Are you stuck on a goal or problem and having difficulty seeing options or choices? If so, answer the questions below to help get you unstuck.
1) What is it that you want? What would be the ideal outcome? Take a moment to get very clear in your mind (or on paper!) what being unstuck would look like before continuing.
2) Identifying Options - So now you know what you want, answer these questions:
- What specifically have you done so far? What worked and what didn't?
- What do you have already (e.g. skills & resources) that could move you forward?
- What research could you do to help you find the first (or next) step?
- Who else could you ask for help in achieving your goal?
- What would you advise yourr best friend to do if they were in your situation?
- What if money were not an issue?
- Imagine you're fully confident in your abilities, what could you do?
3) Taking Action - Look at the list of ideas and options you now have:
- What would be the smallest or easiest first step for you?
- Which options or actions grab you?
- How could you make the tasks/actions more enjoyable or fun?
- How else could help you in completing your action/s?
- What's one action you could take in the next 10 minutes?
- What are three actions that you could take that would make sense this week?
4) Commitment - Do something! Now choose your actions
- What specifically will you do your action/s? Include the day and time.
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to complete each action?
- How do you normally sabatoge yourself - and what will you do differently this time?
- Who will you tell about your actions?
- How will you reward yourself when you complete your actions?
Now go out there and get un-stuck! Let us know how you did!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Top of Employment Market Stabilizing
According to the latest ExecuNet Recruiter Confidence Index (RCI) data, from the October survey of 172 executive recruiters, 56 percent are "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market will improve during the next six months - which is essentially unchanged from last month. Those who are not confident that executive employment market conditions will improve during this period of time dropped from 8 percent in September to 6 percent in October, which marks the lowest "not confident" reading since May 2008.
The industries recruiters expect will generate the greatest growth in executive-level job opportunities through the end of 2009 include:
1. Healthcare
2. Clean/Green Technology
3. Energy/Utilities
4. Pharmaceuticals/Medical Devices/ Biotech
5. Environmental Products/Services
Source: ExecuNet Executive Insider newsletter and Career Management Alliance
The industries recruiters expect will generate the greatest growth in executive-level job opportunities through the end of 2009 include:
1. Healthcare
2. Clean/Green Technology
3. Energy/Utilities
4. Pharmaceuticals/Medical Devices/ Biotech
5. Environmental Products/Services
Source: ExecuNet Executive Insider newsletter and Career Management Alliance
Monday, December 14, 2009
Leadership Yoga
As someone who practices yoga, when I came across an article titled "Leadership Yoga: Innovation Advantages from Seeing Disadvantage," I was drawn to read it. Published by Harvard Business Publishing, the article talks about "leadership yoga" — flipping the organization upside down to have their eyes to the ground to see the grass roots, where the next opportunities are starting to grow." The author points out that seeing the world from the bottom up rather than from the "top-down" approach can produce powerful innovation-facilitators allowing for flexibility, speed, and "new ideas ideas from standing conventional wisdom on its head."
Click here to read the article.
Click here to read the article.
Friday, December 11, 2009
How to Restrain a Bully Senior Manager
Scenario: One of our senior managers is a very smart man who over the years has contributed a lot to the growth of our firm. He is, however, a bully-and fully aware of it. He understands how being unable to control his emotions and bad behaviors hurts his colleagues, as well as his friends and family, yet he is not to willing to change for fear of "losing face" with colleagues. He is considered the "king of the firm" and no one seems willing to try to coach him.
Recommendations
1. Use a two-pronged approach:
a.) Engage the CEO before confronting the bully manager, and make sure your CEO will back the intervention, both strategically and legally. Do not meet with the manager unless the CEO also is present. (It also might be necessary to have your legal counsel be part of the intervention team.) This question must be considered: How many people have left the company, or perform at less than optimal levels, because of his chronic angst?
b.) Confront the bully: assessment and intervention. Remember this for objectivity: Adults who become bullies often were bullied or abused during childhood. It evolves as a defense mechanism. Unfortunately, the behavior works if it goes unchallenged.
2. Intervene:
a.) When detailing examples of his bullying behavior-physical or otherwise-it is important to also acknowledge his positive contributions to the firm. He may not believe he can channel his aggression without being stifled. However, he needs to learn to be dominant without being domineering, as ultimately such behavior puts his own career and the company in jeopardy.
b.) Provide learning options. For this individual, change won't happen from one "constructive confrontation," from reading a self-help book, or even from typical management methods. Suggest that he voluntarily avail himself of confidential executive coaching/anger management courses (off site) for two to three months, at the firm's expense.
c.) Group intervention. There may need to be a group intervention before this senior manager opens up to the above approaches. Such an intervention might include you, the CEO and any colleagues he sees as "near equals"-and, perhaps, even people he has particularly aggrieved, professionally or personally. Have a professional consultant facilitate the intervention.
This is a challenging undertaking, so make clear to upper management that outside expertise likely will be needed to get the process moving. Getting this valued manager to drop his bullying ways will be good for your firm in the long run.
Reference: Mark Gorkin, "The Stress Doc", Washington, October 9, 2009
Source: http://www.workforce.com/archive/feature/26/76/61/index.php & Career Management Alliance
Recommendations
1. Use a two-pronged approach:
a.) Engage the CEO before confronting the bully manager, and make sure your CEO will back the intervention, both strategically and legally. Do not meet with the manager unless the CEO also is present. (It also might be necessary to have your legal counsel be part of the intervention team.) This question must be considered: How many people have left the company, or perform at less than optimal levels, because of his chronic angst?
b.) Confront the bully: assessment and intervention. Remember this for objectivity: Adults who become bullies often were bullied or abused during childhood. It evolves as a defense mechanism. Unfortunately, the behavior works if it goes unchallenged.
2. Intervene:
a.) When detailing examples of his bullying behavior-physical or otherwise-it is important to also acknowledge his positive contributions to the firm. He may not believe he can channel his aggression without being stifled. However, he needs to learn to be dominant without being domineering, as ultimately such behavior puts his own career and the company in jeopardy.
b.) Provide learning options. For this individual, change won't happen from one "constructive confrontation," from reading a self-help book, or even from typical management methods. Suggest that he voluntarily avail himself of confidential executive coaching/anger management courses (off site) for two to three months, at the firm's expense.
c.) Group intervention. There may need to be a group intervention before this senior manager opens up to the above approaches. Such an intervention might include you, the CEO and any colleagues he sees as "near equals"-and, perhaps, even people he has particularly aggrieved, professionally or personally. Have a professional consultant facilitate the intervention.
This is a challenging undertaking, so make clear to upper management that outside expertise likely will be needed to get the process moving. Getting this valued manager to drop his bullying ways will be good for your firm in the long run.
Reference: Mark Gorkin, "The Stress Doc", Washington, October 9, 2009
Source: http://www.workforce.com/archive/feature/26/76/61/index.php & Career Management Alliance
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Best Industry Job Boards
A list of best industry job boards was developed after sending a questionnaire on LinkedIn to over 3,000 executives in various fields on which industry job sites and job boards they like to use and which ones they find most useful. Job Concierge collected the data analyzed the sites to present a summary of the best industry job boards on the Internet. Selection Criteria: Each industry job board must be recommended by more than 30 executives, sites must be free or that at least allow job seekers to submit details, and it must be easy to use and helpful for job seekers. The site has a database of 29 niche industries, and you can recommend a job board.
Monday, December 7, 2009
3 Ways to Be a Leader Without a Title
I remember the first basketball game I played in college; I was a freshman, and we were involved in a friendly face-off with our immediate seniors. The five of us on our team had just met a month earlier when college opened for the new term, so we didn’t know too well how the others played. A friend got elected captain, and the game was on. The stakes were not too high for us because we were the underdogs, but they couldn’t afford to lose, so they put on the pressure, and at half time, they had built up a solid and unassailable 30 point lead.
Our captain was all at sea, so I stepped in and took command of the second half. Sure we were going to lose, but not without a fight. We stepped up our efforts, and by the end of the game, lost by a respectable 10 points. Although victory was not mine, I earned the respect of both my teammates and my opponents because I proved my mettle as a leader that day, one who came through and performed marvelously without a title. Being a leader without a title means you must:
• Step in and take charge when the situation demands: If you’re a natural leader, you won’t wait for titles to decorate your door before you step in and take charge of any situation. Instead, you rise to the occasion when any situation is leaderless and its participants are floundering like a boat without a rudder or a captain. Assess the situation and manage it as unobtrusively as you can without drawing too much attention to yourself. True leaders turn the focus on the situation and divert the spotlight from themselves.
• Not expect recognition for your leadership: When you’re a leader without a title, you cannot expect recognition for your achievements. You may get it much later, but when you do what comes naturally without expecting the bouquets that usually come to leaders who are successful, you do the job much more effectively and satisfactorily. Besides, you also develop your skills and learn from the experience.
• Observe carefully and be prepared: A natural leader is one who is always observant and prepared for any eventuality. He or she knows what to do in any situation, even if catastrophe strikes and there is panic all around. It’s like taking charge of a ship when it’s sinking – you need to know where the lifeboats are and which the shortest ways out are if you want to be a good leader. And you need to know how to control people and get them to accept and follow your lead.
Natural leaders are confident and collected, no matter what the situation. So if you are one, don’t wait for a title to do what is second nature to you; just go ahead and grab opportunities to showcase your leadership skills.
Laura A. Wright is a guest author, who contributed this post. Laura writes on the topic of online paralegal degree. She can be reached at her email id: laura.wright@radiffmail.com
Our captain was all at sea, so I stepped in and took command of the second half. Sure we were going to lose, but not without a fight. We stepped up our efforts, and by the end of the game, lost by a respectable 10 points. Although victory was not mine, I earned the respect of both my teammates and my opponents because I proved my mettle as a leader that day, one who came through and performed marvelously without a title. Being a leader without a title means you must:
• Step in and take charge when the situation demands: If you’re a natural leader, you won’t wait for titles to decorate your door before you step in and take charge of any situation. Instead, you rise to the occasion when any situation is leaderless and its participants are floundering like a boat without a rudder or a captain. Assess the situation and manage it as unobtrusively as you can without drawing too much attention to yourself. True leaders turn the focus on the situation and divert the spotlight from themselves.
• Not expect recognition for your leadership: When you’re a leader without a title, you cannot expect recognition for your achievements. You may get it much later, but when you do what comes naturally without expecting the bouquets that usually come to leaders who are successful, you do the job much more effectively and satisfactorily. Besides, you also develop your skills and learn from the experience.
• Observe carefully and be prepared: A natural leader is one who is always observant and prepared for any eventuality. He or she knows what to do in any situation, even if catastrophe strikes and there is panic all around. It’s like taking charge of a ship when it’s sinking – you need to know where the lifeboats are and which the shortest ways out are if you want to be a good leader. And you need to know how to control people and get them to accept and follow your lead.
Natural leaders are confident and collected, no matter what the situation. So if you are one, don’t wait for a title to do what is second nature to you; just go ahead and grab opportunities to showcase your leadership skills.
Laura A. Wright is a guest author, who contributed this post. Laura writes on the topic of online paralegal degree. She can be reached at her email id: laura.wright@radiffmail.com
Friday, December 4, 2009
Recession Turns a Graying Office Grayer
"The American work force is graying-and not just because the American population itself is graying. Older adults are staying in the labor force longer, and younger adults are staying out of it longer. Both trends took shape about two decades ago. Both have intensified during the current recession. Both are expected to continue after the economy recovers. One reason, according to a Pew Research survey, is that older workers value not just the economics benefits of work, but the psychic and social rewards."
Complete Summary and full PDF report available at: http://pewsocialtrends.org/pubs/742/americas-changing-work-force
Different Age Groups, Different Recessions:
"The ongoing recession has had different impacts on different age groups in America. Adults 65 and older -- most of whom have already retired and downsized their lifestyles -- have escaped its full fury. Adults in late middle age (50 to 64) have seen their nest eggs shrink the most and their anxieties about retirement swell the most. Younger adults (ages 18-49) have taken the worst lumps in the job market but remain relatively upbeat about their financial future."
Complete Summary and full PDF report available at: http://pewsocialtrends.org/pubs/734/different-age-groups-different-recessions
Source: Career Management Alliance
Complete Summary and full PDF report available at: http://pewsocialtrends.org/pubs/742/americas-changing-work-force
Different Age Groups, Different Recessions:
"The ongoing recession has had different impacts on different age groups in America. Adults 65 and older -- most of whom have already retired and downsized their lifestyles -- have escaped its full fury. Adults in late middle age (50 to 64) have seen their nest eggs shrink the most and their anxieties about retirement swell the most. Younger adults (ages 18-49) have taken the worst lumps in the job market but remain relatively upbeat about their financial future."
Complete Summary and full PDF report available at: http://pewsocialtrends.org/pubs/734/different-age-groups-different-recessions
Source: Career Management Alliance
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