You are here: Home / 2010 / Archives for July 2010

If Your Company Won’t Help You, Do It Yourself

July 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

O.K. another post about the economic conditions and the fact that companies are cutting back.  I’ve heard, seen and experienced the pinch of what the current economy is doing to people.  I know those that have been laid off, took cuts in pay, reduce hours and had their fringe benefits slashed.  I know people are working harder and longer to make up for the fact that the company  had to let others go and they are left  to pick up the slack.  One would think that just keeping your head above all this would be enough, but wait…. let’s add that you still need to keep your primary and foundational skills sharp.

No one can remain stagnate and expect to grow.  The current economic state will change and jobs will be available once again.  You will want to either move up in your current company or move to another company.  You want to demonstrate that you have not let your skills atrophy while waiting but that you did something to take control of your own destiny.  After all your company has cut out the important programs they once had like, training & development courses, seminars, tuition reimbursement plans and other continuing educational benefits.  They have eliminated mentors and advisers.  You are left to not only work the job, but develop and grow with no help from your employer (in many cases, there still are those wise companies that realize the biggest asset they have – their employees and I salute you!)

So how do you do this?  First,  the easiest way is to read. Read topics relating to your field, read news articles, blog postings, any material you can get your hands on and with the internet it has never been easier.  If you find someone who is of great interest, subscribed to their RSS feed so that their content comes directly to your Inbox.

Next, go on-line and search for free webinars.  YouTube is a wealth of information.  People just like you are sharing their experiences as well as some experts that are sharing their seminars and workshop videos.  Did you know you can learn how to dance through YouTube, just in case you need a diversion occasionally.

Find your own mentor or adviser that who aligns with your career goals and aspirations.  I’d suggest using LinkedIn to find a connection.  With the number of people on LinkedIn you are bound to find one that matches what you are looking for.  When you do, reach out to them.  If you are concerned about how they will react, just think of how you would react if someone contacted you because of your skills, knowledge and abilities.  I bet you would feel honored.

If you are not on LinkedIn now is the time to join.  While you are setting up your profile you also want to check out the Groups and join a few so that you can follow and contribute to the ongoing conversations.  Not only can you get great advice from these groups, but you can also share your knowledge and help someone else.  If you have a question about your field of interest, or you are thinking of changing careers, this is a great place to find out more.

If you really want to push the envelope, start a group at your own company.  You could meet during a lunch hour, before or after work.  Be creative.  You could pick a topic and lead the discussion or ask for an outside expert to come in and be a guest speaker with each person paying a nominal fee if the speaker is going to charge you.   Find out who is handling the training and development in your company and ask for assistance.  They might come back and tell you they don’t have the resources at this time, but you are demonstrating that development is important to you.  Who knows, they may listen and offer support.

Filed Under: Business, Career, Leadership, Training and Development Tagged With: , , ,

When You Feel Defeated – How to Help Yourself Become a Winner

July 29, 2010 By 3 Comments

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

~Michael Jordan~


This quote demonstrates that everyone at some point and time in their lives has felt defeated by the obstacles that confront them. No one is immune.  However, the way we handle the obstacles is under our control.    An obstacle is a barrier that stands in the way of where we want to go or what we want to do.  What needs to be done is to circumvent the barrier which can be easier said then done.

I was speaking with a group of people today on job search techniques.  These people were given notification that their jobs were being eliminated.   This news alone is hard enough to digest, but add to it  today’s economic state and rate of unemployment and you could let yourself be defeated before you even begin the job search.

For the past year I unfortunately have sat in too many notification meetings and listened to HR Representatives explain to someone or a group of people that their jobs were being eliminated for economic reasons.  They assure the employees that the layoff was not due to their work performance.  Even though these people are out of a job the fact that their performance is not an issue is something that they need to hold on to.

A few things to acknowledge – yes, their jobs have been eliminated, yes the unemployment rate is still high, yes- the old way of looking for a job no longer exists and technology has played a role in this process and yes, there are an estimated 5 candidates for every job opening so competition is tough. (to see how this ratio is arrived  you may be interested in this link:

http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-07-15/business/21983904_1_labor-turnover-survey-job-seekers-job-market )

However, your attitude will determine if you are defeated or if you come out of the situation a winner.  Looking for a job is a full-time job in itself and it can be discouraging when you send out resume after resume and don’t hear anything in response.  But your attitude is the key.  Like everything, your situation will not last forever.  It may last longer than you would like, but it certainly will not last forever unless you let the situation defeat you.

What can you do?

First – listen to your self talk.  Are you filled with negative statements because if you are you are sabotaging yourself.  If you don’t think you are worth what you desire, why should anyone else?  You will be projecting the wrong image of yourself because your self talk is all wrong. Beware of negative self-talk and turn it around to be productive and positive.

Second – be aware of who you are associating with.  If there is a person that is negative, now is not the time to spend time with them.  They will only bring you down and you have enough to handle on your own, and your focus should be on you!

Third – do something that you enjoy every day.  It may be listening to music, reading a book, going for a walk or watching your favorite t.v. show.  The job search process requires focus and your dedication.  It is hard work and you deserve and need to take care of yourself.  A pamper a day can keep you motivated.

Fourth – stay organized.  Don’t let chaos overtake you.  When your surroundings are in dis-array it is hard to be focused or relaxed.  It is easy to feel defeated when you can’t find what you are looking for or you miss important dates because you let your lives spin toward a black hole that can be all-consuming.  Because you need to be focused on your job search you don’t want to take the time to find things that are misplaced or be distracted by clutter.

Fifth – remind yourself that you are not alone.  There are others that are in the same or similar situation as you.  There are even others that are worse off than you are.  Remind yourself of all that you have that is right in your life, the support systems you have and your ability to overcome the obstacles. Recall other times in your life when you felt that your would never get through a tough time, but you did.

Above all learn how to network correctly.  Schedule time each day to network in some way or fashion.  An don’t network by asking people if they know of someone who is hiring.  Turn the table around and ask yourself how you would feel and what your response would be if someone approached you asking this question.  Although there are social networking sites and they should be utilized as appropriate, get out from behind your computer and network with people face to face.

You need to be persistent when job searching.  Prepare yourself to be a winner, don’t let defeat take hold of you.  If you need help with a resume, interviewing skills, job search techniques or someone to help with supporting you in your efforts, seek out a coach, mentor or someone who you can trust to be there with honest feedback and support.

When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.–Pauline R. Kezer

Filed Under: Business, Career, Training and Development Tagged With: , , , ,

How To Find The Next Opportunity!

July 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Are you looking for the next opportunity?  Are you actively looking at websites, magazines and networking to find what the next opportunity for you will be?  Are you ready to take on the next opportunity when it does present itself?  If you answered yes to these questions then I have one more question to ask you… what are you doing with the opportunity that is on  your desk right now?

At one time those opportunities on your desk were exciting to you.  You were energy filled and couldn’t wait to tackle the challenge of the new opportunity.  But what happened? Why are you now letting those opportunities turn dusty while you look for a new opportunity?  Is this a possible habit of yours and you are in a cycle of looking, finding and then looking for more before you complete the last great opportunity.

Opportunities are exciting to us because they are fresh and new.  We don’t put barriers up when presented with an opportunity, we think outside the box and become highly creative.  We lose interest when things are not as easy as we thought they would be when the opportunity first presented itself.  Perhaps you have to do more research then you wanted, or you don’t have all the resources you need.

Before looking for a new opportunity take stock of what you have now and determine if you have given it your best before moving on and making piles of opportunities that never go anywhere. Just like the saying “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure” your old opportunities are someone else’s new opportunities.  Wouldn’t you hate to see someone take one of your left over opportunities and make it into a great success!

Before you go looking for the next great opportunity, do inventory of what you currently have. Then make the decision if you keep them and work them to their potential or if you move on.  You don’t want to become an opportunity collector that never cashes in on their wares.

Filed Under: Career Tagged With: , ,

Adapting to Other Behavorial Styles

July 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

If you have every heard someone say – “you can’t change another person you can only change yourself”, they were right!  We can try to change someone, but it won’t work.  Why?  Because in most cases we are trying to change someone to be more like ourselves.  Deep down inside we believe that they way we address a problem is the right way, the way we deal with other people is the right way, the way we communicate our likes, dislikes, needs and wants is the correct way.  But…. guess what?  There are other ways and they are right as well.

I use DISC as one of the assessments  in my coaching practice.  DISC is a behavioral assessment tool that provides people with a better understanding of themselves as well as others. DISC is based on the work of Wm. Marston and examines the behaviors of individuals in their environment within various situations.   DISC uses four quadrant model and has four dominant styles, D, I, S and C.   After answering a series of questions, this assessment will provide you with an indicator of where you are within the DISC quadrant. At this point I will add that we are all a blend of each style, but we have a dominant style that we revert back to because it is the most comfortable for us.

How does this help the individual?  It helps in many ways.  One being that you are given characteristics of your style, how others perceive your style and what the good, bad and ugly of your style could mean for you.  As you are de-briefed on your style you are introduced to the other three styles.  This is where the “aha’s” generally come into play.  You are presented with the fact that not everyone is like you and that when you try to change someone to be like you it doesn’t work.  That leads us back to the fact that you are the only one that can change, if you so desire.

Knowing yourself better combined with knowing about the other styles can aid you in better communication methods.  You can learn to adapt your behavioral style to better interact with the other styles.  Communication is key to harmony and working with people in both our personal and professional lives.  If we take it upon ourselves to know the other person better we can determine what their likes and  dislike are.  What pushes their buttons and what makes them feel good about themselves.  When you know these things you can then adapt your style to accommodate some of these attributes so that you reduce stress, conflict and begin to develop a relationship based on mutual respect for each others uniqueness.

You may be saying that it is you doing all the work.  This may be true if the other person does not know about the various styles, but think of the power in your hands!  You can adapt and change a strained relationship into a productive relationship.  You can demonstrate the flexible nature that you have learned.

There is so much more to go into with regards to using assessments to be a change catalyst that this only touches on the tip.  There are also other assessments that can be used one being Berkman.  I just happen to like the results and depth of DISC.   Learning about yourself is a life long process and the more we know about ourselves the better we are prepared for the journey.

If you want to know more about DISC or take an assessment yourself, you can contact me for more details.

DISC Diamond – Extended DISC

Filed Under: Business, Career, Leadership, Training and Development Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Why Customers Buy Your Service – 6 Things to Know

July 15, 2010 By 2 Comments

As a customer you know why you purchase the products and services you do.  Mainly, you need them!  Isn’t this the reason you want people to buy your products and services as well? It should be.  But can you easily and with conviction answer the following question – Why should a customer do business with my company?  The answer to this question needs to fit the agenda of the customer, not you.  This is often overlooked by business people as they become so wrapped up in their own business benefit that they forget to see the situation from the lens of their potential customers. 

Which leads me to ask… do you know who your targeted customer base is and where you can find them?  The power of these two questions and knowing the answers can lead your business to the next level.  Why?  Because you have placed yourself in the right position for success.  You know what customers should do business with your company and you know who and where those customers are located.

Next it helps to remember  that the customer doesn’t care about you.  They really don’t care if you have pills to pay and a kid or two in college.  Whether you make your sales number or what your outside activities are.  They care about their own need and if you can satisfy that need.  They are the one with the problem and they came to you to have the problem solved.  Now it is up to you to implement your plan as to why customers should do business with you!

When you are approaching a customer for the first time, plan, plan and then plan again.  Know what you are going to say, what you want to present and how you want the meeting to end. You will want to plan out at least these few items:

  1. Write out your objective and be clear on why you are making the pitch
  2. Know about your customer and analysis their needs
  3. A picture is worth a thousand words, so have something to show
  4. Anticipate concerns and questions that the customer may have and plan on how to handle them
  5. Know the benefits to the customer of doing business with you
  6. Know enough about your competition so that you can point out the value they will receive from doing business with you

Rarely does business just fall into your lap. You need to be prepared to market yourself and your services/products in a manner that benefits the customer.  Your benefit will be in winning their business and future referrals.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With:

Is There a Cure for Entrepreneurial ADD?

July 13, 2010 By 1 Comment

You may be one of the lucky ones that has not experienced the overwhelm of thoughts and ideas with little action.  Perhaps you are the one that gets an idea and implements immediately.  If you are not sure you have Entrepreneurial ADD here is short check list for you to self diagnosis.

Check all that apply:

  1. You have a great idea for your business, but then don’t take it to implementation ___________
  2. Your “To Do List” is filled each day and rarely do you accomplish any of the tasks ___________
  3. You love to network, but the business cards and contacts are never put into your data base for follow-up __________
  4. You can’t find your Business Plan if you have one at all ___________
  5. Your target market is a moving target ______________
  6. You are easily overwhelmed with all that you have to do ____________
  7. When all else fails you clean your office/desk to feel an accomplishment_______________
  8. You don’t feel good about your work production at the end of the day ________________

If you checked more than half you may be experiencing EADD (entrepreneurial attention deficit disorder)

Please dont’ get me wrong.  I am not making light of a disorder that affects many people.  I am speaking to the Entrepreneurial mind that may suffer from ADD.  As an entrepreneur you went into business because you see the potential in opportunities all around you.  You have an active mind and great “out of the box” thinking.  But that same love of ideas that brought you to start-up your own venture is also getting in the way of you making it a success.

Because of your active mind you get easily distracted.  You are more than likely a multitask-er that will start on one thing and then jump to the next and the next and then realize you can’t always remember what it was you were originally working on.  Each topic you hear, read or discuss takes you on another path and you are eager to discover where that path leads.  Problem is… you keep jumping paths so you rarely find the end to the journey you started on.  Now this can be exciting. Each day, a new opportunity.  But what happened to the great idea you had started your venture with and never finished?

I love the entrepreneurial mind, I am one myself and suffered from many of the symptoms I listed above.  I don’t know if I can say there is a cure for EADD, but I can tell you that there are steps that can be taken to alleviate symptoms and keep you on track.  I am sure some of these you have heard before, if not all of them.  The challenge is to take action to implement these steps so that your chances of exposure to EADD can be lessened.

  1. Determine if you are a morning, afternoon or evening person
  2. Once determined – plan, yes plan your day around the time that provides you with the most energy and concentration
  3. Set a schedule or a “chart of tasks” keeping in mind those that will require your full attention and place them at the time of day when you attention span is at its peak.  (notice I did not use the term “to do list” which can have a negative connotation to some)
  4. Chunk your morning, afternoon and late afternoon into 20 minute intervals to begin with.  The average person can not concentrate on a task effectively for more than 20 minutes at a time.  After that the mind tends to wander.  In order to stay on task set your computer alarm for 20 minutes (or other timing device) and then you won’t be tempted to keep looking at your watch to see how much time has passed. Isn’t it better to have 20 minutes of quality time on a task verses a day of jumping around from task to task and completing nothing?
  5. Seeking assistance for those tasks that your are not proficient at or are not directly related to your business is only doing smart business.  Example… If your computer has a problem, don’t waste time trying to fix it yourself, take it to an expert in that field.  If you need to input business cards to your data system, hire someone to do this for you and keep on track implementing your original idea.  All the little things that can pull you away from the main purpose of your business are costing you more in time and money than if you employ someone else to take care of these items for you.
  6. Know when to give an idea a proper burial and move onto the next one.

This is a short list, but given more and it could become overwhelming.  Short and sweet helps EADD people stay focused and move forward.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

A Day in History – July 1st

July 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The 4th of July is on Sunday and once again I become nostalgic to look up facts about our wonderful country.  Here are a couple of things that happened on this day years before.

On July 1, 1863 the Battle of Gettysburg began.  This battle lasted for 3 days and resulted in deaths and casualties of 51,000 out of the 163,000 soldiers that fought the battle.   Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863 and it lasted just 2 minutes.

“Four Scores and seven years ago our father’s brought forth upon this continent a new nation….”   I remember memorizing this address in grade school.

Also on July 1, 1971 the law was passed to allow 18 years old the right to vote. (26th Amendment)

I am sure many of you can recite the preamble to the Constitution as well:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common
defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
United States of America.”

There are 7 Articles in the Constitution:

Article 1 – Legislative Branch
Article 2 – Executive Branch
Article 3 – Judicial branch
Article 4 – federalism
Article 5 – deal with the Amendment process
Article 6 – the supremacy clause
Article 7 – Ratification of the Constitution

There are 27 Amendments to the Constitution called the Bill of Rights. The last Amendment was in 1992.

I marvel at what we have accomplished and the courage, foresight, strategy and hard ships of a country that is celebrating its 234th anniversary.


Filed Under: Leadership Tagged With: , , , ,