January 30th, 2012 by Kira
Like many things in life, careers are cyclical. We have periods of intense happiness, hard work, and feeling passionate. Then again, we also experience low periods with frustration, exhaustion or even boredom.
It is possible to increase the periods of happiness and reduce the other times in your career. We wanted to offer a few ways you can stay passionate and energized in your career, even when you may not be “feeling it!”
- Take a class, course, or other professional development offering where you can hone your skills, learn something new, and take your experience up a level.
- Remember why you choose your career in the first place. What was it you were passionate about, and how can you ensure that passion is being integrated into your work.
- Take time off. Whether a stay-vacation, a single day off, or a true vacation/get-away – get out of your normal routine and recharge.
- Volunteer your time or services. Volunteering has proven to increase moral and productivity, and it greatly enhances your overall perception about life in general. Find a cause you care about, and spend time giving back.
- Ask to be included in a new project, take on a new task, or do something out of the ordinary at the office.
- Mentor someone new in your industry. This gives you a chance to experience the passion and commitment of someone new, and it also offers you a chance to reconnect with how far you’ve advanced over the years.
- Enjoy the lull. Ironically, when your experiencing a lull, it’s a great time to actually enjoy the cycle of life. So, you aren’t as busy in the office, perhaps you’re even bored, what could you now use your for since you have some extra time?
These are just a few, simple things you can do to get re-energized about your career. What do you do when you want to recharge or renew your commitment to your work ? We’d love to know, please leave a comment below.
Tags: career, job, Passionately Employed, Work
Posted in Candidates, Clients, FORTIS | No Comments »
November 7th, 2011 by Kira
Individuals are all uniquely driven. As a manager or team lead it’s imperative to understand what drives the people on your team. Here are some of the top values your team members may be driven by, see if you can recognize your individual team players in some of the examples below.
Recognition – Recognition is the most common means of honoring someone’s value in the workplace; however, the majority of employees don’t feel recognized by their managers and team. Individuals who enjoy recognition will often post things that show someone has recognized them; i.e. a card on the wall, an award, etc. You may even find that individuals who need and enjoy recognition will also recognize others as well. Most people assume that everyone enjoys to be recognized for their accomplishments, but it isn’t always the case. Be sure not to assume that everyone on your team likes to be the center of attention and to get recognized in front of the group. For those who enjoy recognition, a simple acknowledgment of something they have done will go a long way and will significantly increase their performance and happiness on the job.
Equality/Fairness – The person who values fairness will always ensure that everyone on the team has equality. That could mean anything from equal time to share an idea, equal days off, working the same amount of time. It also could mean this person will count the favors you’ve done for others and will expect the favors to be equally shared. For example, you granted permission for a team member to leave early one day. To the person who values fairness, they’ve created a mental note that this will later be returned to them. If it isn’t, this person is likely to see this as a personal vindication. For the fairness person, be sure they know they are as equally important as everyone else on the team.
Monetary/Gifts – Money is a common motivator for many, but this goes beyond a pay increase or a scheduled bonus. A person who values gifts loves to be treated to lunch, receive a gift on their birthday, or receive anything with perceived value. It isn’t so much the gift it intself, it’s more the thoughfulness that goes into it. This person loves the idea that you took the time and energy to do something for them. In the workplace, this may be one of the harder values to recognize; however, if you have this person on your team, they’ll be thrilled with a gift card to a restaurant, a local store, or some other favorite place to show that they are valued and an asset to your team.
Tags: career, Happiness in the workplace, management, morale, team
Posted in Clients, FORTIS | No Comments »
June 13th, 2011 by Kira
Being a leader in the workplace has its advantages. In fact, you don’t even need to be a manager to be a leader at work. You can lead simply by integrating these character traits into your daily mindset and activities.
Communication – Essentially, every leader is a good communicator. That means they not only know how to engage with others, but more importantly they understand how to listen. Leaders pay attention, ask a lot of questions, and can express themselves accurately.
Team Player - Remember that old saying, “There’s no ‘I’ in team.” Well, that statement still holds true. A good leader is a team player. They understand that success comes from working with a group of talented individuals and that no one person can do it all alone.
Risk Taker - A leader isn’t afraid to put themselves out there, share ideas, and explore new opportunities. Taking risks showcases that you have confidence in yourself, and even if the risks do not pay off, you aren’t afraid to jump back in and try again.
Vision – Individuals, who are leaders, also have vision. Having vision means seeing the big picture, and what needs to happen in order for that vision to come to fruition. They know where they want to go, and have a good sense of how they can get there. They can also easily share that vision with others, get people to jump on board, and lead the team to success.
Leadership can be learned. Stepping up and leading starts by making a conscious choice and commitment to lead. Are you ready to lead?
Tags: career, communication, company, Leadership, management, vision
Posted in Candidates, Clients, FORTIS | No Comments »
May 9th, 2011 by Kira
Recommendations of your work history, skills, and abilities are a great way to showcase your value to both your current employer and future employers.
Here are a few tips for asking for recommendations.
First, let’s take a look at who should write a recommendation for you.
- Your manager is the first place you’ll want to look for a strong recommendation. A manager’s recommendation will tell how you handled the job, and where you excelled in a position.
- Next, a client can offer their experience in working with you directly. This will show how you interact with individuals and the relationships you were able to build with them.
- Lastly, colleagues and co-workers. While these recommendations tend to carry the least amount of weight, if you can get honest reviews about your ability to lead your co-workers, or how you work well within a team, or to highlight certain skills and aspects of your career – they could also be beneficial.
- Others. There could be other individuals whom a recommendation would carry weight for you, such as a professor, a board member from the non-profit from where you do volunteer work, or some other contact that can attest to your skills and abilities.
Let’s now look at how to ask for a recommendation. Currently, LinkedIn provides an excellent platform for asking for recommendations. Once you are connected to a person, you can simply request a recommendation from that connection. Here’s what you need to know.
- The sooner you ask for a recommendation, the better. Don’t wait. If you just changed jobs, go back to that previous employer now and get them to write a few words about you while you are still fresh in their minds.
- Be willing to reciprocate. If you ask for a recommendation, be willing to write one right back.
- Consistently seek out those who value your work, and stay in touch with them. When the time is right, send an invitation to write a recommendation. It’s okay if you give the person more details about what you are looking for, such as – “I’m seeking recommendations that highlight my ability to (manage others, close sales, etc.).”
- Say thank you! Don’t let their kindness go unnoticed, if you can’t write a recommendation back for them see if there is anything else that you can do for that person.
Recommendations are a great way to build your career portfolio, whether you use them solely on LinkedIn, or add them into your resume; a few good words about your ability can go a long way.
Tags: Asking for a recommendation, asking for a reference, career, Job change, Job Search
Posted in Candidates, FORTIS, Job Search | No Comments »
March 14th, 2011 by Kira
There generally comes a time in our career when things are rolling along just fine, and then all of a sudden a boss, manager or other “higher-up” makes a change. Whether they move into a new position within the company, or make some other move, their decision ultimately leads us to a face a change in our own career. Here are few ways to manage the adjustment when a change rolls around your way.
1. Don’t expect your old boss, to be your new boss. People are inherently different. Their communications styles vary, their leadership styles will be different, and even their expectations of you can change over time. The first rule in managing this change is to get to know your new boss. Find out their likes and dislikes, what’s important to them, and what they expect from you. Don’t be afraid to have a tough and open conversation to further understand your new leader.
2. Be clear about what you do. You will want to let your new leader know what your role entails. Perhaps you are doing things that aren’t expected, or that contribute to the team in a greater way than one would know about. Don’t be shy in letting this person know what you have going on and what tasks are on your plate.
3. Give change time. It often takes awhile for people to find their “groove” when working together. Since expectations and personalities differ, give the new leader the benefit of the doubt by not comparing them to your old boss, being accepting and understanding of their ways and requests, and being open minded about change.
Overall, making friends with your new boss will always pay off in the long run. Despite being resistant to change, many times change presents a great opportunity to grow and expand beyond your normal comfort levels. Furthermore, it can also show you are the kind of person who can thrive in any situation, which is exactly the type of person your boss wants on their team.
Tags: boss turnover, Candidate, career, managing change, positions
Posted in Candidates, FORTIS | No Comments »
February 22nd, 2011 by Kira
A new study conducted by the Institute of Executive Development shows that as many as one third of all executives moving to a new company, and one fifth of those moving to a new job within the same company do not transition well. A failed transition for a senior leader can result in lost work hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is in an organization’s best interest to evaluate the transition process for senior leadership positions to make the transitions both smooth and effective.
A widely held belief among companies is that it only takes a couple of months for an executive to transition to a new company. A recent survey tells a different story, showing that 36% of the respondents said it took six to nine months to be fully functional in a new position.
Money is invested in the search for and hiring of new executives, but often companies stop short of making sure their new leader is successful. Orientation to a new company is a normal procedure, but only 11% of those interviewed for the study found the process to be helpful. The most effective way to make the transition is to have a customized plan along with a mentoring or coaching relationship.
Here are ways organizations can make transitions easier for top executives:
- Begin thinking about the transition during the interview process. Use evaluation techniques that help the hiring team and the potential executive see how he/she fits into the new job. Technical and business skills as well as interpersonal skills should be addressed.
- Begin coaching the executive immediately after the hire, assigning key people to help resolve issues as they come up. Although only 32% of respondents had a coach, 49% of those who were coached said it was the most effective resource for a smooth transition. Coaching checkpoints at 30-60 and 90 days into the job can help uncover areas of weakness, leading to immediate action steps to create more success for the new hire and the company.
- Create a customized plan outlining the specific requirements of the job. What one thinks the job entails and what the actual job is comprised of may be different. Currently 31% of the 150 executives in the study use customized plans and 34% of those respondents said the plans were the most helpful resource in an effective transition.
- Use mentors, such as current and retired executives and board members, to help the new leader navigate through the organization, learn the culture, and network with key people.
A thoughtful and consistent process including mentoring, coaching and a customized plan will lead to greater success for an organization’s new executive. Additionally, taking these extra steps could keep you from losing your new hire, and save you time and money over the long run.
Tags: career, Job Search, job transition, mentor
Posted in Candidates, Clients, FORTIS | No Comments »
RSS Syndication
