Do you see any trends? Categorize these tasks into 3-5 themes. You now have a starting place for your ideal duties and responsibilities on the job.
2) Separate Strengths from Skills
You learn skills. You’re born with certain inalienable strengths. Ignore them at your own peril! [Again, voice of experience here.] Conventional development plans insist, “Work on your weaknesses to improve the things in which you do not already excel.” Really? “Fixing your weaknesses” or “maximizing your strengths,” that is getting better at those things at which you’re already naturally good. Where’s the better return on investment?
PUT IT INTO ACTION: We are our own worst critics, aren’t we? Especially when it comes to valuing what we do best. Ask friends, family, coworkers and others in your circles to write down 5 things they appreciate about how you operate. You may be surprised when you see the words they use. “Really? But that’s just what I do.” Exactly. Now, how do you get to do “that’s just what you do” in your job every day?
3) Stick to Your Core Values
One of the worst things that can happen in an economy such as we’re in now is that we lose sight of what’s most important to us when we get desperate for a paycheck. Might there be compromises along the way? I’m not so Pollyanna to think we might have to give up a few perks to make sure there’s food on the table. But beware sacrificing the principles that are woven into the fabric of your very being.
PUT IT INTO ACTION: This article includes a list of common personal values. Cross out the ones that are unimportant to you. Next, try to narrow the remaining values to 10. Now, take an even closer look. Can you settle on the top 5? How about 3? If these 3-5 values are not shared or at least respected by a potential employer, is it worth taking a position knowing you’ll be compromising what you hold most dear?
4) Articulate Your “Why”
Highest job satisfaction happens when we feel that we’re making an impact, when we care about the work and its outcomes. It’s about finding what is personally meaningful. So, what is it that will elicit, “I get to go to work today!” when the alarm goes off each morning?
PUT IT INTO ACTION: Just for fun, imagine you’ve won the lottery. And I mean the never-have-to-work-another-day jackpot. You no longer need a job for financial security. What do you have to do anyway? What do you care enough about that you will invest your time to see it through? Call it passion, cause, mission… This is your work.
5) Outline Your Success Factors
PUT IT INTO ACTION: Think on these things that can directly impact your professional and personal career success. What do you know you need to be truly successful? What does your physical space look like? Who are you teammates? What kind of leadership support do you need? How are you managed? How do you manage your direct reports? What’s the ideal culture that will bring out your personal best?
OTHER RESOURCES
It’s challenging to try to uncover and articulate our own strengths. One of my favorite resources that can help you do just this is StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath. All major book stores are likely to carry it. For about $20 you can purchase the book and take the online SF 2.0 assessment that will help you pinpoint natural talents that when practiced, developed and put to good use become true strengths.
Here’s to getting to do what you do best… every day!
MEET PHINEAS & FERB
The quickest summary: P&F, as it’s now known at the Masse home, is about step-brothers who, as a means to beat Dog Days boredom, devise outrageous activities throughout their summer vacation… like building a large-scale roller coaster throughout their hometown of “Danville,” opening a fine dining restaurant in their backyard and other mega shenanigans. Trust me, it’s way more hilarious than I’m portraying here, I swear.
The short relevant clip is from 1:15-1:40 but by all means watch more…
DISCLAIMER: I take no responsibility if you too get hooked. Enjoy!
10 Commandments of Personal Branding
June 22, 2010
If “branding” for a company refers to how it differentiates itself as well as its products and services from the competition by articulating its unique selling proposition (USP), then what is this business of “personal branding” all about? You’ve no doubt heard the term and I hope to provide clarity around its meaning and, more importantly, about why you should care.
What Is A Brand?
A brand is so much more than your logo, your signage, your tagline. A brand is a promise… It is the promise put forth by a company, product, service or individual to key stakeholders as to what they can expect from said company, product, service or individual. In short, it’s the sum of all experiences a “consumer” has with the entity that produces the emotional and psychological relationships between the entity and its “consumers.”
So, that said…
Do You Have a “Personal Brand?”
The answer is always yes. Whether you have been intentional or not about creating it, you do have a brand. You have a reputation, something or several that you are known for whether you want to be known for them or not.
The key to effective personal branding is to be intentional. You must know who you are, what you stand for, what value you offer then demonstrate that promise to the world.
And as with company, product and service brands, your personal brand is best built on your UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION (UVP). That is, the unique value only you bring to any situation — on the job, in volunteer capacities, at home — that no one else can offer. What place do you own in the minds of your key “stakeholders?” What do you want to be known for? What promise do you make to your “consumers?”
Your UVP
You add the most value when you are true to what you do best: your innate strengths, your natural talents, your unique instincts that make you YOU.
Once you understand these things about yourself and are ready to embrace them fully and shout your UVP from the mountain tops, the next step is to demonstrate that you are in fact already that person.
For a business owner, your UVP to your customers might be that you are easy to do business with, especially compared to your competitors.
For a leader or manager, consider creating your UVP for your employees as one who empowers your people to focus on their strengths to add the most value to bottom line results.
For an employee, your UVP ought to be that you are The One to turn to for those things you do better than anyone else on the team.
For a career changer 0r job seeker, focus your UVP on the value you will bring to a potential employer by doing what you do best naturally. It’s just what you do and you’re really good at it!
So What?
Why care about personal branding? In this day and age of faster-than-the-speed-of-light, reputation-demonlishing social media (did you hear about the fake BP Twitter account?), you have to own and manager your brand as fervently as you would your teenage daughter’s reputation. Seriously. Because if you aren’t intentional about it yourself, someone else will undoubtedly manage your personal brand for you. Why leave it to chance?
Here are some ideas on “how to.”
10 Commandments of Personal Branding
10. Own Your Brand
Be intentional about developing your personal brand or others will create it for you.
9. Be Consistent
Facebook or face-to-face, send the same message.
8. Appearance Matters
Don’t dress for the position you have. Dress for the position you strive for. Same goes online, too.
7. Stand For Something
The most memorable brands have a point of view. What’s yours?
6. Stay Focused
Act in alignment with your values and your
ultimate vision and goals.
5. Do Unto Others
Do for others that which you want them to do for you. You go first.
4. Create Brand Champions
Equip your network to advocate for your brand.
3. Keep It Personal
Face-time and other personal touches earn the most points and show you care.
2. Don’t Tell. Do.
Demonstrate your brand in your words and actions. Walk the talk.
And the #1 Commandment…Authenticity. Authenticity. Authenticity.
Be true to YOU: your strengths, your values, and the value only you can add.
And Just for Levity
And in all this, just remember not to take yourself too seriously either. Oy.
What Do You REALLY Want to Be When You Grow Up?
May 26, 2010
If you’re anything at all like me, you grew up in a time when parents told offspring either…
“Success is all about hard work. Work hard and you’ll go as far as you want.” Or… “You can be anything you want to be, dear, if you only put your mind to it.”
The fact is, to be truly satisfied, engaged and content (even happy!) with your career:
- Start with YOU and your goals.
- Intentionally design The 3 Elements of Your Ideal Career your “must-haves” are less likely to fall through the cracks.
- Take your unique 3 Elements for a test-drive to make sure they fit as designed. Tweak if not until you get it just right.
- Call on an expert career professional to help you think outside the job title box.
Reality Or…
To those parents I now say with all due respect and several years of confidence-building experience: HOGWASH.
Ballerina was never on my list of careers to pursue but it was fun when I was 4.
Growing up as a people-pleaser, comments like these did absolutely nothing to help me identify my talents, pinpoint my strengths and help me find ways to take my innate abilities for a test-drive in order to find my fit in the world of working professionals.
Quite the opposite infact: I was confused, left hanging and wondering if I was good at anything at all. So as the people-pleaser I started to think of vocation possibilities based on what those around me did themselves or thought I should do.
Accounting! Sure. My father was a numbers person as a financial planner. I could do accounting, just like several of my cousins. I loved playing on the now-considered-behemoth adding machine on his office desk. That was it: accounting. Until I saw my first manual cost accounting “spreadsheet.” Run!
Next: Teaching! Why didn’t I think of it before? My mother was a preschool teacher and became a middle school and high school English teacher later. My father had been a high school vocal music instructor prior to the financial planning shift. My grandfather devoted his entire career to academia eventually becoming a high school principal. Of course: teaching! It was in my blood! Then I reached my rebellious teen years and wanted nothing to do with any career path previously cleared by my elders.
Flight Attendant! That was surely it! Oh the adventure! The glamorous lifestyle! Yet, these first thoughts of pursuing a selfish desire (to travel… as far away from not-terribly-exotic Oklahoma as possible) was also short lived.
Finding — or better yet Designing — Your Sweet Spot
It wasn’t until I truly allowed myself to focus on where I knew I excelled (or could), on what I was passionate about and on what kind of place would bring out my best that I was able to be intentional about what I really wanted in my career.
Now I know. To be truly satisfied in a career, it must be comprised of exactly those three elements above and a somewhat selfish perspective. Before you start looking for a new house, for example, you make a list of “must haves” and “nice to haves.” Same with a new car, yes? Treat your career plan or job search no differently.
It has to start with YOU and your goals.
Get intentional about first carefully understanding what constitutes the three key elements of your ideal role, at the intersection of which you’ll find the sweet spot: your ideal career.
3 Elements of Your Ideal Career
Whether you are a highly motivated job seeker looking for a new position or a gainfully employed professional looking for the “next opportunity” internally, consider these three elements when asking yourself, “What do I really want to do?”
3 Elements of Your Ideal Career
3 Elements of Your Ideal Career
FUNCTION
This is the what you do piece. The tasks and activities you’re responsible for completing, the role you play, the duties and responsibilities in the job description. Marry your unique MO – how you naturally do the things you do – and your strengths with a role that needs those talents to accomplish the job most effectively and you have a match that allows you to do what you do best every day.
For example, if you are a gregarious brainstorming type who adapts every documented process to address the needs of the current situation and who thrives on experimenting with new ideas to see if they work… perhaps a role in direct marketing planning and analysis isn’t for you. (That was me, by the way. For the first 15+ years of my professional life.) No, no, leave that job to a systematic planner who decides, through strategic data analysis, what is feasible to try then carefully measures the results to gauge success and gather information on how to do it better next time. (Thank goodness for me there are people out there like this!)
PASSION
The why you do what you do piece. What difference do you want to make? What impact? What will be your legacy? What would make you excited to get out of bed every morning to work on and invest 8+ hours a day?
I’m not necessarily talking about finding the cure for cancer or saving the whales here. Unless that’s truly your thing. I’m talking about what you feel is important… what is meaningful to you. Just because your father wanted to fill the world with song doesn’t mean that’s what would make you race into the shower after turning off the alarm every morning. When you can work toward making a difference in some area that you feel strongly about, you will apply what you do best every day to something that matters.
ENVIRONMENT
The where you do what you do best piece. What does the “place” look like that will allow you to do your best work? Bright, open shared space? Private office? Your car? Outside? What is the culture/core values of the organization? Who are your colleagues (if any) and what are their attitudes, beliefs, work ethic? What are the ideal benefits and compensation?
From the physical space to the intangibles like values and benefits, outlining the characteristics of the right environment is just as important as what you do and why you do it in order to find — or design — the exact right fit for YOU.
3 Ways to Put These Ideas Into Action
1. Look back to past (or current) roles. At work. At home. In volunteer capacities. Pick one or two and list all the tasks for which you were responsible. As many as you can think of. From reading e-mails to project management to strategic planning. Then rank how you felt doing them 1-4:
1=LOVE IT! I love doing this and know I’m adding value! I could do this all day!
2=Good. I feel good about being productive and the work is essential to getting the job done.
3=Eh. A necessary evil. I could live without it but I know it has to be done.
4=HATE IT! Please don’t make me.
Those activities you ranked 1 are must-haves in your next career adventure and deal-breakers if they aren’t part of the job. The 2s are likely keepers. The 3s, well, we all have tasks that have to be done that may not be a favorite activity so which of these can you stand to do once in a while. That is compared to the 4s that drain you of energy and motivation. Are your 4s non-negotiables for your next position?
2. Ask yourself this question and write down all the answers you come up with: If I won the lottery tomorrow (and I’m talking the never-have-to-work-another-day prize), what would you do anyway? What is important enough to you that you would continue to work at it even though your financial security was no longer at stake? Now, go volunteer in some of these capacities to see if it’s worth pursuing as a vocation.
3. Remember your values. Write down the most important ideas about how you want to live your life and what you want people know about you. Write it down, post it where you’ll see it every day, and remind yourself that the new environment you will work in will respect and support these values.
“But I’m Stuck…!”
If your roof is blown off in a hurricane you would call a roofer to fix it, right? If your books are complicated, you would hire a CPA wouldn’t you? Need to build a bridge, hire an engineer to design it. You can also avoid costly career mistakes by getting help up front. It really isn’t as easy at 1-2-3 unless you’ve known since you were 5 that you wanted to be a prosecuting attorney cleaning up the mean streets of your hometown or until you’ve invested time for serious thought on all three elements with the help of someone who can hold up the mirror for you.
MPOWER can help. If you’re feeling stuck (either in your job search or in your current job), use me as a resource. Let’s schedule time to talk.
Lessons from the PICU
January 5, 2010
AJ & Dr. Jon who was instrumental in saving AJ's life
My son came home with a runny nose and scratchy throat on a Friday in late September. After two trips to the ER over the weekend, he was admitted to The Children’s Hospital in Denver on Monday, and by Wednesday morning he was on life support (heart-lung bypass and a ventilator) with multi-system organ failure. All from severe complications caused by H1N1. It wasn’t until we were through the worst part of the crisis that my husband and I realized (or allowed ourselves to consider) just how close we were to losing him.
Fast forward to today: AJ is a healthy, normal, funny and often schizophrenic now-6-year-old. In fact if you didn’t know our story, you would be hard-pressed to believe it when see him now.
A few simple but hopefully provoking ideas have shaped my experience over the past three plus months. I hope that what I learned through near personal tragedy provides some inspiration and offers perspective on the truly important things on which to focus in 2010.
