Joni Rose's Blog

Posted by Joni Rose

The New Year brings hopes for a prosperous and happy beginning. To inspire and motivate change, here are some wise words from those who have thought about what career success is and how career success happens.

Michael Jordon’s Thoughts on Success:

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career.

I’ve lost almost 300 games.

Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed.

I’ve failed over and over and over in my life and that is why I succeed.”

Failure isn’t about making mistakes, failure is not learning from mistakes. Take each mistake as a learning opportunity this year. Examine why the mistake occurred and look at ways to prevent the same mistake in the future. Michael Jordan practices. So should you.

Thomas Edison was not afraid of hard work:

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it was dressed in overalls and looked like work.”

This year, don’t take the easy route out of laziness. Take a chance and decide to work hard. If you miss an opportunity because it looked too hard, decide to take a different approach the next time.

Anita Roddick makes a great point about effectiveness:

“If you think you’re too small to make a difference, you haven’t been in bed with a mosquito.”

This year, make a difference. Perform random acts of kindness on your coworkers. Be more patient and accepting of differences with colleagues, subordinates and upper management.

Here’s to a prosperous New Year that brings tremendous personal and professional growth to all!

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Professional Goals for 2008

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Top Five Reasons to Take Training

Posted by Joni Rose

Get a Raise

More training and especially added credentials could mean a raise in pay. Check with your Human Resources department to see if an automatic pay increase happens when you attain a credential. Also, it is good to check with your Training Manager to see what training is recognized by the company and what training costs can be subsidized or reimbursed.

Feel More Confident on the Job

Knowledge is king, so gaining knowledge will help you feel more confident. Technology is constantly changing and so this means ongoing technical training is imperative to most workers today.

Be Recognized and Promoted

Being proactive in your professional development is seen as a big plus to employers. Your initiatives to better yourself could lead to recognition and a promotion especially if you develop advanced techniques or your leadership skills.

Challenge your Brain

It is important to keep your brain active. Life-long learning can be a terrific way to keep your brain power strong. Choose courses or workshops that will stretch your brain in a new direction.

Improve Processes and Procedures

The motivation to make productive changes in company policies and procedures can come from more up-to-date knowledge of technological advances, resources and market trends. Choose courses that will help you and your team adapt to changes and improve efficiencies.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Assessing Professional Development

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Working for a Small Company

Posted by Joni Rose

Variety of Tasks

In a smaller company, you tend to wear multiple hats. The smaller the company, the more hats you’ll wear and be expected to be flexible, adaptable and have a generalists skill set. For people that like variety, working for a smaller company can allow them to stretch and develop skills beyond the technical or hard skills required for the job. Often, your creative, marketing and business strategy skills will be utilized to think out of the box to solve problems.

Closer to the Bottom Line

Your work in a smaller company will impact the bottom line more directly than working for a larger company. This responsibility can be very positive as your contributions will be appreciated as the small team strives to build the company and increase profits.

Work with Subcontractors

Smaller companies tend to outsource more of their support services. This means that you could work with experts in their field instead of in-house staff that may not be as talented.

Smaller Teams, More Independence

In smaller companies, the teams (if there are any) are small and that means that independent work is not only expected by necessary. If you like working alone, or with minimal supervision, work for a busy start up. You’ll be highly accountable for your work, but your initiative, drive and ability to make decisions that respect the overall missions and goals will be appreciated.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Working for a Large Company

How to Shift into a New Industry

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Working for a Large Company

Posted by Joni Rose

More resources

Larger companies have larger profits. This usually means that resources are easier to attain and maintain. Larger companies tend to invest more in technology and other efficiency improving resources.

Leadership Potential

You may have an assistant or other junior staff working under you in a larger company. This may be intriguing if you see yourself in senior management one day and want to develop your leadership, coaching and mentoring skills.

Ability to specialize

In larger companies, there tends to be multiple staff in each department. The opportunity to specialize in one aspect of your area of expertise tends to be easier to do in a large company where you are part of a larger team.

More job options

Larger companies tend to have openings more often and even if the opening isn’t in the same department, the work may be similar enough that you would be considered for the role. As an internal candidate, you have the advantage of knowing the company values, policies, procedures and strategic goals.

International Travel

If the company is large enough to have branch offices in other locations around the world, it could mean that international travel will be part of your job.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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How to Shift into a New Industy

How to Find Job Fit

Celebrating Achieving Career Goals

Posted by Joni Rose

Achieving professional goals can take great time, effort and money. Recognize achieving major career goals by celebrating in a way that will acknowledge the impact this will make on your professional growth. This list is meant to be a starting point. Get creative. Think of new and innovative ways to celebrate your career achievements either privately or publically.

Buy a New Suit

A new power suit that is fashionable and fits well can make you feel successful and confident!

Plan a Holiday

Reward yourself by planning a get away that will help you distress after a major goal is achieved. An all-inclusive holiday where you are pampered can be a terrific way to take care of yourself after a stressful period.

Purchase a New Work Accessory

A new blackberry, cell phone, printer or other gadget or tool can also be a fun way to celebrate achieving a career goal.

A Symbolic Gesture or Ritual

Be creative and come up with a symbolic ritual that marks the professional achievement. It could be lighting a candle in the feng shui career section of your house to cooking a nice meal and toasting your achievement with a glass of wine or champagne to climbing a mountain and shouting out “I did it!” when you reach the peak.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Preparing for Career Resolutions

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Career Success

Quick Fixes to Career Problems

Posted by Joni Rose

Determining the career or job that will be the best fit with personality traits, transferable skills, career values, work environment preferences and career passions takes time and energy. Many adults who decide to start a career exploration process expect that the answers will come to them instantly, as if a flash of light will expose the deep seated issues and reveal once and for all the ideal career path. For a rare few, this may be the case but by far it is the exception not the rule.

The problem with expecting that career nirvana will be achieved through quick and easy assessments or other quick fixes is paramount to someone healing a chronic illness overnight. For some adults in career chaos, it has been years of bad choices and actions that have lead to this chaos. Expecting that bad habits will be changed instantaneously is not only erroneous, but it sets up the career explorer for failure.

Instead, if the career exploration process is embarked with an understanding that it is a process and that it may take a great deal of time, the chances for success increase. The other motivating factor is that the more time and energy that is put into the career exploration and development process, the greater the pay off in the end.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Good Job Fit Profile

Work Environment Preferences

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Career Passion

Art as a Career

Posted by Joni Rose

The starving artist is a cliché. Not all artists starve. It is up to you, the artist, to choose how your art will be presented to the public. It is also your choice if you want to make money from your art and use it as your main source of income. If you do decide that art is your career and your primary professional focus, then to survive financially, you will need to look at your art from a business perspective.

Often I find that my creative clients struggle with creating sellable art as they feel that going commercial is selling out. They look at the art buying public with distain and cringe at the thought of them buying a painting to match a couch. They see money as dirty, do not feel their art can have a price put on it or feel shy to ask a price that reflects their talents and time.

Certainly there are artists who take the business aspect to the extreme and pump out art with little regard to artistic expression. There is also the other extreme where artists create with little or no intention to make money with their art.

To build a career with art, however, the creative process needs to happen freely but with enough regard to what is sellable art.

Art as a Career Tips:

Create a business plan
Determine your demographic and create an promotional strategy
Study your competition
Price your art guided by market research
Get an agent if you are poor at sales

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Work and Life Balance

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How to Shift into a New Industry

Posted by Joni Rose

Industries or sectors go through transitions due to economic downturns or upswings. If you are currently working in an industry that is no longer in a boom phase, you may be looking at a new industry that can offer your career a boost.

Setting a career goal to make a change from retail to tourism, or corporate accounting to film production accounting, requires a strategic approach. You may need to take a slight drop in pay or position as you gain experience in a new industry. On the flip side, moving to a hot industry may actually mean your pay increases as does your position.

To make the transition smoother:

1. Research the new industry to find networking opportunities. Learn who is who locally, regionally and internationally. Volunteer at important industry events such as tradeshows, festivals or product launches.

2. Research the new industry to find companies that are in a high growth mode. Create a list of target companies. Monitor their websites for job postings, and seek a connection within the company at networking events.

3. Get experience or specialized education in the new industry. Volunteer in your new industry or in some area that your new industry will value. Take on projects in your current role that will hone existing skills or develop new skills that will be an asset in your new industry. Take training that specializes in your new industry be it a workshop, seminar, talk, certificate or degree program.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Choosing Professional Development Educational Programs

Career Success

Examples of SMART Goal Statements

Posted by Joni Rose

Vague Goal Statement: I want my job to be a good fit.

SMART Goal Statement: By the end of November of [insert year], I will be in a position that fits with my Myers Briggs Type Indicator (e.g. ENFJ), utilizes my top ten transferable skills, fits my top five career values, correlates with my top 5 passions, provides for the top five work environment preferences I have (e.g. short commute, open concept office, matrix management style, natural light in work area and perfume free environment). I will join a job search club, research to create a list of 50 companies that fit with my good fit profile and participate in ten or more networking events.

Vague Goal Statement: I will take some professional development courses.

SMART Goal Statement: By January 1st of [insert year], I will have researched and decided on five courses I want to complete over a three year period. I will register in my first course to start September of [insert year]. My course plan fits with my five year career plan and I will have determined a budget and gathered the financial resources and family support in place prior to January 1st [insert same year as above].

Vague Goal Statement: I want a raise.

SMART Goal Statement: By December 1st of [insert year], I will have positioned myself to ask for a raise of a minimum of 10% of my salary by cutting my department’s budget by 10% and increasing my departments sales by 10%.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Professional New Years Resolutions

Increasing Your Compensation

Posted by Joni Rose

Job Role has Changed

You are now supervising a team or getting involved in training of new staff. Your responsibilities are closer to the bottom line so your accountability has increased as well.

No Cost of Living Increase

Inflation continues to happen. As housing prices soar in some cities, the cost of covering the basics – food, water and shelter – take over pay cheques. If you have not seen annual increments in your pay, prepare for your meeting by researching the stats on cost of living increases since the date you started.

Bonus is Based on Salary

From a monetary standpoint, if your bonus is based on a percentage of your base salary, then asking for a raise to your base will also affect your bonus amount.

Inequity of Pay with Coworkers or Industry

An inequity of pay based on gender differences is a reason to ask for a raise. Also, if your compensation package is not competitively aligned with industry standards, present your case to your supervisor.

Increased Sales, Decreased Wastes

If your efforts have directly affected the bottom line e.g. you’ve introduced a product or service to a new market, then you have great evidence to support a pay increase.

Taken Further Education

You’ve been proactive in your professional development. You’ve gained a credential. Bring this to the attention of the HR department and your supervisor.

Excessive Overtime

You are on a fixed salary and are consistently putting in over time with no time off in lieu.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Note Taking Tips at Conferences

Posted by Joni Rose

When taking notes at a conference, make sure that the inspirational information you gain becomes actionable items when you return to work. Suggested readings (books, articles, web sites), new ways of approaching a process, people you want to follow-up with (promises to send information or discuss a potential collaboration or project further) are examples of actionable items. Remedy this by choosing one of the following note taking styles that best suits you.

Use a Highlighter

As you are taking notes, highlight actionable items with a bright coloured highlighter and information you want to remember with another colour of highlighter.

Create a To Do After the Conference List

On a separate piece of paper, make a list of the actionable items from the conference.

Make Annotations

Using the margin of the page, note actionable and informational items. These notes become a quick reference to the content within the main body of notes.

If you have comments on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Office Supply Checklist

Posted by Joni Rose

When setting up and office from scratch, it can be difficult to think of all the expendable office supplies and small office equipment that the office may need for your desk and work room. Below is a list of basic supplies you may want to consider purchasing for your staff or yourself when setting up a new office. Some of the more inexpensive and/or expendable supplies you may want to consider buying in bulk from a warehouse type vendor.

When choosing a vendor, consider one with next day delivery and a great exchange or return policy. In the beginning, it is hard to judge how quickly the office will go through the expendable supplies and what preferences staff have so it is best to monitor use over the first month and order replenishments based on usage over the first month and then the first three to six months.

DESK SUPPLIES

Expendable

Pens – black, blue, red, medium and fine
Pencils – mechanical and wood
Erasers
Highlighters – yellow, pink, blue, green
Pads of paper (lined, 3-hole punched)
File folders – assorted colours, letter and legal
File labels
Sticky notes – assorted sizes

Non-expendables

Ruler
Scissors
Stapler
Hole-punch
Hanging files
Hanging file tabs

WORK ROOM SUPPLIES

Paper – coloured and white, letter and legal
Printer toner – colour and black and white

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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New Job Organization

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Level of Education and Success

Posted by Joni Rose

I recently had a discussion with a person that really got me thinking. Her perception was that someone with an MBA is undoubtedly intelligent and certainly someone to align with professionally. She contended that the more education a person receives, the more successful they are professionally. She dismissed colleagues with little or no credentials as incompetent and less knowledgeable.

This began a discussion around the connection between intelligence and education. I argued that the there are many people on the planet that are uneducated and very successful and that street smarts, life lessons and experience can account for wisdom beyond that gained in an academic environment.

From a combined list of 714 famous high school drop outs, 25 are billionaires, 8 are US Presidents, 10 are Nobel Prize winners, 8 are Olympic medalists, 61 are Oscar winners, 55 are best selling authors and 27 have been knighted, among other honours. (Source: Noted High School and Elementary School Dropouts )

Being a university instructor, I value education. But I also value practical experience. There is no teacher like experience. Innovative thinking does not require a degree.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Posted by Joni Rose

Learning to Say No

It is tough sometimes but often the best practice is to say no more than yes at peak demand times in either your professional or personal life. Setting boundaries and clearly stating your intentions and priorities will help others understand what you are trying to accomplish and help you, not cause you more anxiety. Draw up a schedule that allows them to clearly understand when you are available and when you are busy and make sure the schedule allows for flex time and alone time for regrouping.

Cut Down on Extras

Yes, your volunteering is important to you, but when it comes down to having the time and energy to regroup, it may mean cutting back on extra curricular activities for awhile while in a crunch situation or to regain control after a period of overwhelm. The extras to look at reducing are: extra projects at work, volunteering, guest stays at your home, parties and other entertaining, elaborate cooking, hobbies that require extensive time and energy commitments and travel. This does not mean that these must be aborted permanently, only temporarily so that you can get your balance back. After all, some of these extra activities can bring great joy to your life and ultimately create more balance on a spiritual and emotional level.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Budget Office Decorating

Posted by Joni Rose

Create a Feature Wall

Decorating an office can be tough if you do not have permission to paint. If you do, paint is an inexpensive way to add colour. Try creating a feature wall by painting it a strong colour.

De-clutter

Clutter can make a small room look smaller. Spend some time purging and if possible, sell office equipment and furniture you don’t use and use the profits to buy paint or other decorations for your new spacious office. Clear off desk space by putting items away in drawers.

Cover Up Open Shelving

If your office has many open book cases with clutter and mess, try rearranging them and expose only supplies that can be organized neatly (like books or printer paper) and cover the rest of the shelves with an inexpensive blind, curtain of fabric, white board, cork board or metal surface with magnets.

Flowers or Plants

Fresh flowers can make a real impact in an office. Treat yourself to an inexpensive new large vase and buy daisies, gladiolas or other inexpensive flowers to add colour and life to your office. Plants are also an inexpensive way to add character to an office. Watch out for sales of large plants and end-of-season clear outs of clay or fibreglass pots.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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How to Find Job Fit

Posted by Joni Rose

Is there a great secret to finding the right career? I am not sure if there is a great secret but there is one element to professional development that I find certainly can help people come closer to discovering a best fit career and work that makes their heart sing.

That element is determining what type of work comes easily and naturally to you. Sound too simplistic? “But”, you say, “I need to stretch myself to see my full potential, Joni”.

If find too often that clients feel this uncontrollable need to put themselves outside their comfort zone and not listen to their core values. It is like they have a devil on their shoulder that says, “You can’t do that, it is too easy!” or “that isn’t using your potential”.

Often when my clients stop and reflect on the work that has brought them the most joy and that they feel most passionate about, it is the work that has used their innate talents. That allusive right career was there all along. It was the one that uses these innate talents daily and to the extreme.

If working to your career potential is working at something that utilizes your strengths, then I think you’d be using your strengths if the work came so easily to you that you could do it in your sleep. Struggle? I say, “Why?”. Why not make it easy to succeed. Identify the work that comes easily to you and you’ll be on the road to career success.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Celebrating Employee Performance

Posted by Joni Rose

Often good work is not acknowledged or spoken about. Celebrating employee success and achievements not only lifts morale, it help builds a case for more resources. Upper management likes to support successful teams with more resources so having accomplishments documented is can be a very powerful tool to include in a proposal or presentation during a resources bid.

Create a simple process for recording accomplishments. Encourage your staff to participate in the record keeping by creating a page on your intranet site where staff can upload accomplishments. Provide guidelines and headings of the types of accomplishments that should be recorded on the tracking system. For example, an increase in sales (a new customer, account or market discovered), a decrease in expenditures (change in a system or process that reduces staff time, raw material amounts, shipping costs, eliminates outsourcing (if it is costly) etc.), a customer or client compliment, media coverage, handling a crisis well, achieving a target or goal, innovation and so on.

Acknowledge employees that have posted with an encouraging response to their post. Create an incentive system for the top accomplishments that are judged by the biggest difference to the bottom line (decreased expenditures or increased revenue), to staff morale or to displaying a corporate core value. Award the top accomplishments once a month or once a quarter with a physical prize, cash bonus or a day off with pay.

Not only will this new program provide a valuable way to record departmental accomplishments, it will also increase morale and encourage positive performance by clearly articulating what exceptional work looks like. Too often, employees are unclear what their supervisor or upper management would consider an accomplishment. It may be obvious to you as their leader and an executive involved in strategic planning but not so obvious to front line workers.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Improving a Bad Day at Work

Posted by Joni Rose

Go for a brisk walk

Clear your head by getting outside for a break. While walking focus on three things you appreciate about your job and your working conditions. Shift away from feeling sorry for yourself into thoughts of appreciation and plans of action that will create positive change.

Invite your favourite colleague out for lunch

Having lunch with a colleague that has a great sense of humour and can encourage you to laugh can really motivate a shift to a more positive afternoon. They can also offer some constructive criticism and a new perspective to your problems.

Re-read a positive employee evaluation, client thank-you or other compliment

Hopefully you’ve kept a file of these positive pick me ups! If not, start one and collect compliments, recognitions and other forms of positive reinforcement. Take some time to re-read these notes when you are feeling incompetent and need some reassurance. They will reaffirm that it is just a shift in your thinking and feeling, not that you lack ability.

Buy someone flowers or a coffee

Brighten someone else’s day and yours will also brighten. Performing a random act of kindness can turn around a day full of challenges and give you that boost of energy you need to get through the day.

Ask for help

If you are overwhelmed with your workload, ask for assistance. If you can delegate, delegate. If you require more support, present your case to your supervisor but be sure to present a solution not just complain about a problem.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Hiring the Right Employee

Posted by Joni Rose

Hiring a wrong new employee is a costly proposition. It makes sense to consider the selection carefully so that you are not back screening resumes a month later.

What a Leader Looks for in a New Employee

Attitude

Do they give examples when answering questions that show that they have a positive attitude?
Are they open and willing to learn? To change? To adapt to a new environment?
Do they seem happy and interested in the work?
Do they miss opportunities to bash their previous employer or boss?

Organization

Do they demonstrate preparedness by coming to the interview having researched the company or organization, its values and mission, its products and services and its winning proposition?
Did they show up to the interview a few minutes early?
Were their documents organized and neatly presented?

Cultural Fit

Can you envision them integrating in to their new team of colleagues?
Do you like them?
Do they share the corporate values demonstrated by their preferences, lifestyle choices and career priorities?

Skill Set

Do they possess a skill set that will add value to the team?
Will they need excessive training to get up to speed?
Is their education and training current and relevant?
Are their skills transferable to this new role?
Do they want to learn?
Do they show leadership potential?

References

Did the candidate’s former boss hate to see them leave and would hire them again if possible?
Did the candidate’s former boss respect them and their skills?
Did the candidate’s former colleagues state that they got along with everyone and is sorely missed?

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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How to Keep Star Talent Motivated

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How to Get Promoted

Posted by Joni Rose

A good leader is always on the lookout for star talent that can be promoted to more senior roles. Many employees fantasize about being promoted but rarely think about positioning themselves to be recognized by senior staff. How many of the following competencies do you excel at?

Producer

You make the company money. You get results. Your statistics are impressive as you’ve found new and innovative ways to increase sales or decrease expenditures.

Well Liked

Colleagues think you are terrific. You have many supporters and your boss hears a lot of good compliments from your coworkers.

Politically Savvy

You know who is who in the upper management and work hard to impress them. You never step on toes out of inconsideration for the efforts of others or other departments. You are known for your cooperative approach and create buy-in to new ideas and directions.

Not Greedy but Ambitious

You know the difference between being greedy and being ambitious. You understand that you’ll have to get your hands dirty and no job is beneath you in your climb to the top.

Positive Thinker

You are an optimist. You never complain about the company or your boss, instead you only look for solutions to problems that others identify. You appreciate your boss and his/her efforts and you let them know it. You are too busy focusing on the positive and appreciating what is great about your work, not what is missing.

Change Leader

You like change and adapt well to new directions, strategies, processes and procedures. You don’t spend energy asking why, you roll up your sleeves and focus on implementation supporting upper management’s decision regardless of whether you see the rationale.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Career Success

Dressing for Success

Posted by Joni Rose

Defining the corporate dress code when it isn’t clearly stated in an operations manual can be tough. Here are some general guidelines to follow. A great clue is to see how your boss dresses and mimic them (unless they are new to the company in which case you may want to choose someone at their level that has been with the company longer).

Business Formal

Business formal is the dress code of choice for professionals that are working in an environment where you are meeting or exposed to customers or clients on a regular basis. Business formal is common in financial services (accounting firms, banks, venture capital firms etc.) and law offices.

Dark suits (navy, black, brown, grey)- blazer and pants or skirt in the same fabric)
White/off white or pastel blouses or shirts
Panty hose
Closed toe shoes
Modest jewellery and accessories
Ties

Business Casual

Business casual is taking a very formal dress and taking it down a notch. Be careful though not to go too far and dress too casually. Again, play it safe when starting a new job and wear a skirt or dress pants and a white shirt or blouse on day one and see how others dress.

Blazers (sport jackets) with pants or skirts that match but are not the same fabric
Cardigans in place of jacket – or no jacket
Blouses or shirts with patterns or brighter colours
Dressy sandals
Dress pants

Typically Unacceptable Attire for Business Environments

While some of these things would be acceptable in an artsy clothing store or café, they are commonly on the what not to wear lists in dress codes.

Excessive piercings or visual tattoos
Revealing clothing (low cut tops, low rise pants with stomach showing, tight fitting tops or pants)
Beach wear (flip flops, shorts, tank tops, halter tops etc.)
Capris or clam diggers in kaki fabric, muslin or other casual fabrics
Jeans or denim clothing
T-shirts with political or offensive statements
Clothing with holes or weathered appearance

A great site with pictures to help demonstrate dressing for success is Dress to Achieve

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Fitting into a New Job Culture

New Job Organization

Fitting into a New Job Culture

Posted by Joni Rose

You’ve landed a new job, congratulations! How exciting! Before your first day on the job, prepare yourself for the new environment. Corporate culture can be hard to define but here are a few definitions:

The basic assumptions and beliefs held by employees about the enterprise they work for.
- Memorial University of Newfoundland - Business 1000 Glossary Page 110
Corporate culture refers to a company's values, beliefs, business principles, traditions, ways of operating, and internal work environment.
- University of Alabama - Strategic Managment Glossary
Organizational culture comprises the attitudes, values, beliefs, norms and customs of an organization. Whereas organizational structure is relatively easy to draw and describe, organizational culture is less tangible and difficult to measure.
- Wikipedia

So how then do you determine what the corporate culture is that you are now a part of? Breaking it down into the components:

Company Values

These are usually posted on the company’s web site under “about us” or “careers” or they may have a separate section dedicated to the corporate values. Once you’ve read them, ask yourself – how can I demonstrate these values in my first month on the job?

Company Customs

Customs are something you need to have an ear open for during your orientation. Remember that customs change with each organization and although you may not be used to the new way of celebrating birthdays (for example), go along with the new custom and focus more on the positives and less on the differences – demonstrate that you are flexible and adaptable. Most companies have a policy and procedures manual (also known as an Operations Manual) that will give you a clear idea of some customs around things like breaks, holiday booking, smoking areas, etc.

Other Clues to Corporate Culture

How employees dress – is it business casual or formal? Do different levels of employees dress differently or is the CEO in jeans (if all levels dress the same, expect a matrix i.e. a culture that abhors hierarchy)?
Hours of work – does the office empty out at 4 pm or is it still lively at 6 pm?
Holiday practices – have your employee peers taken holidays this or banked many days? What about your supervisor?
Lunch – do people go out for lunch in groups? Is the lunchroom a beehive of activity or just a place with a fridge?
Social events – are they pub nights with open bars or subdued wine and cheese affairs in the board room?

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Learning a New Role

New Job Organization

Ten Signs of Burnout

Posted by Joni Rose

They inhabit most workplaces. Walking working zombies that go through the motions without passion or interest in what they are doing. It makes you wonder how they manage to get out of bed in the morning. Burnout can be caused by many factors. Identifying the signs of burnout can lead to the recognition that a positive career change is in order.

Tasks that need to be accomplished are left undone. Deadlines are being missed.
A feeling of overwhelm or complete boredom prevails more than 50% of the time.
Negative comments are the norm, not the exception. It is portrayed that there are enormous hurdles that are insurmountable.
Punctuality and absenteeism are becoming issues. Sick days and holiday allotments have been exhausted.
Lunch breaks are extended and coffee/smoke breaks are frequent – more frequent than what is acceptable.
Contributions to group discussions and tasks are non existent or minimal. Frequently excuses are made to avoid participation in group events.
Parties and other social gatherings are passed up. Again, excuses are made to justify a lack of interest or commitment to social gatherings.
Alcohol, drugs or other addictions may start to surface or are exaggerated if already present.
An opportunity to either move to a more reclusive work area or office it is often a priority or at least an idea. The desire is to be less out in the open for others to recognize the general lack of participation and passion.
Fantasies of dramatic career changes, moves to other countries or other exotic changes are frequent.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Increasing Career Motivation

Negative Performance Review

Posted by Joni Rose

A friend of mine is a new manager and she had to give her first set of performance reviews this week. Delivering a negative performance review is never easy. What I found interesting about our conversation was how she wished the employees who were under performing would listen to and read the performance review as constructive criticism. She wished they would focus on how they could improve their performance and not wallow in the negativity of it or argue its validity – especially when the performance review process was a collaborative effort of many managers and peers. “How can she argue with the performance review when ten people agreed with my assessment of her performance, including her peers?”, my friend said in a frustrating tone.

People that have a tough time handling criticism from a boss tend to argue, sulk or ignore negative feedback even if its intention is to be constructive and instructive.

They see this as an attack and become defensive – the armour goes up as they attempt to protect themselves from harm.

What can the manager do to help the situation? Understand that when the employee argues or withdraws they are feeling attacked and have shut down the listening and dialogue. Take a step back and turn into a coach asking them to focus on what can be improved and how they plan to improve. Let them do the majority of the talking and refrain from vagueness – state the facts and have examples prepared and be able to define what excellence looks like.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Performance Conversations

Conference Menu Planning Tips

Posted by Joni Rose

Breakfast

Breakfast is typically the meal for starches. Remember that many people are on low carb diets and so continental breakfasts can leave them unsatisfied. Adding yogurt, fresh fruit salad, hard cheeses, cottage cheese and cold cuts such as ham can round out a continental breakfast and keep the low carb dieters happy. For beverages, offer coffee and tea (both caffeinated and decaffeinated), and juices.

AM Break

Muffins and pastries tend to be the most popular morning snack. Some caterers get creative with protein bars or smoothies. Beverages are essential at break times so add water to the coffee, tea and juices.

Lunch

If budgets are tight and hot meals are not possible, look at adding soup to sandwiches or wraps to give an inexpensive hot option. Remember the vegetarians in the crowd and always offer meatless options. Pasta, although usually an inexpensive option, can be very heavy and slow down the mental alertness for afternoon sessions. Offer a variety of salads, some including a source of protein such as chicken or shrimp to lighten the meal.

PM Break

Offer something light for afternoon break such as fruit kabobs and mineral water. Other snack foods such as popcorn and nuts offer a fun alternative with an assortment of pops.

Dinner

Have fun with theme dinners. Choose a country, a colour or an activity and create a menu, decorations and networking activities to fit. If the training event is a conference over many days, try to book at least one meal off site at a local pub or restaurant – or both. A pub offers a more casual atmosphere and can be a great way to break up more formal or intellectually challenging activities.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Career SWOT Analysis

Posted by Joni Rose

S for Strengths

What are your professional strengths? What comes easily to you? One of the biggest mistakes I see clients make is that choose jobs that are difficult because they think they need to challenge themselves to be happy. The truth is that if you ask people who are very happy in their job why they like their job, it is common for them to say things like “Oh, it comes so easily to me” or “I can’t believe they pay me to do this!”. Figure out your strengths and make career choices that will utilize those strengths.

W for Weaknesses

What are your professional weaknesses? Your performance review and informal feedback from your supervisor can help you determine what area needs work.

O for Opportunities

Is there training you can take to help you improve on your weaknesses? If your company offers reimbursement for training and will give you time off to take training, you have so much to gain from researching your options . You company may also offer in-house training. If a degree will increase your income and opportunities, see if your company or organization will pay your night school tuition. Will counselling help you learn to balance your career and home life? If you have extended health benefits, have a look at the types of claims you can make. You may be pleasantly surprised as many extended health plans will cover career coaching, debt counselling and a variety of other services. What other opportunities are there for you to take a step up the career ladder?

T for Threats

What threatens your job security or career advancement? Take a good hard look at what is holding you back from your career success so that you can be strategic with your career choices.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Workaholic Assessment

Listening to Staff

Posted by Joni Rose

How well do you listen to your staff? Ask yourself the following questions to determine if you are actively listening or giving staff a deaf ear.

Do you strive to listen to staff and not do all the talking in coaching conversations?
Do you walk through a conversation in your mind and determine its outcome before the conversation has happened?
Do you allow your cell phone or other staff to interrupt meetings or discussions with staff?
Do you keep eye contact with your staff and lean forward slightly to engage in listening?
Do you keep your hands free when listening?
Do you repeat what a team member says to you to confirm that you heard them correctly?
Do you ask questions when you are not clear on what has been said?
Do you encourage staff to talk more by keeping your door open and encouraging them to meet with you when you have a concern?
How have you scored on a 360 degree review on your listening abilities? Did your subordinates rate you as a good listener?
Do you promise an action based on listening to a suggestion but then not carry through on delivering on the promise?
Do you interrupt a speaker and offer your opinions and advice when it hasn’t been asked for?
Do you lecture and lead a meeting and not allow staff to talk and share ideas and solutions?
Have you created a mechanism for suggestions on procedural improvements to be recorded and acted on?
If your supervisor isn’t listening to you, do you project your frustrations on staff by not listening to them in return?
Have you given a staff member a bonus or incentive to reward a great suggestion?

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Communication Styles

Enjoying Business Travel

Posted by Joni Rose

Traveling for business may seem glamorous to those who look in from the outside but the reality is often loneliness, fatigue and resentment.

Being on the road can be very isolating and lonely. Going back to an empty hotel room after working a long day (as often on business trips you work longer hours to pack in more work as you may not get to this city often) can be really tough. One tip I found useful is to use the time to call a friend or family member and have a good chat or write a letter or email to someone. Get a good long distance plan on your cell or ask for it as part of your perks if you don’t have it already.

Fatigue can also be a problem. Sleeping in a different bed can cause sleepless nights. To counteract sleep deprivation, try packing your favourite pillow or spraying the pillow with a scent that reminds you of home. Bring your favourite pyjamas on the road and make sure you’ve closed the curtains tightly as unfamiliar lights can jar you awake or make you rise before your alarm clock reminds you it is time to get out of bed.

Resentment can build if you constantly miss out on social engagements back home. To reduce the amount of resentment, try planning get-togethers for when you plan to be home. These gatherings will give you something to look forward to and help loved ones and friends to not feel ignored or out of mind when you are away from home. Work on your party plans while back in the hotel or shop for party decorations or favours while on the business trip.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Organizing Business Travel

Spending a Training Budget

Posted by Joni Rose

There are many ways to deliver professional development to staff. If you find that your staff is tired of workshops, here are some ideas to spark some new enthusiasm into your training program.

Contests

Host a contest with a great prize for the group that produces the most innovative marketing plan for a new product line or service. Create a panel of judges that includes upper management, representatives from different departments and/or clients.

Employee Trades

Offer employees the opportunity to exchange their job with someone else for 1-3 months. If funds allow, include exchanges to other branch offices in different cities. This type of exchange can be very eye opening as it is an avenue for a powerful exchange of ideas

Think Tanks or Retreats

Host a one day retreat or think tank to resolve an ongoing problem. Clearly state what the expected outcome of the day is in order to see a solution generated. Provide the necessary tools such as computers, flip charts and white boards so that the process can be documented.

Best Practices Exchange

Create a web page on the company intranet or other vehicle to document best practices. Dedicate a day for each department to make their contributions. Provide guidelines for a planning meeting to determine who will document certain best practices.

Create a Library

Purchase copies of books that are highly relevant to your company’s industry, corporate values or strategic goals and loan them to staff for one or two week periods. You could also purchase subscriptions to industry magazines or newspapers for the lunchroom.

Do you have an innovative idea that worked in your company? Please start a discussion.

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Group Activities

Solutions to Career Problems

Posted by Joni Rose

Often I hear from clients that they feel their professional development is at a roadblock. Here are some common problems and possible solutions.

Problem: I need a Master’s Degree

Solution: Start a Master’s Degree program part-time. Look for a program that will let you extend your studies to eight or ten years so that you can take a course a year and state on your resume that your Master’s is “in progress”. Many employers consider an “in progress” degree for jobs requiring a Masters. An added benefit is that they may support you attaining your degree by tuition reimbursements and time off to study or flexible schedules around class times.

Problem: I can’t afford a degree program

Solution: Take a certificate or diploma program instead as they are usually shorter in duration and geared to increase employability. Also, look into scholarships, bursaries, employer tuition support and loans before you rule out the cost of an education. Consider your return on investment. If a degree will mean an increase in your salary above $10K a year, then you will recover your investment quickly.

Problem: I don’t have time to go back to school

Solution: Talk to your employer to see if you can take a course during work hours. Consider an online course that is self-paced so that it can work around a busy schedule. Look at your priorities – is there something you can cut out of your schedule to free up some time? Can you ask your parents or partner to take on some chores so that you have more time for your professional development?

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Career Success

Ten Signs of Disorganization

Posted by Joni Rose

You can’t find things easily. You spend a large part of your day looking for things, rummaging through piles, files, drawers and brief cases/tote bags
You miss deadlines. You justify missing the deadline by some wild excuse and it is always someone or something else at fault.
You forget important appointments and important tasks. If you have a daytimer, you don’t look at it or have a wall calendar, a daytimer, an electronic calendar and slips of paper/sticky notes with some appointments on each and some duplicated but most appointments are recorded once.
You buy doubles or triples of things. When you do find time for cleaning, you discover that you’ve got multiples of things and had them on a shopping list somewhere as well.
You pile things without sorting them. You have stacks of papers, magazines, etc. everywhere you look. Some haven’t been touched in months or years. You have no idea what is in the stacks.
If you file things, you can’t retrieve them easily as your filing system doesn’t make sense. Your labels are too vague or folder label sections are left blank. The colour coding (if it exists) has been changed and no longer makes sense.
You discover papers that needed your attention ages ago and now it is too late. You forget to prioritize or note important tasks on a calendar.
Co-workers have commented, “Don’t give it to Jack/Jill, they’ll lose it”. You find that co-workers are reluctant to give you originals and if they must, they make a duplicate copy first.
You rely on others to keep you organized and criticize them for not being organized. You are lost without your assistant or significant other as they are the ones that keep you on top of things.
You do not have an organized contact management system. Key contact information is found in multiple places. You have business cards in miscellaneous places and no way to monitor when you’ve talked to a client or customer and what the last conversation was about.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Business Public Speaking

Posted by Joni Rose

Deliver a message they want to hear

Tap into why your audience came to hear your speech and make sure your content is highly relevant to them. If you miss the mark, you will create a lack luster atmosphere and it can be extremely uncomfortable to present to an audience that isn’t interested in what you have to say. Give them value for their time. Offer them something (a tip, a new technique) that they can take back to their workplace and apply today.

Describe a light bulb moment

Describe the reason you feel compelled to share this information and the discoveries you’ve made while researching or practicing this topic. Insightful, thoughtful realizations can make a profound impact on an audience and give them quotable moments.

Connect emotionally with the audience

The best speakers know how to elicit a range of emotions in an audience. Feeling sad, empathetic or horrified one minute, then made to laugh the next gets endorphins rushing.

Be energetic, show passion

A boring presenter is one who delivers a message without enthusiasm in a monotone voice. Emphasise points by increasing your voice’s volume and pitch. Walk around and get close to your audience. Use hand gestures or other movements to show emphasis.

Visual aids are there to support you

Don’t make the mistake of reading your PowerPoint slides or turning your back to the audience to look at your visuals. Use them as background to highlight your points and not detract from your delivery.

Be heard

Use a lapel microphone so that you are able to move around and be heard. This is especially important in larger rooms or if you typically have a softer voice.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Delivering Bad News at Work

Posted by Joni Rose

Delivering bad news to staff is never easy. Here are some tips to help guide your delivery.

Be honest – if you sugar coat the news, it will be transparent so it is important to respect that the adults you lead will appreciate the straight and honest truth.

Check your information – make sure that your information is accurate and that you have the facts and figures to back up any claim. Realise that without the solid proof, acceptance will be tough. Provide the data in charts or graphs and give staff copies or access to this information on the internal web site.

Anticipate questions – think of what questions you’d have if this news was being delivered to you or your loved ones. Prepare your answers to these questions so that you will not be caught off guard. You may want to create an FAQ or Frequently Asked Questions page on the company’s internal web site to help give answers to common questions.

Show empathy – take a walk in your staff’s shoes. Show them you care and that their feelings matter. Give them the support they need i.e. counsellors, time off etc.

Face time – bad news needs to be delivered face to face. Do not send a memo or email with bad news. The bigger the impact this news will have, the more important it is to be face to face with your audience.

Clear message – make sure your message is clear. Ambiguity can cause confusion and misunderstandings. Speak with your communications department as they may be able to help you craft the message to the company communication style and to ensure the message is inline with corporate values.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Generational Performance Rewards

Posted by Joni Rose

Some interesting research out of Kwantlen University College on the intergenerational reward preferences and their implications on business was presented at the British Columbia Human Resources Management Association Symposium (March 2007). This research points out how some rewards or incentives may not motivate certain generations. The impact of this on business is that as there is an employee population shift as baby boomers (born 1946-1967) retire, Gen X (born 1965-1980) are promoted to management and Gen Y(born 1981-2000) are hired into junior roles, incentives will need to address this shift to motivate performance and engagement as well as attract and retain employees.

The research points out that while baby boomers value career building and help to balance priorities, Gen X value building transferable skills and built-in mechanisms for work/life balance now, whereas Gen Y value a synergy between personal values and corporate values.

Some incentives that work across the generations were found to be flextime, telecommuting, amenities, and time off in lieu. Retirement planning and child or elder care is attractive to Gen X or Baby Boomers but Gen Y will take a pass. An informal workplace will appeal to Gen X and Y, but not to Baby Boomers. Gen Y employees will smile when technological advances are implemented whereas Baby Boomers will smile when they are promoted to a position of status.

Google has taken incentives for employee engagement, attraction and retention seriously. In a very dramatic way, they are redefining the world of work as evident by this journalistic view of Google's HR practices.

To view the powerpoint slides of this research presentation, go to this site and choose HRMA Presentation: Intergenerational Reward Preferences Slides.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Spring Desk Cleaning

Posted by Joni Rose

Keeping your desk and work space tidy can make a big difference in your efficiency. Spring is the time of year when we typically clean house so don’t forget to clean up your work space.

Filing

Filing systems get out dated and then they are not used. Put aside some time to revise your system for efficiency. Look at colour coding different types of work you do by using colour file folders and/or hanging file labels. Create new folders and proper labels for ones in use. File those piles of papers you’ve been meaning to file.

Drawers

Purchase a new drawer divider or trays to help organize the contents of your drawers. Regroup like things to each drawer. Throw out bent paper clips and donate other supplies that you don’t use. Oil drawer slides and give drawer bottoms a good wipe as you clean.

Desk Surface

Purchase desk organizing units to keep your pens, paper clips, sticky notes in one place. Keeping pre-moistened cleaning wipes in your drawer can make keeping the surface clean easier.

Lighting

Poor lighting can not only cause eye strain and headaches, it can make working frustrating. Invest in proper lighting and notice the difference it makes!

Atmosphere

Sometimes our work areas get neglected when it comes to art work and decorations. Spend some time and money to create a mood around a colour or decoration theme. Frame some of your favourite photos.

Desk Ergonomics

To arrange your desk for ideal office ergonomics:

your arm should be at a right angle to your keyboard
the top of your monitor should be 20 degrees below the horizontal line of sight and the screen should be anti-glare
you should have minimal bending of the wrist
the area behind your knees should not be touching the chair seat and your chair back should be adjusted so that your body is at a 90-120 degree angle

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Myers Briggs and Your Boss

Posted by Joni Rose

When I work with supervisors and their staff, I often see clashes that can be traced back to a difference in Myers Briggs Type Indicators (MBTI). The differences in personality types can cause misunderstandings as people tend to want their boss or subordinates to be like themselves. Learning to appreciate the difference by understanding the personality traits of your opposites can make a world of difference in corporate climates.

Problems often arise when T or Thinking and F or Feeling types work together. If you have a feeler for a boss, and you are a T or Thinker, you’ll be frustrated by their lack of concern for results in the form of concrete stats. They’ll be too busy giving you the warm and fuzzy appreciation that you feel is a waste of time and energy. You’d much rather they got down to work and made some practical changes. You also wish they’d fire the under performers and stop letting their feelings get in the way of the job getting done. You may argue with your boss or at least find yourself in long debates.

If you have a thinker for a boss and you are a feeler, you’ll feel upset by their cold approach to things and lack of words of appreciation and encouragement. You believe that they don’t care how you feel and your job satisfaction is unimportant to them. You take their words personally and their candid approach can be hard to take. They seem to focus on all the flaws in your work or in a process.

Learning to understand that your feeling boss is great at motivating and encouraging team work and generally making the climate peaceful and calm may help you appreciate them more. Understanding that your thinking boss is stat conscious and can bring resources your way by supplying positive stats to the powers that be, may make you see them in a different light.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Common Training Mistakes

Posted by Joni Rose

Terrible PowerPoint Slides

font is too small
too many words on the slides
font and/or background colour makes slides illegible
lack of graphics to show key concepts
too much animation, hard to stay focused

Reading from Slides or Handouts

Instead of presenting and adding content as they speak, all of the content is presented and then simple read to the audience

Unaware of the Audience

Clueless as to their educational background, level of experience or other factors that could influence the level of the presentation, key messages and activities
Addressing one side of the room
Turning their back to the audience
Blocking the view of the presentation to some participants

Lecturing not Active Training

Not engaging the audience using active training techniques such as brainstorming, group work, Q&A or other ways to create an interactive learning environment

Information Overload

Too much information for the time allotted
Information that is not relevant to the key message
Too much detail, too little message

Lack of Flow

Jumping around from topic to topic and jumping back
No logical progression from simple concepts to more complex concepts
Lack of agenda

Lack of Substance

Too little detail to make any substantive claims or conclusions
Wild claims without statistics or facts to back them up
Case studies that have been striped down too much (usually to protect confidentiality) and therefore lack key details to make them relevant to the discussion

Lack of Clear Topic or Message

Too many or too few key messages
Lack of content on the key message(s) and/or too much content on non-key messages

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Leadership Best Practices

Posted by Joni Rose

Demonstrating leadership excellence is more that preaching best practices it is living by the standards that you set as a leader. If you don’t walk the walk, your staff will quickly lose respect and ignore or dismiss any of your directions or suggestions. When this disregard of direction starts to happen it can be a very quick downward spiral.

Ask yourself these questions about your leadership style to see if you are a role model for leadership best practices.

Do you ask for a change in process, but then use the old method?
Do you ask your staff to put in overtime but then leave early?
Do you ask your staff to generate new business but then miss opportunities or fail to follow up on a lead?
Do you ask your staff to be budget conscious but then buy a big screen TV for your office?
Do you complain about your workload but then either fail to delegate or make extra work for your staff?
Do you criticise staff for being late and then come in to work late or return from meetings or lunch later than expected?
Do you ask staff to follow company policies but then disregard them when it comes to your work?
Do you emphasize living and working to the company values but then push your own, contradictory values?
Do you expect staff to dress professionally but then come to work dressed too casually?
Do you expect staff to represent the company well in public but then act unprofessionally outside the office?
Do you set a rule against dating coworkers but date staff yourself?

It is important to demonstrate best practices by your actions so that staff see you as a mentor and role model.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Improving Employee Engagement

Posted by Joni Rose

1. Provide variety

Tedious, repetitive tasks can cause burn out and boredom over time. If the job requires repetitive tasks, look for ways to introduce variety by rotating duties, areas of responsibility, delivery of service etc. For example, if some of the staff provides customer service on the phone and some in person, allow a rotation. If some staff are assigned to be responsible for a certain department, industry or product line, offer variety by rotating the assignments every 6 months to a year. You may be able to provide variety by location from transfers to a new city to changing office or desk assignments.

2. Match skills/interest to job roles

Taking a skills and interest inventory of your staff can really be an enlightening exercise. Sometimes leaders forget that staff come from different backgrounds and have a variety of educational and work histories. Create a database where you can document staff skills and interests so that when a project arises that requires a certain skill set, for example event planning, then the employees with either an interest in event planning or training related to event planning can be searched for and a list retrieved. Employees will feel valued and appreciated when they can apply past learning and become more engaged when they are doing work they are interested in.

3. Offer training to improve weak skills or encourage job advancement

Training can often improve employee engagement. If a new technology or process has been introduced recently without adequate training, staff can become disengaged and unproductive. If training can be offered that would allow staff to advance to a more senior or more responsible role, advanced level training will help engage staff that are ambitious and/or are looking for a change if they have been doing the same role for a long period of time.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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In Praise of Introverts

Posted by Joni Rose

I am an extrovert however I have always been fascinated with introverts. I enjoy their calm, deliberate approach to things. All too often my extraverted self wants them to make decisions more quickly and contribute ideas and suggestions on the fly, but then I remember how incredible the results are if I allow them time to process what is before them.

Introverts will carefully consider the information in front of them and give an insightful response if they have been given the time to process the information and collect their thoughts. They are the note takers in the meetings and often have unique perspectives and ideas since they have been absorbing all of what has been said and assimilated it into their decision making.

Introverts are the calm ones. They can handle difficult clients and situations without an external display of frustration fireworks. An introvert’s calm demeanour can keep the peace in an office. Introverts balance the high energy, in-your-face extroverted energy with a serene, contemplative energy.

Introverts are often sharp witted and highly intelligent. It can sometimes be shocking to an extrovert to see their sense of humour surface but it is usually far more intelligent humour than the extravert who tends to use physical or shock value comedy to make someone laugh.

Over the years, I’ve gradually taken the time to appreciate the different approach to work that an introvert takes and have been highly rewarded with the insights gained. Introverts have helped me see that sometimes gathering all the facts and reflecting before making a decision can be very wise. They are the kings and queens of responding and not reacting to stressful situations.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Can Do Attitude at Work

Posted by Joni Rose

To be highly productive it is important to focusing on how things can be accomplished. If you are constantly making excuses or finding all the reasons why something can’t happen, you not only will be hard to work with, you won’t be considered for a leadership role. Leaders are expected to bring results.

The next time you find yourself making an excuse for why something isn’t done, stop yourself. Look instead for a new strategy to get it done. Ask for help, delegate, work around resource shortfalls, do whatever it takes to make sure you deliver.

Sometimes roadblocks come your way that seem insurmountable. The best option when faced with a problem you can not solve is to seek out advice from a mentor. Sometimes an objective opinion is all that is needed to find a solution to a problem. Don’t be afraid to seek out someone with more experience. Their experience is incredibly valuable. They know what doesn’t work and have probably already thought of what would have worked if they could do it over.

Present problems with solutions. You will gain the respect of your supervisor and colleagues if you offer a solution as you identify a new issue to resolve. Even if it is not the solution they will choose to implement, it still demonstrates that you see problems as challenges that require some creative thinking.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Encouraging Teamwork

Posted by Joni Rose

It is not uncommon for there to be a loner in the department. The only problem is that they may not be contributing an equal share to the workload let alone offering their good ideas and input into discussions if they stay off on the fringe.

To encourage them to contribute to the team efforts, try one or all of the following tips:

clearly state your expectations around team contribution to the loner and all staff
schedule a coaching session with the loner to determine why they are choosing to work alone (Personality clash? Fear? Lack of skill?)
put a disincentive in place that discourages working on projects alone
reward team efforts with group incentives such as a new coffee maker or another reward that the group would appreciate
offer team building training to the loner and/or to the group as a whole
assign the loner a leadership role on the next project and ask the loner to report back on the teams progress

Once you have tried these tips, see if the team moral improves. If it doesn’t improve, you may need to look at transferring or terminating the employee. Once one person goes off and works alone on projects, it can lead to a disintegration of the team. For this reason, it is important to watch for signs of staff becoming loners and try to get to the root of the problem quickly.

If you have comments or suggestions on this blog entry, please start a discussion

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Assistant Professional Development

Posted by Joni Rose

To be a great assistant it takes an incredible knack for multi-tasking and priority setting.

Learn all you can about time management techniques. Learn how to prioritize everything you touch. This includes when you send an email to your supervisor – ask yourself, “Does this need immediate attention?”. If so, mark the email with high importance using the exclamation mark. Use the exclamation mark sparingly though. Use it only when the email contains information or an action item for something that is time sensitive within the next few hours.

The same holds true for voice mail messages. If your message is urgent, call their cell. If your message isn’t urgent, leave it on their land line or send an email instead. Always leave the most important information at the start of your voicemail message or email. If the email is only for their information and does not contain something urgent, put FYI at the start of the subject line. Keep all communication brief and to the point.

When you are first getting to know your boss, it is important to determine their work style. Do they like to be involved in decisions on certain areas but not others? It is important to determine when they need to be consulted and when you need to make a decision.

Keep a notebook of questions to ask when you have a weekly meeting. Do not send an email or voicemail with each individual question. If possible, collect your questions for one meeting, voicemail or email. It will not only save your boss time, it will help you prioritize your communications and save you time and energy.

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Choosing the wrong training

Posted by Joni Rose

I have seen it too many times to count. Clients or students that I talk to that have taken a training program to increase their chances of getting a job or switching careers only to find themselves in debt and still unemployed or under employed.

Choose your professional development wisely. Consider how much time and money you are spending and make sure you do the necessary due diligence before paying your tuition.

The most common mistakes I see are:

Students who have been weak to the pressure sales tactics from slick private school recruiters
Students who choose a program because it is what their parent, spouse or boss wanted them to do.
Students who are desperate to get North American training or work experience and do not understand what they are signing up for because their English language skills are poor.
Students who choose to take training as a quick fix to their stagnant career and do not consider whether the program will actually improve their career on graduation.
Students who procrastinate until the eleventh hour and must make a decision very quickly to make the registration deadlines.

If you know someone who is making a training program decision and they fit one of these scenarios, please warn them that their mistake could cost them thousands of dollars, months of time and large amounts of energy.

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Office Gossip

Posted by Joni Rose

Office gossip is something I try to avoid. It is tough though, as gossip is sexy. It is intriguing to know who is sleeping with whom and what the boss is like on his off time. As intriguing as it is, it isn’t so funny when you are the subject of the gossip.

Avoiding gossip is tricky. You don’t want to be the outcast for not participating in the juice fest, but then again, you don’t want your reputation to be tarnished by being associated with the queen or king of office gossip. My advice is to tread very carefully and participate only in office gossip that isn’t hurting anyone. Talk about the changes that are happening in the business or the industry, not the people involved and you should be able to steer clear of playing a part in a personal vendetta.

Comments taken out of context seem to be the favourite flavour for office gossips. They twist and bend a situation for its sex appeal. They look for Achilles heals. Don’t fall for it. Ask questions and get the real scoop from the people involved if you can. Don’t trust a gossip.

Be careful when exposing a gossip to the person the gossip centers around. There is no worse enemy than a gossip scorned. They can retaliate in evil ways especially if they have a following. Instead, let them dig their own grave. They usually do at some point. Besides, you have better things to do than to discuss someone’s indiscretions at the company picnic, right?

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Barriers to Career Goal Attainment

Posted by Joni Rose

Many things can prevent professional goals from being achieved. Sometimes the roadblocks to goal attainment are internal. They persist as negative thoughts that prevent progress. Sometimes the road blocks are external. They are the physical limitations that need to be moved out of the way.

Internal Roadblocks

Fear of the unknown, fear of looking foolish, fear of failure, fear of success, fear of being dumb, are just some of the common fears that create negative messages that play in our heads when we work on our goals. Feeling the knot in your stomach but forging ahead is the best medicine to prove those internal messages wrong. Acknowledge your fear but don’t let it cause so much anxiety that it paralyses you from progress. Understand that fear is a good thing. It helps to prevent uncalculated risk taking.

External Roadblocks

Physical roadblocks tend to be blamed more often for career goal derailment than internal roadblocks. It is far easier to blame something external than to accept that we have the power to choose change. Lifestyle factors can become limitations. Lack of money; the demands of family, kids and work; religious beliefs; cultural definitions of roles and responsibilities all become physical roadblocks to career progress. Step back and look at these roadblocks objectively. Can you use your power of choice to make changes in your life so that these hurdles are cut down if not removed entirely?

Tackling your internal and external roadblocks will take an attitude of persistence and patience. You may need professional counselling in order to determine the root causes of your fears or to devise a strategy to deal with the external roadblocks you are facing. Journaling is another technique that can be very helpful. Sometimes writing down your negative thoughts and external roadblocks allows you to see them with an objective, rational perspective.

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Increasing career motivation

Posted by Joni Rose

Many career gurus have said that the secret to loving your work and uncovering passion for what you do is to focus on what comes easily to you. If you ask a person who loves their work, often you’ll hear them say, “I can’t believe they pay me to do this!” and “It comes so naturally to me”.

All too often we try to stretch ourselves with roles and responsibilities that are outside of our comfort zone. Sometimes that approach can be energizing and motivating but other times it can cause anxiety and stress. Creating challenges can be a way to set yourself up for failure and sabotage your career.

To get yourself out of a career rut, try focusing on the areas that come easily to you first. When you feel your energy level rising and your stress levels decreasing, then look to tackling something that is outside of your comfort zone to give you a stretch if you start to feel bored. However, I have found that sometimes the root of the problem is not boredom but fear. Fear that you’ll become stagnant or lose your edge.

As an experiment, try spending your professional development funds and energy on something that comes easily to you and keep the stretching to a comfortable level. You may find that being an expert in an area that flows naturally for you will bring opportunities your way that you never thought possible. Try to set yourself up for career success and be gentle with your career development.

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Interviews on Career Success

Posted by Joni Rose

As an assignment for my career coaching clients, I often ask them to interview people they feel are successful and others who never seem to make the right career choices to help determine what the secrets to career success are. It is a very interesting exercise and can be very enlightening. It reveals why some people sabotage their careers and others take opportunities and run with them.

What does career success look like to you? Define and describe career success in your eyes. For you, is your level of career success dependent on (circle those that apply and describe what they mean to you):
- Level of income
- Fame or recognition
- Social status
- Material possessions
- Feelings of satisfaction, happiness, love and/or respect
- Tangible accomplishments
- Being a role model to someone
- Overcome an obstacle (growth)
- Achievement of a goal(s)
- Living to an aspired ideal
- Solid sense of self esteem/self worth (spiritual fulfillment)
- Other factors, please specify
What do you feel you are succeeding at now in your career/work life (list them)?
How are these career successes impacting your life?
- What actions do you take when you have a career success?
- What emotions do you feel when you have a career success?
How do you define career failure? Is it simply not achieving those things that you identified as factors of career success or is it something else?
What do you feel you are failing at now in your career (list them)?
How are these career failures impacting your life?
- What actions to you take when faced with a career failure?
- What emotions do you feel when faced with a career failure?

When we examine the results some common threads appear. The common threads from these interviews are presented in the article Career Success: Defining what makes a person professionally successful.

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Career Success

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