Like a number of other smart tips – think “close cover before striking” for matches, or “lock hood before driving” for cars – a simple prep step or two can save you lots of time, and in many cases avoid disaster.
Here’s one more; “
calibrate before engagement.”
In the land of abundant management attention deficits, what you’re trying to achieve, or even what information you know when working with others, is often choppy.
Instead of time wasted unraveling what you thought was understood after the fact, take 2-5 minutes at the start of any engagement to do two simple things...
... Read more Posted on Feb 06, 2012 under
Executive Coaching by
J. Mike Smith.
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Wow! We have come so far together. At last, we cross the finish line together. Congratulations!
By now, you should have a high quality plan (completed in
Step 23) that you have tweaked into a thoughtful “final” plan. You hopefully have gotten some constructive feedback from your Board of Advisors (
Step 25), with potentially more feedback still to come. You have taken the plan to the next level by creating your Magnificent Milestones (
Step 26). And you have identified your support structures with your selection of an All Star Support Team (
Step 27), your scheduling of Supporting Events (
Step 28), and your Supporting Elements (
Step 29).
(If you are a couple steps behind, please, please don’t give up. Finish up as soon as you can. You are so close to the finish line.)
Through your diligence in completing the steps to this point, you have demonstrated the awesome power of combining focus and discipline. I so honor and respect what you have accomplished. While others were buried in year-end holiday activities, you had the presence to stay focused on something that has the power to change your life. And while others will be celebrating with New Year’s resolutions that they picked up over the last week, you have something 100X more powerful than any mere New Year’s resolution.
For tonight, I hope that you will just celebrate your accomplishments from 2011 (summarized by you back in
Step 3 ), as well as your latest accomplishment of building a quality personal plan.
Over our journey together in the last month, I expect that you have come to know me well enough to know that I believe that the plan is just a part of the key to your success in 2012
...
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Many things may happen before a recruiter or hiring authority ever sees your resume. These are some: s/he Googles your name, searches for you on LinkedIn, checks Facebook to see what kind of person you are, checks Twitter for evidence of thought leadership.
Then, if you pass those screens, s/he will typically, if hiring for a large company, see an Applicant Tracking System-generated form that has automatically sorted your resume into standard categories (summary, work, experience, education). If at that point you have passed muster, s/he may actually look at your nicely formatted Word resume or the ASCII/Text you submitted.
There are ways to optimize your online identity and resume submissions to improve your chances of being considered for a job...
... Read more Posted on Feb 05, 2012 under
Executive Coaching,
Job Search by
Jean Cummings.
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Wow! We have come so far together.
By now, you should have a high quality draft plan (completed in
Step 23). You hopefully are starting to get constructive feedback from your Board of Advisors (
Step 25). You have taken the plan to the next level by creating your Magnificent Milestones (
Step 26). And you have begun identifying your support structures with your selection of an All Star Support Team (
Step 27) and your scheduling of Supporting Events (
Step 28) you plan to attend in 2012.
Before our final celebratory step tomorrow, I want to ask that you do just one more thing. I want to ask that you pile on even more support for yourself. You either have or will soon have your All Star Support Team and your Supporting Events. But, because life can be bumpy, I want you to add in yet a third level of support.
Your success with your plan in 2012 is as much a function of the support that you put in place as it is even the quality of your plan. Please, please, please put in place the depth of support that will enable...
The question from a Quora post was not-so-unusual, “I am working for a company from last 8 months. I resigned there because i was getting better offer in terms of money anywhere else. My...
... Read more Posted on Jan 31, 2012 under
Executive Coaching Tags,
career planning,
Recruiting. by
J. Mike Smith.
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NOTE: This series continues from the last step, which was Step 23 (Step 24 in the original series was a "holiday break" in recognition of the date that Step 24 fell on in the year the Personal Plan Process was initially rolled out -- 2010).
Day 25 of 31 days to Creating Your Inspiring Personal Plan for 2012
Congratulations! For most, this step will be one of the most gratifying in the process. For some, it may also be one of the most nerve-wracking.
The time has come for you to share the draft of your plan with each of the members of your “Board of Advisors.” If by chance you skipped putting in place a Board (
Step 2), I strongly recommend that you reconsider the strong logic of having some individuals that you respect and trust review your plan.
The benefits of having someone beside your planning buddy (idenitified in
Step 1) review your plan are as follows:
... Read more
Posted on Jan 30, 2012 under
Executive Coaching Tags,
goal setting. by
Andy Robinson.
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Managing an executive career successfully requires a conscious awareness of personal branding, career industry trends, economic conditions, an online presence and what it all means in 2012. Choosing to embrace or at a minimum accept change will certainly assist in moving your executive career forward in a positive direction. As inevitable as it is to bring in the New Year, so too is it to recognize the changes that must be incorporated to
... Read more
Posted on Jan 27, 2012 under
Executive Coaching by
Martin Buckland.
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Immediately following a presentation, an event you organized, a meeting you were in charge of, or an important project that you wrapped up, consider a "3 x 3 Evaluation" as follows:
1 - Write down three key "take-aways" from from this event (things I learned, things I need to remember, things that might help me in the future).
2 - Write down three things you would definitely CHANGE next time (do differently, replace, add, stop doing, etc.)
3 - Write down the top three positive outcomes (results, impact on others, specific feedback you received, breakthroughs, etc.)
Successful leaders are always focused on continuous improvement -- seeking out
... Read more
Posted on Jan 26, 2012 under
Executive Coaching by
Andy Robinson.
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Trailblazer, aviator and stereotype breaker Amelia Earhart once said “
When a great adventure is offered, you don’t refuse it.”
Amelia, however, wasn’t helping raise a son. She also hadn’t just rebuilt a coaching practice working with individuals and teams back to pre-Great Recession levels.
Taking a risk for her, covering a gamble, was perhaps easier, with less downside to go along with any upside.
So when the email note from a colleague with a blue chip executive search firm – “
Would you be interested in looking at this job opportunity?” – hit my inbox, Earhart came to mind as someone who seemingly never hesitated when
... Read more Posted on Jan 25, 2012 under
Executive Coaching Tags,
career planning,
Recruiting. by
J. Mike Smith.
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It happens. You’re trying to help the new boss but they don’t take to the help you’re offering so well. The new boss says the right things when you raise a concern or idea, but they...
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... Read more Posted on Jan 23, 2012 under
Executive Coaching by
J. Mike Smith.
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