To the point, this is a post on what most people call “teamwork.” Bored already?
Believe me, I understand. Traditional talk on teamwork is overdone and underused. But the fact remains that most market evolutions rely on a team—somewhere, somehow, some way. And that’s why what happens inside teams, from a Presidential White House Cabinet to the Board of Directors at GE to your team, might be one of the most important topics we could talk about. Continue reading “The Ultimate Team”
What do you see on the horizon? I bet it’s change and more change!In these days of takeovers and mergers, of downsizing operations of multiple “rightsizings”, chances are that you are going to be caught up in some form of major workplace change at least once in your career. Probably many times!
See Part 1 for Stage 1. Something’s Up and Stage 2 Getting Acquainted. Now Take a look at the last two stages.
Stage 3. Settled In: The Six Month Benchmark
Now that the dust has settled, it’s the time to gauge your career health. Do I feel like an active participant or am I on the sidelines looking in? Have I gotten reassuring comments or positive feedback? If you are in the dark, take the risk and request a meeting with your boss to discuss your performance.
You need to be direct. Say, “I’ve been working hard to cooperate and adjust to the changes. So how am I doing? Are there things I need to work on to be more effective?”
You may get an indirect response such as: “You’re doing fine, keep up the hard work”; or “Let’s set a time to discuss this further.”
However, don’t be satisfied with an evasive or avoidance answer. Performance feedback is essential during times of organizational transition. If all the signs are looking good, you can start breathing a sign of relief. But, don’t let your guard down completely. The next six months are also very important.
Stage 4. A Year After: Is The Coast Clear?
By the time you’re a year or more into a major change, it’s reasonable to wonder: Has my work life settled down at last? Has the sense of crisis passed? If this is the case, great! You’ve come through the storms of change and now are going on to calmer times, at least for the short term, – long term who knows?
Or, is the atmosphere still very hectic despite many attempts to try to fix what’s not working? Or, is everything on hold again for the nth time waiting for someone to make the decision? Or your workload is not easing up but getting worse? Sad to say, sometimes things never calm down especially in troubled company or rapidly changing ones. If this is your scenario, you may decide to take a break from the relentless change. You can try to find a calmer port within your company or you may need to seriously consider finding a new position somewhere else.
Taking control of one’s career sometimes means making some very hard decisions. But once a decision is made and action is taken, then you can get on with your life. Isn’t that what career management is all about—taking charge of one’s destiny?
Readers, are you currently dealing with a new boss, a direction or other workplace changes? If so, what stage are you in? How well are you doing? Let me hear your stories.
Do you want to develop Career Smarts?
I received over 100 email messages from nonprofits in the last week of 2010. There’s a good reason for that: it’s the best week of the year for online fundraising.
I know, I sound like those billboards that say “You missed Ma’s Diner! Turn Back at Next Exit!” You can’t go back to December, but you can do two things:
1. Study some of the better emails that were sent then;
2. Start sending emails like that now, in January, and all year long.
Timing:
Why is the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day the best time to send an email asking for money? Most people say that it’s because you’re reminding donors that gifts made in the next few days will be deductible on their next tax return. No doubt there’s truth to that.
However, I’ve read in many places that tax savings are low on the list of reasons why people contribute to nonprofits. I think there’s another reason: Having just finished a crazy, hectic, overly-commercialized-yet-ultimately- unfulfilling few days unwrapping presents they don’t need or even want, donors yearn for more meaning. Your email can give them the opportunity to make a meaningful gift… and reap the tax deduction! If this is true, then you can make this case over and over in 2011.
In 2009, nonprofits that mailed on Monday December 28, Wednesday the 30th, and Thursday the 31st (early on that day – many people work only a half-day), raised more money than those who mailed only once or twice. This past year, the 31st was a day off for many more people (since New Year’s Day was a Saturday), so the best days seemed to be Monday and Thursday.
The message:
Shorter even than usual is the rule; Instead of a lengthy look backwards in the prior year, you might offer opportunities in the coming year, achievable if enough funds are raised. People will support your solutions to the problems they want solved.
It’s OK to send the same message several times in a row, especially to those who didn’t open the previous one. Use a different subject line and keep sending email.
Need help with your email schedule and appeals? Contact me.
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Rick Christ has been helping nonprofit organizations use the internet for fundraising, communications and advocacy since 2009, and has been a frequent writer on the subject. He delights in your questions and arguments. Please contact him at: RChrist@Amergent.com or at his LinkedIn Page
You will recall from my last post that the Eight Fold Path is a Buddhist approach to living and working to create greater peace, wisdom and compassion. The Eight Fold Path includes Right Livelihood, Right Action, Speech, Intentions, etc.
Many caring people don’t ever stop to question if what they are doing is the right thing, not ask the harder questions about what their company profits are used for, nor examine the end result of their business.
Luckily, there is an approach to business that does affirm life- The Triple Bottom Line of People, Planet and Profits. The philosophy of the Social Venture Network (SVN) started by Judy Wicks and others is to ‘Do Well by Doing Good’. SVN includes many wonderful examples of Social Entrepreneurship such as fair trade companies and neighborhood empowerment businesses.
Social Entrepreneurship, along with the Triple Bottom Line approach, provide another option for running a business than the traditional view of corporate profits above all else. We’ve seen the destruction and damage done with the singular philosophy of profit maximization and the growth of the Military Industrial Complex. It’s time for another approach.
Check out www.svn.org to see a list of the SVN member companies and corporate philosophy- SVN Video You can also read wonderful stories of people living Right Livelihood in Yes! Magazine. Go to their ‘New Economy’ tab. (http://www.yesmagazine.org/ ) to read about companies who are using their entrepreneurial spirit to make the world more just and compassionate.
I welcome your thoughts and perspectives on this issue. During this time of economic re-structuring we have a unique opportunity to rebuild a new economy that serves everyone.
Share with us your reflections on Right Livelihood, The Triple Bottom Line, and Doing Well By Doing Good.
May your heart expand and express itself this week through your work – Happy Valentine’s Day
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For more resources, see our Library topic Spirituality in the Workplace.
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Linda is an author, speaker, coach, and consultant. Go to her website www.lindajferguson.com to read more about her work, view video clips of her talks, and find out more about her book “Path for Greatness: Spirituality at Work” available on Amazon.
We all want to approach conflict situations with clear, honest communication that leads to a productive solution everyone can feel good about. But old habits and norms sometimes block direct, open communication. Use these suggestions as a checklist to see if you are communicating in the best possible way at your organization. If you aren’t, an open discussion and agreement to use these practices might be just what is needed to foster healthy, open communication in conflict situations.
Conflict in communication is universal; being human, we have different wants and needs, and we don’t always communicate perfectly. Keep the lines of communication open, and keep an open mind.
What other suggestions would you make to help work through conflict with healthy communications?
One of my executive coaching clients has been struggling with perfectionism. She strives for the impossible and disappoints herself when she does not achieve it. This caused her tremendous stress leading to feelings of guilt and failure when things did not turn out as she expected.
She realized that her perfectionism made her rigid and caused her angst. Through our coaching, she discovered a more empowering perspective which is to be her “best” versus trying to be “perfect”. Being her best was attainable while being perfect was not.
With her new strategy of operating from the perspective of being her best, she is able to let go of judging herself and is freed from the restraints of perfectionism. She’s pleased knowing that “being her best” is her “best self”.
Here are some traits of perfectionism:
Here are some ways to temper perfectionism
Are you a perfectionist?
Try this informative quiz from About.com: Quiz: Are You a Perfectionist?
For more resources, see the Library topic Personal and Professional Coaching.
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Pam Solberg-Tapper MHSA, PCC – I spark entrepreneurial business leaders to set strategy, take action, and get results. How can I help you? Contact me at CoachPam@cpinternet.com ~ Linkedin ~ 218-340-3330
My last article about Was the Guy Who Won the Client’s Audition Better than You? may have really seemed off-topic to some, and my apologies to those who didn’t find my sentiment to their liking, but I think it was a valid point. Maybe I can re-address it here in different and more positive terms with a shorter story.
While my article may have been illustrative of a training situation, it is not probably one common to many of us. It is to me because I am a voice actor, actor/director, communicator and trainer. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to think in terms of absolutes. There is the trend to put everything with a number–the three things you need to know, ten ways to do this or that, five secrets to wealth and posterity.
Pardon my substandard English: It ain’t possible! While the number gives an absolute answer–and absolute answers are comforting, life is too complicated to be set in stone. From my customer service days I have a different perspective regarding clients.
Clients are our livelihood; there is no denying that. Without clients, we cannot survive. But we have to engage them in a professional, oftentimes subtle way. Clients have to want you–and you in particular if your business relationship is to become successful.
I played tennis when I was younger. I used to go off by myself and practice serves in a local court. One day, an older woman in her sixties was watching me play.
“You need some help badly.”
Was I that bad?
I tried to ignore her. I needed to work on my swing.
“I can help,” she continued.
“Really,” I said sarcastically.
I was young and had been taught to respect my elders so I didn’t have a rude comeback–just the sarcasm, which she ignored.
“You can use my Wimbledon racket,” she said.
She got my attention. Her approach wasn’t optimum, but she got my attention by letting me know in a subtle way she had the “chutzpah” and the “chops” to work with a kid like me.
I learned from her. She became my unofficial trainer and coach. She had been to Wimbledon and she was good. When I got to where I could win a set or two occasionally, we stopped–but only because I had school. I had no real designs to be a pro. I played in college, but only for fun.
I think what I learned is that, if I hadn’t felt I needed the training no amount of “you need training to succeed” sentiment was going to make me ask for it–let alone pay for it. I knew I needed it and she had let me know her qualifications–take it or leave it. I took it.
We need to make our qualifications known in such a way as to draw attention to them in the right way. Not egotistically, not arrogantly. I don’t care how good we are, if that’s the way we express our qualifications; that’s how we lose customers, that’s how we lose clients. We can’t get too “big” for them. Bully me into using your services. You might, if I think I need you badly enough, get me once, but not twice.
Better to compliment the good, say you can help. Give potential clients the opportunity to see for themselves or hear from others how you good you are. The likelihood of a fit and long-term relationship is much enhanced.
End of shorter story. By the way, I still have that Wimbledon racket.
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For more resources about training, see the Training library.
(Guest post from Michael Zipursky.)
Lack of focus.
That’s one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a consultant. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, whether you’re a marketing, management, or public relations consultant (or any other type of consultant for that matter). The client of today has almost infinite possibilities to choose from when it comes to selecting a service provider to help them. And if you fail to give them an overwhelming reason to do business with you, they simply won’t.
Today, at the click of a mouse, a potential customer can leave you and your business in the dust as they scoot off to find someone that does a better job of catching their interest and engaging them. So how can you stand out in such a crowded consulting marketplace? Let me introduce you to the Unique Selling Proposition – widely known as the USP – and how your business can benefit from it.
A USP is a memorable statement about your product or service that gives your customers a compelling reason to buy from you. There are two components to the USP.
When every business in your industry is saying the same thing: “High quality” “Customer satisfaction” and all that other hoopla… the best way to differentiate your business is by making your difference stand out.
Let’s take a look at one of the most memorable USPs around: “When your package absolutely, positively has to get there overnight.” That one statement from FedEx, repeated all through its marketing and advertising, over time propelled them to the top of their industry.
Let’s take a look at another one: “Fresh, hot pizza delivered to your door in 30 minutes or less.” Dominoes dared to be the first to make a bold promise to the consumer about delivering pizza right to their door and getting it there in a timely manner.
The key to a winning USP is to make sure that you not only state what is unique about your product, but also how it benefits your customers. To create a USP for your consulting business take a look at your competitors and try to find gaps of unfilled customer needs around things like the guarantee offered, speed of service, superior quality, and better prices to name a few. Don’t just use those words as jargon though, figure out what your customers want that no one else is offering or talking about, and then craft your USP in easy to understand language so that it speaks directly to your customers.
The next step is getting the word out. Include your USP in all of your marketing materials, advertisements, signs and other communications. Remember, your potential customers aren’t looking for more options. They’re looking for the right one. Stand up, stand out and you’ll be well on your way to attracting more business.
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Michael Zipursky is a marketing consultant and co-founder of Business Consulting Buzz – a site that features articles, interviews, tips and more to help you set your consulting fees and become a more successful consultant.
This post fits loosely in the training and development category, I admit, but I think within this tale runs a thread that affects how we should look at people we are training. In this case, we are talking creative types, voice-over actors.
Granted, voice-over actors need training or coaching as much as anyone. Here a case is being made that the voice-over actor who gets the job must be “Better than me. Better than you.” The point being, if you don’t get the job, you need training. My answer, and not everyone is going to like this, is sometimes. But also sometimes you do need training to improve. And, sometimes it is the answer, but it should be self-motivated or pointed out by those you trust and not necessarily the guy on the street.
The opposing voice says, “We are reminded that human nature has always been inclined to denigrate what it cannot have.” I agree somewhat reluctantly. But let’s not denigrate the actor by telling him he’s not good enough because he didn’t get the gig; it’s more complicated than that.
I suspect the voice-over artist espousing these words is not only a reasonable successful voice-over actor, but a coach–a trainer of voice-over actors. He is entitled to his perspective, but I think it may be colored by his business angle. I think it is often better to sell to the client who needs you rather than you to “hard” sell the client you need.
The voice-over professional, let’s call him Jim, goes on to say, “…isn’t it also true that when you win an audition, you believe that there was more than luck involved? You used your talent and skill, you strategized, you hustled, you paid attention to the directions, you ‘got it,’ you communicated your offer clearly, and you won. My point is that some people win a much higher percentage of auditions not because of the luck of the dice, but because they are better.”
I don’t agree on the basis of too many subjective factors—even Jim, the subjective professional voice-over coach and trainer.
Here’s my side. If you aren’t good enough, you wouldn’t even get the audition. Better does not equate to different. Professionals will get the training and practice they need. The big moneymakers will work toward that end. Others may work to be more than they are. I want to work. If I’m good enough for the audition, I don’t need my “competition” saying I didn’t get the gig because I wasn’t good enough.
Maybe my performance was inadequate in some way, but I’ll leave that evaluation to others, a coach, a trusted colleague to give me the advice–if I ask for it. I’m professional enough to know I was “off,” and that’s up to me to correct. There are a lot of people getting gigs, but not just because they are “better.” Some actually get gigs because a producer selected the wrong guy and didn’t want to admit the mistake. Some get the gigs because they know someone.
Hate to tell you this, but sometimes it’s just salesmanship or the theory of if you ask ten times you get at least one, yes. I know some guys who used to apply it to pick up women, too. The more women they asked, the more they were likely to succeed with the pick-up, no matter how lame. The quantity versus quality thing. Even as an actor, I allow myself three shows that I’d really like to do in a theatre I’d really like to do it and audition. One out of the three is usually successful, but I have weighted my choices and options so that my success is driven as much by what I want–not necessarily the potential monetary reward–which is the main gauge some people use to measure success. The same old story. Not “sour grapes”—”just the facts, ma’am.”
Should I take a class or find a coach, who I don’t know but who must be better because he has an impressive website, just to feel I have improved? If I’m working, I’m proving it. I know who I am and I know my limitations.
Ever hear a “bad” voice-over? I’ve heard plenty. I wondered how the guy got the job–not why I wasn’t enough for it. Sometimes the people selecting a “voice” make mistakes. I started listening to an audio book that is being read by a gentleman with deep, modulating voice that I find unappealing and so stereotypical I won’t continue listening. Let’s not talk about the fact he can’t distinguish characters very well. Somebody wanted his voice for the Michael Crichton book. Maybe they just like it deep, not best.
I do like the idea of getting together with other voice-over artists (a good training idea) as Jim suggests, but it seems the really serious, experienced ones (the ones we could learn the most from) are working, always working and evaluating, not necessarily others but themselves. It’s always good to support each other; I don’t think any of us shrug off that we didn’t get the job because it is “anything but us.” On the contrary, our undeveloped talent may be one of many factors. Or, just a feeling the client had that someone else was a better company or demographic fit. Those other factors, remember?
I agree there is a need for coaches and trainers just as there is a need for any communicator who wants to improve, learn tricks of the trade, be told “you do this really well, and this not so much,” and whatever else we need to know. I am one who actually tells people I may be a costly alternative at this point when they may be more in need of the basics more cheaply delivered by someone else. I’m not independently wealthy, but I like to think I take clients I can really help rather those in need of some basic acting classes who are going to resent me later for charging so much for what they could have had at a community college.
Here’s the best way to help me, the voice-over actor: get me the job, help me with the interpretation and delivery, and assure me the client is going to like it.
It’s not possible.
It comes back to the basics.
It’s not a marketing game of who can get the most clients. I prefer client loyalty myself, and client recommendations because I was fair, honest–and good. Professionals of any kind know when they need help, but it’s a fit like anything else. We all do better when clients trust us. End of tale.
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For more resources about training, see the Training library.
Change is a fact of life. Don’t resist it; thrive in it!In these days of takeovers and mergers, of downsizing operations and multiple rightsizings, chances are you’re going to be caught up in some form of major workplace change at least once in your career. Probably several times!
Whether it’s a new job or a new boss or a new direction, the best career survival strategy is to respond effectively to these four stages of workplace change.
Stage 1. Something’s Up: What To Do Before The Change
If you’re lucky, you’ll have some advance warning and time to prepare. But most of the time, you just have an uneasy feeling. There might be lots of hushed conversations or closed-door meetings. Top management might seem especially busy and inaccessible. Or the rumor mill is running high.
This is not the time to stay buried behind your desk or in your office hoping everything will be OK. Rather get out there, keep informed and start thinking about your options for riding the waves of change.
Stage 2: Getting Acquainted: The First Couple of Months
In the first weeks of the transition, take extra care to be visible, productive and open to change. This is not a good time to go on vacation for two weeks. Ask yourself: Is there still career opportunity here or should I now begin looking elsewhere more earnestly? You need to decide to put your energy into making a go of it or starting to let go.
If you have a new boss, ask for a meeting to discuss your background, to provide an update on your projects and to find out about the new priorities for your team, department or division. If it’s a restructuring, understand the reasons behind it. What is the company dealing with now, that it wasn’t dealing with in the past? What goals is it trying to accomplish in the reorganization? In what way can you contribute to these new goals?
It’s time to get off the fence. It’s time to make a decision and take action. Are you going to hang on and ride out the storm; or hunt for opportunities in other areas in the company; or start looking for a new position somewhere else? Whatever you decide, do it with commitment.
The next post will focus on Stage 3: settling in and Stage 4: a year after. Learn additional career survival strategies.
Do you know what YOU do today will directly influence your career in 3, 5 or 10 years?
