12/5/2014

2014 is nearing an end, did you set goals last January to accomplish for this year? 
* If you did, what has been accomplished?
* What has yet to be tackled and can it be yet this year?
* What are the reasons some goals have been left untouched? 
         * Time?
         * Budgetary reasons?
         * Goal no longer relevant?
         * Loss of motivation to accomplish the goal?
To be successful in checking off your goals, whether short term or long term, you must have a commitment to doing what it takes to achieve the ones you set.  
Take time in 2015 to think through what makes sense in your personal and professional life to accomplish and what it will take to do so.  
Setting short term goals is the best way to start, but in order to be successful in achieving those goals or any other goal, they must be realistic and measurable!

Realistic: is this goal something that can truly be accomplished by you in the timeframe that you have set?
Measureable: how will you know if you have achieved your goal if it cannot be measured in some way?

Example

WEAK: get a new job this year
BETTER: explore career fields this year  for the career that I want to have by researching  the necessary education, experience and special training that is required.
STRONG:

1. in the first quarter of 2015 explore career fields that interest me for my next career move.
2. in the second quarter of 2015 research the necessary education, experience and special training that is required by looking up job postings in that field, getting involved in professional associations relating to that field, volunteering in the industry and networking with those working in this field to broaden my idea of what the job requires.  
3. in the third and fourth quarter of 2015 start taking action, reconsider goals and update as necessary.

Consider using a career coach who can first work with you on assessing your skills, interest, aptitude for different career paths and/or upward movement in your current field.  A career coach can help you define the best career fields for you, assist in identifying the market for that career and the steps to take in order to be a viable candidate for when an opportunity arises.

Just as goals aren't accomplished overnight, your career planning also takes time and effort……… but you don't have to go it alone.  

Staying on target with your goals requires first that you set goals that make sense for you and next that you stay committed towards doing what it takes to accomplish that goal.  

10/3/2014 
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The college degree is now the minimum expectation for nearly all job openings.  Sometimes the requirement is for a very specific degree however in some cases it’s just having the degree that is important.

So you’ve earned your degree and gained your first or third or fifth professional job, it doesn’t matter what stage of your career you are in, continuing your education, advancing your skillset or keeping updated in your career field is a top priority to staying marketable in the job scene.

So the question is how do you keep updated with your skills, or learn new ones for career changers, when you’re already working a full time job and have a hectic  ‘after work’ life?

Skillshare (www.skillshare.com)
Great online learning for software packages, design, entrepreneurship, marketing, technology, and so much more.
You can choose to pay for an individual class, open a membership for a  low rate to obtain most classes at no cost, or start a trial membership.  They also offer group memberships if more than one person in your business will enroll in a class.  The courses are taught by experts in their field and offer step- by -step video instruction with time for practice outside the course and the ability to join forums of others in the class to share ideas/projects.

Coursera  (www.coursera.org)
Partnering with universities and businesses worldwide, this site offers over 800  online courses and they are all free!  You participate in online lectures, quizzes, peer graded assessments and join forums with others that includes near immediate feedback to assist in the learning environment.

Continuing education at your local college or school corporation
Continuing education, community education or lifelong learning as it can also be called, is often offered in the community in which you live through local technical/trade schools, 2 year and 4 year colleges as well as public school corporations.
These courses are instructor led one day or half day courses (non-credit) and others are online to learn at your own pace and schedule.  Some are single coursework (non-credit) and others part of a certificate program, such as:

• IT and Software Development
• Photography
• Media & Design
• Jewelry Making
• Healthcare & Fitness
• Sustainable Energy & Going Green
• Management/Supervisor
• Business & Professional
• Paralegal
• Hospitality/Service Industry
• Skilled Trades & Industrial
• Language (sign or bilingual)

Score (www.score.org)
Considering starting your own small business?   Learn what you need to be successful from creating a business plan, marketing your business, bookkeeping and much more.  Even locate a mentor to guide you in the process.
Don’t forget the ease of using the Internet!  Search  YouTube videos, websites and Facebook pages from those working in the industry that you want to learn more about, often they post learning initiatives free or at a relatively small cost. 
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It’s your career, don’t wait for someone to ‘give’ you something, go after what you want and  stop making excuses and start learning!

8/15/2014 
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Upwards to 70 % of jobs in today’s market are gained through personal and professional connections, with nearly 42% of jobs being filled internally. 

Why is this becoming a trend? Well cost for one thing. From a recruiting standpoint  it is cheaper to hire from within, and the amount and cost to train is significantly reduced when hiring an internal candidate.

How, with this knowledge, do you become the preferred candidate?  For starters you are critiqued from the first day on the job, so shine each day!  Be mindful that every day is an opportunity to either succeed or fail:

• Be professional in your demeanor, dress and conversations;
• Avoid gossiping and whispers;
• Remain loyal to your employer, supervisors and colleagues;
• Be seen as approachable and an active part of your team;
• Revew the strategic plan and research and voice constructive methods to reach your employers business goals;
• Volunteer to be an active member on specialized projects even if it calls for work outside the normal business day;
• Be willing to help others within and across departments.  Working across divisions aids in broadening your internal network, especially to decision makers;
• Ask for and accept feedback, then use that feedback to improve your skills and overall performance;
• Take advantage of all opportunities for personal development that your employer offers as well as training outside the worksite;
• Participate in industry related associations;
• Read industry journals, related magazines, and blogs;
• Take ownership of both the good and bad decisions that you make—remember making a mistake is not a bad thing, how you deal with it is the true test of your professionalism and growth.

Proactively prepare for the position that you want in the future to become truly qualified rather than doing nothing and  reacting negatively when you aren’t given an interview or selected for the position.

Remember: If you keep doing what you are doing, you’ll keep getting what you are getting!  If all is going well, no need to change.  But if you don’t like the results, do something about it.

8/1/2014 
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I took my first yoga class when I was a teenager and fell in love with it from the start.  Learning new breathing techniques to bring a sense of calmness when life in general tests my limits and finding new ways to stretch my body to maintain my flexibility as the years have progressed has been invaluable.

The physical, spiritual and emotional discipline has been one aspect that has transformed my body and mind and I use this same philosophy to bring discipline to my business.

As the hectic pace of our world continues to stretch my time and sometimes patience, making time for yoga has enriched my ability to clear my mind and focus, if for just a short time, on me.  When my mind is free of all the noise of what I have to get done, it’s when my creativity starts to flourish!  I’m never too far from a mini tape recorder or notepad so as not to lose an idea that flashes in my head.

At times I can devote a full hour to my yoga exercises and breathing, and sometimes to be honest I’m fortunate when I can squeeze in 10 minutes, however any amount of time that I have is an amazing opportunity to focus on what is important and to keep healthy: mind and body.  

The benefit you ask?  It allows me to return in full force to my business needs from marketing to client meetings to training and finally the quiet time in my office to dedicate time to complete client projects.

Whether you work for someone else or have your own business, taking time for yourself is critical in order to refresh, rejuvenate and open your mind to professional growth and development as well as making and maintaining professional relationships.   While practicing yoga doesn’t solve all problems or make them magically disappear, what it does, for me at least, is restore relaxation, build confidence with my ability to learn and achieve a new pose which in turn maintains my strength and flexibility.  It’s that same confidence that I then take into promoting my business as I network and meet new people from all across the US. 

In my work, each day brings a new challenge and the core of success for me has been how I tackle those challenges, be it by focusing on my breathing when stress takes over or getting in my daily exercise even if it means stealing a quick minute or two to perform a few yoga techniques while I sit at my desk.
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The next time that you are stumped on a project or feel that you have exhausted all avenues for developing a new business, consider what could happen if you removed yourself from the workload entirely and took a moment for yourself. 

5/2/2014 
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In todays’ job market it is no longer a one-sided interview, job seekers are also interviewing across the desk to ensure that what they are seeing is a good fit for them too!

Just last week I was teaching a senior level business course full of both HR and business majors and as it always seems to happen when I stand in front of a group of soon to be graduates, the topic of resumes and the job search crept into conversation.

So my advice to them?   Aside from my usual commentary on professionalism, being prepared with knowledge of the company and the position itself and a few practice behavioral interview questions is that they need to be proactive and assess the environment and the company to determine if it is a place where they want to work.

A tight job market aside, stepping into the wrong job or a work environment that does not fit who you are will only create job disappointment and possibly job hopping and missed opportunities.

When you are called for an interview start assessing from that very call or email by asking yourself a few questions:

Work climate/environment:

• How were you treated from the minute you arrived?
• Were you greeted professionally and warmly?
• Were you given clear directions on where to park and how to locate the interviewees office?
• Was the interviewer timely in greeting you?
• Did you notice others in the office, if so, how did they treat each other?
• What was the work environment like from the way the building smelled, to the office furniture, to the technology that you could see?
• And whether you enjoy a relaxed, casual atmosphere or a traditional business environment did what you see agree with what you hope to have in your next job?

Professionalism: 

• Were you treated with mutual respect during the interview process?
• Did they have good eye contact, a firm handshake both at the start and conclusion of the interview?
• Were you given time to present your responses to their questions?
• What were the questions like, did they seem to fit the expectations of the job and were they relevant?
• Could you envision working with the interviewer(s) day in/day out?
• Did they give you a copy of the actual job description to review before you left?
• Were you given a tour of the facility?
• Did they provide a timeline of what would happen next and when you would hear from them again?

​In the end you truly do not know if the job offer will produce a ‘great fit’ for you and only time on the job will answer this question however do put some trust into any unusual vibe, gut feeling or uneasiness from this first encounter and before saying ‘yes’ ask a few more questions!

4/4/2014 
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I don’t recall ever hearing anyone say that they enjoy going to meetings, in fact it’s quite the opposite, many dread the mere thought of yet another meeting.

The problem most often is that people don’t feel that meetings are productive, more so, a waste of time that could be better spent on the many other tasks that they have to do each day.

Yet, meetings are necessary at times and important to accomplishing the goals of your office and your company’s long term vision.
So ……………….instead of dread, let’s figure out a method to improve the outlook of ‘The Meeting’!

Purpose:
Don’t just have a meeting for the sake of having one.  Have a purpose for the meeting and make sure that all participants know what that purpose is and what their role will be.

Team Members:
Who should attend meetings?  This should be defined ahead of time, invite team members that are directly and sometimes indirectly related to the topic of the meeting.  While you may have a set team for each meeting, be open to inviting others should their expertise be necessary to meet the objective of that particular meeting.  Nothing stalls the success of a meeting than to close the meeting due to having to get more information from a third party before resuming discussions.

Agenda:
Create an agenda ahead of time and send it to all team members so that they can plan accordingly for the topics at hand.  This will enable  each to arrive with the necessary materials to make this a productive session.  Also, don’t forget to ask your team members for their own meeting ideas as well.  A productive meeting should include all ideas not just the team leaders.

Assignments:
Give tasks to team members to research and provide a deadline for feedback.  Then make sure that you keep everyone on task by monitoring deadlines …..this includes you the team leader!

Follow up:
Do what you say you would do and ask others to do the same.  If not, your meetings never really achieve its objectives, you just keep talking about the same things meeting after meeting.

Schedule:
If this will be an ongoing meeting, why not make it easier for everyone and select a date /time/location with a series of meeting dates so that everyone can add the information to their calendar and plan their work around those dates.

Time:
Lastly, when you make your agenda and invite your team members, note when the meeting will begin and how long the meeting will last and then stick to it! Frustrations that are heard over and over are that meetings never start on time, they run over or they merely become chat sessions with no substance.


Now that we’re all on the same page,  will this end the thought of the ‘dreaded meeting’…well no, technically, meetings are still an added task to what is seemingly becoming a very challenging work environment but if you can improve the efficiency it will go a long way towards improving the mindset!

3/1/2014 
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Goals without a plan are just dreams...stop dreaming and begin accomplishing all those personal and professional goals that have been on your list for years.

Take time today to write down 5 things, just 5,  that you want to accomplish this year, it's not too late.

Make your goals realistic!

• Instead of ‘I want a better job’ the first  question should be to define what a ‘better job’ looks like, then, set your goals around  ‘what skills, experience and/or education you need to set yourself up for that better job’.

​Once written, create an action plan on how you are going to measure that a goal has been accomplished. If you can’t measure it, it’s pretty hard to complete it.

Finally,  list the details on what and who is needed to achieve those goals and a realistic timeline to achieve each one.

You may run into a stumbling block along the way, don't worry, this happens, be flexible and adjust!

Now…get started!

2/7/2014 
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People don’t leave jobs because of money!  That certainly in the end may be a factor in the job offer that they accept, but it’s a secondary factor, and NOT the reason they began looking in the first place.

So let’s take a deeper look.  WHY do employees start looking for a new job? As a business owner, president or general manager ask yourself:

• Do they feel they appreciated?
• Do they feel there are growth opportunities for them within your organization- lateral or upward?
• Does the organization have in place and do they communicate and follow a strategic plan?
• Do employees have annual goals set for them in relationship to the strategic plan?
• Is the organization financially stable?
• Does the organization work towards creating and maintaining a positive environment for all employees?
• Are problems tackled when they arise or are they dismissed, only to get worse?
• Do you provide employees, both new and existing, with proper training? Not only upfront but throughout their role with the organization?

• Have you arranged another employee to serve as a mentor to the new employee for the first 6 -12 months of employment and as well for succession planning?
• Do they have the proper tools and office equipment needed to achieve the work goals of their role within the organization?
• Do you hold regular staff meetings to keep employees abreast of changes, news and events that may affect them?
• Do you create SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Framed) for each employee and provide follow up and feedback on a regular basis?
• Do you listen to your employees ideas and/or the challenges that they face in accomplishing their work?

While this list is certainly not an exhaustive list of questions that need to be asked, it is a great start to keeping good employees onboard! 
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Remember….satisfied and happy employees are your best resource for future recruitment efforts!
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1/3/2014 
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Is your business undergoing a restructure?  Has the economy adversely affected your staffing needs and now you are faced with the task of deciding which positions need to be reconsidered and eliminated? 

While not a desirable position to be in for businesses,  we can offer outplacement services to assist your staff with the process of moving forward.
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From crafting a solid resume and cover letter; to determining a new fresh career path or reviving an existing one; developing networks; interview preparations and development of the steps to take to uncover new opportunities for gainful employment, we are here to help via in person face to face sessions or remotely.

12/6/2013 
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• Keep current with the industry that you are currently in by subscribing to journals, listservs, become a member of job related associations, join an industry specific board or volunteer on committees, read a blog, take in a webinar ......
• If you are considering a change in industry, keep abreast of changes in that industry and learn new skills so that you are knowledgeable if a new opportunity presents itself before it actually becomes available.
• Keep in touch regularly with former colleagues, supervisors, professors and references.  Don’t wait until you need them to make contact.
• Have routine meetings with those that directly report to you, whether it is to check on their progress towards meeting business and professional objectives; to inquire if they have questions and as well to inform them of what is happening at your business overall, i.e., be proactive rather  than reactive in sharing business decisions and challenges with your employees.  Trust that employees can handle both the good and bad experiences that the business is having especially when it is shared directly rather than through the rumor mill, or worse, read in the local newspaper.
• Set personal and professional goals for yourself and work daily towards achieving those goals.
• Find a mentor(s) and be open to learning all that you can from them: both what has worked successfully for them and what has not.
• Be open to social media outlets and learn how to maximize usage for building your own credibility and that of your business.
• Volunteer in your community!  This allows you to learn news skills, increase your networking opportunities and best of all to do something good where you live and work.

And, lastly,
‘Learn  to appreciate what you have, before time makes you appreciate what you had’ author unknown