Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom How to Transform Your Company One Team at a Time

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom How to Transform Your Company One Team at a Time I see it everywhere. Companies hire people to perform certain roles and then fail to support them in those roles. They don’t share their vision for the business and restrict employee involvement in it. This behavior creates a loosely connected team with members who have no vested interest in the company and wont stick around for the long haul. Wouldn’t it be terrific if you could create a culture of contribution, and be able to positively leverage your staff as an extension of your organization? I asked Dr. Maryann Baumgarten, the president and CEO of transformation training and coaching firm LitUp Leadership, about how managers and owners can build more engaged and productive workforces. Heres her advice on how to move your culture needle one team at a time. Lead With Purpose Nietzsche said, “He who has a why can endure any how.” When was the last time you articulated your purpose? Why are you in business? What are you aiming to accomplish as an individual, as a team, as a company? Why does it matter? Purpose creates a single point of focus for the whole team. Not only will you approach your own work with more passion, but each team member will feel empowered and connected to the company’s success. Communicate your why regularly by working it into meetings, marketing materials and even performance reviews to make it a living, breathing force. Build A Sense Of Belonging Sports teams have colors, names and logos so fans can easily relate to and internalize them. Making the sense of belonging more explicit in your team will increase each member’s sense of peace, camaraderie and connection, which, in turn, will drive loyalty and productivity. Have you considered a team name? Rituals, events and other opportunities to bring the team together also can help create a secure foundation. For more of Maryanns tips, head over to the full post at the AMEX Open Forum.

Better than a Pain Letter

Better than a Pain Letter I recently wrote a   post about how the cover letter is being replaced by the Pain Letter. A pain letter takes what you know through research about an industry or company and makes some assumptions about what is keeping a manager up at night. A pain letter assumes some challenges, and then allows you to talk about your past accomplishments. You close by suggesting a meeting with the manager. Career Coach Liz Ryan of the Human Workplace says that Pain Letters are very effective in generating meetings with potential employers; success rates are reported as high as one in four. They may be, says writer Donna Svei, but they may also come off as pretentious. She writes: “Remember, solving a company’s pain only saves it from failure. Capitalizing on its opportunities makes it succeed. Call me crazy, but I’d rather be the person who grabbed the gold ring for my company than the one who put her finger in the dike.” (see her whole post here.) Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'yxSrRWhmSkNyt5nzS_1ZLA',sig:'OH0nGjUXVRiRAlCrzEy0oM_3352-5o8KzUg56w2U_so=',w:'507px',h:'338px',items:'170635858',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); The Pain Letter isn’t for everyone; even Liz Ryan herself admits that. And she writes in this post that she got some pushback form HR professionals. “Unshockingly, folks whose self-image is wrapped up in the status quo (I screen resumes, and I dont appreciate people end-running me) lead the anti-Pain Letterâ„¢ charge. Lots of other folks wrote to me to say Im on the fence. If I step outside the traditional job-search lines, could anything bad happen? Ryan points out that the usual HR Black Hole may be a very disappointing place to send your resume, but at least it’s the Black Hole you know. Yes, there are risks. Assuming you know what’s keeping a manager up at night is a risk; if you nail it, you may get an offer. If you’re off base, you won’t. You may even look foolish. Svei suggests you write a letter that outlines a success you had in your career. Demonstrating that you know how to manage change, deliver results or start up new programs will help the manager imagine how you would fit into his or her team or current projects. You can use the classic S*T*A*R formula for crafting your Opportunity letter. The S*T*A*R formula is used in an interview when a recruiter asks you to “tell me about a time when you handled [a specific kind of] situation.” The formula gives you the structure to tell the story: Describe the Situation, describe how you Took Action, and describe your Results. It’s a formula that allows you to prepare in advance stories that demonstrate your skills and past achievements. The S*T*A*R formula works well in an Opportunity letter. Donna Svei says that a well-crafted letter would show: Why you’re the perfect fit for the role. What you bring to the table. Why the company, project or job is the right place for you. In the end, Svei says, the Opportunity letter is more positive than the Pain Letter, which focuses on what’s wrong, rather than how you can help the company grow. She writes: “It’s factual, not hypothetical. Who would you rather interview â€" the person who proves they can see and deliver on opportunities in real life or the one who talks about pain?” Have you written a Pain Letter or an Opportunity Letter? What happened?   Leave a comment and let me know.

How to Get Your Motivation Back After a Holiday #MondayMonday

How to Get Your Motivation Back After a Holiday #MondayMonday Summer is well and truly over, and if youre finding it hard to get back into the swing of things, trust me in saying that youre not the only one! Its always a struggle to get back your motivation after youve had a bit of time off, and you may need a little bit of an extra push to get yourself revved up and ready for work again. Ive put together a list of the ways I like to get back into work after a holiday. Let me know if you have any special ways of prepping yourself for work after a break or time off work! Work out your routine: Things are always easier with a routine. If youre planning to wake up earlier than usual, why not start setting your alarm at this time a few days before you start work to get your body into a routine? This will mean when it comes for your first day back at work, waking up in the morning will be much easier. Keep learning: Work can become pretty boring if youre not feeling  stimulated by what youre doing. When youre preparing to head back to work, list a few things that you want to learn or improve your skills in. This way, when you go back to work youll feel stimulated and interested in everything you are doing. If its difficult to improve your knowledge at work, why not expand your knowledge outside of working hours by heading to the local library or taking part in evening classes. Power through it: The first Monday morning after a holiday can feel like the worst thing ever. But the trick to beating your first-day-back-at-work-blues is to power through it. It can be very difficult to resist taking an extra long lunch break as a reward or to slack off for a bit of Facebook time, but if you ignore these distractions and power through all your work, the working day will be over as soon as you know it and youll also have got through a lot of work. Dress for the occasion: Have an outfit that makes you feel confident? Wear it for your first day at work. It may seem silly, but going back to work looking great can push your productivity through the roof as youll feel confident and motivated. Ask your colleagues: Talking to people is a great way to boost motivation after a break from work. Talk is cheap but great, and usually youll be helping your colleagues in equal amounts. Discuss work and the going on since youve been gone, and share your worries or issues with them. Youll feel a weight off your shoulders and also feel like youre not so alone in your workload! Make lists: I love lists. They can help you get your head together and feel more organised after a bit of time off work. Start with listing things you need to do today, then list your larger tasks for the week, the month, and so-forth. Having short term daily to-do lists and longer term lists are a great way to organised yourself and work out your schedule.

Five steps for getting a raise

Five steps for getting a raise More money is good, right? Youre going to be doing your job anyway, so you might as well ask to get paid more for doing it. But you actually have to do a lot of preparation in order to ask for a raise effectively. The most obvious preparation is to find out what everyone else is getting paid for what you do. A recent New York Times story gives a good overview of online resources for salary comparisons. Here are five other things you can do to get a salary increase: 1. Understand your bosss perspective. This is not a moment of truth, its a moment of negotiation. You convince your boss youre worth more and your boss convinces you he or she is fair, and you reach some sort of compromise that makes everyone happy. So be reasonable in your approach. You dont deserve a raise just because youve been doing your job well for x number of months. Its your job to do your job well thats why you were hired. You need to show that youre doing more than you were hired to do, or that youre doing different work thats typically paid at a higher rate. Gather as much information about your bosss perspective as possible in order to form your strongest negotiating position. Consider this list of 10 things bosses hate most about employees. 2. Expand your job duties. Get really good at your job immediately so that you can take on more responsibility in another job, in another capacity. Look around for something more to do, and figure out how to do it. Then tell your boss youre doing more than one job and you want to be paid extra for doing the other job youve already been doing. If you think your boss will balk at the idea of you taking on more responsibility, start looking like your current job is under control. One way to do this is to have a completely clean desk. A clean desk says, Im totally on top of my workload. Please give me more. A cluttered desk says, Help. Im drowning. (Im not making this stuff up researchers actually study offices. Heres a summary of why you should have a clean desk.) 3. Consistently over-deliver. Even during a salary freeze theres always more money for superstars, because losing a superstar costs a company a lot of money. So getting a raise is about conveying to the office that youre a superstar. This could be in the form of taking on more areas of responsibility, but it could also be in the form of exceeding expectations in a very obvious way. Exceeding expectations is something that must be announced. If you finish your project, thats what people will understand. If you finish your project with incredible results, you need to remind everyone what the expectations were and what you delivered. If you dont toot your horn, no one else will. A hallmark of a superstar is they know how to toot their horn with out being annoying. Superstars arent overnight sensations they work at it. So start performing like a superstar six months before you want to ask for a raise. 4. Get a mentor. Employees who have mentors are twice as likely to be promoted as those who dont, according to Ellen Fagenson Eland, a professor at George Mason University. A mentor can help you position yourself, time and again, to receive a raise. An effective mentor helps you see your path in a way that maximizes your talents and stays consistent with your goals for life. This isnt small task, and almost all successful people say they have more than one mentor. But start with one, because that will significantly increase the likelihood that youll get the raise youre going to ask for. Unfortunately, for some people finding a mentor is almost as difficult as asking for a raise. So here are seven ways to find and keep a mentor. 5. Think in non-financial terms. If more money isnt happening for you, try asking for something else. Telecommuting, a job for your spouse, extra vacation time, training, even relocation to a company branch in a city with a lower cost of living these are all things that are worth a lot of money to you, but look a lot less expensive than a salary increase in a companys budget. So non-financial rewards are a good place to compromise in salary negotiations. Also, you can turn these benefits to cash next time you change jobs. When you negotiate salary at your next company and they ask you how much you made in your last job, add up all the benefits and include them in the number you give. Some peoples benefits total up to 30 percent of their salary. If the shy ones among you are thinking this isnt a fair negotiating tactic, get that thought out of your head. Even CareerHub, a group blog of career coaches, recommends that you include benefits in the total calculation of your salary next time you negotiate. If none of these steps work, try not to be so obsessed with getting a raise. Think about it most raises amount to about 4 percent of your salary. Thats nothing. Even if you earn six figures, 4 percent isnt going to be life-altering. There are so many more things you can ask for that will actually improve your life, like training in a skill area youre interested in, or the ability to telecommute a few days a week. Try focusing on the things that really matter to you instead of the dollar amount attached to your title. You may find that your salary will increase as a natural offshoot of the passion you develop for your work.

3 Steps to Help You Create a Business Proposal That is Targeted Towards Your Hiring Managers

3 Steps to Help You Create a Business Proposal That is Targeted Towards Your Hiring ManagersIf you want to create a business proposal that is targeted towards the hiring managers of your company, there are three essential steps you must go through. Most of the time, this document that you will be submitting to prospective employers is the only time when they will be able to identify with what you are trying to convey to them. This is why you must ensure that it will stand out among all the other proposals you have written in the past.To make sure that you are writing a proposal that will create a response from the employers, here are some tips that can help you improve your presentation of the proposal. These include avoiding jargon, using precise language and being specific. By doing these things, you will be able to create a proposal that will grab the attention of your employer. It can also make a big difference if you decide to highlight the advantages of joining your business an d how this will help you in achieving the goals that you have set for your business.To write a business proposal that is not specific, you need to be sure that you know the objectives of your company. You can start by discussing your objectives with a person who is knowledgeable about your business. This person can give you valuable suggestions as to how you can further develop your business by discussing how you can utilize your budget.The next step that you should take is to choose the plan of action that you are going to use for your business. You should consider a step-by-step plan that can lead your business to its destination. This is important because most of the times, this will include a detailed description of how you are going to achieve the results you are aiming for. In order to write a business proposal that is specific, you need to decide on the first move that you are going to make in your venture.You should then choose the step-by-step plan that you are going to use to carryout the business proposal. This should include the procedure of what you are going to do so that your employer will be able to understand exactly what you are planning to do. When you are going to follow the step-by-step plan, you should be sure that you include a detailed account of what you are going to do.Using precise language is very important to make sure that you will be able to address the concerns of your employer. When you write a business proposal that is specific, you should be able to get your point across in a very simple way. You can use simple words to ensure that your employer will be able to read your statement without too much of a struggle.The next step that you should take is to determine how you are going to explain the advantages of joining your business. You can do this by creating a simple diagram of the things that you are going to do to strengthen your company's capabilities. By outlining the benefits, you will be able to come up with an outline t hat is easy to read and will be able to persuade your employer.Finally, you can use your idea in a proposal that is specific. If you are in the process of submitting a business proposal, you should consider using a sample business proposal letter in order to see how it looks like. This can be a good start in making a business proposal that is targeted towards the hiring managers of your company.

How To Dig Yourself Out Of Your Dead-End Job - CareerAlley

How To Dig Yourself Out Of Your Dead-End Job - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Its a sorry situation that more and more people in the working world are starting to find themselves in. Theres security in a dead-end job, some might think, but security isnt enough for everyone. If youve been in a job for years and youre starting to see the walls close in on you, its time to pay attention to those alarm bells. Once youve identified a dead-end job, you have to figure out how to get out of it. If you feel like youre stuck in a dead-end job, then a new career path could be the choice for you. Even though the thought of this might be daunting and seem like a lot of hassle, you will be happier in the long run. Photo by tefan tefank on Unsplash Know what you want and what youre willing to pay There are going to be no assurances here that youre not taking any risk by looking outside your current place of work for a job. You might have to make choices that see you taking a pay-cut, for instance, if you need to take fewer hours in order to study or to spend more time looking for jobs. You need to make sure that any sacrifices you make are getting you in the right direction. Plot out exactly what you want from a career opportunity and whether your current position really lacks it, whether its a new experience, training opportunities, internal promotion possibility or more. If you frame your gains and losses only financially, you might be making a mistake there, too. Start considering the opportunity cost of your career moves, too. Taking a pay cut in order to reduce your opportunity cost isnt always a bad move. You just have to know what youre giving up and what you stand to gain. Make your position clear Your employer should know your feelings and have the opportunity to provide you what you need from your current place of employment. However, this does not mean you should threaten to quit. No-one likes being threatened and very few people respond positively to it. Even if it somehow gets you the promotion you want, it creates friction between you and the boss that can become an issue further down the line. Instead, focus on what you could provide to the business and the skills that youre ready to apply. If your employer doesnt have the sense to see the good in helping you move into a better position, then its time to look outside that company. Up Your Education If youve not got any other skills than for the job that youre currently in, consider going back into education to learn the skills for the job that you desire. There are so many different options available, for example: An apprenticeship will offer you paid work while youre learning, although the rate of pay is often much less than you would get in a regular job. If youre able to spare the cash loss while youre training, then this would be the option for you. Earning a degree online, such as a Masters in HR online will help you get the skills and degree you need while allowing you to keep your current job. Going back to collegeis another route that you could go down. If you have other commitments like family and children, then there are normally part-time courses available for you to take, which also means that you could be working at the same time. Getting yourself a scholarship in your desired field would ensure that not only are you going to get the training, but youre also going to be paid the wages that youd expect from it too. A scholarship is basically a sponsorship, so the people are sponsoring you for the position youve filled. Ideally, youd have experience in the field of work you want to work in. Many experts say continuing education is more important than ever because most college graduates will go through five to seven job changes over their careers. There are hundreds of different courses that you could be taking, so have a think about what career path you would like to take and follow your dreams. Photo by Jordan Whitfield on Unsplash Reboot Your Skills Education is generally where youre learning something completely new to better yourself and widen your skill set. Tweet This If youve been in a job thats offered few opportunities to learn new skills, you might have a skill set thats a little out-of-date. You need to find the time to learn them yourself. Finding time to take an unpaid internship elsewhere can be helpful. However, getting back into education can often be both more practical as well as more effective when its spotted on a resume. There are options like a community college, night school, and online learning that are making those new skills more accessible. If you dont want to go back to school or just dont have the time, there are also many options for training that will build on skills you already have. Isnt training the same as education? Yes and no. Education is generally where youre learning something completely new to better yourself and widen your skill set. Training is where youre furthering your knowledge on something you already know. If youve already got a particular set of skills that youd like to put into practice for a new career, then consider training for them instead. For example: If youre handy on computers, you could take some training to improve how youre using them so that you could go into a career to do with computers. If youre a good driver and you like the idea of going into the transport business, learning how to become a truck driver will give you the ability to go into a new career. If youre a nurse, why not think about taking more training within your field so that you could be carrying out more procedures. Also, the more skills you have within your field, the more money you will earn. Its likely that you took a class in school or college that gave you some skills that you would like to take up again. Taking classes that will improve these skills will help you kickstart yourself into a career change. Skilled classes are often held at all different times so that people who work or have other commitments can attend and learn too. So, if you want to improve on some skills that youve already obtained with the goal to turn it into a career, then consider paying for some training for you to do exactly that. Photo by Jordan McQueen on Unsplash Learn how the game is played Similarly, if you havent looked for a job in quite some time, your knowledge of the best ways to find them can be out of date, too. There are blogs that can provide excellent information on what employers look for from applicants nowadays. This includes nailing your resume, cover letters, and interviews. But it also includes learning the resilience to survive the job search. For one, dont be amongst the many who make the mistake of believing theyll land a new job straight away. A 30-day plan isnt always the most practical. Instead, consider making a 4-month plan and consider how youre going to factor your current job and educational efforts into those four months. Start creating opportunities Your chances of landing yourself a job that offers you everything you want are going to increase exponentially based on how much proactive effort youre willing to put into them, too. Working on your job search tactics and your skills make a better professional out of you. But a better career means taking that professional and putting them out there. For instance, beyond applying for jobs, you should be networking within the industry you want to join, taking the chance to find mentors, get advice, and make your name more known. You should also consider the opportunities you can create from scratch for yourself. For instance, do you have the skills to create your own job and start working for yourself? What steps would you need to take to make that reality? Escaping a dead-end job is never an easy process, never a simple choice. It takes a good long look at yourself, what you want from your career, and what youre willing to do to get it. But it is doable. Never doubt your ability to work at it hard enough to get yourself into a better career position. Taking a leap Sometimes, training and education arent necessary when it comes to entering a new job. Many companies offer on-the-job training or dont require any skills apart from good customer service. If you cant afford to take up training or to take yourself back into education, then consider taking the leap and going for a new job that doesnt require you to take any time off work. You might find that in your current job, the chance to better yourself will open up. Why not take the leap and try to go for a promotion within your current job. This might be a good idea if your current wage is good, you live fairly close to work, and you already know everyone. Sometimes, the change in your current job can help you rediscover the love for where you work. As you can see, there are three different options for you to take if you feel like you need to make a change when it comes to working. Think about which route is better for your lifestyle and make the changes today. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

3 Often Overlooked Essentials for Landing a Job Promotion

3 Often Overlooked Essentials for Landing a Job Promotion They say the average worker will hold 10 different jobs in a career before age forty. If that’s the case, many of them will hopefully come from promotions, whether that’s within your current organization or beyond. With promotions being a key part of your career progression, the question is: What are the “must do’s” or “must haves” to improve your promotion prospects and set yourself up for success? If your list includes any of these “likely suspects”, you wouldn’t be wrong: Delivering results Having support from your managers Managing your stakeholders well Being seen as a leader Having a sponsor and mentors Being considered “high potential” Having a high profile Demonstrating your loyalty (or demonstrating you have a competing offer!) In fact, you’d be in good company. These are all things I’ve heard from promotion candidates and the people who advise them. But there are also a few answers I don’t hear nearly as much, even though they’re essential to getting to the next promotion level. In my experience, you’ll struggle to get promoted without having these as your foundation… no matter how great you are at your job. I call these the “often overlooked” essentials of getting promoted, and I want to share three of them with you so you can be better prepared. 3 Often Overlooked Essentials for Landing a Job Promotion 1. Adopting the Right Mindset for Promotion Your mindset â€" the way you frame a situation and the lens through which you look at the world â€" affects your behavior and performance. And your mindset is always in your control. If you think you can’t attain something, you’re unlikely to take action and the result will be just as you predicted. On the flip side, if you see something as an interesting challenge or a learning opportunity, you’re likely to dive in and give it your best effort. This is why it’s so important to adopt the right mindset about your promotion. In my career, I’ve experienced both extremes. Sometimes feeling like “I don’t deserve it, I’m not good enough,” and other times having a sense of entitlement, as in “It’s my turn. I’ve been waiting a long time and they owe it to me.” Both mindsets present a problem because they lead to not taking constructive action, or any action at all. Instead, it’s essential to have a mindset that brings you confidence and encourages you to take all the steps you can think of to land your next promotion. Adopting the right mindset is key to how you present yourself and your level of confidence. Adopting the right mindset is key to how you present yourself and your level of confidence. When you frame your promotion in a constructive way, it’ll be easier to let go of the outcome, enjoy your work and be at your best. All of which are helpful to your promotion prospects. What’s your mindset about promotion, and what might be a more energizing mindset to adopt? 2. Having the Conversations About Promotion I used to think that if I kept my head down, worked hard and did excellent work, then I would get promoted. If only that were true. While that might work for your first promotion or two, it’s not a strategy you can rely on for the medium or longer term. Yet so many people make the mistake of thinking that doing the job is the priority, and miss the key concept that promoting yourself and speaking up for your future success path is also part of the job. This is especially common for women. And I was one of those people too.   I still remember toiling away at my desk when the other three people at my level (all men) were in the big boss’s office making it known that they wanted the promotion. They were having what turned out to be crucial conversations while I dismissed the activity as pathetic “sucking up” or blatant lobbying that couldn’t possibly work. Wrong again. What I learned is this: it’s a mistake to keep your ambitions and aspirations a secret. Managers are not mind readers. You must have the conversations to let them know what you want and why it matters to you. Most managers even expect you to tell them. And for some, it’s the way they gauge your level of interest in promotion. For a manager, it can even feel risky to pound the table for someone who seems indifferent about rising in the organization. When you have an eye on a job promotion, it’s a mistake to keep your ambitions and aspirations a secret. Managers are not mind readers. Are you having the right conversations with the right people at the right times? Who do you need to speak to and when? What will you say and how will you say it? These are crucial to get right if you want to get the promotion you want and deserve. 3. Having a Plan for Promotion One of my favorite quotes is “Chance favors the prepared mind” (Louis Pasteur). When it comes to your promotion, this means investing the time to think strategically about your promotion and career. The busier you are and the more important the promotion is, the more you need to identify the steps you want to take. It will help you greatly to understand what you need to do, when you need to do it, and why it matters. When you have a plan, you’re able to prepare the ground with confidence and maximize your chances. You’ll know how to take advantage of unexpected situations and turn them into opportunities. You’ll be ready to have the right conversations in the right way. Without a game plan for your promotion, it’s hard to know whether you’re on the right track and whether you’ve done everything you can do. And that can lead to regrets later, especially if things don’t go your way. Your promotion plan doesn’t have to be elaborate. You just need to have one. Your plan for a job promotion doesn’t have to be elaborate. You just need to have one. What’s your game plan for putting yourself in the best possible position to get a promotion? How will you hold yourself accountable for executing on it and taking the steps you know you need to take? Give Yourself the Best Chance to Succeed I remember the time when a colleague was told he was “on the list” for promotion to partner, but when the announcement came out the next morning his name wasn’t there. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a typo. There’s no such thing as a “sure thing” when it comes to promotions. So if promotions feel challenging and uncertain, it’s because they are. But when you get in the right mindset, have the right conversations and have a plan, you’ll greatly improve your chances of getting the promotion you want. Investing time and energy in these three aspects now will put you in a far stronger position later… and it will put your mind at ease to know you’ve done all you can in the process. Which of these three often overlooked aspects do you struggle with, and which can most help you land your next promotion if you focus on it now? Leave a comment and let me know.