Tip Tuesday

Are your friends at work hurting your career?

 

Many studies over the past few years have shown that workplace friendships increase productivity, team morale and workers' overall job satisfaction; and since friends provide us with support, comic relief and a sense of belonging, it seems only natural that having friends at the office makes work more pleasant.
Yet despite the many benefits, experts advise that workplace friendships should be handled with care, given that they combine workers' personal and professional lives.

"Workplace friendships can be a double-edged sword," says Irene Levine, a professor of psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine and author of TheFriendshipBlog.com.

"Whether they are good or bad depends on the individuals and their roles. While relationships with colleagues can enhance creativity and job satisfaction, they should be approached with some caution. Some friendships fall apart and can make it very difficult to face your ex-friend each time you pass in the hall."

Who you associate yourself with in the workplace will also affect how your superiors and co-workers perceive you, says Helen Cooke, owner of Cooke Consulting, a human resources and organizational development firm.

"We're all judged by the company we keep for better or worse," Cooke says.

Yet despite any potential pitfalls, it is possible to reap the benefits of having friends at work without wreaking havoc on your career. Here's how to set boundaries for your workplace friendships:

Keep your guard up, at least in the beginning

Though you may form an instant bond with a co-worker, resist the urge to share too much personal information right off the bat.

"Approach a new friendship on the job slowly, being cautious to not get too involved too soon," Levine says. "You want to give yourself sufficient time to build trust and really get to know your co-worker before you spill intimate details of your life. So, for example, you might want to start out sharing coffee breaks or lunches before you spend a long weekend prowling bars together. Or you may want to talk about sports and politics before you talk about your personal life."

Levine also cautions workers who are new to a job: "This is a time when you need to keep up your guard up a little bit, because you may be getting too cozy with the office buffoon," she says. "While you should be friendly, keep your relationships on a superficial level until you get to know the workplace and the cast of characters."

Keep the in-office socializing to a minimum

It's fine for the two of you to take lunch breaks together, sit together in a meeting, or go for mid-afternoon coffee once in a while, but don't spend an hour a day sitting on each other's desks and rehashing the weekend gossip.

"If friends get too involved in workplace dramas -- for example, an office crush, a mean boss, ganging up on a co-worker -- this can undermine productivity," says Susan Shapiro Barash, author of "Toxic Friends: The Antidote for Women Stuck in Complicated Friendships."

Indeed, says career and etiquette expert Sandra Lamb.

"Office friendships are a balancing act. To properly maintain them, it's best to keep them fairly low-profile, and agree with your work friend to do most of your get-togethers outside the work environment," she says. "That prevents the accusation that you're involved in too much socializing at work -- a reflection on your productivity. My advice is to keep [the friendship] primarily out of the office."

Be careful with reporting relationships

If you count your boss as one of your best friends, take note: "When there's a reporting relationship between two individuals, it's particularly important to build in agreed-upon boundaries so that others don't feel there's any unfairness or preferential treatment," says Helen Cooke, owner of Cooke Consulting, a human resources and organizational development firm.

Even if your boss was the best man at your wedding, try not to flaunt your close relationship in the office. When it comes time for recognition or a promotion of your own, you don't want your co-workers thinking it was all due to your friendship with the higher-ups.

Additionally, says Cooke, if you and a work friend started out as peers and one of you gets promoted, new boundaries must be set that reflect the reporting relationship.

"For example," she says "You and I were peers on a team of five and known to be 'tight.' Now you've been promoted. While you can still be yourself with me and we can talk about our hobbies and weekends, you need to not complain to me about another member of the team -- even if that IS how you would have behaved in the past. While we're all entitled to having a trusted colleague with whom we can vent, if that trusted colleague is one of your direct reports that is unfair and dysfunctional."

The bottom line, Levine says, is to "never forget that you're primary focus has to be on your work, which means you may need to set boundaries with your co-workers about how much time you can spend schmoozing.

"Just as importantly," she says, "You need to respect the boundaries drawn by your co-workers, even if they aren't explicit. For example, if you see someone turning to their computer or looking at her watch while you are talking about your date last night, they may be signaling that they really want to get back to work and you've outworn your welcome."

 

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Making it Big Monday

Retail: How to deal with rude customers

We all know that customer: The one who talks on their phone incessantly while you try to serve them. They may smack their gum, or they may roll their eyes while purveying their distinct brand of ungraciousness. We know them better by their true name—The Rude Customer. Your first instinct might be to turn into a green rage monster, but before you go destroying everything within arm's reach, we have five tips for dealing with rude customers that might just help you out while working in retail.

Stay calm
“The first thing that I would tell someone to do is stay calm,” says Jason Nedelkos, a barista at Starbucks Coffee. “I’ve learned to keep a respectful tone if somebody has an issue. If someone is rude or shouting at you, there’s no need to sink to their level.” An added benefit of this strategy is that it might force the customer to tone down their unreasonableness. “It’s hard to be rude to someone who is being calm and collected,” Nedelkos shrugs.

“Kill them with kindness”
Sarah Erwin, a cashier at Shoppers Drug Mart, has similar advice. “For me, what works best is to kill them with kindness, so to speak.” Erwin graduated from University of Toronto and has been working at Shoppers Drug Mart for the past year while job hunting. “Never stop being overly polite. The meaner they get, the nicer you get in response.” This technique always feels like a personal win, and you still get to be as great at your job as ever.

Put the power in their hands (and get them off your back)
“As a barista, the small complaints I usually get are about mixed up drink orders, which are pretty easy to resolve.” Nedelkos explains. “The really rude people are upset about things that I can’t fix. Like why we don’t have cups in a certain colour or something.” Erwin agrees that most of her angry customers are upset with things she has no control over. “The two things that cause customers to yell at me are long lines and prices.” Nedelkos offers a solution to this situation. “I usually explain to them that I personally can’t change this, but I invite them to fill out a comment form or talk to a superior and say ‘They will listen to you over me’.” Not only does this get them out of your hair, but puts the power in their hands to resolve their own problem.

Maintain a neutral tone of voice and body language
As rude as the customer is being, you represent the entire store and organization. So as rude as they are, any hint of snideness or confrontation on your part will exacerbate the situation. “A rude customer feels threatened already, you make one false move and they will get madder,” Nedelkos laughs. Really, just stay calm, be as kind as you can, apologize profusely and keep a neutral tone of voice. You should make it through in one piece.

Don’t take things personally!
We know, easier said than done! But having a rude customer can really ruin your day, and make you feel bad long after you’ve left work. Instead, choose to remember the good times at work when you are decompressing after a long shift. “Rude customers are rude customers,” Nedelkos remarks. “But if you choose to remember the person who left you a great tip, or the one who was really nice, you’ll have a much better outlook.”

To view the original article CLICK HERE

Making It Big Monday

How to Deal with a Difficult or Bullying Boss

We've all had bosses who are difficult to deal with. Bosses who are inconsistent or unprofessional, bosses who put you in a no-win situation, backstabbing bosses, or bosses who are downright bullies. Here are four strategies to use to deal with your difficult boss.

1. Be Proactive. In all likelihood, you are frustrated with your difficult boss because he or she consistently displays bad behavior. It is the pattern of bad behavior that drives you crazy (or in some cases, the boss's inconsistent behavior, as in you-never-know-what-you're-going-to-get). The best way to deal with a difficult boss is to have a plan of action in place.
As one client told me, "When the boss calls an ‘emergency' staff meeting, we usually know that she is going to go off on us. She'll either rant and rave or give us the icy and disgusted treatment. But sometimes she's fine, but we always feel like we are walking into a trap."
The key is to anticipate the boss's bad behavior. Have an action plan ready. If the boss behaves badly, put your plan into action. If the boss is on his/her best behavior, reinforce the good behavior ("Nice meeting." "Thanks!").
Be proactive by approaching the situation with a positive mental attitude. Display confidence and stay poised. If your boss is a bully, this will show that you are not intimidated by the bullying behavior.

2. Be Prepared. You likely know the difficult boss's pattern of bad behavior, so anticipate and prepare your responses beforehand. Write them on index cards, and practice delivering them.
"Boss, when you do that, it isn't motivating me..." or "...it only makes us feel like you don't value our work..." or stronger statements, such as "That kind of behavior is unacceptable."
You also should anticipate the bad boss's comeback, and have your response or action plan in place. If the boss begins to rant and rave, you can leave and say, "I'll come back when you are calmed down and civil." Think of it as a chess match, and be prepared several "moves" in advance.
You will also need to be prepared for the fallout of standing up to a difficult or bullying boss. The boss might single you out for even worse treatment or might sanction or fire you. That is why it is important to think things through beforehand. What are you willing to do? What are your options? Can you deal with the possible worst outcomes?

3. Be Professional. This is critically important. Always take the high road. Follow proper procedures for registering complaints with Human Resources, or higher-level superiors. Maintain a calm and professional demeanor in dealing with your difficult boss, and don't get into a shouting match or let your emotions get out of hand. Don't resort to name-calling or rumor-mongering, but be straightforward and professional.

4. Be Persistent. It isn't likely that your difficult boss situation will change overnight, so be prepared for the long haul. Moreover, be persistent in calling out your boss's bad behavior, and putting your plan into action. Your coworkers might follow your lead and start to stand up to the difficult boss as well (although you should be prepared for the boss to try to turn them against you, or for your coworkers' possible lack of support). The key is to not let your boss get away with continuing his/her bad behavior.

To view the original article CLICK HERE

Tip Tuesday

When A Co-Worker Takes Credit For Your Work

I can’t believe he presented my work as his own! He didn’t even acknowledge that it was my work. It was even my PowerPoint presentation he used!” moaned a career-coaching client. “Now what am I going to do? And what if he does this to me again?” she added.
Unfortunately, this situation is not unusual if you work in corporate America. Try asking 10 friends who work for large, global companies and I’ll bet at least half of them have had someone else try to take credit for their work or ideas at some point in their careers.

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Wondering about the best way to handle it without turning something negative into an even worse issue? How you handle the situation of someone else trying to take credit for your work depends on two main factors: who the person is and how egregious the credit taking that occurred.
Let’s look at two types of situations when a co-worker tries to take credit for your work. The first example provides tips for handling what I’ll call the “low key” situations and the second example includes tips for dealing with bigger issues of credit stealing.

Co-worker/low key situation

• If a co-worker took credit for your work but what they took credit for was fairly low-key (such as leaving your name off the list of project participants or not including you on the email distribution list for work they completed with you), then the solution may be as simple as sitting down with the co-worker to understand what happened and why they behaved the way they did.
• In this type of situation it is best to go immediately to the person and resolve the situation directly with them because sometimes it can be a simple oversight on their part. Gain their agreement that this will never happen in the future.
• Depending on how your co-worker reacts to the discussion, you may also want to let them know that, if it does happen again, you will need to escalate the situation to your manager.

Co-worker/bigger issue

• If the co-worker took credit for something that is a big deal (such as presenting your ideas for a new product or promotion and passing the ideas off as their own, or, using a presentation, report, or business plan you had created but changing your name to theirs and taking credit for your work), in addition to immediately speaking with the credit stealer (as mentioned above), it’s important to also have a confidential discussion with your manager about the situation.
• Remain calm and avoid whining or finger pointing when you speak with your manager. You are there to make them aware of what happened so they can help prevent this situation from occurring in the future. Be prepared to rationally explain what happened and how you handled the situation with your co-worker.
• In addition, try to come to the meeting with your manager with evidence that demonstrates you were the person with the idea or who did the work so your manager will have concrete information to work from when they deal directly with the credit stealing co-worker.

I can personally attest to the fact that it’s not fun to be caught in the situation of having to deal with a credit stealing co-worker, but it’s imperative that women in business deal with the issue immediately after it has occurred.
Dealing with it may be difficult, but it puts the person on notice that you know what they did and lets them know you won’t stand for that type of behavior in the future. Not dealing with it gives free reign for the co-worker to continue their unethical behavior – and they could potentially end up sabotaging your career. So ladies…no matter how hard it is, stand up for what is right and protect your work and your ideas.
If you’ve successfully dealt with a credit stealing co-worker, please share your tactics in the “Comments” section below.
Co-workers aren’t always the only ones who can be credit stealers. Stay tuned for my next blog, “When A Boss Takes Credit For Your Work.”

To view the original article CLICK HERE

Making It Big Monday

8 essential tips to start a new job the right way

A new year brings new job opportunities for many professionals. Once you have landed a new job it may seem like the hard part is over, but sometimes your first few weeks at work can be very challenging. Follow these tips to get off on the right foot and avoid making common mistakes.

1. Remember: you were hired for a reason. You beat out other qualified candidates for this job – that means the person that hired you thinks you are the best person for the position. Have the confidence to know you will do a great job and can make important decisions on your own.

2. Learn from others. You can learn a lot from your successful colleagues and upper management about the organization and leverage that understanding to be better at your job. Therefore, take the time to observe the activities of the organization that may or may not be a part of your direct responsibilities. For example: if you are in fundraising, learn as much as you can about the program side of your organization.

3. Strike a balance between respecting what’s been done and making changes. Unless you are one of the first employees at an organization, there are certain norms that have been established for better or for worse. Don’t begin a new job thinking you are going to change things immediately. Instead, take time to understand why things are the way they are and how you can leverage your organization’s culture to enhance your performance.

4. Meet one on one with everyone you will work with. From the intern to the top executive, never assume that you won’t interact with someone or that their advice will not be helpful. Everybody’s work (and opinion of you) matters, especially in a small office. When meeting learn about what brought them to the organization, their role, and how you can best work together. Make sure to write a quick thank you note to everyone you meet.

5. Ask questions. Sometimes people can be so comfortable with a job or work environment that they forget to tell you important things that you need to know as a new employee.

6. Stay away from office politics. The last thing you want is to get involved in the drama of the office. People will surely try to persuade you one way or another, but just simply state that you are here to do your job and don’t know anyone well enough to make judgments about them. Avoid the office drama queen (or king) as much as possible.

7. Even if you are struggling in your new position, give it some time. You never know how things can change, and how responsibilities that seem difficult now may eventually be what you like most about your job.

8. Be yourself. Authenticity is key to not only winning over your coworkers, but also to doing a really great job in your position, and increasing your chances of a promotion. Ask: Are you doing what you love?

To view the original article CLICK HERE

Tip Tuesday

101 Job Tips To Land Your Dream Job (Part 4 of 5)

Are you looking for a better job? A better Career? Recently laid off? No matter what the reason for your job search there are plenty of traditional—and not so traditional ways to find a new job. Here is part four (five part series) of 101 of the hottest job tips in town. There will be 20 new tips released every Tuesday for the next couple of weeks. Take time each Tuesday and read the twenty tips given. No matter how common they sound, a little tweaking always goes a long way.

61. Go to a job fair: Any time you see a job fair advertised, make sure you show up with resumes in hand, and ready to interview. You may be able to secure a position or a solid lead on the spot.

62. Do some research on the hottest new job fields: Find jobs that are in the highest demand—and see if your skill set is a good match. If they do, apply.

63. Make sure your certifications are up to date: Be sure to list any relevant information on your resume. Potential employers may be looking for particular professional affiliations or achievements.

64. Keep a record: When you send out a resume or an application, make sure you keep a record of where you sent it and to whom it was addressed. When you get a phone call for an interview, you will be able to refer back to your records and see exactly what resume and cover letter version you sent.

65. Follow up on your resume or application: When you send in a resume, make sure you follow up by phone in about a week. Sometimes a phone call can lead to a conversation—which can lead to an interview.

66. Brush up on your interview skills: Take the time to work on your interview skills before you are in front of a prospective employer. Even just thinking about some of the things you want to discuss will help you prepare.

67. Role Play the Interview: Do some role playing with a partner prior to your interview on questions that may be asked.

68. Turn the tables on your interviewer: You can be sure the person interviewing you will research you online—and you should do the same for them. If you know the name of the person you are interviewing with, you can do a quick search to get a sense of what they are about.

69. Be confident: If you have had a string of “no responses” to your resumes—or outright rejections, it is easy to lose confidence. Make sure you approach every application and interview as a new, fresh opportunity. Don’t be afraid to let your confidence and enthusiasm show.

70. Be prepared for common interview questions: Interviewers seem to ask the same sort of questions, so be prepared for the most common ones. Queries like “Where do you see yourself in five years” or “What are your strengths and weaknesses” come up pretty often—so be prepared with answers.

71. Be prepared when you answer the phone: If you have caller i.d., you will be able to tell when a potential employer is on the line. If you don’t, make sure you answer your phone in a professional manner and be prepared to talk. The interview starts the second you pick up the phone.

72. Turn the cell phone off: Never have your cell phone on during an interview.

73. Make a list of questions: Come up with a list of questions you would like to ask about the company.

74. Have a skeleton in your closet? Be prepared to talk about the 6 month gap in your resume, or the reason you left your last position. Being prepared in advance allows you to focus on the new skills you acquired as a result of your time off…and not the reason for your dismissal.

75. Be positive: Even if your last boss was an absolute ogre, say something nice. Even “It was a wonderful learning experience” will work. Prospective employers don’t want to hear how horrible your last job was—save that info for your friends and family to laugh over later.

76. Be truthful: Don’t claim to have degrees or experience you don’t. Getting caught in a fib can cause you to lose out on a great position—or to lose a job once you have been hired. Presenting your experiences in the best light possible is okay—outright lying is not.

77. Dress for success: Make sure you dress for the job you want to have. Presenting well can make the difference in whether or not you are hired—or even the salary you are offered.

78. Use professional language: Even if you feel a connection with your interviewer, don’t slip into slang, or use coarse language. You are still being evaluated by the person doing the interviewing, no matter how casual the environment.

79. Find a mentor: A mentor can not only help you navigate the professional waters with ease, he or she may be able to steer you in the right direction career–wise. Most mentors are established professionals that have great contacts. If you don’t have a mentor now, start searching for one today!

80. Remember your interviewers’ names: Commit your interviewers’ name to memory—forgetting someone’s name is bad…calling them by the wrong name is worse!

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Make it Big Monday

How to find a job you’ll love

Is your new years resolution to find a new job? Congratulations, you’re not alone! According to statistics, around 15% of the population switch jobs annually. At any given time, over half of the workforce are more or less actively looking for new work.
This means that many, many people are facing an interesting question: How do I pick my next job? Which factors should matter? Which should I forget about?
Many make the decision based mostly on salary, titles and responsibilities. That’s a mistake.
Instead ask yourself this: Will your next job inspire you, energize you and allow you to do great work? Will you be working with nice, talented people and managers? Will your job help people out and make the world a better place?
In short, make sure that your next job is one that will make you happy at work. Here are the steps you should take to make sure that your next job will be just that amazingly great!

1: Decide to switch sooner rather than later
No one has ever told me “I quit Company X in June, that was a mistake. I should’ve stuck around longer.” The vast majority of people who quit, only wish they’d done it sooner.
It’s highly tempting to hang around in the old workplace waiting for things to get better. Don’t! If it’s time to go – make that decision and start actively looking for something else. The longer you stay in a bad job, the more it eats away the energy and self-confidence you need to find a new one.

2: Give yourself time to find your new job
The very first job you look at may be just the right one… or it may be the 20th.
Give yourself time to actively look for something better and don’t let economic pressure, peer pressure or uncertainty force your hand.

3: Focus on what you like at work, not on what you hate
Many people switch jobs to get away from a bad situation. However, when you’re picking a new job, it’s not enough to look at all the things you want to avoid. Partly because there are an infinite number of things to avoid. But mostly because even if you avoid every single bad thing, that can only guarantee that you won’t be unhappy. To be happy at work, you also need good things, not just the absence of bad.
The best way to find out what you want at work, is to look at what has previously made you love your job. Here’s how you do it:

1. Think back to some specific situations, where you’ve been happy at work.
2. Ask yourself what made these situations possible.
3. Find out what will give you more of these great experiences in the future.

4: Ignore salary
Most people think that having a higher income would make them happier. They’re wrong! That is the conclusion of a study by Two Princeton professors, economist Alan B. Krueger and psychologist and Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman. They say this:

The belief that high income is associated with good mood is widespread but mostly illusory. People with above-average income are relatively satisfied with their lives but are barely happier than others in moment-to-moment experience, tend to be more tense, and do not spend more time in particularly enjoyable activities.

I don’t mean to ignore the economic necessities we all face but they should not determine what work we take. What is a 25% raise worth, if it means being stressed, frustrated and unhappy 40/60/80 hours a week?

5: Ignore other irrelevant details
Some people choose their new job because of:

• The title. “They want to make me First Assistant Manager.”
• Perks. “They’re giving me a new car and use of the executive bathroom.”
• Status. “I get 8 direct reports. Today I only have 5.”
• Peer pressure. “If I take this job my husband/wife/friends/dad will be really impressed.”

None of these factors will make you happy! Forget about them.

6: Ask for what you want
It’s a lot easier to get what you want if you actually ask for it. In your job interviews, let them know that being happy at work matters to you, and tell them what it takes to get you to love work.
It’s true that asking for these things may mean not getting the job, and that’s precisely the point! If that job won’t make you happy, you don’t want it!

7: Make that job great
It’s up to you to find a good job, and then it’s up to you to make it a great job!
You can sit passively on your butt and wait for your co-workers and your manager to make you happy – but that means nothing will ever happen. It’s your responsibility to:

1. Know what makes you happy at work
2. Tell others about it
3. Do something about it

8: Make yourself free to leave
A bad job is bad. A bad job that you can’t get out of is excruciating. In fact, knowing that you’re free to leave can make it easier to make a job great.
Also, reducing your expenses can be a great way to give yourself more leeway at work.

The upshot
Forget about salary, perks, titles and status. Choose your next job based on one, single consideration: Will it make you happy? Will it make you go “Yes, it’s Monday, I get to work!”
Do this and you’re sure to enjoy your job more, enjoy life more AND be more successful at work.

To view the original article CLICK HERE

Tip Tuesday

Social Networking at Work - Some Dos and Don'ts

How to Use Social Media Without Getting Yourself or Your Company in Trouble

Some companies encourage their employees to make use of social networking tools like blogs, Facebook, and Twitter. They realize that if done within some intelligent guidelines, it can help build brand recognition, improve the flow of information between companies and their consumers, and hopefully, increase customer loyalty.
Others discourage or outright forbid their employees from engaging in online socializing. They realize that such activities, when not conducted with some care, can be a huge leak of sensitive and confidential information. In fact, a recent survey by ProofPoint has shown that 7% of companies have terminated employees for social networking site policy violations, 11% for blog posting violations, and 52% are "highly concerned" about the risk of information leakage through services like Twitter.
Let's face it, social networking is a fun way to stay in touch with friends and family,to share ideas with like-minded individuals, and to share information with clients and business contacts. It can also be a time-waster and a drain on productivity. None of this is news to company managers, so, the first rule is to

Know Your Company's Policy Regarding Social Networking at Work
Check your online employee portal if you have one, or review your printed employee handbook. If neither of these are available, ask your manager to point you in the right direction. No matter what you might read here or anywhere else, it is imperative to comply with your company policy, or you risk disciplinary action, termination, even a law suit. That's right, employees who knowingly or through negligence reveal confidential information can be held liable for subsequent financial losses suffered by the company.
Keep in mind that there is a difference between social networking about work and social networking at work. The policy may allow you to participate, but not during your normal working hours. Unless of course, corporate communications is part of your job description.
With that first rule firmly ingrained, here are a few other tips to keep in mind. Some or all of them mirror many company policies.

Do

• Be sure of all information you post. If you are stating something as fact, make sure it is a fact, not opinion or wishful thinking. Citing references or sources is a big plus.
• Clearly state that your opinions and viewpoints are yours, and do not represent the stance of your employer.
• Engage in intelligent dialog with others. Find out who else is blogging about the topics that interest you. Comment on their posts and link to their blogs. You'll help build your network of resources and your online credibility.
• Consider potential conflict of interest repercussions. If you "friend-request" a business contact, will that put either of you in an awkward or compromising position?
• Watch your spelling and grammar. "Leet-speak" may be cool with your friends, but avoid it if you want to build a professional online persona.
• Review what you're saying before clicking Submit. It is not only a reflection on you, but on your company as well, even if you do publish a disclaimer.
• Remember that what you post may well last forever. It is virtually impossible to remove something once it has been posted on the Internet.

Don't

• Give away company secrets. A good rule of thumb is, if it isn't published in a press release or on an official company website, then don't reveal it. Someone else leaking confidential information on their site doesn't give you permission to discuss what you know about it.
• Engage in name-calling, or post inflammatory remarks. Stating informed, conflicting opinions is fine, posting emotional diatribes is not.
• Share personal information about your co-workers. Identity theft and social engineering are prevalent enough, don't contribute to the problems

Here's one more 'do' for you - have fun with it. Even though these rules of thumb may seem encumbering or limiting, there is still plenty of latitude to let your personality and sense of humor pervade your social media contributions. That, a little common sense, and adherence to company policy is all it takes to build your on-line presence and strengthen your ties to your industry.

To view original article CLICK HERE

Making It Big Monday

10 Things You Should Include in Your Career Advancement Goals This Year

There has never been a more critical time to take an active role in your planning career advancement than now. With hundreds of thousands of top salary jobs left unfilled due to lack of qualified candidates having both the hard and soft skills to fill them, yet millions of people out of work, it is clear that there was a lack of career planning on many fronts. And with the rapid change in the way work is done there is little doubt that the future has more redundancies in store. Keep your career ahead of the curve and develop and implement an intentional career advancement plan. Here is a quick list of some of the things you should consider when developing your career advancement plan this month.

Develop your communication skills
Learn how to improve your skills of persuasion with by improving your story telling skills. Attend a story telling class or acting class. Consider developing your improvisation skills through similar classes. Not only will these skills help you to think and speak effectively on your feet, but they will also enhance your ability to build on ideas during discussion. You can also improve your ability to persuade by learning how to use the skills of debaters, not to win an argument but to be able to consider discussions from all perspectives and address all feedback.
There is an on slot of innovative ideas that need input from all to be refined, so expect conflict. Learn to effectively handle conflict to move discussions forward and minimize lingering negative emotions.

Develop your collaboration skills
With the changes in the way work is done everything is interconnected with everything else. So the most important thing is how you connect with and work with others.
You will need to effectively collaborate with and problem solve with those who may share a common interest but different values. Of course if everyone would think the way that you do and share the same values and perspective then your job would be perfect. That is exactly what everyone else is thinking as well. So learn to motivate those who are a challenge to deal with to help you achieve your goals whether they are project goals, career advancement goals or everyday operations.
In a global economy you will find yourself interacting with others who have different values and different ideas about the way things should be done. With effective collaborative skills you’ll minimize the challenges.

Develop relationships
Face to face networking is still the way to gain influence. Expand and develop relationships at all levels of your organization, throughout your industry and with professionals in industries that may complement the work you do. You’ll need advice, insight, direction and information from those in the know to develop your plan, to continuously evaluate it and to experience the career advancement you desire.

Learn the unwritten rules of career advancement
It is not that anyone is hiding the rules. There are many tracks to career advancement in which case a plan specific to your current skills and experience should be developed. Let your desire be known. Enlist the support you need from talent managers, your bosses and other colleagues. Let them know that you’d like their help.
Stay connected for several online posts about the unspoken rules of career advancement. Start with this brief intro.

Help others succeed
You cannot have success unless those around you are successful
Have you ever worked on a team with someone who just couldn’t or wouldn’t pull their weight? You spent half the day complaining to your other team members, boss, significant other, friend, sibling, anyone who would listen. Some people just don’t know the skills necessary to be a successful team member. But you need your team or support staff to be successful in order for you to be successful, so help them when you see an opportunity. Pass on an article, a link, a blog post or a specific professional development book. Your success relies on their success.

Seek frequent feedback
Are you absolutely certain you have the skills and have demonstrated the skills required for the position you want? If you are not the decision maker then you need to know what they are thinking. You’ll need to get their honest feedback about your performance and your promotability. Learn how the decision makers view you, your work and your professional presence. Learn what they need to see from you and in turn let them know your interests and goals. Learn which skills you need to develop and which strategic initiatives you need to focus on. Read more about the importance of feedback.

Take on assignments that will require you to develop and demonstrate the skills required for career advancement
Problem solving, project management, product or service development and implementation, financial and data analysis and strategic planning are only a few of the skills you need to develop and demonstrate. Look at new tasks and challenging assignment as essential opportunities to develop these skills rather than tasks outside of your job responsibility or personal capability. If you do you will offer someone else the opportunity to develop the skills and experience career advancement.

Remain relevant
Keep an eye on industry trends, business trends, technology trends, that will affect the way you do work. Stay abreast of technology on the horizon by developing relationships with leading thinkers in your industry, industry periodicals and credible websites and blogs. Where necessary make time to learn the new skills and even be the expert about what is on the horizon. Take opportunities to discuss upcoming trends in meetings, during social interactions or set up formal presentations.

Differentiate yourself
If you have conditioned yourself to fit in, this is the year to take an assessment of how you are uniquely different. What attributes, strengths and interests do you have that will set you apart from others? How can you uniquely add value? Companies need new ideas to remain competitive which requires diversity of thought, talent and ideas. If you are like everyone else do you want to leave it to chance that you will be the one selected? Be a stand out in the way you add value.

Develop a detailed and flexible plan
Although goals provide the motivation you need, you’ll need a detailed plan to keep you focused and on target with your career advancement plan this year. With so many distractions including from the media, noise from those who are discontent and from those who do not have similar career advancement goals it is easy to get distracted. Develop a plan with input from your company talent manager, boss, your personal career coach, a transition coach, mentor or sponsor, but know that it must be flexible and reviewed frequently, particularly after receiving valid feedback.

Don’t leave your career advancement to chance. You can take an active role.

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Fun Fact Friday

Top 10 Most Annoying Coworker Types & How to Deal with Them

(for entertainment only)

Are your coworkers driving you crazy? You are not alone! A recent study showed that almost 40% of workers feel out of place in the office. We have assembled a list of the most annoying coworker types. Anyone sounds familiar?

10. The Obnoxious One

An obnoxious coworker repeatedly bangs on the table for no apparent reason, cracks knuckles and whistles eight hours a day. All this is between thunderous phone conversations. These coworkers have no secrets. They prefer discussing them with a door open and over a speakerphone with the whole office listening. By now you’ve learnt about their bonuses, medical problems, and heard plenty of baby talk with the spouse.

How to deal with them: Hum show tunes every time they get on the phone while hanging around their office and waiting for them to finish the phone call. Better yet, give them a portable phone booth.

9. The Sloppy Eater

Don’t you love that constant sound of chewing coming out of your coworker’s mouth? How about that smell of rotten food items coming out of their garbage bin? Do you constantly get to use a dirty microwave and navigate your way through spilled coffee, sugar and dirty plates? Of course, the winner is the month-old leftovers in the fridge sporting a thick layer of fur. Yummy!

How to deal with them: Bring a smelly sandwich like tuna for lunch and forget to put it in the fridge for about three days. Don’t forget to label it with the annoying coworker’s name. Keep doing until they start going out for lunch.

8. The Prankster

The practical joker is next on the annoyance list. This is the wise one who toilet papers your desk, superglues your mug the mouse pad, unplugs your monitor and keyboard and send out fake memos about layoffs. This coworker does not mind humiliating his or her self and others and can’t understand why you wouldn’t want a gorilla stripper in the boardroom on your birthday.

How to deal with them: Play the classic desktop wallpaper prank on them. Harmless but very entertaining!

7. The Weirdo

This is the guy in the cubicle next to you wearing 3-D glasses with the lenses removed. His desk is full of pictures of himself and Star Trek characters. You have probably overheard him calling his mom to tell her that he has been a good boy today. He regularly saves chewing gum on the end of a ruler and loves picking his nose (do you know he’s been secretly stashing those boogers under the desk?). He spends his day at work browsing porn on the Web and drinking beet juice. Congratulations, you are working next to an office weirdo!

How to deal with them: It is better to be neither friend nor foe with them. Avoid eye contact. Gift ideas include finger drum kit, solar-powered flash lights and family DNA testing.

6. The Back-Stabbing Nose-Browner

You know the type: they are taking on all projects, sucking up left and right, always nodding to everything the boss says. This type does everything possible to try to make the boss like them (especially at the expense of others). They are an office parasite, copying other’s ideas as their own and taking credit for someone else’s work as long as it gets them an extra brownie-point from the boss.

How to deal with them: pretend to ask their advice and make them feel important – they may actually help you to deal with the boss. Just keep in mind that everything you ever say to them will be reported to the boss immediately.

5. The Stinky

Some people in the office are identified by their offensive smell. You can smell them from another part of the office and you can’t hide from it. The origin of smell doesn’t really matter: either sitting next to someone who didn’t shower or someone who smells like an ashtray. Enough said.

Solution: For offensive smells give them a gift of perfume or cologne. Better yet, leave a bar of soap on their desk every day. If that doesn’t work – have everyone chip in for an air purifier.

4. The Drama Queen

Every office has one: “Oh My God! We are all going to get fired!”, “I don’t feel like working”, “This is too hard, I can’t do it!” Sounds familiar? Constant negativity and complaining at work becomes a real drag after a while. It is not that they don’t like their job it is just a nasty habit of seeing only the worst around them. They have a gift for turning a small problem into major crisis. A great asset to any team for morale support!

How to deal with them: avoid telling them bad news. In fact, avoid telling them any news. If do they get fired eventually, call in sick (you don’t want to be around when that happens).

3. The Broken Clock

They are always late to work. They skip important meetings, take long lunches, miss deadlines, leave work early and yet they never get called out on it! They stick at time management but at the same time they manage to get everyone else to help them with their deadlines, which they keep missing. Oh, and the excuses: traffic, sick pets, and dying grandmothers, problems in kid’s school, meteors hitting the house tend to be the most popular ones.

Solution: give them a “Will Return” clock for their desk and make sure you don’t get assigned any joint projects or you will end up doing all the work for them to meet the deadlines.

2. The Gossiper

They gossip about all the affairs in the office regardless of whether true or not. They love to dish the dirt as their view of everyone in the office is usually skewed and negative. Not only they love the rumors, they live on them. You are always wondering when they will make you topic of the day.

Solution: Abruptly quit talking every time they enter the room.

1. The Idiot Boss

Bosses are always right. At least, they think they are! In any case, don’t mess with the boss. It is dangerous and may get you fired.

Solution: Seriously, if you have a problem with your boss, read our post on how to deal with an idiot boss - it may really help.

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