Your Talent Is Your Brand, So Why Do So Many Treat Talent So Badly?

A friend of mine posted this blurb on Facebook from an audio book he was listening to (note: I don’t know the name of said audio book):

Numerous studies have shown us that those given authority are more likely to lie, cheat and steal, while also being harsher in their judgments of others for doing these same things. Science tells us people with power feel less compassion for the suffering of others.

Previous experiments also show us that those who are obedient to authority are capable of the worst forms of murder, and tolerant of the worst forms of abuse. They will even chastise those of us who resist corrupt authority. They become facilitators of evil, believing that obedience to authority absolves them of personal responsibility. “

Why do we REALLY promote people?

This blurb above is an explanation of today’s cesspool management and hierarchy that permanently resides in many companies.

Although we speak very seriously and regularly about the importance of leadership development as HR practitioners, the truth is very rarely are managers chosen with care. In fact, I have personally observed companies who promote people to management or leadership roles based on their ability to be obedient and play the game.

What happens is the road to leadership then becomes a chess match played by cheaters. The rules are not static, but changed on an as-needed basis to suit the players.

People like myself and my colleagues never stand a chance in being promoted or even surviving as an employee, because we live and work by a code of conduct. The code of conduct isn’t some arbitrary manifesto we write down to make people believe we are responsible, discerning, fair individuals; but a construct that guides our work and how we treat others in and out of business.

When we say that employees don’t leave jobs they leave bosses, we really mean they leave regimes. Within the walls of some of your most beloved brands and products lies a regime that takes pride in beating its talent to a pulp daily with unkind words, unreasonable expectations, and in some cases bullying — just because they can.

Turnover and toxic environments

Recently, I read an article about the CEO of a company I used to work for. The author interviewed him about how he runs this large conglomerate, and of course, highlighted all of the philanthropic work he does for the community.

Great article, nice man, toxic company.

It’s his job to speak highly of his business, but what I know after working there in HR is that the leadership, from HR to the actual facilities (in many cases), are toxic, and a good three-quarters of the employees are disgusted but remain there out of necessity.

Turnover is directly linked to these toxic environments.

The age of obedience and subservience is dead. People want meaningful work and positive work environments. If they remain in your employ, it is purely out of necessity.

Necessity breeds a paycheck — which also means that they couldn’t care less about the success of the company.

It’s time to deal with the jerks

I’m not sure when it became cool to lead from a place of pure malice and fear, but it needs to stop. If the ultimate goal of talent management is to retain the right talent in organizations, it’s time we (HR and everyone else) took personal responsibility to be ethical, fair, equitable, and provide a workplace free of toxic leadership.

That may mean getting rid of a manager that has high turnover even in light of his or her considerable contributions to the company. It could also mean reprimanding a manager for being a jerk, even if he or she is your happy hour cohort.

A lack of personal responsibility, the inability to tell and own the truth, as well as unethical behavior, are among the many reasons why your turnover may be high.

Pay attention to your workforce. Don’t look the other way and cover your ears when it matters the most.

Needed: a little respect and humility

Your talent is your brand. Treat them with the same respect and humility you would want for yourself.

via Your Talent Is Your Brand, So Why Do So Many Treat Talent So Badly?.

Your Talent Is Your Brand, So Why Do So Many Treat Talent So Badly?

Looks Can Be Convincing: To Get Promoted, Just Appear Competent

If you’re confident enough, new research suggests, people will think you’re right.

In a perfect–or at least more rational world–the most qualified people would rise fastest. But new research suggests that just appearing to be competent is as important to getting ahead.

How so? Think about why brainstorming has a loudmouth problem: The person with the best ideas isn’t the one who gets heard most. Rather, it’s the most assertive person–unless you find a way to correct it. Since business is done by people, and people aren’t always totally rational, some irrational things happen. Like deferring to the most confident person in the room and allowing a power dynamic to develop from there.

if you’re confident when you join a group, you’ll be more assertive when you first start talking. As a result, you’ll look more able to everybody–and thus take the top spot in the freshly formed pecking order.

That is according to the work of Gavin Kilduff and Adam Galinsky. As a blogger at the Association for Psychological Science said recently, the New York University and Columbia Business School professors thought that the feelings people had upon entering group would shape their long-term status in that group.

Why? Because, they hypothesized, if you’re confident when you join a group, you’ll be more assertive when you first start talking. As a result, you’ll look more able to everybody–and thus take top spot in the freshly formed pecking order.

How you feel today; how far you’ll go tomorrow

Kilduff and Galinsky conducted a series of experiments to test their hypothesis that the psychological state you enter a group with determines the status you’ll have in that group later.

In the first experiment, subjects were split into three groups. Each was asked to write a few paragraphs about themselves:

Group 1 had a “promotion-focused” condition: They wrote about their aspirations and ambition.

Group 2 had a “prevention-focused” condition: They wrote about their duties and obligations.

Group 3 had a “neutral” condition: They wrote about their commute to campus.

Then, having been primed with these short reflections, they assembled into groups of three and were asked to create a hypothetical startup company, ranking the importance of 13 items, such as company name, industry contacts, and the like, in 20 minutes.

After the brainstorming, subjects reported how much they respected and admired their teammates and how much influence each had over decisions, as well their own and their teams’ initiative.

As was predicted, the promotion-primed people were more assertive and better regraded than the folks who reflected on their duties or commutes.

But even more startling, Kilduff and Galinsky continued research that showed how those initial interactions set up long-term dynamics. As the Association for Psychological Science blogger wrote:

In the follow-up studies, (the authors) found that feeling powerful or happy when you entered a group not only led to immediate increases in status, but that this effect endured over subsequent group meetings, long after the writing task would have receded. Why? The person entering into the group, having just been primed with power, acted more assertively in the first few minutes, according to video tape coding. This set up patterns of communication that persist in the future. That early assertiveness becomes self-reinforcing within the group.

What’s the lesson here? First, that, yes, people aren’t totally rational. (Tip: If you’re interviewing for a job, make it a breakfast meeting.) Second, our emotions affect our behaviors and interactions with others. Third, introspection primes our emotions.

So if you have something difficult coming up–such as joining a new team–you can get yourself ready with the right kind of reflection.

via Looks Can Be Convincing: To Get Promoted, Just Appear Competent | Fast Company | Business + Innovation.

Looks Can Be Convincing: To Get Promoted, Just Appear Competent

6 Ways To Immediately Get Noticed At Work Without Self-Promotion

As the government shutdown enters another week, our political leaders are getting noticed for all the wrong reasons.  They are taking stands that seem more about self-promotion and their own political careers, instead of doing what it takes for the betterment of a healthier whole – the nation and the American people.

If you managed your career this way, you wouldn’t get far either.  Advancing your career in today’s new workplace  means embracing an approach that is less about you and more about others.   This may seem too idealistic at a time when most people are operating in survival mode and doing just the opposite – thinking less about others and more  about themselves.   Employees want to get noticed and take control of their careers.   In a workplace that requires you to do  much more with fewer resources, employees are having trouble earning the respect they seek and deserve.  They are growing tired of  corporate lip service and want their supervisors to start recognizing the merit of their work and overall contributions.

Getting noticed at work has been a topic that has been debated for years.   Many believe that self-promotion gives you a leg-up while others are convinced that getting discovered is a  more organic process.   Self-promotion may allow you to get a seat at the table faster, but the odds of sustainable career advancement are much lower today than in the past.  Why?  People that have to sell themselves too aggressively are often times unprepared when the opportunity presents itself.    They are impatient and seek to cut corners.   They lack the real confidence it requires to consistently be significant; therefore they spend too much time putting on a facade.  Besides, it’s  difficult to trust the intentions of those employees that are focused more  on themselves than others.    This is one of many reasons why so many senior executives find it difficult to sponsor employees.

Getting noticed requires leadership  with wide-angle vision to connect the dots  and create maximum workplace impact.  It requires teamwork in the new workplace that unites, empowers and inspires others for the betterment of a healthier whole. It’s about having each other’s backs and everyone’s best interests at heart.

Employees need to have better balance between the head and the heart.   It’s not just about your ability to be a potent pioneer and/or disruptor to get noticed.   You must be more mindful of how to use these unique qualities to lift and lead those around you  so they can better themselves and find ways to enable their full potential.    Stop trying to be the only star of the show and   show others how they too can be the main attraction.

The great difference between the recognized man and the respected man is the difference of the head and heart. The recognized man appeals to the head where things are easily forgotten. The respected man captivates the heart.  And the heart does not forget.

Collaborative leadership is in demand.  You can never be successful alone.  Someone else or a group of people had to support you and help enable  the opportunities you were trying to create.

Success comes most to those who are surrounded by people who want their success to continue.    

As you reflect upon your career goals and how to be a more effective leader, here are six ways to immediately get noticed at work without self-promotion.

1.  Be a Silent Influencer

The workplace is divided into two primary groups:  the loud disorganized/disenfranchised and the silent influencers.   Notice how the silent influencers  are the ones that people are most curious about.  They are the ones that are invited to be a part of the most important projects and rarely participate in group activities were the loud disorganized people are involved.

The silent influencer  has nothing in common with the recognition addict.   They are the ones that possess  quiet confidence yet speak up often enough to make their voices heard and have tremendous impact while doing it.   The silent influencer has the executive presence that most employees long for.  They are quick to see and seize opportunity, yet don’t flaunt  their success as they move onto the next one.

Being a silent influencer is a great way to get noticed.  You keep people wondering what you’re up to and curious about  getting into your circle.  When you are a silent influencer, you don’t allow the noise to disrupt your momentum.

2.  Do More Than Your Job Description

Always look around, beyond and beneath the opportunities that you seek.   Those that get noticed at work are those who approach each day with wide-angle vision.  They see through a lens that extends well beyond their job description.    Employees that know how to get noticed quickly have mastered the ability to maximize the value of their workplace dot and are continuously looking for ways to expand their sphere of influence throughout the organization.

The most effective way to expand your sphere of influence is  by becoming proficient at helping others do their job.  This will require you to know their job description and core responsibilities.

Expanding your influence is about not only doing your job, but helping everyone else do theirs.

3.  Help Your Colleagues Succeed

One of the most powerful and rarely discussed success factors to employ in your career is the ability to share the momentum that you are building with others.   Helping your colleagues succeed is a sign of self-confidence, self-trust, teamwork and collaborative leadership.

My career success has been a direct result of helping others become successful.   I’ve learned throughout my career that the more opportunities you create for others, the more the door will open for you.   This is why networking and knowing how to align yourself with the right people is so critically important throughout your career.

When the organization you serve witnesses your genuine desire to help your colleagues succeed, you will immediately get noticed.   I am not referring to  only mentoring someone – but having a strong working relationship with colleagues where you are constantly guiding them and providing them the hands-on wisdom to help them see their successes all the way through to the end.   You can further accelerate your ability to get noticed when the person or people you are helping are not within your department and/or functional area.

It’s also important to note that while your intentions to help others succeed is genuine and true – equally be passionate about learning from those whom you are helping.  People want to know that your intentions  are to build mutually rewarding relationships where everyone wins.

4.  Don’t Get Caught Up In the Political

Being in the know is more about staying focused on your ability to generate results while creating impact and influence in your work – rather than getting caught-up in the political weeds at work.    Stay away from the politics and keep yourself and your colleagues focused on growth, innovation and opportunity.   Too many employees that want to get noticed believe that getting  involved  in corporate politics will give them a leg-up.    It doesn’t hurt to be aware of the political weeds and those who seem to be the ones that are harvesting trouble – so that you don’t get trapped in the weeds or by the people watering them.

Stay far away from the underground conversations because you never know when you may get associated with the negative dynamics (even if you are not involved).   If you don’t, you run the risk of creating a negative image for yourself that may steer you away from the influencers and thus you will find your career in a continuous holding pattern.

5.  Constructive Conflict

Playing it too safe at work will make it more difficult to get noticed.   If you are looking to advance in your career and develop as a leader, it is imperative that you continuously test your ideas and ideals.  You need to know how your talents best fit within the organization.    It’s healthy to challenge the old ways of doing things – with the intention of making things better, creating new ways of generating results and improving everyone’s performance.

Constructive conflict is being mindful enough to challenge the status quo respectfully and to do it in a manner that assures your colleagues and the organization don’t grow complacent.   Many times a workplace culture becomes too self-satisfied – especially when the company is making money.   Regardless of the environment, constructive conflict allows you to get noticed because you are being courageous enough to “shake things up” and test new ways of helping the organization grow and compete.

6.  Be Yourself

This is the most important way to get noticed immediately – yet the one that most people still haven’t quite figured out.   When you can be your most authentic self, you are able to deliver your full potential at work each and every day.   It allows you to do steps 1-5 seamlessly and have fun at work again.   When you are having fun, you give permission for others to have fun too.  Your energy becomes contagious; your leadership and work ethic become valued and respected.

You don’t need to self-promote  to get noticed.  It’s unnecessary to accelerate the advancement of your career.  The trick is to know how you best fit within the organization and to trust yourself enough to go for it!   You don’t need to be perfect – you just need to be really good consistently.   Once you have figured out how to navigate the changing terrain, you will be on your way.  Pace yourself, observe, learn, deliver results and make sure that the organization keeps winning.    You will rise and get noticed immediately.

via 6 Ways To Immediately Get Noticed At Work Without Self-Promotion – Forbes.

6 Ways To Immediately Get Noticed At Work Without Self-Promotion

The 7 Types Of People Who Never Succeed At Work

There are an endless amount of characters in the workplace.

There’s the lady you find in the break room, always on a diet and commenting on your weight (God help you if you are proportionate, she will eat you alive). The guy who shows off way too many baby pictures of his not-that-cute-kid. The girl who stays in her office with the door shut, even during fire drills. And the dreaded over-talker who never gets the hint (which might explain why that one girl stays in her office).

We all play roles in our workplaces, many of which are unique to only our office. But there’s a standard cast of characters as well. You can find varieties of them anywhere you go, but they all share the same skill sets. They are the ones who will succeed and the ones who will fail.

In lieu of filling you with fluffy “this is what a successful person looks like” talk, I thought I’d take the opposite route. The following is a list of people who stand out for all the wrong reasons. Fair warning: If you don’t know who this person is at your office, it might be you.

The Gullible One.

If I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that you should never believe everything a company says. Don’t believe them when they say they don’t expect layoffs (the mere mention of that word suggests they’re on the way). Don’t believe that they’ve offered you the highest salary they can. Don’t believe them when they say they can’t negotiate your raise. And definitely don’t believe them when they say “this year has been really bad, but next year you’re going to get hooked up on that promotion you want!”

When a boss, HR rep or recruiter (or anyone playing a role in your career and financial success) states something that makes you tilt your head to the side and think “huh…that seems sketch,” don’t just accept it.

As I’ve said before, the car dealer will act like he can’t budge on a number. But if you stand up and start walking to the door he’ll automatically find a discount for you. Companies are in it for the bottom line even when they’re negotiating things with their employees. They want to encourage you to stick around while also finding a way to save money. And it saves them money to give you a smaller raise, to skip a round of promotions, to make you work through Christmas. Don’t fall for it.

The Groupthinker.

Groupthink is a psychological problem that runs rampant in workplaces. Even more if you’ve got a large population of “longtermers” in a corporation. Groupthink is why technology isn’t updated, why policies are outdated, why there’s no new blood (or ideas) on a team, why you hear the sentence “you can’t do that, that’s not how we’ve always done it!”

It’s easy to spot these people, especially if you’re new to a company. They sit in clumps together and they make bizarre statements in meetings, they do the same things every day and they complain when their life is disrupted by something (or someone) new.

If you fight against a mass of groupthinkers, you run a high risk of failure, persecution, derailment and tons of frustration. But if you engage and join them, you will become stupid and possibly unmarketable for your next career jump. Take your pick.

The Fearful One.

People do ridiculous things when they’re scared. Just ask anyone who’s died in a horror movie (I mean, who drops the phone and runs up the stairs?!).

Fearful people will cause you serious amounts of trouble at work. If they’re scared of getting fired, they will find a way to point a finger at you. If their project is failing, they will suggest your role was to blame. Drowning people will grab whatever they can to keep their head above water. Don’t stand too close and become that object.

And don’t become the drowning person. If you ever feel worried about something at work, you sense something bad coming your way or you screw up big time, avoid the fear by taking some action. Talk to someone, your boss, your mentor or a peer to get information that will quell your fears. Or fess up and find out immediately what repercussions are headed your way for the screw-up so you’re not worried about the unknowns. Do whatever you need to do in order to avoid becoming the fearful one.

Apathetic Guy.

The other day, a friend of mine posted a message on Facebook FB -1.56% stating her frustration that people keep calling her upcoming maternity leave a “vacation.” She mentioned a litany of things that have to be done while you’re on maternity leave (none of it sounded remotely vacation’ish). She referenced this because she felt judged and persecuted for her decision to take the time off.

Consider now the single person. If you haven’t been in this demo for awhile, you might not be aware of this, but single people are also victims of workplace apathy. I’ve actually heard the sentence, “You can stay late tonight to finish this, right? I gotta get out of here and it’s not like you’re going home to a family.”

Hashtag awkward.

Everyone is dealing with something. Everyone feels judged and misunderstood every once in awhile. And everyone feels the sting from these moments. Show some compassion even when you’re having trouble putting yourself in their shoes.

Don’t be the apathetic coworker. The grass isn’t always greener, even though it may appear so.

The Sore Loser.

Anytime you’re successful or experience something great in life or your career, I guarantee you that someone somewhere will doubt that you earned it the good ‘ol hard-working way. That someone somewhere is the sore loser.

A sore loser will think you got that deal because you’ve got an important last name. Or that you were hired because your Mom sits in the corner office. Or that you simply got lucky (literally and figuratively).

You can’t stop a sore loser from thinking what they want and you can’t convince them out of their opinion. The only way to battle a sore loser is to make sure they’re not right (it might surprise some of you ladies that yes, business can indeed be conducted outside the bedroom!).

Update: It’s been called to my attention by several female readers that the comment above was offensive and diminishes the hard-earned success of females in the workplace. I realize now it was a poor example and misrepresented the very reason I have this column. It wasn’t my goal to suggest that women are perpetuating a Mad Men-era stereotype and that men are absolved of their roles in these scenarios. While it exists, this in fact is NOT a common problem in the workplace. I mentioned it as merely a side note to emphasize the importance in making sure “Sore Losers” are not making accurate accusations by carrying yourself properly in the workplace.

Use your connections and your network to get ahead, but do your own dang work. Show results. Then the sore losers will disappear one by one.   

Malicious Gossiper.

There’s harmless gossip and then there’s malicious gossip. Harmless gossip is…harmless. But you must avoid the malicious gossiper completely. In fact, put large amounts of space between you and this person.

Assume that since they’re willing to share really bad information with you, they’re sharing it with other people. They’re kind of like the flu.

If you run across a malicious gossiper and they start talking, whatever you do, don’t agree with them. Because the next thing you know, your sentence of “Oh, I agree with you – I bet she totally slept with that guy to get that job” will be shortened to “So and so just told me that so and so slept with so and so!” And voila, you’re screwed.

The Apologizer.

I recently attended an event where several startups were invited to pitch. One woman stood up to sell her idea to a room undoubtedly full of millions, a big opportunity for a small company. She looked sharp and ready. But then she opened with, “Don’t worry, this isn’t a crappy website that does blah…”

Well shoot. For the remainder of her presentation, I assumed her website was crappy.

The Apologizer will discredit themselves as soon as they open their mouth. They will start a presentation with qualifying statements like the one above or they will ask for a raise by saying, “I know we don’t have a lot of money, but…” They lose these deals because they show a massive lack of confidence in the statement, regardless of topic.

You don’t necessarily have to avoid this person. Just don’t be this person. The company pays you a salary because they think you’re worth it. You have every right to be in the room and to be having that conversation right then. Why act like you don’t belong there?

Repeat the following statement as many times as you need to before you have an important conversation or make a presentation: Be confident, not cocky.

Then own the heck out of it. Your career depends on it.

via The 7 Types Of People Who Never Succeed At Work – Forbes.

The 7 Types Of People Who Never Succeed At Work

Powerful Habits To Build Your Career Every Day

Aristotle might as well have been doling out career advice when he said that “we are what we repeatedly do.” This aphorism has taken on contemporary resonance in books like Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit. The hope is that if we sculpt our daily to-dos, we sculpt our workdays, and we can sculpt our careers.

But what are we to do every day? Careers expert J.T. O’Donnell recently shared her list. Head over to LinkedIn to check out her full managerial daily doings–we’ll discuss the most career-expanding ones below.

“Read something related to my industry”

If you want to develop in-demand skills, you need to know what’s being demanded–being informed is part of career planning.

“Send two emails to touch base with old colleagues”

The more connections you have, the more ideas you’ll be exposed to. The more new ideas you’re exposed to, the better chance you can innovate. So learn to nourish your network.

“Post five valuable pieces of content on all my major social media accounts”

No matter what your Twitter bio says, your personal brand is what people take away from their interactions with you. So don’t bombard them with clichés–give them something valuable.

O’Donnell says that while her full list could be much longer, she sticks to the same 10 because she can accomplish them consistently, which is one way of gathering momentum. And if your list unfurls out of your reach, you might want to hack it with the 1-3-5 Rule.

via Powerful Habits To Build Your Career Every Day | Fast Company | Business + Innovation.

Powerful Habits To Build Your Career Every Day

Five Steps To Standing Out At Work

Fine is a four-letter word that begins with ‘F’. In the world of work, it means average, adequate, OK. It implies “mediocre.” And by definition, when you wear the label ‘fine’, you don’t stand out.

Sadly, you’ve probably spent most of your life focusing on “fine.”

It all started back in grade school when your teachers said nothing about the areas where you excelled, but they were fixated on the areas that gave them a chance to say, “It’s fine, but you could do better.” Maybe you were two years ahead of your peers in math, but all you ever heard at school was, “Better work on that penmanship, your G’s aren’t round enough.” Maybe your parents harped on those C’s, ignoring your A’s. You know what they were thinking. “Won’t the A’s take care of themselves? We need to turn those C’s into B’s.”

When it comes to personal branding, you should focus on that A and find a way to rocket it into an A+. If you pour resources into your weaknesses, you’ll become mediocre. It makes no sense to invest to become ‘fine’.

Unfortunately, your manager at your first job probably contributed to this subconscious mindset as well. In your performance review, she probably mentioned the things you did great – and then turned her focus to the areas where you need to improve. This constant emphasis on fixing weaknesses has turned this into a false mantra for success. “Fix my weaknesses, and I will succeed.” And your current company is complicit. If you’re a leader, maybe you are perpetuating this fallacy. Most companies buy into that musty myth that all employees need to be good at all things.

According to a Harvard Business Review article by Peter Bregman, “Traditional management systems encourage mediocrity in everything and excellence in nothing. Most performance review systems set an ideal picture of how we want everyone to act (standards, competencies, etc.) and then assess how closely people match that ideal, nudging them to improve their weaknesses so they meet or exceed expectations in every area.” Yet, according to Gallup, “People who use their strengths every day are six times more likely to be engaged on the job.” In other words, focusing on strengths is the key to integrating employees’ talents into the corporate brand.

Focusing on your weaknesses is a losing strategy. Great brands are built around strengths. The Ritz Carlton is known for the finest customer service. If you stay in their rooms, you probably won’t pay much attention to the furniture and design, which are nice but not remarkable. But the service will be unforgettable. Volvo builds their brand around safety. Their cars may not be the sexiest, but they are renowned for being among the safest. W Hotels builds its brand around being trendy, and trendy is what you get at every one of their hotels, even if the customer service varies from property to property.

Following a similar approach – maximizing your signature strength – will help you stand out and achieve your goals. And it will help with your happiness quotient too! The adage is true: You can’t be all things to all people. That’s the fast road to burnout.

So how do you pump up your signature strength? Follow these five steps:

1. Identify your key weaknesses. Make a list of those things you just aren’t great at. Because of our culture’s steadfast focus on weaknesses, you probably know exactly what these weaknesses are. If you aren’t clear about it, go over your previous performance reviews, or ask for feedback from those who know you.


2. For each weakness on the list, ask yourself this one question: Will this weakness get in the way of my success? If the answer is yes, you need a development plan that will get you to at least “fine.” If the answer is no, then ignore it. (Yes, I said ignore it. That may take some practice after all the years of negative programming you’ve endured.)


3. Now, identify your strengths. How? Think of the things you love to do and know you are really good at. Which tasks do you look forward to? Take a look at your performance evaluations or client feedback forms. Ask friends, colleagues, and your manager what they think you are best at. Use assessments like StrengthsFinder 2.0 or 360Reach Personal Branding Survey (disclosure: 360Reach is a product of my company).


4. 
   Then, determine which of these strengths sits at the intersection of these three questions: Will it help me reach my goals? Does it set me apart from my peers? Does it make me compelling to people who are making decisions about me?


5. 
   Final step: integrate that signature strength into everything you do. Rethink every daily action, the agendas you write, the meetings you lead or attend, the content of your phone calls and emails, and every other way in which your brand is showcased. Emphasize that strength not only to others but also to yourself. Choose actions that remind yourself of your finest ability, and watch it grow even stronger. 
   

Maximize your signature strength and build your personal brand around it.

via Five Steps To Standing Out At Work – Forbes.

Five Steps To Standing Out At Work

Are You Ready to Apply For an Executive Role?

Considering we live in an age that has been increasingly defined by a heightened sense of competition and specialisation, it is no wonder that acquiring an executive position has become so coveted in the employment market. An executive role allows further room for upward mobility, a greater control over internal decisions and even the possibility to shape a company’s direction and vision. However, taking the leap into this field is not as simple as submitting a resume and waiting for a reply. Rather, a certain approach needs to be taken and a unique mindset is absolutely necessary. So, it proves wise to briefly examine some sure-fire methods for you to secure a rewarding executive position.

A Solid Foundation is Tantamount to Success

Let us first assume that you’ve never applied for an executive position before but offer all of the relevant technical skills needed. What, then, separates you from the perhaps three or four others applying for the same role? The key here is to be fully prepared for the engagement process during the interview. It has been shown that when all other things are equal, the candidate that has the psychological preparation will most likely be the one chosen for the position.

This “softer” side of the process involves presenting the appropriate attire, allowing the process to be a “two way street” as opposed to dominating a conversation by recounting various achievements and having discreet facts at-hand. For example, instead of simply stating that you helped increase the sales pipeline at your last position, be ready with specific facts and figures. These will lend credibility to your position and demonstrate a working knowledge of operational duties. Bland and spurious statements will lead to a lukewarm response.

Focus on a Specific Position

It is common in the executive search industry for an individual to lack a clear vision of what position he or she desires. Thus, a more generalised approach may be taken and by doing so, a lack of focus may result. As an executive role is generally defined as possessing a number of valuable skill sets, it is easy to fall into the trap of applying to dozens of companies at once in hopes of landing one interview. A great deal of energy can be wasted in doing so. Rather, focusing on only two or three positions can help you target the most personally satisfying positions while not wasting time with potential “filler” roles where a change of venue may be desired further down the line.

Utilize All Resources Available

Whereas a flashy resume and a power tie may have been some of the only tools available in the past, the internet age can allow us to connect with employers across the globe. Therefore, it is essential to take advantage of such a robust platform. Avoid social networking sites as they lend little credibility as references. Instead, headhunting sites such as LinkedIn are excellent in providing a “virtual resume” and it has been shown that many employers will proactively seek new executives through such sites. Also, a standalone webpage is another viable means to promote oneself and will help give a company an idea if a certain skill set is what they desire. These platforms take little time to set up but can go a long way in communicating expertise to the right companies.

Combine Physical and Digital Means

While the importance of the internet cannot be overstated, it must be remembered that the “old guard” is still in place within many organizations. Therefore, always have a handful of personalized business cards at hand. Upon arriving to an interview, bring an extra copy of a resume, as the interviewer may have simply taken notes from what he or she saw online. Offering these physical links will impress industry executives and moreover, display that tradition and integrity are important aspects. Also, it must be remembered that during “power lunches” and other such meetings, it is quite awkward to reach across a table and hand a prospective employer a bundle of paper. A business card is an excellent way to break the ice and end the meeting on a memorable note.

These are but a handful of methods to prepare for what may very well be an entry into a very lucrative and rewarding position. By creating a knowledgeable and professional impression, that perfect role may only be an interview away.

via Are You Ready to Apply For an Executive Role? | Lead Change Group.

Are You Ready to Apply For an Executive Role?

3 Fast Ways To Make Yourself Better At Your Job

Get connected, get learned, and get into soccer (or other games). And you’ll soon be more valuable at the office than ever before.

To paraphrase Change the Ratio cofounder Rachel Sklar, visibility begets opportunity. Whether you’re a rapper, painter, or president of a financial company, the more people know what you’re doing, the better chance you have at serendipity smiling upon you.

In other words, to get our careers going, we need the attention.

But as Caroline McMillan notes at the Daily Muse, this growing more present at the office doesn’t need to be super labor-intensive–nor does it need to be an egocentric exercise in scrumbaggery. Just as in high school–but not nearly as traumatic–it’s a matter of getting involved.

To build a network, start a club.

Network science shows that the most successful people are usually the best connected–especially across silos and up-and-down hierarchical chains. That’s part of why success stories aren’t so often lone-wolf affairs, but community tales.

But if we’re going to have a sense of community at work, we need to build it. So, as McMillan says, you can build around communities of interest, for instance by:

• Playing soccer (like the Fast Company office does)


• Exploring restaurants (like you’re doing anyway)


• Enjoying the finer things (like Dunder Mifflin does)

To learn skills, trade yours.

To survive in the madness that is our ever-evolving workplaces, we need to get good at newbie mode–that critical stage where you’re first learning a new skill. The quickest way to learn new skills is to find someone who can teach you to code, write, or manage–someone who might be around the corner of your cubicle.

Everyone gains in the tacit knowledge-sharing so central to innovation.

Yet people are attracted to equal exchanges–psychologists call it the norm of reciprocity. So when we’re picking the brain of the expert in question, we need to offer up our own skill sets. This will deepen those bonds, just like the Finer Things Club–and you’ll both get better at what you do.

To raise your profile, become a bridge.

No matter how utopian-progressive your organization might profess to be, there will still be cliques.

These cliques are asking to be bridged–and as McMillan observes, this doesn’t need to be horrendously inorganic. The intersections are already there:

Show how a project your team is working on intersects with a project or initiative another team is working on. This doesn’t have to be monumental or totally inorganic. For example, I could never suggest that the business reporters start coordinating with the advertising department’s latest campaign; we operate 100% independently (for a reason). But if my team is working on boosting our stories’ visibility on the website and getting more search-engine traffic, I could say, “You know, it’d be great to hear from one of the online team leaders about what types of stories and headlines are getting the most hits. I’ll see if one of them could spare five minutes to talk strategy sometime this week.”

These practices all look like win-win-wins: You get to make friends with people in your office, everyone gains in the tacit knowledge-sharing so central to innovation, and you get to pretend that you’re in a lost episode of The Office.

via 3 Fast Ways To Make Yourself Better At Your Job | Fast Company | Business + Innovation.

3 Fast Ways To Make Yourself Better At Your Job