Career Development Archives - Page 2 of 60

How to Reduce Individual Stress Levels at Work

May 14, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 1 Comment

During this year’s BetterWorks Goal Summit, closing keynote speaker Srikumar Rao, author of the book, “Happiness at Work: Be Resilient, Motivated, and Successful – No Matter What”, shared with us his views on stress and goals. I must admit, it was a great way to wrap up our day.

I don’t know about anyone else…but I love going to conferences for the learning and ideas. At the same time, I also find myself creating massive “to-do” lists for myself – things I want to look up or read, projects I should start, and overall reminders of habits that I need to start doing again. Of course, this means I’m learning and adding to my own stress.

Stress continues to be is a major issue for employees and organizations. And there are many reasons for it. Rao shared several and I found they fell into three buckets: individual, work, and life.

The “me” issues.

I’m putting in this category financial stressors such as not having enough money or savings. Or if you’re a freelancer, not having customers pay on time.

Health issues like not feeling well and the stress associated with trying to resolve health insurance issues. Fighting with insurance companies can really take a toll.

We love our family and friends, but sometimes they get on our nerves. And we get on theirs. Dealing with misunderstandings, gatherings, and holidays can be stressful.

The workplace stuff.

Our careers don’t always move as fast as we would like. It can be frustrating. We think we’re ready for a promotion (and more money). Or we want to be on a special project that will get us noticed.

Too much work! We never seem to get a breather to get organized and focus on our goals. We no sooner get done with one project and another one is dropped on our desk.

And let’s face it…sometimes our boss, co-workers, and customers can be a PITA. I’m sure there are days they feel the same about us. It’s all part of work.

Life in general.

Regardless of your political affiliation, it’s hard to escape today’s political environment. It’s on our Facebook pages and everyone wants to share their point-of-view. Whether we want to engage or not…

Time is precious and we don’t always have as much as we would like. We’re thinking there’s no such thing as work-life balance, or work-life integration, etc.

As you can see, these examples aren’t mutually exclusive. Politics at work = stress. No work life balance = hard on relationships.

Now you might be saying to yourself, “Yep, I knew all of these things are stressors. I don’t need someone to tell me what I already knew. Tell me how to make the stress go away!” Well, that’s the interesting part. Rao says that the reason we have stress is because we have a rigid idea of what the universe should be like and the universe isn’t cooperating.

Stress is the result of control. And the key to reducing stress is realizing that we aren’t in control. And we never will be. But we can learn how to manage control better.

Stress – How to Manage our Need for Control

Rao outlined three activities we can do to manage our need for control.

Practice appreciation and gratitude. This could also be in the form of mindfulness. Rao pointed out that we tend to spend more time focused on the things that are wrong around us instead of focusing on the things that are right. He suggested that things are only bad if we say they are. It’s important for us to reframe change in the context of the things we appreciate versus the stuff we can’t stand.

Become aware of mental chatter. Speaking of focusing on positive messages, that also goes for the messages we send to ourselves. I refer to this as self-talk. It’s that little voice inside our head. Does it send us positive messages or negative ones? We should make sure our mental chatter doesn’t wear us out. It will take some time and activities like mindfulness could help.

Invest in the process, not the outcome. Rao shared his view that we are a goal obsessed society. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Goals are important because they set direction. What we need to change is the mindset that if I meet the goal, that’s great and if I don’t, that’s bad. The experience is equally as important as the outcome. Rao suggests, “The more detached you are from the goal; the higher the probably that you will achieve it.”

Think Like a Civil Engineer

Rao compared the steps for managing control to being an engineer. You have a road to build. How are you going to handle the obstacles (i.e. stress)? Because we know the project will have some speedbumps along the way (pun intended). But the road still has to be built. So, we need to learn ways to manage those obstacles.

Managing the stress in our personal and professional lives isn’t easy. But I can definitely see how trying to control everything adds to our stress. And learning how to manage control could be helpful.

Thanks to Author Andrea Beaty for sharing this image (and others!) with the March for Science organizers around the world.

Tweet182

Share54

Share225

Shares 461

Kids Need Career Development – Friday Distraction

May 5, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

I know I’m a little late with a reference to “Take Our Kids to Work Day” but I believe the concept is one we should embrace year around. It’s important for us to expose kids to work. Because someday they’re going to enter the workforce and we want them to be prepared.

In career development, that first level – often labeled entry – is where we learn those key attributes of being a good employee. You know, like showing up to work on time, professional behavior expectations, and teamwork. Those skills we take with us to every other job we will ever have.

Activities like “Take Your Kids to Work Day” let young people see those career development behaviors in action. They get to witness first-hand how work happens. Kids might decide they want to be an accountant, sales person, graphic designer, or HR professional based on their exposure to the workplace.

Today’s Time Well Spent from our friends at Kronos is also a good reminder that sometimes an outsider can bring a level of clarity and creativity to the work problems we deal with every day. Not every problem can be solved by an outsider but, there are times when the answer is staring us right in the face and we can’t see it. When we need to refocus, here are a couple of things to consider:

Put the problem aside. I understand this isn’t always possible, but even going out for lunch or a walk around the building, can allow the mind to wander just enough. You can return fresh and ready to refocus.

Brainstorm new ideas. Bring a group together to brainstorm some new thoughts. Creating some diverse ideas could be the breakthrough needed to jump start the project.

As part of our career development, we need to be able to step away and refocus on issues when they occur. But we also need to be prepared to educate young people on what it takes to be successful in today’s work environment. It’s a win for everyone involved.

Tweet57

Share13

Share31

Shares 101

Quick Shots for #Recruiting Pros and #JobSeekers – Job References Edition

April 28, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 1 Comment

Just because it’s a candidate driven market doesn’t mean job seekers are always steering the conversation. Take job references for example. I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about them. Here’s the latest:

Hello. I’ve had two interviews with a company. A couple of weeks ago, the manager asked for my references and I provided them. All of my references have confirmed that they spoke with the company but I haven’t heard anything yet. When is it appropriate to follow-up?

One of the most difficult and frustrating things for candidates is the waiting after a job interview. It’s so hard to try to second guess the company. And for that reason, I’d suggest not trying to. But there are some things that everyone should try to remember when it comes to job references.

First of all, job references are used for more than getting a job. They can help secure board positions or be used in business proposals.

And there are legalities when it comes to the proper requesting and use of job references. Whether you’re a recruiter or a job seeker, it’s important to have at least a little understanding of the law.

Selecting the best job references makes a difference. Check out this expert advice from Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter on how to select and use them.

A huge mistake is letting your job references get out of date. If that happens to you, here’s how you fix it.

If you’re wondering if your company is obligated to write a reference letter for you, attorney Jonathan Segal gives us the answer.

And I purposely saved this one for last. Recruiting experts Lars Schmidt and Chris Fields answer the question: does providing references mean you’ve got the job?

Job references are a tricky thing. They do more than get you a job, so you should always have them ready. And providing them doesn’t always mean you’ve got the job. I wish I could say that there’s one sure way to respond. Unfortunately, there’s not. Follow-up in a way that you are comfortable with.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby just before exiting reality in South Florida

Tweet40

Share7

Share25

Shares 72

8 Steps to Becoming a Lifelong Learner

April 27, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 3 Comments

I know the term lifelong learner has become a little stale. Some people are calling it “self-learning”. Regardless of what you call it, the concept is important. We must continuously learn to remain physically healthy and professionally relevant.

Becoming a lifelong learner takes planning and discipline. I tend to think of it as a practice, similar to mindfulness or an exercise program like Pilates. It’s something I’m constantly working on and getting a little better every day. If you’re trying to create a personal learning practice, here are 8 things to consider:

Admit how you like to learn. There are three primary ways people learn something – auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. It’s important to know your preferred learning style. And that it might be different at times. For example, when it comes to cooking, I’m a hands-on learner. But if it’s a theory, I prefer auditory or visual.

Realize there’s a difference between what you want to learn and what you need to learn. This is especially true when it comes to our careers. There may be lots of things we want to know, but what are the new knowledge and skills that will help us accomplish our goals or get us the promotion we want.

Create a learning bucket list. Speaking of wants and needs, find a process that you’re comfortable with for prioritizing learning. You don’t want to take on too many things at once. It will ultimately impact the thing you’re learning at the moment. Create your own list of skills that you want to learn.

Look for learning buddies. IMHO, over half of learning is enjoying the experience. There’s no rule that says self-learning must be done alone. Lifelong learners might find an occasional group meeting to share stories is helpful and valuable to the process.

Discover new and fun ways to learn things. Today’s technology allows us to learn in ways we could have never imagined. I just discovered that, if I wanted to take a cooking class with famous “shouty” Chef Gordon Ramsay, I can. Or I can learn how to code using Apple’s Swift Playgrounds app. Learning doesn’t have to be boring.

Connect with good sources for learning opportunities. The second thing that technology brings to the learning space is new sources. The good news is there are lots of smart, talented people we can learn from. The hard part is sifting through all of the noise to find them. Maybe our learning buddies (#4) can help.

Schedule time for learning. Block off time on your calendar for learning. I do not have to tell anyone what will happen if you postpone learning to when you have nothing else to do. Make learning a priority and it will happen. So, schedule an appointment with yourself to learn. You deserve it.

Regularly reflect on your takeaways. Learning should have a purpose. When you decided that you wanted to learn something, there was a reason. Reflect on your learning experience. Ask yourself, “Am I getting out of the learning experience what I hoped?” And if necessary, make adjustments.

Your age and position have nothing to do with being a lifelong learner. We will never know it all. The best way to manage learning is by developing a personal process of learning because you’re going to be doing it for a long time.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby after attending the Great Place to Work Conference in Austin, TX

Tweet134

Share21

Share114

Shares 269

The 10 Basic Skills that Every Manager Should Have

April 25, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 1 Comment

There are many skills that managers can learn on the job. For example, they can learn how to approve time cards, the key elements in an employment law, or the steps in conducting a good interview. But there are some basic skills or qualities that organizations want to see in managers from day one.

So, if you’re an HR professional trying to communicate expectations for the management team, this list might be helpful. Or, if you’re an individual who wants to eventually become a manager, think about building on these basic skills:

Verbal communication. First and foremost, managers are coaches. They provide feedback to employees, conduct training, and offer performance guidance. As such, they need to be able to effectively hold a two-way conversation.

Asking questions. I’m viewing this a little differently than problem-solving. I believe you can teach someone a problem-solving model. Managers need to be curious and willing to ask questions (versus assuming an answer). They also need to be open to letting others know when they don’t know something.

Listening. I didn’t want to lump this in with verbal communication (#1) because it’s too important. This is also part of asking questions (#2). Coworkers are okay with a little silence. The best managers know when to stop talking and listen. They also know how to listen effectively.

Time management. When managers have too many projects and not enough time, they are forced to prioritize their work. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, except if employees become a low priority. Managers must be able to manage their time and still accomplish their goals – while supporting the needs of their employees.

Decision making. Speaking of prioritizing, the only way to do it effectively involves good decision making. Managers should be able to look at a situation and make an assessment about what do to. If they need additional information to make the decision, they can use skills #1, #2, and #3 to get what they need.

Customer service. Managers have multiple customers – both internal and external ones. They need to understand who their customers are, what they want, and how to engage them. This will be critical for effective time management and decision making.

Thinking. What I mean by this is managers know when to go “big picture” and when to focus on details – or both. Again, these basic skills do have a certain amount of connectivity. Good decision making involves knowing when you have the right amount of information – which will be very different – depending on your thinking.

Stress management. We can’t tell others how to manage their stress. But how we manage our own stress impacts others. Managers need to be able to recognize and manage their own stress levels. And demonstrate a certain amount of calmness for the team.

Conflict management. Managers should be able to address conflict both in terms of helping others resolve their conflicts AND being willing to defend their position, even if that means disagreeing with their boss or colleagues. They need to know how to mediate as well as manage workplace conflict.

Written communication. Online collaboration and recognition tools make it easy to communicate with employees. But like email, it’s hard to read inflection and emotion. Managers need to have good writing skills so their words will be understood and interpreted correctly.

These are the 10 basic skills that every manager needsClick To Tweet

Organizations place a lot of responsibilities on their managers. It’s important to clearly state the expectations of the role. Employees who want to be promoted into a manager position need to understand the basic skills they should demonstrate – and why they need to have them. The more open and transparent organizations are about skills, the more opportunities they can create for employees to develop them.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby after speaking at the SHRM Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV

Tweet258

Share80

Share307

Shares 645

6 Tips for Successfully Working at Home

March 26, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 1 Comment

I started my consulting firm in 2002, so I’ve been working from home for 15 years. My home office is the nicest I’ve ever had in my career.

When I was researching consulting as a profession, I asked consultants about their success strategies and biggest challenges. A couple of them talked about home offices. The first one told me as soon as I could get an office outside the home, I needed to do it because clients won’t take you seriously if you work from a home office. I didn’t follow that advice and I don’t regret it. The business world has changed a lot and most of my clients want me to visit their worksite (not the other way around.)

The second piece of advice I received was that it would take two years to learn how to effectively work at home. Yep, two years. And I must admit, it probably took me that long. Tim Sackett wrote a post on his blog titled, “Working From Home is One Big Lie” and it reminded me of the challenges people can have working at home. I know several consultants who chose to reenter the corporate world because they didn’t care for the isolationism that working from a home office can bring.

If you want to work from home, you should learn how to successfully do two things: control the distractions and embrace the freedom. On the surface, they might seem counterintuitive, but the key is to figure out the balance.

Learn How to Control the Distractions

Yes, it’s true that there are distractions in a corporate environment too. Sometimes you can tune your co-workers out by closing a door or putting on some headphones. When you work at home and you’re all by yourself…you are your own distraction. So, if you spend the afternoon playing Con Man, then you only have yourself to blame. If you want to overcome the self-imposed distractions, here are a few things to consider:

Figure out how you like to work. Self-awareness is a very powerful thing. Be honest with yourself about productivity. When are you most productive? When are you least productive?

Set up the best office space you can. Speaking of productive, your home office should allow you to be productive. Make it something that you will want to spend hours in. That includes making the space comfortable and healthy.

Designate time for home chores. Just because you’re at home, doesn’t mean that you need to do stuff around the house every day. Once you figure out your best work schedule, then you can figure out when to do the laundry, etc.

Embrace the Freedom that Comes from Working at Home

Many people want to work from home because of the flexibility it brings. And I’ll be the first to admit that it’s true – in terms of everything from time to clothing. Even when companies give employees flexible schedules, it’s not the same. But to rip-off a quote from Spiderman, “with great power comes great responsibility”. Enjoy all the benefits that working from home brings, but do it responsibly.

Practice self-discipline. If you want to visit a Starbucks to get out of the house, do it. Just remember that at some point, you must go back to work. Maybe set up a recurring appointment or reminder so you can get out.

Schedule errands and appointments during non-peak hours. A goal of working at home isn’t to work more hours. This allows you to get certain activities done faster, like doctor’s appointments and grocery shopping.

Find time to exercise and eat healthy. A huge challenge working from home is exercise. The good news is you can also visit the gym during off-peak times. And you can make healthy meals in your slow cooker while you work.

Working at home isn’t easy. There are many advantages like a lower dry cleaning bill and shorter wait times at the dentist. But there are challenges too – like exercise and self-discipline – that have to be addressed. Finding the balance that works for you takes time and honesty.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while wandering her neighborhood in South Florida

Tweet215

Share46

Share213

Shares 474

Being a Nice Person Could Be the Source of Your Stress

March 19, 2017 by Sharlyn Lauby 4 Comments

I just finished a super interesting read from the Harvard Business Review (HBR) titled “Generosity Burnout”. I would highly recommend that everyone download a copy.

The idea behind generosity burnout is this: our best career advice for others is to be a servant leader, pay it forward, be nice, help others, etc. However, if every time someone asked, we said “yes”, we could be placing ourselves in a position where we’re sacrificing our own well-being and goals for others. Hence, creating stress and burnout. There’s a line in the article that really resonated with me, “The road to exhaustion is often paved with good intentions.”

By pointing this out, I’m not implying that the answer is to say “no” to requests. Adam Grant, author of the book “Give and Take” A Revolutionary Approach to Success” and one of the co-authors of the HBR article, reminds us it’s about becoming what he calls a “self-protective giver”. Basically, it’s about giving in a way that creates high-value while utilizing few resources, a concept we’re always striving for in business.

If you want to balance giving with stress levels, they key is to focus on three things:

What you give away: Just because you can give something away, doesn’t mean you should. As a consultant, I’m reminded of this on a regular basis. Organizations will ask consultants to give away their expertise in exchange for “exposure”. Let’s be real, there’s no exposure. But there could be times when it makes sense to waive fees. That’s our individual decision to make. We should spend some focused time thinking about what we’re willing to give away (and what we can’t).

When to give: Everyone has times when they’re absolutely slammed with work and personal stuff. And times when they have greater flexibility. Individuals have to decide if they have the time to give and respond accordingly. Saying “yes” and not delivering only hurts your reputation. It’s better to say, “Sorry, I’m in the middle of a big project right now…can I participate another time?” or “I can do it if my deadline is next week, not this week.” Deadlines can sometimes be negotiated.

Who you give to: People will send you requests all the time. It’s like throwing spaghetti against the wall. They just want to see who says “yes.” And you don’t have to sign on board. It’s true, there will be people who you are close to that, when they call, you say “yes”. But the number of people in that category is probably pretty small. If someone calls and the request looks fun or interesting, you might agree. When in doubt, look at #1 and #2 for answers.

Being a kind and generous person is a good thing. It will help you in business and in life. But no one should be creating stress for themselves in the process. This is true regardless of your job title. If you work inside a company, you might get asked to do things that aren’t really related to your role. Sometimes we think we have to say “yes”, when we really don’t.

I can see generosity burnout being a real thing that individuals need to recognize and manage. The downside is that each of us will have a unique formula for dealing with it. That could be a good thing – because self-awareness is a very powerful solution.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby after speaking at the SHRM Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV

Tweet168

Share51

Share158

Shares 377