Mixed Bag

June 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment
BR Blues

Another wall by BR Walls

Happy Friday!

First off I’d like to give a shout out to the BR Walls Project.  We attended the Unveiling Party — Wall #6 – “Baton Rouge Blues” by Charles Barbier. It’s great to see art creating community. Or is it community creating art?

Last week’s thought-provoking blog post by Anne-Marie Slaughter brought to mind the book, In a Different Voice by Carol Gilligan which I discovered 20 years ago while in grad school. Definitely worth a quick review. How do you imagine your place in the world of work – as in a web or on a ladder?

And on another unrelated topic, I’m quickly becoming a fan of Dorie Clark and appreciated the tips she shared in her no nonsense post on How to Become a Professional Public Speaker.

Finally, for the last few weeks we’ve been doing home-improvement and (again) I’ve realized how expensive it is and how tempting the unhealthy choices are when you eat out every meal. So thankful to be able to wash and prep fresh fruits and vegetables in my own kitchen again!

What’s up with you this week?

Filed Under: Community Service, General Tagged With:

Post-Grad Jobs 2

June 7, 2013 By Leave a Comment
connect

connect

Awhile back, I wrote that getting work experience was something college students can do to be offer-attractive upon graduation.

In response, I heard two things:

  1. Duh, I’m working to support myself while in school. I wish I didn’t have to. To you I say, it’s hard but will pay off in many ways. Steer toward as many career-related experiences/projects as possible.
  2. OK, but I’m still not sure how to find even a part-time gig. To this I offer some suggestions to consider based on my years at LSU:

Network and connect.  Make the most of everything college offers. Growing a large and diverse network should be a goal during your college years.

Career services. Usually, fees paid by students support campus career services. This means you pay for it so you need to at least check out all the services offered. The earlier you register with career services the more you benefit. Let them support you as you create your first resume. Also, introduce yourself to all the advisers and then invite them to connect on linkedin. Communicate to them that you are looking for a job or internship as needed.

Faculty. Stop by during office hours and introduce yourself to every teacher you ever have. Tell them what you are interested in and leave them a resume. Don’t take a lot of their time. When you get home, send a brief follow-up e-mail with your resume attached thanking them for speaking with you. Invite them to connect on linkedin.

College, major, and department advisors. Call or e-mail these people to schedule a time to meet. Have your questions for them pretty well formulated. Their job is to help you successfully figure out the transition from student to professional employee. Tell them what you are interested in and leave them a resume. When you get home, send a brief follow-up e-mail with your resume attached, thanking them for their help. Invite them to connect on linkedin. Communicate to them that you are looking for a job or internship as needed.

Classmates and other students. Connect on linkedin with as many classmates and others you get to know during your college years. As you create your first resume, build your linkedin profile. Linkedin is (currently) a free and pretty permanent way to connect and maintain relationships over time. That’s not to say you can’t un-connect with someone if necessary, because you can.

Your network is so key.
Just sayin.

 

What do you think are the best ways for college grads to be offer-attractive?

Filed Under: Career Invention, General Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Are You Ready?

May 31, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Hurricane

Hurricane

Along the coast we know that June 1 is the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, so I pulled this one from the archives. Isaac had a minimal effect on us but you never know.

I’m writing this on August 29, 2012 as we ride out the storm named Isaac. The worst is not yet here but we are ready.

I did not witness a bunch of freaking out in prep for this one. Most people I know have been through hurricanes before and like us, live in a state of semi-preparedness. We always have batteries, flashlights, radios, a five-day ice chest, containers to fill with water, etc. The only things needed were gas and ice.

Did you catch Drew Brees’ message as the storm approached? ”We’ve been through this before. Obviously, do everything you can to keep yourself, your families and those around you safe. I know we’re ready. We’re prepared for this. We have been for a long time.” Yes, we have been ready for awhile.

Makes me think of careers in the 21st century. You must be ready. Sometimes the opportunity is visible from afar and slow moving (like Isaac) but often the window is only open for a brief second and you have to jump at a moment’s notice. (Sorry for the mixed metaphors but you get the drift.) Once in my career I had only a split second to make a move. I was ready, I knew it and I’ve never regretted that decision.

Living in a state of perpetual readiness may sound exhausting but once you become accustomed to it, the security is reassuring and gives you strength.

Similar to a storm readiness checklist, here is my career readiness checklist.

  • Up-to-date resume. Your resume is never finished. You should regularly be updating, tweaking, and enhancing it as you gain experience, develop, and discover your strengths. If you had to send your resume out today, could you do it?
  • Knowledge of strengths. Build on them. If you are unsure of your strengths, consider doing some assessments.
  • Knowledge of developmental areas. Choose one to work on. Create a specific, doable plan. If you are don’t know where to begin, contact me for a copy of my development planning grid. Or, consider coaching.
  • Experience. Sometimes your job provides career-relevant experiences, other times you have to find them. Volunteering is an excellent source for developmental experiences.
  • Regular networking* –  in-person. Attend your professional association meetings but also find other events in your community. Meetup.com is a way to find interesting gatherings and meet new people.
  • Regular networking* – virtually. The usual suspects – Linkedin, twitter & facebook are the holy trinity for virtual networking.  If we are not virtually connected in some way, invite me to connect.
  • Eyes open for opportunities. In your company, your industry, your community and online. Be ready for them.

None of us wants to go through storms, whether natural or career, but being ready makes it easier.

*Cultivating a large network takes time. Don’t wait too late. It’s kind of like looking for D batteries when a storm is already in the Gulf. They just may not be available when you need them.

 

What do you think?

Filed Under: Career Invention, Community Service, General, Human Resource Management, Leadership Development Tagged With: , , , , ,

Wanna job after college?

May 23, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Job SearchIt really bums me out to read stories about college grads who can’t find jobs.

I did 11 years in the management department at LSU teaching among other things Human Resource Management and Employee Selection/Placement. I also did stints as department undergrad adviser and as internship coordinator.

During that time I worked with hundreds of students as they transitioned from student to intern to employee. Here are some things I learned that I hope will help you college students out there.

Work experience is important. Working during summer breaks is a good idea. If possible, get a different job, with a different company each summer. As your college career progresses, you will take more major-specific classes. In the same way, seek job opportunities more specific to your chosen field every year. Internships can be great source for these.

Regarding work, it may be easy to babysit for a neighbor or work for your parents but doing something like that isn’t very helpful in the long-run – unless of course you want to be a day-care worker or plan to go into the family biz.

Work is important for getting that post-grad job offer for many reasons because it:

  • helps you learn more about what you do and don’t want in a career.
  • provides evidence (to recruiters) that you are a reliable and conscientious worker. HR’s preferred reference is an immediate supervisor (past or present).
  • exposes you to others with backgrounds different from your own. The ability to deal with diversity is quite important in today’s workplace. Many students I taught had private school educations and little previous interaction with people unlike themselves. Nothing like a job in the hospitality industry or retail or construction for learning about diversity.
  • allows you to demonstrate that you possess the knowledge, skills and abilities that companies want.

Several years ago, a survey of companies that recruited at LSU found job-related work experience was the #1 quality recruiters wanted in students. And, yes, that’s inherently a Catch-22. How can you get experience, when companies only want to hire people with experience?

Not easy, but certainly possible. However, it requires you be proactive. Ask your boss if you can get involved in a project related to your ultimate goal. For instance, you are a restaurant server who wants a career in HR. Ask if you can participate in training new employees or in selection interviews.

A little initiative is usually welcomed and it certainly can’t hurt to ask. Companies that hire students typically want to them to be successful.

Realizing here that I have too much to say on this topic for just one post so stay tuned…

 

Would love to hear your thoughts on getting a job after graduation.

Filed Under: Career Invention, General, Human Resource Management Tagged With: , , , ,

Simplicity, Steve Jobs, and Org Behavior

May 16, 2013 By 2 Comments

KISS

Here’s one for you org behaviorists out there.

I’ve been thinking about this for awhile: An organization’s values, strategy, culture and competency model should all be the same.

When asked their opinion of the above, a smarty I know said they thought it too extreme. He sees the organization as a tree and the values, strategy, culture, and competencies as different branches. Different branches of the same mighty oak, all contributing to the organism’s growth but not exactly the same. Made sense to me.

But then I came across the HBR article from awhile back, The Real Leadership Lessons of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. It described Jobs’ famous devotion to simplicity. He constantly pushed until the essence of whatever product Apple was developing was reached and anything unnecessary was eliminated. Cutting clutter was always a focus, resulting in elegant devices that include the iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

What else needs to be said?

Now I’m even more convinced that an organization’s values, strategy, culture and competency model should be boiled down, de-cluttered, clarified, and yes, be the same.

Simplify.
Align.

Your thoughts?

Filed Under: For Managers & Supervisors, General Management, Human Resource Management, Leadership Development, Organization Behavior Tagged With:

Take Me Away

May 8, 2013 By 2 Comments
Ocean

Clouds over the Atlantic Ocean

My change playlist is for life in a world of rapid change. It’s also a good idea to take time to recharge so we can better handle the day to day craziness.

Do you know what really recharges you? Only you can answer that one. I asked some friends what they do to relax and rejuvenate in these times and here’s what a few of them said:

  • walk in the woods
  • meditate
  • stare at the ocean
  • yoga
  • church
  • a long run
  • spa day
  • massage
  • hanging with friends, family and/or kids
  • reading

For me, it’s a music festival. Figure out what you need and schedule it. You have to make it happen because rarely is anyone else going to do that for you.

Don’t skimp on this one if you’re in for the long term.

I would love to know what you do to really recharge.


Filed Under: Career Invention, For Managers & Supervisors, General, Leadership Development, Organization Behavior Tagged With: ,

Turn and face the strange Ch-ch-changes

April 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment

If you are a regular newsletter and blog reader you’ve seen a version of this before but my change playlist and mailing list are always evolving so I share it every year. 

jazz fest

always a good day at the fest

I am so looking forward to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival this weekend and next because it is a time of inspiration and renewal. For the jazzfest faithful, the fest is a spiritual cleansing and creative catalyst.

Music.Is.Powerful.

Are you re-inventing? Or, I guess the better question would be Who’s NOT re-inventing right now? That’s life in a world of rapid change.

You can harness the inspirational power of music to support and fuel transition. How so? Stop listening to anything that reminds you of the situation you are leaving – whatever you’re done with – and listen to something different. Does not have to be new music, just new to you. Don’t forget about Pandora and Spotify as low cost, no cost sources for new and different music.

NPR featured songs about change in a story last week.

Below is my always growing list of songs about change. Make yourself a change playlist and then listen to it a lot.

And, don’t stop thinking about tomorrow…

  • A Change Would Do You Good – Sheryl Crow
  • Roll the Bones – RUSH
  • Don’t Stop – Fleetwood Mac (especially the version on The Dance featuring the USC marching band)
  • I Won’t Back Down – Tom Petty
  • The Power of Goodbye – Madonna
  • Owner of a Lonely Heart – Yes
  • Uprising – Muse
  • Sing the Changes – The Fireman
  • Roll with the Changes – REO Speedwagon
  • I Will Not Be Broken – Bonnie Raitt
  • Fly One Time – Ben Harper and Relentless7
  • Above the Bones – Mishka
  • Brand New Day – Sting
  • Cool Change – Little River Band
  • Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) – George Harrison
  • Dog Days are Over – Florence + Machine
  • Changes – David Bowie
  • Hold On – Wilson Phillips
  • Big Girls Don’t Cry – Fergie
  • Burning Down the House – Talking Heads
  • Already Gone – Sugarland
  • You Get Knocked Down – Chumbawumba
  • Should I Stay or Should I Go? – The Clash
  • You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet – Lisa Marie Presley
  • Changes IV – Cat Stevens
  • Everybody’s Changing – Keane
  • Girl on Fire – Alicia Keys
  • Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise – Avett Brothers
  • A Change is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke
  • What Doesn’t Kill You – Kelly Clarkson
  • Not Ready to Make Nice – Dixie Chicks
  • Move From the Hood – Luther Allison
  • The Climb – Miley Cyrus
  • Fly Away – Lenny Kravitz

Would love to know your favorite songs of change.

Filed Under: Career Invention, General, Human Resource Management, Leadership Development, Organization Behavior Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Leadership Kaleidoscope

April 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment
kaleidoscope

view of a kaleidoscope

The other day we tried a nearby restaurant that recently opened. The manager greeted us when we entered and then he walked to the back and chewed out the waitress in plain sight. We stood there embarrassed, trying to figure out if we needed to be seated or order at the register. The waitress ran right past me with big tears in her eyes. Later, after we sat down, I heard the manager in the kitchen yelling “I’m not being mean; I’m a good teacher and coach! Nobody wants direction anymore”. I wrote it on a napkin so I wouldn’t forget his exact words.

The Ohio State Leadership Studies of the 1950s identified two main factors or leadership behaviors – initiating structure and consideration. This restaurant incident is an example of initiating structure – a manager defining actions and how tasks should be accomplished. Consideration refers to interpersonal and relationship behaviors such as being friendly, approachable, treating others as equals, and showing concern for people’s welfare. It was not demonstrated.

In terms of emotional intelligence, one of the most popular leadership concepts today, this manager seems low in social skills (i.e., managing relationships to achieve desired outcomes) as well as empathy (i.e., understanding other’s feelings). These are two of the five original dimensions of EQ identified by Daniel Goleman.

A long history of leadership research exists. I see the various theories, models and frameworks building on each other, providing different perspectives, and serving as mirror pieces in the kaleidoscope for analyzing it. The value is that defining the behavior is a good first step to improving the behavior. It is handy to know a variety of ways to conceptualize leadership because situations differ and one size does not fit all.

Would love to hear your thoughts on leadership and its development.

Filed Under: Career Invention, General Management, Human Resource Management, Leadership Development, Organization Behavior Tagged With: , , , , , ,

non-stereotypical thinking

April 10, 2013 By 2 Comments

 

birthdays

age – what does it mean?

Last week I wrote about the stereotype out there that old people are not tech savvy. I want to go on record saying I believe this to be false. Most of the savviest techsters I know are around my age, meaning their 40s, 50s, and 60s. I do know plenty of brilliant younger techies as well – my fabulous tech master Victoria Potts Keale just one of the many.

But, I believe the stereotype that all young people are tech savvy is also false. Here’s my experience with the college-age crowd. While teaching at LSU, I gave a bonus point to students who connected with me on linkedin. I did it because many did not know what linkedin was and I thought they should. Very often I would be their first connection. As that was several years ago, I figured students were probably more current now. However, I recently met a new college grad who was in the job market and had only just discovered linkedin. She told me it wasn’t something covered in her degree program.

Now linkedin is not the be-all-end-all of tech knowledge, but it’s pretty useful if you’re looking for a job.

So many people just don’t ‘fit’ the stereotype that it’s hard for me to see age and tech hipness as related. It’s also more evidence that judging another based on a demographic characteristic is a bad idea.

Just sayin.

Would love to know your thoughts on age, technology and stereotypes.

Filed Under: Career Invention, For Managers & Supervisors, General Management, Human Resource Management, Leadership Development, Organization Behavior Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Mindset, Downton and Your Career

April 1, 2013 By 2 Comments
JB + UK_Planet

Downton Abbey

As a Downton Abbey fan I am fascinated by the underlying theme – the question of adapting to change and modern technology. The show’s producers are meticulous about getting every detail of history correct but to me it’s a study of contemporary times.

Lord Grantham is actually that person who can’t get the hang of voice mail or e-mail or smartphones and texting. The Dowager Countess is simply appalled by facebook and twitter. Maybe the new way is crass or common or not proper but failure to adapt may be much worse. Do you really want to be the one responsible for the loss of Downton?

Last week I wrote about Carol Dweck‘s work on mindset and here’s a quick review.

  • People with a fixed mindset believe basic qualities, like intelligence and talent, are fixed traits. They spend time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. In addition they think talent alone creates success—without effort.
  • People with a growth mindset believe that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work and that brains and talent are just the starting point. They also love learning and possess the resilience necessary to accomplish great things.

I bring this up again because having a growth mindset is important to successfully dealing with today’s rapid change. As a coach, I have clients in their 40s and 50s trying to figure out where they fit into the new world of work. They are concerned about their age and being perceived as old. I have to say that the stereotype of old people not being tech savvy is alive and well. And the reality is that most employers want job candidates who are fluent in technology.

So if you are > 35 and not already a stereotype buster, how do you develop that fluency?

Get out there. Create a profile, page, account, whatever. Connect. Lurk around social media sites and observe how people interact. Go to forums or other virtual places where people discuss what you don’t know. Listen to podcasts. Read the FAQs. Take classes. I guarantee you there is a free teleclass or webinar on whatever bit of technology you don’t understand.

It’s not always easy. People who ‘get’ technology and benefit the most aren’t necessarily blessed with some special tech ability. They just have the mindset to figure it out. They don’t dismiss and reject it or throw up their hands and wail ‘I don’t understand’. They keep at it until they figure it out. They just do it.

Hmmmm. Could that be the tagline for an entire mindset (in addition to Nike of course)?

Would love to know what you think about mindset or Downton Abbey.

Filed Under: Career Invention, For Managers & Supervisors, General Management, Human Resource Management, Leadership Development Tagged With: , , , ,
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