Backpacking Your Way to the Top! by Travis Jones

 I used to do a lot of backpacking when I was younger and I’ve noticed that there are a lot of similarities between climbing a mountain and climbing the career “mountain.”

Our career, like climbing a mountain, is a journey for which we must prepare. We must pack our backpacks with the right tools for the trip if we want to get to the top. We must put the right things in the right pockets and ditch the things that just weigh us down. It’s about gathering and sorting the tools that are important in helping us along the way. So how do you know what things to pack that will get you to the top? Proper gathering and sorting is a learned skill and it will make your path less rugged with fewer detours. And, the tools you gather for the journey will be used throughout your life.

What should you pack?

Your journey up the “mountain” begins very early in life. Family plays a big role in shaping our values and beliefs and helping us to form our drive to reach the top. My father was a great encourager and taught me to work hard, to use my manners, to choose my words carefully, and to learn from every opportunity and challenge that I faced. He also taught me that I would be good at the things I practiced. If I was rude, I would get better at being rude. If I was positive, I would get better at being positive. He showed me that it was my choice to be negative, kind, fun or whatever I wanted to be and that I need to choose wisely. The values you gain from your family are a critical tool needed to reach your ultimate destination. These are the first things you will put in your backpack.

As you grow into adulthood, the things that you’ve learned and what you know becomes even more important. As the saying goes, we are the sum total of all that we know. Yet, it’s not just what we know, it’s what we decide is valuable to know. You need to decide what information is valuable for your journey. Just think about what you know about your health, your job, your finances, and your relationships – all are important areas in which to have knowledge. Determine the “valuable” information that will help you succeed as you climb the mountain. Valuable knowledge is the next thing that you will include in your backpack.

Where do you get the knowledge you need?

·  Your own personal experiences! All of life is a classroom. We all have successes or things we have done well. Practice those skills till you become proficient and they become second nature. Even greater opportunities for learning come from “failures.” We have all done something wrong or not achieved a goal. Did you learn from that experience? Of course you did – we all do when we review and consider alternatives that could have helped us achieve success! Pack those experiences and their lessons into your backpack for the climb.

·  Others’ experiences! All you have to do is look around at what is going on in the world. There are many examples of failures and many great examples of successes at every turn. Learning from those in your circles of influence will help you to succeed in your journey. Study the great successes of those you admire and even of those you may not admire – there are unlimited examples for you to study! Just look around!

·  Learning by reading! One of the greatest ways to reach the top of your field of interest is by reading. A learner is a reader. Today it is easier than ever to find books that will help you in your personal and professional development. Purchase a notebook (electronic or paper) and fill it with ideas, notes and other valuable information that you’re learning. A great way to learn is to write it down, then share it with others who are on the climb with you.

A word of caution – be careful about what you put into your mind. The mind is a very powerful catalyst that can help us achieve our goals. What you read is a form of training your mind which some refer to as “mind conditioning.” So you want to read things that will positively condition and fuel your mind to support you on your journey.

I had a professor in college that I kept in touch with over the years. In his later years, I would visit him in the nursing home and often found him in a deep sleep. He had a note above his bed that said “if into my room you creep, and find me sound asleep, please wake me so we can chat,” so I would wake him. After gathering his senses he would inevitably (and always) ask me, “What are you reading and who are you sharing it with?” He taught me that what you read today is important, because it impacts tomorrow and that you should share this with others. I am thankful for the life lessons he provided me, especially this example!

So for all of us on our career journey, think about what you are learning in life along the way, what you are sharing along the way, and how you are helping others in their journey. In your backpack, include the important things that help you to develop into the person you want to be.

Life happens! As we go through life’s journey, we sometimes need a friend, a coach, a mentor, a team to help us along the way. My executive coach helps me to learn new life skills that I pack away in my backpack. When I share what I’ve learned in my life with others, I pass along a few nuggets that hopefully they can include in their backpacks and this gives me great joy. We need each other in life’s journey and it’s amazing how that principle of paying it forward helps everyone get to the top of the mountain.

I would love to hear what’s in your backpack and about your journey up the mountain.

See you at the top!

Are You an ACTIVE Listener?

by Brian Gardner
general manager, donington victoria

A key part of my role as a career and change strategist is listening. Yes, I speak too and some may argue I do so too much! But hey, I have so much wisdom to impart, right? Seriously, a key requirement to success in my role is to listen - carefully, actively, and encouragingly.

The key word here is actively. This means I am not thinking about my next client, my meal tonight, or how the basketball finals are playing out. I’m not even thinking about my own response to what is being said. Instead, I am actively engaged with my client in the moment, listening to what is being said.

This realisation got me thinking...maybe active listening is a key requirement to success for ALL roles? Is it important for everyone in all contexts including work, family, and personal life? If we actively listen to others and in return feel heard, would that make a huge difference in our careers, relationships, wellbeing, and overall personal engagement? I think the answer is a resounding YES!

So...what is active listening?

In the most basic sense, active listening is:

1.      making sure that you hear and fully understand what the person is trying to communicate

2.      ensuring the person knows that you understand

Additionally, active listening serves other important purposes, such as:

·  Expanding the amount of information exchanged

·  Enhancing the sense of connection and involvement

·  Increasing the communicator’s sense of being heard and appreciated

·  Prompting communicators to rethink and clarify their own thoughts

·  Stimulating interactivity and creativity

 Listening actively requires effort and overt behaviour. We are not listening actively if we simply listen attentively without saying anything, even if we believe we comprehend fully and precisely what is being said. To listen actively, we must clearly demonstrate that we are listening, interested, and comprehend the message.

The question becomes...how do I become an active listener? There are a number of useful techniques that can be utilised to become a more active and engaged listener.

Verbal Techniques

The most obvious, yet most important and powerful verbal technique is play back. You simply say what you believe you heard the person communicate. That said, this is not “parroting” or repeating exactly what the person has said; it is attempting to paraphrase and summarize the message you heard. While it is more difficult than parroting, it is way more effective. “Playing back” demonstrates your desire to truly understand and shows that you’re making an attempt to engage with the content.

Let’s assume that you are comfortable with using play back as a technique. You may still find it difficult to play back messages because you aren’t sure what the person is actually trying to communicate. That’s the opportune time to ask questions!

Without asking questions, especially clarifying questions, you’re unlikely to truly understand the message. Ask questions to clarify or build understanding. Don’t ask questions that expose weak points or inconsistencies, unless that is exactly your intent. Finally, resist the temptation to ask leading questions or questions that are actually supporting your own view!

Some people are reluctant to ask questions, thinking that it may appear rude or impolite. Others may fear they will be perceived as not being particularly intelligent. However, I would suggest that it is far worse to not ask questions and later learn that you did not fully understand the message.

While it is quite possible to ask questions in a manner that appears to be impolite, rude, or challenging, sincerity in trying to understand the communicator’s message will go a long way. With practice, you’ll learn quickly how to ask questions in a manner that demonstrates your interest.

Non-Verbal Techniques

Eye contact is another essential technique of active listening with face-to-face communication. I am aware that culturally this may not be accepted. In all communication, it is important to be culturally sensitive (which is also a key component in the success of active listening).

Most Western business environments expect some level of eye contact, and people often feel very uncomfortable if someone won’t look them in the eye. Eye contact also says that you’re engaged, the communicator has your attention, the lights are on, and you’re in receiving mode.

Similarly, body language and listening posture send very clear messages about your state of mind, your interest, and your engagement. While there can be too much subjectivity in reading body language, there are some guidelines that generally apply. Crossed arms, leaning away from the communicator or sitting hunched over could indicate that you are closed to the communicator, defensive, or generally tired of the topic. Sitting straight and leaning slightly forward with arms open can signal that you’re open and ready to receive messages.

Mental Techniques

It is important to engage one’s mental faculties and intellect when listening. Learn to suspend critical evaluation. We tend to listen for errors, omissions, or faulty thinking, which can get in the way of the message. We may come to a conclusion before we fully understand what the person intended to communicate.

Listening to understand and listening to evaluate involve fundamentally different mental processes. We should first practice active listening to ensure our understanding of the message. Only then should we evaluate. It’s impossible to suspend critical evaluation entirely, but with self-awareness and practice, you can ensure that it doesn’t become the focus of your listening process.

Active listening is a technique that yields benefits in almost every context and can impact success in all roles. Most people do not practice active listening and therefore are not accomplished listeners. Those who master active listening will differentiate themselves, build positive relationships with others, be better informed, have a stronger basis for making decisions, and overall be more engaged in communications.

Especially important in our career management, active listening is just like any other skill – it can be mastered with practice, positive intent and effort.

So, have YOU heard me?

Using Assessments to Improve Selection and Development

by John Madigan

At some point, most organizations realize that there is no shortage of applicants for the positions they need to fill; but rather a shortage of the specific skills and capabilities they need to grow their business. Good talent is still hard to find and even harder to place in the right roles for growth in the organization.

The problem of finding, selecting, and developing good talent has only been exacerbated over these past few years as unemployment rates have hovered at historically high levels. The result has been an overwhelming number of candidates in the job market—those who are unemployed and those who are worried about becoming so. Given these circumstances, employers have increasingly turned to assessments to make better selection decisions and to better develop the talent they have and hope to keep.

Many best-in-class organizations use validated assessments in the pre-hire stage of the selection process. Experts have found that companies outside the United States have a higher level of confidence in their selection decisions than those within the United States. Those organizations have focused on implementing a ‘system’ to eliminate bias and take the pressure off hiring managers. That system often uses a combination of assessments such as knowledge tests, personality inventories, and job simulations in addition to a structured interview process. Such a systematic approach provides these companies with more comprehensive profiles of candidates, leading to more informed decisions and fewer mistakes. Companies in the United States tend to rely mostly on the interviewing judgment of managers and more often utilize only a single assessment.

Best-in-class companies also use assessments to focus their individual and collective development strategies. Specific assessments can be used to target the development needs of key talent. Some organizations use specific tools or instruments that gather feedback on-line. Others allow outside coaches to interview individuals selected to provide feedback. Each has its place depending on the organization, its culture, and the needs surrounding the situation.

New and innovative assessments are developed all the time. One example is The Advisor, a 360 instrument designed by the Leadership Research Institute to measure executive emotional intelligence. More specifically, The Advisor identifies the abilities of executives to “read” people (including themselves) and situations, and then “lead” those people and situations. Naturally, it also covers blind spots, hidden strengths, leadership effectiveness, development challenges, and behavioural perceptions. Like most instruments of this kind, it is strong on the comparison between self-perception and the perception of others.

The Advisor is an effective instrument to help organizations identify behaviors that need to be sustained, those that need to stop, and those that need to be added. In positions of high leverage, like leadership and executive positions, slight improvements in attitude, behaviour and situational awareness can have a much larger positive impact in the organization, especially on the morale and productivity of other employees.

Armed with the additional information that assessments like The Advisor can provide, companies can reap substantial benefits, including financial improvements, from making far better selection and development decisions. After all, what would be the impact - financially and organizationally - of having an ‘A’ player in a key role supporting a critical business strategy versus someone who is merely average or even a mismatch in the role? Assessments then help companies improve the return on their investment in people. The key is to find those that best fit your company’s needs.

What assessments do you find most helpful in the selection and development of talent in your organization?

The Job Search - A Family Affair

By Barbara A.F. GREENE

The range of emotions that come following an unexpected career change are not just felt by the person experiencing the loss. The change and job search are most definitely a family affair. Such a transition impacts everyone that the job seeker holds dear to them. This includes their spouse/significant other/partner, children, parents, and close friends. Sometimes this major change hits the loved ones harder than the person who experienced the unplanned career transition.

The job seeker’s family often feels anger, lack of control, frustration, fear of the unknown, and loss of identity. It can be tough for the person in transition to move forward with a job search when these concerns exist. Moving forward can be further compounded by the perception that this person possesses “extra” free time now. And, as time lingers on in the search, the question “What are you really doing with your time?” becomes prevalent among the family.

In actuality a job search is a full time job and until someone goes through this experience, especially an unexpected job search (one day you are here and the next day you are gone), it is difficult to understand. A typical 40 hour work week or more is critical to finding the right work and environment. Home and hobby-related chores need to wait until the weekend or the usual time the job seeker previously fit it into their regular work schedule. With this in mind, the support of the people who are closest to the job seeker becomes paramount.

What can you do if someone close to you experiences an unexpected career change?

1. Talk about what both of you want and check in with each other to confirm that you are still aligned in your goals and moving in the same direction.

2. Involve children, depending on their ages, in a family meeting to discuss what has happened and how it affects them.

3. Collaborate and decide how each member of the family should respond to questions or statements from well-meaning relatives and friends such as:

·  Does ___ have a job yet?

·  Oh, no! That’s awful. What are you going to do?

4. Make a list of the positive opportunities and events that can come out of this experience. Think and talk about these instead of allowing negativity to creep in.

5. Encourage and support the person during this transition phase. Ask:

·  What can I do to support you during this time of change?

·  What was the highlight for you this week?

·  What experience surprised you the most this week?

·  What action do you want me to take in readjusting our family budget?

6. Catch your loved one doing well.

7. Encourage a career search routine.

8. Identify ways to substitute a family tradition that may cost too much money right now:

·  Instead of eating out at the regular place, try a new restaurant that is less expensive and offers a new experience, or host a potluck dinner at your home.

·  Replace a trip to an amusement park with a trip to the zoo or museum on days with special rates.

9. Identify people who believe in your significant other. Seize opportunities to engage with these people more often.

10. Engage in volunteer activities together.

11. Take care of your own health. Watch for and treat signs of anxiety or depression.

12. Celebrate the moments of success.

Breaking Up is Hard To Do 

By John Daugherty

Breaking up is hard to do, especially when you are facing having to lay off employees. Providing a soft landing for departing employees is not only the right thing to do, but is also a strategic business investment with big payoffs.

What are the benefits of investing in outplacement services? 

• Safeguarding your company’s brand and reputation
• Helping former employees re-employ quicker
• Attracting future talent and retaining high performers
• Nurturing and maintaining positive morale among remaining employees

WHAT DOES A HEALTHY OUTPLACEMENT PROGRAM LOOK LIKE?

The best outplacement services offer personal, strategic help. Most employees don’t make a career of changing jobs, and are usually ill-prepared and uncomfortable in the process.

Valuable programs begin with developing a strategic transition plan to identify and target future goals. Many employees find the opportunity to dream about their future or explore new fields to be liberating, not terrifying. A program should also provide support with soft skills, such as interviewing and negotiating, as well as hands-on help with writing a career marketing strategy. In addition to personal guidance, outplacement firms should offer the technology to give clients access to online resources like e-Learning and research databases. Employees usually gain access to online seminars, workshops, and coaching for a specified period of time from just a few months up to a year.

Programs for executives should not only provide a deeper level of personal coaching but extras such as an Executive Agent (similar to a “sports agent”) or on-boarding support to help the newly hired executive during the first 100 days in a new position. 

Programs for mid-level executives or clerical workers should provide one-on-one meetings with a personal coach. Really good programs allow for building customized programs in alignment with the employee’s unique circumstances.

SAFEGUARD YOUR COMPANY’S BRAND REPUTATION AND BOTTOM LINE

Building a healthy brand is expensive; safeguarding the brand by providing outplacement services is cost effective. Negative chatter about your company by former employees can’t be controlled; however, by providing a successful transition experience, you can ratchet down the negative comments generated by former employees. Displaced workers are also consumers who influence the purchasing decisions of their friends and family. Instead of creating hundreds of new brand loyalists for your competitor, you can keep these dedicated brand enthusiasts on your side of the aisle.

FASTER RE-EMPLOYMENT, LOWER COSTS

Employees who choose to engage with outplacement assistance will find themselves back in the workforce quicker, which ultimately helps lower costs.  Keeping an amicable relationship with a former employee will also reduce the risk of future litigation. When they are talking to career consultants, they are generally not talking to lawyers.  The cost of outplacement services is much smaller than the cost of a lawsuit.

ATTRACTING FUTURE TALENT AND RETAINING HIGH PERFORMERS

Ironically, having a strategy to help departing employees can actually help recruit new ones. With such a cyclical economy, there is a strong correlation between how a company treats its departing employees and its future ability to attract and retain top talent.  Just because an employee has left the building, doesn’t mean he or she will not be an advocate for you in the future. In a recent survey, over 30% of new hires are referred by employees or alumni.  Outplacement, if done correctly, can give your organization a competitive advantage. By engaging with alumni, those positive relationships can boost your recruiting efforts.

KEEPING POSITIVE MORALE WITH REMAINING EMPLOYEES

Treating transitioning employees with respect, care, honesty, and dignity shapes not only how your customers view your company, but also sends a message to current employees that they too can expect to be valued in the organization. Numerous studies have supported the fact that employees who witness their friends and peers go through quality outplacement services view the company more positively, even if the downsizing circumstances are ugly.  The stories that the newly transitioned are going to tell their friends, family, and your customers are just as important. Happy employees are productive employees after all.  At a time when budgets are tight, it’s tempting to skip outplacement services. If you view outplacement services as a strategic investment, your company will see the benefits years later.

  Top 10 Interview Tips

  From our colleague at CPI New Zealand Andy McCormack

#1 Do Your Research
You need to be prepared and research the role and the company. Always check the newspaper and company website on the day of your interview for any interesting or exciting information about the company

#2 Look Sharp

It is important to dress well for the interview, although the standard of dress varies from company to company. As a rule you should dress one step up from the company normal attire.
For example:

•   If it is a jeans and T-shirt environment, wear trousers and a shirt (smart Casual)
•   It is it is a Smart Casual Environment – wear a suit
•  If it is a suit environment – wear your best suit, shirt and tie

#3 Be Prepared
As well as researching the company, you also need to prepare yourself…. about yourself. Go over your CV, think of your achievements, prepare how to answer and ask questions

#4 Be On Time
A given – but you would be surprised how many people are late. Events can happen that could delay you, but make sure you phone ahead to let the interviewer know and be sure to apologise once you get there. Also note – it is bad form to be too early; if you are more than 10 minutes early, spend the time prepping in the car or go for a walk

#5 Show Enthusiasm
Be excited and interested in the role, the company, the people and the interviewer. You really want this job so you need to let it show

#6 Listen
Make sure you understand what is being asked and be clear on what is being said. There are clues in areas the interviewer is interested in if you listen to what they are saying

#7 Answer the Question Asked
Make sure you understand the question and if not, ask for clarification or repeat the question back to qualify understanding (this is also a good way of buying time to answer the question)

#8 Give Specific Examples
Ensure your examples are clear and relevant. They also need to show you in the best light

#9 Ask Questions
This shows you are interested and keen. Again make sure they are relevant and well thought out, not just about how often you can take a break or where the nearest cafe is

#10 Follow Up
An important part of the process that most people fail to do – it shows you are keen and interested and gives you information on what is going on

 

Helping High Potentials Avoid Transition Pitfalls

by Dan Portes, CPI Iowa

  A message popped up on my phone this morning reminding me of a call I needed to return. I had been asked to talk with a recently promoted manager from a large company. He moved to a manager role nine months ago and was now struggling. His group’s sales numbers were down and his team was in the dark and grumbling. The HR executive was understandably concerned. What had happened to this high-performing sales producer? He’s friendly, professional, savvy and ambitious. He seemed to be the perfect fit for the ‘accelerated promotion’ program that the company launched a year ago. But now his situation had become a problem that needed to be fixed.

This scenario is a common pitfall in a company’s efforts to retain its top talent. The transition from high-performing individual to high-performing manager can be perilous. Without the right level of development and support, companies inadvertently set their high-potential talent up for failure, especially as they are promoted to management roles.

The HR executive asked me to talk with this new manager to determine whether he was a good candidate for coaching. Arriving at a recommendation is as much art as science, but the process generally comes down to discovering the answers to these questions:

1.      What is the mindset of the individual? Is he open to change, ready to challenge himself?

2.      What are the skills and competencies of this individual? Has he been assessed and tested?

3.      What are the skills and competencies that the organization needs today and in the future? Is there a good match?

After ten minutes of talking with him, I concluded that coaching was the right path to pursue. While shaken by his current situation, he was resilient and had the right mindset. He recognized the need to challenge himself to find a new way of thinking and acting in order to refine the skills he needed for the management position. He was also deeply committed to the success of the organization, with extensive industry knowledge and a clear vision of his role in driving the company’s strategic market opportunity. The coaching process would uncover more concise answers to questions two and three. An executive coach helps an individual understand the skills they have, build upon them and apply them in new and broader situations. For executive coaching to be successful, coaches must engage individuals in the process and provide goals that move them beyond their comfort zone within a safe environment.

Coaching was a fit for this situation. But the problem might have been prevented with a proactive high-potential development plan. All companies have high-potential individuals. By assessing their skills and mindsets and planning for their development prior to promotion, the company not only prevents transition issues that so often accompany professionals moving from individual roles to management roles but also better aligns the development needs of the individual with the management needs of the company.

Accessing Your Employees can Enhance Productivity and Employee Engagement!

by Travis Jones

I attended a CEO roundtable session this week in Tulsa, OK with Dr. Steve Robbins. He was talking about how we do not utilize the skills and abilities of our staff to their potential. One reason is because we have not taken the time to assess them.

The reason most companies do not get better productivity from their people, is not that they are not creative people. A closed mind is the problem. The closed mind is not the employee’s problem, it’s management’s lack of creating a learning culture that encourages people to use their creativity. His focus was on getting our organizations to open our minds to cooperative collaboration for new ideas. Creativity is coming up with the ideas; innovation is the putting of these ideas to work. Collaborative teams can bring a multitude of ideas that are simply not available from a smaller pool or individual.

He did an exercise that proved his point.

Everyone was asked to take a piece of paper and write out as many animals, insects, mammals or creatures that we could think of in one minute that began with the letter S.

One minute later here were the results.

At my table the number written down by each individual ranged from 1 to 8, other tables were similar with 4 to 5 people per table. Total for the list between each of us at my table was 15 which was about average for the room of about 8 tables.

Each table reported to Dr. Steve the names and he wrote these on the screen. No one was allowed to repeat any animal, insect, mammal or creature that had already been mentioned.

You can imagine the result. The group’s results reached 49 different creatures all within one minute!

So you see, as individuals we averaged about 4, as a table we averaged about 15 and as a group we reached 49!

What was the point? Teams that collaborate with one another will do 4 times more creative ideas with a small group and 10-12 times more than individuals. Exclusion of others on your team will diminish the power of a team. Assess individuals, teams and the organization, by looking at the innovation of new ideas your people are putting forth and invest accordingly. Disengaged employees have a tremendous impact on productivity. Engaged people work to their full potential.

So what did I learn – look at the ways you are using your people with their unique skills and abilities. Utilize assessment tools to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Give them access to learning opportunities whenever possible. Encourage teams to work collaboratively. Praise them for their efforts. Show employees you value them by involving them in a learning process. Listen to what they say. Give them feedback. Provide coaching for your high potentials. Build and sustain a learning and coaching culture in your organization with initiatives like the Manager as Coach Learning Series from Career Partners International.

Give your local Career Partners International office a call to help you assess the effectiveness of your managers and their teams. You cannot afford to not be providing development opportunities if you want to move your company into the future with innovation and effectiveness.

 A recent article in the June 2012 Harvard Business Review focused on assessing your leadership development skills. One article, titled Leadership is a Conversation, challenged leaders to talk “with” your employees rather than “to” them. Results include increased employee engagement and tighter strategic alignment.

 Become a learning elite company, with a culture that embraces development, continuous learning and collaboration to generate more open-mindedness. You will enjoy increased creativity and innovation, productivity and employee engagement to propel your organization into the future.

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