Tag Archives: leadership

Be Successful – Making A Personal Change – Part 2 Be Clear About The Change You Want!

Posted on 11 May 2012 | 3 Comments
A scattering of "brilliant" cut diam...

In the last post in this series  I discussed the need to face reality,  admit that a change is needed and then take responsibility for action.  Now you need to be quite clear about what you need to change.

You need to be as specific and detailed as you can in the way you define the change.  Starting with a clear and detailed description has a huge impact on how successful the change might be.  If you don’t really know what you want, you can still find yourself  very disappointed.

Define the change – tips!

Here are some tips for defining the problem you are trying to solve in making your change

  1. Start with what you know now! Write down as much as possible about the thing you want to change, why you want to make a change and how you plan to make it.
  2. Consider what other information you might need. What gaps are there in your knowledge about the change you want to make.  Do you understand completely how you are going to make the change and what the full effects might be?  For example, will other people be effected?  Do you need their support in making the change and are you likely to get it? How much time and money will it cost to do it and do you have those resources available?  Does making this change mean you will need to make others – what will they be?
  3. Collect the information you need.  This could include both facts and the opinions of others about the change you plan.  What has been their experience in making a similar change – what has worked for them and what has not?  Try to gather as much information as you can.

Now you are ready to define the change you want to make.

If you have gone through the steps above, you are now ready to set down in detail what your change is and how you want to make it.  Write it down and make it as clear, colorful and detailed as you can.

The next post in this series is going to cover handling emotions when making changes in our lives. No significant change is made without some impact on our emotions and knowing how to manage that impact can be key to success.

I would love to hear your experiences in making changes in your life

Working with a coach can help you to change successfully – email me at the address below for information on how I can help you.

Wendy Mason is a Life and Career Coach.  She helps people have the confidence they need to be successful at work and to change career while maintaining a good work/life balance. You can email her at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com

 

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Posted in career, career change, Career Development, change, Change Competence, Personal Development

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Job Search – Dealing with rejection

Posted on 10 May 2012 | Leave a comment

Job Search – Dealing with rejection

 

disappointment.

disappointment. (Photo credit: gogoloopie)

So, sadly, you didn’t get the job. The first message is don’t take it personally.

A job interview really isn’t a measure of your personal or professional worth.  It is about an organization matching people against the criteria they have chosen to apply.  So they didn’t think you were the perfect match on the day.  That doesn’t mean you are not an outstanding professional with great ability – it just means they think they were not looking for you.

Interviews are not about personal or professional validation and don’t use them for that.  If you need to work on your confidence – use other methods – job interviews are very risky.

Unfortunately not getting the job can lead us to ruminate on past failure. That just makes you feel miserable – try to stay in the present.  Focus on what you are good at and what you really care about – recognize that no one is perfect.

But do try to learn from the experience. What could you have done differently?  Make sure you get as much feedback as you can.  And then evaluate – don’t take any criticism personally and don’t assume automatically that it is valid in terms of you and your performance – it is the view they formed in their context.  But do listen and read carefully any feedback you are given.

Accept reality – rejection is part of job search – particularly in the current climate.  Buttress yourself up against it and keep it in perspective.  Don’t start blaming them or yourself for what has happened but do accept responsibility for your own performance and accept valid and reasonable criticism, given in good faith.

Know that you are not alone.  Every day countless others are sharing your experience.  Sometimes it helps to seek out others and share support.  You can also share contacts and job leads.  Find a local job club.

Stay healthy, eat, exercise and spend part of everyday doing something you really enjoy.  Upwards and onwards the right job for you might be just round the next corner.

If you need support from a coach in your job search, I’ll be happy to help.  My email address is below.

Wendy Mason is a Life and Career Coach.  She helps people have the confidence they need to be successful at work and to change career while maintaining a good work/life balance. You can email her at wendymason
@wisewolfcoaching.com
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Career Development – Dealing With a New Boss

Posted on 9 May 2012 | Leave a comment
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Career Development – Dealing With a New Boss

So there you are, happy in your job and doing quite well. You get on well with your boss and he/she thinks well of you and advocates for you with top management.  You couldn’t ask for much more really.

Then one day you get the news.  Your boss is moving on to set up a new division on the other side of the world in two week’s time.

You feel devastated and you start worry.  What will the new boss be like and who will it be?  The rumors start and they are never very positive are they? “That tough manager from finance is coming” or “They are going to take the opportunity to make cuts.” 

Stay Neutral But Prepare

You know the rumors are just that – this is nature filling a vacuum.

Stay calm but keep your wits about you till you have some real news.  If you can help your present boss to tie up the loose ends before departure do so – it will make life easier later.  See what you can find out about a possible successor and when you have a name, do your research.

Find out as much as possible about them but stay in a neutral space. Don’t add to the rumor mill and don’t assume that reputations are always justified – give your new boss a chance. But accept that this will be a time of change – let the past go with gratitude, rather than regrets. 

Give the new boss some space 

When the new boss arrives, give them time and space to settle in.  Don’t rush to be the first to make a good impression – there will be lots of people doing that.  But be courteous and welcoming – be optimistic.  Do your job as well as you can. 

Help when it is needed

 Show you are willing to help and support when it is needed.  Make it clear you are happy to share your knowledge of the organization and to make introductions. But accept that your new boss will have their own way of doing things and too much “this is how we do things here” from you, will really irritate.

Be authentic – don’t pretend to know more than you do or be more than you are!

 Be yourself with the new boss and don’t pretend to know more than you do.  If the boss asks a question you can’t answer, then offer to go and find out – don’t bluff, if they are any good they will see straight through it. Above all, don’t pretend to be someone in the organization that you are not – pretending to be on first name terms with the CEO can rebound on you. 

Take the opportunity to rebuild your professional image 

Most new bosses will have made enquiries about key people in their new team.  But this is still to some extent a chance to make a fresh start.  As you get to know your new boss, take the opportunity to make a new and positive impression.  Show how good you are and, when the new boss is settled in, make sure they know how interested you are in your own career.

What about new bosses who want to bring in new teams?

It is a fact of life that some new bosses prefer to bring in new teams. In your research before the new boss arrives, you may be able to find out if this is what they have done in the past.  If so, be prepared!

Do all the things, I’ve suggested above and give your new boss an opportunity to see how valuable and how flexible you are.  Show them that you can adapt to the new situation. But at the same time brush up your CV and keep an eye open for other possibilities.  Make sure you line-up your old boss up to give you a glowing reference.

If your new boss does want to make a complete change but sees how valuable you are, you might at the very least get their support in finding something new. You might be surprised by a request that you stay!

Accept life as it is now and make the best of it!

Accept that change is happening.  Things cannot stay the same, so accept the change with grace.  You will be sorry to see your boss go.  But the future is full of new possibilities.  Do your best to make the most of the opportunity.

If you have tips for dealing with new bosses, please share them here.

If you need the support of a coach in dealing with your change, please get in touch.  My email address is below.

Wendy Mason is a Life and Career Coach.  She helps people have theconfidence they need to be successful at work and to change career while maintaining a good work/life balance. You can email her at wendymason @wisewolfcoaching.com

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Tuesday Quotes for Leaders and Managers – Management and Motivation

Posted on 8 May 2012 | Leave a comment

Americana

 

Monday Quotes for Leaders and Managers – Management and Motivation

  • My mentor said, “Let’s go do it” not “You go do it.” How powerful when someone says, “Lets!” Jim Rohn
  • The most powerful and predictable people-builders are praise and encouragement. Brian Tracy
  • Reinforce what you want to see repeated. What gets rewarded gets done. Brian Tracy
  • We cannot build our own future without helping others to build theirs. Bill Clinton
  • Managing is like holding a dove in your hand. Squeeze too hard and you kill it, not hard enough and it flies away. Tommy Lasorda 
  • Encourage your people to be committed to a project rather than just be involved in it. Richard Pratt
  • A manager is an assistant to their people. Thomas J Watson
  • The one word that makes a good manager – decisiveness Lee Iacocca
  • Develop your people. Focus on their strengths. Then make high demands based on a person’s strengths. Finally, periodically view their performance Peter Drucker
  • Success in management is when those you manage succeed, and the organization you work for succeeds. Unknown
  • People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success. Norman Vincent Peale

Wendy Mason is a Life and Career Coach.  She helps people have theconfidence they need to be successful at work and to change career while maintaining a good work/life balance. You can email her at wendymason @wisewolfcoaching.com

 

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Be Successful – Making A Personal Change – Part 1 Admit A Change is Needed

Posted on 6 May 2012 | 1 Comment

Be Successful – Making A Personal Change – Part 1 Admit A Change is Needed

Personal Development Seminar (21)

Change happens

Yes, change is inevitable – you can’t avoid it but sometimes we do our best to try!  At the end of the day, though, we all get caught up in it.  If you look back at your own life and your career, you will know that this is true.

Some change is positive and some negative but change is inevitable. So how do you make the most of it for you and your career?

Facing reality

You need to recognize when a change is needed and you need to admit to yourself when that change needs to be within you.  Start to  monitor the world around you and how those about you are beginning to respond. How have things moved on and how are you going to respond?   Make scanning your horizons a regular routine.  For example;

  • Read the professional and trade journals for your sector,
  • Take part in your professional organization,
  • Keep in touch on the internet with others in your market place – LinkedIn groups are a great source of information.

Locally, listen to what your boss and your colleagues are saying about the future.

Before you make a change, you need to truly acknowledge and accept that one is required.  Sometimes that change is within ourselves and it is about our own performance.  Are you fully meeting the needs of your job as they are now, not as they were when you were first appointed?

Admitting we have a weakness, can be very painful.  It is far more comfortable to blame the boss, our colleagues, the customers or a supplier.  It is easier to make excuses and rationalise, rather than admit to things as they really are.

Making the first step

Facing reality,  admitting there is a problem and taking responsibility for action will setup the conditions needed to make progress.  They contribute to that first step to the personal change needed for career success, now, and in the future.

Look out for the next post in this series. It will be about defining the change properly, so that it will be successful.

I would love to hear about successful changes you have made.  Meanwhile, If you need support in making your change, my email address is below.

Wendy Mason is a Life and Career Coach.  She helps people have the confidence they need to be successful at work and to change career while maintaining a good work/life balance. You can email her at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com

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