#Leadership : #CommunicationSkills – Dealing With A Difficult Conversation. A Great Read for All!

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Difficult conversations are just that — difficult. The prospect of a tough conversation can fill anyone with dread and anxiety. Everyone has probably had this feeling, and everyone probably dreads it.

But you don’t need to. We’ve found through our research that this dread, in many cases, points to a natural aversion to conflict, as well as to a fundamental desire to be well-liked and understood. No matter the reasons, however, there are some simple ways to alleviate your anxieties before a tough conversation.

The next time you face a sensitive talk, whether at work with a boss or client or at home with a loved one, you can follow a three-step process to navigate it with ease: prepare, script and role-play.

 

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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Get The Basic Principles Down First

Many people hate being wrong. We hate being at fault or blamed. Whether this comes from pride or anxiety, it’s critical to look at your own behaviors and attitudes as you prepare for a difficult conversation. As you do this, remind yourself that the other person likely has similar feelings and attitudes. In the end, it’s not about who’s right — it’s about coming to an understanding.

Prepare for the conversation as you would for a pitch, client presentation or any other major moment — by owning as much as you can about yourself. Remember: prepare, script and role-play:

• Assess in your mind. Empathize with your counterpart, and try to imagine the scenario from multiple perspectives. How might their view differ from yours? How would a neutral party hear both sides? As you build empathy, try to focus on positive thoughts so you can put yourself into a constructive mindset to approach the conversation.

• Visualize the interaction. You’ve thought about both sides, so how might the conversation play out? Where might it turn negative, and how do you see yourself responding when you hear something you don’t like? At this stage, your preparation is a choice, so explore as many ups and downs as you can. This can help reduce potential surprises in the discussion.

• Practice each scenario. You’ve established a framework of possible directions and conversations; now practice them. Put them down on paper, grab a colleague or a friend and see whether they’d be willing to role-play the scenarios with you. It may sound silly, but the more familiar you are with your game plan, the more seamless your execution will be when it’s game time.

Apply The Principles To Real-World Scenarios

Let’s put this theory into practice. Imagine a client of three years has just emailed you expressing grave concerns about your working relationship. They ask for a meeting to discuss the future of your work together.

This type of situation happens, and it’s easy to let it spiral in your mind. Applying the three-step process to prepare, script and role-play may allow you to navigate the conversation and at least save the relationship, if not the contract itself.

• Focus on what you can control. As you assess everything in your mind, try to find that place of empathy to understand why you might be receiving this email. Maybe you already know, or maybe you’re caught off guard. Let yourself feel the negative emotions, and then dissect the situation as objectively as possible. Taking the time to explore the different angles can help break down the defensive position you might have taken. In short, it can help you come quickly to a constructive place and approach the conversation as a partner.

• Start scripting. Once you’ve thought through the different angles, start letting scenarios play out in your mind. Maybe you’ve set a meeting time, date and location. Put yourself in that room, and begin to imagine different paths the discussion could take. Imagine the questions and statements and the attitude or tone behind them, and write it all down. This can let you conceive positive responses in advance, so you can keep as much on the table as possible when the meeting finally comes.

• Role-play. Find a co-worker, a friend or someone you to trust to practice how the conversation may go. Study your notes and the scripted scenarios you’ve created, and practice until you feel confident and comfortable in your approach and the directions the conversation can take.

Of course, almost no conversation goes as scripted. The goal of this preparation is to help you come to a constructive place of understanding in advance of your meeting and anticipate as many scenarios as possible so you can avoid being caught off guard. The more you can maintain a fair balance of yourself, the better your odds of salvaging anything at all or, in some cases, turning the dreaded conversation into a truly productive, positive outcome for all parties.

Remember This

Take a deep breath. Think about the impact this conversation may have on your life in five years. Then put yourself in their shoes and do the same. You may quickly realize that the conversation probably doesn’t have the ability to ruin your life or in fact change much at all.

Now you’re ready. Communicate bravely. You’ve done the necessary preparation, and now it’s time to trust the different scenarios you’ve practiced and maintain your positive mindset throughout. Remember that difficult conversations have better results for those who remain positive and confident throughout.

Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
Andres LaresAndres LaresForbes Councils
Forbes.com | June 12, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #ProductivePeople – The Best Morning Routine Hacks Proven to Boost #Productivity .

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Developing the perfect morning routine that maximizes your lifestyle and predilections — while squeezing the most productivity out of your days — is a trial-and-error process. You have to know yourself in order to customize the best morning routine, and one size doesn’t fit all. For example: Do you need coffee to even get into the shower? If the answer is a resounding “yes,” consider building it into your routine by preparing your coffee maker the night before. That way, you can wake up and immediately hit the “on” switch.

The good news is that some morning “best practices” have been shown to help successful business moguls and entrepreneurs make the most of their time and energy. Take a look to see which morning routine hacks you can build into your ritual to help you ramp up productivity and reach your goals.

Wake Up Early

Not all wildly successful people are early risers, but it seems a majority of them are. Richard Branson has said, “No matter where I am in the world, I try to routinely wake up at around 5 a.m. By rising early, I’m able to do some exercise and spend time with my family, which puts me in a great mind frame before getting down to business.”

Branson is joined by other celebrated early risers, such as Apple CEO Tim Cook (4 a.m.), Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey (5 a.m.) and Starbucks executive chairman Howard Schultz (4:30 a.m.).

Research suggests many successful people wake up well before the work day begins. By doing the same, you can make time to exercise, walk your dog, meditate, spend time with family and get a jump on the day before you get worn down by your duties.

The Best Job Search Advice from Top CEOs at GM, 23andMe, Hilton & More

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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Start your morning the evening before.

It’s not until the end of one work day that you clearly understand what needs to get done the next work day. So before you log off, make a list of what you’d like to accomplish the following day, like entrepreneur and Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary does.

He has said, “Before I go to sleep, I write down three things that I have to get done the next morning before I take a call, write a text or an email or talk to anyone else except my family. And they can be random things, like ‘Call your daughter at school and ask about whether she’s done this or that’ or ‘Close a deal.’ What I found was once you get those three things done, the rest of your day becomes amazingly productive.”

Do the hardest thing on your to-do list first.

Author Mark Twain is cited to have said, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” The adage suggests completing your most difficult task first, and these words were embraced and demonstrated by overachievers for generations after.

Gina Trapani, founding editor of Lifehacker.com, gave her take on why: “First thing in the morning your mind is clear, the office is quiet, and you haven’t gotten pulled into six different directions — yet. It’s your one opportunity to prioritize the thing that matters to you most, before your phone starts ringing and email inbox starts dinging. By knocking out something important on your to-do list before anything else, you get both momentum and a sense of accomplishment before 10 a.m.”

Tackle the hardest thing while you still have a significant reserve of mental and physical energy.

Drink cold water.

After you wake up, hydrate; you’ve just gone for a long stretch of time without drinking any water. Water perks you up and gets your muscles and organs working, said Rania Batayneh, nutritionist and author of The One One One Diet. “One of the biggest indicators of lethargy or low energy is that you are dehydrated.”

That’s why power players like Arianna Huffington, founder of both The Huffington Post and Thrive Global, and Kat Cole, president of FOCUS Brands (parent company of Auntie Anne’s, Carvel and Cinnabon), start their mornings with a tall glass of water.

Put your phone out of arm’s reach.

A 2016 study from CareerBuilder suggests cell phones and texting are the biggest productivity killers at work. Constantly checking your smartphone can seriously impede your ability to focus and finish tasks, so it’s a good idea to limit your access by banishing it to a drawer except for designated times. You can also consider turning your phone off completely and turning it back on during lunch hour.

How to Spot Burnout Before It’s Overtaken Your Life

Turn on the light.

Having trouble getting out of bed? Turn on multiple lights.

Whether it’s natural or artificial, light is significant because it tells the brain that the day has begun and sends signals to the body to stop producing melatonin, the hormone that helps regular sleep, said Dr. W. Christopher Winter, medical director for the Martha Jefferson Hospital Sleep Medicine Center in Charlottesville, Va.

“If it’s dark when you want to wake up — say, 5 a.m., for example — you can fool your brain into thinking the sun is up by using bright indoor lights,” Winter said.

Exercise first thing in the morning.

Richard Branson, Sheryl Sandberg and Mark Zuckerberg all prioritize fitness upon waking. Exercise helps boost their energy, motivation, productivity and physical and mental stamina.

Branson is a dedicated runner and cyclist, and he credits exercise for his ongoing productivity. “I definitely can achieve twice as much by keeping fit,” Branson said. “It keeps the brain functioning well.”

Science suggests a correlation between mental sharpness, memory and exercise. According to Harvard Medical School’s journal, working out causes your brain to secrete a chemical called neurotrophic factor, which boosts brain function.

Eat a healthy breakfast.

Tony Robbins and Oprah Winfrey both opt for healthy, high-protein breakfasts to increase focus and productivity throughout the day. Lifestyle expert and registered dietician Lisa De Fazio explained that your first meal of the day should be a balance of high-fiber carbohydrates and lean protein. The former helps regulate blood sugar levels, while the latter can help you feel full for longer.

While Robbins opts for a high-protein breakfast and has been reported to favor unusual options like fish and salad or quinoa and hummus, Winfrey is a fruit enthusiast and typically enjoys berries and passion fruit alongside multigrain toast.

Meditate.

Many moguls meditate first thing in the morning. They’re not alone in this practice, and studies show that daily meditation can help reduce stress and anxiety.

Meditation provides the mind with a daily single-task workout so you can remain focused on completing one thing at a time, instead of being mentally pulled in multiple directions. It can improve your productivity by supporting your ability to stay present.

 

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#CareerAdvice : #InterviewQuestions – Best Answer To The #InterviewQuestion ‘Why Should I Hire You?’ … Must REad!

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In today’s fast-paced world, you need a quick, concise, well-thought-out answer to capture the employer’s interest and make them decide to hire you.

The formula: creating your strategy

Examine your previous experience. Write out the major responsibilities for each job you’ve held. Note any special accomplishments. Zero in on your important work strengths—those abilities where you excel and are most productive.

Then, check with your contacts and use your network to get as much background as possible about the employer, the company, and the position’s needs. Check the hiring manager’s LinkedIn profile. Go to Glassdoor.com and read reviews of the organization. Many times, your contacts and research will point out the very aspects that must make up your 5 top selling points which I call, the 5 Point Agenda. Other times, there will be little information available and you will need to guess based on your general knowledge about performing the job.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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After reviewing the position’s needs, determine which of your abilities and which aspects of your experience will be most important to the employer. Then create your 5 Point Agenda, selecting each point to build a solid picture emphasizing how you can do the best job. This is an important step as the 5 Point Agenda is the basis for creating your 60 Second Sell.

Before every job interview, you will customize your 5 Point Agenda to reflect the responsibilities of the job as well as the company’s goals and objectives. These five points are your basic building blocks to answer the interviewer’s questions. You’ll want to emphasize each of these points whenever the opportunity presents itself. The message the employer will hear is that you have the ability to perform and do well in the job—and it will give your prospective boss confidence in hiring you. On top of that, they likely will remember these aspects about you.

Here is the sample that Susan, 58, created about her role as a Human Resources Director. The company wanted to find a progressive HR partner to lead its organization. They needed a strategic leader. The client had heard about the position from a friend at an HR conference and wanted to go after the job. Her 5 Point Agenda needed to stress her achievements.

Example:

Human Resources Director

  • Point 1: Award-winning human resources leader.
  • Point 2: Providing strategic direction for the organization that was recently named a national best places-to-work company.
  • Point 3: Strong entrepreneurial drive was responsible for delivering new programs, HR systems, and major policy enhancements.
  • Point 4: A strategic and operational business partner working closely with top executives.
  • Point 5: Exceeds goals and expectations.

Your Verbal Business Card

The 60 Second Sell is a tool that helps you target your skills to meet the employer’s needs. It allows you to summarize your most marketable strengths in a brief and concise manner. Successful job hunters have found that the 60 Second Sell is the most influential tool they used during the interview process. They praised the tool for several reasons:

  • It was effective in capturing the employer’s attention.
  • It provided excellent, concise answers to tricky questions.
  • It was very easy to use.
  • It was a great way to end an interview.

The 60 Second Sell is a 60-second statement that you customize for each interview and that summarizes and links together your 5 Point Agenda. You will want to put the points of your 5 Point Agenda into an order that allows you to present them in the most logical and effective manner. When you link the ideas into sentences, they should be spoken in 60 seconds or less. Once memorized, this statement will be easy for you to recall and use during the interview.

Answering that tough question

Your 60 Second Sell is the perfect answer: Why should I hire you? This question is asking you to convince the employer to hire you. The 60 Second Sell is effective because it demonstrates your strengths and illustrates how you will fill the employer’s needs. That is the key to its success, and yours.

60 Second Sell Example

To clearly understand how your 5 Point Agenda is linked and becomes your 60 Second Sell, let’s continue with our earlier example; here is how we took Susan’s  5 Point Agenda and linked the points together to summarize them and create her 60 Second Sell.

Human Resources Director

“I’ve been an award-winning human resources leader with fif­teen years of experience providing strategic direction. I’m proud to share that my current employer was recently named a national best-places-to-work company. I am a global thinker who contributed to the company’s success as a strategic and operational business partner, and we have cut attrition by 60%. I display a strong entrepreneurial drive at work. I have been responsible for delivering new programs, HR systems, and ma­jor policy enhancements. My CEO has repeatedly recognized me for my innovative leadership that often exceeds goals and expectations.”

This encapsulates exactly why the employer should hire her. She has outlined her very best skills, experience and abilities. And it worked – Susan landed her dream job amongst steep competition. By following this formula, you’ll be able to sell yourself effectively too.

Author: Robin Ryan is a Career Counselor and the bestselling author of 60 Seconds & You’re Hired and Retirement Reinvention.  Her website is http://robinryan.com/

 

Explore Robin’s Book:  60 Seconds & You’re Hired 

The 60 Second Sell is your tool to achieve this. This 60-second calling card will summarize your skills, abilities and previous experience in a well-thought-out fashion that will immediately make the employer want to listen.

The 60 Second Sell is a proven shortcut to your success when asked the tough question, “Why should I hire you?” Client upon client has reported that using my 60 Second Sell approach was the best job search technique they’d ever used. It’s easy to create and easy to implement. Once you’ve learned this technique, your interviews will be greatly improved because you will be able to do the most important thing necessary to land a job—tell the employer exactly how you can perform his or her job.

 

Forbes.com | June 4, 2019 | Robin RyanContributor

#CareerAdvice : #JobInterviewing – Here’s Your #JobInterview Preparation Checklist.

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So you applied for a job online, and just got a call from the recruiter asking if you can interview with the hiring manager. You are super excited until you hear that the interview is happening in 48 hours. 2 days. OMG!

Don’t panic; just prepare! Glassdoor has got you covered. Complete with timing and strategy, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of essential ways to gear up for your interview and knock it out of the park. Ready, set, prep!

As soon as you hang up with the recruiter:

1. Study for your interview like it’s a final exam.

  • Find as much information as you can on the company or organization, and commit as much of it to memory as possible.
  • If the job you’re interviewing for requires knowledge in a certain field, do all of the learning and brushing up you can on information that will be relevant to your interview.

2. Generate a list of potential interview questions (and their answers!) beforehand.

  • Base your list of questions on both what you expect them to ask and the real life experience of others
  • Reach out to people who worked in similar companies and positions as you are interviewing for and ask them about their interview experience
  • Use tools like Glassdoor’s interview question database to look up real interview questions and their answers.
The 45 Questions You Should Ask In Every Job Interview

36 hours before the interview:

3. Write out answers to every question you anticipate, and practice delivering them out loud.

  • Even if you don’t remember your responses word for word, you can fall back on certain key points and phrases.
  • Write your own list of questions for the interviewer, and be prepared to ask them when the time arises.
  • Make sure your questions are nuanced and well-researched. Never ask for any information that can be simply found online.

4. Compare your skills and experience to the job description.

  • For each component of the job description, brainstorm your relevant skills and experiences, and think critically about how you want to present them.
  • If there’s a preferred skill or experience you do not have, be able to demonstrate you’ll be competent without it.
How to Read a Job Description

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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12-24 hours before the interview:

5. Be rested and healthy for the big day.

  • Before getting good night’s sleep, try to imagine yourself acing the interview.
  • Eat wholesome, healthy meals for the days preceding the interview.
  • If you are prone to anxiety, try breathing techniques or meditation the morning of the interview, and even directly before.

3-6 hours before the interview:

6. Dress for success

  • Keep your fashion choices subdued and classic – don’t wear clothes that will distract the interviewer.
  • If you’re unclear on what type of clothes to wear, don’t be afraid to reach out to your interviewer and ask.
  • Wear clothes you feel confident in. Don’t be afraid to invest in an “interview outfit” or two that you feel your best in.

7. Empower yourself

  • Practice a firm handshake, strong posture, and attentive body language in advance.
  • Think of a mantra you can call upon for self-confidence, like, “no matter what, I will do my best.”
  • Try to imagine yourself not getting the job. While it might be painful to think about, what can you see yourself having learned from the interview experience?

8. Don’t leave any unnecessary unknowns.

  • Plan what to bring (extra copies of your resume!) and even what transportation you are taking to the interview way in advance, so there’s no added uncertainty the day of.
How to Interview for Your First Management Role

During the interview:

9. Keep an interview journal

  • During or even after your interview is over, take a few minutes to jot down what parts you felt you aced, and where you could have shone brighter. These notes can serve as a valuable guide for your future interviews.

6-12 hours after the interview:

10. Follow up.

  • Extending the conversation shows that you’re passionate about the job. Don’t call every day asking if you got the job, but a simple thank you note can speak volumes about your commitment to the position.
  • And if you didn’t get the job? Let them know if you’re still interested, and ask what you can do to be a more attractive candidate in the future.

 

 

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#CareerAdvice : #JobSearch – Recent Grad? Here’s How to Tackle Your First Month of #JobSearching . Bonus: 25 Highest Paying #EntryLevelJobs .

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Making the transition from academia to professional life is a milestone that our four-year undergraduate degrees often don’t prepare us for!

If you’re getting ready to make the jump from backpack to briefcase, here is a week by week plan to help prepare you for your first month of job searching.

Week 1: Self-Reflection

Before diving into your job search and applications, it’s time to start reflecting about what you want your first career move to be. Until this point, it’s likely that your choices and variability have been limited, as academic curriculums can be restricted to your core courses and electives. This is a unique time to explore your life, network, and take the time to learn about yourself and your interests.

To do this, ask yourself the following questions:

In the last few years, what courses, projects, internships, or part-time jobs have “sparked joy”?

In the last few years, which of those same elements have I strongly disliked?

If time, money, and resources were not a barrier, what would I want to pursue?

What professionals, professors, or classmates inspire me? If I could emulate anything about them, what would it be?

Once you have those elements figured out, you can research which jobs exist that would create alignment between your work and your areas of interest. Start by listing out 10 jobs that might include key ingredients that excite you.

Building your career roadmap and vision early on will provide a guiding light as you transition from school to work.

25 Highest Paying Entry Level Jobs

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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Week 2: Informational Interviews

Once you’ve started exploring and have that list of 10 jobs, seeking out informational interviews will help you develop a better picture of what your desired profession could look like in real time.

If you want to reach beyond your network of professors, friends, family and classmates for informational interviews (which you should!), head to LinkedIn and get networking!

Speaking to people about their careers, and learning about how they got from A to Z will help you build your own roadmap, and expand your professional network. It will also give you a realistic idea of how to emulate certain careers or accomplishments.

If you find yourself getting excited about someone’s job or achievement, it might be because their values and interests align with those of your own. Listen to that inner voice when it’s excited as you start searching for your first job.

While going through this process, you should keep track of all the conversations you have. Mark down who you’ve spoken to, what the interaction was, and what the outcome was. This helps build meaningful relationships early on, fine tune your messaging, and serves as a  journal for self-reflection.

You might find that many people are too busy to take your calls. This is to be expected, so challenge yourself to reach out to at least two to three new people a day, and make sure to follow up.  

7 Perfect Questions to Ask While Networking

Week 3: Look Towards Your Own Network

Now that you’ve explored yourself, spoken to some professionals, and have some guidance about where you want to go, start going through your internal network.

Open up a new spreadsheet and build out a company list of 20 places you would want to work. Once you have that list, start talking to your friends, families, colleagues, alumni, professors, and anyone you’ve spoken to in step one and two, to see if you know anyone working in any of those organizations. See if any of your contacts, or any of your contact’s contacts know anyone that can put you in touch with the right people.

Get your name out there and tell your network you’re looking for a job! If people don’t know you’re looking, and don’t know what you’re looking for, they won’t know to refer you. Everyone has been where you’re starting out, and most people will be willing to help you land that first gig.

How to Find a Job in a New City

Week 4: Head to the Job Boards

Once you’ve moved through your network, it’s time to hit the Glassdoor’s job search.

Rather than sitting home hitting refresh on the job boards every five minutes, give yourself a schedule, and a routine that will help you build good habits and avoid any toxic behaviors. For example, you can say, “After 2:00 pm, I’m not applying for jobs anymore and instead I am going to spend the afternoon improving my French speaking skills”. Also, you should set up a Job Alert for the term or terms that may be contained in your ideal job. For example, if you’re on the hunt for a writing job, set up job alerts for the words “writer,” “editor,” “content,” “content creator.”

At this stage of your career, the focus should be to find a job that will give you skills, and experience to help you build your foundations. While you shouldn’t be too picky early on (ex: rejecting a good job because it’s not your dream job), you should try and only apply for jobs that you feel will help move you in the right direction professionally.

Give yourself benchmarks, and reward yourself along the way. For example, you might say, “if I get 5 really good applications done in the next 2 days, I’ll take myself for a pedicure”. Celebrate yourself!

While academia provides a linear framework for you to work within, you’ll have to get used to the ambiguity and uncertainty that exists when job searching and building your career. Finding the right job will not happen overnight, so keep calm, and remember your career will be a journey, and not a final destination!

This article was inspired by my session in the SOS Summit for Job Seekers

Author: Stacy Pollack is a professional development specialist who helps teams and leaders grow and build new skills. She is passionate about creating opportunities for people to advance in their career while improving the development of organizations. She loves sharing insights on human resources, career building, and networking for success. Stacy also holds an MA in Educational Technology. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Twitter, or at www.stacypollack.com.

 

GlassDoor.com | June 3, 2019

 

#Leadership : #Negotiating  -These are 4 Key Signs Someone isn’t Trustworthy. Must REad!

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Between the various privacy scandals, sexual misconduct probes, and CEOs charged with buying college admissions for their kids, trust in the business world feels like it’s at an all-time low.

But it turns out the picture is more complicated than that. While faith in big business, media, and government is under siege, more people than ever are turning to their employers for guidance and support. Globally, 75% of people trust their employer to do what’s right, according to Edelman’s 2019 Trust Barometer report. In uncertain times, we’re leaning on some of the people closest to us–notably, our bosses and colleagues–for confidence and direction.

I get this. I’ve always felt that my professional network is far more than just a collection of business contacts. In my career as a headhunter and now as an investor, I’ve learned that relationships built around mutual trust are the only ones worth pursuing, professionally and personally.

The challenge is that in the heat of the moment, understanding the intentions and motivations of colleagues can be hard. When you’re dealing with competitive industries, shifting markets, and pressure for instant results, who can you really trust?

In conducting thousands of interviews with top leaders and working with more than 100 companies as an investor, I’ve noticed a few signs that tell me I should maybe think twice about trusting someone to make the right call in the moment.

No one’s perfect of course–myself included. But whether you’re investing in entrepreneurs, hiring leaders, or even deciding where to work, here are a few critical and not-so-obvious “tells” that I’ve encountered.

THEY PREPARE YOU FOR THE UPS, BUT NOT THE DOWNS

Acting ethically isn’t about being nice or being liked. It’s about transparency. That means being honest about the potential for losses as well as gains. Hiding hard news from employees or stakeholders is rarely a sign of solid leadership.

This goes double in times of crisis. A classic example of this good kind of transparency comes from former Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz, who opened up to employees about company mistakes in 2008 after tearfully laying off 12,000 workers at the height of the recession.

I’ve been guilty of the opposite. A couple years ago, I invested in a company that was in the process of being acquired and encouraged colleagues to do the same. But the buyer changed the terms at the 11th hour–and we were left holding the bag. Rather than share that news openly, I tried to save face by paying the others out of my personal finances. But by not telling the whole story, I set off alarm bells for a couple of investors–and in the process, I lost a good friend.

 

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THEY’RE LONE WOLVES

A serial entrepreneur might be a pro at pulling off seven-figure exits, but if they’re not talking to a single person who helped them get there after the fact, that’s a serious red flag. If you’re willing to burn people to make a buck, I’m willing to bet you’ll also cut corners along the way.

Just look at disgraced entrepreneur Billy McFarland. Long before he bilked customers, vendors, and investors out of millions with his disastrous Fyre Festival–and landed in prison on fraud conviction–McFarland had already racked up some serious bad will among previous customers and associates. A little research would have shown that his entourage of musicians and Instagram influencers were relatively recent acquisitions intended to build hype.

Most examples aren’t nearly as public (or as poetic) as this, but doing due diligence to see if a potential hire, partner, or boss has had relationships that have lasted from one project to the next can tell you plenty about whether they operate with integrity–or not.

THEY DON’T INCENTIVIZE HONESTY

Right now, hiring a “chief ethics officer” seems like the latest corporate trend to build public trust. But to me, it’s not enough to put a sole individual in charge of ethics and hope for the best. Instead, it has to permeate the whole organization. And it should start with the compensation model.

Companies that are largely performance- or commission-based often enable a win-at-all-costs culture, where people are inadvertently rewarded for dubious actions. From Enron to disgraced pharma CEO Martin Shkreli to Theranos, we’ve seen where this leads.

A better approach is to tie compensation to integrity as well as performance. I’ve seen some companies even put in bonus models contingent on 360-degree reviews by colleagues and peers, ensuring that interpersonal conduct matters just as much as meeting financial goals.

THEY DON’T IMMEDIATELY COURSE-CORRECT

No matter how much you try, mistakes happen. I have made many and I know I’ll make more. It’s how you address them that matters. Ethical actors own up to missteps immediately and take the necessary steps to fix the situation, like firing bad apples, apologizing to shareholders, and making systemic changes to avoid repeats. This isn’t just about giving second chances. It’s about establishing a consistent pattern of responsibility for rectifying oversights and dealing with unexpected issues.

JetBlue and its founder David Neeleman stand out in this respect. After stranding a thousand planes in a notorious reservation and logistics screw-up that turned passengers into angry captives, Neeleman promptly took to YouTube to express a very sincere apology and–just as importantly–announce the creation of JetBlue Airways Customer Bill of Rights. Neeleman was subsequently replaced as CEO by his own board but, tellingly, he has since gone on to start new successful airlines around the world. And the cultural foundation he laid at JetBlue endures–the airline is consistently ranked among the top five in the United States.

Acting ethically doesn’t mean never making mistakes; it’s about addressing them openly and promptly.

Whether it’s mass staff walkouts, bad press, or even criminal charges, the repercussions of doing business with bad actors can have real and lasting consequences. Ultimately, the key to knowing who to trust lies in distinguishing between colleagues who are purely transactional versus those invested in building long-term relationships. In challenging times, your professional network can and should be a source of trust when you need it most.

Author: Manny Padda (@mannypadda) is the founder and chief people connector at New Avenue Capital.

 

FastCompany.com | June 5, 2019

#Leadership : #Managing – The 3 Magic Questions Leaders Should Ask When #Delegating .

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Too often leaders conclude their task assignment/delegation process with the most useless question on the planet , “Now, do you understand?” or the equally impotent “Any questions?” The simple truth is that both questions feel rhetorical and don’t tend to elicit any authentic feedback on the recipient’s true level of understanding or comfort with the task they’ve just been assigned.

In fact, these completely ineffective, reflexive type statements do just the opposite – they tend to create the appearance of clarity, consensus, and understanding when the employee may indeed be internally struggling with questions or concerns or worse yet may be stuck in the land of unconscious incompetence where they don’t know what they don’t know.

This false sense of security can bring grave consequences indeed. While the leader moves on mentally to another task or project completely unaware that the task they’ve just assigned is flailing at best, the employee might be riddled with anxiety, spinning their wheels doing the wrong work, or worse yet, letting the task fall through the cracks completely.

The truth is that delegation only works when both parties have a common understanding of the expected deliverable, timeframe, and scope. Without that common understanding, the “delegation conversation” can become nothing more than a massive waste of time creating an illusion of progress.

As a strategy consultant years ago, we realized the hard way that our projects couldn’t afford the significant cost associated with ineffective delegation. To minimize that risk we began using these three “magic questions” of delegation.

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The 3 Magic Questions of Delegation

Question #1 – What is your understanding of the task?

What you say and what they hear are often two different things, so asking this question is key. When they repeat the task back in their own words, you get a sense of what they actually internalized. For example, if you’ve just asked a subordinate to develop some slides for an upcoming client presentation focused on your company’s new focus on research and development, you might say something like this….

”Ann, thanks so much for taking a stab at this. I know this is a new area for all of us and some of the back and forth emails can get confusing. Just to be sure I haven’t confused you, would you mind just summarizing your understanding of the task before we finish up?”

While it may seem like overkill to conduct this additional check, it’s interesting to note that many mission-critical jobs require these types of confirmations (e.g. pilots repeating back air traffic control issued coordinates for example). In life or death situations this quick check to ensure everyone is on the same page is well worth the additional time investment, and it’s a great best practice that many leaders should adopt.

Question #2 – What does the final product actually look like?

During my strategy consulting years, we incorporated this best practice after getting burned by delivering an extensive market research focused Powerpoint deck when we later found out that the client expected detailed financial analysis/projections instead….oops! Our team and the client’s team both kept throwing around the term “business plan”, but we hadn’t actually taken the time to break down what that deliverable would actually look like, and by the time we realized there was a disconnect, it was indeed too late.

For this question you want to ask the person doing the work to give you an early view, mock up, or example of what the final product will look like. To help move away from the vague labels and toward specificity, you might ask them to clarify issues like these:

  • What application will be used to produce the deliverable (e.g. PPT, Excel, Word, MS Project, etc.)?
  • How long will the deliverable be (paragraph, 1 page, 10 pages, etc.)?
  • What format will it include (prose, bullet points, table, chart, diagram, visuals, etc.)? If it’s a table, what will be the fields? Which axes will define the chart?

Remember that you can achieve this clarity a few different ways: asking them to describe the deliverable, asking them to produce a small sample, or asking them to share a previous similar deliverable from a different project. Yes, you can absolutely take this too far and inadvertently wander into micromanager boss territory so remember that the goal is not to pin down every detail at this stage but instead to get a general sense of what the output will actually look like so that when you see the final product you’re not blindsided.

Question #3 – What will be your first three next steps?

Most leaders know the dread of that feeling like they can’t sleep at night because they’re riddled with anxiety not knowing what is happening (or not happening) with that critical task they just delegated. They can’t help but wonder whether critical next steps are being attended to. They may be mentally overwhelmed with questions like… “Did Jessie remember to carve out time on the VP’s calendar to be sure she can attend the client presentation? Has someone really vetted the new vendor to be sure they’ll deliver on time?

Did someone make sure to reserve enough conference rooms for demos so we don’t end up scrambling at the last minute to find rooms to conduct key meetings?” While it’s important to recognize that delegation absolutely requires the ability to relinquish control, asking the simple question “What are the first three next steps you’ll be working on?” can help minimize that nagging anxiety.  This feedback reassures the leader that the project is on the right track or more importantly, provides a window for them to provide additional input or course correct if things aren’t moving in the right direction.

Admittedly, you’ll want to use your own discretion to determine when and with whom to use the three magic questions. It’s not a one size fits all best practice, and for some (tasks or staff) it might be unnecessary. While the questions might seem a bit didactic, the truth is that delegation only works when expectations are crystal clear.  These three simple questions can evoke that clarity that can mean the difference between a successful delegation and an unmitigated disaster.

Forbes.com | June 5, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #JobOpenings -Job Market Report; Where Are The Open Jobs?

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Ever wish you could have a crystal ball to look into the future? To know what city was slated to become the next big tech hub or to uncover which industries are hiring like crazy?

If you answered “yes,” you’re not alone. We also wanted to get a better picture of the future of work and hiring in America, so we looked at millions of job postings on Glassdoor to get a real-time view of job and hiring trends. This isn’t the BLS job report which looks at months-old data — we’ve got salary information and open job postings for what’s happening right now.

So where are the open jobs, you ask?

Turns out that U.S. Job Openings increased 1.2% year-over-year to nearly 5.7 million U.S. job openings as of May 2019. 

Job postings in the insurance sector grew at the fastest pace in May, up 56.7% from a year ago to 106,865 open jobs nationally. Rapid growth in healthcare jobs has impacted the insurance industry as well, with strong hiring at companies like Aetna, Humana, and State Farm. Many of these roles are sales- and tech-related, reflecting a changing mix of hiring in the insurance sector.

Hiring was up strongly in the information technology sector, which includes many employers who provide foundational IT infrastructure, networking and support services including IBM, General Dynamics IT, and Infosys.

But it’s not all about tech. Turns out, government hiring is on the rise. Government hiring was up strongly in May, with job postings up 15.4% from a year ago to 121,758 open jobs. Federal hiring for the 2020 Census is ramping up today, and we’re seeing growing job openings across a large number of state and federal agencies in 2019.

According to our job market report research, small employers with less than 200 employees saw the fastest growth in job openings, whereas the largest employers with over 5,000 employees actually saw job openings decrease.

Top 5 Industries with Fastest Growth in Job Openings

IndustryJob OpeningsYoY %
Insurance106,86556.7%
Information Technology183,52635.8%
Media & Publishing29,26120.5%
Government121,75815.4%
Facilities44,34714.1%

Growth in Job Openings and Pay Across 10 Major U.S. Metros

AreaJob OpeningsYoY %Median Base PayYoY %
U.S. National5,762,1751.2%$53,2732.0%
Atlanta123,7087.3%$55,0522.0%
Boston146,7954.2%$61,3561.9%
Seattle111,5913.4%$63,2472.4%
Philadelphia108,9023.4%$56,7641.7%
Chicago196,6561.0%$57,4171.6%
Washington DC176,988-1.9%$61,0871.9%
San Francisco143,394-2.3%$72,4652.8%
New York City296,536-2.8%$63,7921.8%
Los Angeles207,607-2.8%$62,1732.0%
Houston94,074-2.9%$56,0450.4%

Top 10 Job Titles with Fastest Pay Growth

Job TitleMedian Base PayYoY %
Pharmacy Technician$31,7727.8%
Machine Operator$40,2125.3%
Truck Driver$55,6945.2%
Cashier$28,3114.5%
Bank Teller$32,1574.2%
Office Manager$48,1094.1%
Restaurant Manager$51,1664.0%
Delivery Driver$41,0493.7%
Emergency Medical Technician$35,2763.6%
Security Officer$35,7993.5%

How to Find a Job in a New City

Finding a job is hard enough. Add a long-distance move into the mix, and it becomes even more challenging. Besides just looking at job openings and preparing your application materials, you have to think about booking flights for in-person interviews, searching for housing, networking with the right people and more. It’s enough to drive anyone crazy — so we’ve put together a few tips.

If you’re moving to be closer to your family, or to fulfill a childhood dream of living in a certain area, you’ll already have a location in mind — but if you just want a change of pace, it’s worth researching the many different options available to you. One great place to turn? Glassdoor. The above cities are great places to move if you’re looking for a lot of opportunity and great pay.

Besides looking into how a location will impact your career and finances, it’s also worth asking yourself the following questions to determine which place is right for you:

  • What pace of life am I looking for?
  • What sorts of amenities (parks, museums, high-quality public schools, etc.) are important to me?
  • Do I know anyone in the area?
  • What do I want the weather to be like?

Once you answer questions like these, you can research which locations match the qualities you value the most.

Some companies prefer to stick to local candidates only — others are much more willing to accommodate outside job seekers. They may even offer relocation bonuses, which can significantly help you defray the cost of moving. In his study Metro Movers: Where Are Americans Moving for Jobs, And Is It Worth It? Glassdoor Chief Economist Dr. Andrew Chamberlain identified a handful of the most mover-friendly companies. Here were ten notable companies that made the cut:

As always, keep an eye out for the latest job openings by creating a Job Alert and we’ll be back monthly to share the latest Job Market Report!

 

GlassDoor.com | June 4, 2019 | Posted by 

#Leadership : What You Don’t Know About #ConflictResolution Will Hurt You.

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Over the past 13 years of career coaching mid- to high-level professional women, I’ve heard about virtually every type of conflict that exists in the workplace, as well as heartbreaking stories from my clients about how they (unconsciously) escalated their conflicts, with disastrous results.

After we examine the conflict at a deeper level and understand how it triggered insecurities and fears within them, and after openly examining their contribution to it, many of these clients say,“Wow, I wish I’d known this years ago! It would have saved me a lot of suffering at work.”

In looking back on my own 18 years in corporate life, I can say that I knew practically nothing about the best ways to address or resolve conflict and it showed. Compound that with being a young mom who was exhausted and stressed, with emotions (and fears) that ran very high in many of my jobs, I can see clearly how I contributed to–and even exacerbated—the conflicts I found myself in.

To learn more about conflict resolution and how to achieve it in the workplace, I was excited to connect this month with conflict specialist Cinnie Noble. Noble is founder of Cinergy and a former lawyer who works as workplace mediator and executive coach. She is a pioneer of conflict management coaching having created the Cinergy model in 1999. Noble coaches leaders worldwide to strengthen their conflict competence and teaches coaches, mediators, HR, lawyers and others around the world to provide her model.

Noble has authored six books–two of which are on conflict coaching including Conflict Mastery: Questions to Guide You and Conflict Management Coaching: The Cinergy™ Model. She posts a weekly blog containing scenarios and questions on a range of conflict situations at ConflictMastery™ Quest(ions)

Here’s what Noble shares on conflict resolution:

Kathy Caprino: How did you get into the area of conflict management coaching? What drove you to pursue it?

Cinnie Noble: During research towards a Master of Laws in Alternative Dispute Resolution, I became aware increasingly aware that one of the main reasons for conflict in workplaces is that leaders and others lack the ability to ‘be’ in conflict – to confidently and competently engage in fractious situations.

No matter what training people may have had, many do not have opportunities to work on their particular challenges and ways to replace destructive habits with more constructive ones. Executive coaching was just emerging during my studies, and I learned there was no coaching framework specific to conflict. So, to fill the gap, I enrolled in a coaching program and concentrated on creating a conflict management coaching model for leaders and others for the purpose of strengthening their conflict competence. Its use has grown exponentially as more and more organizations strive to eliminate the negative impact of poorly managed conflict by supporting leaders to develop the related proficiencies.

I would like to add though that many organizations do not accept that conflict is a normal and inevitable part of working interdependently. Or, that conflict—whether it is about ideas, policies, tasks, roles, responsibilities, or relationships— provides opportunities to inspire innovative processes, improve communications, strengthen morale, and facilitate more productive and creative workplaces.

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Caprino: In your experience, what are the top three areas conflict in the workplace that is most difficult to resolve?

Noble: Within any organization there are so many types of conflicts and some are more difficult to resolve than others, even of the ones l name here. The three areas though that can be especially difficult to resolve are cases of bullying and other abrasive behaviors, harassment in whatever form it takes, and long-standing conflicts in which the parties are entrenched.

Caprino: How are leaders and managers typically challenged in their approach to management of conflict?

Noble: Generally, leaders and managers lack conflict competence which includes:

·       the ability to regulate emotions and remain calm when emotions run high

·       remaining open to others’ perspectives

·       encouraging and supporting conflict conversations

·       not running away from conflict

Those who develop conflict competence are more apt to listen closely and with curiosity to divergent views—without judgment and defensiveness. Similarly, those who gain conflict mastery converse in conciliatory ways towards finding mutually satisfactory solutions.

I would add that there is something that challenges many leaders which is the lack of awareness many have about their own contribution to conflict. For them and most of us, for that matter, once entrenched in our perspectives, or when lacking awareness of how we adversely impact others (with words, deeds, attitudes, etc.) it can be very difficult to consider our part in the dissension. Another problematic behavior is the need to be right–thereby making wrong those who disagree with us—as though there is only one answer to a problem.

What I have found astounding is that many leaders make excuses (such as time constraints) to avoid dealing with conflict and do not accept that if the issues are not properly addressed the fall-out is usually much huger both timewise and financially.

Caprino: As a conflict management coach, what would you share as the three best strategies to help us resolve our conflicts with others more satisfactorily?

Noble: Here are my top three:

Listen to hear (not listen to talk)

Listening is essential, but it’s especially important to listen to hear, taking in everything the other person is communicating. Just saying, “Tell me more” until the person’s entire viewpoint is expressed is a major strategy. Fully hearing others’ perspectives helps reduce our assumptions and tendencies to react ineffectively such as by defending ourselves, arguing or giving advice.

Gaining distance

Gaining distance is also important, both physical and emotional. That is, it’s necessary to take some time to shift our brains from our reactions that activate the emotional part of our brains and interfere with our ability to think, problem solve, make decisions, and shift to the reflective part of our brains so we can respond with reason and dignity.

Get clear about your desired outcome

A third strategy is to be clear about our desired outcome and align our words and actions accordingly. It’s about getting in touch with what’s important to the other person and to us individually and together. It’s about focusing our mindsets to think and interact in conciliatory ways and in a manner consistent with how we want to be (and to be perceived) in the conflict.

Caprino:What don’t most of us understand about the nature of conflict and how to address it effectively? Where are most of us getting it wrong?

Noble: A starting point consideration for this question is that we all have our own range of sensibilities about the attitudes, actions, tones of voice, words and sorts of body language that irritate us. It’s commonly the case that when we react, we are perceiving something important to us is being undermined or challenged. This might be our values, needs or aspects of our identity. We then tend to rely on our perceptions as truths though they may not be accurate.

Here’s an example: Let’s say we react when we sense people are condescending towards us. In these cases, we might perceive they are undermining our intelligence, our expertise, or something else we value about ourselves. Once we sense we are being denigrated this way we then tend to make assumptions about the person. For instance, we might assume they see themselves as superior or consider us as incompetent.

This sort of trajectory builds up, especially if we repeatedly encounter the same person’s offending action, tone, attitude etc. Ultimately, because we have come to believe our assumptions, we engage in fractious interactions with the person, or ignore them, or take other steps that reflect our way of managing ourselves when offended.

The key here is to, first, gain some distance as mentioned above, and consider if our assumptions are correct or if there is something else going on. For instance, might that person be feeling insecure, or threatened by us, or trying to impress someone nearby or any other reason? Did we do something to offend them?

Even if they intended to undermine us, what reasons might there be for doing so? Sometimes such reflections shift our initial perceptions. If not, it’s important to check them out with the other person which takes courage, especially if we are conflict-avoidant. In the end, it is ultimately a sign of conflict competence to think things out before reacting and to learn ways of engaging in conversations to clarify our assumptions and not act on them.

What most organizations get wrong is waiting until conflict has escalated before they address it. Generally, workplaces do not normalize conflict and build a culture of conflict competence. This might include for instance, making effective conflict management a core competency and support their leaders (and staff) to develop their related skills. Having system-wide, easily accessible conflict management options for leaders and staff to turn to such as coaching, mediation and peer review is also important to pre-empt unnecessary conflict and effectively address necessary conflict.

Caprino: Is the ultimate result of conflict resolution always peace, or can (should) it be something else?

Noble: Coaching focuses on clients’ goals and I would say most who are engaged in a current conflict are looking for peaceful resolution, or at least inner peace regarding their conflicts. However, resolution of some workplace disputes is not peaceful particularly when it involves someone losing their job, being demoted, disciplined, warned, etc.

Conflict coaching clients, in such situations, struggle with how to deliver hard messages in the best possible way knowing that the other person may react. When the message is delivered well, the blow is not as difficult to take, and such conversations can be enriching though not necessarily peaceful.

In the end, conflict resolution may not always be about peace. It may be about deciding on the optimum way forward for all concerned—when the issues are difficult, and the relationship is suffering. The outcome might not work well for everyone. Rather, it may mean making the best of the situation, accepting our differences, or finding peace from walking away with grace.

For more information, visit www.cinergycoaching.com.

To strengthen your communication and relationship skills, work with Kathy Caprino in her Career Breakthrough programs and tune into her podcast Finding Brave.

 

Forbes.com | May 28, 2019 | Kathy Caprino – Senior Contributor

#Leadership : #ProductivePeople -How to Stop Feeling so Overwhelmed at Work.

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There are days where work just seems like it’s closing in on all sides. Your boss has a new deadline for you. Your to-do list stretches on to infinity, and there is a constant stream of Slack messages distracting you every two seconds.

When you feel overwhelmed like this, it is hard to get work done. As I’ve discussed before, the feeling of being overwhelmed comes from the Yerkes-Dodson curve, which dates back to 1908. These researchers pointed out that performance on a task gets better as you have more motivational energy to work on it–up to a point.

Eventually, as you energize yourself more, your performance goes down. That is what happens when you’re feeling overwhelmed. You have so many things going on, that it is hard to concentrate on any one of them, and so you get less productive. The trick is to get yourself back in the sweet spot of the curve where you are working at your peak.

REDUCE YOUR ENERGY

The first thing you need to do if you’re actively feeling overwhelmed is to calm down. Until you reduce that motivational energy level, you will find it hard to get things done.

This is one of the places where mindfulness techniques really excel. They provide a little oasis for you to allow some of that energy (which psychologists call arousal) to dissipate. Close your eyes for a minute. Focus on breathing deeply. Count your breaths. Break the cycle of thinking about how much you need to do by focusing momentarily on something else.

There are times, though, where these mindfulness techniques aren’t helping. And some people find it hard to relax that way. An alternative is to get a little physical exercise. Take a walk. If your workplace has a fitness center, do a cardio workout. The combination of the exercise and the separation from your workspace for a short period of time can help you to get into the zone to get work done.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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FOCUS

Next, you need to work on one thing. Start by finding a high-priority task that you feel you can complete in a short period of time. It is often helpful to start off with a “win” by doing something that you believe you can complete. Putting in a lot of work on a task that you can’t cross off your to-do list won’t help you to feel like you are making progress.

Once you have figured out what you’re going to work on, clear the decks for action. Shut off your email (unless it’s needed to complete the task), so that you aren’t distracted by incoming emails. Put the rest of your agenda (your calendar and list of other tasks) off to the side, so that you aren’t confronted with everything else you could be doing.

Now, get to work. If you’re still having trouble concentrating, then just try to get a 5-10 minute burst of activity done. Find the smallest piece of the task that you can accomplish and get that done. Once you feel like you’re actually moving forward, you’ll find it easier to finish that task, which will provide the kind of boost you need to start crossing other things off your list.

OFFLOAD, IF NECESSARY

It is possible that you feel overwhelmed because you really are overloaded with tasks. If you find that you’re being given new things to do at a faster rate than you can possibly complete them, then it is time to sit down with your supervisor and talk.

Sometimes, there are more efficient ways to get things done. Everyone has to learn to navigate the effort-accuracy trade-off. Typically, the longer you work on something, the better the quality of the product you produce. But, sometimes a particular task does not require as high a quality final product as the one you are creating. That is, you might be able to put in less time on something and still do a job that is appropriate. Your supervisor might be able to show you places where you can put in less effort and still fulfill the requirements of the job.

In addition, there may be easier ways to do things. Your supervisor might be able to recommend other procedures that are better.

Finally, there are times when your supervisor doesn’t realize the scope of things you have been asked to do. You may really be getting too much work for you to handle. Checking in about the workload might allow you to negotiate which tasks are going to be your responsibilities, and which ones can be given to someone else.

As you move higher up in your organization, you also need to learn to offload things on your own. Over time, there will be some tasks that a person who reports to you can handle. Perhaps they won’t do them quite as well as you would, but with your supervision, their performance will also improve. In those situations, start handing off tasks to others to make sure that your own workload becomes manageable again.

 

FastCompany.com |  June 3, 2019