Why Don't ...: Why Does Power Go To People's Heads?

Why Don't ...: Why Does Power Go To People's Heads?: It is strange that people who normally act with empathy and emotional intelligence then often start to misuse the role power they have been...

The Benefits Of Good Career Management

Careers advice is what you get at school or university  after someone has given you a questionnaire test, chatted to you and then they tell you what job you should do. Or something similar.

But career management? What is that? In this rapidly changing world with organisations and sectors making huge changes and adjustments.. how can you mange a career? And  why should you bother?

I work in the field of career management and coaching so obviously I do believe that people can manage their careers but sadly not enough people do that. They drift, they hop, they jump in what they perceive to be an upwards direction. Sometimes they are pulled by the attractiveness of a new opportunity, sometimes they are pushed by unhappiness in the role or organisation they are in. Few people plan strategically.

Career management is a process by which individuals develop, implement and monitor career goals and strategies. It may be art or it may be a science;  in my book it needs to be a bit of both. Whichever, it delivers huge benefits.  Research shows

·         Having career goals means people outperform those  who do not have goals or who only have a weak commitment to their goals.

·         Those with goals are more optimistic, they are more resilient,

·         Those with goals are more focused , they work harder at job search, are engaged and are more successful at finding new roles.

·         People who engage in career management generate more job interviews and more offers.

·         They obtain higher salary offers and are more realistic about their job expectations.

·         They are more effective in job interviews.

In other words their careers are more successful.

The cornerstone of good career management  is research: research about yourself and research about the world of work. That’s the science part. It is making the decision once you have got the information that leads into the world of art and metaphysics.

Career management is not a one off activity; it is on going throughout life. It is an adaptive process. But it is particularly important to engage in active carer management when you are at career crossroads, when facing the decision on whether to move from a technical to general management role, when your family circumstances change, if you are facing job loss, when you face a set back in your career , when you are offered a dramatic job move, when you feel the dissatisfaction of boredom or frustration with a difficult boss. These are critical time to make the right decision rather jumping into something because of the expectations of others, the opportunity is there or because  you feel  you have no choice.

What does it take to be good at career management?

1. There a six key elements of this iterative, messy process:
2. ·         Know thyself
3. ·         Understand the environment
4. ·         Develop realistic goals
5. ·         Adopt strategies that can deliver your goals
6. ·         Be prepared to adjust those strategies when new information comes to light
7. ·         Learn the skills of finding opportunities and of succeeding in selection exercises

Are you doing all you need to in order to manage your career well?

For a reality check on your approach to career management visit (www.topcareerstrategies.info)

Mary Hope supports people to manage their careers more effectively and get paid more, promoted faster and feel more satisfied. She has over 30 years of experience in business, teaching, HR, headhunting and coaching. She believes passionately that people need to understand their own drivers and needs to find fulfilling careers.

Professionalism - Developing this Vital Characteristic

Professionalism

Developing this Vital Characteristic

You know that it's essential to be professional if you want to be a success. But what does "being professional" actually mean?

For some, being professional might mean dressing smartly at work, or doing a good job. For others, being professional means having advanced degrees or other certifications, framed and hung on the office wall.

Professionalism encompasses all of these definitions. But, it also covers much more. So, what is professionalism, and why does it matter? And how can you be completely professional in your day-to-day role?

In this article we'll explore all of these questions, so that you can present a really professional image in the workplace

Defining Professionalism

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines professionalism as "the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person"; and it defines a profession as "a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation."

These definitions imply that professionalism encompasses a number of different attributes, and, together, these attributes identify and define a professional.

So, what are these attributes?

Specialized Knowledge

First and foremost, professionals are known for their specialized knowledge. They've made a deep personal commitment to develop and improve their skills, and, where appropriate, they have the degrees and certifications that serve as the foundation of this knowledge.

Not all business areas have a stable core of knowledge (and the academic qualifications that go with this); not all areas demand extensive knowledge to practice successfully; and not all professionals have top degrees in their field.

What matters, though, is that these professionals have worked in a serious, thoughtful and sustained way to master the specialized knowledge needed to succeed in their fields; and that they keep this knowledge up-to-date, so that they can continue to deliver the best work possible.

Competency

Professionals get the job done. They're reliable, and they keep their promises. If circumstances arise that prevent them from delivering on their promises, they manage expectations up front, and they do their best to make the situation right.

Professionals don't make excuses, but focus on finding solutions.

Honesty and Integrity

Professionals exhibit qualities such as honesty and integrity They keep their word, and they can be trusted implicitly because of this. They never compromise their values, and will do the right thing, even when it means taking a harder road.

More than this, true professionals are humble  – if a project or job falls outside their scope of expertise, they're not afraid to admit this. They immediately ask for help when they need it, and they're willing to learn from others.

Accountability

Professionals hold themselves accountable for their thoughts, words, and actions, especially when they've made a mistake. This personal accountability is closely tied to honesty and integrity, and it's a vital element in professionalism.

Self-Regulation

They also stay professional under pressure.

For instance, imagine a customer service employee who's faced with an irate customer. Instead of getting upset or angry in return, the employee exhibits true professionalism by maintaining a calm, business-like demeanour, and by doing everything that she can to make the situation right.

Genuine professionals show respect for the people around them, no matter what their role or situation. They exhibit a high degree of  emotional intelligence by considering the emotions and needs of others, and they don't let a bad day impact how they interact with colleagues or clients.

Image

Professionals look the part – they don't show up to work sloppily dressed, with unkempt hair. They're polished, and they dress appropriately for the situation. Because if this, they exude an air of confidence, and they gain respect for this.

How to Exhibit Professionalism

As you can see from these characteristics, professionals are the kind of people that others respect and value. They are a genuine credit to their organizations!

This is why it's so important that we work to earn a professional reputation in the workplace. True professionals are the first to be considered for promotions, they are awarded valuable projects or clients, and they are routinely successful in their careers.

Now that you have a clear view of what constitutes professionalism, are you demonstrating these characteristics to the people around you? It's likely you're already showing some characteristics, but you may find yourself lacking in others: to build your own professionalism, focus on improving each of these characteristics. (Focus on one at a time, so you don't get overwhelmed.)

Additionally, here are some further strategies that will help you be more professional in the workplace:

Build Expertise

Don't let your knowledge and skills get outdated. Make a commitment to build expertise and stay up to date within your industry

Develop Your Emotional Intelligence

Professionals can sense the emotional needs of others. They're able to give clients and coworkers what they need, because they know how to listen actively and observe what's happening.

So, if you want to improve your professionalism, focus on developing emotional intelligence.

Honour Your Commitments

Whenever you make a promise to your boss, colleagues, or clients, keep it. If it looks as if you won't be able to meet a deadline, let your boss, team or client know as soon as sensibly possible. However, do what you can to avoid ending up in this situation!

Don't make excuses – instead, focus on meeting expectations as best you can, and on making the situation right.

Be Polite

Be kind and polite and use good manners to everyone you come into contact with, no matter what their role is, and no matter how you're feeling. This might sound unimportant, but it makes a significant impact.

Have the Tools You Need

Do you show up to a client meeting lacking important samples? Or arrive at work, only to realize that you left a vital file at home? Or do you find yourself operating in situations where you don't have the skills needed to do a good job?

True professionals are always prepared. This requires advance planning, timeliness, and attention. Focus on improving your time management and planning skills, so that you're always in control.

Note:
Although professionalism means keeping commitments, doing high quality work, and having expert status, occasionally the pursuit of these attributes might tempt you not to volunteer for projects that fall outside your "comfort zone."

However, this doesn't necessarily mean that you shouldn't try!  Analyse risks beforehand to minimize the consequences of getting things wrong, be honest about any skills gaps that you have, and work to fill them. Then do the best you possibly can!

Key Points

Professionalism is a trait that's highly valued in the workforce. It has many attributes, including:

1. Specialized knowledge.
2. Competency.
3. Honesty and integrity.
4. Respect.
5. Accountability.
6. Self-regulation.
7. Image.

To improve your own professionalism, focus on improving in each of these areas.

You can also exude professionalism by being kind and polite to everyone, presenting a professional image in your attitude and dress, and showing up for work or meetings fully prepared.

Thanks to Mind Tools.com for this gem.

3 Great ways to solve a problem...part 1

 Strategy 1 - sleep on it
Last night I was trying to do my Christmas mailer, but could I get the programme to do what I wanted? can I fly?  The format was all rubbish and the lines of text too long and…  and… and…..
I was getting so angry and cross and worked up. Then I ran out of time so rushed off to rehearsals, came home and went to bed. Woke up this morning with an image in my head of a little box at the bottom of the page which says ‘wrap text’ and the fact that I had unchecked it. Oh yes so easy.. into the mail programme and checked the box and hey presto it looked much better.
Now for those of you that received it, it was not the greatest but I did solve the problem. How.. switched off the conscious brain and let the power of the subconscious crack the code. Whilst I was getting so cross and angry there was just too much static in the brain; whilst I was relaxed and asleep… no static and up comes the answer.

So when you are struggling to see a solution .. just relax and sleep on it, as my mum used to say 'all better in the morning'.

What will work be like in the future?

ILM's futurologist's predictions – could the following be coming to an office near you?

• Artificial intelligence – towards the end of the decade, computer-based intelligence will provide much of the effort in many jobs. Employees will concentrate more on the human aspects of their work, which are harder to automate.Love one another....
• Visors & 3D immersion – semi-transparent visors are coming soon and some of these will enable a fully immersive 3d experience, with a separate display in front of each eye. Together with fingertip tracking and gesture recognition, this will give a whole new interface to our computing, even with virtual keyboards.
• Augmented reality – the convergence of the virtual and physical worlds. Enabling superposition of graphics everywhere we go will give marketers, games manufacturers, retailers, fashion designers, architects and social network designers a whole new platform to play with.
• Restructuring – company structures are changing rapidly and this trend will accelerate as the web matures, automation increases, skill shortages increase, and global labour costs change, all in parallel with changing regulation.So we will all be waiting til 67 for a pension but with no work to do?
• Miniaturisation – today's IT will reduce in size potentially to digital jewellery and smart dust. This is good for sustainability, requiring far less physical resource for the same functionality and quality of life value.That sounds good, but a phone implanted in my skull? maybe not
• Cordless Energy – as well as wireless comms, tomorrow's electronic devices will almost all be cordless for power too. thank god i say, no more trailing wires or running out of power!
  
  How will you cope?

Thanks to the Institute of Leadership and Management.

How to do Abstract Reasoning tests

Many people are really scared of abstract reasoning tests.. they are really afraid that they will be ‘found out’.  These are the psychometric tests with the dots or the shapes. And maybe many people won’t do as well as they hoped. BUT you can.. there are lessons to be learned and YOU could learn them and do yourself justice and feel much more confident.

So what is abstract reasoning?

It is an attempt to measure raw intelligence? Like the CCof car. The car can go fast or slow depending what the driver does but the CC is the potential.  Employers want to know how much potential you have. The idea of testing your abstract intelligence is that it is thought to be fairer as it removes the influence of education and experience. But you will perform better if you have some education and some experience of the tests themselves!

Most abstract reasoning tests are tests of your ability to see the relationship between different shapes. They test your logic or your problem solving skills. 

So how can you improve your score.

Practice, practice, practice!  When I was helping my son practice for his 11+ exam we got really good at them!  There are lots of websites and books that you can buy which will give you different examples of different kinds of tests. There are several different types; find the next one in the sequence, identify the odd one out, what shape completes the picture, break the code… if you think about what you are being asked to do; you are being asked to solve puzzles.

And thinking of these tests as kids puzzles can really help take away the scari-ness of the test. These are brain teaser puzzles. Practice them and get faster and faster. You can learn how they work.   

For more advice and tips www.maryhopecareersuccess.com

£19b down the drain becasue of bad management

Bad management could be costing UK businesses more than £19 billion in lost working hours every year, according to a survey published today by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).
The CMI's report suggests that three-quarters of employees waste almost two hours of their working time every week because of their managers' inefficiency.
The CMI claims that, by taking the average hours wasted in a week across the average working time of 48 weeks per year, this equates to a loss of £900 per employee and a total loss of £19.3 billion, calculated at a median value rate.
The report found that the worst management practices include unclear communication, lack of support, micro-management and lack of direction.
Christopher Kinsella, CMI acting chief executive, said: "This survey highlights some disappointing - but not necessarily surprising - numbers. With only one in five UK managers holding a professional management qualification and many organisations not properly investing in management training, it's not surprising that some managers are making mistakes in how they work.
"Yet we are in one of the hardest economic climates we've faced in some time, and business bosses need to understand the financial impacts of not having properly trained and qualified managers. Improving the skills of the management workforce is absolutely key in terms of individual business success, in terms of delivering effective public services and in terms of helping the UK deliver on a world stage."
The research also found that 13% of respondents have witnessed managers exhibiting discriminatory behaviour towards employees based on gender, race, age or sexual orientation and almost one-third have witnessed managers bullying or harassing their employees.
Responding to the findings, Ashley Ward, director at talent management organisation European Leaders, said: "Reality tells us the cost of bad management in terms of time lost is a great deal more than that indicated in today's CMI report. A great deal of time is lost as employees discuss the lack of communication from, and the behaviours of, management.
"An efficient working culture stems directly from the very top of an organisation. If a business leader actively promotes a happy work culture based on openness, transparency, good communications and gender diversity, the organisation will be far closer to the top of its game and employees will view it as a good company to work for. The successful high-growth organisations we see today all train their managers to have increased awareness of subjects like bullying and gender discrimination.
"In our experience, the 'macho' management style of the 80s and 90s no longer has a place in modern high-performing businesses. The aggressive approach we see on programmes like The Apprentice and Dragons' Den is incongruous with modern entrepreneurship."

Thanks to Personnel Today for this one.

Can you learn to do interviews?

Can you learn to do interviews?

I’ve just been helping deliver  an assessment centre for a senior role and I had carry out the competence based interview element of the day. What made this a particularly interesting experience was that some of the candidates had recently been through a similar centre and had had good feedback,   and others were new to the process completely. So out of the  candidates  who were having a second chance, what was the impact of prior experience? Did they learn anything from their feedback/experience?

[nb There were no psychometric ability tests which are designed to have a test / re-test reliability in this assessment centre. The tests were analytical report writing tests. No one re-sat a personality test. ]

All, bar one, of those who had recently had feedback altered their behaviour. Their examples in interview were better chosen and described. Their performance in the group exercise was more relaxed and natural. They timed the written exercises better.  They were relaxed and knew what they were doing.

Interestingly that did not automatically mean they were selected to go to the next stage. Whilst they handled the exercises better, their improved technique did not automatically lead to a pass mark for all of them. Only for some of them.

How did they compare to the brand new to the process candidates?  There was a marked difference, those who had had feedback were much more polished and able to deliver succinct and relevant examples. They inspired more confidence. But some of them had really great experience and were strong candidates without that extra polish.

And the overall outcome? Two of the ‘new to the process’ candidates went through to the final stage and two repeaters.  In the end it was a candidate who had taken the feedback from round one on board and really understood how to present themselves, who had done really thorough research and who built good rapport with the panel  that was appointed.

So you can improve your performance.  The reality is that you need to be both good at the job and good at the assessment process to beat off the competition. Not being able to deliver on the day can seriously damage your prospects.  Understanding the assessment process and what is required can really help you develop your ability to succeed. Practice can’t make you perfect but it can certainly help you on the way to promotion.

For more support and advice on how to get paid more, promoted faster and feel more satisfied go to www.maryhopecoaching.co.uk

Conference season starts, sharpen up your networking skills

This week marks the National Housing Federation Conference and the start of the season.  Gathered together in Birmingham will be hundreds of people all with common interest of social housing. They will chat, listen to speeches, go to workshops and  they will justify attendance and the hours spent in the bar by ‘networking’.  There will be lots of suppliers, some with stands at the exhibitions and some without; all hoping to raise their profile with the buyers and develop more new business. They will be sponsoring drinks and dinners and entertainment. These behaviours  will be repeated at  sector conferences and party conferences across the land for the next few months.

These conferences should to be fantastic learning opportunities; the sessions should be stimulating the workshops engaging and the networking fruitful.

But networking, even in professional circles is not always easy. From an early age we are taught not to talk to strangers, many of us are shy about encounters with someone we don’t know. Different personalities have different levels of comfort with the whole concept of meeting strangers, some feeling much more threatened than others.  Some people feel affronted by people who are overly chummy or who share information really quickly. Entering a room full of people you don’t know is probably the second most terrifying experience in business, the first would be  having to make a presentation to them! So how do you make the networking more fruitful?

Have a goal. Decide what it is you want from this opportunity to network. Setting yourself a goal will increase your motivation.  Is there a key topic that you would like to find information about? Why are you networking? In what way do you want to expand your network? Maybe you want to capture  funny stories to amuse an audience with or ask people for the most innovative thing their organisation has done this year.

Don’t just talk to the people you already know. That’s rather obvious and sometimes talking to people you know and re-connecting with those you have not seen for a while is the great strategy, but you may be kidding yourself; there is a room full of opportunities to be had. You may want to read the delegate list and identify a couple of people you really want to meet. Work out where you can come up against them.

Get into conversations. Even if you have gone to the conference with other people, try sitting separately at the sessions and at the tea breaks. The easiest people to get into conversations with are those on their own. They are probably really keen for someone to join them.  Watch the body language of groups identify people in twos or threes whose body language suggests they are open to joiners (facing slightly outwards, scanning the room) rather than deep in a huddle and closed.  Avoid bigger groups unless you know someone in the group who can ease you in.

Be ready with your introductory chat. You can try ‘do you come here often?’ but it may not be the most suitable. Be ready to introduce yourself with a brief about what you do so that your listener will be able to put you in context. Shake their hand firmly, look them in the eye and be glad to meet them.  Be ready with a first question for them. At a conference you can ask about what they thought about the last session. Listen more than talk and use all the techniques you know about building rapport. Nod, smile, mirror their body language, use their metaphors. Keep being interested and ask questions.

Find out how what problems they are wrestling with. Connect them to someone who can help. Be a problem solver. Give information as well as asking. If you are networking with a purpose, tell them what your knowledge quest is and get them to introduce you to others who may help you. An introduction confers some status.

Share your business card and seek theirs. Make sure you note who you have talked to and what about.  Keeping records, particularly if your memory is shaky will enable you to pick up on shared topics when you meet again and it will enable you to connect other people who have the same need.

Follow up. If you want to build a relationship from your encounter you have to follow up. By giving them something they were looking for. So if you set yourself the challenge of identifying organisations that run mentoring schemes; share the list with those you talked to. You may well get remembered as ‘the mentoring guy’, but that’s better than not being remembered at all. Don’t do the business at the event, make a date to meet after, or agree to phone to make a date and do it. Get yourself a reputation for reliability and follow through. And do it promptly after the event.

And what will you get out of all this effort that hiding in the corner reading a magazine won’t get you?

48% of people find new jobs through people they know. Strategic partnerships can be formed through the discovery of common goals, common problems or common solutions.  Friendships can be made and support garnered.  Just knowing that others are facing the same challenges can be invigorating.

So off to conference with the goal identify, and the preparation done – enjoy yourself anfd have a fruitful networking time!