Monthly Archives: July 2012

Managing Difficult People – Announcing A New Series Of Posts

Posted on 31 July 2012 by Wendy Mason | 9 Comments

Managing Difficult People – Announcing A New Series Of Posts

Next week we start a new series of weekly posts for people who find someone in their team to be ‘difficult’. And that has happened to most of us who have experience of managing people in challenging circumstances.

Dealing with difficult people can be hard and it can consume lots of your time, energy and resources. You need a strategy for managing the person that helps you deal effectively with their difficult behaviour, and helps them to become a cooperative, productive and respected member of the team.

We are going to consider how to manage those who

Disrupt other people’s performance
Say they will do something and then don’t deliver
Are ambitious but easily frustrated
Become aggressive with you or others in the team
Lower their own and other people’s morale with cynicism
Want promotion but just aren’t ready yet
Refuse to accept feedback and do not respond to the standard performance management processes.

We are going to think about

What can trigger difficult behaviour
Different types of personalities and your strategy for dealing with individuals
Barriers to good communication
Handling emotion
Performance Review
Potential legal and organizational issues and the role of HR

I hope you will gain

A better understanding of the causes of difficult behavior.
The confidence to stop one person demoralizing others in the team

So see you here next week for the first post in this new series for managers.

If you are a manager and need support in dealing with a team member you find “difficult”, I would like to help you. Email me wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com now to arrange a free half hour coaching session by Skype.

Wendy Mason is a career coach working mainly with professional women who want to make that jump to senior level while maintaining a good work/life balance. Before working as a coach, Wendy had a long career in both the public and private sectors in general management and consultancy as well as spells in HR. She now divides her time between face to face coaching, and coaching and blogging on-line. You can contact Wendy at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com and find out more at http://wisewolfcoaching.com

Coming shortly – the WiseWolf Career and Personal Development Programme – if you would like to know more email wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com

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Posted in Management

Tagged dealing with difficult people, Management, managing, managing difficult people, managing the team, Personal development, Project Management

Recessionary Boom for Small Business

Posted on 30 July 2012 by Wendy Mason | 1 Comment

Today we have a guest post from Carlo Pandian who is a freelance writer based in Toronto. He blogs about small business, accountancy and technology covering everything from Mac accounting software to cloud apps.

Recessionary Boom for Small Business

Times are tough for businesses of any size but it seems that the small business is having the better time of it. Not only are small firms negotiating the perils of recession in Canada, but it is a trend that is being repeated globally. In addition, the number of small firms being established is growing to record levels. While this is partly an effect of the recession, as more people simply turn to themselves for employment, it’s also a great deal to do with technology. Recent developments have made setting up and running a small firm far easier than in the past and the ability to run your own company is no longer limited to those with large amounts of cash or previous business experience. Whatever the size of firm you run, using the following tools can allow you to grow and succeed, despite the difficulties of the recession.

Ancient Technologies

The internet is already beginning to seem old hat and that makes it easy to overlook as a key business tool. Back in the nineties it was the biggest technological advance for possibly a century. Since those days of creaking, bleeping and occasionally blipping modems we’ve come a long way. The internet can even seem a bit boring; the reason being that it’s no more than a tool to many of us. We’ve become used to its presence and it’s now the way many of us shop, find entertainment or chat to friends. The internet offers a solution for many things in life and for business this particular tool should be an essential one.

Forget Blue Skies; Clouds are Better

There’s a massive range of software available – much of it in cloud computing form – that can offer almost limitless benefits to your business. Key online software includes accountancy software, HR software and CRM software. Many of these tools are available on free trial basis and with the online versions you don’t have the hassle of installing, updating and fixing the software if there are problems. Using cloud based software can free up hard drive space and relieve you of the IT maintenance duties that in the past may well have kept you up all night!

The art of getting paid

One area of concern for any business, but particularly small businesses, is payment. Clients can be strangely payment averse occasionally and this trait holds some rather unpleasant pitfalls for small or new businesses. Large firms have often more room for manoeuvre in this case, but small firms need cash flowing in faster than it flows out. Again, advances in technology have meant that it doesn’t matter how micro you are, you can still have access to major payment solutions. These involve simple online card payment tools and mobile payment solutions. In Canada one service, GoPayment, enables small traders to turn their mobile phones into a card reader and take payment on delivery, rather than several months and a couple of legal letters later. It’s a simple solution that no small firm should be without.

Oh, yes, phones

Talking of phones, where would any of us be without the Smartphone? These have taken over our lives and offer small businesses the opportunity to go truly mobile and stay flexible. Of course it doesn’t matter what size of firm you run, without a smart phone you are doomed to failure. OK, so that’s going a little far, you can still succeed in business without the latest model. However, it’s surprising just how much time your phone can save and combined with simple tools such as GoPayment, mentioned above, a phone can be just about all you’ll need in the way of office premises.

Carlo Pandian is a freelance writer based in Toronto and blogs about small business, accountancy and technology covering everything from Mac accounting software to cloud apps. Despite tough economic times, small businesses are thriving. Technology that allows them to be more flexible than larger competitors is a crucial part of this recipe for small, but perfectly formed, success. From online accounting to mobile payment solutions, technology is driving change in the business world faster than ever before.

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Posted in Business Start Up

Tagged accountancy and technology, business, business start up, Cloud computing, Customer relationship management, GoPayment, mobile payment solutions, Small business, small business start-up, Smartphone, Technology

Friday Quotes – Inspiration from Strong Women

Posted on 27 July 2012 by Wendy Mason | Leave a comment

Martha Graham (Photo credit: cliff1066™)

Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. Harriet Beecher Stowe

To achieve, you need thought. You have to know what you are doing and that’s real power. Ayn Rand

You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose. Indira Gandh

Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door. Emily Dickinson

If you want the rainbow, you’ve got to put up with the rain. Dolly Parton

You can write me down in history with hateful, twisted lies, you can tread me in this very dirt, but still, like dust, I’ll rise. Maya Angelou

The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities. Ayn Rand

Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion. Martha Graham

I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well. Diane Ackerman

Joy has no cost. Marianne Williamson

Wendy Mason is a career coach working mainly with professional women who want to make that jump to senior level. Before working as a coach, Wendy had a long career in both the public and private sectors in general management and consultancy as well as spells in HR. She now divides her time between face to face coaching, and coaching and blogging on-line. You can contact Wendy at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com and find out more at http://wisewolfcoaching.com

Coming shortly – the WiseWolf Career and Personal Development Programme – if you would like to know more email wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com

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Posted in Inspiration, Qotes

Tagged Ayn Rand, Dolly Parton, Emily Dickinson, Friday quotes, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Inspiration, Martha Graham, Maya Angelou, Personal development, Quotes, strong women quotes

Job Search Part 4: Writing That Winning CV

Posted on 26 July 2012 by Wendy Mason | 2 Comments

Job Search Part 4: Writing That Winning CV

Are you looking for work? Then you have come to the right place!

This is the fourth in our new series on Job Search. In the first post at this link http://wisewolftalking.com/2012/07/05/job-searchwhat-kind-of-work-are-you-looking-for/we said that you have a decision to make! The clearer you are about the kind of work you want, the more likely you are to be successful.

In the second post at this link, http://wisewolftalking.com/2012/07/12/job-search-part-2-where-are-you-looking/, I set out some options for you in terms of where to look for work

In the third post, last week, http://wisewolftalking.com/2012/07/19/job-search-part-3what-networking-can-do-for-your-job-search/. I said that networking was the most effective way to look for work and we discussed how to do it well.

Now we are going to consider how to write a winning CV

Last year we published a series of posts on CV writing and you can find the links to them below. You can find lots of books on CV writing on Amazon and those that come well recommended are at this link

A CV that is going to win you the job is the one that makes the reader want to know more about you. The CV that makes it much more likely that you will be invited to an interview! Good CVs are valuable and a very good investment of your time.

So how do you make yourself stand-out from the crowd?

Any CV that you write is only relevant if it shows how you meet the requirements of the particular role – so be ready to tailor you generic CV for each post. Be specific about skills, experience and personal qualities. Show that you understand their requirements.

These days employers and recruiter receive sacks full of CVs. Make yours short (no more than two sides of A4), easy to read and attractive.

Lay it out clearly with enough space and clear section headings.

Your CV shows what you bring to the organization, so make it look professional.

Choose a clear, professional font that is easy to read (e.g. Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman)
Make no typing mistakes – CVs with typos get “binned”. A simple spell check is not enough: ask someone else to proof-read your finished CV
Have clear headings (work experience, education etc) so that these can be scanned quickly
Order your experience and education into reverse chronological order with the latest first.
For recent posts, sum up what you actually achieved and delivered for each post
Concentrate on the last 10 years and sum-up earlier experience briefly.

Many recruiters’ job sites search candidates’ CVs for specific keywords. It is important to include those which are likely to apply for the particular job. Create clear statements that demonstrate your skills and what you deliver, using terms that show you as positive and pro-active.

These are positive keywords, you could use to describe your personal attributes

Accurate
Adaptable
Confident
Friendly
Hard-working
Innovative
Pro-active
Reliable
Responsible
Intelligent
Experienced

When describing your experience and achievement use pro-active descriptions like:

Achieved
Formulated
Planned
Broadened
Generated
Managed
Represented
Completed
Implemented
Shaped
Delivered
Saved

And, in these hard economic times, if you have saved an organization money or generated new business, flag it up with figures and facts.

Next week we’ll tackle writing that convincing covering letter!

I know you can get that job you have been hoping for and I would like to help you. Email me wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com now to arrange a free half hour coaching session by Skype.

Coming shortly – the WiseWolf Career and Personal Development Programme – if you would like to know more email wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com

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Posted in CV, Job hunting, Job Search, Job Search Techniques, Resume

Tagged career, Career Coaching, Career Development, change, coach, CV, Employment, Job Advertising, Job hunting, Job Search, Job Search Techniques, Job Search. recruitment, job seeking, jobs, Labour economics, leadership, life coaching, Looking for a new job, Management, Personal development, Resume, Writing your CV

Career Development – Tips for Succeeding in Your First Real-World Job

Posted on 25 July 2012 by Wendy Mason | Leave a comment

Today we have a very timely post for those who have just left college. It comes to us from Pepper Givens. Pepper is a freelance writer whose foremost passion is writing for her blog about education. While her primary writing focus is trends in higher ed, Pepper also enjoys writing about personal finance, parenting, sustainable living, small business strategies, and more. She can be reached for questions or comments at pepper.givens@gmail.com

Tips for Succeeding in Your First Real-World Job

So you’ve finally done it. The names have been called, the tassel has been moved and the degree is now in a nice frame on the wall—you’ve graduated college! For many, the path until this point has been a busy, stressful one muddled with successes and failures along the way. However, what so many recent grads don’t realize is this is only the beginning. Once the excitement and celebration passes, reality seeps in and the obligatory immersion into the real world begins.

For the not-so-lucky grads, a job may not be waiting, but for those that have already landed that full-time gig, it’s important to properly prepare oneself for what awaits. So, as you gear up for the new job, consider some of the tips listed below. They are sure to help make your transition from student to professional a bit smoother and more seamless.

Have Realistic Expectations and Demands

As you start your new job, try to remember that you are the new kid on the block. I know this may sound obvious and almost pointless to state, but often times, many grads come in and expect the world to be handed to them. They feel entitled to perks and benefits they simply haven’t earned yet. This is not to say they won’t, they just need to give it some time and allow themselves the opportunity to grow into their role. Also, don’t get offended being asked to do menial tasks you feel are below you. Granted, your superiors shouldn’t be asking you to do anything that is outside of the realm of your direct position, but if it is generally related to your job, do it and do it with a smile. Odds are every supervisor, manager and other superior you will encounter had to go through the same thing when they were starting out too, so just think of it as paying your dues—I promise it will get better.

Network

Many people think this is an activity best suited for job seekers, however that is simply not the case. Sure, you landed the job you wanted, but what are you doing now that you’re in that position? Sure you’re on the payroll and doing enough to get by, but are you standing out? If you aren’t making the effort or taking the time to interact with your colleagues, odds are you aren’t. Now, I’m not saying you need to know EVERY coworker by name, but you should at least be familiar with faces. At most jobs, many employees stick to their department or their team, but this is a mistake as it greatly decreases their opportunities for advancement. The better known you are throughout the company, the more you will be remembered, especially when it becomes time for a promotion or raise. So, branch out of your bubble and mingle—it’s good for your future!

Keep Learning

Just like networking, learning doesn’t stop when you leave the classroom. In this difficult economy, it’s important to stay on top of your skills and industry—either through seminars, workshops, or just personal reading. Sometimes, even, your company will pay for whatever activity it is you are doing, as it is a form of professional development and should make you more valuable to them as an employee. Plus, if you’re like many new grads, you will be surprised by the wealth of free-time you suddenly have since your evenings are no longer consumed with class assignments or college obligations. So, rather than wasting your time away, spend it productively by investing in your professional future.

Overall, the main key to success is to keep an open mind and approach the opportunity with positivity. After all this is a new beginning and new beginnings are supposed to be fun!

Pepper Givens is a freelance writer whose foremost passion is writing for her blog about education. While her primary writing focus is trends in higher ed, Pepper also enjoys writing about personal finance, parenting, sustainable living, small business strategies, and more. She can be reached for questions or comments at pepper.givens@gmail.com